Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new member letter
has been written and sent out via mail. It has also been posted on the
Web. In the letter, Edwin Pope discusses important principles regarding
Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. Also included is a write-up
about our recent Church conference. The write-up was submitted to the
Journal for publication.

The new StandingWatch program, “Uproar in France,” was posted on the Web.

We
received this update from Rey Coria in the Philippines: “I’m happy to
inform you that we had distributed your booklet “Are you Predestined to
be Saved” to some old-time members. We had positive feedback from them.
In fact, we photocopy that booklet along with other booklets for
distribution. I would like to wish you in advance a happy Days of
Unleavened Bread. We’re preparing for the Passover season. Give our
regards to all of you.”

God Understands

by Phyllis Bourque

Many years ago, as a new 28-year-old
convert, and the mother of a newborn and a toddler of 18 months, it was
no small challenge to get ready for church. My mate was not being
called as I was, and so Sabbath preparations rested entirely on me. One
particular Sabbath, the children were fussy, I was tired, and it was
raining…all good reasons to stay home, or so my still somewhat
“Protestant mind” thought.  Missing church that day didn’t seem as
big to me as the hassle of getting everything ready to go. So, I stayed
home.

The next week when I went to church, many of the ladies
flocked around me, very interested in my well-being and the children,
as was their custom. They mentioned how they had missed us the last
Sabbath and wondered if any of us had been sick. I explained that such
was not the case, but that the challenge of getting the children ready
to go out on a rainy day was a bit more than I could handle. And then I
said, “….but God understands.”

An elder’s wife among the group
quickly spoke up and said, “Oh, He understands, alright. He understands
where your heart is.”  Her words were well-chosen and very
powerful, and they echo in my mind to this day.  I came to realize
then how my actions were related to my conviction.

In the ensuing
years, I have been faced with diverse trials–trials that I never could
have predicted, nor would I have chosen had I known the details ahead
of time. But through those trials, God has given me ample opportunities
to learn much-needed lessons in order to grow in my conversion, showing
Him where my heart was and is, as I go through those trials. I
certainly cannot claim perfection in this area, but I keep trying, and
those very powerful words from a friend have been helpful along the way.

Yes,
God does understand where our heart is.  Every day we show Him
where it is, in what we think, in what we say, and, most of all, in
what we do.

In the Q&A Update #237 the statement is made, "Otherwise, we would be eating and drinking 'judgment' to ourselves, which might result in sickness and death ([1 Corinthians 11] verses 29-30)." Does this mean that by taking the Lord's Sacrifice in an unworthy manner, the consequences might result in physical sickness and death? Are we not all unworthy?

It is true that we are all “unworthy” in comparison with God the
Father and the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but this is not what Paul is
addressing. Rather, Paul speaks about the manner in which we partake of
the Passover–and yes, if we partake of the Passover in an unworthy
manner, and if we, especially, fail to discern the Body of Christ which
was beaten for our healing from our sicknesses, then prolonged sickness
and even death might be the consequence.

It is important to study
the context of these verses as found in 1 Corinthians 11:17 through 34.
Paul very emphatically corrected those in Corinth who had been treating
the Passover in an irreverent and self-centered manner. He mentions
that there were divisions within the Church (verses 18-19). Beginning
with the early chapters of 1 Corinthians, Paul strongly warns against
the divisions that were arising–especially those that were created by
some members who focused on the personalities of various ministers
(Compare 1 Corinthians 1:11-13; 3:1-23).

Paul took issue with the
conduct of those who were assembling for what should have been the
observance commanded by Jesus Christ through the symbols He instituted
surrounding Passover. Note what Paul had already written to the
Corinthians regarding their allowance of sexual immorality. He
illustrates their problem through the Days of Unleavened Bread: “Your
glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the
whole lump? Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new
lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover,
was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old
leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the
unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Here
is what Paul states in 1 Corinthians 11:20: “Therefore when you come
together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper.” We
understand this verse to say that they could not and should not try to
eat the Lord’s Supper, as the Passover is not the Lord’s Supper. Paul
was chastising them for trying to eat a supper or a meal, rather than
just partaking of the symbols of bread and wine in a worthy manner. (We
address this issue in Update #88 in the Q&A, pointing out that we
are not to partake of the Lord’s Supper or a meal, but of the Passover
symbols. Also, we explain this distinction again in Update #189,
under “Feasts,” titled, “Is Passover the Lord’s Supper?”) He plainly
chastises the Church for assembling in a way that nullified the intent
and example of observing the New Testament Passover as instituted by
Jesus Christ. Paul challenges their practice of using this time for a
common meal; of getting drunk; and of adding to the division between
members who were wealthy and poor because of their degenerated
observance of the Passover.

In verses 23 through 26 of 1
Corinthians 11, Paul carefully reminds the Church of the correct way to
observe this time–not as a riotous, self-indulgent meal, but as a
meaningful reminder of the glorious sacrifice made by Jesus on behalf
of mankind. In verse 26, Paul states: “For as often as you eat this
bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.”
The correct observance of these symbols, along with observing the time
established by God for the Passover, is to be faithfully followed by
the New Testament Church (Compare Exodus 12; Leviticus 23). As we see
from verse 23, Jesus instituted the symbols at this same specified time
as an example for the Church (Compare John 13).

Next, Paul gives
a powerful warning that no Christian should take lightly: “Therefore
whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Corinthians
11:27); continuing in verses 29-30: “For he who eats and drinks in an
unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the
Lord’s body. For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many
sleep [are dead].”

Although the application is much broader, we
may, nonetheless, apply what is stated in Hebrews concerning those who
take for granted the inestimable sacrifice of Jesus Christ: “For if we
sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there
no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful
expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on
the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment,
do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of
God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was
sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?” (Hebrews
10:26-29).

Paul warned the Church at Corinth that their actions
were seriously and dangerously wrong! Like the message in Hebrews, the
people in Corinth were treating the Passover as a “common thing”–that
is, just another meal, and, even worse, as an activity of the Church in
which rebellious actions were taking place. We find an Old Testament
parallel in the story of the golden calf. In their idolatry, the
children of Israel made a proclamation that their observance was “a
feast to the LORD” (Exodus 32:5). They brought upon themselves both an
immediate penalty of death for some (Verse 28) and a future punishment
for their sin (Verses 34-35).

Disobeying God will lead to death.
The only exception is through repentance and forgiveness, and our
repentance and God’s forgiveness are only possible because of the death
of Jesus Christ in our place. He paid the ultimate penalty, and His
sacrifice is not a meaningless ritual. The Passover must not be taken
lightly–rather, we are to approach this observance carefully through a
personal reflection and self-examination.

In another letter to
the Corinthians, Paul states: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are
in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus
Christ is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Corinthians
13:5). This is essentially what he had told them to do regarding the
Passover Christ established: “But let a man examine himself, and so let
him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (1 Corinthians 11:28);
Continuing in verses 31-32: “For if we would judge ourselves, we would
not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord,
that we may not be condemned with the world.”

Being “chastened by
the Lord” is exactly the purpose that was accomplished through Paul’s
writing. It applied to the members in Corinth, and it applies to us,
today. We are to examine ourselves in order to properly take the
Passover–to do as Jesus Christ commanded. Indeed, some, both then and
even now, have failed to properly discern the Lord’s body–which was
beaten for our healing–and they might thereby have suffered the
consequence of physical sickness and perhaps even death. They,
like Israel of old, have brought upon themselves penalties for their
sins. We can avoid these consequences if we seek to zealously obey what
God has commanded!

This is not to say–by any means–that every
Church member who is suffering from an illness is being punished by God
because of a lack of discernment of Christ’s body. As we explain in our
booklet, “Sickness and Healing–What the Bible Tells Us,”
the reasons for sickness and disease are manifold, and they might have
nothing to do at all with any ungodly conduct of the sick person. All
Paul is saying in 1 Corinthians 11 is that sickness COULD be the result
of partaking of the Passover in an unworthy manner, by not discerning
the beaten body of Christ and the fact that we are healed “by His
stripes” (Isaiah 53:5; compare Matthew 8:16-17).

Even though we
are asked to examine ourselves, Paul also says that we ARE to take the
Passover, if we are baptized members of the Church of God. When we
examine ourselves and when we hear sermons telling us of our ongoing
need to overcome, we must not become so discouraged that we don’t want
to take the Passover! Rather, examining ourselves should serve as the
preparation God wants for us. Once we do, we are to focus on Jesus
Christ–He is our Passover! Just as He set us an example, let us also
keep the Passover in the manner that is truly pleasing to God!

Lead Writers: Dave Harris and Norbert Link

As We Examine Ourselves…

On April 8, 2006, Edwin Pope will give the sermon, titled, “As We Examine Ourselves…”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

On
Tuesday evening, April 11, 2006, is Passover. If you are a baptized
member of the Church of God and won’t be able to attend local services,
but want to keep the PASSOVER AT HOME, please read the SPECIAL
ANNOUNCEMENTS regarding this in this Update, under “Feasts.”

On Wednesday evening, April 12, 2006, is the Night to Be Much Observed.

On
Thursday, April 13, 2006, is the First Day of Unleavened Bread. Rene
Messier will be giving the sermon in the morning from Oregon, and Dave
Harris will give the sermon in the afternoon from Colorado.

The
services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 9:00 am and 1:30 pm
Pacific Time (which is 11:00 am and 3:30 pm Central Time). Just click
on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

A new Member Letter is being completed and will be sent out early next week in time to
arrive prior to Passover. In the letter, J. Edwin Pope discusses
important principles about Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread.

A new StandingWatch program was posted on the Web, titled, “Afghanistan’s Radical Islam.”

Another StandingWatch program was recorded this week and will be posted shortly. It is titled, “Uproar in France.”

What is a true Christian?

Many have attempted to “define” who or what is a true Christian.
However, far too often, a totally false explanation has been offered.
For example, some would say that somebody is a Christian who is a
member of a “Christian” church. Others claim that one is a Christian if
he or she believes in Jesus Christ. Still others state that one becomes
a Christian if he or she is baptized into a Church organization,
perhaps even as an infant.

What is the Biblical truth on the
matter? It is important that you understand, because otherwise you have
no immediate hope for your future. We read that there is no salvation
in any other but in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). In order to be saved, you
must be a follower of Christ–a true Christian.

First of all,
the word “Christian” is only used three times in Scripture, namely in
Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; and 1 Peter 4:16. In all these cases, the word
applied to God’s disciples–true followers of Christ–who were innocent
of evil doing and who had to be willing to suffer for Jesus Christ–as
“Christians.”

A definition of a true Christian is given in Romans 8:9:

“But
you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God
dwells in you. Now if anyone does NOT HAVE THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST, HE IS
NOT HIS.”

A true Christian, then, is one in whom Christ’s Spirit
dwells. And when Christ’s Spirit, which is also the Spirit of God the
Father, dwells in a Christian, the individual will live and think in a
certain way, as Romans 8:4-7 explains:

“… that the righteous
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not WALK
according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live
according to the flesh SET THEIR MINDS on the things of the
flesh, but those who LIVE according to the Spirit, the things of the
Spirit. For to be carnally [or fleshly] minded is death, but to be
spiritually MINDED is life and peace. Because the carnal [or fleshly] mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,
nor indeed can be.”

When the Spirit of Christ lives in a person,
he or she will have the MIND OF CHRIST (Philippians 2:5), which
includes the desire to keep the law of God–the Ten Commandments (John
15:10). Christ’s Spirit will help us not to sin–and sin is the
transgression of God’s Law (1 John 3:4, Authorized Version).

When
we keep God’s law, we will love our fellow man (Galatians 5:14). When
we are being led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18), we will not fulfill
the lusts of the flesh (verse 16). And as a consequence, we will bring
forth in our lives the fruit of the Spirit, which is “love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control” (verses 22-23).

1 John 2:3 tells us that we know
God the Father and Jesus Christ “if we keep His commandments.” Verse 4
continues: “He who says, ‘I know Him’ [that is, I belong to Him, I am a
Christian], and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the
truth is not in him.” God’s Holy Spirit is a Spirit of truth (compare 1
Peter 1:22)–therefore, if the truth is not in such a person, then
Christ’s Spirit is not in him.

In order to receive God’s Spirit,
we must first repent of our sins–what we have done and what we are;
that is, we must repent or feel deeply sorry about the fact that we
have followed our carnal human natures and sinned (Acts 2:38). When we
repent of sin, we repent of having transgressed God’s law, and we begin
to keep God’s law. This can also be described as “conversion” or
“change”–by ceasing to walk in the way of breaking God’s law and by
beginning to walk in the way of keeping it. Acts 3:19 says: “Repent
therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out.” And
Acts 26:20 describes, in Paul’s own words, how he “declared… to the
Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting
repentance.”

We must also believe in the Sacrifice of Jesus
Christ; that is, that His death paid for the penalty of our sins, as
well as the gospel message which Christ proclaimed (Mark 1:15). And we
must be properly baptized as an outward sign of our repentance and
faith (Acts 2:38).

How many well-meaning people actually
repented of their sins BEFORE they were baptized? How many well-meaning
people understood before their baptism that they must keep God’s law,
including the commandment to keep the Sabbath; in fact, that they must
already show God, by their conduct, that they are willing to obey Him,
before they become baptized (Acts 5:32)? If these requirements were not
fulfilled, they would not have received Christ’s Spirit, and they would
not be “Christians” according to the Biblical definition.

But
even those who were baptized, as adults, after they felt sorry for
their sins, are called upon to examine themselves whether they are
REALLY true Christians–true followers of Christ. We read in 2
Corinthians 13:5: “EXAMINE yourselves as to whether you are in the
faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ
is in you?–unless indeed you are disqualified.”

Many have proven
to fall into that last category. They THOUGHT they had genuinely
repented of their sins, before they became baptized, but, in fact, they
never had. They THOUGHT they had become true Christians, but the Bible
and history tell a different story. John states in 1 John 2:19: “They
went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us,
they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be
made manifest, that none of them were of us.” Jude describes those
people who might even ATTEND Church services with true Christians as
“sensual [or worldly] persons, who cause division, NOT HAVING THE
SPIRIT” (Jude 19).

1 John 3:10 tells us that if we are
Christians–true followers and children of God–we will practice
righteousness. That is, we will live a righteous life, which is
well-pleasing to God. The one who does not practice righteousness is
“not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.” But the one who
“keeps His commandments abides in Him, and HE IN HIM. And by this we
know that He abides in us, by the SPIRIT [which] HE HAS GIVEN US” (1
John 3:24).

Once we are properly baptized, we are commanded by
God to partake of the annual Passover, by eating a piece of unleavened
bread and by drinking a small amount of red wine, symbolizing the body
and blood of Jesus Christ who died for our sins (1 Corinthians
11:23-26). But before doing so, we must EXAMINE ourselves whether we
fully understand the deep significance of Christ’s Sacrifice, so that
we don’t eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord “in an unworthy
manner,” without “discerning the Lord’s body” (1 Corinthians 11:27-28).
Otherwise, we would be eating and drinking “judgment” to ourselves,
which might even result in sickness and death (verses 29-30). Compare
the Q&A in Update #224 on, “Discerning the Lord’s Body.”

To
be a true Christian, then, is a LIFE-LONG commitment to God and His way
of life. We are never to become indifferent about our calling and give
up. The LIVING Jesus Christ resides in a true Christian, through His
Spirit, leading the way, and the Christian must follow Him (compare
Revelation 14:4). We are to “sanctify the Lord God in [our] hearts” (1
Peter 3:15); that is, we are to set aside for Christ a place in our
hearts so that He CAN live in us and lead us.

Again, we ask: How
many well-meaning people qualify as true Christians according to this
Biblical definition? And most importantly for you is this question: Do
YOU qualify? Are YOU a true Christian?

For more information, please read our free booklets, “Baptism–A Requirement for Salvation?” and “And Lawlessness Will Abound…”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

The Power of the Tongue

On April 1, 2006, Norbert Link will give the sermon, titled, “The Power of the Tongue.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

Preaching the Gospel and Feeding the Flock

We recently began to place most of our StandingWatch
programs on “Google Video.” We are very encouraged by the responses.
The most watched programs were, “What Is Happening in Germany?”,
“Ghosts of Departed Ones?”, “Europe and the Middle East,” “The Pope is
Dead–What Is Next?” and “Germany in Prophecy.”

We have also
started an advertisement campaign on the Internet, by placing an ad
next to Google searches. When someone searches for a certain
expression, the ad will appear next to or above the search results. The
overall average click through rate (somebody sees the ad and clicks on
it) was 5.2%, but at times it reached 7.7 %.

Does Revelation 3:14 teach that God the Father created Jesus Christ, and that Christ had a beginning?

The Bible teaches that God had no beginning, but that He has always
existed. We read that God created all things; that is, human beings,
animals and all physical things, as well as angelic beings and all
spiritual “things.” However, God is not just one Person, but a Family,
presently consisting of God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. We
read that God created everything through Jesus Christ (Colossians
1:15-17)–proving that God the Father and Jesus Christ existed before
there was anything else. Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us that God the Father
created “the worlds” through His Son, Jesus Christ. John 1:1 says that
the “Word”–Jesus Christ (compare Revelation 19:13)–was “in the
beginning” with God and that the Word WAS God. John 1:3 tells us that
“all things” were made through Him, and “without Him nothing was made
that was made.”

Some
claim that God the Father first created His
Son, Jesus Christ, and proceeded afterwards to create everything else
through Christ. They say that the Word was created, and when that
happened, there were no days or time created, so Christ had no
beginning of days as such. This is not, however, what the Bible
teaches.

Micah 5:2 talks about the coming Messiah when it states “But you,
Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of
Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in
Israel, WHOSE GOINGS FORTH ARE FROM OF OLD, FROM EVERLASTING.”

Isaiah 9:6 states: “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is
given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will
be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.” According to Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible
Concordance, the Hebrew for “Father” can also convey the meaning of
“ancestor, source, inventor.”

In
Hebrews 7:1-10, we are introduced to the Son, Jesus Christ, who was
known as the High Priest Melchizedek at the time of Abraham (When
Christ was here on earth as a human being, born as a man, He confirmed
that He actually met Abraham in His prior life as an immortal God
being, compare John 8:56-58).

Note how the Son of God or Melchizedek is described:

— Hebrews 7:1: He was the Priest of the Most High God–God the Father, who is higher than Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3).
— Hebrews 7:3: He was “without father, without mother, without
genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life.” Christ
said later that He is the One who “was and who is to come, the
Almighty” (Revelation 1:8).
— Hebrews 7:3: When He appeared as Melchizedek, He was made like, or
better, He was “resembling” (compare Revised Standard Version) or
“bearing the likeness of” (compare Revised English Bible) the “Son of
God”–that is, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, manifested Himself as a
human being, as He did on other occasions in the Old Testament (for
instance, He and two angels appeared to Abraham before Sodom and
Gomorrah were destroyed, Genesis 18:1-2, 13, 16-17; 19:1).
— Hebrews 7:3: The One known as Melchizedek and the Son of God, Jesus
Christ, “remains a priest continually.” He is still alive, confirming
what Christ said in Revelation 1:18: “I am He who lives, and was dead
(and in the grave for 72 hours), and behold, I am alive forevermore.”
— Hebrews 7:8: He was not a “mortal man” but someone who still “lives” today.

Accepting
the clear Biblical testimony, we must conclude that Jesus Christ, as a
Spirit being and as the second member of the God Family, has always
lived together with God the Father. He had no beginning.

How
then are we to understand Revelation 3:14 which says that Christ is
“the Beginning of the creation of God”? Since the Bible does not
contradict itself, we can rule out the idea that God the Father created
Christ so that Christ became the very first act–the “beginning”–of
God’s creation. What, then, is the meaning of the verse?

Let us note how other translations render this verse:

— New International Version: “the ruler of God’s creation”
— Living Bible: “the primeval source of God’s creation”
— New Revised Standard Version: “the origin of God’s creation”
— Revised English Bible: “the source of God’s creation”
— New Jerusalem Bible: “the Principle of God’s creation”

Please also note the following statements from a few commentaries:

— The Broadman Bible Commentary gives the following explanation:

“‘The
beginning of God’s creation’ is not easy to interpret. If taken to mean
that Christ was the first creature, then one has ignored the
Christology of Revelation… Beckwith translated this phrase ‘the one
from whom creation took its beginning.’ Another good translation is
‘who is the origin of all that God has created.’… God is the primary
source (4:11; 10:6), and Christ is the agent of creation as in John 1:3
(see Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:2). The letter to Colossae was intended by Paul
for Laodicea also (Col. 4:16). He spoke of Christ as the agent of
creation, and this is probably the intent of the writer of Revelation.”

— The Nelson Study Bible states:

“…
the Beginning, meaning the ‘First Place’ or ‘The Ruler.’… The phrase
about creation has been interpreted by some to teach that Jesus is the
first being that God created. This is certainly not required by Greek
grammar, and is contrary to other biblical passages. Christ is
described in other passages of the New Testament as eternal (see John
1:1-1) and as being God Himself (see John 8:58; Phil. 2:6; Titus 2:13).
Revelation speaks of Him as the First and the Last, the Alpha and
Omega, the Beginning and the End. In fact, the Greek phrase in this
verse can be translated in a more active sense, so as to read, ‘the One
who begins the creation of God.'”

— The “New Bible Commentary: Revised” adds the following:

“…
the title ‘the beginning of God’s creation’ (better translated ‘the
principle’ or ‘source’ of creation) exalts Christ as Creator above the
proud but puny creatures that boast in their self-sufficiency.”

—
The Commentary of Jamiesson, Fausset and Brown agrees, pointing out:
“‘beginning of the creation of God’–not he whom God created first, but
as in Colossians 1:15-18… the Beginner of all creation, its
originating instrument. All creation would not be represented adoring
Him, if He were but one of themselves. He being the Creator is a strong
guarantee for His faithfulness as ‘the Witness and Amen.'”

The
foregoing has also been the established understanding of the Church of
God. In a letter from the Worldwide Church of God, dated January 1988,
it is stated: “The correct meaning of the phrase ‘the beginning of the
creation of God’ is the BEGINNER of all creation. It refers to ITS
ORIGINATING INSTRUMENT (see Colossians 1:15-17). Jesus is the Head and
Governor of all creatures; He is the King of creation… The Bible
tells us plainly that Jesus… had no beginning of days… He… was
the Creator of all things that were made… He was with the Father in
the beginning, and all things were made by Him… He has always
existed.”

In a number of Church of God publications, the eternal
nature of Christ was emphasized and has, historically, been the
understanding of the Church. In Herbert Armstrong’s article, “Is Jesus
God?” dated 1958, it is stated on page 1: “Therefore, Jesus who is and
was God, who has always existed (John 1:1-2) was actually made flesh
(v14).” The Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 13, “Who and What Is
God?” stated on page 5: “Christ, when He was ‘the Word,’ was an
immortal being who had always existed–there had never been a time when
He did not exist–He was literally without ‘beginning of days.'” And in
the booklet, “Why Humanity Cannot Solve Its Evils,” it is stated on
page 3: “In order of time sequence the first revelation of who and what
is God is found in John 1:1, ‘In the beginning was the Word.’ This
‘Word’ was a personage, eternally self-existent.”

In Revelation
22:13, Christ refers to himself as the “beginning [arche] and the end
[telos].” If “beginning” suggests that there was a time when Christ did
not exist, but that He came into existence as the first being of God’s
creation, does “end” indicate that there will be a point at which He
will no longer exist? That would be a ridiculous suggestion!

Based
on all the biblical evidence, we can dogmatically state that Jesus
Christ had NO beginning. Rather, He is the BEGINNER of God’s creation:
God the Father created everything through Jesus Christ, who existed
since all eternity. For more information, please read our free
booklets, “God is a Family” and “Jesus Christ–A Great Mystery.”

Lead Writer: Norbert Link

Eternal Death

On March 25, 2006, Dave Harris will give the sermon, titled, “Eternal Death.”

The services can be heard at www.cognetservices.org at 12:30 pm Pacific Time (which is 2:30 pm Central Time). Just click on Connect to Live Stream.

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