REJECTING OTHERS NOT IN OUR GROUP

Mark 9:38 (also Luke 9:49-50)
John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us. But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me. For he who is not against us is for us”.

There are many denominations in the world today: about 1.3 billion Catholics and about 900 million Protestants, 200 million Estern Orthodox, and almost 120 million in other major branches. One source I found suggests there are over 33k denominations in the world today. It seems that every few years new denominations are birthed and old ones remain. When do remove old groups? Probably NEVER. Some doctrinal changes might occur.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations_by_number_of_members
http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/a106.htm

What I really want to know about this verse is how the other guys can perform a miracle in his name. What was his name? Jesus, Jesu, Christ, Jehoshua, Yeshua, or something other. They performed a miracle in the name of some holy man from Galilee who had 12 disciples. Sure enough, Apostle Paul found some disciples in Ephesus who had never heard about Holy Spirit baptism but that was decades after Christ was crucified and rose from the dead. It seems the issue in Mark 9 was not even about Holy Spirit baptism, but about groups and who they owed their allegiance to. Apostle Paul alluded to super apostles in 2 Cor. 11:5 so even though he had the blessing of the group in Jerusalem there were other groups preaching about Yeshua which had no real allegience to Paul and his traveling companions. Consider the sect of the circumcision of which James was probably a member or even a sect of the Pharisees (Acts 15:5).

Acts 15:1:: certain men came down from Judea and taught the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

So differences in doctrine and practice was evident even in the early church.

Yeshua said may they all be one, as You Father, are in me and I am in you. (John 17:21). This was to be a witness to the world that God has sent Jesus to the world. Instead we have many in the world today involved with Islam, Hinduism, Buddism, Jaanism, Secularism, and other ism’s.

It is a great travesty that we have so many denominations around today. Still, we can work together, God willing, to bring about the Kingdom of God and impact the world.

Ecumenicalism has been tagged a bad thing by many in ecclesiastical circles, despite the prayer of Yeshua. It is true that compromise of essential doctrines is bad (so essential doctrines get debated). Non-essentials should never divide the body of Christ. We believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died a cruel death on the cross for our sins, and was raised again to life to provide forgiveness of sins in his name. Most Christians believe that Yeshua is coming again soon to set up his kingdom. That is about the entirety of the core christian message.

It was recently pointed out to me that most Quakers (Friends) do not believe in Water Baptism nor Communion but rather opt for spiritual transformation and direct communion with God.

Yet I have been in a godly group that places a high emphasis on water baptism, to the point of considering one unsaved if they have not yet got baptised because the Lord commanded us to baptise. Yet I could easily point out the theif on the cross to be an exception to this generally-accepted sacrement. Fully training 3000 new converts on the intricasies of Baptism on the Day of Pentecost seems a bit questionable to me also.

In terms of Communion the Lord said:
This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes (1 Cor. 11:25-26).

I don’t think Yeshua had in mind NEVER, but we can easily disagree on the how often aspect of the Lord’s supper. I have been in churches where they offer the Lord’s Supper every week or every time they come together.

I doubt I can fully define all doctrinal differences concerning sacrements here (including holy confession for the Catholics). I am just exploring some of the things that divide us.

I will point out however, when we speak of grace being a substitute (fulfillment of) the law I am thinking he fulfilled the sacrifical law. There are aspects of the law dealing with love and justice and mercy and faithfulness which are eternal laws. So you see, things are not that simple when it comes to things that divide us.

FAVORTISM AMONGST THE BRETHREN

Mark 10:35-45
James (Jacob) and John, the two sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask of You. He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” They said to Him, “Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?” They said to Him, “We are able.” And Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you shall drink; and you shall be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.“But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.” Hearing this, the ten began to feel indignant with James (Jacob) and John. Calling them to Himself, Jesus *said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. “But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Think about these verses. Even the disciples begged to be first on Jesus’ favorite list. Jesus was quick to correct with the admonition that the cup to drink was not pleasant. You might even say it was the koolaid cup, Jim Jones style. To live for Christ and be his witness comes from the root word for martyr. There is really no glory as the world knows it when it comes to being a true witness for Christ. As it was in the beginning, the disciples of Christ were persecuted. Some are persecuted today. In the end the tribulation(s) will also result in persecution. Those that experience peace and prosperity are so blessed. We should never forget the cost many paid for our current blessings.

I think in Kenya us white folks (musungo) have to be careful how we deal with people so as to not create the perception of favortism. In many places musungo is treated very nicely here, even almost to the point of royalty. In the Kingdom there is not big I’s and little You’s.

OUR AUTHORITY (Earthly Example)

Spiritual authority is not the same as legal or civil authority which is exercised by government. Apostle Paul talks about giving heed to civil authority in Romans 13 and Titus 3:1. One noteable exception to this has been the Holy Roman Empire which has claimed both spiritual and legal authority over many lands from around the time of Charlemagne (about 800 AD) up until the Napoleanic Wars (about 1806).

Normally we start a discussion about spiritual authority from a verse like Luke 9:1 which talks about power and authority given to the 70 disciples sent out to cast out demons and heal the sick. But instead I’m going to start from a slightly different perspective.

Acts 5:1:: But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, and kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he laid it at the apostles’ feet. Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land. While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not under your control? Why is it that you have conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.” As he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last; and great fear came over all who heard of it.

gr exousia is the word used here for authority or control

So whether you have a million dollars or just a small amount like a few cents it is under your control to do with it as you will. Jesus commended the poor widow women for putting a mite into the temple treasury. The point here is we don’t lie or act deceiptfully in our giving. God loves a cheerful giver as it says in 2 Cor. 9:7. We give as the Lord lays upon our hearts. Give and it shall be given unto you (Luke 6:38) is actually a measure that shows how our giving is proportional to blessings from God. If we lie and cheat in our giving then we are actually stealing from God (and lying). Mal. 3:8, often quoted, describes how people cheat God. Someone once pointed out it was the priests who where the YOU of that verse. I’m not going down that rabbit hole today. My point is who has control in the realm of giving and receiving.

I would like to point out that the messenger in Mal. 3:1 was likely speaking about Yeshua. Yeshua appears on the scene hundreds of years after the Spirit of God left the temple and clears the temple of the money changers and those who made merchandise of God’s people for religious service. According to Malachi ‘He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderers’ soap’. Yeshua said unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and pharisees you shall in no way enter the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:20). Yeshua said to the Pharisees and teachers of the law ‘You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence’ (Matt. 23:25). This empasizes Yeshua’s concern for internal moral cleanliness and not outward cleanliness through rituals.

It would be like someone making an excessive sum from book sales or charging exhorbanant fees for speaking. Apostle Paul talks about false apostles in 2 Corinthans 11 and those who worm their way into homes in 2 Tim 3:6 (was he talking about televangelists?). On the contrary, Apostle Paul tried not to be a burden to anyone but received from Macedonia in the case of those in Corinth (2 Cor. 11:9). I also try to do that in Kenya and elsewhere. Paying my way and even moreso in some cases… yet the laborer is worthy his hire (1 Tim. 5:18).

Getting back to authority …
Exousia is used in Matthew 7. Verses 28–29 say, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority [exousia], and not as their teachers of the law.” The word is also used in Matthew 9:6 when Jesus demonstrates that He has “authority” to forgive sins by healing a paralyzed man. The word is again used in Matthew 21:23–27 when the chief priests and elders question Jesus’ authority.

We all have spheres of authority. Money is one venue, another one is authority over people. The military fully knows about authority. Disobeying orders can get you into all sorts of trouble. In both Matthew and Luke we hear about the faith of the centurian which is a leader of 100. Jesus comments he has not heard of such faith in all of Israel.

I knew of a man in Africa who once moved funds from an orphanage to a church building program. This should not be so. Lines of authority ultimately come from God but many times flow through men and organizations. In the church we tend to have a measure of authority related to one’s work or mission:

2 Corinthians 10:12-16::
But we will not boast beyond our measure, but within the measure of the sphere which God apportioned to us as a measure, to reach even as far as you. For we are not overextending ourselves, as if we did not reach to you, for we were the first to come even as far as you in the gospel of Christ; not boasting beyond our measure, that is, in other men’s labors, but with the hope that as your faith grows, we will be, within our sphere, enlarged even more by you, so as to preach the gospel even to the regions beyond you, and not to boast in what has been accomplished in the sphere of another.

Apostle Paul did boast to some extent to those he had influence over. Mainly in those places he helped to pioneer as a missionary which were Asia Minor, Greece, and eventually Rome. He did not boast in another’s man’s sphere, like among the Jews who were under James and Peter’s authority. Philip went down to Samaria but was later recorded as having worked in Scythina (Black and Caspian Seas area). I recently heard from a missionary friend from India that Apostle Thomas planted churches in the area around eastern India, his tomb is traditionally held to be in Mylapore, India. Apostle Andrew was said to have gone to Scythina and neighboring countries. Bartholemew was reported to have spend time in Armenaia and Upper Phrygia. In the end apostle Paul advises us to just BOAST IN THE LORD. The apostle even spends the whole of chapter 11 boasting about his suffering. Imagine that, boasting about suffering, not about your exploits or how large your church or ministry has become, or how many souls you have saved by your own effort.

So let us strive to do good and be effective for the Kingdom.

Sources:
https://christian.net/theology-and-spirituality/what-do-quakers-believe-about-baptism/