Why are you apostolic?

[Heather]

i'm just lurking.

being on the fence myself i like to read everyones reasons for being or not being....

[titushome]

10  Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree  and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.  11  For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe's people, that there are quarrels among you.  12  Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, "I am of Paul," and "I of Apollos," and "I of Cephas," and "I of Christ."  13  Has Christ been divided ? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?

I think we would be wiser to stay away from labels since, as Paul wrote, they tend to contribute to the disunity of the Body.

[yosemite]

well I for one, will stay with the lable of apostolic since it is scriptural. I will continue stedfastly in the apostles doctrine! no fence stradleing going on here. hot or cold, not luke warm. LOL

titus: seems those scriptures were talking of being of a mans name, not a doctrine. they were putting a speacial notability on paul and others saying they had the power, as if they had more favorability when baptized by certain people, when in fact it was Christ working through paul and others.

[titushome]

well I for one, will stay with the lable of apostolic since it is scriptural. I will continue stedfastly in the apostles doctrine! no fence stradleing going on here. hot or cold, not luke warm. LOL

titus: seems those scriptures were talking of being of a mans name, not a doctrine. they were putting a speacial notability on paul and others saying they had the power, as if they had more favorability when baptized by certain people, when in fact it was Christ working through paul and others.

Yes, that's true - but there were also those saying they were "of Christ."  What could be wrong with that?  Yet Paul condemns it just as he condemns all the other labels.

His point is that we're to resist the temptation to place ourselves and other believers into categories, avoid the us/them trap among fellow believers.  Search the Scriptures, yes.  Study them to show ourselves approved before God, yes.  Correct, by the authority of the Word, error when we find it in other believers, yes.  But create division among the Body by labeling people who disagree on this or that doctrine?  No.  Let the Lord separate the chaff from the wheat when the time comes.  Until then, any who names the name of Christ is my brother or my sister.

[Backseat Radio]

you could have one of maybe two problems. one is your church is going astray from the teaching of bible and apostolic doctrine or the second being that you yourself are blinded. you have to be the one to search the scriptures with fear and trembling. i cant do it for you. i only tell what i know. it is up to you to beleive. but i will say this in defence of the apostolic doctrine,IT IS THE TRUTH. you ran the race so good, what did hender you? run and not grow weary. walk and not faint.

I'm the one that went astray.   I let bitterness cloud my judgment and cause me to reject the faith.   I clearly see now that the church I got myself into actually teaches 3 gods.  Its been bothering me for a while but I'm not sure I'd have the strength to get back out it with the emotional ties I've got to that church and the doctrinal mess they've made of my mind.

[Melody]

It's amazing the clarity that comes when we repent and submit to Jesus.  Nothing's impossible, if fact it usually falls into place when we surrender all.

[Backseat Radio]

It's amazing the clarity that comes when we repent and submit to Jesus.  Nothing's impossible, if fact it usually falls into place when we surrender all.

For me the clarity begin to come when I begin to actually listen to and really think about what I'm being taught by the Church of Christ.   

several months ago  I asked the  preacher at my church about the Godhead issue and he specifically told me that the oneness of the Godhead is not a numerical oneness.   I've talked to coc friends and researched it on coc websites and what is described to me is a god-family that has 3 members in that family.  Its also been described to me as "god" is a class of being like human is a class of being and there just happens to be 3 in that class of being. 

I've wrestle with it for a while and tried to come up with ways to justify their teachings as monotheism cause I didn't want to admit that what my church teaches is polytheism.   Its gotten to the place that I can't get away from the fact that I know what the coc teaches isn't monotheism and that the LORD clearly stated many places in the Old Testament that there is no other God besides Him.

As far as repentance goes, I regret what I've gotten myself into and the horrible attitude I've had towards the Oneness faith.  I'm just not sure right now if I could be forgiven since I was actively speaking against the Oneness faith after having grown up knowing the truth.

[(R.I.P.) YooperYankDude]

As far as repentance goes, I regret what I've gotten myself into and the horrible attitude I've had towards the Oneness faith.  I'm just not sure right now if I could be forgiven since I was actively speaking against the Oneness faith after having grown up knowing the truth.

Forgiven by whom?

I can assure you... if you repent towards God... He'll forgive you... new start...

As far as people go... they have the choice of either forgiving you... or being held accountable by God for unforgiveness! We all make mistakes... we are human... if they forget so easily that they also have made mistakes and false accusations... then they have some heart issues to look at as well.

Our mistakes can hold longer lasting results than we care for... but people still have the same choice. Believe or not believe, forgive or not forgive... and for someone to not forgive...

So make the neccessary changes... and go on...!

Praise the Lord!

[Backseat Radio]

I can assure you... if you repent towards God... He'll forgive you... new start...

As far as people go... they have the choice of either forgiving you... or being held accountable by God for unforgiveness! We all make mistakes... we are human... if they forget so easily that they also have made mistakes and false accusations... then they have some heart issues to look at as well.

Our mistakes can hold longer lasting results than we care for... but people still have the same choice. Believe or not believe, forgive or not forgive... and for someone to not forgive...

So make the neccessary changes... and go on...!

Praise the Lord!

Thanks Yop

Forgiving yourself is usually the hardest thing to do.   With God's help I will be getting my life back on track spiritually.

[Roscoe]

 

It's amazing the clarity that comes when we repent and submit to Jesus.  Nothing's impossible, if fact it usually falls into place when we surrender all.

As far as repentance goes, I regret what I've gotten myself into and the horrible attitude I've had towards the Oneness faith.  I'm just not sure right now if I could be forgiven since I was actively speaking against the Oneness faith after having grown up knowing the truth.

If I can add  my two cents worth in, Matthew 15:20 speaks of the prodigal son returning home, willing to work as a servant. The Word says that "while he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck and kissed him" The father was watching for his son otherwise, he would not have saw him. It's the same way with your situation- God is watching for you, and when you repent and run to Him, he will run to you.

Also, I recently preached a message about returning and recovering what you once had with God.1 Samuel 30:8 tells of David returning to find his city burned in fire and his wife and children taken. He inquires of the Lord wether he should pursue and was told "Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail, recover all." If you read on, David pursued and not only recovered all of his property, he took spoils. (vs19,20)

It is the same with your walk with God. The enemy stole what you had with God, but if you repent (pursue) you will surely recover and can have so much more than what you had with God.

And lastly, from another message I recently taught, once you've repented and returned to God, forget about your past transgressions. Satan will try to bring up all of your wrongdoings and make you feel like you are unworthy of forgiveness. If you've repented and God has forgiven you, that sin is gone. It can no longer be seen by God. If God can't remember your sin, why should you?
I pray that you will return to God and find his love, grace and mercy waiting for you. I will be praying for you.

[(R.I.P.) YooperYankDude]

Your welcome...

It can be hard to do... but if God is willing to forgive us... why do we hold things against ourselves? I don't know of a good answer... the only thing that can separate from the love of Christ is ourselves... our unwillingness to forgive ourselves, and forget the past; or our unwillingness to forgive others... and forget their past.

If we cant forgive and forget, and move on... a root of bitterness can and does form... and then it becomes poison... and will strangle any joy left in you, and the joy in those around you.

I'll be praying for you! And you pray for me... cause this is something we all deal with in one form or another!

*I think I erased part of what I had typed in my first reply... ohh well... there was a bit more, it just looks like I ended a sentence mid-thought... lol.*

[(R.I.P.) YooperYankDude]

Haha @ BOB... good post... apparently we were thinking along similar lines... lol! You hadn't posted yet when I started my second reply...

[Roscoe]

Haha @ BOB... good post... apparently we were thinking along similar lines... lol! You hadn't posted yet when I started my second reply...

Yeah, it took me a minute to type my message out,lol. Takes longer to type it than to preach it....

One more thing, a visiting minister taught nearly the same message recently at my church and brought up something I hadn't saw before...Ecclesiastes 11 :3. "...in the place where the tree falleth, there shall it be." He used this to demonstrate that we can't change the past, and to "let the tree (our sins) lay were it had fallen" Leave it be and get on with living for God.

[Backseat Radio]

Thanks guys for the encouraging words and thank you to those here on GP who have known me through the years that I've been in and out of the truth and have been praying for me.

[onli-one-jehovi]

I'm sure there is more to it than listed, but I do have a few querys:


Does the not-a-secret, yet shocking discovery of CoC godhead understandings invalidate any of the above listed beliefs you sported earlier?

Do the overall CoC doctrinal teachings overtly rebel against Scripture anymore than the overall Apostolic doctrinal teachings?

Were the "years in and out of the truth" spent in rebellion against living an overcoming life in the Lord Jesus Christ, or simply against the Apostolic denomination's teachings?

It is a very good thing to return to the Father after any time(s) of disobedience. I do rejoice with you for that. It may not necessarily be a good thing though, to return to any previously accepted denominal doctrine.  The key will be the ability to overlook/tolerate their misunderstood beliefs. As individuals, we all look-thru-a-glass-darkly; denominations even more so. I hope your previously listed revelations are not compromised or destroyed by the desire to be identified as belonging to a self-named portion of the Body of Christ.

"Ultimately what we should be striving to be is a follower of Jesus Christ." - Back Seat Radio 8/07/10

[Backseat Radio]

Both sides have their problems and places that they seem to ignore what scripture does say, but I think every church will have some of that.  I still don't consider myself a classic Oneness Pentecostal and probably never will.  Main thing is I want to follow what the scripture teaches.

[onli-one-jehovi]

Both sides have their problems and places that they seem to ignore what scripture does say, but I think every church will have some of that.  I still don't consider myself a classic Oneness Pentecostal and probably never will.  Main thing is I want to follow what the scripture teaches.

That's good to hear. Sometimes saints will return to the state the Lord moved them from, denying any mature progress made. Usually this comes from uncertainty of the path Father is leading them on, and a fear of being rejected. Glad to know this is not the case. I'd really, really hate to see you discard the level of understanding first mentioned.

Though every single denomination errs from scripture to variant degrees; it is possible to fellowship for a time. Eventually - if growth continues - there does come a parting, for Babylon will never let go of its hold upon them.The apostate church will make itself known to be in control. As stated several times in this topic; it's not the denominal name that we identify ourselves by or associate with that defines the Body. It is being a virgin who follows the Lamb wherever He goes. We are virginal in the sense of no other seed planted but that of the Labm. We believe the Word above all. We reject all doctrine, concepts, membership values that do not line up in Scripture. In these last hours more than ever before, we must be exemplary Bereans and no longer sheep converting into swine.

I repeat - good to see you haven't cast aside important understandings gained.

[yosemite]

WOW!!!

[Backseat Radio]

been visiting the apostolic church my brother goes to here in town.  Thinking about possibly making it my home church since they seem to be pretty middle of the road and easy going.

[nwlife]

Just to clarify on original post, to the readers, the word apostolic must be defined as most any christian will consider themselves apostolic regardless of what they believe and teach.

Though I could hazzard the guess to what definition yosimite meant by his post.