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Mixing Law and Grace: Difference between revisions
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===What did William Branham teach?=== | ===What did William Branham teach?=== | ||
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===What does magnify mean?=== | ===What does magnify mean?=== | ||
Obviously in William Branham's mind and in that of most message believers | Obviously in William Branham's mind and in that of most message believers it means to make larger and, therefore, harder to meet. | ||
But what does the word magnify mean in the context of Isaiah 42:21? | But what does the word magnify mean in the context of Isaiah 42:21? | ||
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:''You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body go into hell.”'' (Mt 5:27–30 ISV) | :''You have heard that it was said, ‘You must not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, anyone who stares at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. So if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you. It is better for you to lose one of your body parts than to have your whole body go into hell.”'' (Mt 5:27–30 ISV) | ||
If he was wanting you to obey what He said here, | If he was wanting you to obey what He said here, churches would be filled with blind amputees! | ||
The reason for His unbelievably high standard is to drive home the point that man cannot depend on himself and that he desperately needs a savior. | The reason for His unbelievably high standard is to drive home the point that man cannot depend on himself and that he desperately needs a savior. | ||
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:''It is my judgment, therefore, that '''we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles''' who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. (Ac 15:19–20) | :''It is my judgment, therefore, that '''we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles''' who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. (Ac 15:19–20) | ||
:''It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. (Ac 15:28–29) | :'''''It seemed good to the Holy Spirit''' and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29 You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. (Ac 15:28–29) | ||
:'''''As for the Gentile believers''', we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.” (Ac 21:25) | |||
So what gives William Branham the right to change the requirements laid down by the Apostles? | |||
===Can we mix law and grace?=== | |||
The law demands perfections but does not lift a finger to help. Grace on the other hand imparts perfection and does everything for man through Jesus Christ. | |||
Paul said: | |||
:''I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!”'' (Ga 2:21) | |||
:'' | :''You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.'' (Ga 5:4) | ||
If you try to mix grace and the law as the Galatian church did Paul said that you have fallen away from grace. Paul said you are either entirely under the law or you are under grace. They can't be mixed. | |||
===So how are Christians supposed to behave?=== | ===So how are Christians supposed to behave?=== | ||
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:''...serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.'' (Ga 5:13–14). | :''...serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.'' (Ga 5:13–14). | ||
:''Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so | :''Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Ga 6:2) | ||
Do you know that Jesus never called sinners - not even the prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors - "a brood of vipers". Not once! Those harsh words Jesus reserved for the religious people, Pharisees, whose fixation on the law blinded them from seeing God in the flesh. | |||
We need to be like Christ and be filled with His love: | |||
:''If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have '''prophecy''', and know '''all mysteries''' and all knowledge, and if I have all '''faith''' so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love, I receive no benefit. (1 Co 13:1–3 NET) | |||
===Is this relevant in any other way to William Branham's minsitry?=== | ===Is this relevant in any other way to William Branham's minsitry?=== | ||
We | We receive a question which asked: ''So, if the law is indeed magnified, would it not be logical to also assume the part of the prophets being done away with is not the case, that instead, the role of the prophet might be magnified as well? | ||
This question appears to be based on an incorrect understanding of the Biblical teachings of the law in the New Testament. We are no longer under the law but under grace. | |||
:The Law and the Prophets were '''until''' John; '''since then''', the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is strongly urged to enter it. (Lk 16:16 HCSB) | |||
Jesus said, | |||
:''“I tell you the truth, among those born of women, no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is."'' (Mt 11:11). | |||
The least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist. | |||
'''Why?''' Because every true Christian has the anointing of the Holy Spirit, which is greater than the spirit of Elijah! | |||
Why would we need the spirit of Elijah when each believer possesses something greater? It is sad that Christians sometimes fail to recognize what they really possess. | |||
There is no longer need in the New Testament for an Old Testament prophet, particularly one that seeks to lay requirements from the law on the church. There is likewise no scriptural support for an Old Testament prophet in the New Testament church. | |||
Prophets are part of the five-fold ministry but they are in a secondary position to that of apostles: | |||
:''And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, of helping, of guidance, and of different kinds of tongues.'' (1 Co 12:28) | |||
:''So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.'' (Eph 4:11–13) | |||
:''I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.'' (2 Pe 3:2) | |||
Finally, while William Branham considered himself immune from the judgement of the church | |||
Paul clearly requires all prophets to be judged: | |||
:''Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. (1 Co 14:29) | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
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Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. 1996. Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains, 2nd edition. Vol. 1 (404), United Bible Societies: New York | Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. 1996. Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains, 2nd edition. Vol. 1 (404), United Bible Societies: New York | ||
Prince, Joseph, Unmerited Favor | Prince, Joseph, Unmerited Favor, 2011 | ||
Prince, Joseph, Destined to Reign, 2011 | |||
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