How do you think we have the book Of Corinthians 1:2 "To the church of God which is at Corinth , to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus , called to be saints ....." Does that really sound like a man-made situation.
Every church is made up of People -- just like you and me. Sinners who are saved by God's grace.
Or Ephesians or Collosians or Phillipians, etc. they are From - the result Of those missionary journeys of Pauls and Barnabas.
Well -- as long as it's People going to church , there are going to be problems of one sort or another -- sort of the result of being humans.
Yes, we Do have God's Word -- what Are we doing with it?!
Sue said:
How do you think we have the book Of Corinthians 1:2?
Simple; Paul had heard about all the problems The new converts where having in the "City of Corint". There was no guide lines on how to live the "New Christian faith" There was "No New Testament" writtings, They only had The "Old Testament" manuscript", which Jesus taught out of. So after Paul had heard about the problems He wrote a "epistle" addressing their problems and how they should conduct themselves in the "assembly" of "believers in Christ". He wrote one letter, Then on another Occassion, he had to write another, And as time went on when he wrote to one church he would alway say, or direct them to pass it on or make copies to pass to another city. And as the years went on, pretty soon, there was a collection of Letters [epistles] that we have called "books" of The New Testament a total "collection" of 27 books and '13 or 14' letters written by "Paul" for "The Body of Believers" the "Born of God" for This was His mission as well. "Jesus said: He is my chosen vessel". The early "body of Believers" only had the "Old Testament" writings. There was no "New Testament" Manuscript". They only had a few letters and as years went by it became a collection.
I think it was almost 400 years before we got the "Canon of Scriture"! The Books of the New Tesstament compile". Then "John Wycliffe" wrote the 1st english translation in 1300's There is a lot to be said about that translation. But not here.
I know the history of the New testament writings. in the New testament writings that make up the "New Testament" they are so far apart. 10 years apart 20 years apart, 40 years apart, 60 years apart, 90 years apart. There are over 2,000 "new testament writings, They had to be separated and eliminated. to created "The Canon of Holy Scripture" to arrived at the 27 books of "New Testament" that has been deem "without error".
When i got "saved' and filled with the "Holy Spirit" I did not trust no one especially "preachers and Deacons" and church people! And I wanted to know this "Bible" and every word in it. And How we Got it! And i got busy, The books back then where to expensives to buy. So i would go to the "Main Public Libraary" in the "Biblical Reference enclosed section" and got busy! I was not going to believe in a book, that I did not know how we got it. And after a while I found out, Just like "William Tyndale found out", and what "John Hus", John Knox, Martin Luther, John Calvin, all found out. And what a whole lot, had not found out!
And I love "The Word of GOD" with all of my mind, my soul, my strength and all that is in me!
I learned about the cities and the culture of Those cities at that time of the beginings of the "New Testament" era and the development of the movement as It travel alone "the road that The Romans had made" Called the "Roman Road"! and also the "Culture and the knowledge of how God had use "Alexander the Great" A Greek, at a early age of 20 set on the throne and by the age 30 created one the largest empire of the ancient world and instituted the :Greek" language! The Language of "The New Testament"!
So in saying this: I do understand, I did reseach in my mid-20's! before I went to "bible College", I trusted no body! especially concerning Religion and God knew it. I told him, "God if you are real you got to reveal yourself to me! For I trust no man! And He did! "Just like Paul on the Road to Damascus" I saw "HIM" with a crown of thorns around His head and bleeding, and He called me by my name! and said He died for me! "I saw Him, I heard Him, he called my Name! And then it Happen, "My heart crack open" "The Power of The Holy Ghost" burst into my soul" "I never been the same" and have told the story for over "43 years"! And the fire in my bosom is still aflame! Many has tried to put it out, both "christain and sinner"! But we know it cannot be put out! The Flame might seem to burn low sometime, then without notice! out of nowhere, "He lets us know, we are His"!
This message is not to dis-courage you but to encourage you! And must also take notice: "public school system was not available and not mandatory and most people could not read In "American". A type of School system did not start until maybe 1600's , And that was establish by "The Purtians" purpose was to learn how to read the Bible and the text book was the Bible and American "Independence" was not until the "late 1770"s". [and you had to own land before you could vote and you had to belong to a church. By saying this, in earlier periods" "How could they hear, without someone to tell them" they sure cannot read. And still even up into the early 20 century, there was still a lot of People that could not read. Many will say, today that many cannot read, I think a lot can read, but it is what they want to read and they sure do not want to read the "Bible" they just want the church to speak to them. And they chose which one they like according to what they want to hear!
In 1820 it is documented: that only 12% of the world wide world could read or write. They needed a proclaimer! But today as of 2015 only 14% of the world cannot read or write. The other 86% can read a "bible" if it is in their language.
Good News Translation
But how can they call to him for help if they have not believed? And how can they believe if they have not heard the message? And how can they hear if the message is not proclaimed? (Romans 14:12).
[ But how can they call on Jesus for help if they have not believed in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they not heard of Him or read about Him? And how can they know what the message is, unless someone proclaim it to them, about something they have never heard about, nor read about. The message has to be proclaim to them, and someone has to be sent to them to proclaim the message. ] The Greek word "Apostle" means:
An
apostle (
/əˈpɒsəl/), in its most literal sense, is an emissary, from
Greek ἀπόστολος (
apóstolos), literally "one who is sent off", from the
verb ἀποστέλλειν (
apostéllein), "to send off".
[1] The purpose of such sending off is usually to convey a message, and thus "messenger" is a common alternative translation; other common translations include "
ambassador" and "
envoy".
[1]
Do anyone remember the year we got paper to write on, and how expensive it was. Even "Papyrus" was not cheap and must ancient bibical people had to use a "Amanuensis" to write letters for them.
Sorry guys: you know I am kinda long winded. yes I do know why "letters' was written to the "New Testament" believers in "Cities". And must of the times in "secrecies". clear up into "the Reformation era and even into this day, you will lose your life by having a Bible or quoting "Holy Scripture" by a child or a adult.
