2011年4月26日星期二

April 26 Discount Rosetta Stone-- Jesus The Foundation Of And The Builder Of The Church

Lest the reader be misled by the title reading into it what is not there the church that is Rosetta Stone Spanish Latin America
being talked about in this article may not be the one you are a member of so proceed if at all with caution having been forewarned.You can judge for yourself after reading.I begin with Jesus as the foundation of the church.After Jesus' arrest he was brought before the Jewish council where he was asked, "'Are you then the Son of God?'And he said to them, 'You rightly say that I am.'" (Luke 22:70 NKJV)This fact, earlier confessed by Peter in Matt. 16 when he said, "you are the Christ, the Son of the living God," (Matt. 16:16 NKJV) is the rock Jesus built the church on (Matt. 16:18 NKJV) Catholic doctrine to the contrary notwithstanding.No one can enter the church built by Jesus who does not believe this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.Jesus is described by Peter as a living stone rejected by men but chosen by God and precious (1 Peter 2:4).He goes on a couple of verses later to say, "it is also contained in the Scripture, 'Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame.'" (1 Peter 2:6 NKJV)The chief cornerstone (a rock) is obviously a reference to a man?I ask the reader to decide for himself whether this man Peter is describing (that if a man believes on him he will not be put to shame) is meant by Peter to be a reference to himself or to Jesus?The church cannot be built on both Jesus and Peter at the same time.Both cannot be that rock upon which the church is built.Who did Peter consider to be the chief cornerstone?But let us compare 1 Peter 2:6 just quoted above with Isaiah 28:16 where God had said hundreds of years before Peter's time, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily." (NKJV)The stone God laid was Christ, not Peter.I am satisfied this Old Testament passage is the passage Peter had reference to in 1 Peter 2:6 when he said "it is also contained in the Scripture."But what does it mean when the text says "whoever believes will not act hastily"?Have you ever stood on a chair or ladder, a rock or ledge that did not feel secure under your feet?We all have.What did you do when it felt shaky?You acted hastily to remove yourself lest you fall.The idea that both Isaiah and Peter present is that the rock God laid in Christ is so solid and so secure under the feet of the true believer that there is no insecurity.The rock you stand on when you stand on Christ is solid and secure, safe and reliable, and will not fail Cheap Rosetta Stone
you. Very early in the history of the church when Peter and John were taken into custody (a consequence of their teaching at the temple) and were placed before the Jewish rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as the high priest and as many as were of his family, Peter testified of Jesus saying, "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.'Nor is there salvation in any other." (Acts 4:11-12 NKJV)In verse 10 Peter names Jesus as being the one of whom he speaks.Paul said of Jesus, "No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:11 NKJV)The foundation of the faith, of the church, the spiritual body of Christ, is JesusJesus not as a man per se but as the Son of God.In writing to the Ephesian brethren Paul says they were members of the household of God (Eph. 2:19) "having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone." (Eph. 2:20 NKJV)One has his choicehe can either believe the Catholic Church in what it teaches as Peter being the rock upon which the church is built or he can believe the Bible which makes it plain that Jesus is that rock.What is impossible is to make a claim to believe both since they directly contradict one another. Yes, Peter is a stone in the church but so is every other Christian.Peter tells us so."You also, (he says speaking to ChristiansDS) as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:5 NKJV)The church is the spiritual body of Christ, a spiritual building being built up.The church is Christ's body"his body, which is the church" (Col. 1:24 NKJV - see Rosetta Stone Spanish
also Eph. 1:22-23 and Col. 1:18)."He is the Savior of the body." (Eph. 5:23 NKJV)This is the body which he sanctified and cleansed "with the washing of water by the word" (Eph. 5:26 NKJV), a reference to baptism all denominations to the contrary notwithstanding, in order that "he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

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