Abilene Christian University: Rubel Shelly Instrumental Music Keith Stanglin produces Something new and far removed from the original. Theologians Co-Create new Scripture by presence of the Holy Spirit.
Spirit is a figurative or Parable Word to Hide from the Wise or Sophists says Jesus: these are speakers, singers or instrument players.
SPIRIT means that God puts His WORD into the MOUTH of a Moses, The Prophets and Lastly the MAN Jesus of Nazareth.
http://www.piney.com/John.Mark.Hicks.Keith.Stanglin.Letter.and.Spirit.html
Abilene.Christian.University.Theology
Austin.Graduate.School.of.Theology.Reviews.html
Mike.Cope.2017.PBL.Hieros.Gamos.html
Mike.Cope.A.Cappella.Music.html
1.27.20 Debbie.Boggs.Psallo.Instrumental.Music.in.Worship
Original Shepherding Max Lucado and Oak Hills Church Elders into Instrumental Sorcery
You may comment About Debbie Debbie Anderson Boggs Dogma at Tapetalk
Notes added about the "locusts" or the Muses led by Apollyon
2.05.20
http://www.piney.com/G.E.Jones.Spiritual.Understanding.E.R.Harper.html
http://www.piney.com/John.T.Willis.and.Jo.Bass.The.Holy.Spirit.html
http://www.piney.com/G.E.Jones.Spiritual.Understanding.E.R.Harper.html
Abilene Christian University (ACU): Rubel Shelly at the Restoration Forum XII - Abilene Christian University (ACU), proposes a Post Denominational rule of fellowship with instrumental music.
Part One You are here.
Don't Miss Number four: 7/7/03 Shelly at ACU: Wine Drinking focus and DIRTY PICTURES of the New Style Worship. Instrument players were always perverted and known as PARASITES.
Part Two Use of Romans 14 to justify music. "Instrumental music, having a glass of wine, the role of women in church leadership. However, a fundamental cultural background of Orphics and Dionysics was singing with instrumental music to "lead them into the presence of the Gods."
Part Three Chapter 15 defines the LAW that one cannot produce SPIRITUAL excitement and still "glorify God with one voice" by speaking "that which is written." That of course was by the Spirit of Christ (1 Pet 1:11). Chapter 15 repudiates Rubel Shelly's distortion of Romans 14.
> C. Leonard Allen and Richard T. Hughes: Discovering our Roots? Calvin: "There is no more marked manifestation of God's wrath than the fact that he permits the decline of his spoken and written Word."
> Royce Money ACU "can't determine the foundation of the church."
> Carrol D. Osburn: Training people to play leading PROPHETIC roles in CHANNELING and FACILITATING change.
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Restoration Forum XII - ACU, Abilene Christian University, TX, November 1-3, 1995
Introduction: ....words by our brother Rubel Shelly, minister of Woodmont Hills church of Christ in Nashville, TN. And, incidentally , who has interesting competition going on campus at the same time with George W. Bush addressing the student body, I think, in another few minutes. But please don't get up and rush out at 11 o'clock. (Laughter) Some say "Trust me, we won't do that." But we look forward to hearing Rubel this morning. "Call to Action" is indeed what needs to take place.We discuss fellowship. We discuss who we are, where we are, and perhaps,
what we now need to do is the first order of importance. Before Rubel comes, let's all pause in a word of prayer. (Prayer not transcribed.)
Speech at: Abilene Christian University (ACU):
Rubel Shelly: "Thank you Chris. Some of you have been leafing through the notebook trying to find my speech. I read Doug's letter requesting a manuscript about a week after the deadline. It is in manuscript and copies of it will be at the back as you are leaving if you care to have one. I decided not to distribute them before reading the paper because I hate to read a paper when everyone else has a copy of it. And, you know, you're three lines ahead of me. And where I grimace, or where I smile, or where I put an emphasis, you never catch that part. So I will have the advantage of having the only copy, at least for now. But if you care to have one, Doug, I think will have them at the back door just on tables on both sides.
We live in a post denominational world. The Protestant majority, in terms of identified church preference in America, slipped from 67% in 1967 to 56% in 1991. And the category of people with no religious preference, during that same period, grew from 2% to 11%.
This lines up with the neo-Pentecostal movement adopted among churches of Christ. The evangelist can no longer find support and money for the mission field because it is consumed locally on plant and staff. The Word got push aside and the people, as in Amos 5; 6 and 8. simply hungered and thirsted for the Word but could not find it. This is also the theme of Isaiah 5 and it defines the natural consequence of the loss of the WORD which is the only free Water (Isaiah 55) which satisfies while musical performance only produces a drug high which wears off leaving the people still hungering and thirsting for the Word. It is the word-only which--all by itself--brings light and life and spirit when it is delivered as commanded to the elders: "teach the word as it has been taught." Peter outlaws "private interpretation which is further expounding."The head of a university Bible department declares of the worship of "the starry host" in Israel and in Judah: "There's Nothing Wrong." The typical preacher does not grasp that according to Stephen and others the worship of the astrial deities (modern performing STARS) was imposed on Israel at Mount Sinai because this was their prayer in the musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.
Terry Briley at Lipscomb: "The book of Isaiah begins with an analysis of Israel's worship. Outwardly, there's nothing wrong. But their hearts are not engaged and their lives are disconnected from their worship."
What the non-scholararly understand is that:
"Sacrifices, rituals, festivals honoring Yahweh abounded,
but these rites were tangible evidence of lack of knowledge,
........... for they expressed the popular belief that
........... Yahweh could be pleased and pacified by cultic ceremonies."The condemnation of cultic rites introduced in Amos 4:4 f. and 5:4 f. is picked up again with new vehemence. It has been argued that Amos was not opposed to cultic ritual per se but condemned the mind set of the people by which responsibility to Yahweh was performed perfunctorily and without relationship to daily life and society.
"If we take Amos' words as they stand, there seems to be little doubt that he condemned the entire religious pattern--feasts, sacrifices, ritual music, offerings, tithes--everything. Gerald LaRue, History of the O.T.
The CAUSE has been the mantra that you cannot grow a church without a masters or Phd of course trained by those declaring that the Bible has been "sifted by philosophy and the Bible writers (who thought they were eye witnesses) own personal agenda, written long afterward from poor memory." When you remove the food and drink then people begin to wander from sea to sea looking for the SPIRITUAL FOOD which they know that they need but the professional peddlers of the Word cannot grasp.
Musical (charismatic) rituals cannot compete with staying at home and watching TV or free or the stealing CDs. The total effeminization of the "worship ritual" and theatrically delivered cut N paste sermonizing and simple-minded, erotic praise songs sends the masculine and rational mind fleeing from the possibility of a terminal contagion.
Rubel Shelly: The same Gallop information that produced the figures I've just cited also shows that nearly one adult in four, twenty-three percent, has left the church of his or her family's heritage. Robert Worthnow (spell ?) uses an even larger statistic. He claims that fully thirty-three percent of Americans have switched from one religious affiliation to another.
At the beginning of this decade, Robert Bella (spell ?) insisted that "it's unrealistic to assume that Christians today will stay where they were brought up. Both the Protestant principle of voluntarism and the modern respect for autonomous decision make it natural for adults to choose their own religious affiliation." Now you'd think that's a world ideal for those of us who've assembled at the 12th Restoration Forum. (at Abilene Christian University ACU ) You'd think it's a world ideal for what we're about. Our churches must be crowded. And our message must be attracting attention.
Perhaps the speaker has forgotten that the new organization destroyed voluntarism. Once, the church thought of itself as the body of Christ (locally) rather than Family of God (universal, ecumenical). The elders were, according to Scripture, the Pastor- Teachers of the flock. The Deacons should have been Teachers also based on the Biblical job description. However, a new breed of SENIOR PASTORS has developed. According to Rubel Shelly the "shepherds" (the new title) shepherd the "ministers become masters" because the ministers are best equipped to lead the congregation. The elders simply evaporate and a new set of male and female "servants" and professional ministry leaders take their place. Thus the threshing oxen has moved into the farmer's house to become surrogate father. The result is that those WHO SCATTERED the flock (for a price) now want to consolidate with more successful groups (for a bigger price) rather than repent and return to the Word.Research has shown that lectures are the least effective means of communicating. That is why "dialog" is seen as preaching but it takes away the key to knowledge from the one-another teaching role.
In the modern world people do not have to depend upon the pulpit for biblical education. They can find more on the internet in a few hours than a preacher can learn getting his masters from those who may not know much about the Word.
Because people are no longer ignorant they are no longer superstitious. They are not inclined to believe that the preacher is the mediator between God and man. They may know about "worship in spirit" which no one can perform for them or even facilitate. They rapidly grasp that musical worship teams to "lead you into the presence of God" is a mark that they need to leave.
They may have learned about tithing and even read 2 Cor 8 and 9 and fully grasp the money-clergy connection and no longer subscribe: "we gave at home." They no longer believe the "law of giving" which Paul denied. They have read and know that there is no "law of singing" secular writers. They know that Paul said to teach or preach to ONE ANOTHER using the Biblcal resources.
They have heard so much of the "Core Gospel" of seven facts about Jesus that they have decided that they shouldn't have to pay for a CORE any more. They may have had the minimal IQ to grasp that when Paul declared to "know only Christ and Him Crucified" it was just as harsh a sign of judgmentalism as his saying, "I see that you are all speaking in tongues which is singing your own composition out of your own head." They may have grasped that 20 years of preaching "just Jesus" was the ultimate insult to the Corinthians.
Gallup also found out that 80% of the preacher stories are pure fabrication: lies. The Navigators discovered that 85% of the preachers are feminine-oriented while 85% of the "audience" is masculine-oriented. Therefore, to most males, the theatrical performance model leaves them as cold as death. This was the Dionysus model the Jewish clergy tried to pull on Jesus to Triumph Over him to contradict Psalm 41. Jesus wasn't effeminate and therefore did not engage in the choral dance with raised hands clapping and moving as the clergy "piped" over him. That is, consistent with the halal praise, they tried to pollute Him or prostitute Him. Click to see the pictures.
This is consistent with awakenings or revivals or "great leaps forward" in religion: the pastor and women feel disenfrancised and therefore find common ground in converting to what Karen Armstrong in The History of God from "masculine education" to feminine rituals.
Navigators determined that 85% of the "pastors" are feminine-oriented while 85% of the congregation is masculine (rational) based. As with all "priesthoods" the role of the male is diminished.
The churches are failing get a huge dose of REPUDIATION of the "non-instrumental church of Christ" used like a RACA word. Shame at its fullest accrues to the SCRIBES and HYPOCRITES who take pay to SUBVERT the Word of God and the will of the paymaster of the HIRELINGS. Nowhere is the term HYPOCRITE and PHARISEE thrown around against those who refuse to bow over and then sing and dance while the PIPER pipes: In Hebrew the same word means to "play the flute, pollute and prostitute" and indeed that has never changed:
And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. Matthew 23:12
But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, HYPOCRITES for ye SHUT UP the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. Matthew 23:13
The Hypocrite, like the Scribes and Pharisees does not describe just a theatrical performance character but a SECT or PROFESSION of religious "god manipulator." He is GREAT SPEAKER, actor or HYPOCRIT and he is a PARASITE because he lives off the work of others.
Hupokrites (g5273) hoop-ok-ree-tace'; from 5271; an ACTOR under an assumed character (STAGE-player), i.e. (fig.) a dissembler ("hypocrite"): - hypocrite.
Wasn't it Rubel Shelly who was looking for a MUSICAL WORSHIP FACILITATOR with a degree in performing arts, music etc., to help lead the worshippers into the presence of God. How can the church grow when the One Mediator is replaced by HYPOCRITES.
Hupokrinomai (g5271) hoop-ok-rin'-om-ahee; mid. from 5259 and 2919; to decide (speak or act) under a false part, i.e. (fig.) DISSEMBLE (pretend): - feign.
All of these men DEVOUR WIDOWS HOUSES and are professionals at long prayers or speeches. They are:
Parasi-tus , i, m., = parasitos, lit. one who eats with another; hence, parasiti Jovis, the gods, Hence, parasitus Phoebi, a PLAYER, ACTOR. one who, by FLATTERY and BUFFOONERY, manages to live at another's expense, a sponger, TOAD-eater, PARASITE
This includes:
Rhetorikos, oratorical, (sc. TECHNE) rhetoric:----of persons, SKILLED in speaking, fit to be an orator.
The techne are the craftsmen who will go back into hell with the mother harlot, her musicians (muses of Abaddon or locusts), and instrumentalists.
The parasites were rhetoricians who ate up widow's houses. They thought that they were the agents of God and were needed to facilitate worship. Nothing could be more arrogance.
Rubel Shelly: Because in a post denominational, non-denominational, no longer affiliated to traditional denominational ties, those folks are bound to be, at least, giving us a close look. We must be leading huge numbers of people to the experience of Christ in salvation. Irony of ironies, though, most of the congregations I know about in the church of Christ or the independent Christian Churches, or the conservative Christians Churches cannot capitalize on the fact that we are in a post denominationa world.
The Baptist baptism adopted by many of the change agents is ancient pagan baptism. The command of Christ was that believers who were baptised would be saved. They would go on their way, quite alone at times, rejoicing. Rejoicing is something that happens in the heart and not in a charismatic worship ritual. When you don't cause people to be genuinely converted so that they can receive A holy spirit or A clear conscience which is the ability to read the Word without help as blinders, then they might look for AN EXPERIENCE as demanded by "believer's baptism." Therefore, when people are baptized to get logged into the preachers account book and are not DISCIPLED they receive nothing and die.As long as people are practicing ceremonial legalism to try to get people to EXPERIENCE CHRIST (whatever that means) because of our rituals then we have the answer to the question. The church was not like the pagan worship rituals but rather people went to the assembly to synagogue or educate one another.
Bringing people to salvation, according to the pre postmodern story of Christ was that evangelists were to go out, preach the gospel to bring people to faith in Christ and not to a charismatic "baptism of the Holy Spirit" which Rubel Shelly and John York credit to the Corinthians. Once they were believers the gospel demanded that they be baptized: this is the fundamental "good news" of Christ. Thereafter, the believers were not bundled into the sheepfold of a hireling but were entrusted to pastor-teachers for education.
Didn't Paul say something about the process of "planting, watering and allowing God to give the increase?"
This invention out of the wineskin vat implies that denominations have ceased to exist. Otherwise post-denominational is just a sillyism. On the contrary, at least 146 distinct Baptist groups have been formed and many people have decided that the "free word" (Isaiah 55) can just as well be dispensed in private homes.
Because of his defining away "doctrine" and leaving only a tiny "core" as the "gospel," the term post denominational is also associated with post modern meaning Post Biblical by a tiny drizzle of men who have become schizeophrenic and believe that what comes out of the sumps of "religious education" is more powerful than the time tested Word of God.
The "core" of the seven-varying-ones is all that this writer is going to permit you to believe and use to criticize other "denominations." It is interesting with this "clearing of the decks" for a one-world-religion goes a one-world-ethic which removes your freedom to critize me for anything. This is the modern meaning of Jubilee: forgive all of the old debts and restore all of the property to the "tribes."
The Latter Rain or Post-Modern teachers believe that defending faith or worship by the Biblical text is the old "modern" or denominational method and is therefore legalism. While they allow just a "core" gospel to still be normative, the terms are associated with the view that the Bible generally is not our guide. In the Restoration Movement nothing could be more jiddying among the clergy than to make fun of Behold the Pattern by Rubel Shelly followed by Joe Beam defining Behold the Pattern of Sectarianism.
Again, The Latter Rain wants you to believe along with the SCHOLARS that denominations shrink when the "fools who love to be fooled" simply follow in the paths of Dr. Shelly and take the "name" off the church building:
"You may even be a member of a denominational church, with its dogmatic confession of faith and statement of doctrine.
"Are you having difficulty discerning or receiving this "new revelation"? Then you have been interpreting your Bible in the "old way,"
"Those who would be chosen as the elect Manifest Sons of God by the modern Apostles and Prophets,
"It matters not that the blood of the martyrs was shed contending for the faith that was once delivered to the saints. Those who persist in being contentious about doctrine may join them when the great "revival" arrives circa A.D. 2000. Paul Crouch of Trinity Broadcasting promises:
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Beyond the scope of this review, it is clear that the locusts with scorpion stings in their tails are the symbols used by John to define the rise of the MUSES (turned into locusts) to MARK and drive away the faithful. But, they lock up those marked by Apollyon and the Muses and continue to torture them until Christ comes. It is a fact known even in the garden of Eden that the serpent or MUSICAL ENCHANTER can take away the key to knowledge. It is also known that before MUSIC gives you the sexual feel good it also punishes you so that you create endorphins. This is not spiritual but Satanic.This explains how psychologically-trained agents of the New World Order sound more like Machiavelli than Jesus. No, Bible-believing churches cannot capitalize on the repudiation of the Word of God and indeed why should they even want to try? Why? Why, we need more "bodies" if we are going to construct an Apollo (Abbadon, Apollyon) Seeker Center to herd in the goats.
Rubel Shelly continues: Even with our in-house rhetoric of non-denominational Christianity, people on the outside don't see us as post-denominational or non-denominational. In fact, we don't act very non-denominational, either.
We tend to preach more about the church than about Christ,
Rubel does not grasp that Paul said one thing but preachers "take liberties.Paul said: "I have decided to KNOW only Christ and Him crucified."
Preachers: "I have decided to PREACH only Christ and Him crucified."
That is the source of the Shelly CORE GOSPEL of seven facts about Jesus.
Paul meant that Jesus Christ as Full Deity laid aside His glory and majesty. He took on the form of a slave and criminal to die for mankind.
The LUCIFER PRINCIPLE of the "harp-playing prostitute" who tried to steal the glory of the WORD of God Who or Which IS God in the garden of Eden. Modern "teams" even adopt Lucifer names. ZOE was the "beast" and "female instructing principle." The Mother Goddess writers depict her as the MOTHER of Jehovah. The only way Jehovah could get out of the abyss was to sing PRAISE HYMNS up to Sophia and Zoe. This flattery got little dumb jehovah promoted up to the seventh heaven just below the SUPREME Deity. From there, jehovah had to continue to organize musical praise teams to WORSHIP Sophia and Zoe who is LUCIFER.
Sophia, Zoe, Eve, Mary etc. continue to be the GUIDING GODDESSES of the musical worship theme. She is the Babylon Harlot brought back to life from her grave on a bed of rotting maggots with her harps and harpists.
Man, on the other hand is "a little lower than the angels" or the lowest created order of beings.
Therefore, Christ laid aside ALL of that glory the LUCIFER TEAM tried to gain throught the Pharisees, Scribes, Hypocrits and Priests with their continuing musical assualt after Christ had died.
Christ appeared as the poorest of MEN through whom He would do battle against Lucifer as the HIGHEST created order. Jesus refused to bow, sing and dance when the LUCIFER people PIPED.
We know from the Greek world that musicians were still perverted parasites.
WE are the preachers who did not remain fired by Jesus as "doctors of the law who took awak the key to knowledge." We are supposed to be helping place STONES in the church which is the TEMPLE of God in Christ. Now in the literal temple, they slaughtered tens of thousands of TYPES of lord Jesus Christ. The "musicians" were "under the King and the commanders of the army" to serve the priests but not God who needed no innocent slain animals. Not in Jerusalem nor in the most vile pagan temples did the Levitical "musicians" whose "service" was hard bondage ever enter into the Holy or Most Holy Place. The Holy Place was a type of the BODY OF CHRIST. Any musicians who entered even into the CARNAL type of the body of Christ would have themselves been slaughtered. Daniel 11 prophesies of the Abomination of Desolation and speaks directly to the POLLUTION of the temple. The word is CHALAL and it is translated as "play the flute, pollute or prostitute."
You CANNOT preach Christ without preaching the BODY of Christ.
Growth comes from feeding people with the milk and meat of the Word and not form the burden Jesus died to removed which was "spiritual anxiety created by religious ceremonial." Perhaps the church of Christ doesn't grow because it has adopted the Methodist "social gospel" and diverted the resources and energy of the church away from being a synagogue or SCHOOL OF THE BIBLE and made it into a pyramidal ministery scheme.
But then the church is the visible manifestation of the body of Christ of which He is the Head. We don't have to provide a "venue for Rock and Roll (the F word) nor Rap" to facilitate or ascend into His presence. Nor do we feel the need to open pulpits to "gay" preachers in their terminal days.
Efforts such as Jubilee and the "conferences" around the country are efforts to become bundling buddies in a denominational form. True "synagogues" are no bigger than the local congregation teaching what it believes to be correct. "Post denominational" is not the same as "non denominational." Post denominational as in The Community Church means "we will gladly take anyone's money."
The church of Christ has no organization larger than the local congregation and therefore has no taint of denominationalism.
A denomination has central headquarters to which you owe money, allegiance and get your preacher assignment. It is a fact that Jubilee-influenced Bible School literature is on the move and the ZOE movement is training "musical mediators." It is amazingly prophetic that the Sophia-Zoe was the feminine godhead dominating the male gods and turning them into effeminate musical worship teams. They called her The Beast, the feminine side of bisexual Lucifer.
Max Lucado preaches about the Cosmic Christmas and muses that Lucifer(Shamash, ZOE) might be redeemed. Rubel Shelly wants to "baptize Santa Clause" and any thing the culture has to offer as long as it can be baptized or "colored Christian." We remember that the Israelites "colored" the Egyptian Triad under the image of Apis the bull calf as "worshiping Yahweh." Yahweh was not impressed and "turned Israel over to worship the starry host" according to Stephen. Nevertheless, Rubel Shelly sees the Israelites sentenced to worship that which they "prayed for": Molech, Chiun, Remphan as Saturn or the S.U.N. God which Shelly wants to "color" as the S.O.N.
However, as proof of where the preachers are, read this sermon or Rubel's sermon against the non-instrumentalists and see that the thorn in the flesh is an antiism supercharged with battery acid. The antism is against those who will not or cannot agree with the new creed of wineskins and feminine-effeminate worship.
"New wine is not poured into old wineskins, or they might break, and aged wine is not poured into a new wineskin, or it might spoil." Gospel of Thomas.
Rubel Shelly: more about our Restorationist issues than about the atonement, couching too much of what we say, I'm afraid, in historical context rather than just standing up and speaking a bold word for the Lord.
WE speak a lot about restorationists issues because THAT IS WHERE THE SECRET ATTACK is mounted. Rubel Shelly claims that things such as INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC is a restorationist movement. He does not know that the universal BIBLICAL PATTERNISM is that music always told God: "We will not listen to your words." You might look at ACU's patternism of training agents to go out and facilitate the NEW CHANGES. Unfortunately "scholars" write books by quoting "scholars" and the FACTS are all wrong."History" is modern: Post-Modern is well past history. It is forging a new path which is identical to that in the most Ancient Near Eastern Texts which define the worship USING women musicians at the towers of Babylon.
The Lord can speak for Himself if we just sit down, shut up and let Him speak from His Words.
It is a fact that the wineskin dogmas in its various forms seeks not to restore first century Christianity but to restore the Cane Ridge model of charismatic dissociation. Again, amazingly, the Cane Ridge and similar revivals was almost identical to devil worship of ancient and modern Mesopotamians.
When the team begins to sing, the people begin to shuffle about, some begin to sway others begin to raise their hands and many begin to clap their voodoo beat to the music you can see that as a SUPERNATURAL SIGN that you have tried to "ascend into the presence of God" and been "cast out into the earth" where you are just eating dust.
Wouldn't it be better to stand up and speak the bold word of the Lord in song and sermon (Ephesians 5; Col 3) rather than to sing idle songs and improvize like David? Restoration is always in order:
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. Isaiah 58:12
The Shelly/University Axis just hates "the old paths."
When Israel fell back into musical worship in Samaria, Amos shows that musical rituals was the result of a disregard for the Word. In time, the people would hunger and thirst for the Word but could not find it. Therefore, God said
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old: Am.9:11
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it:
........... but I found none. Eze.22:30Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment. Isaiah 59:15
And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him. Isaiah 59:16
No, doctors of the law, the musical performers do not "lead the worshiper into the presence of God." That means, no, musical artists are NOT THE MEDIATORS REPLACING LORD JESUS CHRIST. And to claim it is a terminal sin. If a Levitical "musician" attempted to lead the priest into the holy place he would be run through with a sword: only one worshiper and God in the "Throne Room" at a time.
For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. Isaiah 59:17
According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompense. Isaiah 59:18
So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Isaiah 59:19
See how the Stand in the Gap was the fulfillment of Psalm 41 in attempt to aid Judas in triumphing over Jesus
- They have overtaken me in a narrow pass (gap) without escape
- And there is no rest for me in my trial.
- They sound my censure upon a harp
- and their murmuring and storming upon a zither." Ps.41:11
- Anguish seizes me
- like the pangs of a woman in travail, (John 16:21)
- and my heart is troubled within me.
- I am clothed in blackness
- and my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth. (Vermes, 165f)
- Nevertheless, In Victory Jesus says:
- I will groan with the zither of lamentation
- in all grief-stricken mourning and bitter complaint
- until iniquity and wickedness are consumed
- and the disease-bringing scourge is no more.
- Then will I play on the zither of deliverance
- and harp of joy,
- on the tabors of prayer and the pipe of praise
- without end.
The Atonement was one of the key topics which occupied the leaders of the Restoration Movement. However, if you write a book to pass judgment on dead men based on how many times they used the word "atonement" or "cross" then you have established a non-Biblical standard. In fact, I am not sure that the word "atonement" is part of the seven ones.
Rubel Shelly: Most who come into our assemblies can't even translate what they hear because they don't know what familiar-to-us terms such as "Restoration plea, or "Old Paths,"
Christ had a remedy for that in the Church of Christ in the wilderness. The assembly, Qahal, Synagogue or ekklesia in Stephen's message:
It was INCLUSIVE of Rest (from preaching), Reading and Rehearsing the Word of God.
It was EXCLUSIVE of vocal or instrumental rejoicing.
Acts 15:21 For Moses
of old time hath
in every city
them that preach him,
being read in the synagogues
every sabbath [rest] day.
This is James' endorsement of the synagogue as having prepared the Gentiles also for Christ.
Perhaps some preacher should explain the term and the principle which is part contained in the Pre-Post-Biblical sermonizing:
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
........... But they said, We will not walk therein. Jer 6:16Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet.
........... But they said, We will not hearken. Jer 6:17The clergy-laded burden is "spiritual anxiety created by religious ritual." Jesus died to relieve that burden and give everyone rest from the professional "teams" inducing anxiety in order to peddle it as a "spiritual feeling" when they are, like Corinth, "doing more harm than good."
When you hear the trumpet blast in your congregation then you know that while your watchmen have fiddled on the watchtowers, the enemy (speaking in tongues) has stolen your sheep (Isaiah 28 quoted by Paul in 1 Cor. 14)
In our experience, the musical people take over (beginning with Myhr in the first musical sectarianism) the people of the Christian church or Disciples have infiltrated and will take "the church of Christ" sign off the place.
Restorationist issues certainly did not include the use of choirs and instrumental music. None of the churches out of which those wanting to be restored had used theatrical performance and clearly understood from men like Luther and Calvin and all of the church Fathers the reasons why.
Therefore, for Dr. Shelly and ACU's information, instrumental music is a Post-Restoration issue.
It is no credit to "christian" scholarship when its leading lights are totally ignorant of the universal repudiation of sense-stimulation (sexual) as a way to induce a feeling which is peddled as "spiritual."
This is such a profound mystery that it is not possible to believe that people are so mind-drained that they do not know the truth.
The sad, but supernaturally predicted, meaning is that people are deliberate mind manipulators and, like those Jesus condemned, a den of vipers and children of their "father." Yes, that statement of freedom is also "Gospel." And Jesus would say: "Come out of them" before you get roped to the millstone.
The Jude-Enoch warning about God coming with ten thousand saints to execute judgment proves that the univeraly belief was that Satan and his agents are behind musical facilitation.
A modern, liberal, scholar notes that: "There is no other tradition about musical instruments" but that they are connected to the demons.
A restorationist issue now denied by Dr. Shelly was the nature and purpose of Baptism held faithfully until Zwingli.
God promised that in contending for the faith in the time of Jesus:
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deut 18:18
And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him. Deut 18:19
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name,
which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die. Deut 18:20
And why not? Jesus identified them as the Devil and liars for speaking POST BIBLICAL information. Don't you see why it is so important for the enemies of Christ and His Word to discredit it? Sure, it condemns exactly what they are selling you "at a price too high."
And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits (Old, empty wineskins), and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter (these people used musical devices and said that the gods lived inside of them): should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isaiah 8:19
To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,
........... it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20Rubel Shelly: or even "plan of salvation," or "church autonomy" mean.
John Calvin calles for a Restoration Movement for what he called The Church of Christ.
We maintain, then, that at the Commencement, when God raised up Luther and others, who held forth a torch to light us into the way of salvation, and who, by their ministry, founded and reared our churches, those heads of doctrine in which the truth of our religion,
We maintain that the use of the sacraments was in many ways vitiated and polluted. And we maintain that the government of the Church was converted into a species of foul and insufferable tyrannythose in which the pure and legitimate worship of God, and those in which the salvation of men are comprehended, were in a great measure obsolete.
Every literate Bible student knows that God has a plan to save. That included faith and baptism (Mk 16) and was a question asked at Pentecost: What must I do to be saved? It is either God's plan of salvation or man's plan of salvation. Pseudo-scholars claim to believe (I doubt it) that the church of Christ is unique and that the name came into existence after the musical sectarians sowed discord and divided the church. However, that is gross ignorance. Click for some historical evidence.See how Clement of Alexander defined the plan of salvation as including baptism. Not even John Smyth, claimed as father of Baptist, believed in Believer's Baptism which is essentially a pagan baptism quite equivalent to the Catholic Sabbath Eucharist as more devotion to Saturn (Satan) that Jesus. See how this was repudiated by all early church of Christ scholars including Clement
See how The Walk to Emmaus is essentially the Roman Catholic Cursillo movement. Roman Catholics inform most modern cults such as the Cross Roads, International Church of Christ, Promise Keepers and other groups spawned by Bob Mumford endorsed by Rubel Shelly. Click for the beginning of several "me too" shepherding urges.
Did we never hear of the Congregationalists in New England. Church autonomy or freedom from Jubilee movements is fundamental gospel.
Rubel Shelly: Those are coded words us, people, and they don't communicate very well with folks who didn't start where we started
Most literate people understands that God must surely have a plan to save if there is a plan. Most literate people can define "church" and define the word "autonomy." Perhaps people are smarter than believed and are ready to move on to "eat meat" and quite getting insulted as Paul insulted the Corinthians by "not baptizing many" and by "preaching just Christ and Him crucified."Just look up The Plan of Salvation on the internet and you will see that EVERYONE uses that term and most will tell you just to believe.
Dr. Shelly and entire crew find it convenient in church bashing to attribute everything they despise to the Restoration Movement. However, we have shown that these "scholars" do not remotely grasp that there is a Biblical command to "follow biblical commands and examples." Nor are they aware (or are they?) that
this has been the method of determining God's authority for the entirety of the Bible and church history.
If I could be God. Or if I just played "parent." How would I tell Carrie to come home early?
If I have a way of communicating, is God so minimiliazed that He cannot communicate?? duHuh?They hate John Locke because John Locke said the same thing. Hear John Locke define heresy to accuse those who make additions without Biblical authority. That is why they hate John Locke even though not one in a thousand have ever read him or Campbell's Declaration and Address.
Rubel Shelly: Much less do they care to know about our fratricidal wars over the authority of elders, instrumental music in worship, whether to be having unity forums like this, or versions of the Bible.
It would not be possible for an honest person to be able to define an ekklesia or synagogue and worry about whether to have instrumental noise when Jesus (only) comes to teach when the elders teach that which has been taught.
It might come as a surprise to doctors of the Law (but not Jesus) that there is no MUSICAL word in the Bible not sourced from Satan, the arena of prostitutes and Sodomites, warriors playing instruments and chanting warrior psalms to threaten the enemy or the exorcism noised made in the CURSE of the sacrificial system imposed BECAUSE of musical idolatry
None of the unifiers grasps that music is the LUCIFER WEAPON OF CHOICE. It began in heaven as She/he was trying to bleed off worship offered to God. Music AS worship had always been repudiated. The MUSICAL SECTARIANS claimed to a Judge that the music just AIDED the worship and that if music became a PART of worship it would be SINFUL. The Judged gagged at that legalistic dodge but the musical sectarians set the mark: if you use music as worship then you are, according to them, sinning.The war began when the instrumentalists infiltrated, diverted and stole the church houses of non instrumentalists. They still can't get over the fact that the South could not be subverted by women carpetbaggers after the civil war. The only fratricical (brother killers) wars have been WAGED by instrumentalists. In Rubel's words taking liberties as he does with the Bible "Those being invaded turned hostile and mounted an attack." That is the old guilt clause to rid themselves of the sin.
Rhetoricians, thespians, singers and instrumentalists were all ENCHANTERS identified as the TECHNE of the Babylon Whore team. For instance, we know that we are to SPEAK OR TEACH the Psalms but Scripture lacks any INSTRUMENT PLAYERS or the idea of harmony.
Rhêtor-ikos , ê, on, oratorical, hê rhêtorikê (sc. technê) rhetoric, ...
2. of persons, skilled in speaking, fit to be an orator, Isoc.3.8, Pl.Phdr.260c, 272d, al.; phusei rh. ib.269d, etc.; scholastikos rh. OGI693 (Egypt).
The super speakers, rather than applauded, were the craftsmen. They were the Lamech family whose techne was KORESH.
Technê 1 [tiktô]
I. art, skill, craft in work, cunning of hand, esp. of metal-working, Od.; of a shipwright, Il.; of a soothsayer, Aesch., Soph.
2. art, craft, cunning, in bad sense, doliê t. Od.; in pl. arts, wiles, cunning devices, id=Od., etc.
3. the way, manner or means whereby a thing is gained, without any sense of art or craft, mêdemiêi technêi in no wise, Hdt.; pasêi technêi by all means, Ar.; pantoiêi t. Soph.
Word appears with:
Rhapsôid-ikos , ê, on, of or for a rhapsodist: hê -kê (with and without technê) the rhapsodist's art, Pl.Ion 538b, 540a, al. Adv. -kôs Eust. 3.55 .
Let Socrates convince you NOT to applaude those who depend on their HUMAN ART AND SKILL.
Cithari-zo , a-re, v n., = kitharizô, to play on or strike the cithara, Nep. Epam. 2, 1; Vulg. Apoc. 14, 2..
Same meaning in Greek:
Parasitor . a-ri, v. dep. [id.] , to play the parasite, to sponge: parasitarier, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 54 : parasitando pascere ventres suos, id. Pers. 1, 2, 3
Prosana-phusao , play on the flute, Pl.Com.69.6 (leg. proana-).
Hupauleô , play on the flute in accompaniment, melos tisi Alcm. 78 ; penthimon ti D.C.74.5 ; hu. lusiôidois Posidon.4J. ; Pandionidi Luc. Harm.1 : abs., Id.Salt.83.
Kithara the Lat. cithara (whence guitar), a kind of lyre or lute, Hhymn., Hdt., attic: --it was of triangular shape, with seven strings, Eur. Cf. ki^tha^rizô
Latin with similar definitions
Parasi-tor . a-ri, v. dep. [id.] , to play the parasite, to sponge: parasitarier, Plaut. Stich. 4, 2, 54 : parasitando pascere ventres suos, id. Pers. 1, 2, 3 .
Clement writes of the common tribe: why should we assume that we are exempt?
"Appropriate designations of such people as so indulge are flies, weasels, flatterers, gladiators, and the monstrous tribes of parasites-the one class surrendering reason, the other friendship, and the other life, for the gratification of the belly;
crawling on their bellies, beasts in human shape after the image of their father, the voracious beast. People first called the abandoneda 0sw/touj, and so appear to me to indicate their end, understanding them as those who are (a0sw/souj) unsaved, excluding the j. For those that are absorbed in pots, and exquisitely prepared niceties of condiments, are they not plainly abject, earth-born, leading an ephemeral kind of life, as if they were not to live [hereafter]?
But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Jude 10
These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Jude 12
Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. Jude 13
And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, Jude 14
Enoch defines the musical performers taught by fallen angels as those for whom God will come with ten thousand of his saints. Begin Here.
Apparently in selecting new elders (The Flight of The Wild Geese Paradigm) under the dominant pastor system being actively promoted by university professors with a vested interest, according to Dr. Shelly
the elders must not presume to any authority over the concensus opinion of the congregation.
The dominant pastor shapes the concensus and will allow no one not a "preacher" to mount the pulpit (the most holy place).
Therefore, consistent with denominations, the elders are the pastor's "board of subservient directors."
The role of the elders began in the Bible and was well documented by Clement of Rome to the churches Paul ministered to. Therefore, it is less than straight shooting to try to destroy churches of Christ for inventing the issue of "authority of elders." If people are ignorant of the history then the pastor has been successful in "taking away the keys to knowledge."
Joe Beam claims that churches of Christ who defy the "annointed one's" effort to introduce instruments are ZEALOTS. By making them extremists they become sicarri-assassins. However, Judas the Sicarri was the Satan type whose bag of greed was "for carrying the mouthpieces of wind instruments."
Now, Dr. Shelly makes those who resist instrumental music in worship (an oxymoron) fratricical. That means "brother murderers."
"Music" is not an operative "worship" word in the entire Bible except as:
The device of prostitutes
The exorcizing evil spirits
Creating panic in battle
Creating a great crashing sound during the animal burning times when the "people" were put "outside the camps"And very often a sign and MARK that says: "We will not listen to your word.
Now, who can resist the bully effort to introduce instruments if everyone is gonna know that you are a zealot and a brothe killer if you raise your voice against US?
Brother bashing always involved the sectarians dividing the church by adding choirs and instruments to compete with Catholics or Anglican-derived churches.
If we didn't introduce instruments then war would not be started by the rise of the "legalists" just resisting being tossed out of the building they have paid for.
Literate Baptists and Presbyterians know that faithful members resisted instrumental manipulation along with churches of Christ and many (the majority) of religious people who do not attempt to worship god with a machine.
I don't know of a fratricidal war begun by the "laity" or even by the elders who were, in Biblical jargon, the only pastor-teachers in the local flock.
If people would not approve (yea, demand) of instrumental music by making it an opinion then the musical wing would never have become sectarian by adding music when a straight-line back to the Tower of Babylon proves that
not attempting to move the worshipers into the presence of God was the "truth held en toto"
This consensus view was sected-out by ursurping "pastors" such as Pendleton who bragged that he was the first sectarian in the new Restoration Movement. That is, he ignored the total rejection of music by post-biblical scholarship (even the Catholic Encyclopedia) and imposed an organ over the forceful removal of the organ (melodian) by an elder.
The first lawsuit of the Christian church stealing church property was held in Tennessee. The leaders of the evangelistic music and institution adders freely confessed:
> That if instruments are a part of the worship then adding instruments is sinful.
> However, they claimed with a straight face, the instrument is not a part of the worship but only an aid to worship.
> The Judge ruled that it was nonsense that the instrument would not be part of the worship.
> Therefore, the musical sectarians confessed and the Judge agreed that adding instruments (spite of hell and church division) was a sin.
Dr. Rubel Shelly may think that to "defend" against an "attack" (re: Second Incarnation) is fratricidal but this may just be psychological intimidation?
By what stretch of the imagination does anyone believe that they can achieve unity in a forum when those who attend have already become united in principle against the clear Biblical and historical evidence which is opposed to trying to worship a Spirit God with the "works of human hands" and truly ceremonial legalism of musical ritual performance?
> There is no evidence that spiritual worship, even among the Jews, was ever attempted by the pure-legalism of using a machine to assualt the vaults of heaven.
> God excluded the people's congregation when the "noise" signaled the beginning and ending of animal sacrifices.
> The synagogue had no praise service.
> The New Testament church worship is not remotely related to "praise." People assembled but they "did" synagoguing.
> The historical church did not use self-composed (carnal) songs or instruments.
> The first music was a Seeker-System to pay for cathedrals even as the official Catholic view as late as 1913 repudiated instrumental worship for the mass. The Sistine chapel excluded instruments and "A Cappella" is not "A Biblical" but was choirs to entertain the pope who could not participate with instrumental music.
Rubel Shelly: Walking into an assembly where such issues are the topic of instruction or discussion
must leave those people in the same state of mind as those, who, in the first
century, stumbled into an assembly where tongue-speaking was going on.As a matter, for we Bible students, Paul equated speaking in tongues to the noise of lifeless instruments which have no breath in them. His ultimate mark of LOVELESS would be a pagan claiming that a spirit was guiding them.
kat-auleô , A. charm by flute-playing, flute to you on a ghastly flute, E.HF871 (troch.):--Pass., of persons, methuôn kai katauloumenos drinking wine to the strains of the flute, Pl.R.561c; k. pros chelônidos psophon to be played to on the flute with lyre accompaniment, Posidon.10 J., cf. Call.Fr.10.3 P., Phld.Mus.p.49 K.
psoph-os , ho, [Inarticulate sound] 2. mere sound, Used with hoplon , to, hoplon arourês sickle, which is a CARNAL WEAPON.
2. c. gen. loci, make a place sound with flute-playing, Thphr.Fr.87:-- Pass., resound with flute-playing, nêsos katêuleito Plu.Ant.56 .
II. in Pass., [ton monochordon kanona] parechein tais aisthêsesi . . katauloumenon subdued by a flute accompaniment, Ptol.Harm.2.12: metaph., to be piped down, ridiculed, gelômenoiEph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
We do NOT wrestle against flesh and blood:
Pale (g3823) pal'-ay; from pallo, (to vibrate; another form for 906); wrestling: - / wrestle
Pallô, poise, sway a missile before it is thrown, sway, brandish, she drove it furiously, tripped on the shield-rim, quiver, leap, esp. in fear, II. Pass., swing, dash oneself, Pi.N.5.21; vibrate, of strings, Pl.Phd.94c (psalloito ap. Stob.); skirtêtikon kai pallomenon to neon (etym. of Pallas) Corn.ND20, cf. Pl.Cra. 407a. III. intr., leap, bound,
This is so far beyond rational that one wonders where to begin in teaching the first steps: "A, B, C" or "little hand on 12 and big hand on 1."Why would discussing "who is on first" or discussing the ancient history of instrumental idolatry be compared to "speaking in tongues?"
The Classical and post apostolic church "fathers" always connect instrumental musical worship to speaking in tongues as did Paul in First Corinthians 13 and 14.
While the Bible associates using instruments with speaking in tongues, Dr. Shelly equates discussing why we don't use instruments to speaking in tongues.
So much for "among the scholars" who applaud and promote such error.
The preacher needs to quit confusing people if he cannot begin at the garden of Eden or the "first stop off the Ark" in downtown Babylon and show that the not-so-hidden message is that Satan used instruments to mind-alter people so that they did not worship God but worshiped the mixed-sex choirs, the new wine and the magical, supernatural sounds out of instruments which proved that the "gods" were in their presence or that they had "been moved into the presence of the gods." This message is inherent in the names of Lamech's Children: Lamech received his second incarnation among the Babylonians as Ea, the patron god of music, whom Inanna (Ishtar) got drunk and stole the gift of instrumental music, the gift of the eldership and the gift of licking the phallus.
Have we also missed that in our quest for "unity in diversity?" Do Universities not feel it helpful to teach its 'preacher' students that singing self-composed songs "out of their own spirit" was speaking in tongues?
Paul in 1 Cor 13 uses musical terms: the sounding gong was the hi-tek, Greek equivalent of the old wineskin or familiar spirit of the witch of Endor or the nebel (harp) used by the nabal (vile one). Enchanting and Satan's training of Jubal (Genun) to seduce the people with mixed-sex choirs, wine and instrumental music is the theme of the book of Enoch quoted by Jude.
The guilt principle means that if you preach and defend the Biblical and historical message against instrumental music, or any music calculated to lead people somewhere rather than teach them the Word of Christ or spirit, you are divisive and sectarian.
There were those saying that they could "not abide the election of a Republican President." In which event they would destroy the Union. "And then, you say, the great crime of having destroyed it will be upon us! That is cool. A highwayman holds a pistol to my ear, and mutters through his teeth, "Stand and deliver, or I shall kill you, and then you will be a murderer." Abraham Lincoln, Frost, Vol. 1, p. 274
Shouldn't any preacher know that it was Paul who compared music and singing "praise songs" out of their own spirit to unsure military commands, trying to speak to God when He was trying to speak to the group (1 Cor 14:2), just speaking to the air Goddess (14:9), and speaking in tongues? His carnal weapons and lifeless instruments were denounced as charismatic tools to attract the "seekers."
Bruner, in The Holy Spirit clearly knows that most church music is "low level glossolalia." And so all of the Classical writers understood it as the soothsayer's method to make an intimate connection with the goddess (had to pay for it, too.)
Rubel Shelly: They left without being edified. They didn't know where to say the "amen" and there was no spiritual profit.In Romans 14 where the DIET sects were seenin the marketplace (where Jesus consigned the pipers, singers and instrumentplayers). Paul outlawed "doubtful disputations" which would include anything including songs or sermons which come out of the human imagination. All of these sects were addicted to religious and perverting music.
In Romans 15 Paul outlawed SELF-pleasure which points to all of the hypocritic arts including rhetoric, singing and instrument players: John marks these as "fruity" and Sorcery in Revelation 17-18.
Edified does not mean, as Huxley noted, spiritual masturbation by the theatrical group. Or, heavens help us, "Dancing on the rim." Edified means to build up through teaching the Word. Spiritual means "mental" and if the people hear book reviews or off-the-web sermonettes then don't blame me.ALL musical or instrument names or concepts have deep roots into military warfare, panicking the enemy, or to "make melody" in your heart and make you bleed to death: melody is not a musiTwanging a Bow String to Send a Singing Arrowcal worship.
The concept of "music as worship" has no Biblical foundation but total support from all superstitious paganism: it is not a Biblical Worship Word or Concept!
The end was teaching and admonishing. Making people feel good was the goal of the pagan prophetess while education totally from the inspired Word was the purpose of the church assembly. If removed from studied and mind-deadening shouthing, posturing and weaving stand-up comedy with bad jokes and Chaper One, Verse 1d it might be possible for visitors to comprehend the simple teachings of God.
Exhilarated worship (Second Incarnation) is ceremonial legalism. Rapture is related to Rape:
That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: Acts 17:27
SEEK THE MAJOR WORSHIP WORD: Zeto (g2212) dzay-teh'-o; of uncert. affin.; to seek (lit. or fig.); spec. (by Heb.) to worship (God), or (in a bad sense) to plot (against life): - be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (* will) seek (after, for, means). Comp. 4441.
FEEL AFTER: Pselaphao (g5584) psay-laf-ah'-o; from the base of 5567 (comp. 5586); to manipulate, i.e. verify by contact; fig. to search for: - feel after, handle, touch.
For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. ACTS 17:28
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art (man's trade) and mans device. Ac17:29
DEVICE MEANS TO FEEL OURSELVES AND NOT GOD:
Enthumesis (g1761( en-thoo'-may-sis; from 1760; deliberation: - device, thought., ,
Enthumeomai (g1760) en-thoo-meh'-om-ahee; from a comp. of 1722 and 2372; to be inspirited, i.e. ponder: - think.
Thumos (g2372) thoo-mos'; from 2380; passion (as if breathing hard): - fierceness, indignation, wrath.
Philo coined the word enthus o mania which was the madness Paul warned about in Corinth.
Rubel Shelly: People who are not already immersed in our American Restoration Movement tradition typically come to our assemblies or open themselves to conversation with one with one of us because of a situation of need in their lives and they know we're religious.
People familiar with the Word of God, with church history, with the history of their Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Islamic or most religions should--unless their preachers totally failed them--will already know as much as the preacher about congregational assemblies not associated with denominations and with the fact that their groups did not--and many still do not--attempt to worship God with machines.They will be smart enough to know that they are supposed to admire the preacher, the organist, the drummer or the theatrical music team rather than God. They are not stupid.
I believe that the speaker knows of no instance when a hungry or homeless person came to the church and was taken aside for a diatribe about instrumental music or church organization. That is what I believe.
Why will the visitor believe that he is attending a "church of Christ" but hears the preacher 'trash' churches of Christ--the hand what fed him and sent his kids through college--without believing that this is surely a "loyal" professional?
If I went to the Jeep place and the salesman began to tell me all of the evil problems with the Jeep I am sure that I would love to buy one.
You know, I have never heard a visitor being trounced with a story about the American Restoration Movement. Gallup claims that 80% of preacher's stories are just made up.
If you believe that being against manipulative worship including loud singing and instrumental music is just our tradition -- as reported by a Nashville paper quoting a college president -- then we are profoundly ignorant of the Bible and church and pagan history. The Restoration Forum XII will not fix that.
Preaching rather than evangelism is a later-day-restoration tradition. Singing four-part-Fanny with four different groups singing four different sets of words at four different times with four different tunes is just a latter-day tradition.
Passing the basket to buy a retirement plan is counter-Paul and a latter-day tradition.
Hiring a Located Evangelist (located traveling salesman) to be Dominant Pastor is denominational, traditionalism and Anti-Christ and Anti-Biblical.
Building a building is traditionalism.
Public prayers led by "ole Joe just put on the program to get him to church" is just traditionalism: Jesus said that prayer is in the private places.
Bragging about the "weekly take" is just traditionalism.
"Christian" Colleges to promote anti-Biblical views is just tradition.
Holding workshops to steal prophecies is just traditionalism and anti-Biblical.
Using machines to worship or aid the 'worship' of a Spirit God is just traditionalism which first clearly popped up at the Towers of Babylon.
Christimas festivals to honor the S.U.N. god as the second incarnation of the S.O.N. God is traditionalism imposed upon Israel for their sin of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.
Easter services is the tradition of the women lamenting for Tammuz and the men bowing to the S.U.N. gods right there in the temple.
NOT USING instruments as worship machines or "mind-altering, chemical inducers" is not based on TRADITION. It is the clearest practice taught in the entire Bible but not one "Among the Scholars" has read the Bible without it being filtered.
Speaking the Biblical text without instruments is no more tradition than the preacher's refusing to have the choir plugged in during his sermon.
Rubel Shelly: Perhaps there's moral confusion, maybe there's brokenness. But these people are wanting to hear gospel, "good news," that will give them hope. They want compassionate ministry to their needs and hurts. Only if they hear a message of God's presence, and deal with people whose interest in them is genuine, will they believe that they're in touch with the spiritual body of Christ.
Sounds like a Restoration Forum XII problem: It is total arrogance to define the gospel as the CORE when Jesus wanted the whole APPLE taught. The purpose of the church was not to peddle new wine from a new wineskin to seekers or to be the Pop psychologist or "fixer of bad breath" for the world. The church was ekklesia only in that it was an assembly: one went to the ekklesia as one goes to city council meeting. People do not go there to receive a compassionate ministry to their hurts. And if they go to their counselor they do not expect to hear sermons. The carpenter does not do brain surgery and the supermarket is not the free food bank.However, people went to the assembly which in Hebrew translated into Greek was synagogue. One "synagogued" to be educated in the Word of God: they did not go to listen to the president of the synagogue spend most of his time telling them what a rotten system God created or diatribe against the fact that the synagogue had no choir.
The "gospel" is not the "social gospel." The poor we always have with us; the prisoners who were innocent were worthy of help, the orphan needed sheltering. However, the role of the church is to make know the manifest wisdom of God and the only resource is the Word of God which has not been FILTERED through "higher education."
Paul insisted that among people who had accepted the "core" and were no longer carnal and could "eat meat":
Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 1 Timothy 4:13
The purpose of the church was to tell the people what Christ wanted them to know. If they have a severe mental or emotional problem a pop course in 'counselling' will get you no where (I heard Jimmy Swaggert preach against young men "counselling" young women very well just before the motel room.)
Take up a collecton and send mental problems to experts in the field and then you can just go door-to-door obeying the absolute demand of Jesus to GO, preach, baptize and then teach. Didn't commission us to hear pop psychology and call it good news.
How can meeting people's moral problems be "gospel" when all of the APPLE has been trimmed off and all you have left is:
Rubel Shelly: "A core doctrine is one that,relates directly to Christ, ,
his substitutionary death on the cross and our acknowledgement of him in obedient faith.
It is a fact that Jesus and everyone else were ignorant of the CORE: so they preached the gospel of the kingdom of Christ that being the Church of Christ.
Perhaps "among the scholars" it needs to be stated that the Logos idea is central to the Bible beginning in Genesis. The problem for sermon sifting is that the Hebrew word is DABAR.
Paul preached this core gospel to the Corinthians because they were still carnal. Paul said this was just "milk." To the "perfected" he would teach the meat of the Word. The Corinthians never rose above being carnal. The the "paying audience" knew what was being said to insult their intelligence by the use of the core doctrine they might just up and fire 'em.
KNOWING CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED cannot be translated PREACHING ONLY CHRIST.
Knowing Christ defines the sacrificial, ready to be despised and rejected by men (especially the clergy). Christ would never get invited to deliver a predictable agreement with the already-pro instrumental group. Rather, "knowing Christ" knows that the clergy tried to pollute or triumph over Jesus with music.
Therefore, the TEACHING ONLY CHRIST is absolute proof that one DOES NOT KNOW CHRIST AS A CRUCIFIED and despised "criminal."
The Christ Versus the Devil Test.
KNOWING Christ and Him crucified is an easy test:
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. John 7:16
........... If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
........... whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. John 7: 17The doctrine (teaching) of Christ involves everything Christ taught and everything He, as Spirit, revealed to the Apostles.
But, if John just filtered in human ideas, how can we know that Jesus REALLY said that? And if the CORE people are right then John was not a preacher of truth. Therefore, because John condemns the very presumptions of the Core (Korah) cult, the conclusion is that "we can just dismiss John and turn his condemnation into the 'applause of heaven' for us." That was the original patternism of the fallen Satan.
If I wanted to make up my own "gospel" which contradicts that of Jesus, I would want to discredit John as inspired. Of course, this denies that Christ even came in the flesh and this makes one an Anti-Christ:
He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory:
........... but he that seeketh his glory that sent him,
........... the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him. John 7:18It is totally unrighteous to claim that the non-instrumental people who are faithful to the Word and historical practices are guilty of sowing discord by resisting the ongoing effort to force ancient paganism into the 'worship.'
It is speaking "of himself" to make such a claim.
Therefore, as agreeing with the pro-instrumental group is the fastest way to gain approval, he is seeking his own glory.
Jesus proposed another answer to the CORE destruction: If people cannot understand the speech of Christ it is because they have already accepted a different father:
Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer (soul killer) from the beginning,
- and abode not in the truth,
- because there is no truth in him.
- When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own:
- for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. John 8:45
Now, you begin to see how John must be "truth murdered." He condemns what has become "church" as holy entertainment and he has Jesus saying that those who use Narrative Theology are liars. And if they are liars it is because they have the Devil for a "father."
Sounds like a lot of preachers want to take away the APPLE and just leave the CORE so that they can add women in ministry, and musical worship teams to replace the Word and Christ as the One Mediator between man and God. Same CORE but a radically new APPLE full of worms.
At its CORE, the CORE GOSPEL preaches "only Christ" but it is ANOTHER CHRIST Who has been filtered through the Post-Modern, Narrative Theologians just building a historical record which will rise up and judge them.
Using similar words, both Rubel shelly and Leroy Garret define the "gospel" as the oral message which created unity before the written Scriptures. The written Scriptures are not the Words of God but the opinions and interpretations of apostles who had differing views and produced different churches. Click for More.
Rubel Shelly: The burden of my presentation this morning is to call those of us who have come from different groups within a shared tradition to Biblical action that will extend beyond a three day conference,that's rich in fellowship among people who've come to respect one another in the Lord.
Because only the non-instrumental group is "guilty of brother murder," why would instrumentalists feel the need to fellowship? Isn't Dr. Shelly doing a win-win trick? He knows that the instrumentalists are on his side and he knows that his fellow "scholars without portfolio" are on his side.
There was absolutely nothing in the RESTORATION TRADITION which included choirs or k to "take people's minds away from the Word." We worship whatever or whomever we "give attention to." If we give attention to the professional organist then we are worshiping the organist.
None of the Restoration Movement churches came out of instrumental music which was the TRADITIONALISM of the Catholic and English look-alikes. The Catholic Encyclopedia admits that they adopted instrumental music from paganism: it was common to all pagan cults.
Therefore, those who introduced instruments violently left the Restoration Movement views held "en toto" from the first century. Therefore, those who added non-essential elements deliberately sowed discord just to become a Seeker-Sucking Center: they used no Biblical authority and needed non.
Therefore, everyone is free to do their own thing but there is a total disconnect between any instrumental "worship" (an oxymoron) group and a congregational singing group. Instrumental groups are still actively trying to proselytize non-instrumental groups. Therefore, FELLOWSHIP is not the goal but a hostile takeover is.
Rubel Shelly: My primary concern is to challenge us to be about things that are Biblical. I would betray both my personal commitment and our shared heritage to offer an agenda that is incompatible with the New Testament teaching that has been given to chart our course.
Dr. Shelly believes that instrumental music is not a Biblical issue. This is the universal witness among the scholars that perhaps, we shudder, eyes have been blinded and ears plugged.While preachers are building temples and trying to restore the Levitical musical worship teams to attract a few people with unspiritual "rice," the 4.9 billion people in the world will become 9 billion people in the lifetime of some of the teams. And the preachers worry that they are not getting their share of the stray sheep and goats, the Post-Denominational "christianity" they talk about is the "incredibly shrinking man."
Too many want to "bundle" or repackage rather than go out in the cold where people don't get to "experience" week-long "churchy" programs and have never heard even the CORE gospel.
The instrumental music issue really begins in what Jesus calls "parables from the foundation of the world" to hide the spiritual truth from people who will just repackage and market it if they can (Isaiah 48). The message Jesus said that the clergy would not be able to grasp is that the Satanic musical attack began in the garden of Eden where the "serpent" is the symbol of the Assyrians and Babylonians and the Assyrians were the tallest trees in Eden who sucked up all of the "water." Ezekiel 31
This IS the team God comes with ten thousand of his saints if the universal testimony can be believed.
Rubel Shelly: My comments here will be based on Romans 14:1 through 15:13. This section of Paul's most sublime epistle deals with doctrinal difference among baptized believers.
I thought it was about non-doctrinal opinion differences between meat-eaters and vegetarianism. Well "pot lucks" may make this important to those who refuse to go out into the cold.A Doctrinal Difference is a Christ Taught principle. The allowable differences are based on traditions or not-understood Biblical teaching
This scam intends to prove that "instrumental music" was a non-taught doctrinal difference and that we should tolerate (fellowship) those who use instruments as a secular, carnal attempt to worship a Spirit God.
The fact that instrumental worship can be sold as simply an opinion is the doctrinal ignorance which can be tolerated within a given congregation but the instrumentalist is not permitted to make an issue our of his 100% opinion with 0% evidence that it is doctrinal or Christ-Taught.
Dr. Shelly intends to say that not even those non-instrumental groups not mutually-assemblying with instrumental groups have the right to bind their opinion even on their own group. Jesus died to give us the liberty to meet with those in agreement and it is Anti-Christian to demand that they have no right to their opinion even if they know that they base their views on clear Biblical, Christian and therefore doctrinal authority.
This is the quite-violent demand that non-instrumental groups (the invaded) must not resist (by attacking the invaders) the introduction of instruments. That is a practiced fact: to resist the Christian churches forced introduction of instruments into a taken-over church of Christ is "sowing discord among brethren." The Post-Denominational view even gives groups the right to lie, cheat and steal church property.
If you have a "musical worship team" you have an infiltrated agent who is better organized than the elders and has the clear intention of introducing instruments when the "Navigating the Winds of Change" prayerful-brinkmanship allows it.
Rubel Shelly: Before attempting to apply anything from this block of text to our situation, I'll probably need to defend using it at all. Some of us have been told that these verses relate to issues of taste and personal judgment and speculation. The things Paul had in mind here, we've been told, were mere matters of opinion. A cursory reading of the verses without prejudice leads to a very different conclusion.
In a sermon (linked above by the blue) Rubel proof-texted Romans 14 even going to the extreme of cutting verse 13 off in the middle of Christ's speech through Paul. Rubel wrote:> Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another (Rom. 14:9-13a).
Now, that is a Post-Modern approach: if the apostles were divided men in divided churches then why shouldn't we just take the first part of Paul's verse (which is correct) and cut off the second part which is "just Paul's opinion" I suppose.
The whole verse would produce a totally different interpretaion:
> Let us not therefore judge one another any more:
........... but judge this rather,
........... that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brothers way. Romans 14:13Why would anyone do such a violent thing to God's word? Judging is not saying: "The Bible and all of the world's history shows that instrumental, carnal, worship of a Spiritual God is wrong." Judging is saying: "No, Paul played the harp and therefore this is pure doctrine. You must ignore your 100% and observe my 0% or I am going to start a Jubilee, write books, collect people, send out the ZOE group, mobolize a band of men, seduce the university "scholars," and rub your nose in your non-instrumental position so that you will be squashed like a bug."
Now, the first if free speech and doctrinal truth; the second is passing judgment because it attempts and intends to do mortal harm to the non-instrumental group.
Judging, therefore, is to put a stumblingblock in the path of another:
Because adding instrumental music is not based on faith (but contrary to it), it is not by faith and therefore deliberately puts a stumbling block under the feet of everyone. The solution is to remove the stumbling block and not mentally condition everyone to just stumble and go on to unity in diversity.
> Not using instruments causes no one to stumble because everyone agrees that they can assemble without having a rock band.
> > Using instruments offends, sows discord or causes those not driven away to stumble because they continue to do something which is contrary to their faith-based view.
> > > Therefore, adding musical worship teams or instruments or theatrical performers is the stumbling block which the musical sectarians add in the path of people and therefore violates Romans 14.
- Translating Psalm 41 which prophesied that Judas would attempt to triumph over Jesus and where triumph over means to "play instruments and make a joyful noise before the Lord" as the Jewish War Chant notes:
- A root bearing poisoned and bitter fruit
- is in their designs;
- they walk in stubbornness of heart
- and see Thee among idols,
- then they set before them
- the stumbling-block of their sin.
- They come to inquire of Thee
- from the mouth of lying prophets deceived by error
- Who speak with strange lips to Thy people,
- and an alien tongue,
- That they may cunningly turn
- all their work to folly.
- All who have eaten my bread
- have lifted their heel against me (cf John 13:18)
- And all those joined to my Council
- have mocked me with wicked lips. (Children piping and chiding.)
- Thy members of my Covenant have rebelled
- and have murmured round about me;
- They have gone as talebearers
- before the children of mischief
- concerning the mystery which Thou hast hidden in me...
- They have overtaken me in a narrow pass (gap) without escape
- And there is no rest for me in my trial.
- They sound my censure upon a harp
- and their murmuring and storming upon a zither." Ps.41:11
Rubel Shelly: Mere matters of opinion are things that all parties concerned admit are still up for grabs. They are open to a variety of views and interpretations.Matters of opinion are the ones where I don't really care what you think about that, 'cause, that's just a matter of opinion with meThey are matters on which we have no particularly strong position to stake out.
We will look at Romans 14 in the next section.Isn't there one person with a Phd who can grasp that "music" is not a Biblical, worship word in the entire Bible. "Music" is the Greek sumphonia and includes singing and dancing. You do it if you are giving a homecoming feast or if you are the end-time Babylon Prostitute Seeker-Center just like that of Nimrod at the Towers of Babylon.
Rubel Shelly: Matters of opinion for most of us would be things like the authorship of Hebrews, or whether to have Bible classes or worship first on Sunday morning, or how many prayers to have during Sunday's assembly. These are issues on which we would agree that we're expressing personal points of view that don't have anything to do with affecting our relationship with God. So long as you're civil in expressing them, say what you want to, argue whatever case you wish. Just a matter of opinion. Who cares?
My opinion is that instrumental music is wrong. That opinion is based on Biblical and historical facts (all of it). Therefore, those who hold an opinion on something do not agree that the idea is still up for grabs or there would be no division. Elementary, Watson.Everyone knows that wars have been fought over "opinions." For instance, the opinion about instrumental music and women musical worship teams to be the mediators between the "audience" and God is a latter-day opinion that the Bible is not authoritative. It might be a matter of opinion to the pro musical people that sooner or later the "teams" claim to be "inspired" both in content and talent. Others would call this "the idolatry of talent" because we cannot view the Spirit Lord while looking at Sister Singers. Jesus said that Satan was a "liar" because he "spoke on his own." How can we view Sister Singer as holy when she sings sentimental, even erotic praise songs. If she has learned from paganism and the Vineyard people she is trying to bring the audience to a "climax" while making the Holy Spirit come. Paul outlawed Sister Singers or any non-sedentary role because the authority he warned against, authentia, mean sexual authority: both sexual and murderous. This "double" meaning was always present in the Dionysic singing and playing instruments trying to "bring the audience into the presence of the gods."
Others of us would view this at the most ancient, ignorant paganism.
Matters of opinion are where you enjoy the Grand Ole Opry in the privacy of your home but if you bring "gospel music" which is proven to be a blend of "Hillbilly, black protest song with hidden meanings and a touch of Voodoo" into the church assembly even when you know beforehand that it will divide people, break up churches, cause people to steal church property and produce sectarianism then your opinion becomes my satanic attack.
Rubel Shelly:The three issues named by Paul in these verses from Romans 14 and 15 were most definitely not issues on which people felt free to leave each other to their private opinion. Neither were they matters about which Paul said there's no definitive answer. He will say, "I give my judgment" so and so. There was a truth. There was a right and a wrong on each of those issues. The very reason he writes about them is, the folks in the church at Rome had been judging, and trying to coerce one another.
Boy, you bet they mattered. An ancient version of our liberalism versus legalism controversy had taken shape at Rome. The terms "liberal, conservative and legalist" are banded about too freely and without clear definition among us. The best and most appropriate use of the terms is to indicate an attitude toward the authority of the Bible.
No. The battle was between two groups of CONSERVATIVES which involved eating meat, drinking wine, sexual and perverted sex to "move the worshipers into the presence of the gods," playing musical instruments, singing their own songs, sniffing burning poppy seed, sniffing gas from a fissure, chewing laurel leaves to make you "praise" or mad in the David sense of the word, hallucinating and speaking gibberish. The priests interpreted this 'speaking in tongues' to meet the needs of the paying SEEKER and then having the MUSICIAN put the revelation into whatever form he wished to keep "the collection plate filled."These were the same people worshiping the same "gods" under different names."
Jesus
Ezekiel
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. Mt 11:15- But whereunto shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children
Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the Lord. Eze 33:30 sitting in the markets,and calling unto their fellows, Mt 11:16
My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion (Lord, Lord as amorousness - inordinate love), but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain (commerce or trade or attendance). Eze 33:31
And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you,
Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs (minstrel as a prostitute) with a beautiful voice and plays (make melody on) an instrument well,
and ye have not lamented. Mt 11:17
for they hear your words but do not put them into practice. Eze 33:32Then began he to upbraid the cities wherein most of his mighty works were done, because they repented not: Mt 11:20
When all this comes true--and it surely will--then they will know that a prophet has been among them." Eze 33:33
The battle was between spiritual religion and body religion. It was between the "society" and the Orphics who were radical in not eating meat. How could one "accept" one into meal fellowship who didn't eat meat or drink wine? Easy, says Paul, just don't make the assembly about "eating meat" and you have no problem. And how could an Orphic accept a Dionysic, meat-eating, wine-drinking background? And Dionysics were into "instrumental music" and charismatic prophesying; sexual and perverted sexual practices. Orphics were into instrumental prophesying. How could a Dionysic accept the prophesying with music to "accelerate into the presence of the gods" to get a revelation when he had his own songs and speeches, as in Corinth, out of his or her own spirit?"Here singing served as a means of inducing ecstatic prophecy (speaking in tongues).
Thus the essential relationship between music and prophecy can be clearly seen.
This relationship also explains why the expression for "making music" and "prophesying" was often identical in the ancient tongues. origen contra celsum 8.67.
The Hebrew word Naba signifies not only "to prophesy" but also "to make music." (Quasten, Johannes, Music and Worship in Pagan and Christian Antiquity, p. 39)How do you solve the "judging problem?" Easy, says Paul, just teach the Words of God "with one voice" and you automatically exclude human, musical prophesying and cease sowing discord with pagan music:
WE then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Rom 15:1
Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification. Rom 15: 2
For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me. Rom 15: 3
We noted that Jesus set the pattern as Son by speaking only what He heard from the Father. Therefore, if we are going to follow the CORE DOCTRINE OF CHRIST to quit dividing people over which band of pagan "worship" we are going to use to silence the mouth of Lord Jesus Christ then here is the DIRECT COMMAND to solve the problem of Romans 14:
For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Rom 15: 4
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus: Rom 15: 5
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom 15: 6
Then, again as in Corinth, all can "prophesy" in the Christian sense by reading or singing the revealed text and end it with: "Thus saith the Lord" or "Amen."
Paul had to stop at chapter eight and preach Romans 9-11. In chapter 10 Paul warned them about sending across the sea for an expert when they had his preached Word. Paul points to the Egyptian musical idolatry of Israel at Mount Sinai. He also warned the Corinthians in chapter 10 about "rising up to play" before he implicated musical worship in chapters 13 and 14 as equivalent to speaking in tongues. He even suggests that offering his own body to be burned as the Jews offered their baby's body to be burned to Molech would have no value. The loud musical noise, praising the Lord (but looking at Molech), listening to the screams of the dying which "fed" the lust of Molech woudl allow the priests to hear the "voice of angels" which he would interpret as a message from Jehovah.
The Jews in Rome also believed in the predestination fo the Jews. Paul disabused them of this. In chapter 15 Paul had to explain that "singing to the Gentiles" was preaching. There was no option.
They probably didn't know the "core gospel" and therefore in chapter 6 he had to fully explain the meaning of baptism as subscribing to the gospel. This was not a place for personal opinions or "unity in diversity."
So, Paul was not permitting human opinion to add instrumental music when he had defined it away in Ephesians and Colossians and about women's worship teams when he had outlawed it in 1 Cor. 14. These are doctrinal issues because they are taught issues.
Rubel Shelly: Conservatives are people who believe that the Bible must be our final norm concerning both doctrine and practice in following Christ. Liberals don't share that conviction and believe that the Bible is something less than the infallible word of God to which we must be obedient.
Gus Nichols nots that liberal means "broad minded" but the Way is very narrow. "If you wish to stake your cow on a lot 100 X 100 ft., you need a rope 50 ft. Liberalism would use a rope 100 ft. which would permit his cow to trespass on neighbor's lot." Liberalism in the musical sense means: 'What's mine is mine and what's yours is mind."Bill Bryant said: "I am not greedy for land: just all of mine and what jines it."
In a series Rubel Shelly has "taken liberties" with the Exodus event to construct a Narrative Theology for Christian worship and community. He and John York see this even as a holy thing and the idolaters as our "spiritual fathers." So called "christian colleges" are plagued with this totally ignorant Narrative Theology because they can speak "among the scholars" and sound as wise or ignorant as the THOUGHT LEADERS.
Never mind that when Israel "rose up to play" they had Sister Singers (musicians were almost always women or effeminate) with instruments lead the people back where God "answered their prayer." They wanted to seek the triad Osiris/Isis/Horus and the real bull, Apis, idolized as the golden calf to be their new leader. God had given them the 40 day testing period and they rejected the Covenant and engaged in musical idolatry. Again, we quote Smith:
"The triumphal hymn of Moses had unquestionably a religious character about it; but the employment of music in religious services, though idolatrous, is more distinctly marked in the festivities which attended the erection of the golden calf." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Music, p. 589).
The "because of transgression" caused God to abrogate the Abrahamic-like covenant and impose the law. Then and there they were conditionally sentenced to captivity and death. The later kings were "given in my anger" tolead them into captivity.
> Narrative theology and Dr. Shelly's treatment of the Exodus to give a terminal sin a second incarnation as a Christian pattern where both Israelites and the Corinthians were given the Baptism of the Holy Spirit.
> The Bible as interpreted by all but latter-day apostles treats this as a beyond redemption sin.
> This would be defined by all historical scholars as more extreme than liberalism.
Claiming that John also "took liberties"--
Rubel Shelly: I think they were responding to time and place by writing what they wrote. They had their own personal, theological, pastoral, and evangelistic purposes in mind when they planned and wrote these documents that survive to us in the New Testament.
That background is that John responded like a journalist and not as a prophet.
The CORE GOSPEL heresy
Dr. Shelly lists the 7 facts about Jesus which constitute the CORE GOSPEL
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One cannot be a conservative and add that for which there is not a shred of Biblical authority; and for which there are libraries denouncing musical worship. Comand, example and even inferences are a clearly taught Biblical way of establishing authority to either believe or practice. Apparently about everyone but Dr. Shelly's group and the Vineyard and Catholic "High Church" view accepts the Biblical view.The post-denominational, post-modern view repudiates that beyond the "core" and so does Dr. Shelly say that the epistles are up for grabs.
Rubel Shelly: Legalists believe that they have the right to judge and exclude others based on their interpretations of complex matters.
A legalist is one who believes that they can earn their salvation by their own works. No conservative believes that. But, apparently Dr. Shelly believes that musical worship teams can jack the worshipers "into the presence of God." Isn't that condemned as "ascending?"
LEGALISTS are those who twist all of the Bible to impose musical instruments: musical performance must be the most works intensive hypocritic profession possible. A musical instrument is:
organon 1 [*ergô]
I. an organ, instrument, tool, for making or doing a thing, Soph., Eur., etc.:--of a person, hapantôn aei kakôn org. Soph.
2. an organ of sense, Plat.
3. a musical instrument, id=Plat.
4. a surgical instrument, Xen.
* II. a work, product, laïnea Amphionos organa the stony works of Amphion,Ergon [Ergô] I.work, 1. in Il. mostly of deeds of war, polemêïaerga, 3.a hard piece of work, a hard task, Il.: also, a shocking deed or act,
Ergon [opposite to productive work] alêth-ês [Opposite of truthful, honest people, opposite of true, unerring oracles] 1. in Il. mostly of works or deeds of war,
3. melody of an instrument, phorAristotle Politics 1341b and all the instruments that require manual skill. And indeed there is a reasonable foundation for the story that was told by the ancients about the flute. The tale goes that Athena found a flute and threw it away. Now it is not a bad point in the story that the goddess did this out of annoyance because of the ugly distortion of her features; but as a matter of fact it is more likely that it was because education in flute-playing has no effect on the intelligence, whereas we attribute science and art to Athena
And since we reject professional education in the instruments and in performance (and we count performance in competitions as professional, for the performer does not take part in it for his own improvement, but for his hearers' pleasure, and that a vulgar pleasure, owing to which we do not consider performing to be proper for free men, but somewhat menial; and indeed performers do become vulgar, since the object at which they aim is a low one, as vulgarity in the audience usually influences the music, so that it imparts to the artists who practise it with a view to suit the audience a special kind of personality, and also of bodily frame because of the movements required)--we must therefore give some consideration to tunes and rhythms, and to the question whether for educational purposes we must employ all the tunes and all the rhythms or make distinctions; and next, whether for those who are working at music for education we shall lay down the same regulation, or ought we to establish some other third one (inasmuch as we see that the factors in music are melody and rhythm, and it is important to notice what influence each of these has upon education), and whether we are to prefer music with a good melody or music with a good rhythm.
All of the "psallo" concepts of killing, cutting, abrading, dragging on the ground and beating was needed to make a LIFELESS animal (preferably one which died of itself) speak for the "gods living inside." Then a child is trained as a musician for many years. Therefore, singing is a spiritual activity while "playing" is defined as WORK. Therefore, it takes lots more legalism to "perform" musically than it does just to allow out of tune people to teach one another with the Word.
No concervative has ever excluded a single person from worshiping in their assembly simply because they believed in musical instruments. None!
No, these people believe that they have a right to worship according to their beliefs without a huge world-wide effort fed by universities to repudiate them by "burning down" the old "Aztec" structures in order to rebuild a Post-Modern church.
The restoration of the Jubilee which Jesus fulfilled seem to be to judge and exclude those who have not subscribed to the "rules of engagement" against conservatives.
The Jubilee was always about "the atonement" and the Catholic call for the Jubilee obeyed by Dr. Shelly was a way to redeem the people. I helped direct Catholics to an authorized church where they could go in 2000 to be redeemed in Jubilee 2000.
Now, that is legalism. That repudiates the fact that Jesus fulfilled the Jubilee once and for all times: we are redeemed.
A sectarian is "a predilection either for a particular truth, or for a perversion of one, generally with the expectation of personal advantage; hence, a division and the formation of a party or 'sect' in contrast to the uniting power of 'the truth,' held in toto."
Those who become musical therefore become the sectarians and knowingly sowing discord.
They do it to suck in seekers and therefore, the 'personal advantage' makes the definition of any kind of performance "worship" a MUSICAL SECT.
Those who introduce musical worship teams (pseudo pipe organs called organum) know that they judge those who have remained faithful as being the sectarians and legalists.
In truth, which is always turned on its head by those in expectation of a personal advantage, know that they are deliberately, with a high hand excluding others based on their interpretation of not even remotely unclear matters.
There is not a remote hint of personal advantage for a preacher to remain faithful to the Biblical teaching and two thousand years of anti-instrument opinion (yes, even in the Catholic Encyclopedia). On the contrary, rejecting instruments brings on the abuse of the majority. The surest way to be "despised and rejected of men" is to fail to "be redeemed" by attending a musical church, repenting and confessing for the discord THEY sowed and return to STAR worship.
The Restoration Movement was formed in an environment which excluded musical worship as a straight-line faithfulness back to the first century. This does not exclude Catholicism. This was, as is among scholars, the view of music held "en toto."
Therefore, when instruments were added it was to force a sect and become sectarian.
Since playing was in the classics defined as "work" demanding long training and great talent, and since the modern praise craze claims to help do God's Work, then "the works of human hands" is the true legalism.
Because "music" is the only practice which excludes about half the group, the instrumental group has always been the sectarians.
There is noting complex about the instrumental music issue and teaching the truth is not passing judgment.
Catholic Encyclopedia Instrumental Music
Catholic Encyclopedia Singing
Catholic Encyclopedia Congregational Singing
Catholic Encyclopedia Ecclesiastical Music No Instruments for the Pope
Catholic Encyclopedia The Mass - Restoration of Levitical MusicThis move against the liberty Christ died to remove by adding the burden which was "spiritual anxiety created by religious ceremony" is pure legalism because they believe that they can, through the use of the most works-intensive thing people can engage in, literally jack them up the steps of the tower of Babylon "into the presence of God." This is pure ceremonial legalism which denounces the "rest" Jesus came to give as he fired those who "took away the key to knowledge" and allowed people to "take their repose" and learn of God first-hand.
Rubel Shelly: The common and inappropriate use of the terms falls out this way. A liberal is somebody who does something the speaker doesn't do, doesn't like, or opposes.
No. A liberal is a Post-Modern fellow who has fell into the "drunk on ignorance" wine vat. A liberal is one who claims that the Bible writers used NARRATIVE THEOLOGY to make up a new, say, set of Chronicles based on the prevailing culture and their personal agenda. A liberal is one who denies the inspiration of Scripture, or the fact that the writers define "worship" as giving heed to these writings because only they, and not some modern mind reader, define the Christian System.
The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful. Isa 32:5
A VILE PERSON IS LIKE THE WINESKIN OF THE WITCH OF ENDOR OR THE SOUNDING BRASS OF 1 COR. 13.
Nabal (h5036) naw-bawl'; from 5034; stupid; wicked (espec. impious): - fool (-ish, -ish man, -ish woman), vile person.
Nabel (h5034) to wilt; gen. to fall away, fail, faint; fig. to be foolish... make vile, wither..
Nebel (h5035) from 5034; a skin- bag for liquids (from collapsing when empty); hence a vase (as similar in shape when full); also a lyre (as having a body of like form): - bottle, pitcher, psaltery, vessel, violThis was the "praise" of David when he "made himself vile" trying to appease God:
Halal (h1984) haw-lal'; a prim. root; to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causat. to celebrate; also to stultify: - (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool (- ish, -ly), glory, give [light], be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, [sing, be worthy of] praise, rage, renowned, shine.
A GOOD LIBERAL does not TAKE anything:
Nadiyb (h5081) naw-deeb'; from 5068; prop. voluntary, i. e. generous; hence, magnanimous; as noun, a grandee (sometimes a tyrant): - free, liberal (things), noble, prince, willing ([hearted]).
Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering. Ex.25:2
For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the Lord,
- to make empty the soul of the hungry,
- and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail. Isaiah 32:6
Villany is:
Nebalah (h5039) neb-aw-law'; fem. of 5036; foolishness, i. e. (mor.) wickedness; concr. a crime; by extens. punishment: - folly, vile, villany.
Because they have committed villany in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbours wives, and
have spoken lying words in my name,
which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the Lord. Je.29:23
Who has ever heard a conservative call a liberal a brother killer or a Judas? Is that "open fellowship" or what? A liberal is one who follows the Pharisees who were defined by Jesus by two major principles:
First, they set aside the "commands, examples and inferences" of the unalterable law, in order or specificially so that they could introduce their new law or traditionalism. Setting aside the command of Paul to read the Word and preach "doctrine" and grasp sermons off the internet or the latest book sets aside the Word of God specificially so they can teach their own dogma which becomes the new traditionalism.
Second, the primary motive was never to make the syngogue more spiritual or even add "a musical praise team." The new laws or sermons were to lead them and their partners, the scribes or book writers, to the extreme of taking the homes of widows. Now, the edifice complex has smooth ways of taking the property of widows. And "a ministry system" steals the money of the widows who gave it so the evalgelist could be faithful to the command of Jesus.
Rubel Shelly: A conservative is someone who does, likes and approves the same list as his own.
Doubt it. People know and confess to being liberals. They would not rationally identify a fellow liberal as a conservative.But, a liberal is one who likes and approves the same list as his own but his list is a pin-point or BULL'S EYE THING of, say, the core gospel. A conservative who does not believe in the core gospel is not on the liberal's list. Note how many conservatives get to rebut the silliness peddled as scholarship about instrumental music.
A conservative, by a more scholarly definition, is remaining faithful to it s view of the Bible "as it has been taught." While the conservative is often wrong, as long as he has not become Post-Modern and abandoned the authority of Paul and Peter he has some dim hope of coming to the truth.
The liberal or Post-Denominational repudiates the epistles and therefore has repudiated Christ and has in consequence been blinded and made deaf so that Christ will never again, ever, speak to him even as He refused to sepak the the first century clergy.
We have noted above that a legalists thinks that he has to perform worship SERVICES: Besides David's Levitical musicians performing "soothsaying" their worship service is called HARD BONDAGE. That is the laded burden Jesus died to remove so that we can assemble to REST, READ and REHEARSE the word of God without needing the most expensive God manipulor available.
Legalism, for the scholars information, is one who believes in "salvation by works." To call someone a legalist who believes what Jesus said about baptism and salvation as "accepting the counsel of God for our lives" and is Christ's method of bestowing grace is the harshest judgmentalism one could pronounce.Those who follow "believer's baptism" have to work for their salvation as a legalist until God punches his ticket. This is identical to ancient pagan baptism.
Pulpit thumping, shouting, dancing (prancing) and hand waving is a legalistic confession that the Timothy's "reading the word" and dialoging (like Jesus) from a seated position is not powerful or charismatic enough. To believe that theatrical performers are ordained and spirit-infused by the sovereign grace of God is terminal legalism.
Music is the most ancient form of leagalism as a way to boost the worshipers up the steps of the tower of power where the collection plate was located at the temple on top where the god's agents collected the widown's mite.
Rubel Shelly: In larger Evangelical circles,the distinction between a conservative and a liberal is typically made in relation to five issues: the inspiration, by which is meant the infallibility of the Bible.
In our "smaller" circles we believe the same thing. However, a conservative holds on like a bulldog to that Word of God and resists those who become "liberal" by rejecting all but the core gospel not knowing that Paul was speaking to carnal people and ridiculing them.We believe that limiting faith to a tiny CORE is defacto liberal because it has no interest in conserving the total Word of God. It says that all of the rest of Christ's revealed words are not of value in deciding faithfulness to the Word of God. Preaching or singing out of our head when the Bible points us to the once-revealed Word seems to deny the worth of Christ.
Liberal and Conservative are not just issues of infallibility of the Bible. It also includes whether you decide that a clear statement about "singing" as the result of teaching using the words of Christ can be trashed in favor of a performance worship team which is essential paganism.
A conservative in all non-catholic church history did and does conserve the Bible's commands and examples for authority. Instrumental music is not commanded therefore to introduce it is liberal. Instrumental music is soundly denounced throughout the Bible (to those with eyes and ears) and therefore to introduce it is neither liberal nor conservative: it is neo-paganism. Yes, all of the scholars we have consulted agree.
Jesus promised that as Spirit He would guide the Apostles into all truth. The Apostles believed that they were eyewitnesses and were called upon to write and preserve the Words of Christ and the history of the church.
If Christ did not fulfill that promise of Divine Guidance then Jesus was mistaken or a liar but He was not 'full Deity' (Col. 2:9) when Dr. Shelly wants to make Him the retired from active service 1/3 of the Godhead.
We believe that it is liberal to preach the later-day Catholic doctrine of The Blessed Trinity of three, distinct persons (people) in which the Father God and the Holy Spirit God ace out the Son God who is too quick to volunteer to come and redeem mankind (Joke at Jubilee 98).
To participate in The Walk To Emmaus is liberal or pagan when it restores Sabbath communion in honor of Saturn.
The Restoration leaders rejected, along with most ancient scholars and denomination founders, even though they use the word trinity.
To make Christ into one third of a pecan pie rejects the full Deity of Christ. (Col 2:9)
Rubel Shelly: the substitutionary atonement of Christ;
Jesus died to save us from the CROOKED RACE: that is well documented as the old wineskinners and marked by their style of singing and playing instruments.
The legalistic Jubilee always included the Day of Atonement through legalistic means. The "unity in diversity" with Catholics must include their understanding that the "Jubilee was always associated with forgiveness of sins" and in Y2K attending certain churches will buy you atonement.In a sense, affirming Jubilee will put you under the "umbrella" of the movement and join you to the new "body" with full rights to express your view without, as they say around here, "being sat on the back pew." However, it will put you squarely back under legalism just as will the demand that we must "do more than tithe."
"The death, burial and resurrection of Christ" as the CORE gospel does not include anything about the substitutionary atonement of Christ.
In another article, the preacher claims that people equate the non-use of music to the atonement!
For the Pope's Jubilee 2000 we directed people to the nearest Catholic church where they could be "redeemed."
"Using" musical worship teams to "lead the worshiper into the presence of God" denies the Atonement and insists that the team is the mediator between man and God. Some even claim to be the 'platform upon which God lands' just like the ancient 'helioport' at the top of the towers of Babylon.
The universal message of the Bible is that "music" is both a cause and MARK that people have said that they did not want to hear the Word of God. Then were Post-Modern and had moved beyond the morose God of righteousness and justice and wanted the "worship of the starry host" which was the kind of worship Dr. Shelly identifies as the pattern for Christian worship and community.
Rubel Shelly: Christ's bodily resurrection; and his bodily return, second coming. Conservatives affirm all five, while liberals deny one or more of them.
Within our Restoration heritage, these five doctrines would likely be adequate to define the distinction between conservatives and liberals, but we've never used that list of five. We'd probably offer Ephesians 4:4-6 as our list of (7) distinctives so that we can be tied directly to the Biblical text.
If we have read Ephesians 4--like many of Paul's letters--he defines the role of the leaders as conducting church or school of the Bible. This is the only way to protect people FROM performance preachers and instrument players.
CHURCH PROTECT US
Eph. 3:10 To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known
by the church the manifold wisdom of God,
Eph. 3:11 According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:Eph 4:14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro,
and carried about with every wind of doctrine,
by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Hermes appears to have been the chief of the Cabiri (Roscher, Myth. Lex. 2360); with his cult compare the Gallic (Caesar, B. G. vi. 17; Rhys, Hibbert Lectures, pp. 5-20 and ch. iv) and German (Tac. Germ. 9) worship of Mercurius. The latter, Odin, would seem to be like Hermes a wind god, and this may be true also of the Thracian deity. It seems improbable that the Thracians were content with so small a pantheon.Panourgia (g3834) pan-oorg-ee'-ah; from 3835; adroitness, i.e. (in a bad sense) trickery or sophistry: - (cunning) craftiness, subtilty.
Sophis-tikos Artistic or poetic, This includes the techne or craftsmen who perform as sorcerers in Rev 18.Panourg-êma A. knavish trick, villainy, S.El.1387 (lyr.), LXX Si.1.6 (v.l.); sophistry, Gal.5.251; cf. panourgeuma.
Panourg-os A. ready to do anything, wicked, knavish, b. panourgôs kataskeuazesthai to be adulterated, 3. of animals, as the fox, sophos, hypokritikos legeinThis Seven Ones was announced by Rubel Shelly and has never been used by anyone to decide who is liberal or conservative. Some of us might define a hired minister who has never gone out into the only field open to the evangelist as a liberal view.A. Sophos A.skilled in any handicraft or art, clever, mostly of poets and musicians, guitar players, techne,Some of us would consider trying to use music and drama to "lead the worshiper into the presence of God" as liberal or worse.
Sounds like the CORE just got some denominational meat on it!
The "core" of Ephesians four intended to teach people to guard against "navigating the winds of change." They were intended to show that 'church' was to make the Word of Christ known to the world: it was not to practice the "windy" pagan practices of the world.
We have moved the rest of the discussion on Romans 14 as the legalistic proof text to another page.
Part One---Part Two---Part Three
Notes from: (Abilene Christian University ACU , Restoration Forum XII).
You are invited to comment but you should be specific.
See a more recent assault against non-musical churches.
See That Romans 14 Limits freedom of Romans 15 by defining singing: not instruments
First Musical Heresy Musical Worship Teams
Musical Heresy 2: Hippolytus on Music and Soothsaying
Hippolytus Book VOrphic Music
Orphic Connection to Romans 14
Rhea-Saturn-Zoe ConnectionClassical Index
Musical Worship Index
Church Fathers
Home PageThis article includes Rubel Shelly at the Unity forum at Abilene Christian University: ACU, Romans 14, Romans 15, Instrumental Music in Worship, Babylon End-Time Prostitute Worship, Seeker-Centers
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