| Welcome to the third part of my exposé | | | | The next questions: |
| of things theological and/or Biblically intellectual, and | | | | Were theologians members of the original church? |
| I will continue this series of articles by answering | | | | Not if Paul had anything to do with it, they |
| the last of my original questions from part one, | | | | weren't, and that's for sure!: |
| taking it up, as before, where I left off. | | | | Col 2:8 "Beware lest any man spoil you through |
| Question: was Peter, the fisherman, a theologian? | | | | philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of |
| OK, it's a reasonable question, isn't it, or is it, 'cos | | | | men, after the rudiments of the world, and not |
| there's that bogey word - reasonable? Actually, it | | | | after Christ." |
| isn't a reasonable question at all, it's a stupid | | | | Now there we have it, all in one verse of |
| question - a foolish question and probably the sort | | | | Scripture; don't let any philosopher (theologian) |
| of foolish question a theologian would ask other | | | | spoil you through vain deceit after the tradition of |
| theologians and then mull and reason over it, | | | | men - man's vain imaginings. Notice here, too, that |
| meaninglessly for hours, when the plain and simple | | | | phrase "rudiments of the world" - rudiments |
| answer is no, Peter was not a theologian. Peter | | | | meaning 'fundamental principles' or 'elements', |
| was a fisherman and, no doubt, a good fisherman. | | | | which means man's intellect, the so called classics, |
| If he had not been a good fisherman the Lord | | | | the arts, religion, politics etc. or cares of this |
| Jesus Christ would not have said this: | | | | world, which are not after Christ - not of Christ, |
| Matt 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and | | | | but of the world - this age and this world's |
| I will make you fishers of men. | | | | system(s). |
| The Lord Jesus Christ deliberately chose Peter's | | | | Did the Father call men to be theologians? After |
| profession as a fisherman, using it as an analogy, | | | | Col 2:8 I think we can safely say no to this one. |
| to show that Peter's obvious expertise and | | | | Can we believe what theologians say? Yes, you |
| success at that profession would be transmuted, | | | | can if you want to, but why join people who will |
| in the future, into him becoming a fisher of men, | | | | be counted least in the Kingdom of God, which |
| not of his own knowledge and expertise, but | | | | means, not being a part of the first resurrection: |
| rather by empowerment of the Holy Spirit and | | | | Matt 5:19 "Whosoever therefore shall break one |
| The Lord Jesus Christ, through that Spirit. Peter | | | | of these least commandments, and shall teach |
| was a Galilean fisherman and his only education | | | | men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom |
| would have been that given him by his parents | | | | of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach |
| and the local Rabbi at the synagogue each | | | | them, the same shall be called great in the |
| Sabbath Day. Peter was not a man of letters; he | | | | kingdom of heaven." (Brackets mine) |
| was like me and millions of others, an ordinary | | | | Wouldn't you like to be called 'Great' in The |
| hard working man with a mediocre education. | | | | Kingdom of God? Well you won't be, if you |
| Again, I will quote, as I taught in part one: | | | | believe and follow what theologians say! |
| 1 Cor 1:26-28 For ye see your calling, brethren, | | | | On whose authority do theologians speak? This is |
| how that not many wise men after the flesh, not | | | | an easy one to answer; they speak on their own |
| many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But | | | | authority. How do I know that? Again, that's easy |
| God hath chosen the foolish things of the world | | | | too, because they are forever 'learning' but never |
| (like me) to confound the wise; and God hath | | | | coming to knowledge or an understanding of The |
| chosen the weak things of the world to confound | | | | Truth. They are always reasoning in never ending |
| the things which are mighty. 28 And base things | | | | circles; now compare this confusion with these |
| of the world, and things which are despised, hath | | | | Scriptures: |
| God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to | | | | Matt 10:26 Fear them not therefore: for there is |
| bring to nought things that are. (Brackets mine) | | | | nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and |
| Now, for the sake of argument, which I don't like | | | | hid, that shall not be known. |
| to do, let's use Paul as another example, for unlike | | | | Matt 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, |
| Peter, he was educated. Named Saul before his | | | | I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, |
| calling, he was a Pharisee, and the son of a | | | | because thou hast hid these things from the wise |
| Pharisee, so he was well versed in The Law and | | | | and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. |
| no doubt, a legal expert. This would mean he | | | | 1 Cor 2:10 But God hath revealed them unto us |
| would have discussed and reasoned things in the | | | | by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, |
| Sanhedrin with other Pharisees. Now this man | | | | the deep things of God. |
| Saul, later named Paul, after he had become a | | | | Only those people born of The Holy Spirit can |
| Son of God and an Apostle, said this: | | | | understand the deep things of God, it is |
| Phil 3:8 "Yea doubtless, and I count all things but | | | | completely and utterly impossible for the human |
| loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ | | | | intellect, on its own, to understand the deep |
| Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the | | | | Spiritual things of God. The Word of God is a |
| loss of all things, and do count them but dung, | | | | Spiritual Book, not a cold dead text book and this |
| that I may win Christ." (I will return to the error | | | | is why you should never listen to theologians, or if |
| here of 'winning Christ' in a future article) | | | | you wish, listen and then laugh at them. |
| All the academic, legalistic religious teaching he had | | | | If ever you want a good example of a theologian |
| received in the past he now considered as dung - | | | | just listen to the Archbishop of Canterbury |
| excrement and garbage, in the modern | | | | pontificate for a couple of minutes (if you can |
| vernacular. This is what Paul thought of all his | | | | bear it for that long) and you will soon know |
| previous 'cleverness' and 'righteousness' - dung!! | | | | exactly what I mean. The simplicity that is in |
| Now how does this attitude compare with that of | | | | Christ, it ain't!! |
| theologians, or men who set themselves up as | | | | In part four I will continue with my |
| Bible experts based upon their intellectual prowess | | | | exposé of things theological by revealing |
| and knowledge of religious traditions? Quite plainly | | | | the true nature of the so called 'Church Fathers' |
| there is no comparison as one, i.e. that of Peter | | | | who were, in reality, just a bunch of |
| and Paul, is of God and the other is of man, his | | | | counterfeiters, and who, in turn, laid the |
| intellect alone and his carnal nature - total vanity. | | | | foundations of Rome - the counterfeit church. |