Литмир - Электронная Библиотека
A
A

And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. – Matthew 16:18

Paul writes that church is the body of Christ:

And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church [ekklesia], which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. – Ephesians 1:22-23

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. – 1 Corinthians 12:27

So, the fellowship of believers is not an organization, neither a religion, nor a denomination, even not a movement, but disciples of Christ joined together in Spirit. It's the body of Christ. You are the people who build it up if you follow the teaching of Jesus:

And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. – Luke 13:29

You must not build or rent designated temples for worship because you must worship God in spirit and truth. The scripture is clear:

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. -John 4:24

Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands… – Acts 7:48

You must neither pay believers salary for teaching and leading you. God gives those gifts of teaching and leading to whomever He wants to give. Do not try to purchase those gifts from God. If you give your money in form of tithes to church leaders, you will perish along with your money:

But Peter said to him, "May your silver perish with you because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!” – Acts 8:2

Jesus said, “I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” He emphasized the spiritual power of His church, so even hell shall not prevail against it. Therefore, it cannot be controlled by men, for example church leaders, influential people, governmental authorities or any other forces of this world.

Divide and rule

Since the church is a spiritual body, who are the ones misleadingly call themselves church nowadays? A church nowadays called a temple, human-made organization with its distinctive doctrine.

“Divide and rule” – this is a well-known principle which devil uses to pervert the gospel of Christ. By dividing believers into religious organizations based on different doctrines, these denominations oblige believers to follow their ungodly ways. Church leaders under the threat of disfellowshipping request disciples of Christ not to associate themselves with other believers outside of their organization. They tell you concerning other believers, “They have different faith”, but it’s not about the faith they are concerned. Church leaders are concerned the most about unity in their organization. Their traditions, practices, and doctrine within the organization must be the same.

This false teaching about different churches but one faith or universal church has led disciples away from Jesus into the hands of the Antichrist: church leaders, pastors and priests.

The way for disciples of Christ to overcome division is to break the spiritual dependence on any human-made religious organizations, denominations and movements. You must study the Scriptures daily, refute ungodly teachings and traditions, fellowship with other believers away from the influence of religious organizations and its leaders. God called you to be united in Spirit with other believers:

For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 12:13

Do not drink of the spirit of different religious organizations, but drink of one Spirit. The fellowship is crucial for all disciples of Christ to support and to encourage one another but do it away from these organizations.

But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called "today," that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. – Hebrews 3:13

And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him-a threefold cord is not quickly broken. – Ecclesiastes 4:12

When someone apart from church leaders, pastors or priests attempts to teach you publicly, your church leaders disfellowship or drug him out. No freedom to teach means no Spirit of the Lord among you:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. – 2 Corinthians 3:17

Believers have turned from God to follow their church leaders. The ways of your church leaders with their doctrines, dogmas and traditions lead you to nowhere. Jesus is the only way:

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. -John 14:6

Source of division

This division was created by Roman Catholicism who built numerous temples for believers and called it church buildings or simply churches. They obliged believers to attend those temples instead of growing in the knowledge of God. They did not allow people to study the word of God because they did not want anyone to know the truth. They called their temple ceremonies a worship service, church service or Holy Mass and taught that by attending it, you are actually worshipping the Lord. What a lie!

According to the Scriptures, there was only one church in each town: Corinth, Laodicea, Rome and all others. Were there many churches in the city of Rome? Only one. Were there many churches in the city of Ephesus? Only one. All disciples of Christ in each town used to fellowship with one another without the division you can observe today:

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:4-6

The churches can be divided only by geographical reasons. Followers of Christ in one region fellowship with each other and together they make up the church:

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. – Romans 1:7

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace. – 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons. I have written something to the church, but Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. – 3 John 1:9– Philippines 1:1

Unless you want to expose those religious organizations, do not even mention their names. These are the gods leading you away from Christ by their false doctrines.

Pay attention to all that I have said to you and make no mention of the names of other gods, nor let it be heard on your lips. – Exodus 23:13

Prophecy about so-called churches

Roman Catholicism has been described in the book of Revelation as a “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations”:

And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: "Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations." – Revelation 17:5

It is because Roman Catholicism has developed a doctrine and practices which God hates. Since long time back, it has been supported by different governments and spread to all the continents. God compares false teachings and practices to a sexual immorality:

2
{"b":"779899","o":1}