Dear friend,

I hope you have worked through the Complete Bible Study course and enjoyed it. Now with our heavenly Fathers' plan firmly understood you probably want to explore some of the important, conscience-affecting subjects that come up in our lives.

Let's repeat something, Truth has nothing to fear from open investigation. The Bible Course and these Study Units have been researched with a scientific approach to accuracy and honesty. 

This means that you and anybody else can repeat the same research from independent sources and get the same answers - this will reaffirm your conviction that it is truthful. You and your family should be able to easily and comfortably defend and explain to others what is truthful.

We live in the real world, with amazing scientific achievements. We have more information available than ever before and with new resources like AI, we can access that information quickly, simply be asking questions. Jesus said  " Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." - Matthew 7: 7

Some religious groups make very strong claims about their authority. 

But rather than accepting such claims at face value, it is wise and necessary to examine them carefully, using both historical facts and the clear teachings of the Bible - and agree with historical or scientifically proved facts.

That way, you can make fully informed decisions, and not be carried away by eloquent words or emotional appeals.

The apostle Paul wrote:

“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.”  - Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)

 Today, many churches and religious organizations claim to be God's appointed representatives, using titles like:

Priest of God, First Presidency, Governing Body, Faithful Slave, The Anointed Channel, Mother Church, Divine Messenger, Prophet, Watchman, Remnant Church, God’s Mouthpiece, Bishop

Whatever label they use, the objective is often the same: to insert themselves between you and Christ who is the true Head of his congregation, and thereby control your thinking, your loyalty, and often your resources.
The Bible strongly warns us: Beware!

🛡️ Biblical Contrast:

Jesus and the apostles emphasized humility:

“You are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven.” - Matthew 23:8–9

“The greatest among you will be your servant.” - Matthew 23:11

✅ Christians are to follow Christ alone as Head

"And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy." - Colossians 1:18

✅ We are all "brothers and sisters" under one Shepherd: Jesus

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."- John 10:16

So that we may consider some important areas that affect our worship we have completed studies of the scripture in the following areas:

Table of Contents

1. The Christian Identity
2. Building Up Your Family  
3. A Governing Body?
4. Evolution and the Bible
5. What Would Charles Darwin Say?
6. Carbon Dating & Bible Timeline
7. Human Population From Noah?
8. The Importance of Baptism
9. Should I leave My Religion?
10. Celebrating Christmas
11. What About Halloween?
12. Birthday Celebrations
13. The Crucifixion Today
14. A Proper View of Christian Elders
15. Disfellowshipping, Removing or Shunning
16. Being "No Part of this World"
17. Sharing the Good News
18. Lifestyle Choices
19. The Nicene Creed
20. Hell Fire and Purgatory

These study units help you to stay free from religious dogma and enjoy your freedom of conscience that God desires you to have.

Many people today feel frustrated or disappointed by religion. They may say:

“Yes, my church has problems, but where else would I go? Without it, I’d be lost.”

That’s a very human feeling — and it echoes something deeply powerful that the apostle Peter once said.

📖 Peter’s Words to Jesus

In John 6:68, after many of Jesus’ followers turned away, He asked the Twelve if they would leave too. Peter answered:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Notice what Peter didn’t say.
He didn’t say, “To which religious group shall we go?”
He didn’t say, “Which organization should we join?”

Peter’s focus was personal and direct: he knew that only Jesus had the truth that leads to eternal life, not any human organisation.

🌟 Why Jesus, Not Just Religion

Religious groups, no matter how well-meaning, are made up of imperfect human beings. They may help guide, teach, and encourage us, but they can also fall into:

• Pride or corruption
• Misinterpretation of Scripture
• Rule-making and control

When people put all their trust in the organization rather than in Jesus and God’s Word, they risk missing the point of true faith.

📖 The Bible: Our Reliable Guide

Psalm 119:105 says:

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.”

The Bible, God’s inspired Word, is our sure foundation.
It teaches us:

• Who God is.
• How much He loves us.
• How to follow Jesus personally, not just follow human leaders.

Even when religious systems falter, God’s Word never fails.

✅ Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever thought, “My religion isn’t perfect, but where else can I turn?”,  remember Peter’s answer:

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

Our ultimate loyalty is to our Father in heaven and to His appointed Head of the congregation Jesus Christ.
He is the one who saves, teaches, and leads us. And no matter what human groups may do or say, we have our heavenly Father's Word the Bible to trust and guide us.

The Complete Bible Study Course and these study units are available free of charge in 102 different languages from the dropdown selection box above. 

Please share with as many people as you feel will benefit.  

I encourage you to fact-check the subject yourself.

These days it is very easy to get well researched, independent information from AI platforms such as ChatGPT, DeepSeek, Claude as well as using Google and other search engines, Please use these fantastic new tools to check both historical facts and Biblical scriptures.

Be "Noble-minded" ... "Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true". - Acts 17:11

So, it is scriptural to look into things and question them. Even Jesus said: 

  "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you" - Matthew 7:7-8  

"This is what the LORD says, He who is your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the LORD your God, who teaches you to benefit, who leads you in the way you should go." - Isaiah 48:17

With brotherly affection,
John.

john (at) GodsGobalPlan.org

  Living Out the Christian Identity at Home

🌍 Families Under Stress in the Modern Age

From bustling cities to quiet rural towns, families today are feeling the strain. Whether it's the fast pace of life, economic uncertainty, or the growing influence of digital culture, being a parent can feel overwhelming.

Single parents are stretched thin. Couples juggle work, home life, and emotional health. Children and teens face pressures that no generation has experienced before, from social media comparison to rising rates of anxiety.

Yet, as we learned in the first part of this series, “The Christian Identity,” our faith isn't just for church meetings or quiet prayers, it’s meant to shape our daily lives. And that begins with the family.

The good news? With God’s wisdom and loving guidance, your home can be a place of peace, strength, and joy, a refuge from the chaotic world.

Let’s explore how.

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⚠️ The Toughest Challenges Parents Face Today

A global 2023 Pew Research study showed that over 40% of parents list mental health struggles, such as anxiety and depression, as their top fear for their children. This is closely followed by concerns about bullying, online safety, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy.

In many homes, there’s a quiet tension:

“Will my child be okay? Will I be enough?”

Parenting today also means navigating constant distractions, too much work, and a culture that often contradicts biblical values.

Here’s where the message of “The Christian Identity” becomes vital: Christian parents are called not to be perfect, but to walk in love, humility, and perseverance, qualities that build a foundation kids can stand on.

🔹 “The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them.” – Proverbs 20:7

Your consistency, even when you feel weak, teaches more than any lecture. And God’s strength is made perfect in your weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

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📱 Social Media and Tech

Guiding Your Family in the Digital World

Children today are digital natives, bought up with smart phones and social media, and videos showing everything!

Children need spiritual guidance to navigate this world wisely, and this is the God given responsibility of the parent, it can not be passed on to school, or any other person. God is also willing to give us strength and wisdom, we just need to ask for it. (Matthew 7:7)

Research shows that teens who spend more than 3 hours a day on social media are at higher risk for depression and anxiety. Add to that the power of influencers, peer comparison, online bullying, and inappropriate content, and the digital world can quickly become a spiritual battlefield.

🧠 Bible Principle: Guarding the mind

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” – Proverbs 4:23
“I will set no worthless thing before my eyes.” – Psalm 101:3

Parents can take steps:

• Discuss together and decide on healthy screen-time boundaries.
• Encourage open discussions about what kids are seeing online.
• Prioritize face-to-face connection within the family.
• Model wise tech use yourself.
• Set aside a time each week to go through the Complete Bible Course together.
• Build faith by reading discussing together each of these Deep Dive Units

God doesn’t call us to control everything, but He does call us to shepherd with wisdom.

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👨‍👧‍👦 Single Parents and Blended Families

Hope and Help for Every Family Structure

Not every family fits the “traditional” mould, and that’s okay. Whether you’re a single parent, co-parenting after divorce, or part of a blended family, God’s care for you is just as deep.

The Bible is filled with examples of people who thrived in less-than-ideal family settings and peace.

“A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families.” – Psalm 68:5–6

💡 If you’re parenting alone, take heart:

• You are not alone. Lean on spiritual community.
• Your love and effort are seen and honoured by God.
• With support and faith, your child can still flourish.
• Spend time with your kids helping them to learn God's ways.

And if you’re in a blended family, the key is building trust, patience, and love, just like Christ showed in the face of complicated relationships.

Remember from “The Christian Identity”:

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.” - Ephesians 4:32

That applies in the living room, too.

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⏳ Balancing Work, Life, and Family Time

Many parents feel torn, the need to provide financially often steals the time they wish they could spend with their children.

But the Bible invites us to rest, not just work.

“In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat, for he grants sleep to those he loves.” – Psalm 127:2

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” – Exodus 20:8

Balance is not about perfection. It's about intentionality:

• Create moments by sharing a deeper thought, a principle from scripture.
• Select at least one day for family rest, recreation and spiritual learning, discussion.
• Involve children in everyday tasks and faith habits - make life your classroom.

And when you're tired? Rest in this truth:

“Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.” – Psalm 127:3

You are not wasting time when you invest in your family, you are building something eternal.

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🧭 Instilling Values and Faith in a Shifting Culture

In a world where values shift like sand, Christian parents are called to plant their children on the Rock.

That’s especially vital when facing issues like:

• Bullying
• Sexual identity confusion
• Peer pressure
• Substance exposure
• Teen pregnancy fears

Start early. Stay consistent. Teach your children:

“Love the Lord your God… impress [His words] on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road…” – Deuteronomy 6:5–7

Be real. Be attentive. Show Jesus tender compassion:

• Ask your kids individually, privately what pressures they are facing.
• Ask them what they are worried about (ALL kids have some anxieties).
• Look out for signs of depression, such as bouts of anger, or withdrawal.
• Listen carefully, don't jump in or over-react. Stay calm, pray together.
• Do this a few times each year, not just once!
• Keep things confidential, or you will lose their trust.
• These are moments your kids will treasure and remember all their lives.

And remember, as we saw in “The Christian Identity”, it’s not about being perfect, but walking with Jesus, day by day.

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📖 Timeless Biblical Wisdom for Modern Parenting

As a parent, read and meditate on these scriptures:

🔹 “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
🔹 “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” – Ephesians 6:4
🔹 “Do not be anxious about anything... and the peace of God... will guard your hearts and minds.” – Philippians 4:6–7

In these verses we find:

• The call to be kind, not to pressure.
• The promise of peace for anxious parents.
• The hope that God’s Word, planted early, bears fruit.

And let’s not forget, God is our ultimate example of a loving Parent. His patience, kindness, and forgiveness model the spirit we aim for.

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🏡 Building a Strong Family on Faith and Love

Parenting in today’s world can be confusing, exhausting, even scary. But it can also be joyful, powerful, and deeply meaningful.

“Unless Jehovah builds the house, the builders labour in vain.” – Psalm 127:1

Your children need to have self confidence, in a humble and kind way.

• Remind your children that our heavenly Father, Jehovah and his exalted Son, Jesus loves them very much.
• Remind them of how valuable they are, how valuable others are.
• Help them to learn to be kind and generous to others.
• As a family discuss how and towards whom each one can be kind and generous.
• Discuss how you can share the Good News with others. ( see Sharing the Good News )
• Read through the articles in the Articles tab, see how you could adapt and share them.  

With God's spirit and by applying His principles, your family can stand strong, grow deep, and shine as a light in this world.

Let’s keep building, together. 🕊️💖

The resource:  Fellowship Group Starter Pack, contains additional  help for families.

Learning from Scripture and History: 

Did the early Christian congregation in Jerusalem act as a Central Authority or 'Governing Body' ?

To find the answer, we need to look closely at Acts chapter 15. We see a pivotal event that took place around 49 CE, about 16 years after Jesus’ resurrection.

📜 What Happened in Acts Chapter 15?

Please read the account for yourself in Acts 15 1-35, it's a very exciting read! 

Paul and Barnabas had been preaching to Gentiles (non-Jewish) in Antioch, Syria when some men from Judea arrived, teaching:

"Unless you are circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved." -  Acts 15:1 (NIV)

✅ Important to note: These men were not officially sent by the apostles in Jerusalem. (See Acts 15:24.)

✅ They were likely Jewish Christians still clinging to Mosaic traditions, but they did not represent the teaching of Christ’s apostles.

✉️ Paul's Response and the Trip to Jerusalem

This teaching caused sharp debate (Acts 15:2). Paul, Barnabas, and others were sent to consult the apostles and elders in Jerusalem.

But why Jerusalem?
Not because Jerusalem was a "headquarters," but because:

• The trouble originated from Judea (near Jerusalem),
• The original apostles (eyewitnesses of Jesus) lived there,
• It made practical sense to seek clarity from them 

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🏛️ What Happened at the Jerusalem Meeting?

• A meeting of apostles and elders gathered in about 49 AD
• Heated discussion took place (Acts 15:7).
• Peter testified about Cornelius’ conversion (Acts 10),
• Paul and Barnabas shared miracles among the Gentiles,
• James (Jesus’ brother) summarized based on Scripture and prophecy.

After reasoning together, the Spirit led them to conclude:

• Gentile Christians did not need circumcision.
• Salvation comes by grace through faith  in Jesus' ransom, not following the Mosaic Law.

A letter was sent to Gentile congregations (Acts 15:22–29), giving simple advice for unity:

• Avoid food sacrificed to idols,
• Avoid blood,
• Avoid meat from strangled animals,
• Avoid sexual immorality.

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🧠 Was This a Governing Body?

Notice at Acts 15:22 it clearly states that it was not just a decision of the apostles or the elders to send men with a letter, but the whole congregation (or 'church') made the decision.

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.  - Acts 15:: 22

The apostles and elders in Jerusalem did not form a centralized governing body. And in line with that neither Peter, James or Paul wrote anything to suggest such an arrangement of authority later on when they wrote their respective letters.

🛡️ Additional Proof: 

Paul’s Later Teachings (c. 55 AD)

About six years after the Acts 15 meeting, Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians during his third missionary journey.

Although the Acts 15 discussion was primarily about circumcision and whether Gentiles were obligated to keep the Mosaic Law in order to be saved, the letter from Jerusalem (Acts 15:28–29) had also included guidance for Gentile believers to abstain from food sacrificed to idols. 

This would preserve peace and unity between Jewish and Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians at that time because there were tensions.

Later, in 1 Corinthians 8 and 1 Corinthians 10, Paul revisited the subject of food offered to idols offering deeper spirit-led reasoning. He showed that:

• An idol is nothing as it has no real existence (1 Corinthians 8:4).
• Eating food that had once been offered to an idol was not sinful in itself.
• However, Christians were urged to be sensitive to the consciences of others, choosing to abstain if it might cause someone else to stumble (1 Corinthians 8:9; 10:28).

Paul emphasized:

"Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience." - 1 Corinthians 10:25

✅ This shows that the Acts 15 letter was not establishing rigid, everlasting law codes for Christians. Rather, it offered spirit-led advice, timely for the needs of that moment, especially to maintain unity between Jewish and Gentile believers.

✅ If the Acts 15 letter from Jerusalem had created absolute, binding laws, Paul could not have taught only a few years later, such flexibility based on love, conscience, and local circumstances . In fact Paul did not even see the need to consult with elders in Jerusalem again.

Thus, early Christian guidance was not following centralised control, but was, conscience-respecting love and always under Christ, the true Head of the congregation.

📘 The Apostles Didn't Mention a Governing Body

If there were an official, centralized authority in Jerusalem, we would expect clear instruction about submitting to it in the letters written by the apostles James, Peter, John, and Paul. But we see no such direction.

In fact:

• Paul, writing under inspiration, speaks of Christ as the Head of each congregation and household (Eph. 5:23).
• Peter exhorts elders to shepherd God’s flock willingly, not under compulsion or dominion (1 Pet. 5:1–3).
• John urges believers (individuals) to “test the spirits,” not to rely on a centralized human structure (1 John 4:1).
• James, writing from Jerusalem, encourages personal faith and obedience, not submission to a body of elders.

✅ No apostle ever points Christians to look to Jerusalem for ongoing rulings.
✅ The tone of all letters is to build personal accountability, faith, and connection to our Father through Christ

📖 Jesus' Instructions in Revelation

When Jesus gave John the Revelation in about 95 AD, some 45 years after the meeting in Jerusalem, he was concerned about the congregations. 

Jesus gave clear messages: 

• Seven distinct congregations with individual messages (Revelation 2–3),
• Each responsible for its own obedience and endurance,
• With no mention of a central governing authority in Jerusalem or anywhere else.

✅ If Christ wanted a global governing body, Revelation was the perfect time to explain the need and to make it clear that Christians should follow that authority, but he does not do so, he specifies personal responsibility. 

And remember, the time period covered by Revelation is from 95 AD right up to the 1000 year reign and beyond. And no mention of any additional "Channel" or "Organisation" representing Jesus.

Instead, He says:

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the congregations.” - Revelation 2:7

Each Christian is answerable directly to Christ, not to any council of men.

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🧭 Final Takeaway: Jesus Christ Is the Only Head

✅ The True leader of all Christians is Jesus - he does not use an organisation. (Ephesians 5:23).
✅ No governing body replaced or represents Him.

🚨 A Loving Warning

Any modern group claiming exclusive authority over Christians is imitating the very hierarchy Jesus warned against:

“You are all brothers… The greatest among you must be your servant.” - Matthew 23:8–11

“Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth…” - Acts 20:30

“Do not believe every spirit… many false prophets have gone out…” - 1 John 4:1

We should also remember the stern warning from our heavenly Father given through Jeremiah:

🦴 Evolution vs.  Bible - What Do the Facts Really Show?

We often hear that evolution is a proven fact, it is taught in schools, displayed in museums, and documentaries talk as if it is the  unquestionable explanation for how life developed on Earth. At the same time, the Bible presents a very different picture: God created distinct “kinds” of life fully formed, with humans made specially in His image.

So, who’s right? They can not both be true, more importantly, what does the actual evidence show?

Let’s take a closer, honest look at the facts, particularly the fossil record, and see which explanation fits better.

📜 What Does the Bible Teach?

The Bible’s creation account (Genesis 1) teaches:

• God created life by design, not by random processes.
• Different kinds of animals and plants were created separately - not evolved from one another.
• Humans were made uniquely in God’s image, distinct from animals.
• Life appeared suddenly and fully formed, not gradually over millions of years.

This is sometimes called the creation model or intelligent design perspective.

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🧬 What Does Evolution Teach?

The theory of evolution claims:

• Life began from simple molecules in a “primordial soup.”
• Over billions of years, small changes (mutations + natural selection) led to the rise of complex creatures.
• All living things, including humans, share a common ancestor.
• The fossil record should show many transitional forms linking different species.

This is sometimes called macroevolution, i.e. large-scale changes over long time spans.

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🦖 What Does the Fossil Record Actually Show?

Here’s where it gets fascinating.

1️⃣ Sudden Appearance (Cambrian Explosion)

• The Cambrian Explosion refers to the sudden appearance of dozens of complex life forms (like trilobites, shellfish, and worms) in the fossil record, without clear ancestors in earlier layers.
• Even famous evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould called this a serious challenge to gradual evolutionary models.

✅ Fits the Bible’s model: sudden, fully formed kinds.
❌ Doesn’t fit gradual evolution.

2️⃣ Stasis (Staying the Same)

• Most species appear in the fossil record and then stay the same (showing little to no change) for millions of years before disappearing.
• Horseshoe crabs, ferns, and coelacanth fish look almost identical today to their ancient fossils.

✅ Matches creation: species reproduce “according to their kinds.”
❌ Challenges evolution: little evidence of ongoing transformation.

3️⃣ Missing Transitional Forms

• Evolution predicts many gradual, in-between fossils (like half-fish, half-amphibian; half-dinosaur, half-bird).
• Yet the fossil record shows big jumps, not smooth transitions.
• Even the few examples evolutionists point to (like Archaeopteryx or Tiktaalik) are hotly debated and incomplete.

✅ Supports creation: distinct, separate kinds.
❌ Weakens evolution’s predictions.

4️⃣ Catastrophic Burial, Not Slow Layers

• Many fossils are found in massive, mixed graveyards with land and sea creatures jumbled together.
• Fossils often show rapid burial (like fish mid-meal or dinosaur fossils with soft tissue).

✅ Fits a global catastrophe (like Noah’s Flood) described in Genesis.
❌ Doesn’t fit slow, gradual sediment buildup over ages.

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🧠 So Which Model Fits the Facts Best?

When you look at the actual evidence  rather than assumptions or interpretations, the fossil record points much more strongly to:

• Sudden appearance
• Long-term stability
• Separate kinds
• Rapid, large-scale burial

In other words, the evidence lines up much better with the Bible’s account of special creation and a global Flood than it does with unguided, gradual change taught by evolution model.

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✅ We Must Conclude

Believing in creation is fully supported by scientific facts:

• The natural world reflects intelligent design.
• Life’s complexity points to a wise Creator, not random chance.
• The fossil record confirms what Scripture has said all along.

🔬 So Is Evolution Really a Scientific Theory?

We often hear it called the Theory of Evolution, which makes it sound like it holds the same scientific weight as, say, the Theory of Gravity or the Theory of Relativity. But is that really accurate?

📖 What Is a Scientific Theory?

In science, a theory is not just a guess or an idea.

A scientific theory is:

• A well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world.
• Based on a body of evidence.
• Repeatedly tested through experiments and observations.
• Able to make falsifiable predictions (meaning, predictions that could be proven wrong).

Examples include:

• The Germ Theory of Disease.
• The Theory of Gravity.
• The Atomic Theory.

These theories are supported by repeatable, observable data and help scientists make accurate predictions.

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🧬 What About the Theory of Evolution?

Evolutionary theory and particularly macroevolution, claims that:

• All life shares a common ancestor.
• Species change gradually over time through natural selection and mutations.
• New complex features arise by undirected, step-by-step processes.

Here’s the issue: many key aspects of this theory are not directly observable, testable, or repeatable.

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🚫 Where Evolution Fails as a Scientific Theory

1️⃣ Unobservable Origins

• No one has ever observed life arise from non-life (abiogenesis).
• No one has seen one kind of creature (say, a reptile) gradually turn into another (like a bird).
• What we see today is variation within kinds, but never across kinds.

2️⃣ Fossil Record Gaps

• A true scientific theory should explain the fossil record smoothly.
• Instead, the fossil record shows:
  • Sudden appearance of fully formed species (Cambrian Explosion).
  • Long-term stasis (species staying the same).
  • Lack of clear transitional forms.

These facts don’t support the gradual change that evolution predicts.

3️⃣ No Sufficient Mechanism

• Natural selection preserves traits, but it doesn’t create new genetic information.
• Mutations are usually harmful or neutral, not constructive.  
• Complex biological systems (like the bacterial flagellum or the eye) require all parts working together. This is something random changes can not produce. 

🏛️ Why Is It Still Called a Theory, Then?

Mainly because:

• It’s the dominant model accepted by the scientific establishment.
• It fits within a naturalistic worldview (explaining everything without appealing to God or design).
• It has historical momentum (Darwin’s ideas have been taught and reinforced for over 150 years).

But being widely accepted doesn’t necessarily make a theory correct.

So, we musk ask ....

📚Why Do Schools Teach Evolution as Fact?

If the fossil record shows sudden appearance, missing transitional forms, and stability of species, all things that fit the Bible’s creation account better, you might wonder:

Why do schools around the world teach evolution as the established, unquestionable fact of how life came about?

This is a really important question, and it’s worth exploring carefully. The answer isn’t as simple as “everyone’s lying” — but it does reveal a lot about worldview, education, and how science is defined today.

🧪 What Is Taught in Schools?

In most science classrooms, especially in publicly funded schools in the UK, US, and Europe, students are taught:

• Life arose naturally over billions of years.
• All living things evolved from a common ancestor.
• Humans are the product of unguided evolutionary processes, not special creation.
• Alternative views (like creation or intelligent design) are usually excluded from science lessons.

Evolution is presented as the best and only scientific explanation for life’s origins and often called a “fact,” not just a theory.

🔍 Why Is Evolution Given This Status?

Let’s break it down.

1️⃣ Evolution Fits a Naturalistic Worldview

Modern science is built on methodological naturalism the idea that:

Only natural causes can be considered when explaining the natural world.

This doesn’t necessarily mean scientists are atheists, but it means they deliberately exclude supernatural explanations. In other words thay exclude God by default, even if all the facts support it. 

Because creation or intelligent design points to a Designer (God), it’s labelled as “religion” or “philosophy,” not “science.”
That leaves evolution as the only allowed explanation in science classrooms.

2️⃣ Legal and Educational Restrictions

In countries like the UK and US, laws separate religion from state-run schools.

• Teaching creation or intelligent design in science classes is seen as introducing religion.
• Government policies often explicitly ban creationism from science lessons.

So even if teachers or students personally believe in God or intelligent design, they are often prohibited from bringing those ideas into the science classroom.

3️⃣ Scientific Consensus and Tradition

For over 150 years (since Darwin), the scientific establishment has accepted evolution as the default model.

• Textbooks, universities, research funding, and science organizations all reinforce this framework.
• Many teachers simply pass on what they were taught, without questioning or examining alternative interpretations.

This creates a self-reinforcing system where students hear only one side, making it seem like there’s no legitimate alternative.

4️⃣ Misunderstanding of Evidence

Many teachers and students don’t know that:

• The fossil record has serious gaps.
• There’s no direct evidence for life arising from non-life (abiogenesis).
• Complex systems (like DNA, the eye, or the cell) defy explanation by random mutations alone.

Because these weaknesses are rarely taught, students come away believing that evolution is a proven fact, when in reality, it’s a theory with many assumptions.

Most teachers, scientists, and educators are not intentionally deceiving students.
But they are often working within a system that:

• Restricts what can be taught
• Excludes supernatural explanations by default
• Presents only one interpretation of the evidence

So even if it’s not a conscious lie, students aren’t getting the full picture.

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✅ What Can We Do?

As individuals, parents, students, and thinkers, we can:

• Encourage critical thinking: Ensure that we and young ones understand what evolution claims and where its gaps are.
• Teach the biblical perspective at home and in groups, discuss and reinforce what the evidence shows, how it supports God’s design.
• Explore resources from Christian scientists to fully understand the fossil record, biology, and Earth history from a truthful worldview.

Remember: Truth can stand up to honest questioning.
Our goal isn’t to attack science, it’s to seek truth wherever it leads.

Charles Darwin is one of the most famous names in science, he is the man behind the theory of evolution. But if Darwin were alive today, would he be satisfied with how his ideas have developed? Would he feel proud that schools across the Western world teach evolution as fact?

Let’s explore who Darwin was, what he expected, and what he might think if he could see today’s scientific landscape.

👤 Who Was Charles Darwin?

Charles Darwin (1809–1882) was:

• A British naturalist and careful observer of nature.
• Raised in a religious home but gradually became agnostic, especially after personal tragedies like the death of his daughter Annie.
• A man of curiosity, caution, and honesty — not a fiery opponent of religion or a crusader against belief in God.

His most famous work, On the Origin of Species (1859), introduced the idea that species evolved over time by natural selection.

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🧪 What Did Darwin Expect from Future Science?

Darwin knew his theory wasn’t complete.
In fact, he admitted several weaknesses, especially regarding the fossil record.

In his own words:

“Why, if species have descended from other species by insensibly fine gradations, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms?”

He hoped:

• That over time, more fossil evidence would be uncovered to show these missing links.
• That future science would fill the gaps in his theory.

Darwin was cautiously optimistic, not blindly confident. He presented his work as a theory, open to challenge and refinement.

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🦴 What Has Science Found Since Darwin’s Time?

If Darwin lived today, he would see:

• Over 160 years of fossil discoveries — yet the expected transitional fossils are still extremely rare or missing.
• The Cambrian Explosion, a sudden appearance of complex life with no clear evolutionary ancestors.
• Genetic discoveries revealing incredible cellular complexity, including systems (like DNA replication and molecular machines) that Darwin could never have imagined.
• Recognition that mutations and natural selection struggle to explain the rise of brand-new biological features.

In short:

Much of the modern evidence has deepened the challenges Darwin’s theory faces.

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🎓 Would Darwin Be Happy with How His Theory Is Taught Today?

Probably not.

Darwin was a careful thinker, aware of his theory’s tentative nature. He would likely be concerned that:

• Schools teach evolution as unquestionable fact, not as a theory open to scientific challenge.
• Alternative views, such as intelligent design or special creation, are dismissed or banned from science classrooms.
• His own warnings and humility have been replaced by dogmatic certainty.

Darwin might say,

“I never meant for my theory to be the final word, I hoped it would stand up to honest testing, not become a one-sided dogma.”

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✅ Final Thoughts

Charles Darwin was not a man of blind confidence; he was thoughtful, cautious, and open to where the evidence might lead.

If he were alive today, he might:

• Welcome honest debate and the inclusion of alternative explanations.
• Be surprised or uneasy that his theory is presented as settled fact.
• Encourage scientists and students alike to keep questioning and testing, rather than simply accepting.

Truth has nothing to fear from open investigation.
That’s something both scientists and believers can agree on.

Is there Really Any Conflict?

Many people wonder:

If the Bible suggests humans have only been around for about 6,000 years, how does that fit with science, especially when carbon dating says some human remains are tens of thousands of years old or more?

At first glance, it seems like there is a conflict. But when we look deeper, especially at what the Bible says about the Earth’s atmosphere before the flood in Genesis, we start to see a fascinating picture that is in harmony with the scientific facts.

📜 What Does the Bible Say About Human History?

The Bible’s genealogies, particularly in Genesis, trace human history back about 6,000 years.

• Adam and Eve were created directly by God.
• From Adam to Noah, humans lived long lives (hundreds of years).
• After the Flood, human history continued through Noah’s family.

So, according to a plain reading of Scripture, humans have been on Earth for about six millennia, not tens of thousands or millions of years.

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🧪 What Does Carbon-14 Dating Say?

Carbon-14 (or C-14) dating is a scientific method used to estimate the age of once-living materials (like bones or wood) by measuring the amount of radioactive carbon left in them.

Here’s how it works:

• Cosmic rays, high-energy particles mainly from outside our solar system , from sources like supernovae, exploding stars, or other energetic galactic events.  constantly strike the Earth’s upper atmosphere.
• These cosmic rays enter the earth's atmosphere and collide with nitrogen atoms (N-14), turning some into radioactive carbon-14 (C-14).
• Living things absorb C-14 through air and food.
• When they die, they stop absorbing C-14, and the existing C-14 starts to decay.
• By measuring how much C-14 remains, scientists estimate how long ago the organism died.

Using today’s atmospheric conditions, this method often produces dates that are shows fossilised remains of plants, animals and humans tens of thousands of years old, (eg 10,000 - 100,000 years), much older than the Bible’s timeline.. However this assumes the atmosphere has always been the same.

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🌫️ But What Was the Atmosphere Like Before the Flood?

This is where things get interesting!

The Bible describes a very different pre-Flood world:

• Genesis 1:6–8 speaks of “waters above the firmament,” a dense water vapor canopy surrounding the Earth.
• Genesis 2:5–6 says there was no rain, only a mist that watered the ground.
• Genesis 7:11 describes the collapse of this water canopy during the Flood (“the windows of heaven were opened”).

Modern studies (like air trapped in amber) suggest that:

• The atmosphere may have had higher oxygen levels (30–35% vs. today’s 21%).
• Air pressure may have been greater.
• The Earth’s surface was more shielded from cosmic rays by the dense water canopy.

Why does that matter?

---

🌟 How Would This Affect Carbon Dating?

C-14 formation depends on cosmic rays hitting nitrogen in the air that plants and animals use.
If a dense canopy or thicker atmosphere shielded Earth:

• Far fewer cosmic rays would have reached the upper atmosphere.
• Much less C-14 would have been formed.
• Pre-Flood plants, animals, and humans would have absorbed far less C-14 during their lives.
• When measured today, their remains would appear to have very little C-14 left, making them seem much older than they really are.

In short:

Without adjusting for the pre-Flood atmosphere, carbon dating overestimates the age of ancient remains.

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🧩 Bringing It All Together

• The Bible gives a clear historical framework: ~6,000 years of human history.
• Carbon dating seems to give older ages — if you assume today’s conditions have always existed.
• But if you factor in the dramatically different pre-Flood atmosphere the Bible describes, the apparent conflict begins to dissolve.

So, rather than seeing science and Scripture as locked in battle, we can understand that:

Accurate scientific interpretation requires knowing the correct starting conditions — and the Bible gives us valuable insight into Earth’s past.

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✅ Final Thoughts

Faith in God and science are not enemies.
When we look carefully at both the biblical record and the physical evidence, we can see how they actually align more closely than most people realize.

This is about honestly exploring all the information.

🧮 Can We Really Get to 8 Billion People? 

Some people wonder:

If the Bible says all people today descended from Noah’s family after the Flood (about 4,500 years ago), is it really possible to reach today’s global population of over 8 billion people?

At first glance, that might seem like an impossible leap, going from just three couples (Noah’s sons and their wives) to billions. But when we break it down with simple math, we find it’s not just possible, it’s actually quite reasonable.

Let’s explore!

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📜 What Does the Bible Say?

According to Genesis 7:13, only eight people survived the Flood:

• Noah and his wife.
• Their three sons (Shem, Ham, Japheth) and their wives.

From this small family, the post-Flood human population began to rebuild and spread across the earth (Genesis 9:1, Genesis 10).

The Flood likely occurred about 4,500 years ago (based on biblical chronology), giving us that much time to reach today’s numbers.

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🧮 Let’s Do the Math

We can estimate whether this population growth is realistic using a basic population formula:

$$P=P_0\times (1+r{)}^t$$

Where:

• $P$ = final population (today’s ~8 billion)
• $P_0$​ = starting population (Noah’s three couples: 6 people of childbearing age)
• $r$ = average annual growth rate
• $t$ = time in years (about 4,500 years)

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🔍 What Growth Rate Do We Need?

Let’s solve for $r$:

$$r = \left(\frac{P}{P_0}\right)^{1/t} - 1$$

Plugging in:

• $P=8,000,000,000$
• $P_0=6$
• $t = 4,500$
  

We get:

$$r = \left(\frac{8,000,000,000}{6}\right)^{1/4500} - 1 \approx 0.00489 \text{ or } 0.489\% \text{ annual growth}$$r=(68,000,000,000​)1/4500−1≈0.00489 

or 0.489% annual growth

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✅ Is 0.49% Growth Rate Realistic?

Yes, very much so!

For comparison:

• The modern global growth rate (especially in the 20th century) was about 1–2% per year.
• The required biblical growth rate (about 0.5%) is less than half that.

Even accounting for wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters, this modest average growth rate is entirely reasonable over a span of 4,500 years.

So, even without any biblical “bonuses,” the math comfortably works.

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🌿 Bonus: Long Lifespans and Large Families

According to Genesis, the early post-Flood generations lived very long lives:

• Shem lived 600 years (Genesis 11:10–11).
• Noah’s descendants likely had many children over long reproductive spans.

This would have accelerated early population growth even more, giving humanity a strong initial boost.

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✅ But Even Without This Bonus, It Still Works

Even if we leave out the effects of long lifespans and assume:

• Normal human lifespans (70–90 years)
• Modest family sizes
• Natural events like wars and disease

the math still supports the Bible’s account.

A steady, modest average growth rate is all it takes to expand from 6 people to 8 billion today.

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🧠 Why Do Some People Doubt This?

Many people assume:

• Populations grow very slowly.
• Ancient people faced constant high mortality.
• Only modern medicine allowed large population booms.

But history shows that:

• Even under challenging conditions, populations double steadily.
• From just 1800 to today, the global population grew from 1 billion to over 8 billion — in just 200 years!

With 4,500 years to work with, even slow, steady growth is enough.

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✅ Final Thoughts

The Bible’s account of human history which starts fresh from Noah’s family after the Flood is mathematically sound.

We don’t need exaggerated assumptions or miraculous growth spurts.
Even with modest, natural growth rates, the human family could easily multiply over 4,500 years to become today’s global population.

💧 Baptism and Christ’s Role in the Christian Congregation 

Baptism is a deeply meaningful step in the life of any Christian. But what did Jesus and the apostles actually teach about baptism? Should a religious organization or church have the authority to require baptism into their system as proof of loyalty to God? 

And most importantly, who truly is the Head of the Christian congregation? Let’s explore what the Bible says. 

 Baptism Is Into Christ, Not a Human Organisation

The Bible never teaches that baptism is into a denomination, church, or organization. Instead, the emphasis is always on being united with Jesus Christ: “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.” - Galatians 3:27

 “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” - Romans 6:3 

These verses highlight that baptism connects us to Christ himself, not to an earthly group. 

If a church claims that baptism is only valid if done under their specific authority, that’s not only "adding to Scripture" see Revelation 22:18, but potentially usurping Christ’s exclusive role as Saviour and Head. 

👑 Who Is the Head of the Christian Congregation? 

As we have already seen earlier, the Bible is clear on this point: “And he [Christ] is the head of the body, the church.” - Colossians 1:18  and “Christ is the head of the congregation, his body, of which he is the Saviour.” - Ephesians 5:23. 

No human organization, no matter how well-structured or sincere, has the right to place itself between Jesus and his followers. 

Christ alone is the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). To claim authority over baptism, or to request individuals only get  baptised by recognising that an organisation is God's channel is to risk blaspheming the role of Christ and resisting the Holy Spirit -John 16:13. 

🌿 What Is Baptism According to the Bible?

Baptism is a public declaration of personal faith,
a symbol of repentance, forgiveness, and union with Christ.

Since it is a public action, it should be witnessed by a few people.

Jesus commanded:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
- Matthew 28:19

The apostle Peter urged:

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”  - Acts 2:38

✅ Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It is
a believer’s personal step of dedication to God.
It’s not a ritual controlled by institutions.

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🙋 Who Should Get Baptized?

According to Scripture:
✅ Those who believe the gospel (Mark 16:16),
✅ Those who repent of sin (Acts 2:38),
✅ Those who freely choose to follow Christ (Acts 8:12–13).

We see this pattern over and over:

• Acts 8 — the Ethiopian eunuch, baptized after understanding and believing.
• Acts 10 — Cornelius and his household, baptized after receiving the Spirit.
• Acts 16 — Lydia and the Philippian jailer, baptized after professing faith.

❗ Nowhere does the Bible show:

• Infant baptism,
• Forced baptism,
• Baptism done without conscious faith.

Jesus commanded :

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⏳ When Should Someone Get Baptized?

✅ As soon as  someone understands the Bible, believes it, repents of their previous sins, and have made a dedication to Jehovah in prayer to follow His appointed king to Jesus Christ, they are ready for baptism.

There’s no scriptural requirement to complete long classes, reach a certain age, or prove loyalty to a church system or any human organisation.

Acts 8:36 shows the Ethiopian eunuch saying,

“Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?”
And Philip baptized him immediately.

Baptism is not the final stage of spiritual maturity;
it’s the starting point of a life following Jesus.

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🔄 Is Re-Baptism Required?

The Bible teaches that:
✅ Baptism is valid if it was done as a personal act of faith and repentance,
✅ Not based on which group or church performed it.

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”
- Galatians 3:27

If you made a conscious dedication to God and were baptized into Christ, even if another church performed it, then you do not need re-baptism just to join another group.

However, if your first baptism was:

• As an infant (without faith),
• Forced or ritualistic (without personal repentance),
• Into a non-Christian belief system,

✅ then being baptized as a conscious believer may be appropriate.

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💧 Who Should Do the Baptizing?

The Bible gives no special priesthood or exclusive authority over baptism.
✅ Any mature believer can baptize another.

John the Baptist baptized,
Philip baptized the Ethiopian,
Peter baptized Cornelius’s household, none were part of a rigid hierarchy.

✅ Baptism belongs to Christ, not to an institutional gatekeeper.

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🌊 Full Immersion or Sprinkling?

Biblical baptism (Greek: baptizō) means:
✅ To immerse, dip, or submerge.

The examples in Scripture show:

• Jesus coming up out of the water (Mark 1:10),
• The Ethiopian and Philip going down into the water (Acts 8:38–39).

Sprinkling or pouring water arose later in church history but has no scriptural basis.

✅ Full immersion symbolizes:

• Death to the old self (Romans 6:4),
• Burial with Christ (Colossians 2:12),
• Rising to new life (Romans 6:5).

A bath at home, or a pool in a garden or a lake or in the sea are all appropriate.

✨ In Summary

✅ Baptism is a personal act of faith,
✅ Uniting a believer to Christ,
✅ Done by immersion,
✅ Without human-imposed barriers or conditions,
✅ Under Christ’s headship, not an organisation's control.

Baptism is not:

• Joining a denomination,
• A stamp of approval by an organization,
• A ritual into human hierarchy. 

📖 Key Scriptures to Reflect On: 

Matthew 28:19 Acts 2:38 Romans 6:3 Galatians 3:27 Colossians 1:18 1 Corinthians 1:13 Ephesians 5:23 1 Timothy 2:5 John 16:13 Mark 7:8  

We are all learners, walking toward clearer light.

One of the most important and personal questions a sincere believer can ask is:

"Should I stay associated with the religion I am currently part of?"

Let’s reason on this together is a kind, careful, and biblical way and with a heart focused on pure worship and loyalty to God.

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🌿 Jesus' Call to Purity of Worship

True worship has always mattered deeply to God and His Son.

Jesus said:

"God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." - John 4:24 (ESV)

✅ Worship is not just about sincerity, it must also be in truth.

If a religion teaches things that contradict God’s Word such as: praying to anyone except the Father, teach hell fire, communicating with the dead, other false doctrines, human traditions, claiming authority, or even adopting worldly attitudes like racial prejudice, then its worship is not pure or clean from God's standpoint, no matter how outwardly "good" it may seem.

God shows no favouritism.
He does not elevate one race, nation, or people above another.

"God shows no partiality but accepts from every nation the one who fears Him and does what is right." - Acts 10:34–35

✅ Any religion that promotes nationalism, racial superiority, hatred, or division is not reflecting the spirit of Christ.

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:35

🚨 Jesus' Warning About "Babylon the Great"

In Revelation, God issues a clear command:

"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins or receive any of her plagues." - Revelation 18:4 (NIV)

✅ "Babylon the Great" represents the worldwide system of false religion. 
These false religions mix truth with error, promote immorality, support political parties and mislead people away from God's will with false teachings.

✅ Babylon the Great is full of violence, injustice, corruption, and hypocrisy including religious groups that have been historically involved in bloodshed, racial hatred, or political manipulations.

✅ The full judgment on Babylon will happen during the Great Tribulation
but Jesus lovingly warns his people in advance, so they can get out and not share in responsibility and blood guilt.

✅ Even now, staying inside a corrupt religious system can carry real dangers:

• Sharing in its bloodguilt if it teaches harmful dogma
• Compromising our loyalty to God's Kingdom
• Damaging others by promoting or defending falsehoods 

Which religions make up Babylon the Great?  Let's think about this .... At the time Revelation was written - 95AD, none of the worlds major religions even existed (except for Judaism)  !! And more religions or denominations may yet appear before the end comes. 

📖 Leaving Final Judgment to Christ

When it comes to identifying exactly which religions today make up "Babylon the Great," the Bible encourages humility. It’s not our job to point fingers or declare who is “in” or “out.” Jesus himself warned:

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven… I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness!’” - Matthew 7:21–23 (NKJV)

✅ Final judgment belongs to Christ, not to us.
✅ Our role is to personally make sure we are not entangled in falsehood, hypocrisy, or human traditions that lead us away from God's will.

The book of Revelation offers clear, loving advice:

“Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” - Revelation 18:4 

And the apostle Paul gave an important principle for daily life:

“Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’” - 2 Corinthians 6:17 

✨ Key Point:
Rather than judging others, the real question is:
Is my own worship clean, sincere, and guided by scripture?
Am I avoiding religious practices that distort God's truth, glorify humans, or mix pagan customs with Christian faith?

⚡Serious Issues Requiring Deep Thought

Leaving a religious group isn't just about feeling uncomfortable, sometimes it's about protecting life itself:

⚖️ Bloodguilt Concerns

What if my religious organisation:

• Usurps Jesus' role by claiming to be God's only Channel?
• Coerces it's members to treat life as less than sacred based on incorrect reasoning?
• Encourages members to join in wars and kill others?

✅ If a group imposes such deadly burdens, it risks bloodguilt
and if we knowingly remain part of it, we may share in that guilt before God.

"Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter." - Proverbs 24:11

⚖️ Unscriptural Rules Leading to Harm

What if my religious organisation uses it's power to:

• Promote an intolerant attitude towards certain races?
• Makes up arbitrary rules about types of work, education, or medical issues that can later cause financial hardship or even death? 

Jesus condemned religious leaders who "tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people's shoulders..." - Matthew 23:4

⚡ Key Thought:
Would Jesus, our compassionate King, want people harmed or killed because of human reasonings falsely labelled as God's will?

Even before the final judgment on religions by Jesus, leaving an unclean religious system can protect our heart, our conscience, and our worship, therefore allowing us to walk more closely with Christ now.

🧠 What About My Friends and Family?

Leaving a religion is a not an easy decision. 

We may have many friends and family in a religion, how will they react?  How will I fill that void?

We will be concerned about how others will react, and that's natural. Our heavenly Father knows this and is reasonable, he can see our heart condition.

Our heavenly father knows that it may take some time to make sure of things, and some time to plan how to make the change. Jehovah is a reasonable God, full of compassion and understanding. Many people go through a stage of P.I.M.O. (Physically In, Mentally Out) before making the final break. They go to meetings, greet people, while having doubts. If you are in a difficult situation, this PIMO stage can be helpful to recognise.

The PIMO stage gives you a chance to step back and examine things without the disruption and emotional turmoil that can come when you leave a group or organisation.  It gives you time to pray, prepare your mind and build support for yourself.

Although useful, the PIMO stage should not be prolonged. It is only a temporary phase from which you need to move on from. Staying in the PIMO stage may feel comfortable, but in reality, it is 'pretending'. The PIMO stage is not an honest way to continue life. So recognise it and use it to prepare, building your love and trust in God and Jesus. Remember it is God's spirit that will give you the strength to move forward.

For support - see the "Fellowship Groups" tab above.

Only by our courageous actions can we help those we love to also see the errors. Our decision must always be motivated by:

• Love for God and Christ,
• A desire for pure worship,
• A conscience trained by Scripture,
• Compassion for others who might be misled,
• A heart longing to serve others in truth, justice, and love.

Jesus said:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do."
— John 14:12 (ESV)

✅ Our goal is to mirror Christ’s works by
being kind, teaching the Good News, comforting, helping others in practical ways, sharing material gifts.. We should not to support teachings that divide, harm, or mislead.

✨ Balanced Biblical Principles to Consider

📖 Walk in Light, Love, and Truth

We are not called to judge others still inside religious organisations.
We are called to:

✅ Listen carefully to the Shepherd’s voice,
✅ Love truth more than tradition,
✅ Stand clean before God,
✅ Extend kindness and patience to others,
✅ Stay focused on Christ, not human organizations.

Jesus is still calling today:

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." - John 10:27 (NIV)

🌿 Let’s walk humbly, listen carefully, and act courageously moving ever closer to the pure, shining Kingdom of God. 

 🎄 Should Christians Celebrate Christmas?  

Dear friend,
If you're someone who is trying their best to follow Christ sincerely, it's natural to ask:

“Should I celebrate Christmas?”

After all, it's one of the most popular holidays in the world, often said to be “all about Jesus.”

Every December, millions of Christians worldwide gather to celebrate Christmas. It's a season full of joy, tradition, family, and reflection on the birth of Jesus Christ. 

Yet, amid the festive lights, decorated trees, and bustling shopping malls, it’s worth pausing to ask: 

Should Christians celebrate Christmas?  Let's have a balanced look at this subject.

Where did this holiday really come from?

Is it truly rooted in scripture, or is it something different?

What would Jesus Christ, now exalted in heavenly glory, want from his followers today?

This detailed study invites thoughtful Christians to dig deeper into the Bible, into history, and into our consciences. We'll explore:

• The real origins of Christmas traditions,
• What Scripture says (and doesn’t say) about celebrating Christ’s birth,
• Biblical principles about worship and tradition,
• Whether Christmas today serves God's purposes or distracts from them,
• And ultimately, how each believer can honour Christ in spirit and truth.

By the end, you will be equipped to prayerfully examine your own convictions and make a biblically informed, conscience-based decision.

📜 The Historical Roots of Christmas

First, a few facts that historians, scholars, and even many churches today openly admit:

• December 25th was not Jesus' birthday.
   In fact, biblical evidence strongly suggests Jesus was not born in winter. Luke 2:8 notes that shepherds were "living out in the fields" at night when Jesus was born. In December’s chilly Judean nights, shepherds would not typically be outdoors, but rather sheltering their flocks.  
• The Bible does not record the exact date of Jesus’ birth. This alone suggests that it wasn't meant to be celebrated.
• Christmas as a festival did not exist for the first three centuries after Christ.
  It was introduced after Christianity was corrupted and merged with the Roman Empire’s state religion around the 4th century AD.

So how did December 25 become Christmas Day?

The answer lies in Roman history.
In ancient Rome, the period around December 17–23 was dedicated to Saturnalia, a raucous festival honouring Saturn, the god of agriculture. It involved feasting, gift-giving, candles, and public merrymaking. December 25 also coincided with the festival of Sol Invictus ("the Unconquered Sun"), established in 274 A.D. by Emperor Aurelian, celebrating the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice.

In the fourth century, when Christianity became more accepted under Emperor Constantine, church leaders strategically chose December 25 to commemorate Christ’s birth. This move aimed to reclaim the popular pagan festivals and offer a Christian alternative.

The early followers of Christ placed immense emphasis on Jesus’ death and resurrection, not on his birth. In fact, for the first 300 years of Christianity, there was no Christmas celebration.

Moreover, the biblical culture itself regarded birthdays with suspicion. In scripture, the only birthday celebrations mentioned are those of pagan rulers - Pharaoh (Genesis 40:20) and Herod (Mark 6:21) and both were connected to unpleasant or tragic events.

But this is because the Jewish people did not celebrate birthdays at that time. If they had of done, probably there would be good things mentioned in the Bible on those days as well. The Bible does not appear to pass judgement on birthday celebrations, so let's keep in mind what apostle Paul wrote :  “…that you may learn by us not to go beyond what is written….” - 1 Corinthians 4:6

So, Christmas originated centuries after the Bible was written, as a man-made religious observance, based on pragmatic strategy to attract more pagan people to the church and boost membership.

Over centuries, numerous traditions became associated with Christmas. Some had noble intentions even though they may have originated from pagan customs.

Gift-Giving

Today’s gift-giving tradition is often linked to the Magi bringing gifts to the young Jesus (Matthew 2:11). However, gift exchanges in December predate Christianity, being central to Saturnalia festivities. 

Even the figure of St. Nicholas a 4th-century bishop known for secret generosity, contributed to this custom, eventually evolving into the modern-day Santa Claus. 

Of course, anyone displaying Christian qualities of love and generosity will be happy to give gifts at any time of the year, December 25th is okay but probably best not just focus it on pagan dates for  giving gifts. 

Christmas Trees

Decorating with evergreens which are symbols of life amid winter’s death was common in pre-Christian Europe. Pagans revered trees as mystical symbols during solstice festivals. Christians later adapted the evergreen as a symbol of eternal life in Christ. The modern Christmas tree tradition began among German Lutherans in the 16th century and spread globally by the 19th century.

Let's not forget that God created all things, and they give glory to him. 

Nativity Scenes

The first Nativity scene was staged by St. Francis of Assisi in 1223 to teach the humble birth of Christ. While biblically inspired, such displays often combine the shepherds and the Magi who actually arrived years apart. So, it's usually not completely accurate - but it does bring to mind a very important event.

Other practices

Carol singing, feasting, mistletoe, all have roots in ancient winter celebrations and folk practices. Although many traditions have origins that are mainly pagan, they have been given Christian meanings over time.

Biblical Principles

Since the Bible does not say anything against celebrating Christmas, some argue it’s acceptable by default. However, this argument overlooks an important truth:

🔹 Christmas, as a holiday did not exist when the Bible was written.
🔹 Therefore, it could not have been judged good or bad.

Instead, Christians must apply biblical principles to evaluate it:

Avoid Blending True Worship with Pagan Customs

"You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way." - Deuteronomy 12:29-31

"What fellowship has light with darkness?" - 2 Corinthians 6:14-17

God consistently warns His people not to adopt or adapt pagan religious practices, even with good intentions.

Beware of Man-Made Religious Traditions

Paul warned the Galatians against observing man-invented special days that could dilute pure devotion to Christ.

Focus on Christ’s Kingdom and Commands

Jesus emphasized preaching the Kingdom (Matthew 24:14), remembering his death (Luke 22:19), and living obedient, faithful lives.

Christ commands his followers to remember his death,  resurrection, and his present exalted position as Risen King and Conquering Lord - (Revelation 19:11-16). So if you are doing this, then you need to ask yourself if also remembering Christ's birth is wrong or not? 

📖 What About Paul’s Words on "Special Days"?

Some point to Romans 14:5 where Paul said:

"One person considers one day more sacred than another; another considers every day alike. Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind."

Context matters.
Paul was speaking to Jewish Christians who still observed some Old Covenant feasts (like Passover) or chose special days for fasting.
He wasn’t talking about adopting man-made traditions.

More importantly, Paul also warned:

"You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you." — Galatians 4:10-11

Paul was deeply concerned when Christians began to rely on religious rituals and traditions instead of focusing on faith in Christ and pure worship.

🛡️ Could Christmas Be a Satanic Distraction?

  🎃 Should Christians Celebrate Halloween?

Dear brothers and sisters,

Halloween is one of the most popular and controversial holidays in modern culture. Every year on October 31, children dress up as superheroes or ghosts and go door-to-door for candy. Many Christians, probably yourself included, wonder: Should we be part of this celebration? 

Within the Christian community and even among those of other faiths opinions vary widely. Some view Halloween as innocent fun and a chance for community connection, whereas others see it as a dark occasion with potential spiritual dangers. 

This article takes a balanced look at Halloween’s history, cultural evolution, and relevant biblical principles to help families make an informed decision. 

We will explore where Halloween comes from, how its customs developed, what spiritual concerns it raises, and how biblical values like spiritual purity, conscience, and Christian freedom apply. 

In the end, each reader is encouraged to reflect prayerfully on their own convictions, their relationship with God, and how to wisely guide their children in light of these insights.  

Historical Origins of Halloween 

Halloween’s origins trace back over two millennia to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced “sow-in”). The Celts, who lived in  Ireland, the UK, and northern France, marked November 1 as their new year, symbolizing the end of the harvest and the start of the dark winter. 

The night before Samhain, October 31, was believed to be a liminal time when the boundary between the living and the dead blurred. According to Celtic tradition, on Samhain night the ghosts of the departed roamed the earth. People would light bonfires and wear disguises made of animal skins to ward off or confuse these wandering spirits. 

They also offered sacrifices of crops and animals to Celtic deities, hoping to protect themselves during the coming winter. This annual festival was essentially a recognition of the cycle of life and death at the turning of the season.    

In the first few centuries A.D., as Christianity spread into Celtic lands, the Church encountered these pagan customs and responded in a strategic way. Instead of outright banning the beloved festival, Christian leaders gradually merged and reinterpreted it. By the 7th–9th centuries, the Church established All Saints’ Day (also called All Hallows’ Day) on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, as times to honour the saints and pray for all the faithful departed .

All Souls’ Day in 1000 A.D. was celebrated in similar fashion to Samhain,  with big bonfires, parades, and people dressing up as saints, angels, or even devils. The Church essentially Christianized the festival: the term “All Hallows’ Eve” arose for the night before All Saints’ (with “hallow” meaning holy or saintly), and eventually this came to be pronounced "Halloween" 

So, Halloween as we know it began as a blending of an ancient Celtic day of the dead with medieval Christian holy days.  

The Evolution of Halloween

Over the centuries, many of the common customs associated with Halloween emerged from a mix of pagan folklore, Christian practices, and later American innovations. Understanding the origins of costumes, trick-or-treating, jack-o’-lanterns and other traditions can shed light on what meanings they carry.

The Celtics believed that if they wandered outside on the ghost-plagued night, wearing a mask or costume, that would fool roaming spirits into thinking you were one of them, so they would leave you alone.  So ironically, what began as a pagan attempt to hide from ghosts was later used in Christian contexts to remember saint! Today’s Halloween costumes run the gamut from scary to silly, but the underlying concept of “dressing up” came from these historical pagan practices of concealment and role-playing in the face of imagined spirits.

Trick or Treat

On All Souls’ Day (November 2), it was customary in parts of England and Ireland for the poor to go “souling,” visiting homes to beg for “soul cakes” (small pastries) in exchange for praying for the family’s departed loved ones. Another influence was the Celtic belief on Samhain that ghosts or mischievous spirits demanded placating so families might leave out food to appease the spirits m so they wouldn’t play tricks 

Pumpkin Lanterns

The term “jack-o’-lantern” comes from an Irish folktale about “Stingy Jack,” a legendary trickster who twice duped the Devil and was cursed to wander the earth after death.   Irish immigrants brought this custom to America in the 1800s, where the native pumpkin was larger and easier to carve than root vegetables.  Pumpkins soon became the canvas of choice and an integral part of Halloween festivities.

Commercialism  

From the mid-20th century to today, Halloween’s popularity has only grown – not just with children, but with adults who now participate in costume parties, horror movie events, and elaborate home decorating. In fact, Halloween has seen a surge of commercialization: Americans spent about $7 billion on Halloween in 2015, and that figure has climbed to over $10–11 billion by the mid-2020s  

📖 Christian Freedom

The Bible teaches that Christians are called to walk carefully, even in matters where they have freedom.
Paul wrote:

“All things are lawful, but not all things are beneficial.” - 1 Corinthians 10:23)

✅ Just because something is allowed doesn’t mean it is wise or edifying.
We must always ask:

• Does this glorify God? 
• Is it beneficial for my relationship with our Father and for others?

Halloween might be culturally acceptable but Christians are called to live differently if something is not spiritually helpful.

🚫 Purity and Avoiding Darkness

The Bible is very clear:
God’s people must have nothing to do with the occult or demonic influences.

Please read the following scriptures:

🎯 Key Point: Christians are instructed to separate from anything that glorifies spiritual darkness, even if done playfully or symbolically.

Halloween's traditional links to witchcraft, spirits, and fear lead many believers to opt out entirely.

🧠 Discernment: What Are We Celebrating?

Philippians 4:8 commands Christians to focus on what is:

“true, honourable, just, pure, lovely, commendable.”

🔎 Each believer must honestly evaluate:

• Is my participation pure and loving? 💡
• Does it honour Christ’s victory over death and evil? ✝️
• Does it send a mixed or confusing message? 🎭

Even “cute” portrayals of ghosts, witches, and monsters can feel inconsistent with a life dedicated to purity and truth.

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👹 Glorification of Evil and Fear

Halloween is a season where society openly glorifies:

• Horror, Death, Fear, Grotesque violence.

People decorate their homes with:

• Tombstones, Skeletons, Demons, Gore-filled scenes.

👶 Protecting the Hearts of Children

Children are impressionable and Halloween’s darker elements can impact them in ways adults sometimes underestimate.

Parenting Concerns:

• Confusion between real evil and "harmless" fun.
• Nightmares and fear triggered by scary decorations or costumes.
• Spiritual inconsistency - "Why are we pretending evil is fun if we believe it’s bad?".

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Christian parents must weigh:

• Will participating help or harm my child’s growing faith? 🌱
• Will it shape their understanding of good and evil correctly? 🎯

The Bible urges believers to guard their minds:

“I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.” - Psalm 101:3

🛡️ Teaching Discernment

Choosing not to celebrate Halloween doesn’t have to be about legalism or fear.
It can be an opportunity to teach discernment:

• Talk to kids about what is real and what honours God.
• Guide them gently through the choices about costumes and activities.
• Encourage them to seek what is pure and turn away from what is spiritually unhealthy.

🔎 For example:

• 👻 A funny ghost costume? Maybe explain, “We pretend for fun, but we don’t really believe in magic or ghosts.”
• 😈 A demon costume? Probably not because we don’t celebrate or imitate evil.

Ephesians 5:8 reminds us:

“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light.”

🤝 Dealing with Peer Pressure

Kids may feel left out when "everyone else" is celebrating.
Christian parents can address this wisely:

• Provide wholesome alternatives like family walks in the countryside or games evenings at home.
• Emphasize that it’s okay to be different when following Jesus. 
• Help children learn how to kindly and confidently explain their family’s choice.

Teaching them to stand firm in faith without judgment or pride builds lifelong spiritual strength! 💪

🌟 Walking as Children of Light

Not every Christian will make the same decision about Halloween.
But for many thoughtful believers, the reasons for not participating include:

• 🛡️ Honouring holiness and purity,
• 🔥 Avoiding any flirtation with evil or the occult,
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Protecting the hearts and minds of their children,
• 🌟 Reflecting the light, love, and hope of Christ.

🎃 Participate, Abstain, or Alternative?

Christian Approaches to Halloween

After considering the history, biblical principles, and spiritual concerns, thoughtful Christians usually find themselves choosing one of three approaches to Halloween:

🚫 1. Complete Abstinence

Some believers decide to sit out Halloween entirely.
They keep their lights off, skip costumes and candy, and treat October 31 like any other night. Their conviction is rooted in verses like:

“Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” - Ephesians 5:11

For these Christians, participating even a little would feel like compromising their faith.
Instead, they simply enjoy quiet family time.

✅ If this is your conviction, it’s a valid choice but important to remain humble.
Abstain unto the Lord, and graciously explain your decision if neighbours ask.
Remember: Christian freedom includes allowing others room to follow their conscience differently (Romans 14:5).

🎭 2. Cautious Participation

Many Christians choose a middle ground:
They allow limited, carefully defined participation, setting up boundaries to avoid glorifying darkness.

This might include:

• 🎉 Dressing in positive costumes (princesses, animals, firefighters),
• 🍬 Trick-or-treating early and avoiding houses with scary decorations,
• 🛡️ Steering clear of haunted houses and horror films.

They aim to enjoy the community fun while standing as lights for Christ.

✅ This approach follows the wisdom of being "in the world but not of it" (John 17:15–16), and reflects Paul’s counsel to live a life worthy of the gospel, even while engaging with culture carefully.

✨ 3. Alternative Celebration 

Some believers go further, they seek to transform Halloween into an opportunity for witnessing and celebration.

Creative alternatives include:

• 🍁 Harvest Festivals or “Hallelujah Nights” (safe, faith-centred events),
• 📜 Handing out candy along with Bible tracts at home,
• ☕ Hospitality stations offering cocoa and smiles to neighbourhood families,
• 🛡️ Dressing kids as biblical heroes or saints, using the evening to teach about faith.

Rather than hiding, they shine the light of Christ when their neighbours literally come to their doorstep.
Many pastors encourage this as a practical way to live out Philippians 4:8, focusing on what is true, noble, and pure.

✅ It's a chance to overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21), turning a dark night into an opportunity for gospel warmth. I must say it requires courage but it certainly builds faith!

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🎯 Final Reflection

Whichever approach you choose, abstain, participate cautiously, or replace, the key is that you do it:

• With thoughtfulness 🧠,
• With a clean conscience ✝️,
• With a heart eager to glorify God ❤️.

Simply "going along with the crowd" without considering God’s will is not the way for believers (Proverbs 3:6).
But neither is acting out of fear or peer pressure.

✅ The goal is to act in faith and wisdom, remembering that faithful Christians may reach different conclusions and that's okay.
✅ Let’s aim to honour Christ in every decision, showing love, grace, and light to a world that needs Him. 

Romans 14:5 encourages:

"Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind."

🎂 What Does the Bible Say About Birthdays?

📘 Direct Mentions in the Bible

There are only two birthday celebrations mentioned explicitly in Scripture and neither involves faithful worshippers of God:

1. Pharaoh’s Birthday

Genesis 40:20-22 (NIV)

“Now the third day was Pharaoh’s birthday, and he gave a feast for all his officials. He lifted up the heads of the chief cupbearer and the chief baker in the presence of his officials: He restored the chief cupbearer to his position... but he impaled the chief baker.”

This is a non-Jewish celebration . The event involved the death of a servant, and there's no indication of any reverence for God.

2. Herod’s Birthday

Matthew 14:6-10

“On Herod’s birthday the daughter of Herodias danced for the guests and pleased Herod so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. Prompted by her mother, she said, ‘Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptist.’”

🟡 Observation: Herod’s birthday led to the execution of John the Baptist, one of God’s greatest prophets. Again, this birthday is tied to worldly excess and moral corruption.

🔍 Bible Principles to Consider

While birthday celebrations themselves are not forbidden, the Bible gives us principles that help us decide what is spiritually healthy and pleasing to God.

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1. Avoid Pride and Self-Exaltation

Proverbs 16:18

“Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.”

Romans 12:3

“Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment...”

🟢 Application: Many birthday traditions centre around exalting the self, receiving praise, gifts, and attention. This can promote pride or entitlement which are qualities the Bible warns against. A God-honouring life should focus on humility and giving glory to Him.

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2. Glorify God in All You Do

1 Corinthians 10:31

“So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

🟢 Application: If a Christian chooses to acknowledge their birthday, it should be a time to thank God for life, not elevate the self. Celebrations should reflect values like gratitude, modesty, and generosity.

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3. Stay Separate from Worldly Customs

2 Corinthians 6:17

“Therefore, ‘Come out from them and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.’”

🟢 Application: Many birthday customs today have pagan or superstitious origins (e.g., candles representing magical wishes, astrology-based celebrations, etc.). While not all elements are wrong, we are encouraged to examine where traditions come from and whether they align with God’s principles.

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4. Live Each Day for God

Psalm 90:12

“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

🟢 Application: Every day, not just one, is an opportunity to grow closer to God. Instead of focusing only on “my special day,” we’re encouraged to use our time wisely, with eternity in view.

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5. Don’t Judge Others’ Conscience-Based Choices

Romans 14:5-6 (NLT)

“In the same way, some think one day is more holy than another day, while others think every day is alike. You should each be fully convinced that whichever day you choose is acceptable.”

🟢 Application: If someone chooses not to celebrate birthdays for spiritual reasons, that should be respected. Likewise, if another chooses to mark the day with humility and gratitude to God, that too is a matter of personal conscience.

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🤔 So, Should Christians Celebrate Birthdays?

Here are key questions to ask:

• Am I glorifying God in this celebration?
• Is this promoting pride or humility?
• Are pagan or superstitious elements involved?
• Am I focusing on gratitude for life or on self-centred enjoyment?
• Will this stumble others or be spiritually beneficial?

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✅ A Balanced, God-Honouring Approach

If a Christian chooses to observe a birthday, here are some spiritually beneficial ways:

🔹 Reflect on your spiritual growth and renew your dedication to God.
🔹 Thank God for His guidance, mercy, and provision.
🔹 Share a Bible verse or spiritual insight with loved ones.
🔹 Use the occasion to serve others (e.g., a day of giving, encouraging others).
🔹 Avoid worldly excess or prideful displays.

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📌 Final Thought

“The days of our lives are seventy years… yet their boast is only labour and sorrow.” – Psalm 90:10
“So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” – Psalm 90:12

In the end, how we live every day matters more than how we celebrate one day.

🌿Your Fellowship Group

• As you learn the truths from the bible you may desire to meet with others.
• We have a listing of Local Fellowship Groups.
• We also offer help in starting one - see the tab "Fellowship Groups"

For list of Local Fellowship Groups email me your town, state, country to

localgroups (at) GodsGlobalPlan.org

  ✝️ Did Jesus Die on a Cross or a Stake?

Dear friend,

For many of you this may be a silly question with an obvious answer.

However there are many non-Christians and certain Christian groups that have been convinced that a cross was not used despite ample historical evidence exists. So we will first clear this up before moving on to how the cross could or should be used.

📜 The Word "Stauros"

The New Testament, written in Greek, says Jesus was executed on a stauros.

Originally, in classical Greek (many centuries BC), stauros meant a simple upright stake like a sharpened pole.

However, by the time of the 1st century AD, when Jesus lived, the Greek word stauros had broadened in meaning. It was commonly used to describe the Roman method of execution which was a stake plus a crossbeam (patibulum).

✅ Bible-era Greek writers used stauros to describe both simple stakes and two-beam crosses.
✅ The New Testament writers, living under Roman rule, reflected the common Roman usage.

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🏛️ Roman Execution Methods

History and archaeology give us valuable insights into how the Romans executed criminals:

• Two-part structures were standard:
  • A vertical post (stipes) was usually already standing at the execution site.
  • Victims typically carried only the crossbeam (patibulum) to the location.
• The crossbeam was then attached to the upright post, forming a T or † shaped structure.

🧱 Archaeological Evidence:

• The remains of a crucified man named Yehohanan were found in a 1st-century Jerusalem tomb. His bones showed evidence of nails through the wrists and feet, consistent with being fastened to a cross-like structure.
• Roman writers like Cicero, Seneca, and Josephus also describe crucifixions involving a crossbeam.

✅ The Roman practice at the time of Jesus matches the idea of a cross far more than a simple upright pole.

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📖 Biblical Clues About Jesus' Crucifixion

Several details in the Bible make more sense if a crossbeam was involved:

• Carrying the "stauros":
  Jesus is said to have carried his "stauros" (John 19:17).
  Roman practice suggests he carried the crossbeam, not a whole tree trunk.
• Placement of the Inscription:
  The sign stating "Jesus the King of the Jews" was placed "above his head" (Matthew 27:37).
  If Jesus had been on a simple upright stake, the sign would logically have been above his hands, not his head, unless there was a crossbeam used so that the sign would be above his head - as stated in the Bible.

✅ These details match a crossbeam structure more naturally.

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🧠 Where Did the "Stake" Idea Come From?

Some groups argue for a simple stake because of the early Greek meaning of stauros.

However:

• Language changes over time. By the 1st century, stauros often meant what Romans used: a stake with a crossbeam.
• Early church writers like Justin Martyr (2nd century) compared the cross to a "T" shape — suggesting they understood it was not a plain pole.

✅ Focusing only on the earliest meaning of stauros ignores how the word was used in Jesus' day.

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🕊️ Stake or Cross - Does It Matter?

Ultimately, the Bible never commands Christians to worship the cross, or even to focus on its shape.

What matters most is what happened on that wooden structure, not its precise shape.

Paul emphasized:

"We preach Christ crucified." - 1 Corinthians 1:23 (NIV)

Many today focus too much on the instrument of death instead of the loving sacrifice that Jesus made for us.

In fact, arguing or dividing over the exact shape is dangerous distraction, something Paul warned against:

"Avoid foolish controversies... because these are unprofitable and useless." - Titus 3:9 (NIV)

📖 Using the Cross as a Symbol?

Jesus Christ most likely died on a cross of some shape, but what ever shape it was, consider ...
But should the cross now be used on church buildings, jewelry, artwork, or as a Christian symbol?
What would Jesus, now exalted as King, want us to focus on?

Let’s reason this through with Scripture, history, and conscience.

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What the Bible Says About Symbols

Throughout scripture, God has repeatedly warned His people about mixing worship with man-made symbols:

“You must not make for yourself an image in the form of anything...”  - Exodus 20:4–5

“Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” - 1 John 5:21

✅ God's people were called to worship Him in spirit and truth, not by attaching special power or meaning to objects.

While memorials (like the Passover) were commanded in specific cases, the Bible never commands the use of physical symbols like the cross in worship. 

Consider the account of when Aaron helped make an image of a bull calf out of gold and the people included it in their worship to God. Please read about the event at Mount Sinai at Exodus 32:  1-10, it's a very revealing account and shows our Father, Jehovah's feelings. 

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⚔️Was the Cross a Symbol of Triumph?

The Roman cross (whether T-shaped, stake-shaped, or otherwise) was a horrific instrument of torture and death.

It was designed to humiliate, prolong agony, and publicly shame the victim.

To the early Christians, the focus was not on the method of Jesus' death, but on the meaning of his faithful obedience and resurrection:

“We preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” - 1 Corinthians 1:23

✅ Paul acknowledged that Christ’s execution method was shameful in the world's eyes, but the emphasis was on Jesus himself, not the wooden structure.

🧠 To Illustrate:

Imagine if someone you loved was unjustly executed in a brutal way, for example, by the electric chair. Would you wear a little model of an  electric chair around your neck? Or have a large image of it on the wall? 

No, of course not! It would feel very wrong, disrespectful, missing the point of their loving personality.  

In the same way, you may agree, it is Jesus' death, resurrection and exaltation that deserve focus, not the gruesome instrument that was used against him.

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📖 Jesus’ Current Glory

Jesus is no longer the suffering man on a cross.
He is now:

• Exalted to the right hand of God (Acts 2:33)
• Given a name above every other name (Philippians 2:9–11)
• Crowned King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16)

✅ Jesus today is a ruling King, a conqueror of death, a judge of nations not a passive figure on a torture device.

If he were to choose a symbol today, would he choose the weapon that Satan’s system used to try to destroy him? Or would he direct our focus to his living power, his resurrection, and his reign?

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📜 The Early Christians

Historical fact:
There is no evidence that the very earliest Christians used the cross as a symbol.

• The cross did not become a prominent Christian symbol until about 300 years later, after Christianity became entangled with Roman imperial politics.
• Many historians note that as Christianity mixed with Roman and pagan traditions, the cross (already a pagan symbol in some cultures) was adopted for convenience and political purposes not because Jesus commanded it or would have approved of it.
• All the scriptures and history of his early followers point against using such a symbol.

📜 Did Early Christians Use a Symbol?

Yes, they did! , however, not in any form of worship.

The fish symbol (🐟), also known as the Ichthys has deep roots in early Christian history.  

The Ichthys (Greek: ἰχθύς, meaning "fish") became a well-known secret symbol used by early Christians.

Each Greek letter in the word ΙΧΘΥΣ (Ichthys) stands for:

Iēsous – Jesus
CHristos – Christ
THeou – of God
Yios – Son
Sōtēr – Savior

📝 Full phrase: “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour.”

🐟 Why Did Early Christians Use a Fish?

1. Secrecy and Safety:
   During Roman persecution (1st–3rd century), believers used the fish as a quiet way to identify each other, it was drawn in the dirt or carved on walls or tombs.
2. Symbolic of Discipleship:
   Jesus called his disciples to be "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19), making the fish a metaphor for spreading the good news.
3. Miracles and Teaching:
   Jesus fed the multitudes with fish and bread (Matthew 14), and fish often appear in his parables and miracles, like the coin in the fish’s mouth (Matthew 17:27).
4. Baptism and Water Imagery:
   As fish live in water, it echoed baptism and spiritual rebirth through water (John 3:5; Romans 6:4).

The Symbols Today

Widespread Christian symbol
The fish symbol, like the cross is quite widespread, it is seen on cars, jewelry, shirts, many use it: Protestants, Catholics, Orthodox, Evangelicals, Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and independent Christians. Although most prefer to use the cross and some use both.  

Other symbols are also used:

☧ Chi-Rho

Jesus Christ (Greek abbreviation) and adopted by Constantine

🕊️ Dove

Holy Spirit, peace

🔥 Fire

Pentecost, Holy Spirit

⚓ Anchor

Hope, perseverance

🐑 Lamb

Jesus' sacrifice

🦁 Lion

Jesus as the Lion of Judah

🌿 Palm Branch

Victory, eternal life, martyrdom

🕯️ Candle

Light of Christ, truth (Pagan links)

Α – Ω

Christ: beginning and end

🐚 Shell

Baptism

🐦 Pelican

Sacrificial love of Christ

📜 Scroll/Bible

Word of God

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🕊️ What Should Guide Us?

Paul gives us wise principles:

• “Flee from idolatry.” - 1 Corinthians 10:14
• “Walk by faith, not by sight.” - 2 Corinthians 5:7

✅ Our faith should not need a visible symbol.
✅ Our loyalty should be to the risen, ruling Christ.
✅ Our hearts should be marked not by outward objects, but by transformed lives.

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🌿 Reflection Questions:

• Am I honouring Jesus’ death and resurrection in how I represent my faith?
• Could the use of a symbol like the cross or fish distract from the living Jesus ruling today?
• How can I focus more on Jesus’ teachings, example, and living presence instead of external signs?
• Do I want an external symbol to "lump" me together with others who may not live the faith?

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✨ Final Thought:

Jesus said:

"God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the spirit and in truth." - John 4:24

If you find it difficult to equate Christian living without the cross, please pray about this subject so that you may make an honest decision. It may take some time to adjust, that's okay. Read through all the scriptures quoted above and check the accuracy yourself by using a search engine or AI research tool. 

Keeping our worship clean, simple, truthful and full of living faith, not tied to man-made symbols of which Jesus almost certainly does not approve.

Remember, this is for our personal decision. We should not be judging others or making rules for others to follow. Kindness and love should be shown to all - and especially those worshipping with us.

🌿Your Fellowship Group

• As you learn the truths from the bible you may desire to meet with others.
• We have a listing of Local Fellowship Groups.
• We also offer help in starting one - see the tab "Fellowship Groups"

For list of Local Fellowship Groups email me your town, state, country to

localgroups (at) GodsGlobalPlan.org

 Dear friend,

When we picture “elders” in a modern religious setting, we might think of official titles, authority, and hierarchical control, even a judging role. But the picture given in the Bible is very different, and it's refreshingly simple.

Let’s explore what the Bible says about elders in early Christian gatherings, their purpose, how they were recognized, and how we can apply this understanding today.

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📜 What Does “Elder” Mean in the Bible?

The Greek word most commonly used is presbuteros, meaning an older or mature one, and episkopos, meaning an overseer or caring guardian.

At the time of Jesus, the expression "older man" was used to describe someone respected in the community, known for their maturity, reliability, and spiritual steadiness who was willing to help others when needed.

In early Christian gatherings, "older men" or elders were likewise recognised by these same qualities, they were in fact servants who supported the group and helped others grow spiritually.

🧠 The Role of Elders: Servants, Not Masters

Jesus clearly said:

“You are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers... The greatest among you will be your servant.” - Matthew 23:8, 11 (NIV)

✅ Elders were not meant to be “in charge.”
✅ They were to serve as examples of love, patience, and faith.

The apostle Peter echoed this:

“Be shepherds of God’s flock… not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.” - 1 Peter 5:2–3

So, a true elder is someone you trust - not because of a badge or title given to him, but because they quietly show the character of Christ and are willing to help.

📖 Elders in the Early Church

In the early congregations, they met in homes (likely between 5–30 people), elders were recognised gradually.

Early on the apostle Paul helped a congregation recognize and commend mature ones (Acts 14:23).
Later he wrote in the letters to Timothy and Titus so that congregations would be clear about the qualities that mature men should be showing.

“If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task…” - 1 Timothy 3:1

✅ That person needed to already be showing spiritual fruitage, not seeking a position.

🧩 Qualifications

Please read:  1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:5–9.
What do you notice?

It’s not about knowledge or authority. It’s about:

• Being gentle, not violent
• Being faithful in family life
• Being not greedy or proud
• Being self-controlled, patient, kind

These are qualities that the person should already be showing naturally out of love. Also, there's no record of early Christians “voting” on elders or giving them status. That's because they were simply recognized by their qualities and love for others.

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🏡 What About Today?

In your local fellowship group, you may begin with just a few friends reading the Bible together.
There’s no need to look for "older men" immediately.

But over time, you may notice some individuals who:

• Encourage others consistently
• Remain humble, calm, and wise
• Reason with scripture faithfully
• Show deep love and moral integrity

That’s what early believers saw and they naturally began to look to these ones for support and spiritual stability.

If you have elders:

✅ They are simply recognized. Not appointed or elevated.

✅ They do not direct others, they serve them.

✅ They care. They do not judge or control anyone.

✅ They have no power to judge others.

We will see later that when it comes to discipline, the whole group makes decisions

🧭 Reflection Questions:

• Have I assumed that an “elder” is someone with status, or someone with character?
• Are there spiritually mature ones in my life who quietly help guide and encourage others?
• If I desire to grow into such a role, am I focused on serving, not leading or controlling?
• Do I view myself and others as brothers and sisters, not as ranks or positions?

📖 Key Scriptures to Review:

❤️ Final Thought

If Christ is truly our Head, then every part of the body matters, not just those with knowledge or experience.

The early Christians knew that true spiritual leadership is invisible, it's love in action, not a title.

As your fellowship group grows, don’t seek to “appoint” someone just to fill a role.
Instead, watch for the ones who love quietly, serve steadily, and honour Jesus in their life.

These are the true elders and their reward, the same as ours, comes only from the Chief Shepherd Himself:

“When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.” - 1 Peter 5:4

Dear brothers and sisters, 

As we have already seen, neither Jesus nor the Apostles gave any suggestion of a centrally controlled organisation that would oversee all the congregations. There was no "Governing Body" or "Quorum" or "Holy See" or "General Conference" or anything else that was to have control over Christians lives. Even local elders were not to be judges. 

So how is Christian morality maintained within the fellowship groups, i.e. the congregations? 

So much of our lives are governed by rules today, we need to change our mindset! Jesus said the truth would set you free - not set up another rule-making system. We have looked at all the important principles of love, patience forgiveness etc. so that we can have the "mind of Christ" - 1 Corinthians 2:16 .

Also we need to truely accept Jesus as our King and Leader of the whole worldwide congregation - made up of small groups of Christ followers like us..

Because we are all imperfect and all on the path (the 'way') following Jesus, we will make mistakes, sometimes serious ones. Also some people will succumb to being selfish and cause problems.

Jesus gave us clear instructions on how to deal with issues like these. And the instructions work properly when we are in the small independent groups. However, when there is any kind of human-based ruling central body, or elders acting as Judges, the instructions get twisted into a very cruel, harmful process.

Let’s take a careful and scripturally faithful look at how this worked in the early Christian church and how it was applied.

📜 Biblical Foundations for Discipline

Even in the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures, God gave clear instruction to His people about maintaining purity in His community:

“You shall purge the evil from among you.” - Deuteronomy 13:5; 17:7; 21:21

In Hebrew, the phrase "purge the evil" uses the verb בָּעַר (baʿar) meaning to burn away or remove by fire, which is a vivid picture of eliminating corruption. In Israel, this was sometimes carried out through banishment or exclusion from the camp (see Numbers 15:30-31).

When someone rebelled and refused correction, they could be “cut off” (Hebrew: כָּרַת karat meaning to sever or expel) from the community. This principle established a moral standard: God’s people must not tolerate unrepented sin. This was only for those who refused help and advice, who stubbornly kept doing what was bad.

However, as we know, Jesus sacrifice disposed of the old rule-based Jewish system and established the Christian spiritual Israel with only Jesus as the Head. This is the superior way. 

How the Early Church Practiced Discipline

Jehovah's principles are always valid and true. Jesus and the apostles applied this principle of keeping the congregations morally clean by following a loving pattern that Jesus set out in Matthew chapter 18.

When you feel that someone has acted in a bad way that offends you, or is behaving in an unacceptable immoral way, first meditate on what God's word teaches us, for example

Examine Your Own Heart

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye
and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” - Matthew 7:3

✅ Ask yourself:

• Am I being fair and humble, or harsh and judgmental?
• Have I honestly reflected on my own actions and heart first?
• Am I approaching this out of love, or out of anger or pride? 

Pray for Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,
who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” - James 1:5

✅ Ask God

• Give me patience, gentleness, and clarity.
• Help me desire peace, not conflict.
• Help me have the right tone, timing, and words  

Check That Love Is Your Motivation

“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.” - 1 Peter 4:8

✅ Consider:

• Is this offense something I can simply forgive quietly, without confrontation?
• Am I seeking restoration, not “winning” the argument?
• Am I prepared to forgive if the person is sorry?

Be Ready to Listen and Understand

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.” - James 1:19

✅ Remember:

• You might not know the full picture.
• Maybe it was a misunderstanding, not malice.
• Go in ready to listen carefully, not just make your point.

After taking the time to meditate and pray on the matter, if you still feel that you need to get the issue sorted out then follow what Jesus commanded ...

🗣️ Start Privately - Matthew 18:15–17

Jesus laid out a loving, step-by-step approach:

 Step 1. Speak privately to your brother or sister.  Do not gossip to others, keep calm and explain privately how they have hurt you, or why you feel that what they are doing is wrong.

“If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over." - Matt 18: 15

Key point: Remain calm, It is likely to take more that one conversation. The other person needs time to reflect on what you say. They need time to pray about it themselves. Be kind and generous, give them some time, then talk some more. Your goal is to help the person and keep a friend.

Step 2. If they won’t listen, bring one or two witnesses. Ensure these are trust-worthy faithful ones who will keep it confidential. Hopefully this discussion between you all will resolve the issue. Again, it would be kind to give some time to think about it it, maybe meet a second time.

"But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses."  - Matt 18:16

Step 3. If still unrepentant, tell it to the congregation.

"If, however, he ignores them, tell it to the congregation. (ekklēsía)"  - Matt 18:17a

This is where the whole group will learn of the matter. The person is not repentant or does not agree they are doing anything wrong. Your Christian group who know the person will  now discuss it with the person (if he or she wishes to). 

This group discussion will hopefully make the person come to their senses. If the person is repentant and sorry and wants to make amends, that's great.  Only if the person is still unrepentant will the congregation decide on discipline.

 "If he also ignores the congregation, regard him as an unbeliever and a tax collector."   - Matt 18:17b

Here, Jesus uses culturally strong language: Gentiles and tax collectors were outsiders. This shows that someone who refuses all correction is to be treated as no longer part of the Christian group. The discipline given is to show the unrepentant person that you are serious about it, it's how a family would deal with a member who is behaving badly.

Greek word:
ἐκκλησία (ekklēsía) – church, assembly, congregation
This implies that the entire congregation is made aware of the situation and made the decision, it’s not handled in secret.

🧼 Remove the Wicked – 1 Corinthians 5

There is an example of this in the Bible. Paul addressed a scandal in Corinth: a man living in sexual immorality with his stepmother. The congregation had tolerated it.

Paul commands:

“Remove the wicked man from among yourselves.” - 1 Corinthians 5:13

Greek word:
ἐξαίρω (exairō) – to lift out, expel, remove decisively

He also says:

“You are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved…” - 1 Corinthians 5:5

This refers to putting the man outside the loving fellowship of your congregation, a spiritual form of removal, to help the person reflect on their course of action and to repent, not for punishment.

📌 Importantly:

• Paul tells them to do this “when you are assembled” (verse. 4)
• He also writes that “the punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient” (2 Corinthians 2:6)

🔍 This confirms:

• The congregation/group as a whole made the decision
• The sin was known, the correction was visible
• The goal was restoration, and it worked! (see 2 Corinthians 2:7–8)

Withdraw from the Disorderly

Some in Thessalonica were being idle and disruptive. Paul says:

“Keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness...” - 2 Thessalonians 3:6

“Have nothing to do with him, that he may be ashamed.” - 2 Thessalonians 3:14

Greek words:

• στέλλω (stellō) – to withdraw from, hold back
• μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι (mē synanamignysthai) – do not associate or mix with

But Paul adds:

“Do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.” - verse. 15

This is a form of tough love designed to wake the person up.

⚠️ Reject the Divisive Person

“Warn a divisive person once, then twice. After that, have nothing to do with them.” - Titus 3:10

Greek:
αἱρετικός (hairetikos) – one who causes divisions, heretic

After multiple chances, if someone continues to divide, they are rejected from fellowship.

So, if someone were to insist on teaching non-biblical, wrong and harmful doctrines within your group, you would follow the same procedure, speaking privately first. 

So this is when a "shunning" or "disfellowshipping/removal" takes place. It is hopefully only a temporary situation and only in your group. If the person does not want any more to do with your fellowship, they just leave anyway. It only affects those that want to be with you but reject your group's loving counsel. 

🚫 No Secret Tribunals

Here’s what’s crystal clear from Scripture:

💡 There is no evidence in the New Testament that removing someone was handled in secret by elders or a judicial committee.

Instead:

• The matter was first dealt with by the individuals involved, then ...
• By two others that would witness the issue and try to help sort it, only later ...
• Brought before the whole congregation
• The majority of the congregation applied the decision (2 Cor. 2:6)
• The sin was known and the process transparent
• The goal was always repentance and restoration

Yes, elders and shepherds were to guide and protect the flock (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1–3), but not act as a secret court. Church discipline was communal, not secret. The early church operated in the open, with shared responsibility and accountability.

🤝 The Purpose: Purity and Redemption

Every scriptural example of removal or shunning is rooted in love and truth. The goal was always:

• ✨ To protect the congregation from moral or doctrinal corruption
• 💔 To awaken the sinner to the seriousness of their actions
• 💞 To restore them if they repented

When the man in Corinth did repent, Paul wrote:

“Forgive and comfort him... reaffirm your love for him.” - 2 Corinthians 2:7–8

🤔 What If Some Believers Didn’t Comply?

Understanding Unity and Conscience in Discipline

What happens if not every believer in the group fully complies with the decision of the congregation to disfellowship an individual? Are those who hesitate to shun the person themselves guilty of wrongdoing?

Let’s look at what the Bible says, and doesn’t say, about this situation.

📖 The “Majority” Took Action - Not Everyone?

In Paul’s letter to the congregation in Corinth, he addressed a serious case of immorality and urged the congregation to remove the man from fellowship. They did. And later, when the man repented, Paul wrote:

“The punishment inflicted by the majority is sufficient for that person.” - 2 Corinthians 2:6

🧠 Did you catch that? Paul said “majority,” not “everyone.”

The Greek word used is οἱ πλείονες (hoi pleiones) – literally “the greater number.” This means:

• The congregation acted together, but perhaps not unanimously.
• Some members may have struggled emotionally, hesitated, or weren’t fully sure how to apply the removal.

And yet Paul does not rebuke the minority.
He doesn’t demand their expulsion or accuse them of siding with sin.

🙏 A Family, Not a Courtroom

This silence speaks volumes. The early church operated like a spiritual family, not a judicial court:

• Shunning or disfellowshipping was meant to protect the body of Christ and awaken the sinner, not police the reactions of every believer.
• The focus was on purity and restoration, not on enforcing total conformity through fear.

There is no scriptural precedent for:

• Expelling a believer for not shunning someone else
• Making compliance a test of faithfulness
• Turning discipline into a chain reaction of exclusions

🤍 Conscience, Compassion, and Grace

Sometimes, believers may struggle to withdraw from someone they love. They may:

• Not fully understand the situation
• Be unsure about the person’s repentance
• Feel conflicted between truth and mercy

The Bible never condemns that tension. In fact:

“Let each one be fully convinced in his own mind.” - Romans 14:5

Christian unity does not mean robotic agreement, it allows for individual conscience, helping us all to go on walking in love, rooted in Scripture, led by the Spirit.

💡 What This Teaches Us

• Discipline was congregational, not coercive.
• The majority applied it, but the minority were not punished.
• Unity was grounded in shared love for truth, not enforced unanimity.

🕊️ The early church showed that order and grace can live side by side. There was room for growth, for conviction to deepen, and for love to be patient, just as God is patient with us. 

🧭 Final Thoughts

Biblical congregational discipline is:

• Loving – It aims to rescue, not punish
• Open – Not hidden in secret decisions
• Wise – It uses patience and clear steps
• Holy – It protects the purity of the congregation
• Redemptive – Always looking for a way back
• Conscience-led - Allowed for non-conformity due to individual 

Let’s practice truth with love ❤️, and guard both the purity of our Fellowship Group and the dignity of the individual. When done biblically, discipline is not rejection, but a call to return, just like the Father waiting for the prodigal son.

📖 “Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.” - Revelation 3:19

 

🏠 Applying discipline in Your Fellowship Group

In our home-based fellowship groups, which are in fact congregations,  we would want to stay close to the biblical principles we can see above. And they must be practiced with the same love, humility, and transparency that the early church displayed. 

The discipline is to help someone who claims to follow Christ and yet, engages in open, unrepentant sin that threatens the integrity of the group, or someone that insists on teaching unscriptural ideas. Most likely, such a person would just leave your little group by themselves and no action would be necessary. Only if someone insisted on coming along to your group meetings, interacting with you all, and does not want to change would, you need follow this course. 

Rather than secret decisions made by a few, today’s believers should follow the biblical model: issues should be handled lovingly, gradually, and openly - following the scriptures above.

We need to follow our leader Jesus' directions by starting with a private conversation, then small-group confirmation, and only then shared with the wider fellowship/congregation if necessary (Matthew 18:15–17). 

The goal must always be restoration, not rejection. And just as Paul emphasized in 2 Corinthians 2, when a person repents, the community should be eager to forgive, comfort, reaffirm love, and welcome the person back. In this way, fellowship groups today can uphold truth, protect the health of the body, and extend the grace of Christ, just as the early church did. 

Of course, since the whole group knows and makes the application of the decision individually, there is no need for any announcements or formal rigmarole. And no need to tell anyone else. It is a private affair between yourselves.

📖 What About Crimes, Not Just Personal Offenses?

Jesus’ instructions in Matthew 18:15–17 deal with personal sin or offense between brothers or sisters:
“If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you…”

This process is focused on:
✅ Restoring the relationship,
✅ Bringing the offender to repentance,
✅ Maintaining unity and holiness within the body of Christ.

But what if the issue isn’t just a private matter? 
what if it’s a crime under Caesar’s (or today’s) law?
For example:

• Theft,
• Assault,
• Fraud,
• Abuse.

Did Jesus or the apostles say anything about this?

⚖️ Christians and Secular Authorities

The apostles taught that:
✅ Earthly governments have legitimate authority to uphold justice and punish wrongdoing.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities,
for there is no authority except that which God has established.
The authorities that exist have been established by God.” - Romans 13:1

“For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong…
They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” - Romans 13:3–4

✅ Christians are expected to:

• Obey the law (Titus 3:1),
• Pay taxes (Romans 13:6–7),
• Respect authorities (1 Peter 2:13–14).

✅ Civil authorities exist to maintain justice and social order,
even over those inside the Christian community.

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🛡️ Legal Accountability

If someone in the congregation commits a serious crime, like theft, fraud, or assault,
the biblical call for repentance and restoration inside your group does not erase the consequences under the law.

Example:

• A brother steals from you.
  You go to him privately (Step 1, Matthew 18) to seek repentance and restoration.
  ✅ If he repents, you may personally forgive him, but he is still accountable to the law.

Why?
Because crimes are not just personal, they affect the broader society, too.

✅ Reporting the crime is not “unchristian”;
it is part of living honestly and transparently before both God and society. Most societies would expect a "good person" to report crime*

The decision on whether or not to report such a crime usually left to your conscience, when making the decision, assume that people will find out - what will they think, and what will Jesus and Jehovah think?

*In some countries failure to report a serious crime could lead to a charge of "obstructing justice", but in most countries there is no general legal duty to report crimes (eg in UK and US).  Certain crimes such as child abuse must be reported - please check your own country's laws.

Dear brothers and sisters,   

When Jesus said that his followers would be “no part of the world,” he wasn’t calling on them to escape into a cave or live like monks. Instead, Jesus was describing a radically different kind of life, one rooted in truth, holiness, love, and loyalty to God.

But what does this mean in practice? How did Jesus live it? How did the early Christians apply it?

Let’s explore this essential teaching.

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✨ What Did Jesus Say About the World?

In his final prayer before going to his death, Jesus said of his disciples:

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.” - John 17:16

Earlier Jesus warned:

“If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own. But I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” - John 15:19

Jesus used “the world” (Greek: kosmos) to describe human society alienated from God . It is driven by pride, greed, impurity, and false values. To be “not of the world” means we don’t share its spirit, goals, or loyalties,  even though we still physically live in it.

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👑 Jesus’ Kingdom Was Different

Jesus made it clear:

“My kingdom is not of this world.” - John 18:36

He refused political power, rejected violence, and taught humility, love for enemies, and truth at all costs. While he cared deeply for people, he never became entangled in the world’s politics, social cliques, or religious hypocrisy.

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🛡️How Did Jesus Live “in the world” but “Not of the World”?

• He paid taxes (Matthew 17:27) and obeyed the Law, but refused to glorify Caesar (Matthew 22:21).
• He spoke with all people, yet remained undefiled by sin (Hebrews 4:15).
• He was a friend to sinners, but never compromised truth (John 8:11).

Jesus loved the world’s people, but not the world’s spirit. He was holy, yet approachable. 

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💌 How Did the Apostles Teach This?

The apostles echoed Jesus’ call to live be apart from the world.

📖 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” - Romans 12:2
📖 “Friendship with the world means enmity with God.” - James 4:4
📖 “Do not love the world or anything in the world… the world and its desires pass away.” - 1 John 2:15–17

The apostles viewed the “world” as a corrupt system under Satan’s influence (1 John 5:19) and called Christians to shine as lights in a dark world (Philippians 2:15).

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🏛️ How Did Early Christians Apply This?

Early Christians stood out. They:

• Did not worship emperors or idols
• Refused military service tied to false oaths and violence
• Lived morally pure lives in contrast to Roman decadence
• Rejected political activism, trusting God’s Kingdom instead
• Were willing to suffer rather than compromise

The Epistle to Diognetus (2nd century) said:

“They live in their own countries, but only as aliens… They are in the world, but not of the world.”

🌿 But What About Complex Cases?

Cornelius in Acts 10 offers a remarkable example.
He was a Roman centurion , a military officer inside an imperial system built on violence, idolatry, and loyalty to Caesar.
Yet God saw Cornelius’s sincere heart:
✅ He prayed continually,
✅ He gave generously,
✅ He was humble and seeking truth.

 Before Cornelius even made a formal decision to leave the military,
God sent Peter to preach to him - and God’s Spirit fell on Cornelius before baptism (Acts 10:44–48).

✅ This shows God meets people where they are.
But importantly, faith and baptism were only the beginning.
Cornelius, like every disciple, would then begin a journey of applying Christ’s teachings step by step this would include
asking hard questions about loyalty, violence, and what it means to fully belong to Jesus’ Kingdom.

Cornelius would have repented of acts against God's principles before baptism, but it would have taken time to disentangle himself from the Roman army. Also his growing knowledge and faith would lead him step by step toward righteousness.

True repentance is both immediate (the heart turns) and ongoing (the life transforms).

✨ Repentance Means Ending Sinful Practices

While some life changes, like leaving a job or resolving political entanglements, may unfold gradually,

repentance from direct sinful practices must come before baptism.

For example:

A man living immorally (with a woman not his wife, or in sexual sin) must repent and change before baptism, not later (1 Corinthians 6:9–11). 

Someone practicing theft, deceit, or other clear wrongdoing must turn away immediately to align with Christ’s lordship.

✅ Baptism marks a turning point, it is a public commitment to live under Christ, and follow God's standards.

🛡️ Does This Mean Isolation?

Not at all! Jesus prayed:

“I do not ask that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from the evil one.” - John 17:15

Jesus didn’t call for physical separation, but spiritual distinction. Christians live in the world as:

• 🕯️ Lights - showing truth and love
• 🌱 Ambassadors - representing Christ’s Kingdom
• 🧂 Salt - preserving goodness in a decaying world

We work, serve, raise families, care for the poor but always as citizens of the Kingdom (Philippians 3:20).

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🧭 What Does This Mean for Me Today?

Being “no part of the world” affects:

• 🧠 How we think - valuing truth, not trends - renewing the mind (Romans 12:2)
• 💬 How we speak - with grace, upbuilding, not gossip (Eph 4:29)
• ❤️ How we love - selflessly,   (John 13:35) and "Love your neighbour as yourself. ” - Matthew 22:37–39
• 📱 What we consume - holy, not defiling content (Phil 4:8)
• 🎯 What we pursue - God’s glory, not worldly success (1 Cor 10:31)

We evaluate every choice by asking:
👉 Does this reflect the spirit of Christ — or the spirit of the world?

 

🌿 It’s Not About Rules - It’s About Spiritual Growth

Jesus didn’t give his followers a checklist.

He gave them a living example and calling them to follow, learn, grow, and be transformed.

Like Cornelius, we are invited into God’s Kingdom and then called, step by step, to live out what that Kingdom really means.

💬 People should see that your life looks different, because you’re peaceful, honest, helpful, courageous and joyful. And you give glory to Jehovah through Jesus Christ.

🌟 You’re Already Doing Something Wonderful! 🌟 

If you’re reading this, it likely means you’ve taken the time to explore the Bible’s message, probably you have worked through the Complete Bible Course , and now your heart is stirred to share it with others. 

That’s beautiful! ❤️

Jesus said:

“Freely you have received; freely give.” – Matthew 10:8

You’ve invested your time in understanding God’s Word. You’ve grown in faith, in clarity, in love for truth. And now, you’re wondering how to share that same hope, that same light, with the people around you.

👏 That desire to share the Good News is one of the clearest signs that God’s Spirit is working within you.

You don’t need to be a preacher or a scholar. 

You don’t need a pulpit or a perfect script. What you already have,  your compassion and your love for God and the truth is enough.

✨ In this guide, we’ll explore practical, respectful, and joyful ways to share your faith at home, at work, online, and in your neighbourhood.

You're not alone. You're part of a worldwide family of believers who are doing just what Jesus asked: letting their light shine! 🔥🌍

Let’s dive in and discover how sharing God’s message can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do.

📖 What Is the “Good News” and Why Share It?

The word “Gospel” literally means Good News. And what is that good news?

It’s the joyful, life changing message that:

🕊️ God loves all people and wants them to know Him.
👑 Jesus is the risen King who brings forgiveness, peace, and hope.
🌍 God’s Kingdom is coming and it's a real solution to the world’s suffering.
💞 Everyone is invited into this plan, no matter their background.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

This message is simple, but it’s also powerful. It has transformed hearts, healed families, restored purpose, and brought peace to millions of people from every culture and walk of life. ✨

The truth also sets people free, and because God loves all humans, He wants them to be fee from false ideas.

Freedom - from confusion.
Freedom - from pressure.
Freedom - from fear based on wrong beliefs
Freedom - man-made religion.

Freedom - to think clearly.
Freedom - to walk with God as He intended.
Freedom - to live with purpose, peace, and hope.

What a valuable thing to be sharing!

So… Why Share It?

When we share the Good News:

🌱 We’re planting seeds of hope in a hurting world
💡 We’re helping others see the truth that changed our lives
💖 We’re following Jesus’ example, He never kept the truth to Himself
👣 We’re fulfilling the Great Commission:

“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” – Mark 16:15

And most importantly…

🔥 We’re sharing God’s love, the greatest gift anyone could ever receive.

Sharing isn’t about pressure. It’s not about “winning arguments” or collecting followers. It’s about giving. Just as someone once shared truth with you, you now get to pass it on.

“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” – Romans 10:15

Dear brothers and sisters,   

Following Jesus in today’s world means making intentional, sometimes counter-cultural decisions. 

While the Bible doesn't mention every modern activity by name, like social media or university, it does provide clear principles that help Christians evaluate what honours God and what aligns with the calling to be “no part of the world” (John 17:14–16).

Below are 15 lifestyle areas where Christians often ask, “What would Jesus want me to do?” or “How would a first-century disciple apply this?”

Remember the principles below are to help an individual to make wise decisions, they are not for judging others, whether in our Fellowship Group or elsewhere.  This is not a list of rules, but simply a guide to applying Bible principles in our lives.

There is no verse in the Bible that says someone has to conform to any of these or other issues before getting baptised or with other worshippers. The "Way of Christ" is a journey, we all start at different places.  

Let's explore each one with the Bible as our guide. 

1. 🎓 Going to University to Get Higher Education

Formal university education didn’t exist in the first century but there were philosophical schools (e.g., Stoics, Epicureans), and Paul himself was educated under Gamaliel (Acts 22:3). 

There are many interesting and useful subjects that can only be studied in depth at University. Also obtaining work in many fields requires that level of education. So what are the principles we should consider?

Biblical Principles:

• “Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”  - 1 Cor 10:31
• “The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God’s sight” - 1 Cor 3:19
• “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life… work with your hands” - 1 Thessalonians 4:11

First-century Christian outlook:

Application:

• Christians did not seek status in elite circles.
• Education was not condemned, but pursuits that led to pride, immorality, or spiritual compromise were avoided.

A Christian today would want to avoid any education that:

• Promotes ungodly philosophies (Colossians 2:8)
• Undermines their faith
• Places them in an immoral environment

So, it's your decision. Going to university may present a challenge, however with God's Holy Spirit and determination to continue to serve as a true Christian, you can succeed. And, If you view the campus as your field to share the Good News by example and words, Jehovah and Jesus will be proud of you!

2. 🚬 Smoking Cigarettes

Cigarette smoking has been proven to have harmful effects on our health and is also highly addictive.

Biblical Principles:

• “Let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit”  - 2 Cor 7:1
• “You are God’s temple… If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him”  - 1 Cor 3:16–17
•  “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful for me,” but I will not be dominated by anything."   - 1 Cor 6:12

Application:

Of course cigarettes were not invented back in the time of the disciples, however we know that smoking is a self-harming and addictive practice. This would be viewed as inconsistent with honouring the body as God’s temple. It is reasonable to conclude that a first-century Christian applying these principles would likely consider smoking cigarettes as unclean and harmful.

The apostle Paul also wrote at 1 Corinthians 6:12, that he did not wish to be "dominated by anything", it shows that we should avoid anything addictive, whether it is cigarettes, alcohol, gambling, social media usage, video games ... We should be free from any such addictions.

If you are a smoker, you will most likely want to give it up. Praying everyday for strength to do so will help you. Certain patches and other methods may also help, but do not under-estimate the power of prayer.

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3. 💊 Using Drugs (e.g., Marijuana, Cocaine, LSD)

Biblical Principles:

• “Be sober-minded; be watchful” - 1 Peter 5:8
• “Do not be drunk with wine... but be filled with the Spirit”  - Eph 5:18
• "idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions" - Gal 5:20    
• “Pharmakeia” (Greek term for sorcery and drug use includes drug-induced state) is condemned at Gal 5:19–21 

Application:

Mind-altering drug use for recreation would have been seen as a work of the flesh, impairing sobriety and opening the mind to danger. A faithful Christian applying the above scriptures would avoid using drugs as spiritually defiling and addictive.

If you are a drug-user, do not despair, you will most likely want to give it up. There are rehab clinics to help, and praying everyday for strength to give up will help you. 

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4. 🍷 Drinking Wine and other Alcoholic Drinks 

Biblical Principles:

• Jesus drank wine (Luke 7:34), and Paul told Timothy to use a little for health (1 Tim 5:23).
• “Do not be drunk with wine” (Eph 5:18)
• Drunkenness is listed among the “works of the flesh” (Gal 5:21)

Application:

Moderate, responsible wine use was permitted. However, drunkenness or addiction was condemned. A first-century Christian might drink wine socially or medicinally, but always with self-control and respect for conscience.

If you abstain from drinking, that is your choice, but no one should judge others if they choose to enjoy a glass of beer, wine or spirits. Likewise, no one should judge you for your decision to abstain. 

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5. 📺 Watching Pornography

Biblical Principles:

• “Everyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” - Matt 5:28
• “Flee from sexual immorality… your body is not your own” - 1 Cor 6:18–20
• “Among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality” - Eph 5:3

Application:

Pornography clearly feeds lust and impure desire, which Jesus strongly condemned. 

A faithful Christian, ancient or modern, would reject this as spiritually corrupting and incompatible with holiness.

If you struggle with this, you are not alone, it is a rampant addiction which is harming you and many others. To give such a habit up you will need to see  it from God's viewpoint. Continue to study the scriptures and draw close to God. With a close prayerful relationship you can become free from it.  "Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you" - James 4:8

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6. 🗣️ Swearing and Using Foul Language

This was very common in Roman society, especially among soldiers and laborers.

Biblical Principles:

• “Let no unwholesome talk come out of your mouths” - Eph 4:29
• “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking” - Eph 5:4
• “From the same mouth come blessing and cursing… this should not be” - James 3:10
•  "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” -  1 Corinthians 15:33
  

Application:

First-century Christians learned to speak with grace, purity, and self-control. 

Foul language would be rejected as unbefitting of one representing Christ.

If you have a habit of swearing, try to limit your association with those that do so. Find or start a Fellowship Group so that you can enjoy upbuilding conversation with other who use clean language. As you gradually bring your tongue under control you will enjoy a new type of freedom. 

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7. 🧱 Working for a False Religion

Biblical Principles:

• “What fellowship can light have with darkness?” - 2 Cor 6:14
• “Flee from idolatry”  - 1 Cor 10:14
• “You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons”  - 1 Cor 10:21
• “As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people” - Galatians 6:10
• “Let your light shine… that they may glorify your Father in heaven” - Matthew 5:16
• “Do not let your good be spoken of as evil” – Romans 14:16  

Application:

There are many types or "work" we can be doing. 

If the role includes any kind of false ritual or even wearing emblems that indicate you support the religion, then most likely we would not want to be involved. There is other work we can do.

However it may be that this religion is the only organisation that offers help to the poor and sick in your area and you wish to volunteer without being involved with any religious aspects. Consider Jesus parable of the Good Samaritan.  The good man was in a false religion, but Jesus commended him for the good deeds. So, we want to give importance to the highest principle and always ... “Let your light shine… that they may glorify your Father in heaven”

Ask yourself:  

• Can I explain my role clearly, if asked?
• Will my actions stumble any fellow believer?
• Am I allowing 'rules' to over shadow kindness and acts of mercy? 

8. 🏳️‍🌈 Having a Homosexual Relationship

Homosexual practices were common in Roman society and sometimes even celebrated among elites, so this is not something new to our day. Christians in the first century had to make life style decisions. 

What does the Bible say? This is a subject for self-research in the Bible.

9. 🔊 Music and Entertainment Choices

Music, theatre, and gladiator games in Rome were often linked to idolatry, lewdness, and violence.

Biblical principles:

• “Whatever is true, noble, right, pure... think on these things” - Philippians 4:8
• “Do not be conformed to this world” - Romans 12:2

Application:

Entertainment that promotes violence, sexual immorality, idolatry, or mockery of God would have been avoided. 

First-century Christians did not attend the games or pagan theatre, which were infamous for obscenity and cruelty.

✅ Modern takeaway: There is plenty of great up-building music today. So we can choose music, movies, and media that are positive and upbuilding and turn away from violence, immoral, rude and spiritistic entertainments.

10. 💃 Dancing and Social Events

• Dancing was often part of pagan feasts or seductive performances, like Herod’s stepdaughter (Mark 6:22).
• Today, dancing is different. Much of it is wholesome.

Biblical principles:

• “Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality...” - Romans 13:13
• “Avoid every kind of evil” - 1 Thessalonians 5:22

Application:

Dancing can be wholesome and innocent. But we would want to avoid sensual or drunken dancing.

✅ Modern takeaway: Evaluate the environment, intention, and effect of dancing or parties.

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11.📱Social Media and Self-Promotion

Biblical principles:

• “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit” - Philippians 2:3
• “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth” - Proverbs 27:2

Application:

Constant self-promotion, boasting, or unwholesome posting would conflict with Christlike humility.

Consider the effect it has on others, if we keep posting selfies of having a good time, when others see them, they inevitably will compare their life with the only the good highlights on social media. Unfortunately these generates a lot of depression and feelings of unworthiness especially in young people.

✅ Modern takeaway: Use social media wisely, humbly, and truthfully, avoiding addiction, comparison, or vanity.

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12.🎰 Gambling and Lottery

Biblical principles:

• “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” - 1 Tim 6:10
• “Greedy people... will not inherit the kingdom of God” - 1 Cor 6:10

Application:

Gambling feeds greed, addiction, and the illusion of luck, which are inconsistent with trusting in God’s provision.

✅ Modern takeaway: If the game involves chance and winning money , probably would be best to play something else. A first-century Christian would have avoided games of chance for gain.

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13. 🧵Modesty and Fashion

Biblical principles:

• “Women should dress modestly, with decency and propriety...” - 1 Tim 2:9–10
• “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment... but a gentle and quiet spirit” - 1 Pet 3:3–4

Application:

Clothing that incites lust or pride would have been rejected. The focus was on godly character, not appearance.

✅ Modern takeaway: Dress should reflect purity, modesty, and humility, not sexual display or materialism.

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14.🛒 Business Practices and Work Ethics

work required dishonesty, idolatry, or immorality (e.g., selling idols, cheating customers).

Biblical principles:

• “Do not lie or deceive one another” - Leviticus 19:11
• “Whatever you do... do it in the name of the Lord” - Colossians 3:17

Application:

A first-century Christian would refuse work that conflicts with Christ’s teaching, even if it meant financial loss.

✅ Modern takeaway: Integrity, honesty, and conscience must govern all work and business decisions.

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15.👫 Dating and Courtship

Biblical principles:

• “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” - 2 Cor 6:14
• “Flee youthful lusts...” - 2 Tim 2:22

Application:

Any romantic involvement must honour God, uphold purity, and be rooted in faith. Casual or immoral dating would not have fit the Christian way. It makes for a less challenging and more rewarding life if you are choose a fellow believer in the Christ.

✅ Modern takeaway: Christian courtship should reflect serious intent, mutual faith, and sexual integrity.

I hope you find this deep dive into lifestyle choices helpful. Our maker gives us these guidelines to help us to make wise choices in life.

He wants us to be happy and successful because He loves us. We are all blessed with free will. All of us are working on becoming closer to Jehovah, our heavenly Father and a better follower of Jesus Christ.  

  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."  -  Isaiah 55:9  

  “I am Jehovah your God, who teaches you to benefit yourself, who leads you in the way that you should go."   - Isaiah 48:17

🌿Your Fellowship Group

• As you learn the truths from the bible you may desire to meet with others.
• We have a listing of Local Fellowship Groups.
• We also offer help in starting one - see the tab "Fellowship Groups"

For list of Local Fellowship Groups email me your town, state, country to

localgroups (at) GodsGlobalPlan.org

📜 The Nicene Creed

  How and Why Did It Come About, What Does It State, and Would Jesus Agree With It?  

  🧠 A Deep Dive into Christian History  

This unit gives you the history of how the early Christian church developed and how it interacted with the Roman Empire, the dominant world government of the time. Understanding this will help you evaluate the Nicene Creed for yourself.

This one is quite long and detailed !

🔍 Knowledge of this kind helps you rise above tradition and see the real options.

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What Is the Nicene Creed, and Why Was It Created?

If you are a Christian today, or even loosely associated with a church, chances are you belong to a tradition that affirms the Nicene Creed, whether you’ve heard of it or not. This formal doctrinal statement, written in 325 AD at the Council of Nicaea, has shaped Christian belief for nearly 1,700 years.

But what exactly does the Nicene Creed say?

It declares that:

• Jesus is “true God from true God,”
• “Begotten, not made,”
• “Of one substance with the Father,”
• And insists that anyone who denies this is to be rejected from the Church

So, we ask:

• Why was the Creed written?
• Does it reflect what Jesus and His apostles actually taught?
• Is it fully in harmony with the Bible?
• Would Jesus Himself agree with it?

This article invites you to look closely, biblically, and historically at these questions. You may find that the answer is not as simple as tradition would suggest.

Before examining how the Creed came about, let’s first look at how the earliest Christians worshipped and what they believed about Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father and also why they didn't have dwell over these issues.

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How Jesus' Disciples Worshipped

The earliest followers of Jesus lived and worshipped in a very different way than how many Christians do today. Their communities were local, humble, and centred around faith and fellowship without any institutional power or political influence.

🏠 Local, Simple Gatherings

• They met in homes and shared meals (Acts 2:46).
• Leadership was based on spiritual maturity, not on title or rank.
• Elders (also called presbyters) were respected older men who led by example and spiritual service (1 Peter 5:1–3).
• ❌ There was no formal clergy class, no "pope," and no global institution overseeing doctrine.

🧓 Local Oversight

• The apostles taught directly and personally in the first decades.
• Over time, as the church grew, new Christian groups developed and these had their own mature men, shepherds known as elders or “bishops” (overseers), but they were not judges, or rulers. “The greatest among you must be your servant.” — Matthew 23:11

👑 What Did the First Christians Believe About Jesus?

The New Testament gives us a consistent, clear view of how Jesus’ first followers saw Him, one that emphasized His divine role and origin, but always in relation to God the Father, whom they knew as YHWH, Jehovah.

✨ Jesus as Messiah and Son of God

The apostolic message focused on Jesus as:

• The Messiah (Christ), the one sent by God.
• The Son of God, uniquely begotten and anointed.

Peter’s confession is central:

“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” - Matthew 16:16

The Gospel of John echoes this purpose:

“These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God…” - John 20:31

Importantly, they did not confuse Jesus with God the Father. They worshipped the Father as Almighty God and recognized Jesus as Son, and after Jesus resurrection, as God's highly exalted Son.

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🌌 Pre-existence and Divine Origin

The New Testament also teaches that Jesus existed before coming to earth:

• “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” - John 1:1
•  "the Word became human and made his home among us... and we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son" - John 1:14  
•  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  - John 3:16  
• “All things were created through him…” - Colossians 1:16

Jesus had a divine origin, as the only begotten Son and was with God before creation, yet He spoke and acted in submission to the Father:

“The Son can do nothing by himself… for I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me.” - John 5:19; 6:38

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“Only-Begotten” - What Does It Mean?

Jesus is called the “only-begotten Son” (Greek: monogenēs) several times (e.g., John 1:14, 3:16).

What does that mean?

• Monogenēs means “one of a kind” or “uniquely born.”
• It emphasizes that Jesus is from God in a way no one else is.

Early Christians believed that Jesus:

• Existed before all things (John 17:5).
• Came from God, not from creation.
• Was exalted by God after His resurrection (Philippians 2:5–11).
• Would one day hand the kingdom back to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:28).

🔥 What Did Early Christians Believe About the Holy Spirit?

The Holy Spirit plays a vital role in the New Testament, the Spirit is described as God’s power, presence, and influence.

Function	Description	Example
God’s Power	The Spirit comes upon people to empower	Luke 1:35
From God	The Spirit is given or poured out	Acts 2:17, 38
Spirit of Christ	Identified with Jesus’ presence	Romans 8:9
Not Personal	No prayers to the Spirit or personal 'will' shown	N/A

The Holy Spirit:

• Empowers believers
• Guides and teaches
• Is from God, not a separate being acting independently

Much later councils (like Constantinople in 381 AD) expanded the Nicene Creed to personify the Spirit as a third divine person

🙏 How Did Jesus Instruct His Followers to Worship?

Jesus was clear: worship and prayer are directed primarily to the Father.

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven…’” - Matthew 6:9

Jesus modelled this himself:

• He prayed to the Father (Luke 6:12)
• He gave thanks to the Father (John 11:41)
• He taught dependence on the Father’s will (Matthew 26:39)

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🛑 What About Praying to Jesus?

In a few rare and exceptional cases, individuals addressed Jesus directly. These were not the pattern for daily Christian prayer:

• Stephen (Acts 7:59) - while being martyred, saw a vision of Jesus in heaven and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” This was a personal cry in a moment of crisis, not a doctrinal teaching on prayer.
• Paul - had direct, two-way conversations with Jesus (Acts 9; 2 Corinthians 12:8–9), beginning with his dramatic encounter on the road to Damascus. These encounters were part of Paul’s unique apostleship and calling, again, not a model for everyday believers.
• John - in Revelation, converses with Jesus as part of a prophetic vision. Again, a specific circumstance, not a new pattern for the church.

Just as Moses spoke to the angel in the burning bush, and Daniel heard from an angelic figure, these moments of direct address occur within visions or divine encounters, not in ordinary worshipful prayer.

❗ Jesus never told His followers to pray to Him. He always directed them to the Father (John 16:23).

🚫 What Early Christians Did Not Debate

It's clear that the 1st century followers of Jesus did not wrestle with the question: “Is Jesus made of the same substance (ousia) as God the Father?” or "Is Jesus co-Eternal".

They didn’t use terms like co-equal, co-eternal, consubstantial, or hypostasis, these were introduced later under Greek philosophical influence, particularly from Platonism.

The apostles’ view was shaped by Jewish monotheism, where YHWH (Jehovah) is the one true God, and Jesus is His exalted Son, Lord and Messiah, sent from heaven.

Jesus followers were not concerned about defining metaphysical relationships or constructing philosophical ideologies.

Instead, they believed:

• God (YHWH) is supreme.
• Jesus is the, pre-existent Son who came to earth and gave his life.
• Salvation comes through Jesus, because of God’s will.
• Jesus was exalted to the highest position.

Their focus was on faith and obedience.

This perspective helps explain why debates about Jesus’ “nature” did not exist in their time, those controversies only emerged when outside philosophy began to reinterpret Scripture.

⚠️ What Went Wrong?

Warnings About Corruption and the Rise of Controversy

As the Christian movement spread across the Roman Empire, it began to change, Power structures emerged. Philosophy crept in. Jesus and His apostles had warned this would happen.

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📜 Jesus and Paul’s Warnings

Both Jesus and the apostle Paul clearly foretold that deception and distortion would come from outside pressure or persecution and from within the Christian community.

Jesus warned:

“Beware of false prophets… in sheep’s clothing but inwardly ravenous wolves.” — Matthew 7:15

“You nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.” — Mark 7:13

Paul warned:

“After I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number, men will arise and distort the truth…” — Acts 20:29–30

“See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception…” — Colossians 2:8
“Turn away from the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.” — 1 Timothy 6:20

These were not vague concerns. They anticipated exactly what unfolded in the second, third, and fourth centuries: a slow drift from the simplicity of Christ to the complexities of human reasoning and control.

The Slow Drift from Apostolic Teaching

In the generations following the apostles, sincere believers faced new pressures:

• Rapid growth
• Cultural shifts
• Persecution
• Theological disagreements

In response, many looked for new ways to define unity, but instead of staying close to Scripture, they began borrowing from Greek philosophical ideas, such as:

• The nature of “being” (ousia)
• Eternal forms and unchanging substances (from Plato)
• The idea that true divinity must be immutable, impassible, indivisible

The goal was to defend Jesus’ divine status, but in doing so, they often stepped beyond Scripture and into speculation and philosophy.

Some well-meaning thinkers sought to define Jesus in ways that would satisfy both Scripture and Greek philosophical ideals, but this opened the door to division.

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⚙️ From Elders to Powerful Bishops

Meanwhile, the structure of Christian leadership was shifting.

In the apostolic era:

• Local churches were led by multiple elders (Acts 14:23).
• Decisions were made communally, with prayer and Scripture as the guide.

But by the second century:

• Some elders began to be called “bishops” and took more authority.
• Cities like Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch developed strong leadership centres.
• These oversaw multiple congregations or house churches, in the city.  
• The bishop of a larger city was often assumed to have greater influence than other cities.

By the third century, some bishops were acting as regional authorities, presiding over doctrinal disputes, and even issuing decisions outside their own communities. These places where a high ranking Bishop sat were called "see"s from Latin "seat"

This was a far cry from Jesus’ model:

“You are not to be called Rabbi, for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers… The greatest among you will be your servant.” - Matthew 23:8–11

🏛️ Constantine Legalizes Christianity

In 313 AD, Emperor Constantine issued the Edict of Milan, legalizing Christianity. Christians could now:

• Own property
• Build church buildings (basilicas)
• Gather freely without persecution

But this also allowed imperial influence to enter church matters.

🏛️ Wealthy patrons started building large basilicas (long halls modelled after Roman civic buildings), shifting from house churches to formal institutions, which could now be subject to control.

Yet, by 325 AD, most Christians still met in private homes.

Estimates by historians like Socrates Scholasticus and Eusebius suggest:

• Over 5,000 house churches existed overseen by about 1800 Bishops.
• Spread across regions now known as Italy, Israel, Greece, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Britain, France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Albania, and Bulgaria.

The Roots of Division Begin to Grow

By the early 300s, the stage was set for a major theological clash:

• Different regions had developed different theological vocabulary.
• Some emphasized the oneness of God (monarchianism), while others stressed the distinctiveness of the Son.
• A presbyter named Arius, trying to defend God's uniqueness, began teaching that Jesus was created, a doctrine we’ll explore in detail next.

Rather than working out these tensions through Scripture alone, the church was increasingly looking to human authority and imperial power to settle its disputes.

🧨 The Arian Controversy and the Council of Nicaea

So in the early 300's, the 4th century, the Christian world was facing an internal crisis. The question of Jesus’ origin, status, and relationship to God the Father had become a theological battleground. At the centre of this storm was a man named Arius, hence it is called the Arian Controversy

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👨‍🏫 What Did Arius Teach?

Arius was a respected Christian presbyter (elder) in Alexandria. His aim was to defend Jehovah God’s unique supremacy. But in doing so, he proposed something radical:

“The Son is not eternal. There was a time when He was not.”

According to Arius:

• Jesus was created of God.
• He was not eternal, and therefore not equal to the Father.
• Jesus was divine in function, but not in essence.

He believed calling Jesus “God” was acceptable only as a title, not as a description of His eternal being.

Arius drew from verses like:

• “The Father is greater than I.” — John 14:28
• “The firstborn of all creation.” — Colossians 1:15

But his views troubled many Christians who believed Jesus must be more than created, citing:

• “In the beginning was the Word… and the Word was God.” — John 1:1
• “Through Him all things were made.” — John 1:3

Still, it’s important to note: both Arius and his opponents claimed biblical support. The real issue was interpretation.

🏰 Why Was the Council of Nicaea Called?

The growing tension threatened was threatening imperial stability.

Emperor Constantine wanted unity in the empire, not a divided religion. So in 325 AD, he summoned bishops from across the Christian world to a council in Nicaea, modern-day İznik, Turkey. But Constantine's main concern was political unity, not scriptural accuracy.

Who Attended the Council?

At the time of 325 it is estimated that there were 1800 Bishops presiding over approximately 5000 house churches.

However only about 300 Bishops attended - only around 20%

Why didn’t the majority come?

• ✈️ Travel: Difficult-long distances, dangerous, and very expensive
• 🛡️ Persecution recovery: Many churches were still healing after years of persecution
• 🤔 Skepticism: Some opposed imperial involvement
• 🕰️ Late notice: Messages took weeks to arrive not leaving enough time to attend

🗳️ What Did the Council Decide?

So only about 20% of the total number of Bishops attended and they had mixed feelings:

• Some strongly opposed Arius.
• Some supported him.
• Most were uncertain and hoped for peace.

Under Constantine’s pressure, the council approved a new creed, introducing new terms not found in the Bible

“We believe… Begotten not made, True God from True God, Light from Light, of one substance (homoousios) with the Father…”

And it ended with a stern warning:

“But those who say ‘there was a time when He was not’… are anathematized.”

Anathematized means formally cursed or condemned, often followed by exile, loss of church status, and social exclusion.

This was a very heavy judgement for disagreeing with doctrine that only 20% of Bishops signed!

Arius and a few of his supporters were exiled by Constantine for not accepting the creed.

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🧠 Philosophy & Politics Take the Lead

The word homoousios means “of the same substance” was the central idea in the new creed. But it was not a biblical term. In fact, none of the wording is found in the Bible. The term homoousios had been condemned decades earlier for being too vague and too close to pagan philosophy.

Many bishops had concerns:

• Wasn’t this importing Greek metaphysics into Christian doctrine?
• Could the Bible be used to support such a term?
• Was this about theology, or about imperial control?

Despite these concerns, the Creed was enforced. But instead of bringing peace, it intensified division.

🩸 What Happened After Nicaea?

Instead of peace, the controversy intensified:

• 🏛️ Constantine’s son, Constantius II, promoted Arianism
• ✝️ He exiled pro-Nicene bishops like Athanasius
• 🤴 Pope Liberius was removed and replaced with an antipope
• 🛡️ Councils, debates, and persecution became common

One frustrated Roman historian wrote:

“The highways were covered with galloping bishops.” — Ammianus Marcellinus

Church unity was now enforced by imperial force, not by Scripture or love.

⚔️ Aftermath of Nicaea

Though the Nicene Creed was meant to unify the Church, it actually opened the floodgates to even more division, conflict, and control—both theological and political.

🔥 Arianism Didn’t Die

Far from settling the issue, the Council of Nicaea ignited decades of controversy. Many Eastern bishops were uneasy with the term “homoousios” (“same substance”) because:

• 📖 It wasn’t found in Scripture 
• It had previously been used by heretics (like Paul of Samosata)
• 🧠 It sounded too much like pagan philosophy 

After Constantine’s death (337 AD), his son Constantius II became emperor and actively supported Arianism.

🏛️ The Empire Takes Sides

Under Constantius:

• 🔁 The Nicene Creed was reversed in favour of Arian-friendly positions.
• ⛓️ Nicene-supporting bishops were exiled, including the outspoken Athanasius of Alexandria.
• ✍️ Alternative creeds were written, rejecting both homoousios ("same substance") and even homoiousios ("similar substance") as unbiblical.

🧾 One council even declared:

“There ought to be no mention of any of these terms at all… for nothing is written about them in Scripture, and they are beyond human understanding.”

🛡️ Three Arian Factions Emerged

By the mid-300s, Arianism had fractured into three competing groups:

Emperor Constantius flip-flopped between these camps depending on politics, but all of them persecuted Nicene bishops. Even Pope Liberius was exiled and replaced with an Antipope who supported Arianism.

😡 Violence and Intimidation

Councils were held constantly to try to force agreement, no fewer than 14 competing creeds were issued between 340–360 AD!

🗯️ Church meetings had become political battlegrounds, and at times even riots broke out over theological terminology.

Even St. Jerome later admitted:

“The whole world woke with a groan to find itself Arian.”

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🏛️ Council of Constantinople

It wasn’t until Emperor Theodosius I came to power in the East that the tide turned permanently against Arianism.

💪 Theodosius Enforces Nicene Christianity

• In 380 AD,  Theodosius issued the Edict of Thessalonica, declaring that all Roman citizens must follow Nicene Christianity.
• Arian bishops were expelled from their sees (church seats).
• Churches were reassigned to Nicene leaders, including Gregory of Nazianzus in Constantinople.
• In 381, Theodosius convened the Second Ecumenical Council (Council of Constantinople).

At this council:

• The Nicene Creed was reaffirmed.
• A new section was added on the Holy Spirit, stating:

  “The Lord and giver of life… who is worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son.”

Only 150 Bishops attended out of 1800 and extreme political force was behind the decision.

This was the birth of the fully Trinitarian creed that most mainstream churches still use today.

✝️ The Cross Starts to Be Used.

In 312 AD,  Emperor Constantine claimed to have seen a vision of a cross of light before the battle of Milvian Bridge and dream telling him to mark his soldiers shields with the cross and to use the cross as his standard. He won the battle. 

Constantine Adopted the Chi-Rho (☧), a monogram formed from the first two letters of "Christ" in Greek (Χ + Ρ).

After that, Constantine had the cross was used:

🛡️ Soldiers' shields

🏳️ Military banners (labarum)

🎖️ Military and civic standards

🏛️ Public buildings

Minted onto coins

🛠️ Church Construction & the Cross

• Constantine financed and commissioned major basilicas:
  • The Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem
  • Old St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
  • Churches in Bethlehem, Constantinople, and North Africa.
• These basilicas for Christian worship were lavishly decorated, featuring symbols, such as:
  • The Chi-Rho ☧ (a symbol formed by the first two Greek letters of “Christ” – ΧΡ)
  • The cross - a now symbol of imperial and divine triumph.

And so the church began to use the cross ...

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🤔 Would Jesus Approve of This Process?

Let’s ask honestly:

• Would Jesus have supported imperial coercion in theological matters?
• Would He have wanted bishops exiled or imprisoned for disagreeing with church councils?
• Would He have welcomed state enforcement of creeds that use non-biblical terms?
• He said his Kingdom was "No part of the world" 

Jesus said:

“My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight…” — John 18:36
“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them… Not so with you.” — Matthew 20:25–26

👑 Jesus never forced belief through threat. He called for willing faith, not theological submission to emperors and church councils.

* This is not to try to judge Constantine or his motives, only Jesus has that authority, we just want to point out how things changed over time.

As always - please fact-check using an AI search/reasoning tool such as Chat GPT or similar.  

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❗ Reflection Point

The Nicene Creed was created in an attempt to define and defend the identity of Christ. But as we've now seen:

• It relied heavily on philosophical terms not found in the Bible.
• It was enforced through political power, not spiritual consensus.
• It alienated sincere believers on both sides.
• And it opened the door to centuries of division and persecution.

⚖️ Was this the way Jesus intended His Church to function?

🕊️ Or have we drifted from His simple call to worship the Father, through the Son, in spirit and truth?

What the Scriptures Say

After seeing how philosophy and politics shaped the Nicene Creed, let’s return to what truly matters: What do the Scriptures themselves say?

Rather than relying on metaphysical terms like homoousios or consubstantial, the Bible describes Jesus’ role and identity in clear, inspired language. Here’s what we find when we look closely:

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👑 Jesus’ Authority

As a result of Jesus perfect obedience he is exalted.

🔑 Do these verses show that Jesus acts with divine power, as the appointed agent of God with authority granted to him or a because Jesus has an inherent equality with God the Father?

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🙌 Jesus Receives Worship?

Yes, the Bible shows Jesus being honoured and worshipped, but always as the one God has exalted.

“Therefore God exalted Him… and gave Him the name above every name.” – Philippians 2:9
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain…” – Revelation 5:12–13

Note: Revelation 5 shows Jesus being worshipped alongside God the Father, but still as the Lamb, the one who was slain and made worthy.

🧭 Key Insight: Is the worship Jesus receives proof that He is the same being as God ? or that God has granted Him this honour as the risen and victorious Son? How does it look to you?

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🧬 Does Jesus Lose His Identity?

Does Jesus appear to be fused into a single being with the Father? Or does he retain his own identity?

“Then the Son himself will be made subject to Him (God) who put everything under Him, so that God may be all in all.” – 1 Corinthians 15:28

This passage shows:

• Jesus continues to exist as the Son.
• He submits to the Father, even after completing His mission.
• God remains “all in all”, the highest and true God.

🧩 Jesus’ mission ends with an obedient handover.

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💬 Terms the Bible Doesn’t Define

Let’s be clear about what the Bible does not explain:

• ❓ What exactly “only-begotten” means in terms of divine essence
• ❓ Whether “eternity” applies the outside of physical space and time
• ❓ What spiritual “substance” (ousia) God is made of
• ❓ How the Holy Spirit “proceeds” from God or Christ to complete its function
• ❓ How a spiritual being operates “outside of time”

These are mysteries, and the Bible does not speculate. So why should we?

📜 Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us:

“The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us…”

🔎 What has been revealed is this:

• God is Almighty.
• Jesus is His divine, begotten Son.
• The holy Spirit appears to be God’s active force.
• Worship is directed to the Father, through the Son, in spirit and truth (John 4:23–24).

That is enough.

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💥 Schisms After the Council of Constantinople

Though the Council of Constantinople in 381 AD aimed to unify Christian doctrine — particularly solidifying belief in the Trinity — it did not end controversy. Instead, it set the stage for even deeper divisions. As centuries passed, the Church continued to fracture — not due to new teachings from Jesus, but from growing doctrinal complexity, power struggles, and cultural divides.

1️⃣ The Great East-West Schism (1054 AD) 🌍✝️

By the 11th century, the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East officially split.

Why?

• Disagreements over papal authority (Rome said the pope was supreme — the East disagreed).
• Doctrinal disputes, such as the Filioque clause ("…and from the Son" added to the Nicene Creed).
• Cultural and linguistic divides: Latin in the West, Greek in the East.
• Political and ecclesiastical competition between Constantinople and Rome.

The result? Christianity fractured into two major camps — both claiming orthodoxy — each developing its own liturgy, theology, and hierarchy.

1. the Roman Catholic Church with pope as the Head of the Church, Latin based. Use statues, pray to saints

2. the Eastern Orthodox  Church - Also called Greek Orthodox Church.  They have a Patriarch of  Constantinople in Instabul, Turkey. Greek based.  but all Bishops are equal, strong use of icons.

• Russian Orthodox Church - since 1589
• Serbian Orthodox Church -  since 1219
• Romanian Orthodox Church - since  1885
• Church of Greece Orthodox Church  - since 1850
• Bulgarian Orthodox Church - since  927 AD
• Georgian Orthodox Church - since  380 AD
• Church of Cyprus  Orthodox Church -  since 431 AD
• Albanian Orthodox Church   - since  1937

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2️⃣ The Protestant Reformation (1517 AD onward) 📜⚒️

In the 16th century, further division erupted in the West as reformers like Martin Luther, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli challenged the corruption and unbiblical teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Key issues included:

• The sale of indulgences 💰
• Papal infallibility
• Access to Scripture (the Bible was in Latin; few could read it)
• Doctrines like purgatory and transubstantiation

This sparked the birth of thousands of new denominations — Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican (including the Church of England, born from King Henry VIII’s split with Rome), Baptist, Methodist, and many more.

What began as a call to return to Scripture eventually created further theological and denominational fragmentation.

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👉 In short: After Constantinople, the Christian world continued to splinter, often driven by philosophical definitions, church politics, and power struggles. 

Your decision ...

If you  have read and understood this unit, if, you have prayed about the subject to seek our heavenly Father's guidance, and have given weight to His word the Bible,  then you are now a Biblical Theologian! because you have a much better understanding than 99% of humans!

You are now able to look at the Nicene Creed and decide how much of it you think aligns with what Jesus and the apostles taught.

You can decide to:

1.  To accept the most common creed  (381 AD) - decided on by 150 or, about 8% of the 1800 overseers - there are 3 official  ones - see below

2. Reject the creed on the basis that it uses un-Biblical philosophical terms to define Christian doctrine.

3. To accept a Bible-based version - called "The Scriptural Nicene Creed"  - see below.

4. To rise above it - have nothing to do with the Nicene Creed because:

      Jesus taught that all Christians are equal and no one should be called Father or Rabbi. There is only one Father, in heaven and one Head of the congregation, Jesus.  At 325 AD it is estimated that there were between 5 million and 6 million Christians the vast majority were worshipping in homes  in accordance with Jesus and the apostles teaching. Why should a group of 300 Christian brothers ( only about 0.005 %  of Christians), have any affect on the 99.995 % ?  

The Hope is Still Earthly

An interesting note is that although Greek and pagan philosophy had starting influencing doctrine, Plato's immortal soul and going to heaven or hell had not yet been adopted officially. The Nicene Creed still preserved the biblical, resurrection-focused hope of living on earth.

"I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen." - Niceno‑Constantinopolitan Creed (381 AD) - see below

📖 What Did the Early Christians (1st–2nd Century) Believe?

Early Christians believed in a bodily resurrection and a future, restored world — not in escaping to a purely spiritual heaven forever.

🔹 Key Beliefs:

• Resurrection of the body at Christ’s return (not disembodied souls floating in heaven).
• A renewed earth or “new heavens and new earth” as the future dwelling of the righteous.
• God’s kingdom would be fully realized on earth under Christ’s reign.

🔹 Supporting Scriptures:

• Romans 8:19–21 - Creation waits to be liberated from corruption.
• 2 Peter 3:13 - “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
• Revelation 21:1–3 - “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth… and God’s dwelling is with mankind.”
• 1 Corinthians 15 - Focuses on the resurrection of the body.
• Matthew 5:5 - “The meek shall inherit the earth.”

However, Influence Was Continuing ...

See Study Unit  below:  "Hell Fire and  Purgatory"

Nicene Creeds

Original Nicene Creed (325 AD)

From Philadelphia teacher Eusebius, reported by Athanasius

**We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.**
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only‑begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light; True God of True God; begotten, not made; of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead.
And in the Holy Spirit.
But those who say, “There was a time when He was not,” or “He was not before He was begotten,” or “He was made out of nothing,” or “He is of another substance or essence,” or “The Son of God is a creature,” or “Changeable,” or “Alterable”—these are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.

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Niceno‑Constantinopolitan Creed (381 AD)

Also known as the "Nicene Creed" used in most churches today

**I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.**
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only‑begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; Light of Light; True God of True God; begotten, not made; of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made.
Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and of the Virgin Mary; and was made man.
He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried.
The third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; and His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father (and the Son), who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

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Western (Roman) Version with Filioque ( officially 1014 AD )

Standard in Roman Catholic and many Protestant traditions from 6th century onward

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.

And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father; God from God; Light from Light; true God from true God; begotten, not made; consubstantial with the Father; by whom all things were made.

For us men and for our salvation He came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man.
For our sake He was crucified under Pontius Pilate; He suffered death and was buried; and on the third day He rose again in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified; who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Scriptural Nicene Creed  

  Modern scriptural-based adaptation using only Bible-supported language (21st century)  

 I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of the heavens and the earth, the source of all things, seen and unseen. (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 45:18; Romans 1:20, Revelation 4:11)

And I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, uniquely begotten of the Father, not made, of one substance with the Father, through whom all things were made. (John 1:14,18; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2-3)

Who for us humans and for our salvation came down from heaven became flesh by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and became truly human. (Luke 1:35; John 6:38; Philippians 2:7)

He was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried. (Mark 15:15, 37; Luke 23:46, 50-53)

He was unjustly crucified under Pontius Pilate, died, and was truly buried. (Matthew 27:24–60)

The third day He was raised by God, according to the Scriptures. (Acts 2:24, 32; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4)

He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. (Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:3)

He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and His kingdom will have no end. (Matthew 25:31-32; Revelation 11:15)

And in the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth and power from the Father. (John 14:26; Acts 2:1-4)

I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen. (John 5:28-29; Revelation 21:1-4) 

  

In the Complete Bible Course - section 4 ' The Nature of Death' we saw clearly what the Bible says about the state of death and what our real hope is:

Death is described as sleep, a state of total unconsciousness in the common grave called Sheol. And the hope for those asleep in death is the resurrection back to life on earth under God's Kingdom. 

No pain.
No fear.
No floating around in heaven or burning in a fiery place. Just waiting, not conscious of anything.

So that means, hell, ghosts, zombies. purgatory etc. do not make any sense if the person is not conscious of anything.

🔥 The Idea of Hellfire: Timeline of Development

📖 1. Old Testament Background (Before Christ)

• The Hebrew Scriptures speak of Sheol — the grave or the realm of the dead.
  • It was not a place of torment or fire.
  • Everyone went to the common grave, good and bad alike (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Psalm 146:4).
• No concept of eternal fiery punishment.

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✝️ 2. Jesus and the 1st-Century Context

• Jesus always used illustrations when teaching and he used the word Gehenna, translated “hell” in English Bibles:
• Gehenna (Greek: γέεννα) referred to the Valley of Hinnom outside Jerusalem.
• It was historically associated with child sacrifice (Jeremiah 7:31) and later used as a symbol of judgment, defilement, and destruction.
• Jewish rabbinic writings (like the Talmud and Midrash), Gehenna came to be used as a metaphor for divine judgment.  

 Better to enter into life maimed than go off with two hands into Hell (Gehenna) -  Mark 9:43–48

• Jesus’ use of “Gehenna” was figurative, he used it to warn people of God’s judgment for persistent sin. His listeners knew that it was not a literal location of eternal torment.
• First-century Jewish listeners will have understood the illustration as:
• A warning of exclusion from eternal life in God’s Kingdom,
• And a symbol of destruction of life, a serious warning.

 Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus -  Luke 16:19–20

Some say that this is describing the after life, but how could it when the Bible says that the dead are unconscious?

Jesus had just given the parable of the Unjust Steward in Luke 16:1–13, and now he continues with another in typical story telling style :  “There was a certain rich man…” Jesus used ideas that were common in Jewish folklore and rabbinic parables, for example, the concept of souls in Hades talking with Abraham, or crossing chasms.

The idea of talking across a chasm from a place of torment to heaven is theatrical, to make a moral point.  

 The parable wasn’t about describing the afterlife — it was a scathing judgment on the Pharisees, who:

• Loved wealth (Luke 16:14),
• Rejected Jesus despite the Scriptures,
• And ignored the needy - like Lazarus despite having riches available.

💬 Key line from Abraham in the story: 

“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.” - Luke 16:31

👉 This is the punchline. Jesus was preparing them for His own resurrection, which even then, many would still reject. 

 So, this parable contains a a moral teaching about being kind and generous towards the needy.

✍️ Paul, Peter, and the Apostles

• The apostles used terms like:
  • Destruction (2 Thessalonians 1:9)
  • Perishing (Romans 6:23)
  • Second death (Revelation 20:14)
• These point to final judgment, but not to eternal conscious torment.
• No epistle teaches a doctrine of hell as fire-filled eternal suffering.

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🕊️ Early Church (1st–3rd Centuries)

• Early Christians were living in urgent expectation of Jesus’ return (Parousia):
  • Jesus’ core message: “The Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15).
  • Paul’s expectation: “We who are alive and remain…” (1 Thess. 4:17).
  • The focus was on faithfulness, moral readiness, and resurrection
  Although Jesus in Revelation explains the millennial reign, this was not focussed on
  • Many believed that the wicked will be lose out on eternal life (true, if they don't repent during the 1000 years).
  • Some believed in a future restoration, a universal reconciliation(again true, for those that do repent).
  • Papias, a disciple of John, believed in a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth
  • Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, and Arnobius spoke of the wicked being destroyed, not tormented eternally.
  • Origen believed in purification after judgment. - affected by Plato's ideas,  But  not in hell fire.
• Eternal torment was not a dominant belief.

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🧠 Influence of Greek Philosophy (3rd–5th Centuries)

• Plato’s philosophy taught that the soul is immortal.
  • This idea heavily influenced Christian thinkers like Tertullian and Augustine.
• They began teaching that the soul must exist forever, therefore, the wicked must experience eternal conscious punishment.
• Augustine (354–430 AD) is the most influential figure in defining hell as eternal torment.

We have seen how philosophy had already affected thinking on the "nature" of Christ, and now it started corrupting basic truths about life and death. 

As Christianity becoming more institutionalized and entangled with imperial authority, this teaching of hell fire became a useful means of control through fear.

🏛️ Medieval Catholic Doctrine (6th–13th Century)

• By the Middle Ages, hell as eternal fire was firmly entrenched in Western theology.
• Dante’s Inferno (14th century) vividly depicted hell, shaping popular imagination.
• Church art and sermons emphasized hell to enforce moral behaviour and Church control.

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🧾 Reformation to Modern Day

• Reformers like Luther and Calvin accepted hell but emphasized God’s justice over medieval imagery.
• Today:
• Catholicism teaches hell as eternal separation and punishment.
• Most Evangelicals affirm eternal conscious torment.
• And yet the Jesus own words in the Bible show that it death is like a deep sleep : “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” - John 11:11  and ... "The girl is not dead but asleep.” - Luke 8:52

🔎 Key Insight

The idea of a fiery hell with unending torture is not rooted in Scripture, but in later philosophy, fear-based theology, and medieval imagination.

Apostle Paul wrote : “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Romans 6:23

Because of sin, our natural state when we die is unconsciousness, but the through Jesus we can receive God's gift of eternal life. If our soul already had eternal life, we would not need the gift.

Let's look ate idea that after death, someone goes to a place where they need to purify themselves because of minor sinful deeds during their life. The purifying is painful but temporary not eternal. Afterwards they go to heaven. These minor sins include:  impatience, white lies, gossip, minor dishonesty, laziness in prayer, they can be helped with prayer and indulgences (church granted reduction of punishment).

Since everyone commits these minor sins, this idea of purgatory keeps people under the control of the church. After the 15th century the Catholic church began offering indulgencies in return for donations, leading to up to the Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, especially Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in 1517.

Of course, the whole idea denies the value of the sacrifice made by Jesus. His blood was given for forgiveness of all our sins.

Let's see the Timeline of the Development of Purgatory ...

✅ 1st–3rd Century: No Doctrine of Purgatory

• Early Christians believed in:
  • Immediate judgment after death,
  • A future bodily resurrection,
  • And a final judgment (John 5:28–29; 2 Corinthians 5:10).
• There was no concept of an intermediate place of purging or cleansing.
• Salvation was seen as through Christ alone, not post-death purification.

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⚖️ 3rd–4th Century: Seeds Begin to Form

• Some Church Fathers (e.g., Origen) speculated about a process of purification after death, influenced by Greek philosophical ideas (especially Plato).
• Origen (c. 185–253 AD) proposed a kind of universal purification — but this was not official doctrine and was later condemned.

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🔥 5th–6th Century: Belief in Purifying Fire Grows

• The idea that not all sins are equal led some thinkers to imagine an intermediate state for believers who died with unconfessed “venial” (minor) sins.
• Augustine (354–430 AD) supported the idea of temporary purification for the faithful, but cautiously, and as a possibility, not dogma.
• Still, this was not yet a defined doctrine.

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🏛️ 11th–12th Century: Systematization

• Theologians like Gregory the Great (Pope 590–604) and later Thomas Aquinas gave purgatory greater structure, tying it to:
  • The idea of penance,
  • Masses for the dead,
  • And prayers to aid souls in a transitional state.

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📜 1274 AD — Purgatory Becomes Official

• Second Council of Lyon (1274) made the doctrine of purgatory official Catholic teaching for the first time.
• It was reinforced at:
  • Council of Florence (1439),
  • And Council of Trent (1545–1563), especially in reaction to the Protestant Reformation.

🚫 Protestants Reject It

• Reformers like Martin Luther rejected purgatory as unbiblical and a source of corruption (e.g., indulgences sold to shorten time in purgatory).  Most Protestant churches do not believe in purgatory.

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✅ Summary