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Unbanned Bible Publications |
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Defending God’s Truth in Church Doctrine and Political History – Renette Vermeulen |
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OLD AND NEW APOSTOLIC CHURCHES, AND THEIR BRANCHES, WHICH SHARE THE SAME ORIGINS AND THUS, MANY OF THE SAME DOCTRINES Renette Vermeulen
Find the revised article on www.mylife4jesus.co.za
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God Himself commanded in 1 Ths. 5:21 and in 1 Jn. 4:1, ‘Test all things, [to see whether they are of God;] hold fast what is good… Do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, [and all teaching according to the full contextual Word of God, the Bible,] whether they are of God; because many false prophets [and teachers] have gone out into the world.’ Baptizing the departed? God Himself declared in Heb. 9:27, “It is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the judgment!” Everything we need to do and repent from, must be done on this side of the grave. Once we die, everything of this life stays behind, (Eccl. 9:5-6.) At the very moment of death or of Jesus’ return as described in the truth of the Bible not in these church doctrines, we face either the truly Scriptural eternal hell or eternal heaven, which cannot be spiritualized to a ‘state of mind.’ Jesus Himself said, the rich man of Lu. 16:19-31 was “in torment” while the beggar was in the Hebraic version of heaven, “the bosom of Abraham.”
Dear members of the Apostolic Movement and all its many schisms, If your leaders can tell you one lie as proven above from the true Word of God, (Heb. 9:27,) they can and will tell you many lies. Scripture warns that only a “little leaven leavens the whole lump,” which means, even a small error corrupts the whole church, (Gal. 5:7-9; Jn. 8:44.) Even if they did tell you half the truth, it is still a whole lie. Therefore, this article is not “judging,” as in “condemning” anyone. It is a letter of love in obedience to Jesus’ commandment to “test” all doctrine in the light of the contextual truth of Scripture for the sake of the souls He had redeemed with His own blood, (1 Ths. 5:21; 1 Jn. 4:1-4.) It is addressed to the followers of the Old/New Apostolic church and all its roots and schisms, such as “The Twelve Apostles,” “The Twelve Apostle Church,” “The Catholic Apostolic Church,” etcetera. Once you have read this study and choose to disagree with these Scriptural facts, you are welcome to show me my faults. But please, first research what I tell you in this article, because it is Scriptural truth. Beside the many books on the Apostolic Movement and it’s catechisms, the internet is strewn with information about everything you would like to know about what these Apostolic churches really teach. If you look for lies, you will find them. But if you look for the Scriptural Truth of the Lord Jesus Christ of the Bible, you are sure to find that as well. And yes, both the Old and the New Apostolic Churches did originate from the same founders, spiritual sources and doctrine. When I test the doctrines of churches in obedience to the Scriptural commandments of God, (1 Ths. 5:21; 1 Jn. 4:1-4) I do it with respect to all people. However, Scripture declares, “It is the will of God that all [believers] should walk in Jesus Christ, [Who Is The Only Way,] and know how to please God... For this is the will of God: our sanctification [or holy life in Christ…] For God did not call us to uncleanness, [such as false doctrine,] but to holiness. Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man but God, Who has also given us his Holy Spirit,” (1 Ths. 4:1-8.)
Concerning the origin of the Old/New and other Apostolic Churches, F.W. Werner wrote, (translated from Afrikaans,) “The last (Biblical) apostle of Jesus, [John,] died about 100 A.D., and then, almost 1,700 years later, twelve [new ‘apostles’] were suddenly ‘commissioned’ and given ‘power’ to go out and ‘forgive people their sins,’ ‘seal’ them, etc. Can anyone believe that the omniscient God would leave the world in darkness for all those years without such an ‘apostolic church?’ Should we accept that all those people, including the thousands of martyrs that suffered and died for the Truth of the Bible and the Name of Jesus Christ, are lost for all eternity because there was no ‘apostle’ to ‘forgive their sins’ and to ‘seal’ them for the kingdom of God?” Dear friend, your soul is really eternal, and is therefore much too valuable to gamble it away by gullibly believing what self-inspired ‘apostle-mouths’ have told you! We must always judge their beliefs and church doctrines (not the person) to make sure that the way they have chosen to lead us into is indeed the Biblical Way of truth, (Jn. 14:6; 1 Jn. 4:1-2; 2 Cor. 13:5.) Never place your everlasting soul unreservedly in the hands of mere mortals! God has given us The Way, the Truth, and the Light – His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as revealed in the “entirety of truth,” (the whole context of Biblical truth,) so that we can know that we have [present tense] eternal life; now and forever more: (1 Jn. 5:13.) The Lord Jesus Christ Himself and absolutely no one else is the Last and Final ‘Prophet’ and ‘Apostle,’ Who inspired Biblical Truth and New Testament/Covenant Revelation, (Heb. 1:1-14.) The Truth of the Bible declares unalterably, “God, Who at various times spoke in Time Past by the prophets… [during the Old Testament dispensation when God spoke to the Old Hebrews through human prophets,] has in these last [New Testament/Covenant] days spoken to us by His Son, [through His Word, the entirety of Biblical truth, Jn. 1:1-2,) put on paper by the real apostles of the New Testament, who wrote the Bible,] Whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through Whom also He made the worlds; Who, being the brightness of His glory and the express Image of His Person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, [as described in the entirety of His written Word, the Bible,] when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, [referring to His Biblical, supernatural, ministering spirits not people, or the so-called ‘apostolic angels,’ the church leaders,] as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent Name than they, [who are all merely part of His creation.]” (Heb. 1:1-4.) Dear reader, even if you do nothing else, do yourself one favor, which has nothing to do with this study, other people, churches, or religions. Earnestly test your own beliefs and the authenticity of your church against the final authority: the “entirety” or full context of God’s Word. If what you believe and follow is really ‘living water’ and ‘enlightenment for your darkened mind from the Apostle-mouth,’ you have absolutely nothing to lose. Just kneel sincerely before the Almighty God of the Bible and ask Him to, by His grace in Jesus Christ, remove all false doctrine and false religious perceptions from your mind, and to reveal Himself in all His Biblical truth to you. I dare you to then put away your catechism, and reject your church doctrines completely, while simply studying the Bible for yourself; interpreting all the verses in the entirety of Biblical truth, or in the whole context of Scripture. This means, do not read a verse here and then jump to a referring verse over there like they have been teaching you. Read not only the verse they gave you to substantiate a doctrine, but the surrounding verses and the entire chapter, the entire Bible Book — and the entire New Testament especially, in logical and chronological order. You will then find that only the full context of God’s Word, the Bible, is everlasting life, true redemption and blessing in Christ, (Gal. 3:10-14.) God So loved the Whole world, that He gave His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, so that everyone who sincerely chooses to believe in Him Alone, will not perish, but have, (present tense!) eternal life! Only God, through the atonement of His Son Jesus, can forgive sin, and save and redeem our souls, (1 Tim. 2:5.; Acts 4:12; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 1:12-13.)
THE ‘GLORIFIED’ FOUNDERS OF THE OLD/NEW AND OTHER APOSTOLIC CHURCHES One of the chief founders of this church, Edward Irving, was very interested in prophecy, but his prophesies did not come true. Irving, with his clandestine connections to the Roman Catholic Church and the Jesuit mason Lacunza, (with the Plymouth Brethren at their side,) were planning and executing great deceptions and huge church systems that would lap up and spread their teachings. BIBLICAL TRUTH: GOD commanded in Deut. 18:20-22: “The prophet… who speaks a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak… that prophet [must] die… How will we know the word which the Lord has not spoken? When a prophet speaks… the thing that does not happen or come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord has not spoken…” In New Testament terms, this means such a prophet must be rejected and exposed to protect Jesus’ believers, (Eph. 5:11.) Sadly, instead of rejecting these teachings, the church continued to disobey this commandment of God and instead added a new doctrine to protect their disobedient teachers and prophets. They glorified Irving and all their successive ‘apostles’ as ‘angels,’ continually perverting Scripture to set the stage for this deception on which entire church systems rest. Originally, after Irving died, 12 apostles or ‘angels’ were chosen. In 1836 this group of ‘apostles’ divided to become 12 ‘tribes’ to collect 12,000 ‘sealed’ apostles and seven ‘prophets.’ Jesus was supposed to return before these 12 ‘apostles’ died, which, of course never happened. Infighting split this church several times to form all the different Apostolic churches, such as the New Apostolic Church, as we know it today. BIBLICAL TRUTH: True, supernatural, Scriptural angels are a completely different species from human beings. Humans cannot and do not become angels here on earth, or when they die, (Heb. 1:5-8 and 13-14.) Biblically born again, spiritually saved humans inherit the kingdom of heaven when they die, because of their sincere belief in and obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ Alone. According to Jesus’ own teachings, those who rejected Him as their personal Lord and Savior are incarcerated in hell for all eternity (Mt. 7:21-24) and all those who die become disembodied human spirits, not ‘angels.’ Moreover, the 144,000 from the 12 sealed tribes of Israel described in the New Testament, which are sealed by a real supernatural angel of God in Rev. 7:4-10, are Hebrews or “Jews.” These ‘Jews’ are from all the tribes of Israel as there never was a ‘lost tribe’ at all. They are 12 thousand Jews from each of the 12 Hebrew tribes. There cannot be a ‘lost,’ ‘specially chosen’ tribe of Israel, (supposedly the tribe of Dan) as W.H. Armstrong, (the Worldwide Church of God/ the United Church of God,) the ‘Israel Vision,’ the Klu Klux Klan, the A.W.B., etc.) preaches. All of the twelve tribes are named in Rev. 7:4-10, read it for yourself. So, Scripture makes it plain that the number of Jews sealed by the supernatural angel is complete — so, what are these so-called “apostles” doing? This apostolic ‘sealing’ does not and cannot pertain to the members of Gentile or non-Hebrew nations as these ‘apostles’ believe, because the truth of Scripture contradicts this lie most explicitly. Believers from the Gentile nations, (non-Jews,) and the heavenly creatures; the real angels of God, are not mentioned in Rev. 7:9-11. In addition, ‘apostles’ are not mentioned at all in any of these passages, because Biblically, such ‘apostles’ or ‘human angels’ do not exist.
SOME OF THE QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS TAKEN FROM APOSTOLIC CHURCH DOCTRINE APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT: “What is the Word of God?” (Answer: The Word of God is the word that comes from the mouth of one Apostle. As apostle Paul said: You have accepted our teaching, not as the word of man, but as the truth, the Word of God, 1 Ths. 2:13.) BIBLICAL TRUTH: Paul wrote in 2 Tim. 3:16: “All Scripture, [the written Word, the Bible,] is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” In 2 Tim. 4:13 Paul asked Timothy to bring his books, the Old Testament writings. Jesus Christ Himself and Him Only, Who Is God, is the Living Word of God, (Jn. 1:1-5,) Who became flesh, (God Himself became a human being,) to dwell among His people, the Jews, in order to bring them His life, light, and way. Today, we have His life, truth and light, His Word, on ordinary paper. But as soon as we understand and sincerely accept these unadulterated words on paper as truth, life and light, Jesus Himself, by His Holy Spirit, comes to live in us. Though His Holy Spirit, Christ Jesus then indwells the heart or born again human spirit of EVERY sincere believer who chose to accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior, (Gal. 4:4-7; 1 Ths. 5:23; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:18-20.) A mere human being such as a so-called ‘apostle’ has nothing to do with our actual salvation. Our salvation is the work of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit, by the grace of God the Father!
APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT: “What we read in the Bible, is that also God’s Word?” (Answer: No, that is the testament of the letter, which, as Paul said, kills, but the Spirit makes it alive.”) The ‘Spirit’ to whom they refer, and which ‘makes alive,’ is the ‘mouth of the Apostle.’ According to apostolic teaching, only words ‘from the mouth of the Apostle’ is the word of God - and the ‘mouth of the Apostle’ interprets God’s Word any way he chooses. BIBLICAL TRUTH: This church-stream openly declares that they do not accept the Bible as the Word of God! However, if we reject the Bible, we can never know God. If we reject the (contextual) Word of God the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit, there can be NO salvation or redemption for us. God declared in Jer. 17:5, ‘Cursed is the man who trust in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord.’ If we trust in man – and these ‘apostles’ are just ordinary men, we are doomed. All of us ‘have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.’ - Rom. 3:23-25 (Read the whole of Rom. 3!) Humankind is able to take anything from the Bible, twist it, use it and abuse it, to make it into false doctrines and demonic religions. Such idolatry and disobedience, however, spell eternal death for those who choose to believe these lies. The written words of the Bible ‘are spirit and life!’ not human “philosophy” from the “apostle-mouth!” (Jn. 6:63.) “The entirety [or the full context] of Word is truth,” (Ps. 119:160. The written Word is Jesus Himself, (Logos.) The spoken Word is the work and power of the Holy Spirit, (Rhema,) Who brings Logos to life in the hearts, (or human spirits,) and minds of all sincere believers. The Holy Spirit will not bring so-called ‘new revelation’ that does not fit into His full Scriptural revelation of “all truth.” He only teaches according to the “entirety of truth” or of God’s Word, which is Logos.
A MOST UNSCRIPTURAL APOSTOLIC PRACTICE Apostles are fascinated with the ‘dead’ and their ‘departed loved ones.’ (See why: read the revised article.) BIBLICAL TRUTH: Human spirits cannot and will not come back after death, please read Jesus Word in Lu. 16:19-31! Eccl. 9:5-10, “...The dead (departed) knows nothing. [Not because they were annihilated’ or in ‘soul sleep’ or anything else, but because they are either in God’s Biblical heaven or hell, and cut off from everyone and everything living on earth.] They have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, hatred, and envy have now perished: nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun.” Just as importantly, God commanded in Deut. 18:10-12, “There will not be found among you anyone… who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who [tries to] call up the dead… For all who do these things is an abomination to the Lord…” Fact is, the spirits of the deceased cannot remain on earth, (Lu. 1:19-31!) The only spirits we might encounter on this side of the grave are the Holy Spirit of God, (Who indwells sincere believers, Jn. 1:12-13; Gal. 4:6,) holy angles of God, (not ‘apostles’ but the real angels of God as the Bible describes them, whom He sends to minister supernaturally to Jesus’ believers, Heb. 1:14,) and fallen angels, who are demons. Demons will frequently masquerade as dead people to gain the trust of humans to deceive them and gain control of their souls and lives. God is The Spirit, and He wants humans to consult Him Only, worship Him, follow Him, and obey Him in and with their human spirits and in truth, (Jn. 4:23-24.)
APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT: “From where do the Apostles come today?” (From the promise of Jesus Christ: In the end of the world the Son of man will send forth His angels, and Angels are the ministers of God, so are the Apostles, Angels: Mt. 13:40-43; Gal. 4:14.) BIBLICAL TRUTH: Please, read your Bible for yourself – the real Bible, not Apostolic teaching! As usual, the Apostolic Church had taken these Scriptures entirely out of context; therefore this interpretation is an outright lie. These Scriptures speak of stumbling blocks and those who do unrighteousness - false teachers, etc, who live and operate among the sincere believers of Christ. Real angles of God, (supernatural, holy beings,) will deal with these disobedient people, not men. These passages speak of Judgment Day, not the salvation of souls.
APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT: “On what do you build your faith?” (On the foundation of the Apostles and the Prophets of whom Christ is the corner stone, Eph. 2:20-21.) TRUTH: Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 3:11, “No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Jesus Christ Himself is the One and Only foundation of His body of believers, not these ‘apostles!’ Eph. 2:18-22 actually reads, “For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit, (the Holy Spirit,) to the Father. Therefore you, (all sincere believers,) are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, (all other sincere believers,) and members of the (spiritual) household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets (which symbolize the whole, contextual Word of God: the New as well as the Old Testaments,) Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone (The Head as well as the Foundation) in whom the whole building, (all His sincere believers) being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you, (every single sincere believer,) are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Our faith is NOT built on ‘apostles,’ but in and through and on Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God, Who is God Himself!
APOSTOLIC MOVEMENT: “In what does eternal life exist?” (Jn. 17:3; 5:24; This is eternal life that they may know you, the only real God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.”) BIBLICAL TRUTH: When this church speaks of Christ, they confuse their glorified ‘apostles’ and call |