The Message

Christianity Today

Christianity As We Know It Today

As the world progresses in technology and ways of living, the Bible continues to unveil what was without understanding before and bring the knowledge of the truth today. The Old and New Testaments have undergone many changes over the centuries up to the present generation.

The translations and transliterations of the Bible were more accurate and updated, which made the scriptures well interpreted today than before. The error and intentions made by influential people and religious groups to promote their belief and understanding of the Scriptures have been unveiled or exposed. There is no more hidden regarding their manipulation.

The problem that arises after centuries is that people are already rooted in their manipulation, and breaking this bond totally is next to impossible except if God acts on it.

Not all of Paul’s work was his and New Testament scholars suspect some. Considered authentic by most scholars are First Thessalonians, Galatians, First Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon, Second Corinthians, and Romans.  Even the Revelation to John was not included in the original New Testament and was only added in the latter part of the fourth century.

The Revelation of Peter almost made it first before the Revelation of John, but nothing much was mentioned by Peter about Jesus. So, to make a point, Jesus’ new covenant does not include the Book of Revelation. If it did, Jesus would have said it when he was still here on earth. 

The Book of Revelation, according to Harvard University Gazette news 2009/12—The Revelation was “squeezed into the canon in the fourth century,” said Pagels, and barely made it into the 27-book lineup. Over the centuries, it continued to draw the ire of critics, from theologian Martin Luther to author D. H. Lawrence—December 7, 2009.

Revelation to John appears to be a collection of separate units composed of unknown authors who lived during the last quarter of the 1st century. However, it purports to have been written by an individual who calls himself “the servant of Jesus ” at Patmos, in the Aegean sea. Aug 29, 2020. Britannica.com

Some churches of the East still reject the Revelation, the last books accepted into the Christian biblical canon, and to the present day. Book of Revelation—Wikipedia

Most Protestant Christians talk about it, but the majority in the Christian world do not even care about it; if they do, they should have been converted to evangelicals long ago. The Bible, in general, has three divisions the covenant of God- Old Testament, the covenant of Jesus Christ- New Testament, and the Revelation to John.  From creation to judgment, from the beginning and the end, it was, and it will be, God the Father who is all in all.

So far, the King James Bible 1611 has the highest honor among the earliest versions of the Bible due to the few changes they made from the original. The first 40 printed copies of the King James Version or King James Bible with English translation in the Christian Bible for the Church of England was ordered by King James VI of Scotland, aka King James I of England or king of Great Britain The Bible was completed and published in 1611.

Several books discovered later believe made changes to almost all the versions of the Bible. Still, many believe the King James Version is the most remarkable English translation ever produced.

Since many versions of the Bible have been set up, some even carry their ministry’s name to show ownership. We become a judge when we disagree with this trend, and it shouldn’t be; God is the only judge when it pertains to His Word. We should not judge the book’s cover, whether it belongs to different denominations or the version we grew up with. I believe we can still hold on to our faith and not judge its contents but how they interpret it.

We have many divisions in the Christian religion, yet we also have one thing in common.  Christians always discuss trials, challenges, persecutions, and salvation, and Jesus becomes the worship center. Jesus’ name becomes excessively used, and it becomes an idol. When you say that Jesus is my life, it becomes exclusivist and takes away the truth and rights of the Father of His ownership of His Spirit.

Are we the persecutors or the persecuted?  Are we true Christians? Or are we the Progressive Christians, or are we the Modern Christians?  Why are there many judgmental Christians?  Who are we today, and what are we?  Is the truth made us confused or our error in embracing the understanding of men?  Adam was created perfect, but because of disobedience, everyone turns out to be the ideal imperfection of God-created beings; However, we are not directly made; we are the by-products of those creations.

Self-awareness is critical in knowing ourselves, eventually developing into spiritual growth, maturity, and acceptance of who we are. John 13:12-15—the disciples of Jesus know him as a teacher, and Jesus was very aware of it. So, Jesus knew very well that he was a teacher.  When somebody asks you if you are a Christian, and by heart, you know you are.  What will be your answer?  Did the person that asks you doubt because he can see that you are doing different (good or bad) from other Christians? One thing we have to be careful of is misrepresenting ourselves.

Progressive Christianity represents a post-modern theological approach and is not necessarily synonymous with progressive politics. Instead, it developed out of the Liberal Christianity of the modern era, which was rooted in enlightenment thinking—Wikipedia.

Bishop Joseph

Dr. Joseph Vitug, Ph.D. - Bishop Emeritus

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