First Century Christianity

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.

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/

The phrase "If My People" is used to reference scripture about humbling ourselves. The context of these verses shows us how to obtain humility. Most of Christianity uses these verses properly, to show believers that if we bumble ourselves, turn from our wicked ways, and seek the face of God then He will hear us. However, the context is when Solomon had finished the first Temple and the entire nation of Israel was keeping Torah properly. In fact, the Temple completion took place during Sukkot, also known as the Feast of Tabernacles, which is a holy day from Leviticus 23. The Israelites were at the pinnacle of faithfulness and blessings and they were warned, just as Moses warned them prior to his passing, that they would fall away. When they fell away, Yahweh would communicate this to them by having bad things happen, which needed to drive repentance. Repentance is only possible when we follow the Commandments, the Torah. As Paul wrote, we only know of sin if we know the Law. This message explains the scripture surrounding the phrase "If My People" and then connects it to First Century Christianity. These verses only apply to us if we are His People. The New Testament explains how those who accept Yeshua as the Messiah become adopted children of Yahweh. We, who were not a people, become His people through His Son, and then we learn repentance. The inauguration of the Temple when these scriptures were recorded is also a foreshadowing of the return of the Messiah. The first temple was filled with Yahweh's presence so much that the priests could not enter. This was a baptism by fire. When Yeshua returns, He is brining a temple not made with hands. He will rule from Jerusalem and all mankind will need to go there for Sukkot. If you want to be part of that, click here to learn how to seek His Face and have "If My People" apply to you! More at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/if-my-people/

Humility and Respect James 3:1 says we must be careful and mindful to only teach what is true and to treat the Word of God with the utmost respect. This ministry is about First Century Christianity which is also called The Way. I’m more of a generalist and only study things out as needed. The goal here is to provide a solid resource for those coming out of Babylon. The brethren need to be able to learn what to retain from mainstream Christianity, what to discard, and what to learn about the faith once delivered. But it’s more than just learning. We must learn then do. Knowledge must drive action or else it is meaningless. This ministry is a resource to teach you HOW to walk out the faith once delivered, not just what to believe. Now a little history and why I’m talking about humility and respect. More at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/about-us/

When the Spirit came upon the Apostles in acts two, Peter was inspired to explain the recipe for salvation with power and authority. The video below is a group discussion about the requirement for water baptism in detail. We cover the origins of baptism, who is authorized to baptize another, when it's appropriate to be re-baptized, and the theological/spiritual meanings of this outward sign of faith. Tagore Kota visited this week. He is studied on Koine Greek and explained in great detail the meaning of the Greek words behind baptism. He also gives a remarkable correlation between Noah's Ark and the blood of Messiah. Other contributors to the discussion are Everett Leisure, Tim Roberson, and Tiffany Flores. Acts 2 is the dividing line between the Old Covenant and the New. The Spirit guided Peter's words and allowed the message to be heard in all the languages present. Peter was inspired to preach, just as Yeshua prophesied. Most of his sermon were direct citations of the Old Testament. But the new information included the recipe for salvation: Repent of your sins, accept Yeshua as the Messiah/Son of God, and be baptized. This is the Gospel that was preached to the known world from that moment on. Theologically and spiritually, the fulcrum point between the Old and New Covenant is the death and resurrection of Yeshua. But the 50 days after His resurrection go on the left side of the dividing line because He was teaching them without parables and explaining everything, starting with Moses. The Ruach, aka the Holy Spirit, was yet to come, as well. Once the Ruach came, the New Covenant kicked off and the word went forth from Zion. The final, and perhaps most important topic covered, is what exactly the Jews who didn't accept Yeshua rejected. The recipe for salvation is defined above but is a starting point. After one is baptized, one must learn the Torah. This is because the remnant, those who are Messiah's at His return, are those who believe in Him and who keep the Torah. The Jews believe in Yahweh and keep the Torah. Mainstream Christianity believe in Yeshua (they call Him Jesus), but they do not keep the commandments. Please enjoy the discussion! Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more messages on First Century Christianity!

For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time. (1Ti 2:5-6) God cannot be a Trinity because Jesus, the Son, is always subordinate to the Father, who is God. "You heard that I said to you, 'I go away, and I will come to you.' If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.” (Joh 14:28) This is a very clear example of Yeshua (Jesus) being lesser than His Father (Yahweh), and it just makes sense. Most people who say they believe in the Trinity actually believe this, too. When it comes down to it, they don’t actually believe in the Trinity at all, but think they do because the word is rather ambiguous and it’s a requirement for baptism in 99.9% of churches. One must say they are Trinitarian to be members in the club. There’s a reason the doctrine of the Trinity is ambiguous. It was created to allow a whole lot of people with varying beliefs about the relationship between Yahweh and Yeshua to claim to believe the same doctrine. This is the net result here 1700 years later. Two people sitting in pews in the same church who say they are Trinitarian don’t believe the Trinity the same. The shocking truth is the Trinity doctrine is actually a political dogma built to solve a political problem. Disputes about the nature of Yeshua and His relationship to Yahweh created full blown physical conflicts back in the third and early fourth centuries. Doctrine wars were literally wars. You can’t have a universal church (Catholic really means universal) when people are openly disagreeing to the point of violence. So they came up with a doctrine that satiated almost everyone. And those who refused to believe, well, at a minimum they got disfellowshipped. A minimum. This message can be found in print at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/god-is-not-a-trinity/

The bible was meant to be read normally, not hyper-literally!

Tips to enhance your understanding of the bible. In this installment I talk about where the chapters and verses came from and the timing of the New Testament writings.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Messiah Yeshua. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY." (1Pe 1:13-16) Peter was not creating a new type of holiness when he wrote these verses. He was drawing from the Old Testament. The phrase "as it is written" is our hint to look for this concept in the Torah. The video below shows how to achieve holiness today. Many believers don't believe that holiness or righteousness can be achieved at all. This is an error in doctrine and psychologically damaging. Peter would not have told us to be holy if it were not possible. Each of us has worth and is to strive for the goal of Messiah. We were created by Yahweh for a purpose. Western society has lost the concept of holiness or holding things sacred almost completely. Mainstream Christianity holds December 25 as its most sacred day of the calendar. In our faith, we know that Christmas is not a bilbilcal holiday at all. However, while watching football on Christmas, I realized that our nation appears to hold nothing sacred anymore. For football to be on TV during this holiday at all is a huge change from just 20 years ago. Having three games on so people could spend their day immersed in the NFL is astonishing. The message is available in video from a couple providers below. It's written out in pdf below that. Enjoy and please like and share this wherever you find it! More messages like this are available at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

In this message/discussion, I explain the depts of deception within our society and how we arrived in the present state. This deception includes confusion within religions, of course, which was and continues to be done by Satan. The adversary wants to deceive whoever he can to draw worship for himself or, at a minimum, draw worship away from Yahweh, the one true God, and His Son, Yeshua. However, our present state of confusion goes beyond religion. We can trace our present state of affairs to a nation that no longer exists. The USSR purposely introduced deceit and confusion through the countries they overthrew. This was done by infiltrating schools and the media in order to introduce conflicting messages and concepts into a society. I prove they did this to use with a video of a former KGB agent who defected in the 1980s. This agent outlines how the USSR would destroy societies from within through methods of deception. Because we have lost fundamental tools of comprehending information. I briefly outline the differences between social sciences and pure sciences. How we receive, categorize, and digest information on a basic level is crucial to returning society to normal. This pertains to religion because people are coming to the knowledge of the truth but then immediately being pulled into ludicrous directions. Folks who are easily led astray often have much zeal but entertaining flawed information, by mis-categorizing good information, or by setting unreasonable expectations of proof for doctrines. Please enjoy this message through one of the video offerings and provide some feedback! Shares and like are always appreciated! For more information, please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

The story of David and Goliath is often used to showcase the power of underdogs. We often give deference to the powerless through a conditioning that says those with power are usually the bad guys. Is this really the case? I contend the story of David and Goliath isn’t really about the weak or powerless, though. If we pick that story apart, it’s about a larger theme that plays out in the end times. The United States is often paralleled with Israel and sometimes these parallels are impossible to ignore. Israel has both been the underdog and the overwhelming power, so has the United States. Our nation has had a series of "come from behind" victories that no other civilization shares, which helps condition us to favor come from behind victories. After World War II, though, the USA had to stop being the underdog and become the world's policeman. At both ends of the bible, those with overwhelming power are actually the good guys! This message shows how underdogs are neither inherently good or bad and shows that we in the USA are conditioned to favor the weak because of our country’s history, not because of Marxism. There is a sinister nature to favoring the underdog. The Torah tells us not to favor the poor or the rich, the weak or the powerful, in matters of judgment. We must base our judgments on individual circumstances to determine proper justice. Please join us at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more teaching focused and based on first century Christianity!

Oftentimes, the first time we learn something becomes the baseline for anything related to that skill or knowledge. Choosing the best bible available allows one to set the best foundation for a lifetime of learning. This message provides litmus tests to determine very quickly if a bible is worth your time. I also recommend the most accurate and readable translation I know of and why. The written Word is primarily how God has chosen to communicate with us and the only way for us to determine false teachings. Please watch this presentation and allow me to help you choose the best bible with which to start or continue your walk. For more teachings like this and about early Christianity please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

This is an in-depth study on the rise and fall of civilizations from a biblical perspective. Key points: • The time it takes for societies to fall is a lot longer than we think. • The timeline between Adam and the flood is about 1600 years. • The United States is a metaphor for Israel and a wicked nation simultaneously. • Specifically how the New Testament shifted the focus from a singular nation back to a global effort of salvation similar to pre-flood. • Very specific instances of falling away in the present day and why it is so difficult to get people to repent today. Please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/ for more teachings from the perspective of early Christianity.

Yeshua aka Jesus was saying things the audience already knew in Matthew 24. For instance, the abomination of desolation and the great tribulation were things that had already happened once! Click here for a deeper understanding of events to come!

How to understand the Apostle Paul and the crucial doctrines that we only have because of his writings. Please like, follow, and find more teachings on first century Christianity at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

This message is a discussion on the Holy Spirit, called the Ruach Elohim in Hebrew, from Genesis through the New Testament. We discuss many aspects of the Spirit including that people can lose it and even bad people can have it. Do you have any thoughts on this message? https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Are you following a different Gospel? Are you sure? A big draw to the way we approach the faith is its continuity. We know when the Messiah returns there will be no more observing Sunday, Christmas, and Easter and the entire world will realize He is a totally separate being from the Father. So if then, why not now? https://firstcenturychristianity.net/the-continuity-of-the-faith/

Are predestination and free will really competing ideas? No, but it's complicated. For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. (Rom 8:29-30) https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

A question that really doesn't need to be asked. https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

An exposition on John 3:1-21 and the many hidden things in Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus about how to obtain eternal life. ⁠https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Would you ever consider discriminating against the apostle Paul? https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Watch this to learn how to be identified as a child of God. More teaching on the faith once delivered located at https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

Many on the news and in social media are saying we have a mental problem with all the violence in the country and the world. I contend we have a spiritual problem. https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

I talk about managing emotions from a biblical perspective and how believers should react to the #IsraelAttack in this week's message. Yes, it's OK to be angry. Then what? For more teachings on how to apply first century Christian beliefs to modern events, please visit https://firstcenturychristianity.net/

We're off to the Feast of Tabernacles! Here's a little primer for those who've never heard of it or why Christians would even do such a thing! And here's the link to the message I refer to in this video. https://firstcenturychristianity.net/paganism-in-christianity/