LIKENESS
Carlos Aguilar

From 1Cor 10:11 we learn one of the reasons for the writing of the Old Law, “Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.” Many happenings in the OT serve as examples for us. There are so many similarities in them to our own experiences that we can almost see a parallel; and, for a certainty, a definite likeness.

One of these "likenesses" is the familiar story of Noah and the flood. This is an event that surpasses the usual world happenings. There was not an ancient civilization that did not have some story of this phenomenon. In the Bible, we have it told in detail and exactness. If fits well into the category about which I am speaking---LIKENESS.

Righteous people today know that we live in a sinful, Godless world. But so did Noah, and even more so. Early in the history of man, we find God saying of them in Gen 6:5-6, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart.” Today, it seems that people flaunt God's word, His law, without remorse. Sin is rampant. Such sins as are condemned severely in Rom 1 (ungodliness, unrighteousness, suppresser of truth, idolatry, sexual immorality, debased minds, vs. 28-32) have a definite place in our society. They have come "out of the closet" into the open, and we are reaping the harvest in disease and death. Society accepts such sins as "a way of life" and does not speak out against it. Even so-called moral people flaunt God's laws for the proper methods of carrying out His will. But even with all this, there is a remnant that refuses to dishonor God, who will stand and be counted with the faithful. Not so in Noah's time. Members of his family were the only ones in the ark. So there is not a parallel here, just a definite likeness.

God, in His wisdom, determined to destroy the world with water (Gen 6:7. 17). The actual story of the flood is told in minute detail in Genesis: how that God opened the fountains of the deep, caused it to rain forty days and nights, and for the waters to rise above the earth. But God has also promised that our world will come to an end, not with water, but with fire. The likeness is in the destruction. God promised the flood and it came to pass. God promised the fire; just as certain it will come. People in Peter's day did not have much confidence in this promise. Those scoffers said in 2 Pet 3:4, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” Peter corrected this false claim by adding, 2 Pet 3:5-6, “For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water.” And verse 10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.” Just as the people of Noah's day scoffed at the idea of a flood, so people today scoff at the idea of the destruction of the earth by fire, and the judgment to come.

The second likeness is the fact that both the old world, and the salvation we look for are promised on conditions. To Noah God said: Build an ark of gopher wood after this fashion, and then gives all the specifics of the ark. Noah complied with God's commands, and he and his family were saved from the flood. To mankind today, God has given just as specific commands for salvation. With Noah, his salvation from the flood was conditioned upon his strict obedience to God's commands. Obedience is based upon absolute trust in the one to be obeyed. Today, we have a multiplicity of churches in our land, all teaching a different doctrine, most teaching for salvation things not given by the Lord. Just as surely as Noah had to meet the conditions laid down by God for his salvation, just that surely we must meet the conditions for our eternal salvation. So, there is a definite likeness in the story of Noah and the ark.

Noah, one man, was told by God to build an ark, one ark. People have no difficulty at all understanding this. But the same people can read the account in Matthew 16:18 where Christ said, "I will build my church” and then make the statement that all these various churches are good. "Isn't it great that we have so many different churches?"" One church is just as good as another." You've heard these statements before. When Christ said, "I will build my church" that eliminates all churches begun by men. They do not fit the pattern. Wrong builder! False precepts! Wrong number! Man-made laws to govern! Specifics ignored! HOW COULD THEY BE ACCEPTABLE TO GOD? Christ purchased His church with His blood (Acts 20:28). Every drop of it went into the purchase price. Not one drop was used to buy a man-made, man-built, man-planned denomination.

Why Be Baptized?

Among our Lord's last words to his disciples was the charge to preach the saving gospel to all men.

In Matthew Chapter 28, verse 19, he said, "Go you therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost". The question before us is what was and is the action of that baptism commanded by Christ and his apostles. The Bible clearly describes the action of Christian baptism as a burial in water, for baptism is a likeness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.

CHURCH HISTORY: A BIBLICAL VIEW
Part V - No. 30 Compiled and written by Gary Eubanks

The years 1529-55 were marked by maneuverings on the part of Catholics to force Protestants back into the fold and maneuverings on the part of Protestants to resist such efforts and establish for themselves a permanent and protected place in the religious scene. Though both sides experienced gains and losses, this quarter-of-a-century struggle would eventually end in the triumph of Lutheranism.

When the German Reichstag in 1529 ordered a halt to further Lutheran advances and a restoration of Catholic privileges and authority, the Lutheran minority issued a formal protest, and hence became known as the "Protestant" party. In the midst of mounting hostility against the Lutheran cause, Philip of Hesse sought to form a defensive league of German and Swiss Protestant forces. To this end he persuaded Luther and Zwingli to meet in his castle in Marburg in an effort to resolve their differences, or at least put the best possible face on them. Full union and recognition proved impossible, primarily because of Luther's insistence that Christ's physical presence was in the Lord's Supper.

With other matters out of the way, Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, turned his attention to a termination of the Protestant movement. He called a Reichstag in 1530 and invited the Protestants to come and make a statement of their beliefs and offer their criticisms of Catholic practices This they did in what became known as the Augsburg Confession. This document was primarily the work of mild-mannered, conciliatory Philip Melanchthon, Luther's lieutenant. Melanchthon was moved not only by conciliation but also by a desire to demonstrate that Lutherans had not departed from Catholic belief and practice in any essential respect. Ancient heresies, as well as Zwinglian and Anabaptist positions, were repudiated in the Augsburg Confession. The sole authority of the Scriptures and the universal priesthood of believers were not asserted. The papacy was not condemned. Yet, justification by faith was commended, and invocation of saints, the mass, denial of the cup to the laity, monastic vows, and prescribed fasting were rejected. Despite the relative mildness of the Augsburg Confession, it proved to be unacceptable to Catholic theologians. The Catholic-controlled Reichstag gave the Lutherans until April 15, 1531 to conform and recommended that a general council be held to correct abuses in the Church.

The situation looked grim for the Protestant cause, but Charles V had great difficulty enforcing the decision of the Reichstag. His power was weakened by the jealousy of Catholic rulers toward him and one another. The Pope did not like the idea of a council. The Protestant cities formed a league for self-protection, and the Emperor had his hands full contending with the French and Turks. Consequently April 15, 1531 passed uneventfully. Protestantism now began to spread rapidly into new territories. Its spread was aided by a tragic episode known as the "Munster rebellion' which hurt the Anabaptists and distinguished them from the Lutherans. Anabaptist extremists made their way to the city of Munster, prophesying that that city had been chosen by God as the new Jerusalem and urging that God's new age be established by force. Polygamy and community of goods were introduced, and opponents were ruthlessly put down. Catholic and Lutheran troops besieged and captured the city in June, 1535 and executed the leaders of the rebellion. Lutheranism was thus freed of Anabaptist rivalry in Germany and was made to look more attractively conservative.

Charles V came to see that conciliation was not the means by which Protestants would be drawn back into the Catholic fold. He would weaken Protestantism by force and then have a general council grant such minor concessions as would be required to effect a reunion. He was aided in his efforts to weaken Protestantism by one of the oddest and most shameful affairs in Reformation history. Philip of Hesse, though strongly devoted to the Protestant cause, was a man of low moral caliber. Disaffected toward his wife, he was involved in constant adulteries. Yet, he was so troubled in conscience that he partook of the Lord's Supper only once in the years 1526-39. He was deeply concerned about his salvation but did not improve his conduct. His "solution" to the problem was to enter a second (bigamous) marriage. After the agreement of the parties personally involved was secured, Philip made an effort to persuade the Protestant leaders. Luther and Melanchthon gave their opinion in December, 1539. Polygamy was wrong because it violated the primal law of creation. However, Philip's case was a special one not requiring conformity to the general rule. If Philip could not remain continent, it was better for him to have a polygamous marriage then to live adulterously. However, the second marriage should be kept a secret. In March, 1540 Philip entered into a second marriage with a private, though hardly secret, ceremony. It was impossible to keep it a secret. Luther advised "a good strong lie," but Philip refused to lie. A scandal resulted, and Protestant rulers refused to support Philip.

Charles V won important concessions from Philip and in 1547 defeated him and Elector John Frederick of Saxony in battle. Politically, Protestantism appeared broken. However, one of Charles' subordinates conspired against him with Lutheran princes and defeated him in battle. Toleration of Protestantism seemed inevitable. When the Reichstag again met in Augsburg a compromise was reached between Catholics and Lutherans in 1555. It was decided that the prince of each territory would decide what faith would be professed in his respective territory. Equal rights were granted to both Catholics and Protestants. However, the common man who was dissatisfied with the faith of his territory had to emigrate to a territory with a religion to his liking. Thus, Lutheranism gained full legal status in Germany. The Scandinavian countries also it made good headway, though initially for political convenience on the part of the rulers. Slowly, the peoples of Norway, Denmark, and Sweden were brought into the Lutheran fold.

From Martin Luther, the leader of the Reformation Movement: "I ask that men make no reference to my name, and call themselves not Lutherans, but Christians. What is Luther? My doctrine, I am sure, is not mine, nor have I been crucified for any one. St. Paul, in 1 Cor 3, would not allow Christians to call themselves Pauline or Petrine, but Christian. How then should I, poor, foul carcass that I am, come to have men give to the children of Christ a name derived from my worthless name? No, no, my dear friends; let us abolish all party names, and call ourselves Christians after Him Whose doctrine we have." - Hugh Thomason Kerr, A Compend of Luther's Theology (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1943, p. 135)

From John Wesley, another great reformation leader, among whose followers are Methodists, Wesleyans, etc.: "Would to God that all party names, and unscriptural phrases and forms which have divided the Christian world, were forgot and that the very name [Methodist] might never be mentioned more, but be buried in eternal oblivion." - John Wesley, Universal Knowledge, A Dictionary and Encyclopedia of Arts, Science, History, Biography, Law, Literature, Religions, Nations, Races, Customs, and Institutions, Vol. 9, Edward A. Pace, Editor (New York: Universal Knowledge Foundation, 1927, p. 540)

From Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest Baptist preachers who ever lived: "I look forward with pleasure to the day when there will not be a Baptist living! I hope that the Baptist name will soon perish, but let Christ's name last forever." - Spurgeon Memorial Library, Vol. I., p. 168