Home | FAQ | Message Boards | Site Map | Subject Index | Other Resources | We Believe...
Perilous Times | Unitarian Christology | Logically Speaking | Sacred Names | Faith-Doctrine

A Different Gospel?

by Phil Maxwell October 4, 1997

My friends, Though it is a delight to have so many in agreement on the foundational issue of who Christ is, I am concerned about a potential snare set for us.

I am on record as stating that the doctrine of the deity of Christ in its many forms emanates from the spirit of antichrist. The same could be said of the rapture doctrine, and, I'm sure, many others that have been set-up in the minds of folks by the destroying thief.

Nonetheless, we should be very careful to not be wise in our own conceits, realizing whom we serve and the price that has been paid for our redemption, namely, the blood of Christ. In the same way that many trinitarians, oneness, and other folks consider, call, and entreat us as heretics, enemies of the cross, false prophets, etc., we could easily be duped into like thinking of them.

The issue is: Who is my brother/sister? We must correctly answer that, and obediently respond to Yahshua's teachings, accordingly. If we think that holding to a delusional belief like the trinity doctrine in itself eliminates the possibility of someone being our brother, and entreat that person accordingly, we have fallen into a snare ourselves.

The following is an excerpt from a dialogue I had with a man named Tim elsewhere that I think illuminates this potential snare:

Here are some facts for your consideration and comments:

1. We have not yet come to the full knowledge of the Son of God.

• Ep.4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
• 1Jn.3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
• 1Co.13:12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

2. Whatever knowledge men have of Christ is only by divine gift. (All the words of men cannot reveal what can only be spiritually discerned.)

• Mt.16:16-17, 20 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven....Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.
• Mt.11:25-27 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him.
• Lu.10:22 All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.
• Lu.17:30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.
• Jn.6:44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

3. The revelation of Christ upon which the Lord's Church was founded is Yahshua the man, the Son of the living God, crucified, resurrected, exalted, made both Lord and Christ.

• Mt.16:16, 18 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.....And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
• Ac.2:22-24 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
• ....Ac.2:32-33 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses. Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
• ....Ac.2:36, 41, 47 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. ....Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. ....Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
• Ep.2:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
• 1Co.3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Conclusions:

1. It is presumptuous and incorrect to think we have a full knowledge of Christ.
2. It is proud and boastful to think we (men) can dispense even the knowledge we have of Him, for that is the Father's work, done through the Spirit.
3. People who have a less complete revelation of the Son of God are not cast off from the body of Christ, nor are they less important members.
4. The only knowledge of Christ that is essential to being a member of His body, His Church, is that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God, crucified, resurrected, exalted, and made both Lord and Christ by God.

Thus, what many call a "different Christ" is really a matter of degrees of revelation or delusion, as the case may be, and are not necessarily matters of true membership or separation from the one, true Church. Rather, these are what is built upon the foundation of our faith, and will eventually go through the fire to determine whether they be silver, gold, precious stones, or wood, hay, and stubble.

However, if we take those matters that we build upon the simple, straightforward, and absolutely true revelation of Christ, and elevate those to be matters of saved or not saved, true believer or heretic, brother or false prophet, then we are not building upon the ROCK. Essentially, this is heaping sand upon the rock and founding the building upon the sand. In this case, our works will never get to the refining fire, for they will be washed away in the flood beforehand.

What is happening is that people are redefining the gospel message of salvation, attempting to be themselves the dispenser of the refining fire of God, instead of obeying the Lord's COMMANDMENT to love their brothers that ARE founded upon the ROCK. This is laying a foundation other than that which has been laid.

Likewise, if we think we by our words alone can dispense the knowledge of the Son of God, we usurp a place given exclusively to the Father, falling into a snare. This is what commonly happens when we tell someone something and then judge them based on their acceptance or rejection of what WE have told them. The body of Christ will be perfected and come to the full knowledge of the Son of God through obediently loving one another (even those that we don't agree with) as Christ commanded.

If we do not love those who differ with us, we are no better than the heathen. If we cast off people who the Lord has added to His Church, than woe to us, for it would be better that we be cast into the sea with a millstone around our neck than what our fate shall be.

Following is an addendum to the above, posted 10/5/97:

Now, yesterday, while considering the often levied charge that I preach a "different gospel," I came to the humble conclusion that, indeed, I do.

This is true at least in contrast to the religious establishment at large. How so? Well, if you take a look at the basic revelation of Christ inherent in the salvation message, which is what I am driven to promote, you will find that it is present, but polluted throughout so-called Christianity.

The Messiah is the "bread of life", and the bread is supposed to be unleavened! Why is so-called Christianity so divided? It isn't generally because they lack the truth, it is because they all seem to think that their truth is so important that those who don't acknowledge it just can't have full fellowship within the body of Christ, if any fellowship at all.

This is very similar to what Paul was addressing the Galatians about when he said that they were "fallen from grace," adding that "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump."

Personally, I've been actively searching for 15 years (plus 11 or so before that, actually) for a church that would receive me on the simple salvation by grace through faith in Christ, and have come up empty. All have something to add to that, testified clearly by all the divisions in what is supposed to be ONE Church, which renders the unleavened bread of life polluted.

The truth is that this simple, unleavened bread of life doctrine I preach is refuted by virtually the entire religious establishment. There are many who have/will come out of these churches who, in their heart, truly believe, but not the establishments that I have seen. The fact that many have the truth buried within them only testifies that they have not dug down to the rock to build their faith on. Many have accepted the Catholic oriented Athanasian creed (trinity) and built upon that, others have dug down to the Nicene creed (dualism) to begin their building, and some have gone on down to Tertullian (oneness, modalism) and others to set their foundations.

Who has dug all the way down to the ROCK that the Lord's True Church was to be built upon (Mt.16), though? Individuals, scattered, often broken in spirit and weak, but clinging to the truth that can save them. Many are here, including myself.

I do preach a doctrine of salvation that literally opens the doors for any and all to come in. However, as strange as it may seem, I assure you that relatively few will be able to let go of their man made doctrines and the security of their religious establishments in order to truly partake of the unleavened bread of life.

Home | FAQ | Message Boards | Site Map | Subject Index | Other Resources | We Believe...
Perilous Times | Unitarian Christology | Logically Speaking | Sacred Names | Faith-Doctrine