Allen

A good church?

A multimillion dollar extrvaganza? And a highly paid, smiley pastor and his oh so sweet smiley wife?

Let's compare..

And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house: Philemon 1:2

Doesn't get any clearer than that

BUT, oh YES it does...

Put Philemon 1:2 + 1Corinthians 9:14 + 1Corinthians 11:1together, whad'ya get? = A man that believes and OBeys the Holy Word of God, he may have worked all night (1Corinthians 9:14) in a coal mine, then he gets off work, goes home, showers, and gets ready for fellowship in the CHURCH that is in his house (Philemon 1:2)

This man of God KNOWS that 1Corinthians 11:1 means that imitating Paul, is how we are to follow Christ!

Remember please, CHURCH IS PEOPLE!

CHURCH IS NOT A STRUCTURE!

THE CHURCH IN THY HOUSE

The Christians in the New Testament are described as the filth and offscouring of the world - Being defamed, we intreat: we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day. 1Corinthians 4:13 KJB:PCE

Where do you see pretty smiley pastor and his pretty smiley wife in their pretty Sunday best, IN THAT VERSE?

A GOOD CHURCH ?

WHERE?

Serve the Truth, the Living Word, Jesus Christ,
Allen

And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.
But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.
Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
Joh 5:16 -18 KJB:PCE

The Jews are saying Christ is NOT equal with God!

The Jews wanted to kill Christ because He said He was equal with God!

NASB - who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself

The NASB says the same thing that the Jews say in John 5.

DID NOT REGARD EQUALITY WITH GOD A THING TO BE GRASPED, BUT EMPTIED HIMSELF!

The words in that sentence says the He emptied Himself of equality with God!

That, of course, is impossible, He can not 'take off or stop being God, any more than you or I could take off, or stop being human!

The NASB is a filthy liar, but more important, the men who structured that sentence are filthy liars. Liars who think they have done a good thing for the Lord.
But they have done exactly as the Jews in John 5 did!

The issue is His GLORY, that is what He gave up, and that is what will be restored...

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. Joh 17:4-5 KJB:PCE

GO to the Word of God, now, go thither (there)

Psalm 111:9

He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever: holy and reverend is his name. Psalm 111:9 KJB:PCE

REVEREND IS A NAME FOR GOD!

For me, and C.H. Spurgeon, that is the end of the discussion!


The Treasury of David...

“Holy and reverend is his name.” Well may he say this. The whole name or character of God is worthy of profoundest awe, for it is perfect and complete, whole or holy. It ought not to be spoken without solemn thought, and never heard without profound homage. His name is to be trembled at, it is something terrible; even those who know him best rejoice with trembling before him. How good men can endure to be called “reverend” we know not. Being unable to discover any reason why our fellow-men should reverence us, we half suspect that in other men there is not very much which can entitle them to be called reverend, very reverend, right reverend, and so on. It may seem a trilling matter, but for that very reason we would urge that the foolish custom should be allowed to fall into disuse. - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Serve the Truth, the Living Word, Jesus Christ,
Allen

P.S. The words Holy Father are also a name for God

And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. John 17:11 KJB:PCE

Some very stupid men in Rome demand that they be called Holy Father, aka, GOD!

If you wish to insult me, criticize me, call me crazy, stone me, or whatever else comes to mind, stand in line

I understand that we are to live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God - Yes?
We are to understand God's Holy Word by placing lines upon lines, and precepts upon precepts - Yes?

Let me show you one conclusion I have come to.

Mine answer to them that do examine me is this 1Corinthians 9:3 KJB:PCE (PURE CAMBRIDGE EDITION)

Following 9:3, we see the verses that all of us have heard from pastors, regarding funds...

The subject of 9:4 through 9:11is the old precept of not muzzling the Ox, it (the laborour) is worthy of its hire.

Fine, the very next line, God inspired Paul to say - If others be partakers of this power over you, are not we rather? Nevertheless we have not used this power; but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of Christ. 1Corinthians 9:12 KJB:PCE

God told us through Paul that Paul taking wages would HINDER the Gospel of Christ!

Period, end of discussion, Paul WILL NOT FORBEAR WORKING, SO HE WOULD NOT HINDER THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST!

Fine, Paul is a wonderful Christian

What does this have to do with me?

Well, here is a line and a precept that ought to be added to 1Corinthians 9:12 KJB:PCE...

1Corinthians 9:12 KJB:PCE + 1Corinthians 11:1

BE ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1Corinthians 11:1 KJB:PCE

Note, in that verse the following of Paul is equated with following Christ.

Also, the word followers is defined by Strong's as ...

Strong's G3402,

mimētēs
mim-ay-tace'
From G3401; an imitator: - follower.

MIMIC, IMITATE!

If Paul siad it, we say it, if Paul did it, we do it - YES?

So, if we wish to follow Christ, we do what Paul did - Yes?

What did Paul do?

He preached and he taught - Si?

What did he preach? For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. 1Corinthians 2:2 KJB:PCE

He preached Christ and Him crucified!

What did he teach? He taught everyone to go forth and DO 1Corinthians 11:1! Paul knew what 1Corinthians 11:1 meant, people were NOT to sit before him throwing money at him for endless years!

Everyone, including women, within their God given perameters, is to go about following Christ by imitating Paul!

There it is, lines upon lines, and precepts upon precepts.

And for this and many other conclusions I have come to, I am mercilessly clOBbered.

So, have at it, both barrels, WHY is this conclusion not so?

Thanks for your time.

Serve the Truth, the Living Word, Jesus Christ,
Allen