BIBLE DOCTRINE - WHAT IS IT????
- Thread starter Major
- Start date
- Status
Hello Major;
The Bible doesn't specifically state Jesus' birthday, or incarnation, so it's complicated for anyone to pinpoint the Lord's exact birth. If I recall, it may have been the end of the 3rd century (200 AD) or beginning of the 4th century (300AD) that the Church officials made it the official day to celebrate the Lord's birth. How they arrived at that I don't know.
I've always been asked about Communion Sunday. Is the Eucharist "required" weekly, biweekly or monthly, and is this doctrinal? We must be careful to distinguish between ordinances (which I believe Communion is) and doctrine of weekly, biweekly and monthly.
Thoughts?
God bless you, Major.
personally i say no it reads as oft as you do this. if done every sunday it becomes a ritual / ceremony with no meaning
Hey brother!
It is universally accepted that Jesus was not incarnated on Dec. 25. There is little to no Biblical evidence that reveals the date of Jesus’ birth. Luke 2:8 refers to shepherds in the fields suggesting Jesus’ birth took place in the spring when shepherds were with their flocks during lambing.
Clement of Alexandria (150 AD – 215 AD), an Egyptian Christian teacher, had cited May 20th and April 20th or 21st as possible dates of Christ’s birth fitting the spring theory.
The most popular reason why December 25th was chosen is because the church was Christianizing the pagan celebration of Sol Inviticus — a sun-god — that Roman Emperor Aurelian had introduced on that date in 274 AD. The Catholic church pretty much was in control at that time so it got what it wanted.
Communion has no specific direction as to how often it is to be observed. I do know that if it is done too often it will become a ritual which losses its meaning and purpose.
I agree, Communion is one of the two ordanices we have as Protestants.
I guess I'm late to the 'altar', lol, but although I agree altar calls can give a false assurance, they do have the benefit of establishing a 'landmark' in a persons life...at least a landmark of commitment.e.g., "I gave my heart to Jesus on Mar17th, 1974" etc.
Pro 22:28 Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set.
I've heard many a fire-brand preacher talk about the tragedies in the altar calls at various churches and crusades, such as the Graham crusades. They bemoaned the thought that all those people who went forward at the Graham crusades were left to be snatched up by the ecumenical denominations, which included the roman catholic workers allowed to draw the people away into the RCC.
Altar calls for repentance and seeking the Lord for salvation should be the very ones whom mature men in the faith should take under their wings for direct discipleship rather than leaving it to Sunday school classes and "church attendance" as the means to allegedly bring them to spiritual maturity. The standard practice leaves them floundering around, hoping to learn what is needed, even to the extent of being draw away into various of the cults out there that preach a false christ. That's how I ended up in Mormonism.
MM
May I say that the Graham crusades were not what you may have been told. I was personally involved in the Orlando Crusade back in 1983.
As a Southern Baptist church, we were invited to participate 1 year in advance by being involved in door to door witnessing programs.
We went and explained the gospel to literally thousands of people as part of the Seminole Baptist association as long with The AOG and Independant churches of Central Florida.
We obtained the commitments of those who accepted the Lord Jesus and then we invited them to be in the Orlando Citrus Bowl for Dr. Grahams service. We ask them to come down at the end and be a part of the committal service. The Billy Graham association then in turn encouraged all of those who did that to follow up with a local church of their choosing usually close to their home.
Those who you see at the alter did have the gospel message explained to them and they said the prayer of salvation long before the actual event.
I agree!
However......IF a person comes to the alter due to Momma dragging him or some kind of emotional response, it will not last.
A person must have the gospel message explained to them in order to be saved. If a person just stands at the alter waiting for God to speak to him.......that is when Satan walks in and does the talking.
"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God!"
So your SBC group was the only ones there to meet those who went forward? There were not other denominations or cults there at that one?
Perhaps they were talking about others...much larger ones in the larger cities.
MM
I’m not sure if a quick explanation is enough, it took a year and a half in the school of hard knocks before I was ready for the altar.
no explanation is needed we all have our own stories school hard knocks . for me it took two years and a nice hefty donation to the u.s federal court. yes like you at the altar we doint drag anyone to the altar . i have yet to see any so called tragedy at the altar . not everyone needs the Gospel message explained before salvation. i am a big supporter of new converts classes .
when the spirit draws HE will finish the work
O...yes. I agree 100%. I am just saying that the idea standing at an alter "waiting" on something to happen is without the gospel being explained is.............. ............better not say what I think here.
Last edited:
Brother..........I can not even remember how many people I have spoken to who said when I asked them if they were saved, or were aske, do you think you are going to heaven who said.........."Yes, i went down to an alter when I was 10 " or "YES, I was baptized when I was 14 years old."
When the gospel was then explained to them.......then they said, O My Lord, I was not saved at all. It is AFTER hearing the gospel with the ears that a lost man receives Christ in his heart and says so with his mouth!
Romans 10:9
" That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
When I was about 12 years old, my mother took me down the alter one Sunday. There she had me "PRAY THROUGH".
I had no idea what that meant. NO ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS!!!
I sat there on the front row and about 2 minutes later, mom asked me.....well, are you saved???
I said...WHAT? What do you mean?
She said........keep on praying!!!
I sat there another 2-3 minutes and we went through the same thing.
After about 3 or 4 times I got the hint and said YES! The preacher came over and shouted AMEN and that was it. I was not saved in any way what so ever. It was many years later when a man sat down and asked me if I was going to heaven and I said.......Well I prayed THROUGH, Am I saved??? After he stopped laughing he said NO - son you are not. Then he explained what SAVED means and gave me the gospel!
Sitting and waiting just makes one hungry!
Just so we’re on the same page, it is spelled A-L-T-A-R.
When ‘giving an explanation’, I envisioned while the person was at the altar, not years later. My bad
You know..........I had an English teacher in the 7th grade who did the very same thing!
Having an atheistic dad, I had absolutely no Church upbringing, I had to ‘sit and wait’ lol
Did what? Correct your spelling?
Well, I had a teacher who was like that Nun holding that yard stick between the two Blues brother, whacking them both alternately, until they fell down the stairs...
Yep, that was my first encounter with Christian evangelism...pray the sinners prayer, or else...!
MM
- Status