What is Christianity? Fundamental Errors corrected

Introductions

Welcome to the Lord’s House this fine day.

Our Text

Acts 18:24–28 NASB 95

Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wanted to go across to Achaia, the brethren encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him; and when he had arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

You may be seated.

Ἀπολλὼς

also known as Apollos - Yes, that’s the Greek on the screen - was engaged in public ministry. He was acquainted with the ministry of John the Baptist - there’s a lot we’ll go into over the next few months on that and a lot of other issues. Why? Because with Independent Fundamental Baptists, there’s a whole host of famous teachings from famous teachings. There’s 100% Hyles devotees. There’s Peter Ruckman’s followers. There’s Baptist Briders. There’s the David Cloud devotees. If I mention John the Baptist, then the Baptist Brider’s sit up and pay attention, because they’re seeking whether or not I am chain link succession or not.

Hyles adherents are going to listen whether or not I’m in agreement with Dallas Theological Seminary’s first president over the Lordship Salvation controversy. There’s Dr. Ruckman’s followers, who are looking to see if I follow Ruckman’s teachings. Cloud devotees think both are wrong, and the Brider’s agree a little with everyone and disagree on the rest.

In any one IFB church, you’re going to find a blend of all four. Some won’t discuss what their stand is, they’re just going to complain about the sermon the whole way home.

Here is all I ask - you open your Bible, and see whether these things be so. Do not follow my words, follow the Bible. I stand here knowing I must preach the Bible and only the Bible.

And I’m going to say that of all four groups, they all chose philosophy and not the Bible to construct their systematic theology.

I do not follow men, I follow the Bible. Every man throughout history who studied the Bible and allowed only the Bible to guide his teachings taught essentially the same things. This is why if you read the creedal statements of most of Christianity throughout history, you’ll see that essentially they all say the same things. That’s not to say they are free from error. I am, after all, a Baptist. I am a Baptist from conviction. I am a Baptist because I feel the teachings of the Bible advocate me to be one. Am I a Jew? Yes, I am. But I am a redeemed Jew, a believer in Jesus Christ.

Have I listened to Dr. Hyles? Yes I have. Have I listened to the Baptist Briders? The seminary I went to was a narrow is the way, king james only, independent fundamentalist Baptist Brider seminary.

Have I listened to Dr. Ruckman? Yes, I have. Have I listened to Brother Cloud? Yes, I have. I have his Way of Life Encyclopedia.

I’m going to say there is some fundamental errors in all four. Not the same ones, although all of them believe in the same error.

I introduce this with Apollos to mention that he knew Jesus was the Messiah of the Jews. Priscilla and Aquila taught him the way more accurately.

Some things you may not know - the name of Christianity was originally called in Hebrew Moshiachim. In Yiddish, that would be Moshiekhist. It’s the same term that Jews call some of the Lubavitch Chassids, because they believe their Rebbe, Menachem Mendl Schneerson is the Messiah. Moshiach, Mashiechist, moshiakim.

The same way that Jews look at Moshiekhist Lubavitchers is how they looked at Christians - a group of Jews who believe someone was the Messiah. On that point, they fell short. Christians did not believe Jesus was just the Messiah. We believe Him to be the Risen Lord, one third of the trinity., very God and Very man. In Him, all the Bible finds its Amen. To reduce Him to just Messiah is selling Him short.

If those words don’t thrill you, if they annoy you or bore you, that’s danger signs. Talking about Christ should thrill your soul.

So let me start by saying this one thing totally unrelated to the sermon.

There is a tradition among a lot of Independent Baptists to verbally attack members of the congregation from the pulpit. There is a youtube channel that lists clip after clip after clip of IFB Pastors attacking members of the congregation.

We should never do that. Ever. Pastors are supposed to feed the flock. The Christian that does wrong is still a Christian. Notice I say, the Christian. The possessor of Christ, not just the professor of Christ.

I will never attack, insult or make fun of the members of this congregation.

The promise I want you to make me is that you will never allow any other Pastor to do the same to you. Do not be bullied. Do not blindly follow a man. Do not allow preachers - I’m not going to call them Pastors, because they are not - to control you.

Christianity is not a cult. We do not allow cultish behavior.