Expert: Marvin Howard - 1/9/2008

Question
Hello again, and thank you for the last question about speaking in tongues. I would like to ask you a couple more questions if it is alright. Now, I would like to say before I get started that I can't remember the scripture so if you could help me find out I would be most thankful.
Where can I find where it states that
1. God will send a powerfull illusion to allow you to believe what you want, if one doesnt believe his word?
2. Where does it say that one has to go to church on sunday.
3. can you help me find, where it says what is faith without deeds?
4. You don't have Christ until you put him on through baptism?
5. i would like for you to explain THE CHURCH and THE BODY.

im rushing so thanks!!!!

Answer
Hi!

David, I am glad that I am able to help. It is not me but the Word of God that gives me this ability. I pray I did not lose you with the multiplicity of versions presented in my previous answer to you.

I actually love questions that are phrased like this one. They are not technical; needing much explanation. The only advice you need is to remember that there are times when one Scripture, standing alone, does not tell you everything you need to know on the subject. It may be that one passage addresses how a thing is to be done, while another tells you when, and yet another why. In this answer, the only time(s) I will give more than one quote is when you need multiple passages together for your answer. You asked in bullet format, and I will likewise answer.

1.  2nd Thessalonians 2:11-12, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness."

2.  Acts 20:7, "And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight."

PLUS

1st Corinthians 16:2, "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come."

PLUS

Hebrews 10:24-25, "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."

3.  James 2:14-26, "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also."

4.  Ephesians 1:3-14, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with ALL SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS in heavenly places IN CHRIST: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. IN WHOM we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: IN WHOM also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory." (Emphasis mine, MRH)

PLUS

Galatians 3:27, "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."

PLUS

Romans 6:3-6, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin."

Is not salvation a spiritual blessing? Of Course! Is it in Him? Of course! Can you have it outside of Him? There is not the slightest possibility of this.

5.  Colossians 1:18, "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."

The body of Christ is the church. The church of Christ is the body of Christ. They are one and the same. You cannot have Christ without having the church. Therefore, a proper understanding of the church will also provide you a proper understanding of the body and vice versa. Below is the Greek for "church," along with its Strong's and Thayer's definitions:

G1577
ἐκκλησία
ekklēsia
ek-klay-see'-ah
From a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564; a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both): - assembly, church.

Thayer Definition:
1) a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
1a) an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating
1b) the assembly of the Israelites
1c) any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously
1d) in a Christian sense
1d1) an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting
1d2) a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake
1d3) those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body
1d4) the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
1d5) the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by Thayer’s/Strong’s Number: from a compound of G1537 and a derivative of G2564
Citing in TDNT: 3:501, 394

Of course, as Thayer said himself that at times he had to be an exegete. In other words after he gives the definition, he attempts to demonstrate it by stating ideas of what he "THINKS" is religiously correct. In short, at times he ceases to be a lexicographaer and becomes a Commentator. I like to say that like the rest of us, he is just a "Common 'Tater." Thus there are comments at the end that may not be (and in this case are not) accurate, as we will prove further into our answer.

A church is any group that is called out from one thing and into another. HOWEVER, the church that belongs to Christ, the one He bought with His blood, the one that is "of Christ" (Romans 16:16) is specifically His body. It is special to Him. He died for it as surely as you would die for either your wife or children, for they are part of your body. If you had the choice between saving your wife or your children at the necessary expense of others, which would you save? This is not to say that He cannot save them. His power is not so limited. The point is that He has determined in His own mind, and passed along to us through His Holy Word, that the others HE WILL NOT SAVE! We cannot limit His power, but He surely can do so.

Ephesians 4:4-6, "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

Ephesians 5:22-30, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones."

Paul, speaking with the authority of Jesus, drew a parallel between both our body and the church, and the oneness of a husband and wife with the body. If such parallels are not basically alike they can serve no purpose. There is only one body of Christ. A head would be absurd if it had many bodies just as much as it would be absurd for one body to have many heads.

Since there is only one body under the headship of Christ, all other bodies are not His. When a head tells a body to do something, that is gives it a command (c.f., John 14:15), and the body does not obey that command, then either it is deformed (lacking the proper synapses or thinking and operating processes), or it is a body connected to a different head (i.e., another person or entity entirely). In relation to Christ's body, only one of these is acceptable.

Ephesians 5:27, "That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish."

2nd Peter 3:14, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."

Jesus' body IS not deformed. Jesus' body HAS no defects. Therefore, if the head of Jesus' body (that is Jesus) gives a command, and a body does not obey that command, that body is not the body that belongs with that head. If the head of Jesus' body (that is Jesus) gives a command, and a body does something more or less than that command, that body is not the body that belongs with that head.

I will conclude with just a few examples. If the head (Jesus) gives (even through an Apostle) the command to sing (Ephesians 5:19), and a body tries to do something other than sing (like play unauthorized or extra instruments), then the body attempting such IS NOT ATTACHED TO, NOR DOES IT BELONG TO, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: regardless of the name they claim for themselves.

If the head (Jesus) gives (even through an Apostle) the command to be immersed in water (Romans 6:4), and a body tries to do something other than be immersed (like substituting sprinkling or immersion in another medium), then the body attempting such IS NOT ATTACHED TO, NOR DOES IT BELONG TO, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: regardless of the name they claim for themselves.

If the head (Jesus) gives (even through an Apostle) the command to be baptized to be saved/have remission of sins/be in the body/see the kingdom of Heaven (1st Peter 3:21/Acts 2:38/Galatians 3:27/John 3:3-5), and a body tries to do something else (like either refusing baptism or accepting baptism for another reason such as because all the things the head said still must happen should have already occurred in their opinion), then the body attempting such IS NOT ATTACHED TO, NOR DOES IT BELONG TO, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: regardless of the name they claim for themselves.

If the head (Jesus) gives (even through an example) the command to feed people assembled for study (at least when necessary) (Matthew 14:14-21/Matthew 15:32-38), and a body tries to do something else (like refusing to have food in a building at any time), then the body attempting such IS NOT ATTACHED TO, NOR DOES IT BELONG TO, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ: regardless of the name they claim for themselves.

Of all the religions in the world, yea even among those who claim Christ for their (or even just A) head, there is only one body that obeys Jesus in all of these points. Therefore, there is only one assembly that will follow their head into Heaven in salvation. Further, this proves beyond any possible and successful disputation that everything and everyone else is not His; they are simply imposters or only appear to be angels of light (2nd Corinthians 11:14) to cause others to be lost for all eternity. They may be called together by something or someone; BUT IT IS NOT CHRIST.

David, I pray that I have helped you in your knowledge of Scripture location, and I pray that you have been edified and enriched by a study of the body; the church. If I can be of further assistance, please do not hesitate to ask.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard
http://www.geocities.com/preacherman_1962