B.A.S.I.C Newsletter #147
I Cor. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.’
Prayer Request
The CLC Myanmar Chairman Pastor Thang has a prayer request to you all. Pastor Thang’s Mom, the wife of founding president Rev.Pauzakhen Tombing, went to be with the Lord after she had been suffering with an eye problem and womb pain.The medical doctor told her that she should have the womb taken out, so that she may have a healthy life. But when she was in Imphal, India awaiting the operation set for June 30th, the Lord called her home. Let’s pray for Pastor Thang in his leadership position and also to be comforted that it is not death to die in the Lord. The Lord is faithful. And we believe and trust that God will answer your prayers In Christ.
This message was sent by Pastor Kham, the Secretary of the CLCM
Distinctly Lutheran (4)
We Find Ourselves Opposed to Various Groupings of Christians
It is the devil who has sown the seeds of error among Christians, even hoodwinking the largest Christian denomination, the Roman Catholic church, to teach and practice at variance to the Word. We only look briefly at groupings whose teachings depart from the truth, while we must hold to the truth and depart from these groupings of Christians.
- We find ourselves opposed to the Roman Catholic Church. One very easy way to see why they have departed from the truth of the Word is to note how they base their teachings not alone on the Word, but upon the Word and four other bases: 1) tradition, 2) the Apocrypha (intertestament books), 3) papal decrees, 4) church council decisions. Jesus says the Word is truth. Jn. 17:17 To use other writings is not correct. There was even a parallel in Jesus day when the Pharisees used the traditions of their religions leaders as a basis for teaching. The Lord said they taught for doctrines the commandments of men. Mk. 7:7 So it is also with the RC.
- We find ourselves opposed to Fundamentalists. These Christians say that to join together there must be agreement on ten doctrines or on some other list. We say they limit this, while Scripture does not. Paul taught the whole counsel. Acts 20:27 In I Cor. 1:10 and Phil. 2:2 there is no such limitations.
- We find ourselves opposed to the Pentecostalist/Charismatics. They claim that miracles can still be done through men, as it was through the first apostles. But the miracles accompanied the giving of the Word as a testimony confirming the Word of God as such. Mk. 16:20, Heb. 2:3-4 We now have the complete Word of God. Also in the most thorough presentation of the work of the Holy Spirit in Scripture, which is in Jn. 14-16, there is no mention of miraculous gifts promised. Instead it is the Word that is the focus.
- We find ourselves opposed to Calvinists. They teach for instance a double predestination by God of people, some to heaven and some to hell. This is not taught in the Bible. In the clearest teaching on predestination or election to heaven in Eph. 1:3-7 there is no hint of any predestination to hell, nor is it taught anywhere else in the Word.
- We find ourselves opposed to Arminians. They teach a decision theology, that man can chose God or make his own decision. But we are dead in trespasses and sins and it is God who must make us alive in Him. Eph. 2:1 It is the Lord who draws men to himself.
Very briefly then we can see that with these groupings our Lutheran teachings are distinctly different and drawn alone from Scripture. There are far more that we are opposed to among these groupings, but the above is for illustration briefly. But because we are opposed to them due to their teachings does not mean that they are not Christians. When we look for instance at the seven churches of Asia Minor in Rev. 2-3 we see that some of the congregations do teach wrong or tolerate false teachings. Yet God refers to these seven all as churches. And they typify in a variety of ways how the visible churches were then and are today. We must of course each answer for ourselves to God as to belonging to an orthodox teaching church. We praise God that at this time he allows our fellowship to be such a true teaching church of sinners saved by the grace of God.
Pastor Koenig
Attachment of Symbols 22
