The Deception of Many

[rich08]

I have also consider the reference to many and few contained in the video. This appears as a polemic against large congregations. I make the following comments:

• Again this comes down to how you define few and many. In the context of the passage there is a comparison in numbers between those who end up in heaven (the 'few') and those who do not (the 'many'). Those are relative terms. If we are have a social gathering at our house twenty people would be 'many' (especially if I am having to cook!); conversely if we were talking about a crowd at England's national football (soccer) stadium a turn out of 50,000 would be described as a 'few.' The terms 'many' and 'few' are relative terms.
  
  • Jesus' parable is a good warning. It is possible to be on the wrong road and we need to be sure which path we are on.
    
    • I wonder how the narrator would feel if even a small proportion of the big mega-churches decided that the narrator was right and turned up at his church - would he turn them away saying that his church cannot be 'big'? What is the right size for a church to be?
      

    [*]What would the narrator make of passages in Acts where several thousand people are recored as coming to faith in Christ (for example the three thousand in Acts 2:41)? Can they worship together or do they need to break up into smaller churches?

    I wonder how the narrator would define my church in this regard. A small church with an average congregation of about 50 people, but part of the church of England with I guess a word wide membership of several million.

[mizzdy]

Interesting. I agree with the concept that are are many false teachers and plenty of false Christians in false churches.

The video appeals to Scripture repeatedly throughout, which I would normally applaud. It is with great irony that when launching a video about false teachers they seem to have done that themselves.

I've read through Matthew 24:5 a few times (and checked the surrounding context too). It says (I shall use the version quoted in the video) 'For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.' The narrator questions the word 'many'. The narrator argues that if you look at all the people who have claimed to be Christ there aren't actually that many, so what does many mean? Ok - thinking through the verse and trying to interpret it - thus far so good: I always encourage people to ask what the Bible text says.

But then (if I have understood the logic correctly) he changes the verse from those who come in Christ's name and say 'I am Christ' to those who claim to come in the name of Christ and present his teaching (albeit that that may be wrong). To me the verse is quite clear - it specifically says 'saying, I am Christ.' If the narrator wants to put us on guard and make a point about false teachers why use a verse that needs to be adapted to fit his arguments? There are plenty of other verses that would equally serve that purpose (for example Matt 7:15).

I think the video (when watched in full) does raise some valid points and some tough questions especially in relation to several aspects of what it means to be church (at times I applauded it). But I feel that the arguments are weak and can easily be countered for example the outcome of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) or the Paul's epistle to the Galatians.

Always happy to see what others have to say.

What is he translation for "Christ?" Christ = anointed. Many have and do claim to be anointed/Christ....throughout history in fact. Just throwing that out there.

Hi, Katy Ann,

I don't know who the author of this repeated argument that "Christ = anointed" is, but it actually betrays a low view of Christ.

Christ = Messiah

Messiah = ruler (king) who is to come (Da 9:25-26), the Promise (of Ge 3:15), found only in Daniel

Christ is not just anointed, he is the promised ruler/king of the Kingdom of God.

That kind of loose interpretation is common in these circles, and is why the video is weak.

It handles the Scriptures loosely, and I don't think the adherents even realize that they do so, nor do they even know what it means, and I suspect if they did, they would see nothing inadequate about it.

Such loose handling is the trademark of false teachers and false teaching.

Christ means annointed whether you want to see that or not, Yeshua is the annointed one of Yahweh and that in no way protrays a weak imagine of Yeshua. Messiah means annointed also, again He is the annointed one of Messiah. When Mary annointed Yeshua with oil it was more than a good will gesture she was performing a very real thing in terms of putting out who He was and is.

[OneLight]

The only time we see Christos (5547) to mean anointed (5548) is when someone is anointed with oil in the OT, as in a high priest. In the NT, it always means the Messiah. Yet, Jesus is the Anointed One!

[gdemoss]

The only time we see Christos (5547) to mean anointed (5548) is when someone is anointed with oil in the OT, as in a high priest. In the NT, it always means the Messiah. Yet, Jesus is the Anointed One!

Strangely enough your pointing out the same word as 5547 and 5548 are both forms of the same word. One is an adjective form the other a verb. Similarly 5545 is the noun version which speaks about the Holy Spirit of God indwelling believers. Many will claim to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and speaking in the name of Jesus and deceive many. The truth of the matter is that having Christ in us is our hope, that we might be the anointed of God who live and walk in the Spirit of God preforming the will of God here upon the earth.

In Jesus Name,

Gary

[rich08]

The only time we see Christos (5547) to mean anointed (5548) is when someone is anointed with oil in the OT, as in a high priest. In the NT, it always means the Messiah. Yet, Jesus is the Anointed One!

Strangely enough your pointing out the same word as 5547 and 5548 are both forms of the same word. One is an adjective form the other a verb. Similarly 5545 is the noun version which speaks about the Holy Spirit of God indwelling believers. Many will claim to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and speaking in the name of Jesus and deceive many. The truth of the matter is that having Christ in us is our hope, that we might be the anointed of God who live and walk in the Spirit of God preforming the will of God here upon the earth.

In Jesus Name,

Gary

Guys,

Help me out here. What on earth do the numbers mean?

Thanks.

[gdemoss]

The only time we see Christos (5547) to mean anointed (5548) is when someone is anointed with oil in the OT, as in a high priest. In the NT, it always means the Messiah. Yet, Jesus is the Anointed One!

Strangely enough your pointing out the same word as 5547 and 5548 are both forms of the same word. One is an adjective form the other a verb. Similarly 5545 is the noun version which speaks about the Holy Spirit of God indwelling believers. Many will claim to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and speaking in the name of Jesus and deceive many. The truth of the matter is that having Christ in us is our hope, that we might be the anointed of God who live and walk in the Spirit of God preforming the will of God here upon the earth.

In Jesus Name,

Gary

Guys,

Help me out here. What on earth do the numbers mean?

Thanks.

Sorry Rich, they are Strongs concordance reference numbers.

Gary

[OneLight]

The only time we see Christos (5547) to mean anointed (5548) is when someone is anointed with oil in the OT, as in a high priest. In the NT, it always means the Messiah. Yet, Jesus is the Anointed One!

Strangely enough your pointing out the same word as 5547 and 5548 are both forms of the same word. One is an adjective form the other a verb. Similarly 5545 is the noun version which speaks about the Holy Spirit of God indwelling believers. Many will claim to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and speaking in the name of Jesus and deceive many. The truth of the matter is that having Christ in us is our hope, that we might be the anointed of God who live and walk in the Spirit of God preforming the will of God here upon the earth.

In Jesus Name,

Gary

Guys,

Help me out here. What on earth do the numbers mean?

Thanks.

They are references to Strong's Concordance numerical system.

[rich08]

Thanks guys. Makes sense now.

[Guest]

What is the translation for "Christ?" Christ = anointed. Many have and do claim to be anointed/Christ....throughout history in fact. Just throwing that out there....

I don't know who the author of this repeated argument that "Christ = anointed" is, but it actually betrays a low view of Christ.

Christ = Messiah

Messiah = ruler (king) who is to come (Daniel 9:25-26), the Promise (of Genesis 3:15), found only in Daniel

Christ is not just anointed, he is the promised ruler/king of the Kingdom of God.

That kind of loose interpretation is common in these circles, and is why the video is weak.

It handles the Scriptures loosely, and I don't think the adherents even realize that they do so, nor do they even know what it means, and I suspect if they did, they would see nothing inadequate about it.

Such loose handling is the trademark of false teachers and false teaching.....

Christ means anointed whether you want to see that or not, Yeshua is the anointed one of Yahweh and that in no way portrays a weak imagine of Yeshua. Messiah means anointed also, again He is the anointed one of Messiah. When Mary anointed Yeshua with oil it was more than a good will gesture she was performing a very real thing in terms of putting out who He was and is....

The

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; Isaiah 61:6

Lowdown

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, Luke 4:18

On The Anointing Of Messiah

For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. John 3:34

And Of That, There Is No

Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Psalms 45:7

Question

Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. Hebrews 1:9

In My Mind

[Jayyycuuup]

The second, which is not so widely though upon, is someone saying that Jesus is Christ, meaning that it was Christ who spoke "I", referring back to the speaker/author.

Sorry OneLight - you've lost me with this bit - could you try explaining that again?

Sure, I will try. Jesus was the one speaking when He said "I am Christ". He could of meant that He was speaking of Himself, meaning "Jesus is Christ". It would be like me saying "I am a climber". I could say, but awkwardly, "Alan is a climber", speaking of myself in the the third person.

In other words, the "I" was reflecting on Himself, Jesus. Therefor, many will come saying "Jesus is Christ" instead of just quoting scripture of "I am Christ" said Jesus.

My "opinion" is that Jesus was speaking in both contextes. What I mean is, I believe Jesus was saying that many will come in my name saying I am Christ (antichrist) also , referring to them being Christian but are not. (like the homosexual of "Hope" and "Change") Edited June 28, 2012 by your friend Jacob