Print Article
BookMark Article
God's Law And Christian Behavior
Author : Ron Matteson
“You shall have no other Gods before Me.”
“You shall not make for yourself (create) an ldol (this can mean a human being resembling God) on earth before Me.”
“You shall not misuse the name of the Lord Your God.” Exodus 20. 2- 4.
In reference to the teachings of certain Christians, discussion will begin with their claim that their visible leader replaces the invisible God, in Trinity, on earth, and that their leader actually is the visible Jesus Christ on earth. See “Pope Boniface VIII,” Vicar of Christ, found in the Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003.
Listen to the Vicar of Christ, (a humankind Christian leader who is actually the visible Jesus Christ, on earth,) who is placed over kings and kingdoms, and head of the church, (over all Christian denominations.) Let not a king (of nations on earth) imagine that he has no superior and is not subject to the highest authority on earth, who has divine authority to pluck out or tear down, and judges the living and the dead. Being saved is subject to their leader and cannot take place outside of his church, “Pope Boniface VIII.” found in the Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003.
The above words apparently overwrite many passages of God’s true word, such as: The Son has been given authority to execute judgment to life and to death, (not so for any Christian, including St. Peter, the apostle). John 5. 24- 30. God will create from David’s line a righteous branch, Christ, who will reign as king, and humankind will not surpass God, Jeremiah 23.5, 6. There is only one God and only one mediator between God and humankind, Jesus Christ, who is sacrificed as a ransom for all, 1 Timothy 2.4- 6. Paul, Apollos, Cephas (St. Peter, the apostle,) the world, life and death, the present and the future, are all your servants, and they belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God, 1 Corinthians 3.22-23. In Christ, and not in any humankind, we have bold and confident access to God, the Father, through our faith in Jesus Christ, Ephesians 3.12. The Father loves the Son and has entrusted all authority to Christ (not to anyone else,) John3.34- 36. If anyone does not obey the law of your God, which is the law of the king, let the judgment be strictly executed on that person, death, banishment, confiscation, or imprisonment, Ezra 7.26.
It is important to remember that God the Father is in Christ the Son, and that Christ the Son is in God the Father. Christ said, “May they all be one, like You are in Me, and I am in You. That they may also be one in us, with Me in them and You in Me, and that the love which You love Me, may be in them,” John 17.21- 23. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God. God is one Father of all who is overall, through all, and within all. Each one of us has received our share of God’s grace and Christ has distributed it, (no distribution is by humankind,) Ephesians 4.5-7. God has put all things under the feet of Christ, (including St. Peter, the apostle,) and God has made Christ as the ruler of everything, and the head of the Church, (God’s invisible Universal Church. The Church is the body of Christ/ AND GOD, Revelation 21. 22,) and holds within it the fullness of Christ who is the fullness of God, and creation, Ephesians 1.22-23.
Jesus said, “See that no one deceives you for many will USE MY NAME saying they are Jesus Christ. They will mislead many, Matthew 24.4-5. If anyone says to you, “Look, here is the Christ, or He is there,” do not believe it for false Christ’s and false prophets will arise and produce great signs and wonders great enough to deceive even the chosen, if that were possible. Now I have forewarned you. If then they say to you, ‘Look, Christ is there.’ do not go there, or they say, ‘Look, Christ is at this place.’ Do not believe it for the return of the Christ will be like lightning striking in the east and flashing far into the west,” Matthew 24.23-27.
You are led into evilness since you are not devoted to Christ. That is why you are led into evilness and from devotion to Christ. If someone should come and proclaim another Jesus, (a human,) other than the Jesus Christ we preach, you appear to accept these things, 2 Corinthians 11.3-4. God says, “I am unrivaled and there is no other god (meaning no supposed visible humankind as a substitute). Apart from Me all (humankind) are nothing,” see Romans 11.18; Isaiah 45.5-6.
From the depths of THE EARTH to mountain tops ON EARTH, all are in God’s hands, for all (Christian’s) come under God’s rule ON EARTH, Psalm 95.4, and God is the only judge who has power to acquit, sentence, save life, or destroy it, (no humankind likewise qualifies,) James 4.12. God has no equal, (humankind is not an equal, therefore not a valid substitute,) Exodus 8:10. God says this, “Since you consider yourself the equal of God, very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you, and they will throw you down, and you will die a violent death,” Ezekiel 28.2, 5-8. To those who believe they can replace God, God says this. “Produce your defense and present your case says God. Come forward and tell us what is going to happen next. What can you tell us of the past to make it worth our notice, or will you discuss with us future things? Tell us the future, and let us know the outcome. Tell us what is to happen in the future and so convince us you are capable of replacing God. Do something at least, so we can take note of it and see it. You are nothing and your works are nothing. Who predicted events from the beginning that we might know about them? Who predicted it long ago and it now happens. Not a single counselor among you could answer me. Taken all together they are nothing and their works are nothingness,” Isaiah 41:21-24, 26, 28-29.
God said, “When I made all things, and gave earth shape, did anyone help me? I alone spread out the heavens and I am He who checks the warnings of wizards and makes fools of diviners, I make sages retract teachings, and I reveal the nonsense of their knowledge. Who confirms the word of My servants, and make the plans of My envoys succeed, Isaiah 44.24-26. “Is there any God beside Me, there is no rock, I know of none,” Isaiah 44.8. AMP; N. A. S God said, “I am a God of integrity and a savior, there is none, apart from me,” (this includes all humankind,) Isaiah 45.21. God is not in favor of a visible and an invisible God at the same time since we would have two masters at the same time. It is impossible to be the slave of two masters at the same time, for one will either hate the first and love the second or treat the first with respect and the second with arrogance, Matthew 6.24.
All records of debt due to (past) sins, and all of your (past) sins are cancelled, Colossians 2.13-15. One could never redeem one’s self or pay Ransom to God. It cost so much to redeem one’s life, it is beyond one’s wealth, Psalm 49.7-9. It is by God’s grace that you have eternal life in glory, and money is not involved, Matthew 10.22; 2 Peter 1. 11; Luke 13.23-24; Titus 3.5-8. God alone ransoms the spirit of God’s servants and those who take shelter in God need not pay anything, Psalm 34.22. Jesus Christ said, “God only can save, (humans can not save,) Luke 18.26-27. The only way to Heaven is by Spiritual union with God, the Father/Jesus Christ, the Son, through God’s Spirit, (and in God’s invisible Universal Spiritual Church,) John 14.6- 7.
It is believed that the views of certain Christians rely on worldly words, which are some words of tradition, in order to defend their interpretation about the authority of St. Peter, the apostle, and their leader. It is further believed that true heavenly words may not defend their traditional conclusion. There is only one author of God’s law, and only one judge of God’s Law, and that is God. God only has the power to acquit or sentence, (God did not appoint St. Peter, the apostle, to acquit or sentence,) James 4.12. Unfortunately, it is much easier to overwrite God’s true words, than it is to change worldly desires, interests, doctrine, some words of tradition, custom, or the like. Those who do not gather with Christ will scatter, and those who are not with Christ are against Christ, Luke 11.23. Christ, the Word of God, is indeed unhappy with those who place worldly desires, and interests ahead of the True Word of God. Yet, the guilty ones get most upset and want to kill others who suggest that this is not Christian behavior. Consider Christianity as the worshiping of God, in Trinity, in the interest of God’s true words but not in the interest of worldly words, or worldly desires. If a supposed Christian cannot live by God’s true words, the best move would be to leave the arena of Christianity, and enter an arena where one could freely worship while using worldly words and worldly desires, thereby avoiding criticism, and not being an instrument of division in the arena of Christianity. Very carefully test prophesies from those gifted in prophesy, who place honor from their Christian leaders ahead of honor from God.
As found in the Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003, Vicar, “instead of,” also means “replacement.” Vicar of Christ also means Vicar of God. Their leader holds primacy over the world, and is head of the whole church (implying all Christian denominations, including God’s invisible Church,) judges the living and the dead, and is the father and teacher of all Christians. See “Infallibility,” and “Pope Boniface VIII”. Their leader’s supreme leadership, and universal supremacy, is founded upon, “feed my lambs and feed my sheep,” John 21:15-17, also see “Vicar of Christ,” Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003. Their leader is over Kings and Kingdoms, and rock means savior. Their leader is our savior, and judge. See “Pope Boniface VIII
Their claims rely upon two quotations of God’s true Heavenly words, being Matthew 16:16-19, approximately 104 words and John 21:15-17, approximately 112 words. Considering sixty-six books in the Holy Bible, the Old Testament contains about 606,500 words and the New Testament contains about 180,500 words, totaling about 787,000 words. Rely on the entire Bible to examine the above mentioned two quotations of about 216 words, and without the assistance of any outside handed down worldly words, being some words of tradition. Read “Extending God’s true Heavenly words, the Holy Bible,” written by Ron E. Matteson, to find more about those who maintain that -- “there is in fact, and there must be, of necessity, certain revealed religious truths apart from those contained in the Holy Bible.”
Interpretation of John 21.15-17 and Matthew 16.13-19, by use of all of God’s true word, will not agree with their interpretation which also uses some worldly words. As will be shown, using true Heavenly words to arrive at a Heavenly word conclusion of the two quotations in question will not cause any existing Heavenly words to be overwritten. As it now stands, many true Heavenly existing words are overwritten due to, some traditional, worldly conclusions. For example, it is mentioned that Christ promises to bestow on St. Peter the keys of the Kingdom of heaven and that the words, (refer to Isaiah 22:22) God’s true word, that tells us, “Eliacim shall be given the key of the house of David, and should Eliacim open no one shall close, and should Eliacim close no one shall open, “The Pope,” Catholic Encyclopedia, 2003.) Their worldly search ends with a worldly conclusion, but God’s true words continue on. ---I will drive that person like a peg into a firm place, and that person will become a throne of glory for that person’s father’s house, and on this peg will hang all the glory of that person’s offspring and issue, and all the least of vessels from cups to pitchers. The peg will give way, it will be pulled out, and it will fall, and the whole load hanging on it, most likely including the key, will then be lost, Isaiah 22:23-25.
Consider these following words. “Whenever there is occasion to verify the exactness of a quotation, it is prudent to read the entire chapter of the book, whence it comes, and sometimes even to read the entire work, the entire book. Individual testimony, isolated from all its surroundings in an authors work, (isolated from the entire book,) seems often quite decisive; yet when we read the work itself, (the entire book,) our faith in the value of the argument, based upon such partial quotation, is either very much shaken or else disappears,” see “Historical criticism,” Catholic Encyclopedia. 2003.
If anyone shall say that blessed Peter, the Apostle, was not constituted by Christ, our Lord, as chief of all Apostles (does this also include St. Paul, and apostles from all Christian denominations,) and the visible head of the Universal Church (does this include all Christian denominational churches, and God’s Universal invisible Church?) let him be anathema, “The Pope,” Catholic Encyclopedia. 2003. A definition of anathema means to be cursed, (Many have been killed in lieu of being cursed,)1 Corinthians 16:22.
Was St. Peter chief over all apostles including St. Paul, or chief over only the eleven other apostles
St. Paul said, “I became the Church’s servant when God gave me the job of preaching the true words of God for your benefit,” Colossians 1.25. St. Paul said, “Three years after I encountered the Lord, I went to Jerusalem and became acquainted with the apostle Peter and I stayed with him for fifteen days,” Galatians 1. 18. God, whose action made Peter an apostle to the circumcised, also made Paul an apostle to the uncircumcised, Galatians 2.8. St. Paul is a Humble, outstanding, and qualified, eyewitness. The High Priest, Ananias, desired to murder St. Paul. The high Priest, Ananias, ordered his attendant to strike Paul on the mouth, and Paul said to Ananias, “God will surely strike you, you whitewashed wall; how can you sit there and Judge me according to the law, and then break the law by ordering a person to strike me.” The attendant said, “It is the High Priest you are insulting.” Paul said, “I did not realize it was the High Priest, for Scripture says, you must not curse a ruler of your people,” Acts 23.2-5.
Consider this following action of St. Paul. St. Peter, the apostle, stopped eating with the non-Jews, and withdrew from the non-Jews in fear of those Jews who insisted on circumcision. (If St. Peter were a Christian leader, he would not have reacted in this manner, for Jesus Christ surely would not have acted as St. Peter did.) Some of the other Jews then followed Peter’s example. They were not following the true meaning of the gospel, so in front of everyone, see 1Timothy 5.20. I, Paul, said to Peter, “You are a Jew, but act like a sinner, so how can you insist that non-Jewish people live like sinners? We are Jews by birth and should not act like this,” (St. Paul realistically cursed St. Peter,) Galatians 2.11-15. Ananias was the High Priest and St. Paul was not initially aware of this fact, but St. Paul did know St. Peter’s authority, for St. Paul stayed with St. Peter fifteen days, Galatians 1:18. If St. Peter were a spokesperson over all Apostles, including St. Paul, and those from other Christian denominations, St. Paul would have known, and would have behaved much differently toward St. Peter. It appears that St. Paul, a qualified eyewitness, did not consider St. Peter as a spokesperson over any apostle outside of ten, eventually eleven, other apostles.
Do not overlook John 21.22, where Jesus said to Peter, “If I want that Apostle to stay behind until I return, does it concern you, you are to follow me,” (I am your leader). Christ was faithful as a Son and the Master in the house (St. Peter was not master of God’s house). We are Christ’s house, Church, as spiritual stones, as long as we cling to our hope with the confidence that we glory in, 1 Peter 2.5: Hebrews 3.6. Apparently, St. Peter is Chief in a final group of twelve apostles.
Did all twelve apostles receive equal authority, and does God have favorites?
Jesus said to the Apostles, “YOU (ALL of you) are the ones who have stood by Me faithfully in My trial, and now I confer a Kingdom on YOU (ALL of you) just as My Father conferred one on Me. YOU (ALL of you) will eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and YOU (ALL of you) will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.” Christ did not say that St. Peter, the apostle, will receive everything and that Peter can give the other apostles whatever Peter decides is appropriate. There is equal authority in the Kingdom for all eleven, eventually twelve. Note that this kind of authority does not relate to controlling the Kingdom itself.
Many who are first will be among the last, and many who are last will be among the first,” (therefore, no favorites.) The fact is, St. Matthias, newly installed as an Apostle, has the same sphere of authority as St. Peter, his chief has, Acts 1. 26; Luke 22.28-30; Matthew 19.27-28. A question of concern is whether God has favorites. Peter addressed them, “I have now come to realize the truth,” Peter said, “that God does not have favorites. Anybody of any nationality who fears God, and does what is right, is acceptable to God,” Acts 10.34-35. Peter said, “If you are acknowledging as your father, one who has no favorites and judges everyone according to what one has done, you must be careful as long as you are living away from home,” (1 Peter 1.17). A leader said, “I have the right to do as I wish so why be jealous simply because I am kind. I treated the last the same as I treated the first, and I treated the first the same way as I treated the last” (Matthew 20.1-16; See Romans 11.18).
Does St. Peter, the apostle, Govern God’s church
An Angel of the lord said to Joshua, the High Priest, “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, ‘if you walk in My ways and keep My ordinances you shall govern My house, Church, you shall watch over My courts and I will give you free access among those who stand there,” Zechariah 3.6-8. Praise the name of God. Praise God, you who serve God in the house of God, and serve God in the courts of the house of God, Psalm 135.1-2. By this action, Joshua became the head of God’s household, Church. God never takes back His gifts or revokes His choice, Romans 11.29. Apparently, the position of governor of God’s Church belongs to Joshua the High Priest and not to St. Peter, the apostle.
About apostolic succession
Christ has no control over the glory of becoming High Priest, but some humankind have control, and use it. For Christ, control is in the hands of God, the Father, who said to Christ, “You are my Son, for today I have become your Father.” Therefore, Christ’s power to save is eternal since Christ can eternally intercede for all who come to God, through Christ who will never die. Death put an end to a priest’s tenure and death prevented priesthood to continue through a deceased priest. This fact does not support apostolic succession. Since Christ lives forever, Christ remains a high priest forever, and can never lose priesthood, Hebrew’s 7.15- 25; Psalm 2.7; Hebrews 5.5- 10.
Christ holds the “key” to the kingdom of Heaven. Did Christ give St. Peter, the apostle, any authority in the Kingdom other than that found in, Luke 22. 28- 30.
God’s true word mentions that Christ, the holy and faithful One, has the key of David. When Christ opens, nobody can close, and when Christ closes, nobody can open, Revelation 3.7. The mother of Zebedee’s sons, James, and John the one that Jesus loved, came with her sons to make a request to Jesus. She bowed low and said, “Promise that these two sons of mine, Apostles, may sit, one at Your right hand and the other at Your left, in Your Kingdom,” keep in mind that John was the apostle that Jesus loved. Jesus said, “You do not know what you are asking, can you drink the cup that I am going to drink,” and the sons replied, “We can.” “Very well,” Jesus said, “you shall drink My cup, but as for seats at My right hand and My left, these are not mine to grant, they belong to those to whom they have been allotted by My Father,” Matthew 20.20-23. If Jesus Christ is aware not to exercise authority as to give away two seats in the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus would certainly be aware of the fact that He should not exercise authority as to give to St. Peter any kind of controlling power in the Kingdom, because approval to do so would need to come from God, the Father.
Blessed are those who have washed their robes clean for they will have the right to feed on the tree of life and come through the gates into the new Jerusalem city, (St. Peter, the apostle, has no control, and the gates are never closed,) Revelation 21.25; Revelation 22.14. Read “Righteous Christians as Spiritual stones of God’s house,” by Ron E. Matteson, which explains why St. Peter did not get any controlling authority in God’s Kingdom.
Does St. Peter, the apostle replace Jesus Christ as our Christian shepherd, in view of John 21. 17- 21.
St Peter was appointed chief over ten, and finally eleven, other apostles, and all apostles have become shepherds, each over a small portion of the entire Christian flock. Each apostle can be compared to a pastor of a church who shepherds his own portion of the entire Christian flock. St. Peter, can be compared to a servant of Christ who is in charge of the pastors of eleven, or twelve churches. Jesus Christ is over all Christian pastors, and all servants of God.
God, our Father, the God of peace, resurrected our Lord Jesus from the dead so Jesus could become the great Shepherd of the (entire) Christian flock due to Christ’s blood that sealed an eternal NEW covenant. May God, the Father, make you ready to do God’s will in any kind of good action, and turn you into whatever is acceptable to God; all through Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, (accomplished in God’s Universal invisible Church,) Hebrews 13.20-21. God, the Father said, “They too will listen to My voice and there will be only one (entire) flock and one shepherd, (over the entire flock.)” John 10.16. “I mean to rise up one Shepherd, My servant David, Jesus Christ, and to put Christ in charge of the (entire) flock. Christ will pasture the (entire) flock, and be their Shepherd. I will be their God, and My servant David, Christ, shall be their ruler.” I, God, the Father, have spoken, and “Humankind will know that I, am their God, and I am with My people, the House of Israel.” God, the Father, speaks, “and you, My sheep, are the (entire) flock I shall pasture, and I am your God, this is God who speaks,” Ezekiel 34.23-25, 30-31. GOD, the Son, is my SHEPHERD, Psalm 23.1.
About the rock foundation of God’s invisible church
From definitions in the 2003 Catholic Encyclopedia: Petros is STONE, or small rock, found in "Palaeontology," Petra is big rock, found in "Petra." Petros is Peter, Kephas is Cephas, and Cephas is Peter, found in "St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles." In Matthew 16. 18, Peter, or STONE, is Cephas, or Kephas, or Petros, and all being key words found in "Infallibility." Also see John 1. 42.
The apostles, including St. Peter, are Spiritual STONES, and Christ is the cornerstone, of God’s invisible church, Ephesians 2. 20- 22; Psalm 118. 22; 1 Peter 2. 4- 6. God, in trinity, is the Rock foundation. For more information, read “Righteous Christians as spiritual stones of God’s house,” by Ron E. Matteson.
Think about it
No one has ever seen God, the Father, and it is the only Son who is nearest to the Father’s Spirit, who has made God known. Now that Christ Jesus has destroyed the defilement of sin, Christ has gone to take His place in heaven at the right hand of divine majesty. Christ is now higher above the angels, as is the title which Christ inherited, and Christ is higher than Christ’s own name, John 1.18; Hebrews 1.3-5. Jesus said, “in reference to all humankind, there is not one person who is greater than John the Baptist,” Luke 7.28. John the Baptist said, “I baptize you in water for repentance, but Christ, the one who follows me, is more powerful than I am and I am not even FIT TO carry Christ’s Sandals,” Matthew 3.11. In view of the divine greatness of Christ Jesus, it is an insult to God, the Father, for any humankind to claim they are the invisible God’s, visible replacement, on earth, see Romans 11.18. The heavens are as high above the earth, as God’s ways are above humankind ways, as God’s thoughts are above humankind thoughts, Isaiah 55.8-9. Humankind could not even begin to fill God’s shoes. God is eternal, the alpha and the omega, Revelation 21.6.
Up to the time of this writing, 266 leaders are the supposed humankind replacements for the ONE invisible Living God, in trinity, and they have relied on humankind worldly words to accomplish their task. All visible replacements have died with exception of number 266 who will soon die. The Holy Bible mentions Moses as a god for pharaoh, and Satan as god of the worldly, but there are no words about St. Peter, the apostle, as personally being a God, Exodus 7.1; 2 Corinthians 4.4; Ephesians 2.2; Luke 4.6-7. The ONE AND ONLY invisible God will remain forever, and God does not have to reply upon, nor does God need, any human to replace God on earth, Psalm 146.10; Isaiah 41.21-24, 26, 28-29.
Author's Resource Box
Article Source:
Christian Articles Resource
