Author Thread: The Authority of Christ
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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 04:51 AM

It is written, Jesus said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me." Matthew 28:18: [ESV]

It is written, "And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him who fills all in all." Ephesians 1:19-23; [ESV]

I don't believe there can be any doubt about the authority of Christ. He has all authority in heaven and earth. He has been elevated above all rule, authority, power and dominion. He is head over all things to the church. And every Christian is under his authority.

I'd like to consider the ramifications of these statements. There is no one that has more authority than Christ. So, why in "Christianity" today are so many things done that are outside of the authority of Christ. Obviously that points to the fact that man has free will. It is man who established denominations, outside of the authority of Christ. Man has established a holiday called "Christmas" mixing the birth of Christ with pagan practices, outside of the authority of Christ. Man did the same thing with the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, by mixing these events with pagan practices established Good Friday and Easter, outside of the authority of Christ. If we cared about all the authority given to Christ, should we not ask, by whose authority are we doing these things? By whose authority have we mixed the birth of Christ with pagan practices? By whose authority have we mixed the death, burial and resurrection of Christ with pagan practices? You'll not find any authority from Christ for these things.

My final question - does any one care? Do you care that much of what Christianity does today has no authority from Christ to do? Denominations, Christmas, Easter, neither have been authorized by Christ, yet many who call themslves "Christian" defend these actions of man that have not been authorized by Christ.

If you can find any authority of Christ that these things should be done, please share it with me.



Now, it's your turn.



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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 07:53 AM

dear samson, i dont see anything wrong with celebrating JESUS S birth or HIS ressurection. no matter what the day... i know i surely aint thinkin pagan when im celebrating CHRISTS birth and showin love to my family then..

ole cattle

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Phoenyx

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 10:29 AM

Well, to answer the last, yes, I care and there are many that do, otherwise we wouldn't have our neighborhood fellowship. :)

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 12:05 PM

Cattleman,



By whose authority do you celebrate the birth of Christ?



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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 01:54 PM

By who's authority do I celebrate the Birth of Christ, by his authority, by his, and by his church which he placed upon this Earth, But for us Christmas is on the 7th of January as we use the Julian calendar not the Gregorian one.

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 02:01 PM

dear samson, my question back is do you really need someones authority to celebrate CHRISTS birth? the bible doesnt tell us to do that i dont remember it if it did.. correct me ifn im wrong as my ole memory aint so good no more..

but that doesnt mean we cant celebrate it.. uness the bible tells us not to celebrate CHRISTS birth .. and i dont remember that either.. but as i say my ole memory aint so good. so do correct me ifn i am wrong. and if we also want to choose one day out the year to give rememberance to the risen CHRIST ,then i say whats wrong with that? we should do it every single day far as im concerned.

ole cattle

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 09:06 PM

Christ never gave anyone authority to celebrate hi birth. Jesus himself never celebrated his birth. The apostles never celebrated the birth of Christ.

If we can do anything outside of the authority of Christ, then instead of fighting against Islam, let's just merge tthe two religions. After all, it is the merging of religions that gave us Christmas and Easter in the first place.

Constatine, Jesus is "head over all things to the church." The church has no authority of it's own.

I was right - the authority of Christ means nothing to "Christians" today.



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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 24 Jun, 2009 11:02 PM

First we in the East have been fighting Islam since the 7th century we will never give into them, we have the martyrs to prove it, along with the loss of Jerusalem, Antioch, Damascus, Alexandria Constantinople, Athens, and Kosovo under the Empire; for we are the church of martyrs.

As for authority of the Church the Head is Christ, then the Patriarchs:Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople, Theophilos III of Jerusalem, Theodoros II of Alexandria, Pavle of Serbia, Ignatius IV of Antioch, and Kirill of Moscow. If you want scripture then II Thessalonians 2:15





you still wounder by authority, I wrote something on this subject last quarter in college.



One of the tragic aberrations of so-called modern religion is �Churchless Christianity.� The assertion is that it is Christ who saves us, not that Church, so �all you need is Jesus.� Few who claim to be Christians would argue against the statement that it is Christ who saves. For He is the eternal Son of God who has assumed human flesh, and has done so �for us and for our salvation� (Nicene Creed). Thus Paul writes, �For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus� (1Tim 2:5).

But because this Mediator established the Church which is His body, we who are joined to Him are joined to His Church as well. TO say we love Christ, who is Head of the Church, and the same time reject His body is to deny New Testament teaching.

The Gospel and Acts. The first use of the word �church� (Gr. Ecclesia) in the New Testament comes in the Gospel of Matthew, when our Lord gives His approval of Peter�s confession of faith and promises, �I will build My church� (Mt 16:18). Jesus Christ builds, and we cooperate with him.

The Book of Acts amplifies what Jesus meant in Matthew 16. When Peter�s sermon on the Day of Pentecost concludes, those present ask for guidance toward salvation: �What shall we do?� (Acts 2:37). Following Peter�s word, they are baptized and join with the other believers, three thousand of them. (Acts 2:38, 41).

Having been joined to Christ and his Church, these baptized believers begin living as the body of Christ. We find them looking after each other, using their personal resources for one another�s care, continuing together in prayer and in the Eucharist (Acts 2:42-47). From this point on �the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved� (Acts 2:47), and throughout Acts, we see the Church being built as the Gospel of Christ spreads.

The Epistles. Paul�s instructions in his letters to the churches throughout the eastern Mediterranean clearly show what it means to be members of Christ: to be the Church and to be in the Church. Nowhere in the New Testament is Paul�s teaching on the Church more fully disclosed than in Ephesians 4. He instructs us that:

1 The Church is one, �endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace� (4:3). There is one Church, one God, one God, one doctrine, one baptism.

2 The Church is people, men and women who are energized by the Holy Spirit. For �to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ�s gift� (4:7). We are not all given the same gifts, but together we are equipped to do God�s will.

3 The Head of the Church is Christ, �from whom the whole body is joined and knit together.� (4:16).

4 The Church is �the new man� (4:24), the new creation, made to be righteous and holy. We are no longer alienated from God (4:18); we are being renewed together (4:23), �members of one another� (4:25).

The Church, then, is that place established by Christ where we each may become what we are created to be, maturing and being perfected, while the Church receives what it needs form each of us, so that it too is being perfected, while the Church receives what it needs from each of us, so that it too is being perfected. The Church as the body of Christ carries us beyond our petty and worldly personal concerns, stretching our vision to the eternal and the heavenly as we ascend together to worship the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 25 Jun, 2009 09:10 AM

dear samson,

your words here

I was right - the authority of Christ means nothing to "Christians" today.



mine here

why do ya think folks like your family ,friends, coworkers, fellow church members or who ever is near to you ,do they celebrate your birthday? its because they love you..



its the same love that brings christian family and friends together on christmas to celebrate the birth of CHRIST and just to celebrate CHRIST. to show our love of CHRIST..CHRIST is the center of this gatherin. we have prayer and give thanks for the food ,the gathering of loved ones and we give thanks to CHRIST.. we have a reading of the word.. we even sing praises to HIS NAME. least thats how we do it as my family..

so i recon one could say we are having our own special church service on that night.... and we do have the authority from CHRIST to do that..

ole cattle

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 25 Jun, 2009 11:52 AM

Tradition gives insight into the teachings of Christ as revealed in the Bible.

How can we deny what that Christ's own apostles and disciples, who were present at Pentecost and all of Jesus' humanly life, practiced and preached to future generations?

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The Authority of Christ
Posted : 25 Jun, 2009 12:26 PM

Traditions coming down from Christ and the apostles are one thing - traditions of men is another. You make the word of God of non-effect by your traditions of men. If you truly know scripture, you should know what I'm talking about.



Denominations, Christnas, Easter are all traditions of men - not of God.



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