But this I confess unto thee that after the way which they call heresy,
so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written
in the law and the prophets.
Acts 24:14 kjv
THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH IS, OF NECESSITY, HERESY
This is because, the Status Quo (The Establishment) resists change whether
it be truth or error. Paul, in addressing the Corinthian Church said,
"It is reported there are heresies among you and I believe this to be
true, for they must of necessity arise that the Man of God be
revealed."
After all, Paul himself was considered a heretic by the Jewish
Sanhedrin for his conversion to Christianity, to which he brought change
from the stale traditions of the Law into the free air of grace. He knew
that "The Way," as Christianity was called by its adherents, was
in a search for the higher truths of God (epignosos). The only way to
discern truth from error was to examine each heresy (deviation from the
majority view). With this in mind, Jesus was probably the worlds greatest
heretic.
If nobody spoke up as The Holy Spirit moved them, today we would still
be circumcising converts and observing the Jewish Temple rituals with
abstinence from pork and other unclean meats. Indeed, Gentiles would be
excluded from the fellowship of Christ. All these changes and more, were
considered heresies in the early Christian Church.
What other heresies have become standard to our observance; How about
Christmas and Easter? Both of those festivals date to pagan origin. The
early church didn't observe Easter (The Festival of Astarte'); they
observed the Christian Passover with the Lord's Supper and ritual of foot
washing. Christmas celebrated the rebirth of the Sun God; not the birth of
the Son of God.
How many more can you suggest to the page? And, what heresies
should we discuss for future absorption into the Fellowship of Jesus?
WHY HERESIES?: The dichotomy between Rule of Law and Law of Love;
between gnosos (knowledge) and epignosos (understanding).
SEEKING THE TRUTH WHO HEALS: Accessing the Metaphor of Jesus
(Just what does it mean that Jesus is the One Way?)
THE HOPE THAT HEALS: Without vision the people perish
(Since God is omnipotent, WHY the **** is all this **** ALLOWED on the
planet?
houghfw is the Sound of a Sigh: Teaching the Poetry of Expression
(Why is Christian Poetry considered an oxymoron and what can be done about
it?
Your Shoe Box: All those questions without answers stored up on the
shelf
(share them here and we'll have a free dialog without recrimination).
JESUS PROMISED:
"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free."
I think it's high time we discovered what He meant. Come, sit a spell
and share your thoughts. Whether of milk and cookies, sake' and sushi, or
Jack Daniel's and pretzels, this be the place where ALL are welcome. Slip
off those sandals, let me wash the dust from your toesies, and we'll share
a few hugs of expression by the fire as they prepare to
burn me.