Comments by Joan Boney:
In the Old Testament, God set up men, and even a woman, to judge HIS people and to show them the way to go as they lived on this present earth.
Here is one of those judges set by God:
Judges 4 (Deborah: a judge over Israel)
2 And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.
3 And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
4 And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
5 And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in mount Ephraim: and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.
6 And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, Go and draw toward mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun?
7 And I will draw unto thee to the river Kishon Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude; and I will deliver him into thine hand.
8 And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go.
9 And she said, I will surely go with thee:
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The judges of Israel were selected by God. But after a season, the people of Israel demanded that they be given a king to rule over them as the other nations had.
God did not like this and God told them what their king would do to them but they insisted on having a king to rule, so God gave them a king.
The first king given was Saul. Then David, then Solomon, then many others served as kings. Some were godly but most proved to be evil in the sight of God.
Throughout the Old Testament the prophets, selected by God, carried judgments of God to the children of Israel. The people came to the prophets to inquire of God during the period of the Old Testament.
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The New Testament Church:
All those individuals who are born again by God are given the Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them in the New Testament church and this changes everything and sets up a different order in the New Testament church today.
I Corinthians 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
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The New Testament church is set up by Jesus from heaven, after HIS resurrection, as follows:
Ephesians 4:8;11-12 Wherefore HE saith, When HE (Jesus) ascended up on high, HE led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 11 And HE gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
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Paul was one of these New Testament apostles given to the church from heaven after Jesus arose.
Acts 9:1-9 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
5 And he said, Who art THOU, Lord?
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou ME?
5 And he said, Who art THOU, Lord?
And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do?
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt THOU have me to do?
And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
Paul tells more about that which Jesus said to him in the following scripture:
Acts 26
And HE said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 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:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 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;
16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;
17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,
18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in ME.
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Today there are still prophets in the NT church. We see several examples in the New Testament Bible of prophets working in the NT church after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. The people of God no longer have to come to a prophet to inquire of the Lord, but prophets are used by God to deliver messages to the people as God wills.
See Acts 11 and Acts 21 where Agabus a prophet comes the NT churches to do the work of God.
Also the apostle Paul took Silas, a NT prophet, with him on his ministry journeys.
And in the book of Acts, we see prophets speaking to the churches to confirm the Word of God to the NT church.
Acts 11:27 And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
Acts 15:32 And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed them.
Acts 15:40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God.
Acts 17:4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
I Corinthians 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
In the New Testament Bible, there are no such things as: pope, cardinals, archbishops, priests, vickers, ministers of music. No minister called himself "Reverend" in the Bible. Ministers in the NT Bible identified themselves as apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, teacher. They did not wear special garments as in the Old Testament.
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And in the NT church, we have elders/bishops (the same office), and other governments inside the church caring for the church: I Corinthians 12:27-28 (as follows)
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I Corinthians 12:27-28
27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
28 And God hath set some in the church (some are set to work in the church and care for the church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
28 And God hath set some in the church (some are set to work in the church and care for the church), first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
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Titus 1 (elders/bishops)
5 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:
6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.
7 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;
(elder and bishop are used interchangeably and are the same office in the church)
8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;
9 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.
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2 Timothy 3 (deacons)
9 Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
11 Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 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.
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Today there are many denominations of churches set up by men by their own will, bringing division to the body of Christ as Paul told us in I Corinthians 3.
I Corinthians 3 (Paul says)
2 I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?
4 For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?
(One says, "I'm Methodist." Another says, "I'm Baptist." dividing the body of Christ by their denominations.)
Ephesians 4
2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,
6 One God and Father of all, WHO is above all, and through all, and in you all.
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And there is the end time apostasy today in the church groups where they have fallen away from specific scripture and have set up their own church doctrines which are opposite from the doctrine of Christ in the Holy Bible.
The apostle Paul said this apostasy in the church where antichrist reigns in the churches had to happen before Jesus could return.
II Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
(In 1982, I was reading the above scripture and God explained to me: "The falling away are not people leaving the church groups. The falling away are the church groups leaving the scriptures.")
Paul said this would come in the end time churches:
Paul speaking to the elders of the church at Ephesus.
Acts 20:29-30 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
God will destroy the antichrist churches of the apostasy when Jesus returns.
II Thessalonians 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of HIS mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of HIS coming:
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