WICKED AGRIBUSINESS OPPORTUNIST COMPARED TO A RELIGIOUS LEADER.

Read Luke 12:16-19. THE GROUND OF A CERTAIN RICH MAN BROUGHT FORTH PLENTIFULLY. Suppose this RICH MAN was a religious leader, from theological seminary, parading himself as called of God, Christian celebrity, demanding to be respected as servant of God, and then the GROUND is the field of spreading the Gospel, the Great Commission. THE GROUND... BROUGHT PLENTIFULLY, in the sense that the religious leader converted many people into Christian faith. But the converts did not know the religious crafty intentions of this person.

The man said in his heart: "WHAT SHALL I DO, BECAUSE I HAVE NO ROOM WHERE TO BESTOW MY FRUIT." In other words, this man, in our case, the religious leader reasoned within himself: "What shall he do, seeing he had converted so many people which could be translated into material wealth in terms of money offerings and tithes for himself?" The man, then suggested: "THIS WILL I DO: I WILL PULL DOWN MY BARNS, AND BUILD GREATER, AND THERE WILL I BESTOW ALL MY FRUITS AND GOODS." In our case, the religious leader will not puzzle himself with the converts he had won for himself. He will demolish his small ministry, and build mega churches, in the size of stadia globally which could accept even gay priests, permit divorce for remarriage, in order to fatten his bank accounts, and increase his fame or reputation globally. Thereafter the man consoled his soul: " SOUL, THOU HAST MUCH GOODS LAID UP FOR MANY YEARS; TAKE THINE EASE, EAT, DRINK AND BE MERRY." To the religious leader, he will say to his soul: "Soul, thou hast many followers in your religious network globally, relax, get yourself personal jet, posh cars, have a house with sauna, swimming pool, lounges, tour the world enjoying, celebrate your better life now, and be numbered among the greats of the world." Great possessions are generally accompanied with pride, idleness, and luxury; and these are the greatest enemies to salvation, for they choke souls. BUT GOD SAID UNTO HIM, THOU FOOL, THIS NIGHT THY SOUL SHALL BE REQUIRED OF THEE; THEN WHOSE SHALL THOSE THINGS BE WHICH THOU HAST PROVIDED? This is the foolish extent of denominations, and everybody who fellowship there deceiving that he/she had received salvation. It is also equally foolish to politicians, and business fraudsters who go there to give tithes/offerings.

Job said (Job 15:34), that: "For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery." Imagine that a man's comfort and peace, who risks them on temporal things, religious conmanship, instead of Jesus Christ. What a dreadful awakening of a soul, long asleep in denominational sin! This night, Jesus Christ, will require your soul, for you have stolen souls, which are meant for His salvation to establish your religious empire. Hell will be your home. GLORY TO GOD.

THE LESSONS CHRISTIANS CAN LEARN FROM PETER AND FELLOW FISHERMEN ON THE NIGHT THEY CAME WITHOUT FISH.

From Luke 5:5, in King James Bible, it states: "And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." MASTER. The word translated Master (Greek EPISTATES) is not the same as that (Greek DIDASKALOS, Hebrew RABBI, teacher) in the other Gospels, and often in this also, and is peculiar to St. Luke. It implies a distinct recognition of our Lord's character as a Creator or Chief Engineer, a Navigator, experienced Fisherman, and was more the language of general respect, such as workmen might use of their MASTER. The term MASTER, also properly signifies a prefect, or one who is set over certain affairs or persons: it is used also for an instructor, or originator. Peter considered Christ, from what he had heard, as teacher of a Divine doctrine, and as having authority to command, etc. He seems to comprise both ideas in this appellation; he listened attentively to His teaching, and readily obeyed His orders. To hear attentively, and obey cheerfully, are duties we owe, not only to the sovereign Master of the world, but also to ourselves. No man ever took Jesus profitably for his teacher, who did not at the same time receive him as his Lord. WE HAVE TOILED ALL THE NIGHT - We have worked tirelessly on the dead times when people had retired to bed without any fruit realization. They had cast the net several times in the course of the night, and drew it to shore without success, and were now greatly disheartened. Personally, I, Israel Laban, have seen several laborious draughts of this kind made without fruit. All labor must be fruitless where the blessing of God is not; but especially that of the ministry. It is the presence and influence of Christ, in a congregation, that cause souls to be gathered unto himself: without these, whatever the preacher's eloquence or abilities may be, all will be night, and fruitless labor. AT THY WORD I WILL LET DOWN THE NET - He who assumes the character of a fisher of men, under any authority that does not proceed from Christ, is sure to catch nothing; but he who labors by the order and under the direction of the great Shepherd and Bishop of souls, cannot labor in vain. Several lessons to be learnt here are these: 1. YOU ARE DEEMED TO FAILURE IN YOUR WORSHIP WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST. How often do we reason among ourselves? Because You, Jesus, say so I will do it. Because I have so much faith in You and in Your word, I will do it. Or do we have doubts… Are we afraid to fail… Most people are imprisoned in denominations because they want decent luxurious burial to be offered to them upon their death. Tell Jesus Christ that you have laboured all your life in denominations, ministries, but you have received nothing concerning the salvation of your lost souls, and because He invited you to His Church, who are His followers, you will fully honour and obey the calling immediately. Philippians 4:13, King James Version Bible, states: "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." These fishermen were unable to make a catch, although they had used all of their skills, abilities and time, until Jesus blessed them. You can attend theological seminaries or universities, but without the power of the Holy Ghost, you cannot understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ whatsoever. Jesus Christ Himself said in Matthew 11:27, King James Version Bible, that: "All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him." The Lord was teaching a lesson that we all need to learn; there is failure without Him. TO DO THE GOSPEL WORK WITHOUT HIM WILL BRING DISAPPOINTMENTS… Not only is there failure, there is disappointment that comes with that failure. In our service to the Lord, we can have all of the tools for greatness only to find the disappointments and the frustration of not seeing God’s blessings. The blessings of God's work, not religious fraud, come from having Jesus Christ. We need Him. That’s the reason we need to daily be in His Word. We know that we must have Him. TO WORK WITHOUT JESUS CHRIST WILL BRING DISCOURAGEMENT… Discouragement can hinder the work. Washing nets which have caught no fish is not any fun. That is running denominations where all souls are lost, deceiving yourself that you are planting churches.. There will be times in your Christian walk when you will not see results; you only are “washing nets which caught no fish”. If this is so because you were simply going through the motions without His blessings, then this is a real tragedy. The Lord’s presence and the Lord’s instructions brought the Lord’s blessings to Simon Peter and the rest of the fishermen. Two boats nearly sank because of the large number of fish… after the blessings came. II. WE MUST HAVE FAITH IN HIM… Let’s take another look at the passage once again: "And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net." When we have faith in The Lord, we show this by being obedient to His Word. Peter at first argued that they had spent the night without any success, but then took the Lord at His Word. If it was the current generation, they could have argued with the Lord that the lake has no fish, but frogs, snakes, crocodiles, tortoises, and that they are not going back to redo fishing... This teaches us that we often do things our way only to find that our ways, alone, doesn’t work. It gives us no visible result and often frustrates us and then we have a whole new host of emotions… Anger, resentment etc. WE SHOULD HAVE FAITH THAT JESUS CHRIST IS GOD OF CREATION … "For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." (Colossians 1:16-17, KJV) Now Jesus could have either called the fish to the net or created them in the net. Either way what happened was a miracle. When Jesus shows up… “Look for a Miracle”. We Should Have Faith that He is The Caring God… "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, KJV) There has been no greater comfort to Christians than just knowing that the Lord cares about us… So much so, if we do what we should, He will supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory. Just as He provided the fish for the fishermen, He can provide our Christian needs if we pray … “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 KJV) III. WE SHOULD BE WILLING TO FORSAKE ALL FOR HIM… Look now at verse 11 "And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him." ( Luke 5:11, KJV). This should be the attitude and the disposition that marks the true disciple. To say the Peter and his company sold the large catch for cash thereby becoming rich and prosperous, is deceptions, mostly used by Word of Faith Movement. They left everything and followed Him. Luke’s Gospel tells us this in Luke 14:33: "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:33, KJV) This Involves Surrender… To surrender is to turn loose anything that has a hold of you… This could be a job, a friendship, a comfort zone, a crutch (by that, I mean anything that you are trusting in that will hinder you from following Him). This Involves Submission… When Peter said. But because you say so, I will let down the nets. He was submitting to the will of the Lord. IV. WE SHOULD FOLLOW HIM COMPLETELY… We’re not done with verse 11 "And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him." ( Luke 5:11, KJV). Who better to Guide than Jesus? To follow Him is to follow Him through the Scriptures. His Word will point you in the right direction… " Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalm 119:105, KJV) "Thou through thy commandments hast made me wiser than mine enemies: for they are ever with me." (Psalm 119:98, KJV) "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.." (Psalm 119:11, KJV) You want a good compass in your life to let you know when you’ve strayed from the path. Read Ps 119 as a foundation for setting that compass. Then… Let His Word be a light unto your path. He Will Lead Us As The Good Shepherd… One only has to think of the good work of the shepherd who leads, guides, and protects his sheep. Our Good Shepherd certainly leads us well. He Will Lead Us By His Word in Scripture and The Holy Spirit…

YOU CALL YOURSELF CHRISTIAN! REALLY! ARE YOU GENUINE OR SPURIOUS?

Mt. 10:32 “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”

“Confess me,” that is, acknowledging personally that you belongs to Jesus Christ, not any other way. It is pointless to preach about the message you had doubts about. You must belong to Jesus Christ in full aspects, not attributing your fellowship to Roman Catholic, Protestants, or any other religion. It is surprising, as well as shameful to hear someone admitting he was born Adventist, or a Catholic. Did Catholic or Adventist, knew him from his mother’s womb? The truth of the matter is that heaven is for Jesus Christ, and His disciples, called Christians. None Christians will ever set their feet there.

Catholics belong to the Pope. Adventists belong to Ellen Gould White. Jehovah witnesses belong to William Miller. Christian scientists belong to Mary Baker Eddy. Mormons belong to Joseph Smith. Methodists belong to John Wesley. Lutherans belong to Martin Luther. Anglicans belong to Queen Elizabeth, and the Royal Family. Muslims belong to Mohammad, through Allah who is Satan. Buddhists belong to Gautama Buddha. The list goes on and on, to cover Evangelicals, Charismatics, Pentecostals, and so on. These are the ways human beings are domesticated in the corrupt worship, their minds pathetically poisoned, and completely enslaved in religious madness, until they die, if they had not have their eyes opened by the Holy Ghost.

Confession of Jesus Christ here involves commitment to Him as the One and only Lord and Saviour, and the resulting acknowledgement of Him by life, from the heart, which the lip loudly testifies. In reality, secret discipleship is a practical impossibility, even though the Church of Jesus Christ is invisible, being none among denominations, but fully functional, for Christ is alive forever.

Jesus Christ constantly called for an open confession of Himself by His followers, known as the genuine Christians. Christians must be willing to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, and with all that these terms apply. That confession must be “before men,” clearly indicates that it is publicly done. You must tell publicly that you don’t belong to Roman Catholic, Protestants, Islam, and neither any other religion, no matter the insults or oppositions you will get. This denial of religions, ministries, is the clear acknowledgement of belonging to Jesus Christ, which our Saviour, will alternatively confess in respect to His followers, before our Father which is in heaven. This true Christian faith is a vital necessity.

To confess, rendered Hebrew yadhah; Greek homologeo, is used of abiding in the faith, and walking according to the truth. That faith is Jesus Christ, and not denominations or religions. That truth is Jesus Christ, and not religious or political figures. To confess is openly to acknowledge the truth in anything, as in the existence and authority of God, and accept that man is guilty of sin, and nothing he could do by himself whether religious or political to get himself out of the spiritual quagmire. Occasionally it means to concede or allow (Jn. 1:20; Acts 24:14; Heb. 11:13). 1 Jn. 4:15, states: “Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.” The idea is that of confessing Christ out of a state of oneness with Him. “Abide in me and I in you…” (Jn. 15:4), basically revealed confessing Jesus Christ. It implies identification of the confessor with the Confessed, and thus takes confession out of the category of mere formal or verbal acknowledgement. The true confessor of Christ, that is, a genuine Christian, is one whose faith rests in Jesus Christ.

Thus, to confess, takes the following order: First, the person must surrender himself to Jesus Christ. He must be a willing slave. Second, the person must be ready to believe in Jesus Christ. He must be free from religious or denominational attachment. Third, the person must publicly profess to be solely the property of Jesus Christ. Fourth, the person must be thankful to Jesus Christ for saving his soul which was lost in the kingdom of darkness, and Fifth, the person must promise to walk a Christian walk in his entire life on earth. But there are consequences to those who feel that the Christ they hear, claimed to have, must be added to other traditions, leaders, or doctrines, or religious establishments.

Mt. 10:33, states: “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”

The Greek aorist tense, referred not to a single, abrupt denial, but to an entire lifelong resistance to Jesus Christ which shall never cease. Therefore, it is not a single act of denial which makes one unworthy of being disciple, but a refusal to confess Christ as the sole Owner of him at all, that eliminates one from being a true Christian.

To deny, Greek arneomai, meant: First, is to disown Jesus Christ. To say you don’t recognize Him as the Saviour of lost souls. Second, is to reject God for polytheism, prescribing to all faiths, thinking that all worshippers belong to God, thus going to heaven; and Third, to repudiate Jesus Christ in the face of the Gospel you claimed to be proclaiming or after getting the better knowledge of the Scriptures. You personally betrayed Jesus Christ at the expense of loving the world. Heb. 10:26-27, states: “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which will devour the adversaries.”

Anyone who will confess being a Catholic, Adventist, Pentecostal, Muslim, and any other ministry, denomination, or religion, had publicly denied of himself to be a follower of Jesus Christ. This person will be denied by Jesus Christ before our Father which is in heaven. To deny Jesus Christ is to refuse His salvation, to think you can worship by proxy, and to prevent Him from accessing your life. This is the conversation the Gospel saboteurs used to attack the genuine Christians: “How can you be a Christian without having any denominational fellowship?” then the person laughs! This person is a fool big time. Jesus Christ will tell him right straight in his face “I never knew you.”

Catholics are not Christians. Adventists are not Christians. Pentecostals are not Christians. Mormons are not Christians. Jehovah witnesses are not Christians. Any person attached to religions or denomination, is not a Christian whatsoever. In all, these are people who had denied Jesus Christ. The glory of Jesus Christ, cannot be shared with the Pope, not with Ellen Gould White, not with Joseph Smith, not with William Miller, not with Mohammad, not with David Edward Owuor of the Ministry of Repentance and Holiness in Kenya, and not with any other person, be religious figure. When you call yourself “reverend” when reverence meant worship, who is God to you, when you’ve taken His place? David, the son of Jesse spoke of God in this wise: “He sent redemption unto his people: He hath commanded His covenant for ever, holy and reverend is His name,” Psalm 111:9. To say you are reverend so, and so, is plainly declaring that you’re god before them. Anyone who confesses Jesus Christ, along with any person of religious or political figure in the world, had in the real sense publicly denied Him. That person will be denied by the very Christ, and will find himself shamefully in hell. You call your pastor “his holiness,” when in the real sense he is a sinner, being immoral, and engaging in all manners of fraud! You call your bishop “reverend,” when you know he does not match God who created him, and is not a deity to be worshiped! You call Pope your “father,” when God is only the Father in heaven! You engage in demonic tongues, crocodile tears, and demonic miracles, to prove your salvation, when you know truly you are still in the kingdom of darkness, not saved! You preached the Bible, along with the messages written on books by religious leaders, knowing very well that these books contain satanic messages! How horrible is your situation! You should be ashamed of yourself. The people you deceive, is not the same as Jesus Christ, whom you think you will deceive, and bypass in the next world. The Son of God will reject you. Thereafter there will be shame, and torments in the everlasting fire in hell.

To conclude the message, here is the recapitulation: FALSE CONFESSION EXPOSED. “He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” 1 Jn. 2:4. WARNING AGAINST FALSE CONFESSION. “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord , Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven,” Mt. 7:21. CONFESSION IS COMPULSORY FOR SALVATION. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation," Rom. 10:9-10.

THE NAKED TRUTH ABOUT TITHING, AND GIVING.

1. Tithe paid by spoils of war. Abraham paid tithe to Melchizedek, king of Salem, now called Jerusalem (Heb.7:2; Gen.14:20). This was done by the Hebrew patriarch, after defeating the Gentile kings. Heb.7:4 indicated that “… the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of spoils." The Greek word akrothinion, for spoils, meant the top of the heap or best of the spoils, which was reserved for a deity. In those ancient days, when a king was defeated in war, he and his subjects were taken captives, plus the entire treasures of his kingdom. This is exactly the spoils Abraham had. Tithe, Hebrew maser, Greek dekale, meant the tenth. Abraham did not go home, in order to give Melchizedek tenth of his properties. The Scripture, is clear that he gave tenth of the best of the spoils. Since Abraham was a Hebrew and the defeated kings were Gentiles, it is logical or precious to conclude that the best of the Gentile slaves were given to Melchizedek. This, in broader sense, was that Gentile Christians were given as a tithe to Hebrew faith by Abraham the father of faith, in which Melchizedek was a type of Jesus Christ. Therefore it is illogical for Gentiles who are already tithe in Christian faith to pay tithes. Taxes do not offer taxes. Gentile Christians are already tithes by themselves given to God.

2. Tithe paid by sacrifice. When Jacob made a covenant with God at Bethel, he concluded the transaction with the promise of tithing (Gen. 28:16-22). He said: “I will surely give the tenth unto thee,” Gen. 28:22. This was voluntary on Jacob’s part for God had not enforced it, before giving the Law. This tithe was a sacrifice which Jacob would perform, of all the increase of livestock God would give him.

3. Tithe paid by produce¸ not money. The Scribes and Pharisees paid tithe of mint and anise and cumin (Mt. 23:23) and rue and all manner of herbs (Lk. 11:42). Money was not paid as tithe, but was deposited in the treasury box, which was outside the temple area of worship (Lk. 21:1-4). This money was not considered as tithe in the first place. Also tithes were paid from first fruits (Prov. 3:9), as well as the firstlings of the flocks (Ex. 13:12-13). In tithing of the flocks, every tenth animal that passed under the rod, regardless of its kind, was taken, no substitution allowed (Lev. 27:32-33). In early times, those who tithe, were allowed to enjoy the tithes with the receiver (Deut. 14:22-23; 15:19-20), an act of celebration. Those who lived in far places, could turn their tithes into money, and later purchase flock, and farm produce needed (Deut. 14:24-26). It was an act of purchasing tithe.

4. Who collect the tithe and who to receive. In Num. 18:21, God Himself said: “And, behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.” There are several facts learnt here: (i) Only the Levites were allowed to collect tithes. (ii) Only the Levites were to serve in the priesthood, that is Aaronic (Num. 18:23). (iii) The tithe was for their inheritance (Num. 18:21), for they were not allowed to have any inheritance in Israel (Num. 18:23; Deut. 18:1-2). (iv) The Levites were to collect the tithes from the children of Israel (Num. 18:26), and again tithe the tithes collected as an heave offering of it for the LORD (Num. 18:26). Heb. 7:5, states: “And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have commandment to take tithes of the people according to law, that is of their brethren though they came out of the loins of Abraham.” (v) The purpose of tithing was for the service of the tabernacle, that is, Temple worship (Num. 18:21,23).

In the covenant of grace: (a) Any man can serve the Gospel in any capacity, either as bishop, apostle, deacon, teacher, evangelist, and so on. In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, there should be no archbishops, archdeacons, reverends, and other big religious titles. (b) No person is authorized to collect tithes whatsoever. No person is compelled to give tithe. (c) Majority had inheritance, unlike the Levites. (d) There is the Church of Jesus Christ, which is completely different from the Temple of Solomon, even though the former was a type of the latter.

(e) And no one is allowed to start, establish any religious organization and call it a church. 1 Cor. 3:11, states: “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Majority who had established their ministries, denominations, had eyed themselves in tithes, defrauding their followers their hard earned money. These people served their own bellies, appetites, or earthly good; their god is money, being focused on material possessions as blessings they know; and by false doctrines flatter and deceive the hearts of the simple (Rom. 16:17-18; Philip. 3:17-19). Do not make yourself a priest in your own priesthood, which is neither Aaronic nor Melchizedek where Christ belongs to. Do not have your own church in order to make yourself bishop, apostle, reverend, and so on. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ. The tithes which were incumbent upon the Israelites can be summarized as follows:

A. The tenth of the remainder after the first fruits were taken, this amount going to the Levites for their livelihood (Lev. 27:30-33). There were no Levites among the Gentiles. B. The tenth paid by Levites to priests (Num. 18:26-28). C. The second tenth paid by the congregation for the needs of the Levites and their own families at the Tabernacle (Deut. 12:18), and D. Another tithe every third year for the poverty stricken (Deut. 14:28-29). These were the tithes that the Israelites, in Malachi’s day were withholding from and hence robbing God (Mal. 3:8; cf. Neh. 13:10). The offerings were separate from the tithes. The offerings in Israel were the first fruits of corn, wine, and oil (Deut. 18:4).

5. Where tithes were kept. Mal. 3:10 states: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you a blessing, that shall not be room enough to receive it.” The storehouse was the chambers in the Temple, built by Solomon, where tithes were brought into (cf. Neh. 10:38; 13:12). This Temple was built by God’s command, not human thinking of what was best for them, and their style of worship. Establishment of ministry or denomination was not God’s command to man in order to have his own church. The popular message by the Gospel saboteurs, that, the storehouse referred to denominations presented as local churches, is a deception, used to win trust of adherents, whereby they can be monetarily defrauded. “Meat in mine house”, referred to food enough, in abundance, that were used by priests, and their families, generally the Levites. “Prove me now herewith,” that is, God issued a challenge to the children of Israel, to attempt to outgive Him.

The response for tithing was made clear. First, “if I will not you the windows of heaven,” that is, to bring rain, which continually flows, for your crops (cf. 2Kgs. 7:2). God’s blessing is not money. Therefore it is not money flowing from heaven. Simon Magus, was rebuked for attempting to purchase the gift of the Holy Ghost with money (Acts 8:18-24). Second, pour you out blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it, that is, a hyperbole: the thought is that God would provide superabundance. They would have increase in flocks. The blessing would come not because God got 10% of the wealth, but because in giving the tithe they were in the place of obedience and subjection to God. The outward sign of their obedience and subjection was the giving of the tithe. God the Owner of all the silver and gold, including everything in this world does not depend on the tithes given. 6. The principle of tithing does not hold today.

This is because: (i) The Temple of Solomon was destroyed by Titus, Roman General, in 70 A.D., bringing it down to its knees. No Levites, is serving there, for it has not been rebuilt. No temple employee is in Jerusalem to be supported with tithes. All the tithes collected were taken to Jerusalem, unlike the current which ended into individual, personal fat accounts. If one wants tithes, let him make himself a Levite, rebuilt the Temple in Jerusalem, and serve right there, and thereafter collect tithes from fellow Levites. (ii) There are no Levites among the Gentile blood. Levites are descendants of Jacob, Israelites proper. (iii) The Church of Jesus Christ is made up of genuine Christians across the globe. Peter called the genuine Christian as lively stones; their Gospel responsibility as holy priesthood; and their faith as spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Paul called them the body of Christ (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12). The Church of Jesus Christ is completely different from the Temple which was made of dead stones. Solomon was the builder of the Temple. Jesus Christ is the Builder of the Church. (iv) The local church, a cryptic way of identifying denomination, is not the Temple, neither its chambers called storehouse. People who support their local churches with their gifts of ministries, from the money they have, or believed to be entrusted with, are supporting religious fraud, Vatican projects, conspiracy, and overall corrupt worship. (v) Preachers today had inheritances: lands with title deeds; large estates; convoy of cars/ fleet of buses; personal jets; magnificent homes/ residences fully equipped with swimming pools, health clubs, sauna, with pianos which play by themselves; had record labels or book contracts; charge money for the seminars they host, and are engaged in stock and bond market. Their bank accounts are super fat. These preachers are servants of their own bellies, or appetites (Rom. 16:17-18; Philip. 3:17-19). They are completely different from the Levites, and therefore should not be supported with tithes. (vi) Tithing is not the advancement of God’s kingdom on earth, as preached by religious conmen, specifically Word of Faith Movement, otherwise called Charismatics, plus Pentecostals. Jesus Christ publicly said: “My kingdom is not of this world”… (Jn. 18:36). The kingdom of God does not need fraud to advance it. When tithes are given, it is the planting of manmade churches. In fact it is the advancing of satanic kingdoms which hold religions, ministries, and denominations together.

(vii)) And when the priesthood was changed from Aaronic to Melchizedek; from Levi, to Jesus Christ, there must also be a change from Law to the Gospel (Heb. 7:12). The priesthood of Aaronic accepted only Levites, who were supported by tithes. The priesthood of Jesus Christ, on the other land, accepted Christians from all parts of the globe, who preached the Gospel freely, and are not supported by tithes. Matt. 10:8 “… freely you have received, freely give”.

7. The act of giving is not tithing. The measure of giving is summed up in 1 Cor. 16:2, which states; “ Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come”. Here, we understand the following solid facts: (a) That giving must be regular, and planned (“upon the first day of the week”, that is, Sunday). (b) That giving must be all inclusive. All Christians, including preachers. None is exempted (“let every one of you”). The rich and the poor, slaves and free, all were to have a part in the sacrifice of giving of their possessions. (c) That giving must be systematic (“lay by him in store”). (d) And that giving must be proportionate (“as God hath prospered him”). The amount of each giving must be proportionate to the givers’ income.

The principle of giving in the New Testament surpasses the tithes which the Levites collected, and its purpose also outweigh the priests, or preachers as well. To begin with, the measure is “as God hath prospered him.” It is possible for a person to deceive himself by giving tithes of the money he receives, or the wealth he had accumulated. But provided it doesn’t match up the prosperity given him by God, he is robbing God. As he continue prosper materially, he must increase his giving. There should also be the motive of giving. 2 Cor. 9:6-7, states: “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly: and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

“He which soweth sparingly,” that is, one who does not give as God had prospered him (cf. Prov. 11:24; Lk. 6:38; Gal. 6:7). One’s return, or prosperity, is determined by his giving. Before God you don’t invest, but give. Since God owned everything, including you, then He is at His own liberty to deny, or give you the prosperity. That giving must be undiscriminating, as well as unrestrained, is perfectly understood here. “Every man according as he purposeth in his heart.” That is, the giving must be from open heart. There is no minimum quota, nor a minimum percentage. For each individual it is a mount to be determined in accordance as God had given you in your daily survival. “Not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” There is to be a willing heart and sincere desire on the part of the one giving in order to participate. God is not interested in your money neither the preacher of the Gospel (Ps. 50:10-12). Prov. 22:9 indicates: “He that hath bountiful eye shall be blessed: for he giveth of his bread to the poor.” “Cheerful,” is rendered Greek hilaron, from which the English term “hilarious” derives. Giving is not a joke; it is a serious Christian responsibility. Secondly, giving should not be hypocritical, neither the platform for seeking public reputation. The left hand should not know what the right hand is doing (Mt. 6:1-4). Hypocrites’ aim is to win human praise, whose parade and pretense is spiritually futile. Thirdly, giving is for the benefit of all saints (1 Cor. 16:1; 2Cor. 9:1), including the preachers (1 Cor. 9:1-14). James 1:27, states: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this. To visit the fatherless and widows in their afflictions, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” Visiting the orphans, and widows, emphasize the act of giving. Destitute brothers and sisters in Christ, should also be assisted by giving (James 2:14-17). Fourthly, anyone regardless of race should be assisted through giving. In Mt. 6:42, Jesus Christ said, that: “Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” Not only giving is commanded, but borrowing as well. “Him that would borrow of thee.” Jesus Christ made it crystal clear that a loan should be looked upon as a potential gift. When genuine Christians lend something to someone, they should not expect to receive in return. Yet spurious, greedy Christian impostors would ask: “Is this practical?” The answer is: “Yes it is!” But that which is spiritual, in accordance to faith which Christians walked by, is not always that which is practical. There are many statements in Proverbs against borrowing, lending, and surety (cf. Prov. 6:1; 11:15; 22:7; 27:13). While the genuine Christians are warned of the dangers of borrowing and lending, Jesus Christ made it crystal clear that the believer ought to be willing to lend to those in need.

“Give him that asketh of thee.” Even the beggar on the street should be ministered to through the provision of giving. This Gospel message forms the basis of all Christian giving, and provides the proper social application of the statement to the physical needs of man as well as his spiritual needs. In the world, the obsession with material goods and possessions, makes them recoil at the thought of giving away what they have acquired. However, if you take the opposite direction, not the will of the majority, in the world; if you were willing to concentrate on the treasures of heaven, and be content with only necessary food and clothing, you would accept these words literally, willingly, and practically. The message from Jesus Christ presupposes that the person who asks for help has a genuine need, or purpose of doing so. Since it is impossible to know whether the need is illegitimate in all cases, it is possible to give to a score of fraudulent beggars, than risk turning away one legitimate person in the real need. Before God you have the case to answer, when brought forward in the judgment day. If the person who asked for the giving was fraudulent, con artist, then he will be judged as a thief. If the person was genuine but you assumed him to be fraudulent, then you will be judged as a liar, as well as greedy person. Everything in this world belongs to God. Use them right here, for you will not take them along with you in the next word.

Greed is sin, and if one doesn’t know, it is condemned in the Gospel. Majority, notably those parading themselves as Christians revealed their true wicked characters, and at the same time judgmental when they are requested for help, or to give. Jesus Christ even appreciated the giving of cold water to His disciples, called Christians (Mt. 10:42). If one doesn’t have money, surely he cannot miss water. Christ revealed that upon His Second Coming, in the judgment day, He will tell the greedy who are the goats separated from the sheep, that: “Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels,” Mt. 25:4. Things not done, or rejecting the acts of giving towards the needy will be considered as the work not done to Christ Himself (Mt. 25:42-45). Christ again will say to the generous, who exercise giving, that: “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world,” Mt. 25:34. Reason provided in Mt. 25:35-40. Giving is not salvation, but is a good behaviour shown by a person who is saved, born again, experienced regeneration, and living in Christ. Humanly speaking, according to the nature of living in the current world, such behaviour as Christ calls for here is impossible. Only genuine Christian, who is controlled by the Holy Ghost, can live a self-sacrificing life. Only as Jesus Christ, the only Saviour is allowed to live His life in the genuine Christian can insult (Mt. 5:39), injustice (Mt. 5:40), and inconvenience (Mt. 5:41), be repaid with love. This is “the Gospel of the second mile.” Fifthly, giving had no limit. It flows continuously. Lk. 6:38 states: “Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.” Here is the principle that giving cannot outgive the Creator. God is the Creator, because He created everything in this world, for His own personal use, including human beings. Therefore we use everything in this world, for the short life we have, not because we owned them, but as caretakers, for we leave them right here, in the world when we die. Naturally, all our substance belongs to God. But as we give it back to Him, He is always generous in returning it to us again. Every cheerful giver knows both the joy of giving and the joy of God’s blessed provision. God entrusts more wealth to those who He knows will properly dispense it.

Love manifests itself in giving (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 5:23). The Christian living is a ministry of giving, expenditure. Those who give generously are rewarded generously. The picture is of a man with a large apron – like fold in the front of his garment. Currently pockets, in trousers, had replaced this. The man uses it for carrying seeds. The more widely he broadcasts the seed, the greater his harvest. It is a fixed principle in Christian life that we as the genuine Christians reap according to our sowing, that our actions react upon us, that the same measure we mete to others is the same that shall be measured to us again. If genuine Christians sow material things, they will reap spiritual treasures of inestimable value (cf. 1 Cor. 9:11). It is also true that what we keep, we loose and what we give we have (cf. Mk. 8:35). Much was spoken by our Lord regarding giving. Giving can be in in the form of money, farm produce, real estates or properties, clothing, and many more, from the smallest gifts to the largest gifts. The Lord spoke so, because these things touches everyday life, and is so liable to misuse, especially money. In fact both Solomon in Proverbs, and Jesus Christ gave many warnings regarding wine, women, and wealth. Here is the sum:

WINE. It is a mocker, in the case of Solomon, and is consumed by people lacking moral standard, who in turn are eternally perishing. In the Gospel, drunkards would not inherit the kingdom of God.

WOMEN. To Solomon, avoid strange women that can seduce you into adultery, fornication. In the Gospel, marriage is the cure for immorality, and must be permanent as placed, instituted by God, and is undivorceable, as commanded to man.

WEALTH. To Solomon, wealth is vanity, an avenue for temptation, and fraud. In the Gospel, wealth should be the source of Christian giving. The destitute should be helped wherever the need warrants. This is quite different from the armed forces manifestos, which is wine, women, and war, the three W. Sixthly, the giver is blessed more, as compared to the receiver. In Acts 20:35, Paul the apostle spoke: “I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of our Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.” These words of Jesus Christ are not in the Gospel, though they may be included in the many things John the apostle mentioned were not written (Jn. 21:25). But to be “more blessed to give than to receive” might illustrate: (i) Reward from the Father for the secret alms giving (Mt. 6:4). (ii) Laying up treasurer in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal (Mt. 6:20). (iii) The attitude to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness (Mt. 6:33). (iv) Reward for continuous giving (Lk. 6:38). (v) That God loveth a cheerful giver, in 2 Cor. 9:7, is an indication of blessings. (vi) The giving of God’s kingdom to the genuine Christians who are described as little flocks. Lk. 12:33 states: “Sell that ye have, and give alms: provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasurer in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.” (vii) Giving fundamentally illustrates the character needed for a neighbour. The case of a Good Samaritan who helped the robbery victim, served as an example (Lk. 10:30-37). The victim was attacked, robbed, and stripped of clothes. Here: First, the giver must be proved a true neighbour. Second, he must have a compassionate heart. Third, he must have a helping hand. Fourth, he must have unlimited concern. Fifth, he must give up personal comfort, physical energy, and valuable time. The truth is this: Greedy person says what’s mine is mine. Fraudulent person says what’s yours is mine; and a Giving person says what’s mine is yours, we’ll share. In other words, the giver is blessed more than the receiver. Psalms 19:9-11 states: “The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honey comb. Moreover by them is thy servant warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward.”

RUN AWAY FROM DENOMINATIONS, MINISTRIES, RELIGIONS. THESE ARE CHURCHES OF THE DEVIL, SATAN.

1 Cor. 10:14 “Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.” The Christian walk is encountered with various temptations, which must be avoided at all costs. Part of the Lord’s prayer indicates: “And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil …,” Mt. 6:13. “Wherefore,” Greek dioper, a strengthened form of dio, literally “for this reason,” not “Therefore” as in NKJV. The reason clearly stated. The apostasy of Israelites can be duplicated upon those calling themselves Christians today. “My dearly beloved.” People loved by Paul, and Jesus Christ, whom they wonderfully serve. These are genuine Christians, not hypocrites, who openly speaking are occultists in the modern world.

“Flee from idolatry.” These words have a triple significance: 1. They contain a concern because they are addressed to people, Christians, whom Paul loved. 2. They express a command, not sympathy, they are given in the imperative mode. 3. And they express a consequence. Because of carelessly receiving the Gospel, in a way of fraud, deception, majority are lying to their hearts that they are Christians, born again.

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APOCRYPHA IS NOT ABOUT THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. THEY ARE CONSPIRED SATANIC WRITINGS FROM ROMAN CATHOLIC.

The Old Testament Apocrypha consists of eleven or twelve books, depending upon how they are divided, that the Roman Catholic Church adds to the Old Testament. The Protestants reject these books as Holy Scripture for the following reasons. 1. The Apocrypha Has Different Doctrine And Practices Than Holy Scripture There are doctrines and practices contained in the Apocrypha that are contrary to what the Scripture teaches. They include the following. They Teach A Person Is Saved By Works In the Apocrypha proof texts can be found to support the Roman Catholic doctrine of justification by human works and not faith alone. The Apocrypha contains the following verses. For almsgiving saves from death and purges away every sin. Those who give alms will enjoy a full life (Tobit 12:9). In another place in Tobit it says. So now, my children see what almsgiving accomplishes, and what injustice does it brings death! (Tobit 14:11). In the Book of First Maccabees it says. Was not Abraham found faithful when tested, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness (First Maccabees 2:52). The Bible, on the other hand, says that a person is saved by grace through faith. It is not based upon our good works. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God - not the result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8,9). The Non-biblical Doctrine Of Purgatory Is Taught In The Apocrypha The doctrine of purgatory - a place of purging between heaven and hell - is taught in the Apocrypha. It says. So they all blessed the ways of the Lord, the righteous judge, who reveals the things that are hidden; and they turned to supplication, praying that the sin that had been committed might be wholly blotted out. The noble Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves free from sin, for they had seen with their own eyes what had happened as the result of the sin of those who had fallen. He also took up a collection, man by man, to the amount of two thousand drachmas of silver, and sent it to Jerusalem to provide for a sin offering. In doing this he acted very well and honorably, taking account of the resurrection. For if he were not expecting that those who had fallen would rise again, it would have been superfluous and foolish to pray for the dead. But if he was looking to the splendid reward that is laid up for those who fall asleep in godliness, it was a holy and pious thought. Therefore he made atonement for the dead, so that they might be delivered from their sin (Second Maccabees 12:41-45). The Bible teaches that, upon death, one either goes to be with the Lord or is sent away from Him - there is no middle place. The writer to the Hebrews stated. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment (Hebrews 9:27). According To The Apocrypha God Hears The Prayers Of The Dead We find the Book of Baruch teaching that God hears the prayers of those who have died. O Lord Almighty, God of Israel, hear now the prayer of the dead of Israel, the children of those who sinned before you, who did not heed the voice of the Lord their God, so that calamities have clung to us (Baruch 3:4). The dead do not pray for the living. Only the living upon the earth pray for the other living ones on the earth. The Apocrypha Teaches The Pre-existence Of Souls The doctrine of the pre-existence of souls is found in the Apocrypha. As a child I was naturally gifted, and a good soul fell to my lot; or rather, being good, I entered an undefiled body (Wisdom 8:19,20). Scripture does not teach that souls have any existence before they are united into a body. It Teaches Creation Out Of Pre-Existent Matter The doctrine of creation out of pre-existent matter is taught in the Apocrypha. For your all-powerful hand, which created the world out of formless matter, did not lack the means to send upon them a multitude of bears, or bold lions (Wisdom 11:17). The Bible says that God's creation was out of nothing. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things which are visible (Hebrews 11:3). The Apocrypha Say The Body Weighs Down The Soul The idea of the body as a weight upon the soul is found in the Apocrypha. For a perishable body weighs down the soul, and this earthy tent burdens the thoughtful mind (Wisdom 9:15). The idea that the body weighs down the soul is not biblical - the body is not evil. All of these doctrines are contrary to the teaching of Holy Scripture. 2. The Apocrypha Is Never Cited In The New Testament As Scripture Though the New Testament cites directly, or alludes to, almost every book of the Old Testament as Scripture, it never cites the Apocrypha as being God's Word. The Apocrypha was not the Bible of Jesus or His apostles. While Jesus and Hs apostles often quoted from the Septuagint, they never quoted from the Apocrypha. Allusions Are Not The Same As Scripture While there may be some allusions to the apocryphal books by New Testament writers there is no direct quote from them. An allusion is not the same as a direct quote. No Statement Introduced By "It Is Written" In addition, no New Testament writer ever refers to any of these books as authoritative. Quotes from the accepted books are usually introduced by the phrase, "It is written," or the passage is quoted to prove a point. But never do the New Testament writers quote the Apocrypha in this way. Furthermore no book of the Apocrypha is mentioned by name in the New Testament. There Are Others Books Directly Quoted Apart From Apocrypha Add to this, there are certain books that both Protestants and the Roman Catholic Church reject as Scripture that are actually cited in the New Testament. Jude cites the apocryphal book of Enoch. Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: "See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him" (Jude 14,15). Paul cites the name of the magicians of Pharaoh who opposed Moses. These names are not mentioned in the Old Testament. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth - men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected (2 Timothy 3:8). If the writers of the New Testament considered the Apocrypha to be Scripture, we would certainly expect them to refer to it in some way. However we find no direct quotations. This is in contrast to over 250 quotations from the authoritative Old Testament Scriptures. The fact that the present canon was repeatedly quoted as being divinely authoritative as well as the absence of any direct quote is another indication of the extent of the canon - it did not include the Apocrypha. 3. The Apocrypha Has Always Been Rejected By The Jews As Scripture The Jews have never considered these works to be divinely inspired. On the contrary, they denied their authority. At the time of Christ we have the testimony of the Jewish writer Flavius Josephus that they were only twenty-two books divinely inspired by God. These books are the same as our thirty-nine in the Old Testament. The books of the Apocrypha were not among these. The same testimony is found in Second Esdras - the Ezra legend. This work was written in A.D. 100. Therefore these books were never part of the Hebrew canon of Scripture. 4. The Books Of The Apocrypha Were Written During The Silent Years The books of the Apocrypha were written during the four hundred silent years between the Book of Malachi and the announcement of the birth of John the Baptist. Jewish and New Testament sources both agree that no divinely inspired prophetic utterance occurred during this time. 5. The Septuagint Translation Proves Nothing The fact that the Apocrypha is found in the Septuagint translation does not prove anything. It merely testifies that the Alexandrian Jews translated other religious material into Greek apart from the Old Testament Scripture. A Greek translation is not the same thing as a book being part of the Hebrew canon. 6. There Is No Evidence The Apocrypha Was In Septuagint At The Time Of Christ There is no evidence that the books of the Apocrypha were in the Septuagint as early as the time of Christ. The earliest manuscripts that contain them date back to the fourth century A.D. This does not demonstrate that the books of the Apocrypha were part of the Septuagint in pre-Christian times. Even if they were in the Septuagint at this early date, it is noteworthy that neither Christ nor the apostles ever quoted from them as they did with most of the Old Testament books. In addition, books were merely translated in Alexandria, Egypt - they were not canonized there. There is no clear answer as to what they first century Septuagint contained. The fourth or fifth century Greek manuscripts, in which the Apocrypha appears, have no consistency with the number of books or their order. 7. There Is No Evidence Of A Greater Alexandrian Canon It has been argued that the canon of the Alexandrian Jews was larger than the present Hebrew Old Testament. However, there is no evidence that the Jews in Alexandria, Egypt had a wider canon than the Jews living in Israel. Philo of Alexandria, who lived in the first century A.D., wrote on a number of subjects. He acknowledged the Jews believed in the divine authority of the Hebrew canon. However, he gave no indication that there was a wider canon used by the Jews living in Egypt. From Philo we find that the canon in Alexandria, Egypt was the same as in Palestine. He knows the threefold division of the Old Testament as ascribes divine inspiration to many of the books. In addition, he says nothing about the Apocrypha. Consequently there is no evidence anywhere that the Alexandrian Jews accepted the Apocrypha as Holy Scripture. It must be remembered that it was not the Jews in Egypt but rather some of the Greek-speaking Christians who gave some measure of authoritative status to certain of these books translated with the Septuagint plus. To the Jews, these books were never considered divinely inspired Scripture. 8. They Are Not On The Early Canonical Lists In the early years of the church it drew up various lists of the books it considered to be Old Testament Scripture. The books of the Apocrypha do not appear on any list until late in the fourth century. This demonstrates the acceptance of these writings was not immediate. The Apocrypha Is Missing From The Earliest List The earliest existing list of the Old Testament canon comes from a man named Melito, a bishop of Sardis. In approximately A.D. 170 he wrote the following. When I came to the east and reached the place where these things were preached and done, and learned accurately the books of the Old Testament, I set down the facts and sent them to you. These are their names: the five books of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua the son of Nun, Judges, Ruth, four books of the Kingdom, two books of Chronicles, the Psalms of David, the Proverbs of Solomon and his wisdom, Ecclesiastes, the Song of Songs, Job, the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, The Twelve in a single book, Daniel, Ezekiel, Ezra. This list of Melito is highly instructive. He includes all the books of the present canon except Esther. The reference to the four books of the kingdom would be 1,2 Samuel and 1,2 Kings. Ezra was the common way to refer to Ezra-Nehemiah. Wisdom was merely a fuller description of the Book of Proverbs - not the Apocryphal book by that name. Among ancient writers Proverbs was often called Wisdom. While including all of the books of the present Old Testament canon (except Esther) Melito nowhere mentions any of the books of the Apocrypha. 9. They Were Rejected By Most Church Leaders While a few of the early leaders of the church accepted some of the books of Apocrypha as Scripture, most of the great church leaders did not-Athanasius, Origen, and Jerome, to name a few. Many great church leaders spoke out against the Apocrypha. Those who do cite the Apocrypha as Scripture were few in number. It is also worth noting that none of the church fathers that quoted the Apocrypha as Scripture knew any Hebrew. The Clear Testimony Of Athanasius Toward The Apocrypha In A.D. 367, the great defender of orthodox belief, Athanasius bishop of Alexandria, wrote a letter. In this letter he affirmed all the books of the present Old Testament canon (except Esther) as well as all the books of the present New Testament canon. He also mentioned some of the books of the Apocrypha. Of those he said. [They are] not included in the canon, but appointed by the Fathers to be read by those who newly join us, and who wish instruction in the world of godliness. This is another ancient and powerful testimony that the books of the Apocrypha were not considered to be Holy Scripture. 10. There Are Other Books Apart From The Apocrypha That Are Cited As Scripture By Some Church Fathers The Church Fathers do not restrict themselves to the books that now make up the Apocrypha. Authors such as Justin, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria occasionally use books outside the present Apocrypha - especially the Book of Enoch and First Esdras (Third Esdras). Clement of Alexandria accepted Second Esdras (Fourth Esdras). Origen believed that the books of First and Second Maccabees, as well as the Letter to Jeremiah, were part of Holy Scripture. Irenaeus cited the Book of Wisdom as being divinely inspired. Therefore appeal to the church fathers cannot settle the matter, seeing that they give conflicting evidence. 11. The Early Greek Manuscripts Are Not Decisive The fact that some of the books from the Apocrypha are found in early Greek manuscripts of the Bible is not decisive. These manuscripts also contain other written works that are neither part of the Scripture nor part of the Apocrypha - everyone rejects them as having any divine authority. For example, 3 and 4 Maccabees and the Psalms of Solomon are found in these early Greek manuscripts along with the Greek Old Testament and the Apocrypha. If someone points to the inclusion of the Apocrypha among these early manuscripts as proof of their divine authority, then what do they do with these other works? Should they also be added to the Old Testament? The Books Have A Different Order And Content In the three most important Greek manuscripts the order and the contents of the books are different. In Vaticanus we find: Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Judith, Tobit, Baruch, and the Letter to Jeremiah. In Sinaiaticus the list includes: Tobit, Judith, First Maccabees, Fourth Maccabees, Wisdom, and Ecclesiasticus. In Alexandrinus the order is: Tobit, Judith, First Maccabees, Second Maccabees, Third Maccabees, Fourth Maccabees, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, and the Psalms of Solomon. Codex Vaticanus is a Catholic corrupt manuscript, while Codex Sinaiaticus is Orthodox corrupt manuscript. These manuscript compiled as "The Nestle Text" is responsible for modern corrupt bible versions we see today. Therefore the early Greek manuscripts give no consistent testimony. 12. The Apocrypha Is Not A Well-Defined Unit One of the main problems with accepting the Apocrypha as Scripture is that it is not a well-defined unit. Three of the books in the Septuagint plus were excluded as Holy Scripture - First and Second Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh. If the books in the Septuagint plus should be made part of the Old Testament then why are these three books omitted? The Latin Vulgate contains First and Second Esdras and the Prayer of Manasseh in the Apocrypha. First and Second Esdras are found in most Latin manuscripts of Scripture. In addition, they are placed with the Apocrypha when the full King James Version is printed. However the Roman Catholic Church does not call these three books Scripture. Sometimes these three books are printed as an appendix to Roman Catholic Bibles after the New Testament. Sometimes they are omitted entirely. In addition, not every church Father, which accepted the Apocrypha as canonical, had exactly the same list of books in mind. This adds to the problem as to the exact content of the Apocrypha. 13. The Councils At Hippo And Carthage Are Not Definitive The fact that the councils of Hippo and Carthage accepted the canonical status of the Apocrypha is not decisive. First, they were not larger more representative councils. In addition, these councils had no qualified Hebrew scholar in attendance. Basically the Apocrypha was canonized at these councils because of the influence of one person - Saint Augustine. 14. The Ambiguous Testimony Of Saint Augustine It is often argued that the great scholar, St. Augustine, accepted the books of the Apocrypha as authoritative. However, Augustine seemed to have changed his mind about the authority of the Apocrypha. At one point he implied that the Apocrypha did not have the same status as Holy Scripture (City of God 18.36). At best his testimony is ambiguous. Moreover Augustine's testimony, while important, is certainly not the last word on the matter. Augustine mistakenly accepted the miraculous account of the origin of the Septuagint. While this was a popular thing to do at his time, no one today takes the story seriously. Augustine as a Vatican project used Mohammad to start Islam in 680AD, compiling all verses touching Satan, and renaming Satan as ALLAH, called the book Quran, and gave to Mohammad, as exactly attested by former Jesuit Alberto Rivera who received the information from Cardinal Berera, before Catholic insiders killed him through food poisoning. 15. The Clear Rejection By A Real Authority - Jerome There was one great Hebrew scholar among the Christian Church living in the era of Saint Augustine - Jerome the translator of the Latin Vulgate. Jerome rejected the Apocrypha as Holy Scripture in the strongest of terms. He refused to place it in his translation of the Old Testament. It was only after the death of Jerome that the Apocrypha was placed in the Vulgate - the official translation of the Roman Catholic Church. His expert testimony was rejected. 16. Early Christian Art Is Not A Test Of Divine Truth The fact that stories from the Apocrypha were depicted in early Christian art only shows that they were considered valuable in some sense by believers. However the divine authority of any work is not determined by whether it is included or missing in art collections by Christians. 17. They Were Rejected By Many Catholic Scholars Through The Protestant Reformation Many Roman Catholic scholars, through the Protestant Reformation, rejected the Apocrypha as Scripture. Even the Roman Catholic Church made a distinction between the Apocrypha and the other books of the Bible prior to the Protestant Reformation. An example of this is Cardinal Cajetan. He is the man who opposed Martin Luther at Augsburg. In 1518, he published A Commentary on all the Authentic Historical Books of the Old Testament. His commentary, however, did not include the Apocrypha. Cardinal Ximenes made a distinction between the Apocrypha and the Old Testament in his work called the Complutensian Polyglot (1514-1517). Thus there was no unanimity of opinion among Roman Catholic scholars that these books should be considered Scripture. Consequently, before the Protestant Reformation these books were not considered canonical by all of the church authorities. 18. They Were Not Officially Accepted By The Roman Catholic Church Until The 16th Century While councils at Hippo (393) and Carthage (397) listed the Apocrypha as canonical, this was not the stated view of the entire church. As we have seen there were Roman Catholic works at the time of the Protestant Reformation that did not include the Apocrypha with the Old Testament. It is only since the Council of Trent that the Apocrypha has had an authoritative status. The first official council of the Roman Catholic Church to ratify these books was at the Council of Trent in 1546-1563. There is no official record of the acceptance of the writings as authoritative Scripture before this time. Why Were Certain Books Of The Septuagint Plus Rejected? In addition, the decision at Trent has many problems. Rather than accepting the entire fourteen or fifteen books of the Septuagint plus as Holy Scripture they rejected First and Second Esdras (which they call Third and Fourth Esdras) and the Prayer of Manasseh. It is interesting to note that Second Esdras, or Fourth Esdras in Roman Catholic reckoning, contains a strong objection against prayers for the dead - one of the important doctrines practiced by the Roman Catholic Church at that time. Second Esdras also limits the Old Testament canon to twenty-four books. This of course, would exclude the Apocrypha. It must also be noted that at the Council of Trent there seems to have been no Hebrew scholars and only a few good Greek scholars. 19. There Are Other Books, Apart From Scripture, Found Among The Dead Sea Scrolls Most scholars believe that the people who lived at the place near the Dead Sea, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, were the Essenes. Although they were rivals of mainstream Judaism they accepted the same books as Holy Scripture. While it is true that the books of the Apocrypha were found among the scrolls left by this group, they not the only non-canonical books that were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. The materials found at Qumran were part of a library - they were not merely books of Scripture. While commentaries of the biblical books have been found at Qumran no commentary has thus far been found on the Apocryphal books. Consequently there is no evidence whatsoever that the Dead Sea Community held the books of the Apocrypha to be divinely inspired. Even if evidence were someday found that showed the Essenes believed the Apocrypha to be divine, this would prove nothing. This group was a sect that was not in the mainstream of Jewish thinking. 20. The Protestants Have Always Rejected The Divine Authority Of The Apocrypha While some Protestants may find some use of the Apocrypha, such as printing it between the testaments and using it in some measure in public worship, it has never been accepted as Holy Scripture. The use by Protestants of the Apocrypha has never been to establish doctrine or settle doctrinal issues. The use of the Apocrypha is limited. The Church of England in their Bible readings say the Apocrypha is to be used for example of life, but not to establish any doctrine. The Westminster Confession goes even further. It states. The books commonly called the Apocrypha . . . [are not] to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings (Westminster Confession 1:3). This is the Protestant position. 21. There Are Demonstrable Historical Errors In The Apocrypha The Apocrypha also contains demonstrable historical errors. We can cite a number of examples. The Age Of Tobit When He Died Is A Contradiction For example, Tobit was supposedly alive when Jeroboam staged his revolt in 931 B.C. I, Tobit, walked in the ways of truth and righteousness all the days of my life. I performed many acts of charity for my kindred and my people who had gone with me in exile to Nineveh in the land of the Assyrians. When I was in my own country, in the land of Israel, while I was still a young man, the whole tribe of my ancestor Naphtali deserted the house of David and Jerusalem. This city had been chosen from among all the tribes of Israel, where all the tribes of Israel should offer sacrifice and where the temple, the dwelling of God, had been consecrated and established for all generations forever. All my kindred and our ancestral house of Naphtali sacrificed to the calf that King Jeroboam of Israel had erected in Dan and on all the mountains of Galilee (Tobit 1:3-5). Yet the text says that Tobit was still alive when the Assyrians captured the northern kingdom of Israel in 721 B.C. This means that he lived over two hundred years! However, the Book of Tobit says he lived only 112 years. So ended Tobit's words of praise. Tobit died in peace when he was one hundred twelve years old, and was buried with great honor in Nineveh (Tobit 14:1,2). This is an obvious contradiction. Those who believe in an inerrant Scripture cannot accept the Apocrypha as God's Word. Errors In The Book Of Judith Another example can be found in the opening verse of the Book of Judith. It was the twelfth year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled over the Assyrians in the great city of Nineveh. In those days Arphaxad ruled over the Medes in Ecbatana (Judith 1:1). There are two historical errors in this verse. Nebuchadnezzar was the ruler of the Babylonians, not the Assyrians, and he ruled from Babylon, not Nineveh. It Is Not Possible To Defend The Historical Accuracy Of The Apocrypha While it is possible for Bible scholars, using the most up-to-date archaeological knowledge, to defend the historical accuracy of the books of the Bible, it is not possible to argue for the historical accuracy of the books of the Apocrypha. Many of them have demonstrable errors that cannot be reconciled. 22. There Is Sub-Biblical Content In The Books Of The Apocrypha The content of the books of the Apocrypha is below that of canonical Scripture. Several of the books including Judith, Tobit, Susanna, and Bel and the Dragon read like legends. When one reads these books alongside canonical Scripture the differences become obvious. 23. There Is No Objective Evidence Of Divine Authority In The Apocrypha The books of the Apocrypha do not contain anything like predictive prophecy, or the firsthand testimony of miracles, that would give evidence of their divine authority. If God divinely inspired these books, then we should expect to see some internal evidence confirming it. But there is none. 24. None Of The Books Of The Apocrypha Claim Divine Authority From the documents themselves we find no claim of authority. This is in contrast to the books of the Old Testament that claim to record the words that God spoke and the deeds that He performed among the people. Therefore it is not logical to attribute God's authority to the books of the Apocrypha when they themselves make no claim to divine authority. 25. There Was No Hebrew Original For All Of The Books Of the Apocrypha While the books of the present Old Testament canon were written in Hebrew, with small parts in Aramaic, some of the books of the Apocrypha have no Hebrew original behind them. They were composed in Greek. These include Susanna, the Letter of Jeremiah, and the additions to Esther. While the Hebrew language is not a determining factor as to what books should be part of the Old Testament canon all of the undisputed books of the Old Testament were composed in Hebrew - none of them were composed in Greek. Greek did not become the international language till about 330 B.C. This was about seventy years after the close of the Old Testament. The fact that a number of the books of the Apocrypha were originally written in Greek shows their late date and their lack of claim to be part of the Old Testament. 26. There Is Nothing New Added To God's Truth The teaching of the Apocrypha adds nothing new to the faith that God has revealed to humanity. There is nothing in these books that adds to our knowledge of God's character or His plan. At best, they simply repeat what is already revealed in the Old Testament. Consequently they do not contain any further revelation. 27. Jesus' Testimony Is Definitive It is clear that in the first century the Old Testament was complete. Jesus put His stamp of approval on the books of the Hebrew Old Testament but said nothing concerning the Apocrypha. However, He did say that the Scriptures were the authoritative Word of God and they could not be broken. Any adding to that which God has revealed is denounced in the strongest of terms. Jesus asked the religious leaders a penetrating question. Why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:3). Jesus' And The Extent Of The Old Testament A statement by Jesus seemingly gives His belief in the extent of the Old Testament. Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town, so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation (Matthew 23:34-36). He mentions Abel and Zechariah as the first and last messengers of God that were murdered. Abel's murder is mentioned in Genesis while Zechariah's was in 2 Chronicles - the last Old Testament book in the Hebrew canonical order. The fact that these two are specifically mentioned is particularly significant. There are other murders of God's messengers recorded in the Apocrypha. Jesus does not mention them. This strongly suggests He did not consider the books of the Apocrypha as part of Old Testament Scripture as with the books from Genesis to 2 Chronicles. There Was More Testimony From Jesus Jesus gave further testimony of the extent of the Old Testament canon in the day of His resurrection. He said. How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! . . . And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself (Luke 24:25,27). Note Jesus' emphasis on "all that the prophets had spoken." Later He explained the extent of "all that the prophets had said." He said to them, "This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms" (Luke 24:44). This is a reference to the threefold division of the Hebrew Scripture. They constitute "all that the prophets said." There is no reference to the Apocrypha. It would not have been part of the threefold division of the Old Testament. The Old Testament Apocrypha Is Not Scripture As the evidence is examined it becomes clear that the books of the Apocrypha should not be accepted with the same divine authority as the books found in the Hebrew Old Testament. There is no evidence whatsoever that they belong in Holy Scripture. To the contrary, all the evidence speaks to their exclusion. Because they are not Scripture it is wrong to have them bound in a single volume with Holy Scripture. Doing so will only mislead believers. The Apocrypha Does Have Value The fact that the Apocrypha is not considered to be Holy Scripture does not mean that it is entirely worthless. The books do have some value. For example, the Book of First Maccabees has some valuable historical references about the period between the testaments. However any value these books do have are as historical works - not divinely inspired Scripture. It Is An Important Matter The issue as to which books belong in Holy Scripture is more than a historical issue. The books of the Bible are divinely revealed books - all other books are not. The Scripture gives God's truth in an error-free manner - no other book can claim this. The Scripture is the final authority to solve all doctrinal and behavioral issues. Therefore it is of primary importance that we know the extent of Scripture. Summary The books of the Apocrypha should not be considered as Holy Scripture because they do not give any evidence as being authoritative. Protestants deny the canonical status of these books on the basis of both internal and external evidence. This evidence includes the following. First, the Apocrypha contains doctrines and practices that contradict what has been previously revealed in Scripture. Add to this the Apocrypha is never cited in the New Testament as Holy Scripture. This is in contrast to the canonical books - almost all of them are cited. The Jews rejected the Apocrypha as being part of God's Word. For one reason, these books were written after God had ceased giving divine revelation. In these years God was not giving any authoritative word to His people. The fact that the Apocrypha is found in the manuscripts of the Septuagint proves nothing - we do not know the content of the Septuagint in pre-Christian times. Furthermore there is no evidence of a wider Alexandrian canon of Scripture. The Jews, wherever they lived, used the same Hebrew canon that did not include the Apocrypha. The Apocrypha was not on any early list of Christian books that were considered Scripture. While a few church fathers quoted them as authoritative, most did not. In addition, none of those fathers who cited the Apocrypha as authoritative Scripture knew any Hebrew. There is also the problem with the exact content of the Apocrypha. The books contained in the Apocrypha are not well defined - not everyone can agree on which books are authoritative. Augustine, while a great thinker, did not read Hebrew and knew very little Greek. Furthermore he accepted the fanciful account of the origin of the Septuagint. Jerome, a real Hebrew scholar rejected the books outright. Many Roman Catholic scholars, to the time of the Protestant Reformation, rejected the Apocrypha as Scripture. While some Protestants make some use of the Apocrypha it has always been rejected as Scripture. Another major problem for the Apocrypha is demonstrable historical errors in it. This is not consistent with God's Word being error-free. Furthermore there is no evidence in these books of divine authority - fulfilled prophecy is lacking. Add to this there is no claim within the books of God's authority. Finally we have the testimony of Jesus. He said the Scriptures were true and could not be broken. However the Apocrypha was not Scripture to Him. Since neither the Jews, Jesus, or His apostles considered these writings as part of the Old Testament neither should we. We conclude that the present thirty-nine books of the Old Testament are the complete Scripture that God has given us. There are no other divinely authoritative books of Scripture that belong to the Old Testament.