How and whom will gain true Bible Knowledge?
Bible Students today, know, that, 'taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and the one he sent forth, means everlasting life.' {John 17:3} With that thought in mind, we certainly would, want that knowledge, would we not? Afterall, who of us doesn't wish to live forever? We know, that there are many today, who profess to be teachers of God's word, but the question is, are they qualified to teach the Bible? It's true, there are many today, who do have a great deal of Bible Knowledge, but is knowledge alone the qualifying factor? They may teach us everything they know, but does merely passing on your knowledge gaurantee the student ever lasting life?
One has to consider, from where, or from what source, did your teacher gain his, or her, knowledge. Perhaps the teacher, has been influenced by a False Prophet, and what you are being taught is poisoned Spiritual food, but you started out believing everything you were being taught was the truth of the Bible; but un-be-knowns to you, you were being misled. That is the risk we all take today, on our quest for the truth; because there is someone who does not wish for us to gain everlasting life. That of course, is satan the devil, the one 'misleading the entire inhabited earth.' {Revelation 12:9} So, we must make it an absolute certainty, that we break free from his influence, and examine very carefully everything that we are taught.
As much as satan, would have us all dead, Jehovah would have us all gain everlasting life; and to that end, has supplied us all with an infallible guide, that if closely followed, it would be impossible for satan, or for that matter, anyone else, to mislead us; but we must hold closely to that guide, and by considering how all the early Christian's gained their knowledge, we will be following that guide Jehovah has supplied us with. Who was the teacher, that taught all of the early Chistian's? Matthew referred to Jesus as the 'One leader,' and 'one teacher,' at Matthew 23:8-10! Jesus himself made the statement: "Everything I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you." {John 15:15} At John 7:16 Jesus continues: ..." What I teach is not mine, but belongs to him that sent me." So, because his Fathers word was truth, they well knew the Truth, as Jesus had promised them. {John 8:32;17:17} just prior to his ascension, he had told them: "While remaining with you I have spoken these things to you, but the Helper, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my Name, that one will teach you all things and bring back to your minds all the things I told you." {John 14:25,26}
I should mention, that it didn't take Jesus 130 years to teach all of his first Century followers, all the things his Father had taught him, and prior to his ascension he equipped them all with a way to retain everthing he had taught them, for
Another thing we know for an absolute certainty, Jesus never gave them any predictions that would ever fail, nor did he teach them any False Prophecies; so was the Governing Body to be, what they make claim, how do they explain their 130 record of failed predictions and false prophecies? Are we to believe, that Jesus is responsible for that long record of errors? While guiding and directing them by means of the Holy Spirit? How could that ever be true? The whole truth is, it couldn't be!
During his conversatation with the Samaritan Woman at the well-side, Jesus said to that Woman: "Never-the-less the hour IS COMING and IT IS NOW, when the true Worshippers will Worship the Father with Spirit and Truth, for indeed the Father is looking for suchlike ones to worship him. God is Spirit, and those worshipping him MUST WORSHIP IN SPIRIT AND TRUTH." {John 4:23,24} That way of worship was on the scene in the first Century, in the person of Jesus, and he told her it was to come again. We will recall, Jesus had told them, 'that one will teach you ALL THINGS'... At what point would that occur? Notice Acts 2:33 where it says: "Therefore, because he was exalted to the right hand of God and recieved the promised Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this which you see and hear." Of course this occured at the feast of Pentecost, as you probably already know, but possessing now as he does, the Holy Spirit he is able to carry on with his teaching from the Heavenly Spirit Realm. Just how extensive, would the knowledge of those, in the first Century, who worshipped in Spirit and Truth become? John will aid us, in understanding that: "However, when that one arrives, the Spirit of the Truth, he will guide you into all the Truth, for he will not speak of his own impulse, but what things he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things coming." {John 16:13}
Paul will take this a step further, with his words, to follow: ...'Eye has not seen and ear has not heard, neither has there been conceived in the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love him. For it to us God has revealed them through his Spirit, for the Spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God." {1 Corinthians 2:10}it remains with you, and is in you."
So, in the first Century, you would be very hard pressed to find, any of the first Century Christian's, who really did worship in Spirit and Truth, establishing any record of failed predictions and false prophecies; that would virtually be impossible for them to do, guided and directed as they were, by the Holy Spirit. After his ascension, how did Jesus equip his followers to continue taking in this life saving Knowledge? John will tell us that: "If you love me you will observe my commandments; and I will request the Father and he will give you another heper to be with you forever, the Spirit of the Truth, which the World cannot receive, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. You know it because {John 14:15-17} John will explain the meaning of the words of Jesus, here: "And as for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, and you do not need ANYONE TO BE TEACHING YOU; but as the anointing from him is teaching you about ALL THINGS, and is true, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him." {1 John 2:27} The Apostle Paul will explain further, why they did not need anyone to teach them, for note what he has to tell us: "For I put you on notice, brothers, that the good news that was declared by me as good news, Is NOT SOMETHING HUMAN, for neither did I receive it from Man, nor was I taught it {by Man} except through REVELATION BY JESUS CHRIST." "And that by way of A REVELATION the sacred secret was made known to me" ... {Galatians 1:11,1 {Ephesians 3:1-3} Why can approach to the Father, only be gained, through the Christ? Paul answers: "For there is One God, and ONE MEDIATOR between God and Man, a Man, Christ Jesus." {1 Timothy 2:5,6} So, we either go through the Christ, the One Mediator, or we simply do not go; and we can only go through him, if Jehovah does the drawing of us to his Son; if that does occur, we have free approach to the Father, and the Holy Spirit. We know that because of the words of Jesus at John 14:15-17 where he reveals the main principle reason for our now being able to Worship in Spirit and in Truth. Once drawn to him by the Father note what transpires after they, and we today, have gained free approach to the Son. "If you love me you will observe my Commandments; AND I WILL REQUEST THE FATHER and he will give you another helper to be with you forever, the Spirit of the Truth, Which the WORLD CANNOT RECEIVE, because it neither beholds it nor knows it. You know it because it remains with you and is in you." Only those that Jehovah recognizes as belonging to him, will be drawn to his Son; and only these ones will be found worshipping in Spirit and in Truth; and you will know just who they are, because, only these ones will know the truth, as Jesus had promised them. {John 8:32} Only these ones will be on that cramped narrow road that leads to everlasting life, while this World who cannot receive of the Holy Spirit will be on that broad road that leads to destruction. {Matthew 7:13,14} {Luke 13:24}
The Apostle John too, received the entire 22 Chapters of the Revelation, by the exact same means. From the Heavenly Spirit Realm. {Revelation 1:1,2} The Apostle Paul buttresses all of that, with these following words, of his: "For it is to us God has revealed them THROUGH HIS SPIRIT, for the Spirit searches all things, EVEN THE DEEP THNGS OF GOD." {1 Corinthians 2:10}
Jesus made two very striking statements, that put the entire Realm of Religious Christendom, including, and foremost, the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses, completely out of their self chosen offices; when he said the following: "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE. NO ONE comes to the Father except through me." "No Man can come to me unless the Father who sent me, draws him, and I will raise him up on the last day." {John 14:6;6:44}
From John`s words, we can readily see why, these ones Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth. would need not fraternize with any of the self appointed Religious Organizations, and depend on any of them for their teachings, taught as they were, now, by their anointing with Holy Spirit that 'remained with them and in them,' 'forever.' As noted by John in the following:
"And as for you, the anointing that you received from him remains in you, and you do not need ANYONE TO BE TEACHING YOU; but as the anointing from him is teaching you about ALL THINGS, and is true, and is no lie, and just as it has taught you, remain in union with him." {1 John 2:27} Then too, as John pointed out, the World could not receive of the Holy Spirit, they did not behold it, nor know it. So, they would know nothing about the true Worship in Spirit and in Truth, and would have nothing worthwhile to teach anyone. So, quite naturally, those worshipping in Spirit and in Truth, would turn away from the Religions of this Spiritually blind World, held in the power of, and misled by satan as they were then, and are now, as well.
What applied to those early Christian's, who Worshipped in Spirit and in Truth, who took Jesus at his word, applies with equal force now, as well to all of the remaining Chosen Ones. Like those early Christian's, these Chosen Ones would appreciate the words of Jesus found at Matthew 11:28-30 and take them to heart, and apply them, because they would know, who it was, was in control of the Holy Spirit, and just whom it was that could guide them along the path of true Worship in Spirit and in Truth. Consider the words of Jesus as he shows all of us, exactly from where our teachings should now come from, now, today: "Come to me, all you who are toiling and loaded down, and I will refresh you. Take my yoke upon you and LEARN FROM ME, for I am mild tempered and lowly in heart, and you will find refreshment for your souls, For my yoke is kindly and my load is light."
This expression, "Chosen Ones," should be a cause of great concern to all of us, because unlike Religious Christendom, or even the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society, who will accept anyone and everyone into their Organizations; not so with Jehovah, who selects out from among Mankind only the ones he will allow to be drawn to his Son, and Paul tells us that Jehovah Knows the ones that belong to him. {2 Timothy 2:19}
So, it is not too difficult to see, just how, and who, will gain true Bible Knowledge, and it will not be Religious Christendom; nor will it be the 7 Million now gathered by the Governing Body of the Watchtower Society, who themselves have established a record of 130 years of failed predictions and False Prophecies; which record would be impossible for any who really 'knew the truth,' and really did Worship 'in Spirit and in Truth.' They would know 'all things,' even that 'which was to come,' even down to 'the deep things of God,' knowledge that the Governing Body is not in possession of, neither today, nor since their very inception. Wannabe