Original Christianity
Original Christianity
One of the hardest things to come by today is truth. Everyone is lined up on each side of issues, minds are made up, and very few people take the time to research and have a dialogue. This leads to a lot of friction and good ideas never considered at all because they come from “the other side”. In practical life, this is not making our society better at all. In fact, the opposite is happening.
When it comes to learning about Christianity, this “us versus them” paradigm has been in place for a really long time. But how does one learn real, original Christianity today? The internet is flooded with information. From videos to podcasts to blogs to books, it’s complete information overload. How does one even choose which of the many Bible translations to read? To try and provide a path forward, I have made a series of videos meant to teach you how to read the bible and come to faith the same way the early converts did. This series does not force feed a bunch of doctrine but empowers you to be able to come to the truth on your own. The original Christians were not intended to learn everything at once, but rather begin a lifelong journey of learning how to love God and live the way His Son, Jesus did.
These messages are for people who are curious about original Christianity and want to learn truth without the baggage of the last 1850 years. If you want to learn how Christianity was intended to be received by the early converts, this is the place to be. Please watch them in the order presented because they build on each other. This will help you start your studies with a solid foundation. If you aren’t new to Christianity but are wondering why modern Christianity seems so different from that of the bible, these messages will help you to sift the wheat from the chaff and draw nearer to God and His Son.
Thanks for your time. Please drop a line if these messages help you and be sure to share them with friends and family. The nature of the world shows us change is coming. People have questions and want to know about eternal life. Let’s help spread that knowledge.
The series of messages is available at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/original-christianity/
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Facts Lies Mistakes and Pride
Facts Lies Mistakes & Pride: The last message in the series Learn Real Christianity from Scratch! available here https://firstcenturychristianity.net/from-scratch/
Learning topics of substance, especially something foreign or new, requires working through biases and pre-conceived notions. We are also required to be disciplined, patient, and methodical. I explain how to do this in this installment of the message. I also explain the incredible gravity of why we need to apply these virtues to arrive at the truth.
Discipline is key. Society has great systems for arriving at truth and facts. From childhood, most of us were taught the Scientific Method. This is a recipe for challenging hypotheses until they pass enough tests to become Scientific Law. This method requires patience, discipline, and objectivity. The same virtues are required when we take up matters of law. Our judicial system is set up very similar to that of the Torah. Two or more witnesses are required to establish facts in the Bible, specifically facts about sin and law.
In business, society has systems of standards like the International Standards Organization and the Six Sigma method of improvement. These systems, and their equivalents, are established similar to the Scientific Method. They drive us to challenge norms and constantly improve through methods established to unearth truth.
Two big examples of how disregarding societal standards come from two instances. One is ancient and biblical. The other is recent and societal. The recent departure was the maniacal usage of hand sanitizer during COVID. Those who work in labs are trained, drilled even, to know how to respond to airborne pathogens. Hand sanitizer has no effect. Yet ALL of society's leaders in science disregarded their training at the drop of an emotional hat.
The second centers around the mission of these messaged: Christ and Him Crucified. When the people had the Messiah executed, they emotionally disregard a foundation of the Torah. This foundation was part of their core identity: the law of two or more witnesses. They threw all they knew to be true out the window and had an innocent man executed, even shouting they had no king but Caesar. That sentence rejected YHVH as their true King and Yeshua as their Prince. This message, in video above and print at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/facts-lies-mistakes-pride/, shows you how to avoid being like these two groups of bad actors
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How to Read the Bible
How to Read the Bible: The bible, like all literature, contains nuances. This is the third installment of the series How to Learn Real Christianity from Scratch. I explain some of these nuances to help you learn scripture the way it was meant to be received.
One first should start with a bible that is literal, accurate, and provides the information in as non-biased fashion as possible. The New American Standard Bible of 1995 fits this bill very well. This version contains hints that enable readers of English to get more out of the bible than previous versions. I show the power of one of those hints in detail in this message.
Another key to learning how to read the bible is to avoid the chapters and verses. This sounds shocking, but those were added over 1000 years after the Messiah ascended. The people who put the chapters and verses in the bible were at least as removed from their original intent of the text than we are today. The chapters and verse often break up thoughts and sentences and give the impression there are gaps in time when there are none. It takes effort, but if you read the bible without the chapters and verses, you will experience the fluidity of how it was originally meant to be read.
In this message, I show the culture of how the New Testament was meant to be read. The Jews of the first century cited scripture by just referring to a phrase or sentence from a passage. Since all believers attended synagogue, they knew Moses and the rest of the Old Testament by heart. Jesus aka Yeshua leveraged this form of communication in His discussion with his detractors. In fact, His dying words "Eli, Eli, llama sabachtani" used this very technique to tell those looking that He was fulfilling a prophecy. Paul expected anyone who read his letters to be familiar with this communication method. This is why his letters oftentimes have sentences that just look out of place.
The key place I use to explain this technique, and the hints built into the NASB95, is the greatest commandment. Yeshua was telling us how to love God when He told his challenger what the greatest commandment was. This message is available in video or print at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/how-to-read-the-bible/
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Repentance is Works
Explaining how repentance is 100% works, 100% required for salvation, and what it really means in its original context.
Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more teaching about first century Christianity.
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Weighing the Evidence
Weighing the Evidence: avoiding key pitfalls. The second message in the series about learning real Christianity from scratch.
This message begins with a recap of the first message titled Learn Real Christianity from Scratch. If you haven't started with that one, I highly recommend it. It's available here https://firstcenturychristianity.net/learn-real-christianity-from-scratch/. Key information is to begin your studies with the NASB95 version of the bible. This translation is literal, readable, and remarkably true to the original texts while removing as much doctrine as humanly possible. You can read about this translation at this link https://www.blueletterbible.org/bibles/preface-to-the-new-american-standard-bible-1995.cfm
Learning when the books of the bible were written, by whom, and what else was going on in the world at the time gives you great insight. This context helps us to learn the scriptures the way they were intended to be read. We should also avoid reading the chapters and verses. This is remarkably important because those were added over 1000 years after the New Testament authors died. The people who added the chapters and verses are just as removed from the first century Christian or Judean culture as we are today. Weighing the evidence of scripture requires us to consume scripture within the culture it was written (as much as possible).
A key pitfall to avoid is falling into the trap of creeds. Christianity today is a system of memorized doctrines. The folks who do this don't even realize it because it's taught from the moment a person begins to talk. Those of us raised in mainstream Christianity are taught it's biblical. But the way we learn this is to memorize a doctrine with proof texts rather than reading the scriptures and arriving at conclusions. These messages about learning real Christianity from scratch are intended to teach people who have never been indoctrinated how to avoid that trap. Frankly, if the doctrine is true, you'll get there soon enough!
Understand this path we are on is a long path. It's a journey. You are not saved by doctrine and you are not in a rush. Imagine if you could have another lifetime with your earthly father. Would you rush through it like you did the first time, making immature mistakes, or would you slow down and savor your time with him? Obviously it's the latter. Being born again is our chance to learn about our heavenly Father. We need to come at this like children, but children who know we have a new lease on life. Take your time on this journey and weigh the evidence along the way.
This message is available in video and print at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/weighing-the-evidence/
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Learn Real Christianity from Scratch
Learn Real Christianity from Scratch. This is the first message in a series to help people with little to no education about Christianity or the bible get started. Historically, Christianity is taught by comparing the doctrines of denominations. The reality of the 21st century is that half of the population has no foundation in a church setting at all. This is a great place to be because new believers can learn real Christianity without having to sift through the last 1900 years of bad doctrine!
In this message, I explain why Christianity matters at all. This is not a hobby, an academic exercise, or a money making opportunity. Oh, no. Christianity matters because we want to attain eternal life. The only religion that offers this is real Christianity. The key to eternal life is to know Jesus Christ and Him crucified. This is what the Apostle Paul focused on in his evangelistic work throughout the western world in the first century.
To attain eternal life, we must know Jesus Christ. Jesus, whom I call by His Hebrew Name Yeshua, is not just a man who showed up in the first century with a bunch of new teachings. He is the ultimate Messiah and Son of God. He was explained and prophesied about throughout the Old Testament, and this is where most of His teachings originate. The Old Testament was the only bible they had in the first century. It was also only available to the general population in synagogues.
This message, available above in video and below in print, explains how to begin to learn real Christianity. This is not hard if you choose the right bible and understand what you are reading. I explain some very basic information that will help you on your path to understand who Jesus is, why He came, and how to attain eternal life.
This message is available in pdf at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/learn-real-christianity-from-scratch/
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John MacArthur Rebuttal
Rebutting John MacArthur on his recent comments with respect to mental issues and medication. Frankly, how does a man get this old and believe such nonsense, let alone a minister?
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Binary Decisions
Binary Decisions: The two biggest binary decisions in the history of mankind hinge on a little-known holy day in the Bible. These decisions are also tied to refusing the mark of the beast.
Our society struggles with binary decisions to this day. When King Solomon wrote there was nothing new under the sun, this is part of what he was speaking about. Since the Garden of Eden, mankind has wanted to have a magical third option where we get to have our cake and eat it, too. This is just not the case, particularly with matters of salvation.
The First Day of Unleavened Bread is the day after the Passover. This holy day is established in Exodus 13 as a remembrance of what Yahweh did for His people when he led them out of Egypt. Observing this day is a sign on one's hand and one's forehead. That's a direct correlation to the mark of the beast. This means if you want to avoid the mark of the beast, obey the commandment. This also associates the mark of the beast with lawlessness. In both cases, the mark represents faith and behavior. Those who believe in Yahweh will obey His commands in deed and in faith. Those who don't will do the deeds of the beast.
The First Day of Unleavened Bread is also the first day that Yeshua, aka Jesus, was in the tomb. These two events are tied together in God's plan of salvation, which I explain in the video. The Exodus is a huge illustration that we only have two choices: follow Yahweh into the unknown or remain separated from Him. Continuing to remain faithful to Yeshua even when the future is unknown is key to salvation.
Please enjoy this message which showcases how eternal life really does boil down to a binary decision. Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more teachings about the faith once delivered to the saints.
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Preparing for Passover 2024
Basic instructions on how to commemorate the Messiah's death and observe the spring 2024 annual Holy Days in a New Covenant context. Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/preparing-for-passover-2024/ for a pdf of the notes of this message.
Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/holy-day-dates/ for a modern calendar to show dates and observances.
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Problems with the Trinity II
Introduction video about problems with the Trinity for the page https://firstcenturychristianity.net/problems-with-the-trinity/
For more information about this very important topic, please visit the page above.
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Christian Rituals
We must examine ourselves before taking the bread and wine. Take a step back and examine what just happened with Easter Sunday. Look at the rituals and match them against what the Bible really says to do. Did your Easter services mention anything about examining yourselves? Did you take the bread and wine?
This video is part of the ministry located at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/
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A Series of Crossroads
Following up on “Everyone is Wrong… but Me.”
Is God important?
How do you love Him?
Being devout to a denomination is not the right path!
This message is part of the ministry located at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/
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Historical Proof of the Messiah
The principal historical proof of Jesus the Christ, aka Yeshua the Messiah, existing and being resurrected!
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Passover or Easter?
Are believers supposed to observe Passover or Easter to commemorate Yeshua the Messiah aka Jesus the Christ?
This message is available in print at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/bible-topics-index/pagan-holidays/easter-is-pagan/ where you will find many more resources about the faith once delivered to the saints.
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Yahweh has a Plan!
Yahweh has a project of perfecting the universe. We're a part of that plan but we need to remember to live in our own time.
This video is an excerpt of the longer message given on March 9, 2024 which is located here https://firstcenturychristianity.net/putting-in-the-work/
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Putting in the Work!
A message given on March 9, 2024 about the differences between coming to the faith once delivered today versus 20 years ago. Some topics covered:
Using legitimate sources
Reading actual books
No following pastors or preachers
Respecting people with different perspectives
Trigger doctrines that cause us to study deeper
Problems in mainstream Christianity
Problems in the Hebrew Roots Movement
What time frame we should really focus on to get the knowledge of the truth
Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more messages like this!
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The Law and the New Testament
The New Testament depends on the Law. We need it for our identity and, in addition to the Messiah, for our salvation. The video above and its companion pdf below show in absolute terms that the Torah is a requirement for salvation when Yeshua, aka Jesus, returns.
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.' (Mat 7:21-23)
These verses show that there will be Christians, believers in Yeshua, who will be rejected when He returns for lawlessness. This lawlessness is exactly what it sounds like: The rejection of the Torah. This verse should put terror in all who have been taught that the Law was ended at the cross. That's clearly not true. Those who teach this will be the ones rejected. This will be an absolute shock as they think He is coming back to receive them, but their rejection of the Torah makes them actual enemies.
The accusation that the first century Christians taught against Moses starts very early in the faith. Stephen was accused of this in Acts 6. In Acts 7, he gives a speech that proves he did not reject the Torah or his heritage at all. It ends with him convicting the council of breaking Torah and they murder him, breaking it again.
Paul was also accused of breaking Torah. Not only does he refute this in word, but he did it in deed. In Acts 24, Paul tells that he brought the alms from the congregations to the temple. He had been purified and was following Torah by bringing the offerings into the storehouse. Paul makes it clear in his testimony that he believed all of the Torah and the prophets, thus rebuking the lawless claim.
The New Testament depends on the Law. We would not understand the Messiah at all without the Torah and the prophets. The apostles continue in Torah their whole lives. And those who claim to be Christians at the return of Yeshua who don't follow the Law will be in for a horrible surprise.
This message and its pdf are available at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/the-law-and-the-new-testament/
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Problems with the Trinity
This is the introduction video for the content located at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/problems-with-the-trinity/
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Explaining the Spring Holy Days
Explaining the Spring Holy Days
When we put the traditional observances of Christianity to the test, well, they often fail. The Bible doesn’t support any observance remotely similar to Easter. The apostles never gathered on a Sunday in honor of the resurrection, they never had anything to do with eggs or bunnies, and none of them at pork at any point in their lives. The reality is that Jesus, aka Yeshua, commanded a specific observance on a specific annual date to be added to the Holy Days the disciples were already observing.
On the night He was betrayed, He washed the feet of the disciples, and shared bread and wine. He said the bread and wine were symbolic of His body and blood. After washing the feet of the disciples, he said that they (we) should do to each other as He had done for them. And He specifically said to have that bread and wine in remembrance of Him.
These commandments are added to the Spring Holy Days the apostles already kept. The Passover, which can refer to the entire week-long observance, continued to be kept by the disciples once they became Apostles. Paul was taught to keep the Night He was Betrayed directly from the resurrected Messiah. He then commanded the congregations he either started or visited do as was done on the night Yeshua was betrayed. This included observing not just that night, but also the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
The message above in video, and below in print, is titled Explaining the Spring Holy Days. With comments from our congregation, I explain when to observe each day of this week-long celebration. I explain what to do as well, and support it all with easy to follow scripture. It would be best to watch the video, but the notes are there for easy searching. If you’re seeing this message on a social media site, the printed version is available at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/explaining-the-spring-holy-days/
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He Gets Us Reaction
Reaction to the Super Bowl ad where people wash each other's feet.
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You Matter
Nobody lights a lamp and puts it under a basket means that you matter. Jesus Christ, aka Yeshua, died for you because you have worth and can be righteous. The mainstream Christian doctrines surrounding works being somehow bad force a conclusion that believers are worthless. If there are none righteous, and you are going to stay unrighteous, then the Messiah died for nothing.
This teaching unravels these destructive and evil doctrines. These wrong teachings, called the doctrines of men, must be refuted because you matter. Yeshua taught expressly against these concepts, and I explain why people believe the opposite of plain scripture in the message. Nearly every page of the Gospels contains parables, teachings, or stories about righteous deeds versus unrighteous deeds. Christ clearly expressed that the disciples, prior to His death and resurrection, were the light of the world. They needed to live so that their righteous deeds could be seen by men and thus draw men closer to Yahweh.
The book after the Gospels is not called Acts because it is fashioned after a play. It's called Acts because it records the righteous deeds of the first century believers. Their righteousness was based upon the Torah and they lived their lives precisely so mankind could follow their lead and learn righteousness. This teaching is provided in pdf and video format because you matter and it is Yahweh's desire that you be saved and learn to be righteous.
The pdf is located here https://firstcenturychristianity.net/you-matter/. Please sign up for our newsletter while at the website and enjoy other teachings about first century Christianity.
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The Most Important Moment in History
The bible chapter Acts 2 records the most important moment in history to date. The events from Creation through the Gospels all point to this moment in time when salvation is offered to all mankind. This message explains how the significant events in history connect to Acts 2.
The Creation of the earth displays how YHVH is a God of order. The Torah outlines a culture. It is not just a law but a comprehensive way of life. The prophets and history offer remarkably accurate prophesies. They also show us how to appreciate the structure of biblical literature. The Gospels show us what God expects of us through His Son. The remarkable culmination of prophecies and the emotional pain the Mesiah experienced illustrate YHVH's plan for mankind.
From Acts 2, we see the Ruach ha Kodesh (Holy Spirit) given directly to the common man. This enabled the apostles to communicate to people in their native languages so there is no confusion about the The Most Important Moment in History. The people who participated in the Messiah's murder are humbled. They publicly profess their sins and repent. They, and we, learn the recipe for salvation: repent of your sins, accept Yeshua as the Messiah, and be baptized for forgiveness. Then Peter explains this message is for all whom God will call to Himself, which is why it matters to us.
Please enjoy this video on The Most Important Moment in History as we explain an overview of God's plan of salvation for mankind.
This message and it’s pdf notes are available at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/the-most-important-moment-in-history/
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Arguments Against the Trinity
Arguments against the Trinity are necessary because this doctrine has been made mandatory for salvation when it is not. This comprehensive and thorough study shows who Jesus aka Yeshua really is from both the Old and New Testaments. The message is written out in pdf at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/arguments-against-the-trinity/ for easy reference
The Trinity and its related doctrines (such as Oness) are not found in the scriptures. These doctrines are absolutely not required for salvation. There isn’t a single scripture mandating these beliefs and there are more verses that refute the Trinity and its variations than one can count. What we must believe for salvation is expressed plainly and frequently in the New Testament. I begin the message with a brief note on how to be saved.
Arguments against the Trinity span history as well as scripture. This doctrine is supremely entrenched into Christianity as a precept of men. It was created over time and codified in the 400s AD. I go into the history of the Nicene Creed in a different message called “God is not a Trinity”, but in short, the Trinity is 100% a precept of men. Yeshua was specifically adamant against making doctrines out of the precepts of men. He is recorded as saying this in Matthew 15:9 and Mark 7:7. He was citing the Old Testament when He admonished the Pharisees about this practice. The prophet Isaiah uttered this in Isaiah 29:13 as a comprehensive refutation against those who make traditions and the ideas of men out to be doctrines equal to the commandments.
The Trinity is a documented doctrine of mankind. It's history is traced starting with the council of Chalcedon in 451 and working backward. With this doctrine, Christianity hasn’t just taught a precept of men as a commandment, it has made this false doctrine a requirement for salvation.
Arguments against the Trinity are abundant. The New Testament seems to contradict this doctrine on each page in some fashion. I made this study to be a comprehensive and understandable as I could. Understanding the Yeshua is the Son of God who took on a mission from Yahweh to save mankind from eternal death is the most important information in history.
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Judgment Day
What will happen to those who never believed and when is Judgment Day?
Christianity has a skewed vision of end time events. The day of Judgment is almost always scrunched in with the return of Jesus, whom we call Yeshua. However, the Judgment is actually 1000 years after His return. The period of time between his return and the judgment is called the millennium. Revelation 20 explains this gap of time clearly. Unfortunately, modern Christian teachings about the end of days ignores this period of time. When the Messiah returns, those who accepted Him as the Son of God are resurrected. They, along with the believers alive at that time, rise and meet Him in the air. He then descends to rule from Jerusalem for this 1000-year period of time. At the end of the 1000 years, unrepentant sinners and those who had never heard of Jesus, aka Yeshua, in their lifetimes are resurrected and judged against the context of their lives.
Yeshua speaks of two resurrections in John 5. The first is a resurrection of life, which is generically called "the first resurrection." Revelation 20 and Matthew 25 speak directly to the requirements for salvation at the resurrection of judgment. The Greek words for judgment in the relevant verses are either krisis or krino, both of which mean, effectively, "decision time". When all the nations are gathered before Yeshua's throne, they are judged according to the deeds they did in their lifetimes. The text clearly states that some of the people present at the second resurrection are written in the Book of Life and are granted eternal life, which runs contrary to most Christian teaching today.
The video above is a message explaining all the relevant verses about the topics summarized. It includes good insight from a few of our congregants as well. Understanding that Yahweh (God) has provided an opportunity for the bulk of mankind to enter eternal life is a blessing. The pdf below is a written-out study in case you want to be able to look these things up without listening and pausing. The relevant verses are quite easy to understand, so please enjoy this teaching and please give a share if it blesses you. A written version of this message is at the link below. Please subscribe to our newsletter while at the site. Shalom!
https://firstcenturychristianity.net/judgment-day/
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