Discovering the Apostle's Doctrine: Rightly Dividing Truth

By James F. Disbrow

Discovering the Apostles Doctrine is sure to inflame the Christian community and will be considered a very controversial read by those who study Gods word with an inflexible understanding of Christian theology. Once the pages of this book and the minds of the readers are opened the comments of the author intertwined with biblical truth of scripture will bring a new enlightenment and a deeper understanding of Gods will. In Christendom over the last 2 millenniums there has been a departure from the true gospel of Jesus Christ as was presented by his apostles. In fact, the doctrines that were expressly taught by the apostles of Jesus Christ and that are presented in the New Testament are for the most part not followed by Christendom today. This book will bring the readers attention to the many warnings, which God has given mankind through his prophets, the apostles and His son Jesus Christ. These warnings were given that mankind then and now might be made aware that there exists in the world false prophets, wolves in sheeps clothing, false Christs, traditions of men and doctrines of devils with one purpose, to destroy mans hope of any relationship with God! In the spirit of the Watchman on the Wall it has been the writers effort to not only warn the reader but to give biblical direction to the saving grace that is found in Jesus Christ alone. This book will be the cause of much debate and will be considered heretical in many corners of Christendom. However, a closer look at the scriptures and with the help of the authors comments the reader will uncover the fundamental truths of God and embrace the eternal hope that is in Jesus Christ. Jesus tells us that it is the broad way that will lead humanity to destruction and unfortunately many people will follow that path. Broadway is known for its bright lights, its glamour, excitement and its many opportunities to indulgence ones self. The broad way is also the way of deception, distraction, discouragement, distruction and death. Jesus further explained that the road or pathway to eternal life is a narrow passage and few people will find it. It is the writers prayer that this book will provoke the reader to study their bible with a receptive mind comparing scripture with scripture. Jesus died for everyone of us but the bible tells us that heaven itself is not for everyone. Revelation 21:27 states that there shall in no wise enter into the city of God any thing that defiles, neither those who have an abdominal life style or those who are filled with deception (liars), however those who have believed the truth of the scriptures will have found eternal life and their new home. A person must be born in to the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. The apostles of Jesus have given us the road map to eternal life through their writings found in Gods word. Discovering the Apostles Doctrine will reassure the reader that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life! Every professing Christian and every soul looking for Gods truth needs to read this book with their Bible at least once! This book is not fiction and it is not meant to be read for entertainment. This book is a sincere look into the word of God as it was brought to humanity by Gods prophets and the apostles of Jesus. This book is meant to help the reader think, pray and secure their eternal salvation!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 21, 2005
• ISBN: 9781465333360

James F. Disbrow

James F. Disbrow, or Pastor Jim as he prefers to be called, was called by God to the ministry shortly after his salvation in 1974 and he has been a pastor for over 20 years. God gave him a burning desire to “rightly divide” the word of truth found in the holy scriptures. His experience in reading and understanding insurance contracts and the leading of the Holy Spirit have directed his efforts in carving out biblical truth. Pastor Jim has studied the word of God for 30 years and desires to bring his discoveries to the reader.

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Discovering the Apostles’

Doctrine

Rightly Dividing Truth

James F. Disbrow

Copyright © 2005 by James F. Disbrow.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or

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Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

A Salvation Journey Through The Scriptures

DEDICATION

Appropriately I first dedicate this book to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jesus loves me and has rescued me to the glory of God. Jesus has become my righteousness, wisdom, sanctification and redemption. I praise Jehovah God for His salvation through Jesus, the anointed one.

In 1974 I was saved even after having believed Christ was real from the time I was a young lad attending Sunday School. I have learned over the years that head knowledge or the mental acceptance to the fact that Jesus was real was not enough. I found out that going to the altar in repentance was good but that was not sufficient. I had to be born again.

In 1974 my father passed away and this major event in my life started me searching. As I wept at the funeral home an old friend was there to comfort me. He put his arms around me to reassure me. He told me it would be alright and that Jesus would see me through. Later like any responsible minister would do he came over to our house and shared Jesus. His words taken from God’s word made me think and made me question where I was at in Christ. I had head knowledge but no relationship with Jesus. Of a truth, I knew Jesus was not really my Lord. Jesus did not have control of my life! Even though I had been an altar boy at our church and grew up confessing Jesus I did not know him.

Sherman Beeler shared Jesus Christ with me and through his ministry I was shown the way to God’s anointed Son Jesus and I discovered the apostles’ doctrine! I dedicate this book to Sherman Beeler a very dear friend.

Finally I dedicate this book to my wife Cathy. So many times she has been there to pull me back from the brink. She has prayed through and has helped me stay the course.

Foreword

TRADITIONS

Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught . . .

2 Thessalonians 2:15

Every family through the years will develop their own traditions. Not realizing it, we will have established customs and special ways of doing things in life. When our children were growing up we would sing in the car as we took long trips. Our church family would always go to the same camp ground every year for church camp weekend. Children and adults alike will become accustomed to or comfortable with certain practices to the extent that if there is a change in the way they observe these special events there is a certain level of sadness or feeling of loss.

I remember the melancholy I felt the first time I saw Fiddler on the Roof. As one watched the story unfold you could actually feel the pain that the Jewish parents felt as their daughters broke with tradition. The story describes the lives of a Jewish family caught up in the midst of the Russian revolution and how the outside world impacted their lives in their small Jewish village. Traditions handed down for centuries crumbled leaving the parents with heart ache and loss. Traditions become as if set in stone and if someone close to us breaks the bond through a change in the norm it can be devastating to those who are affected. When a family belongs to the same church through several generations and one of the family members leaves the church, either by joining another church or just not attending, tremendous pain and loss is experienced by those who are still holding on to tradition.

Tradition can be beneficial as well as detrimental, especially when it comes to our faith in God. As I remember, two of Revtevia’s daughters in Fiddler on the Roof married outside of their faith. The parents believed that these actions by their daughters not only broke family and cultural traditions, but broke covenant with God.

Our traditions can not and must not transgress the commandments of God. Jesus spoke to this problem as he addressed the Jews.

Matthew 15:3 &6

. . . Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

. . . Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

Mark 7:6, 9 & 13

. . . Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men . . .

. . . Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

. . . Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition . . .

The apostle to the Gentiles, the apostle Paul, also wrote about tradition. He was concerned that the true Christian faith would become perverted by the development of customs and false doctrines.

Colossians 2:8

Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

2 Thessalonians 2:15

. . . brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

2 Thessalonians 3:6

Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.

The Apostle Paul also spoke about the commandments or ordinances that he was giving to the early believers in Christ:

1 Corinthians 11:1 & 2

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

1 Corinthians 15:1 & 2

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.

The Lord Jesus Christ reproved his Jewish kinsmen telling them that their traditions, customs and practiced religion made the word and will of God ineffectual even though their intentions may have been honorable. In other words, we can worship God incorrectly and miss God! Our worship today can be fruitless and will not touch God if our traditions cause us to error. In the spirit of this truth I have set forth from my heart the things that the bible assures us are true.

Chapter 1

WHAT IS VANITY?

Walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind—Ephesians 4:17

The Webster’s New World Dictionary of American Language (2nd Addition) defines vanity as emptiness and worthlessness. Vanity is further described as anything or act of being in vain, futile, idle or worthless. King Solomon explained it this way in Ecclesiastes 12:8, Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity. Solomon understood that all his wealth and worldly success was of no benefit without God. The book of Ecclesiastes can be condensed into a short statement, which will lead us to this truth; whatever mankind plans or achieves while on this earth will come to nothing without God. In Ecclesiastes 12:13 & 14 Solomon came to the conclusion that the whole duty of man was to fear God and keep His commandments.

In fact a person who believes that they can live their lives without God’s presence and direction, and attempts to do so will come to an unhappy ending. To think that everything that we do on the earth in our short life spans may come to naught is sobering. We all want to matter and to have accomplished something great while we are here. We want to know that somehow our lives have made a difference.

Carnal Thinking

Our own will & desires become the problem. When we get bigger than God or deny that God exists we put ourselves in harms way with eternal consequences. The Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4:17 &18 that we should not walk or live as others do in the vanity of their minds having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. We remain estranged from our creator when we will not believe His word and will not allow Him to be our heavenly Father. If we do not believe that God exists and that God Jehovah through His son Jesus Christ blesses them that diligently search for Him we lose all hope of eternal life. The Apostle Paul again tells us in Ephesians 2:12 that without God’s anointed, Jesus of Nazareth, we are all aliens (foreigners) from the commonwealth (shared well being) of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and that we are without God in this world. That’s vanity!

Ignorance and blindness of heart causes us to be separated from our Creator because God hates carnal thinking. The word ignorant does have significance and is not just a word used in name calling. The word ignorant means having little knowledge, education or experience. There are many people today that just do not have a clear understanding