Origins of the Remission of Sins

Live from Salt Lake City, Utah, this is Heart of the MatterTGNN’s original show where Shawn McCraney deconstructed religion and developed fulfilled theology. where we do all we can to worship God in Spirit and in Truth. I’m Shawn McCraneyFounder of TGNN and developer of the fulfilled perspective—calling people to faith outside of religion., your host.

Show 36 513
A City of Refuge
September 6th 2016
Seth and promo for audio book

And with that how about a combined Moment from the Word illustrated on our Board of Direction.

(RUN FROM THE WORD HERE PLEASE)

In the Gospels and in Acts the phrase is used “for the remission of sins.” Frequently pastors and preachers and believers today read that phrase from those books and think it applies to them as it would have applied to the audiences it was shared with back in the day – the Jews. I would suggest that this is not entirely true and I’ll tell you why in a minute. But first we admit that Jesus came to the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel.

COI

They were the Children of God, His people, given His law and prophets and then the Messiah.

LAW

We also know that they had rejected them all and were in need of a Messiah to be forgiven – that for them to believe and receive Him they would receive a

“REMISSION OF SINS”

If we look at the Gospel Accounts and in Acts the Greek term for Remission is

AFEESIS

which means to be “freed from,” “pardoned over,” “forgiven” and/or “delivered” and in the most literal sense, “to be (or to have their sins) sent away.” What sins? All the sins the committed that were against the Law, for as Paul says, “for by the Law is a knowledge of sinMissing the mark of faith and love—no punishment, just lost growth or peace..”

The Apostle Paul’s Perspective

Speaking of Paul, he to speaks of a Remission of Sins – once – in Romans 3. Now listen really carefully to this message that Paul gives to the believers at Rome:

21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Again, in all the passages from the Gospels and Acts the phrase “Remission of Sins” means to send them away – that the shed blood of Jesus sent them away. But here the term Paul uses is not afeesis but paresis. Why do we suppose this is? Pareesis means to pass by or tolerate NOT send away. I would suggest that the sin of Lawbreaking for God’s covenant people Jesus shed blood sent those sins away – for it is by the law that there is a knowledge of sin. But I can’t help but wonder if for the rest of us who have no Law God, due to Christ’s shed blood now merely passes our sins by or tolerates them – not denying that they are there, but that God, through grace, bestows this tolerance or passing by on all who have faith on His Son.

Gathering and Community

This concept will play into what we are going to talk about tonight. So let’s get to it.

Every week we meet on Sunday and work through the Bible verse by verseTGNN’s Bible teaching series—book-by-book, through the lens of fulfillment and spiritual liberty.. We do this because faith comes by the hearing of the Word and are of the opinion that faith – at every level – needs to be fortified and strengthened. We invite any and all to come and join us – either by tuning in live by going to www.campuschurch.tv, or watching on our archives, or joining us physically here in Salt Lake City. These gatherings are something I do personally for a number of reasons. First, they are what I have been called to do by God – to teach. They are a means for me to give to others what God has given me. They are a means for people who are seeking to openly seek without condemnation. They are a forum of non-institutional church – in other words we are there to help you and you are not there to serve us or it. They are a place where the Word of God is the focus.

The Concept of a Christian City of Refuge

Songs we sing to the time of study. But they are simultaneously a place where the Word takes a back seat to the Spirit of love. We welcome and invite you to not only join us online or physically and to invite others to do the same – and to honestly come as you are – warts, opinions, lifestyles and all. This little promotion is a preface to a message I feel inclined to share with you tonight. It’s a very important message and it is very very timely. And we begin by explaining what I believe is the real reason we do what we do.

Inspiration from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"

In Ayn Rand’s fictional but somewhat prophetic book, Atlas Shrugged, a group of frustrated industrialists (and others) begin to disappear. At first nobody knows where they are going but in time it is learned that a city of refuge (if you will) was created by some of them and in light of what was going on all around them in society these industrialists, and other people of accomplishment, decided to abandon society and its downward trajectory and to give their talents and time to this secret city of refuge.

Every time we present a book, present a Tuesday night show, or hold a verse by verse teaching I am convinced – beyond convinced – that all of it is being done for the future. I have never believed that I will live to see the fruit of our labors but that what we are contributing to is the framework of a future Christian city of refuge, one that will exist outside of mainstream institutional religion and outside the manipulations, and money, and politics of present-day religious men and women. For this reason we archive everything we present. And for this reason we have always been willing to change our doctrinal stances when and if the facts and information prove that a change is warranted.

Future-Focused Intentions

In other words we are NOT about making people happy now or building an empire today. Everything we do is aimed at a place in the future. The reason we are doing this is because we can see a need, even a developing trend, where Christianity writ large, at its core and in many of its expressions, has become something inept, ugly and truly antithetical to the message of the New Testament.

To us the problems began with Constantine, blew up with the Reformation, didn’t get any better with the Restoration movements and are just plain ugly in this multi-duplicitous age of liberal, fundamental, material, maniacal, political Evangelicalisms of every kind. And so we are doing our part – small and ineffective as it presently is – to offer reasonable, viable, biblical and applicable solutions to what presently is. Theologically, philosophically we open up the discussion on Tuesday nights but in practice we try to live them out in our Gatherings on Sunday mornings and afternoons.

The Role of CAMPUS Gatherings

I want to talk about these gatherings for a minute because whether people know it or not they serve as the laboratory where we put our theologies and practices discussed to test. Primary to the CAMPUS gatherings is the line Freedom in Christ. This is NOT just some bromidic phrase stuck on the wall. We are adamantly committed to all people to be utterly and absolutely free to be what they will allow themselves to be, in Christ. This is ANYTHING but easy because group’s best function in an atmosphere of demands, rules and expectations handed down from above.

We refuse this – those almost daily there is an opportunity to adopt it. This freedom means all people are allowed to express (or not express) themselves – their view, their opinions, their beliefs, their persons, their lifestyles in the way they choose. We believe that this is an unalienable right in Christ and that all people are accountable before God for their choices.

The net effect is we not only encourage but we expect men and women who are Trinitarians to sit with people who are modalists to sit with people who believe Jesus is coming to wipe out the world right next to people who believe that He has already come. We embrace people who believe hell is a place of literal flames and people who believe it doesn’t exist. And on and on and on. We also realize that people must have the right to not only voice their opinions openly but that they should also be able to come and go as they please. Many people go – it’s really hard to

Freedom in Christ

The basis for this approach is not only Freedom in Christ, but this freedom is sustained by the opinion that very, very few things are set in concrete when it comes to the faith. Therefore opinions will vary. This is a given. And if opinions vary, so will practices. This is why we will perform whatever water baptism a person desires – sprinkle, splash, immerse or none at all.

If someone wants a communion service we’ll provide one. Want to bless a baby – have at it. A sister wants to speak or teach or preach – have at it. Our approach hasn’t amounted to chaos. People voice and people speak and they occasionally complain – which often leads to them leaving for a church that will do things their way. As stated, that’s okay too.

Teaching with Openness

So, having said all of that, I am the teacher at CAMPUS. My views are no better than others but I will teach what I believe it true. If people don’t agree that is perfectly acceptable – they can voice that disagreement too. But the call on my life is to teach and that is what I do. If I differ with you it’s okay – I may be wrong. So might you. We all see through a glass darkly and we are all growing in the word.

But the important thing is believers in Christ get to pursue Him according to where they are in their walk and how they believe they are lead. What does this approach accomplish and create in those able to bear it?

Patience
Longsuffering
Temperance
Honestly
Deep relationships
Kindness

In essence, the fruit of the Spirit – and it takes work. It takes dying to self, it takes holding the tongue, it takes putting oneself in the shoes of others.

Embracing Differences

We could try and govern through homogenation. That has been done – from Constantine till today. We could try and govern through common consensus – you know, dumb everything down to elevator music and make it palatable to as many as possible. That has been done too. But if we really truly allow ourselves to think about it, the only approach that will meet the biblical directives of love AND allow people to grow in Christ by the Spirit without inflicting oppression is this open, freedom in Christ approach sans religious manipulation.

But the door to Christian freedom must swing both ways. It must. This means that those who are extremely liberal in their ways and views MUST be as welcome as those who are extremely conservative in theirs. Republicans and Democrats. Blacks and whites and reds and yellows. Males and females and the in-betweens. Young earth and old earth Evolutionists and Creationists. Gays and straights Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses and Catholics and Baptists.

In other words a fag hating Christian (or a person who claims Christ that hates homosexuals) must be (beat) patiently allowed to voice their views by all present – including by the homosexuals themselves – who too must be heard too and with equal patience. What does this do? It opens dialogue. It breaks down barriers. It allows for there to be love amidst disagreement – in a faith where LOVE ought to abide – because it is by love that we are known.

Now what makes this approach even more difficult is that the Bible is taught. And it must be taught honestly, contextually, truthfully, and as the manual God has given to those who seek Him. What makes this difficult is the Bible can and will be understood in different ways – and can be taught in different ways and can and will be seen and read in different ways.

I am under the impression that amidst all of these factors, in the face of all of these very tenuous challenges, God desires and seeks those who are His . . . to love. That is the goal. To love as Jesus loved, realizing that

• All of us are in different places
• All of us have different trials
• All of us are sinful
• All of us see the world differently

But that God is the same – and on Him and His ways – we can trust. The minute we error on this freedom in Christ – in any direction – we begin to become something that has already occurred and has failed. But as long as we are willing to let God be the judge and let every person believe and live as

Faith, Sin, and Love

they wish – no matter who they are – we will find ourselves truly trusting and loving Him – and others in His name.

I have mentioned all of this because of a situation that occurred at lab or factory we call CAMPUS on Sunday. I was teaching out of Jude and in that short letter Jude speaks of some men who were in the church that had, in the face of grace, become lascivious. Here Jude likens them to the people of Sodom and Gomorrah who had “Given themselves over” to fornication and to going after “strange flesh” which in the Greek is “hetero sarx” or the same flesh meaning homosexuality.

Biblical Teachings on Homosexuality

Now, what does the Bible say about homosexuality? What it says I will always teach. And it clearly speaks of it as a sin. All we need to do is look at the creation to know how God intended humans to engage sexually. But sin is not our focus – our focus is faith on Him who overcame sin. Why? We read it earlier:

22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

The Responsibility of Teaching Scripture

As a teacher of the Word I have the obligation to teach what it says. I mean what if I came across a passage about lying and I said, “we’ll that is no longer true. Lying isn’t a sin anymore.” If I did I would fail in my obligation to teach what the Word says. That is what teachers of the Word do – they research and study and teach what it says – trusting, in my case, that the words are from God. What is rarely said in addition to this is almost EVERYTHING we humans are about and do is sin before God as well! My very person is sin – believe me – and no less sin than the Homosexual!

Thank God for Christ who overcame sin and deathSeparation from God—now overcome. Physical death remains, but it no longer separates us from life with God. on our behalf – for His grace! This must be heard too. So there was the teaching. As usual we open up the teaching to discussion. And here is the audio/video of what was said from the audience.

(PLAY AUDIO)

Audience Feedback and Reflections

In response to this one of our online CAMPUS attendees, Lisa wrote an email and said:

I just watched streaming video of Campus Jude 2 9/4. And I am sad by what I was hearing. Especially some of the disgusting hateful comments from the group at the end. What was even more sad was the way Shawn just kinda sat back with a smirk the whole time these comments were being made. In reading the "about section on Campus website it is love this and love that. Is this loving? To me it is not and that is hard because I love this ministry and it has helped me a lot. I like how it is reminded by Shawn all the time that the Bible was written at a different time to different people and he goes into the history and facts about it. But it seems like this is not the case when it comes to homosexuality and the scriptures that involve it. Is it history repeats it's self like one man commented? Were these Bible verses written to or about same sex couples in committed, loving, monogamous, lifelong, Christ-centered relationships? Did that even exist back then? Was Romans written about this kind of homosexual relationship or is it about idol worship? Is this the same homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorrah or was their sin rape? Corinthians? Timothy? Written to or about sex couples in committed, loving, monogamous, lifelong, Christ-centered relationships? Or written to or about married men who had sex with male youths on the side, which was common in ancient Greece.

Shawn made the statement "homosexuality is a sin" but I think that is to broad a statement for such an issue. When determining a sin I think Jesus made it simple. ALL laws fall under TWO commands 1. God above everything 2. Love thy neighbor. If someone keeps those two commands then they are keeping them all. So if a same sex couple in a committed, loving, monogamous, lifelong, Christ-centered relationship are keeping these two commands then how could their homosexual behavior be a sin? If someones homosexual behavior involves idol worship, rape, molest and adultery then is it a sin? Yes they broke the

Engaging with Faith and Understanding

Two commands.

Anyway, it's hard for me to fully express my opinion thru email and I hope that what I said makes some sort of sense. Again, I love and appreciate and praise God for this ministry.

In response I wrote:

Lisa,

Thank you for sharing your insights and feelings on the campus gathering. Your thoughts are compelling. I am going to address this situation on hotm this Tuesday and will include your email if that is okay (first name only). The situation and all it entails needs attention. But in the meantime, please know this – my smirking was a reaction to the painful rhetoric and not a smirk of agreement.

God bless and thanks again.

Shawn

And then Lisa wrote:

Shawn,

Thank you for your reply and yes it is okay with me if the email is shared. And please don't get me wrong, I am someone who is not easily if ever offended by things. I totally understand what you are saying about the smirking. I'm the same way most of the time. It is one of those situations in which you just gotta kinda shake your head about it all and let it kind of just roll off. I've seen you do it before and I get that is what you were doing and I'm not quite sure why I called you out on it as it was otherwise. I guess I was just having one of those days where the noise gets to be too much and I apologize for wrongly doing that as a way to vent. I sometimes just get so desperately frustrated and hopeless seeing all these wonderful loving LGBTQ people hurting and lost because of all the "painful rhetoric" being a giant stumbling block keeping them from seeking the truth. It sometimes takes me a moment in times like these to be reminded of my faith and to trust in God on the matter.

I thank God for all that you do, Shawn, for me your faith and commitment to share the gospel are a blessing from the Lord.

Lisa

The Intersection of Science and Faith

Let’s open up the phone lines (801)

From: Alisa
Subject: Ok to read on air if you want
Message Body:
My husband and I enjoy learning about science and when we learn about the largest and the smallest and the oldest things in the universe and the concept of time itself for us it's a faith-boosting experience. I just wanted to make the point that learning about science isn't going to make you faithless. I highly recommend reading the Bible because you can learn so much from it. I tend to think that the more we understand about science and history and the context in which the Bible was written the more it seems to be that the Bible actually is an accurate historical record. But history and science is less important than knowing how to give glory to God.

Embracing Humility and Faith

Christ's example in the Bible is your how-to guide. It's simple but often not easy. For those who don't believe or are weak in faith, I encourage you to not be afraid to give your life over to God. Don't be too proud to be a humble servant. It might be scary to relinquish power but when God dwells in you it's like having a ton of bricks lifted off your shoulders. Jesus already gave the gift just humble yourself enough so you can accept it. Don't worry about your atheist friends laughing at you because trust me you're not going to mind. Once you have the spirit all you will want is for others to be unburdened too. There will always be pain but giving God power over your life is how you can be fearless. The scared people are the scary people. Don't be afraid of knowing God or of any knowledge on God's green earth. God bless you all.

From: Nathan
Subject: Born-Again Mormon
Message Body:
I've been watching your show for a while and just began watching the very beginning and plan to watch the whole way through. I'm currently in Episode 3 (Praise God). I've noticed one of your common themes is asking people whether they've been born again.

I'm currently in college and I've been coming to know God throughout the course of the last year or so. I had no religious upbringing, but was exposed to both a very evangelical campus ministry as well as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While I was studying with both of them, I experienced the matter of being born-again. I had remembered a beautiful analogy given in a sermon on Ephesians, talking about us in our sins and our being held accountable to them, but God stepped in and offered us forgiveness.

A Personal Journey of Faith

I had spent the night reading 2 Nephi (I was just beginning to study with the missionaries) and I had the absolute prompting in my mind to stand up and go to my window. It was 2:00 in the morning and as I looked outside, I saw the first snow that had come down of the winter (it was early November and I live in Michigan). I looked outside and somehow fell onto my knees and began just praying for the first real time in my life. As I prayed, I felt a spiritual smack in the back of my head and instantly felt a warmth and joy washing everywhere through my body. I have no idea what I prayed or what I said, but I know that I felt sanctification washing over me and I know that I felt the Holy Ghost begin to guide me.

My experience was absolutely a spiritual rebirth, I know that my heart was fundamentally changed to follow Christ and when I opened my eyes, there was a new shining that I had never experienced before. When I spoke to people, I found it far easier to smile and to really, truly, and purely (though I know imperfectly) love every person I could meet. I know that I was born again next to my dorm window. I've also since then become a Mormon. I've been led by that same guidance that manifested itself in me as love and patience and kindness and longsuffering into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I've maintained that born-again zeal and that abject call to worship and praise my Lord. I've spoken multiple times about Jesus and about His sacrifice and how I thank Him in my Church. When I was asked in my first temple interview whether I found myself worthy, I honestly answered "No." I justified by saying that I know I'm working to try to become better, but that I'll remain imperfect until my resurrection.

Reflections on Imperfection and Faith

After all, the Bible makes it explicitly clear in Romans that no man is worthy, that we all fall short of God's glory and grace. I speak about my Church the way I do because I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ founded it. I know we've had a difficult past, but I know we've also had an imperfect leadership. Our Lord is perfect and He entrusted His Church with men, even knowing that they were imperfect. His apostles were imperfect when He was on Earth and they're imperfect still today. They've never been perfect and remain fallible. I know that I'm imperfect, but I know that my faith in Jesus Christ makes me whole. I know that when I do works of righteousness, only possible through the grace of Christ, I make my faith whole. Christ never commanded people do nothing but He commanded they act and follow Him.

I believe that my spiritual rebirth led me into the waters of baptism, into the baptism by fire, and I further believe it's leading me to the temple. I was born-again and I felt Him lead me into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I'm not sure if I have a specific question, but I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. I do love your show and I love the kinds of things you do. I pray that God can continue to bless you, my brother, and I pray He does so in the name of Jesus Christ.

Message and Connections

1. FROM MARK IN IRELAND (this is the religion I grew up with)

Shawn,

Hello my friend! You told a great Taco Bell story! I loved it. Seems that in reality we in our culture are getting hammered with so much “stuff”, everyone is in a hurry going nowhere gaining knowledge all while are being dumbed down. For some reason, “the word” really does have meat to it…calms my spirit and places things in perspective…it’s something outside of myself…somehow.

I know that you really don’t have anything to do (wink, wink) so here are a few links you might really enjoy. This as you are aware of has blindsided the Christian community big time. The key is the Scofield Study Bible and Zionism. These articles help to show how this all played out.

War on Christianity Part 1 https://jamesperloff.com/2015/11/07/the-war-on-christianity-part-1/ https://jamesperloff.com/2015/11/07/the-war-on-christianity-part-1/ https://jamesperloff.com/2015/11/07/the-war-on-christianity-part-1/>

War on Christianity Part 2 – Zionism https://jamesperloff.com/2016/08/31/the-war-on-christianity-part-ii-the-Abomination-and-blasphemy-of-christian-zionism/ https://jamesperloff.com/2016/08/31/the-war-on-christianity-part-ii-the-abomination-and-blasphemy-of-christian-zionism/> https://jamesperloff.com/2016/08/31/the-war-on-christianity-part-ii-the-abomination-and-blasphemy-of-christian-zionism/ https://jamesperloff.com/2016/08/31/the-war-on-christianity-part-ii-the-abomination-and-blasphemy-of-christian-zionism/>

Your Friend, Gary

From a friend Ernest and a letter he wrote to his wife Sarah,

My beautiful soulmate, I started Facebook to read Carla's posts. Now I'm sitting here looking at Family and friends, all their connections, wondering and worrying out to reach them with the message of Christ, that scripture (Luke 16:31) thinking about Shawn's ministry, how he approaches his family, his transformation into PreterismThe belief that all biblical prophecy—especially “end times”—was fulfilled by 70 A.D. More, and all the time I can't get

Understanding and Transitioning from Past Religious Beliefs

Past praying to God, wondering if I still don't grasp the beauty, freedom, and life of true Christianity. I'm wondering where I could have missed the message; I should be daily glorifying God in word, smile, countenance, and action for the justification given and the sanctification, hopefully in process. The worst thing you could tell a former Mormon is the Bible is allegory or preterism is a world view for everyone that didn't live within the period the New Testament writings. What becomes of prophesy? We live in 3 maybe 3 1/2 narrow dimensions. God lives in 10 or more. Just as a 2nd dimension creation has difficulty comprehending a 3rd dimension creation, how can we comprehend the 4th partially or any of the 5th or 6th? An understanding of physics helps, however, for the education in physics, this issue breeds more insecurity. Yes, there is the Spirit, we may feel we have that, the Spirit of Truth or Comforter in our life, but how do we know if we are a remedial project that has experienced a backslide or a new growing creation having truth revealed? I assure you, it's a very innocent but poignant question.

Personal Journey and Spiritual Awakening

Just as background, I emailed Shawn. He has very pertinent teachings past and present. Every time we talk about this election season, I remember the verse and title of his book, "If My Kingdom were of this World, then would My servants fight." In conversations and debate, that verse I ignored for years, and then started thinking about it again after our first trip to the Dominican Republic that changed us after seeing how little these people had and how simply they lived. I want nothing of this world, except to glorify God, and you said it as well. Selling what we sold was so unburdening, but now I'm left with the same question, "where/how does God want us?" My perspective, coming out of Mormonism, is wondering how I can ever trust myself again? Listening to Chuck Missler, Ravi Zacharias, and Shawn, as a Bible novice has me questioning my own spirituality, eschatologyStudy of “last things”—TGNN teaches all biblical eschatology was fulfilled in 70 A.D. More, and leanings to religion.

Personal Testimonies of Change and Redemption

From: Richard Taylor
Subject: I love your show
Message Body:

Hey Shawn, I found your show on YouTube and I must say I'm hooked. I've been watching it all night and can't turn it off. I've been doing lessons with missionaries for a year and a half. I haven't got baptized yet because I'm on felony probation, but the missionary president has written a letter to the powers that be to try and get permission. My daughter was baptized three weeks ago and my nephew that lives with us is getting baptized next weekend. The gospel of Jesus Christ has saved me and my family's life. I have been battling addiction for ten years. I was near death from meth addiction and suicidal because I have major depressive disorder. The missionaries checked on me and taught me 'til I went to rehab for my sixth time. I was facing ten years in prison for distribution. My 14-year-old daughter was smoking, drinking, and doing drugs. I got probation, got sober, got mental help, and my daughter quit cold turkey and spreads her experience, strength, and hope. I do not believe everything Mormons do; I was baptized a Baptist and believe grace will get me to heaven. I like the moral teachings, the charity programs, youth programs, and the family values of u

Hello sir, I am a retired army veteran and have recently retired. I have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan three times each and a few other places during my military career. I ALWAYS believed in Mormonism, and because my patriarchal blessing said I would live long, I wasn't afraid. Good thing God knew I was a truth seeker and was coming to the true him at some point in my life. I was fooled for 40 years by this farce of a gospel (Mormonism). I wanted to tell you and all of your ministry THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. You have helped me make sense of the madness running through my head for the past 40 years. I am now 41, I was baptized for the real reasons two weeks ago, and I am finally beginning my walk with the real Jesus, and in just 1 year, I have changed my life so much by the new heart God has given me. I can't express enough how amazingly different I see EVERYTHING now. I was so judgmental and so full of self-righteousness yet at the same time so guilt-laden and ashamed for not being able to obtain the righteousness I thought I should have. I now see people as people doing the best.

The Complexity of Understanding Jesus

they can with what they have at that particular moment, and not judge then by the sin that they are committing, when I was doing the same exact thing. Again THANK you Shawn, I really wish I could sit down and have a discussion with you some day, or join in with your ministry if you need anyone. I was also wondering if you allow people to come and watch the taping of hotm, and if there is any room for one more to come to campus. God bless you my brother and again thank you for helping to bring God into my life for real. I'm a babe in Christ, but I am growing stronger every day. God bless you.

From: alex koritz
Subject: You're not understanding the real Jesus….
Message Body: Hi Shawn, I like your show, but I think you need to keep learning. Here’s the problem, evangelicals and most of main-stream Christianity does not actually believe in Christ, they believe in PAUL. It’s purely a Pauline religion, not from Jesus. I totally agree though that Mormons don’t get the real Christ either. Here’s what you need to study to truly understand Jesus: Most biblical scholars now, led by experts such as Dr. James Tabor, are revealing that Paul changed the teachings of Jesus and introduced an entirely new gospel.

The Teachings of Paul vs. Jesus

According to these scholars, the gospel that Jesus introduced was handed to James, the brother of Jesus, not to Peter or Paul. Then over the centuries the followers of Paul gained more traction and they took liberties in editing “Christian” material that emphasized Paul’s teachings and minimized James and the family of Jesus. Read your bible you’ve mentioned that has Jesus’ words in red, or a Jefferson Bible. If you actually study the words of Christ, he’s much closer to the Eastern ascended masters such as the Buddha. The damnation, grace, sacrifice for sins, etc. ALL comes from Paul and old Hebrew traditions, not Jesus. “The fundamental doctrinal tenets of Christianity, namely that Christ is God “born in the flesh,” that his sacrificial death atones for the sins of humankind, and that his resurrection from the dead guarantees eternal life to all who believe, can be traced back to Paul — not to Jesus,” writes Tabor.

A New Perspective on Spirituality

This becomes clearer if you isolate the teachings of Jesus to what he actually said, and examine other early Christian writings such as the Nag Hammadi library. “It was a full decade after Jesus’ death that Paul first met Peter in Jerusalem (whom he calls Cephas, his Aramaic name), and had a brief audience with James, the brother of Jesus, and leader of the Jesus movement (Galatians 1:18-23). Paul subsequently operated independently of the original apostles, preaching and teaching what he calls his Gospel….” continues Tabor. What this means is that we must imagine a ‘Christianity before Paul’ that existed independently of his influence or ideas for more than 20 years, as well as a Christianity preached by Paul, which developed independently of Jesus’ original apostles and followers.”

Jesus said we should throw out the old teachings and not put new wine into old bottles. Keep in mind that the Eastern religions pre-date the Hebrews by several thousand years, so let’s not get too hung up on Hebrew tradition. Pure spirituality existed thousands of years before Abraham, and this is what Jesus was trying to bring back, but met with resistance from the Pharisees, and then his teachings were distorted by Paul. Keep this in mind next time you talk about “grace” and even the need for it. This is why Evangelical doctrines irritate me so much, because they are SO far off the path and the “way” that Jesus laid out for us.
-Alex

This is from a private email about hell.

Shawn – Thought you might find this interesting to consider from a fulfilled perspective writer, Simon Yap. The following post are copied by permission and are in quotes.

"Did you know every time the New Testament makes a reference about hell, it's directed to the Pharisees and the Old Covenant keepers? So interesting. Even the story about the rich man and Lazarus was directed to them.

Luke 16:14-15
Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided Him. And He said to them …. What does that say about you?"

"More on hell.
Matthew 13:37-43
He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the END OF THE AGEThe close of the old covenant era, fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not the end of the world., and the REAPERS are the ANGELS. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this

The Role of Angels and the Sealing of the 144,000

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Dear friends, I want to you to read this verse together with this passage.

Revelation 7:1-11 After these things I saw four ANGELS standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. Then I saw another ANGEL ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four ANGELS to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

The Great Multitude and the Worship of God

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

All the ANGELS stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God…

And now read this.

Revelation 14:15 Then another ANGEL came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to REAP has come, for the HARVEST of the earth is ripe.”

Revelation 14:1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.

The End of the Age of the Mosaic Covenant

So you see the "hell" that Jesus spoke about has nothing to do with us. The time of harvest was in AD70. That was referring to the end of the age of the Law. Those who were chosen and formed the "harvest" we're the 144,000 Jews and the Gentiles mentioned in Revelation 7. So those who were gathered and thrown into the lake of fire were the unbelieving Jews in that generation.

Matthew 23:36 Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. It was the end of the age of the Mosaic covenant.

Gnashing of Teeth

We so often equate this phrase as eternal torment of unbelievers.

Matthew 8:12 But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Let's look at the Old Testament.

Job 16:9-10 God assails me and tears me in his anger and GNASHES his teeth at me; my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes. People open their mouths to jeer at me; they strike my cheek in scorn and unite together against me.

Psalms 35:16 Like the ungodly they maliciously mocked; they GNASHED their teeth at me.

Psalms 37:12 The wicked plot against the righteous and GNASH their teeth at them;

Psalms 112:10 The wicked will see and be vexed, they will GNASH their teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.

Lamentations 2:16-17 All your enemies open their mouths wide against you; they scoff and GNASH their teeth and say, “We have swallowed her up.

So in all these verses, the gnashing of teeth is related to as mocking or jeering. You will also read about how the "wicked GNASHED their teeth at the people of God". Now does that mean that there are wicked people who are not in "hell"? Also how do you mock people who are in eternal torment when we are in paradise? You can only mock people who are very much alive. No people this is a reference of how the Jews were shamed in AD70. It's not

Restoration Branches Beliefs

Keeping digging into the Preterist view my friend, as I think you will find the idea of "hell" as a waiting place will fall by the wayside. Fantastic insights. Thank you private emailer.

Main Beliefs

Hi. I have many problems listing to you. I will say this your good at what you do.

1. I am a part of the restoration branches. It is an independent church.
   A. We believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet. We do not believe that Young was a prophet.
2. We do not believe in plurality of wife's. We don't not have a prophet or 12 Apostles. We do not believe in Temple worship or baptism for the dead.
3. We believe the only way to be saved is by Jesus. We believe in repentance for sins. Baptism for death burial and resurrection. And the gift of the Holy Ghost.
4. We are a local church. We believe in the Inspired Version of the Bible. The 1908 Book of Mormon. The Doctrine and Covenants.
5. Only Jesus can save a person. The temple ordinance is false. Baptism for the dead is false.
6. God has never been a man or God has never has a wife. You can not become a God. This teaching is false doctrine from the devil.
7. God the Father is a spirit. Yet he has a form. Jesus is a person of flesh and bone. The Holy Ghost is not a person. It is God The Father's spirit. It is the Father. There are only two in the God head. Lecture on Faith section 5.

Additional Insights

There is much more I could tell you. You try to help people come out of the LDS church. The LDS church is false. Someone told me one day (You can see Babylon everywhere else but where you are). Look Babylon is very easy to look over. Read in The book of RevelationA symbolic prophecy fulfilled in 70 A.D.—not a prediction of future global events.. The woman that rides the beast. John marvelled when he seen her. She (Babylon) is trying to do everything she can to look just like the Body of Christ. We have to be wise. Babylon has not fallen yet.