YOUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE DETERMINES YOUR ‘CHRISTIANITY’

FROM YOUR PASTOR’S DESK:

YOUR CHRISTIAN HERITAGE DETERMINES YOUR ‘CHRISTIANITY’

“And it came to pass, that a whole year they [Barnabas and Paul] assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” Acts 11:26, KJV (for proper context, read verses 1-29).

Notice that the “church” here mentioned wasn’t yet identified by any specific designation such as “Anglican,” “Adventist,” “Baptist,” “Catholic,” “Evangelical,” “Methodist.” “Presbyterian,” or even “CHRISTIAN,” not until the Word says so.

This ongoing series of the prophesied or foretold—not preordained or predestined—‘falling away of the church,” i.e., already called “Christian,” is past, present, and future: it traces back to the earliest pagan and heathen religious influences and practices that gradually entered into the early church, its deceptively devastating and overwhelming power of amalgamation based on compromise that resulted in the early “falling away” that morphs into its prophesied spiritual state of confusion described in Revelation as “Babylon,” and its final shocking form as “Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots (her spiritual daughters) and the Abominations of the Earth,” made up of “the beast and his image,” in final desperate global confederacy with “the dragon and the false prophet.” All these religious and civil institutions with their respective isms will be arrayed against God’s authority as expressed and defined in His immutable law of Ten Commandments, His power and seal as Creator-Redeemer-Sanctifier definitively defined and embodied in the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, and against the last remaining faithful “keepers of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.” They are the last and culminating purified “church of Christ” of the Desire of Ages.” For, “from the beginning faithful [not compromising, much less apostate] souls comprise the church of Christ on earth.”

Most certainly, not all who profess to be or claim to subscribe to a creed such as the Apostle’s Creed. etc.. are rendered from the same spiritual foundry and cast in the same mold, although Christians of the “primitive godliness” mold are. A. How can we tell? What are distinguishing differences/marks?
A. The Bible answers: “To the law and testimony: if they speak not according to this word it is because it is no light in them“ (Isa.8:20); “By their fruits you shall you know them”(Matt. 7:16-20); Jesus calls (not canonizes) them as “saints” because “they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus” and “have spirit of prophecy which is the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 14:12; 19:10).

Now let’s trace back when and why the true followers of Christ and of His “church” were first called Christians.

“Christian, [Greek. Christianos, a. ‘a follower of Christ.’]. A name used FIRST in Antioch of Syria to describe a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26). The text does not make clear WHO originated the term. It has been thought unlikely that it was adopted by the Christians [the true followers of Christ], although there is an ancient tradition that Evodius, the first bishop of Antioch, as the originator of the term. Nor is it likely that the name was coined by the JEWS [why?] for the Greek ‘Christos’ means ‘Messiah,” and the Jews would hardly call the disciples of Jesus ‘followers of Messiah’ [they rejected Jesus as the promised Messiah]. It appears that the term was FIRST applied to the followers of Jesus by the HEATHEN [such as the religion of the Roman emperors and their subjects were], doubtless as a nickname to express CONTEMPT, but to the Christian of became a name of HONOR. The word occurs elsewhere in the New Testament only in Acts 26:28 and 1 Pet. 4:16, KJV.” – SDA Bible Dictionary Complete with Atlas, Commentary Reference Series, Vol. 8, art. ‘Christian,’ p. 192: Review & Herald Publishing Asso., Washington, D.C. 1960.

Now we return to our prophetic tracing of the blood-stained career of Romish church through the Middle and Dark Ages, progressing onward. God bless, NMF.