One Faith
One word, one understanding, unity, oneness...
In trying to figure out where to go in year two of Without the Camp, I keep wondering what it is I think I’m doing here that is any different than any other Christian wanting to “preach the word” in some form or other.
In my case, I sort of blocked myself out of “mainstream” religion by declaring to be “outside the camp” and am left to make my case from that standpoint.
So, okay, I’ve taken up this “principled”, scriptural position in an to attempt to persuade people to do the same, leave their denominational camp, as it were, based on all the things we’ve studied through all of these posts.
But leave for what?
This is kinda of a “where do we go from here” moment for me, and coupled with wondering if I’m “any different”, the word faith keeps coming to mind. I don’t mean self-reflection as in “my faith” so much, just the word itself, faith, what it is, what it isn’t... That kinda thing.
All the way back in First Things First, I cited the Webster’s 1828 First Edition Dictionary definition of “faith” so readers all knew the meaning of the word, at least as far as how Webster defined it. Also to say that everything that followed in the subsequent studies was founded on faith defined and how we come by it; hearing his word to judge if God be true.
After all, isn’t that the Devine purpose for anyone and everyone who reads God’s word?
To become faithful, or not.
Here’s the definition again for the same reasons:
Faith from Webster’s 1828 First Edition Dictionary:
Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence (emphasis mine); the judgment that what another states or testifies is the truth.
Belief in the words of others...
To believe or not to believe God in his own words, without other evidence ...that is the question.
So, after reviewing the definition again, I decided to use the subject of “faith” to articulate what “Without the Camp” looks like from my self-induced, “exiled” vantage point.
If there is anything different in what I hope readers find in these studies is a faith in God rooted in knowledge and understanding of His word rightly divided. I’ve said this or something like it a number of times.
Words... all of them.
Psalms 12: 6 and 7
The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.
Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.
We have a document claiming to be the written word of God, put to everyone upon the earth, to read, to study, and to understand. Within those words, God declares his highest purpose:
Ephesians 3:9
And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
And higher still, his purpose is to see unity in the church of God, Christ the head, the body of Christ filled with the faithful.
He left that for us to do and I believe, as it stands today, unity will never occur within the camp of “Big Religion” so predominant in the world, and so corrupt, never.
Unity will only ever happen Without the Camp...
Hebrews 13:12-13
Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
I believe His word to be bound in the 1611 King James Bible and believe Paul’s decree in 2 Timothy that All scripture is given by inspiration of God. Not arguing anything, simply stating my belief and my source.
2 Timothy 3:16
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
...is given...
It’s there for a reason. It is for us all individually and collectively to know the full meaning of God’s word and agree, i.e. “to speak the same thing”, specifically, the words God speaks to Jew and Gentile alike through Paul’s apostleship.
God has declared salvation unto the ends of the earth through faith in Paul’s gospel, the gospel of the grace of God, the revelation of the mystery.
One gospel... God’s spoken word to all.
Thus One Faith.
In order to bring about unity in the church, we all have to know and understand his word the same; any variation is another gospel, which is not another. Read that again...
I truly believe that in all God says to the world, he wants humanity to know him according to his testimony, “given” so all would see and for all to see the same thing.
Be faithful, which is to believe every word of his testimony and endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit, in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)
In Romans 10:7, Paul teaches the simple mechanics of faith:
Romans 10:17
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
Thirteen words from God telling us that to have faith in Him, you must hear his testimony put to all the world and judge, choose, you’re in or you’re out...
Do you believe him?
What I’m trying to resolve to the simplest of terms is the spiritual process of hearing the written word of God that then becomes the object of our faith and nothing else...
Which is to say, you can’t have faith without knowledge of the word of God; they go hand in hand.
Knowledge of the word of God is acquired directly from reading, thus hearing God’s testimony from his mind to yours, to ours. It’s that personal.
In other words, if you don’t actually know what God’s testimony to the world is because you haven’t read it, studied it, understand it, and can articulate it to others, “your faith” is unfounded.
People often claim to have faith in God because of a “feeling” or an experience as if their belief is purely emotional or should I say, not necessarily rooted in any knowledge beyond the basics.
Yet, asked to articulate the particulars of their faith, it is often sorely lacking to the point of being almost childlike in understanding.
The thing I’m trying to get across here is that the only thing that is the manifest supernatural power of God to save mankind are the words.
God spoke them.
In his words, we find Him, his Son, the Holy Ghost and everything about them. Not new news to most, I get that.
And I think what I’m trying not to say too plainly is that if the word of God is mishandled or used in anyway by anyone, contrary to the entirety of His will bound in the pages of His book, you’ve put your faith in a gospel or doctrine that will not save your soul from hell.
One gospel...
One faith...
Cursed be any who preach otherwise.
What follows is how I came to this conviction and why I stand Without the Camp from people and organizations who teach and preach the lie...
God and Jesus both declare that it’s all in the words, one and the same, the words on the page are God, God is the words on the page, the words were there from the beginning.
When Christ spoke words, the words were both spirit and life.
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 6:63
It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
In reality, in truth, when anyone reads the bible, God speaks to our mind in order that we may know him, his purpose, his will, start to finish.
Everything about the spiritual realm and our eternal lives there, in heavenly places, are the very words spoken to the world by God Almighty, and His Son Jesus Christ in a book.
Amen.
In the process of working up this study, I did a word search for “faithful” used in Titus 1: 6 and 9 and read the various resource entry’s for the Greek word ‘pistos’ provided by blueletterbible.org. Just the standard stuff I do while writing the next study.
Here’s the passage from Titus chapter 1 and Strong’s G4103 entry for the Greek word ‘Pistos’ translated to “faithful”:
Titus 1:5-11
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
Strong’s G4103 for faithful:
πιστός pistós, pis-tos'; from G3982; objectively, trustworthy; subjectively, trustful:—believe(-ing, -r), faithful(-ly), sure, true.
This is the entry from the Outline of Biblical Usage resource on blueletterbible.org website linked to Strong’s G4103:
trusty, faithful
of persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
one who kept his plighted faith, worthy of trust
that can be relied on
easily persuaded
believing, confiding, trusting
in the NT one who trusts in God's promises
one who is convinced that Jesus has been raised from the dead
one who has become convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation
As I read these entries, I noticed something missing that lends itself to the overarching purpose and intent of Without the Camp.
Which is to call attention to what I believe to be errant doctrine promulgated by an “established” or “accepted” understanding of the bible to illustrate inconsistencies with Paul’s revelation of the mystery.
I’m not impugning anyone, I’m simply trying to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
What’s missing in the entry above is any mention about one’s faith placed specifically in the knowledge and understanding of the written word of God, the object of our faith.
The Outline of Biblical Usage defines faithful in terms of one’s character, finishing with a doctrinal statement that suggests that being “convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and author of salvation” is indicative of “faithfulness”.
Not that I believe that Jesus is not the Messiah, but the statement in particular puts forth their words of understanding and at a minimum, is extra-scriptural.
In other words, am I considered faithful because of my character and my belief in those statements or am I faithful because I know and believe what God tells me to believe?
At a minimum, the Strong’s and Outline of Biblical Usage entries diminish that aspect of the heart to heart, mind to mind, soul to soul relationship with God that every believer enters into after hearing God’s word and choosing faith in what he tells us.
The point I’m making is that this content is misleading and muddies the distinctive cut between Paul’s gospel of the grace of God and Old Testament prophecy becoming another gospel in the process. It is also reflective of doctrine taught in and among the camp of “Big Religion”.
The question is:
When Jesus came to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Mat 15:24), was he the Messiah, was he anointed, was he the Christ?
John 1:11
He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
They hung him on a cross, he was buried for three days, rose again, ascended to the right hand of God, anointed, the Christ.
Yet today, the children of Israel still wait for their Messiah...
When he comes to them again, it will be as God’s anointed, the Christ and all things yet to be accomplished by God with the nation Israel will be fulfilled.
Context, time and circumstance…
As I’ve said so many times now (sorry), the only way to be confident in what you choose to put your faith in, to believe in, is to not only read God’s word, but study it, know it, as we are exhorted by Jesus:
Luke 10:27
And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
What better way to love the Lord thy God than to listen to what he has to say so that we may understand his will during our moment in biblical time?
To that end, it’s instructive to look closer at the wording Paul uses in his first epistle to Timothy and his epistle to Titus as he gives them the qualifications for bishops and deacons. See Our Christian Order for review of their roles in a local church.
1 Timothy 3:1-16
This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly:
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
Titus 1:5-11
For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
In 1 Timothy 3:9, Paul teaches that deacons are responsible for holding the mystery of the faith and in Titus 1:9 he teaches that in addition to all the things listed, bishops are responsible for Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught.
These instructions declare that those selected from among the families of a local Christian church to be bishops and deacons are to be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers...
Exhort and convince the gainsayers of what?
The mystery of the faith, and the object of faith, the word.
The word holding means to possess something, keep it, guard it, and we see Paul identifying the revelation of the mystery as “the faith”, that is indeed, one faith.
There aren’t many “faith’s”. God never intended his word to be used for confusion and division, which we see so prevalent in supposed Christian circles today. Everyone says something different as if it’s OK with God to have “diversity” in understanding his will during this dispensation of his grace. How foolish.
Yet, he knew full well that man would be man, corruptible, and boy howdy, man doesn’t disappoint.
As it was then, so is it now, God’s word spoken/written through Paul tells those in Christ:
2 Timothy 2:1-4
Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.
And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
Philippians 2:16
Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.
At least that’s what I think I’m trying to do, ...find faithful men who will hear God’s word outside of “Big religion”, outside of denominational systems of worship, outside of the big lie that the predominant denominations are the authoritative source for understanding the will of God in today’s world. They have millions of followers who need to be liberated from captivity so that they may go forth unto him without the camp.
Notice the phrase “Holding forth the word of life” in the Philippians passage bringing us all the way back around to John 6:63 when Jesus declares the words he speaks are spirit and life.
Therefore, if God uses words written in a book available for the entire world to know his will, and to find eternal life in heavenly places, the devil uses words that are unto death.
Going forward from here, we will simply compare and contrast the words spoken by God and His Son Jesus Christ to the words spoken by the devil through his many mouthpieces attempting to lead people from the truth.
As bold as that might come across, it is simply to say that my purpose is God’s purpose and I intend to shine the light of truth not only on the obvious aspects of Satan working in the world today, but also on his counterfeit “Christianity” parading as the truth.
We’ll start with judgement, which is discernment...
The children of disobedience in the world today would have us judge nothing...
God would have us judge right from wrong, the truth from the lie.
The only way we can successfully know the difference is to know His word so that our judgements stem from knowledge and understanding of the same...
Thank you for reading Without the Camp.