The Spirit Of Christmas Present

"Good Spirit,' he pursued, as down upon the ground he fell before it:' Your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life.'

The kind hand trembled.'

I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone.'

In his agony, he caught the spectral hand. It sought to free itself, but he was strong in his entreaty, and detained it. The Spirit, stronger yet, repulsed him.

Holding up his hands in a last prayer to have his fate aye reversed, he saw an alteration in the Phantom's hood and dress. It shrunk, collapsed, and dwindled down into a bedpost."

A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens; Stave 4: The Last of the Spirits, pages 10-11

A Biblical Critique Of The New Apostolic Reformation

Defining The Issues:

A powerful and controversial movement has taken root within global Christianity, one that claims to be the vanguard of a new spiritual age. Known as the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), this movement asserts that God has restored the offices of apostle and prophet to the church in order to bring about the transformation of society and the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. Its ideological architect, C. Peter Wagner, envisioned a post-denominational Christianity led by charismatic leaders who receive direct revelation from God and wield spiritual authority over nations, institutions, and cultures.

Though not a formal denomination, the NAR is a sprawling network of independent churches and ministries united by a shared dominionist theology. Its adherents believe that the fall of man resulted in the forfeiture of dominion over the earth, and that Christ’s redemptive work was not merely salvific but also restorative in terms of earthly authority. This theology, often referred to as "Seven Mountain Mandate" teaching, calls for Christians to reclaim control over seven spheres of influence: religion, family, education, government, media, arts and entertainment, and business. The goal is not simply to evangelize but to conquer, not merely to disciple but to dominate.

The movement has gained significant traction in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, regions where rapid church growth has often outpaced theological depth. It has even infiltrated established denominations, such as the Assemblies of God in Australia, blurring the lines between classical Pentecostalism and neo-charismatic innovation. The NAR’s mission extends far beyond preaching the gospel or making disciples; it seeks to establish a global theocracy under the spiritual governance of modern-day apostles and prophets.

Apostolic Authority: A Closed Canon And A Completed Foundation:

The NAR’s central claim, that the offices of apostle and prophet have been restored, is a direct challenge to the historic understanding of ecclesial authority. Scripture teaches that the apostles and prophets were foundational to the church, not perpetual offices to be revived at will. Ephesians 2:20 states that the church is “built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone.” The word “foundation” implies a once-for-all laying down of doctrinal groundwork. Foundations are not repeatedly laid; they are established once to support the superstructure.

In Ephesians 4:11–13, Paul writes that Christ “gave” apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers for the equipping of the saints. The verb tense used here indicates a completed action in the past. The apostles and prophets were given to the early church to establish doctrine and bear witness to the resurrection (Acts 1:21–22; 1 Corinthians 9:1). Their role was unique and unrepeatable. Paul himself, in 1 Corinthians 15:8, refers to himself as the “last” of the apostles, underscoring the finality of the apostolic witness.

Moreover, the qualifications for apostleship are clearly delineated in Scripture. An apostle had to be an eyewitness of the resurrected Christ and personally commissioned by Him (Galatians 1:1). Paul’s apostleship was validated by his direct encounter with the risen Lord and by the miraculous signs that accompanied his ministry (2 Corinthians 12:12). No modern claimant to apostleship can meet these criteria. The canon of Scripture is closed, and with it, the apostolic office has ceased.

Prophetic Claims And The Test Of Scripture:

The NAR’s prophetic wing is equally problematic. Its prophets claim to receive ongoing revelation from God, often in the form of dreams, visions, and impressions. Yet Scripture provides stringent tests for prophetic authenticity. Deuteronomy 18:22 declares that if a prophet’s word does not come to pass, it is not from the Lord. The standard is 100% accuracy. Even a single failed prophecy disqualifies the prophet. Furthermore, Deuteronomy 13 warns that even if a sign or wonder accompanies a prophecy, if the message leads people away from the true God, it is to be rejected. The content of the message must align with revealed truth. Isaiah 8:20 affirms that if a prophet does not speak according to God’s Word, there is no light in him.

The New Testament also urges discernment. Paul commands believers to “test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and the Bereans were commended for examining the Scriptures daily to verify Paul’s teaching (Acts 17:11). The NAR, by contrast, often discourages scrutiny, promoting a culture of spiritual elitism in which apostles and prophets are above question. This authoritarianism is antithetical to the New Testament model of mutual accountability and doctrinal fidelity. Isaiah 8:20 affirms that if a prophet does not speak according to God’s Word, there is no light in him. The NAR’s prophets often issue vague, ambiguous, or failed predictions, and their teachings frequently deviate from biblical doctrine, emphasizing personal empowerment, political conquest, and mystical experiences over repentance, faith, and holiness.

The Old Testament provides further criteria for evaluating prophetic legitimacy, and these criteria are devastating to the claims of the NAR. First, if a prophetic utterance fails to come to pass, the prophet is false—regardless of charisma, sincerity, or accompanying signs. Second, if the content of the prophecy contradicts previously revealed truth, it is to be rejected outright, even if the prophet performs miracles. In the context of Deuteronomy, this included leading Israel to worship other gods, but the principle applies broadly: any deviation from God’s Word is a disqualifier. Third, the moral character of the prophet must be consistent with the office. A true prophet is marked by humility, integrity, and reverence for God, not self-promotion or manipulation. Finally, the message of a true prophet exalts God, not the prophet. False prophets draw attention to themselves, demand allegiance, and often build personal empires. These biblical standards expose the spiritual bankruptcy of the NAR’s prophetic movement. There are no well-documented, verifiable prophecies or miracles that validate their ministries. Their utterances are often vague, subject to reinterpretation, and devoid of theological substance. If Scripture is already the complete revelation of God, then the need for new prophets and apostles is not only unnecessary, but dangerous. 

The Kingdom of God Is Not Of This World:

Perhaps the most egregious error of the NAR is its redefinition of the kingdom of God. Jesus declared unequivocally, “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). This statement affirms that Christ’s reign is spiritual, not political. The kingdom is not built through legislation, cultural dominance, or institutional control. It is manifested in the hearts of believers through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (Luke 17:20–21).

The NAR’s dominionist agenda conflates the church’s mission with political activism and cultural conquest. But the Great Commission is not a mandate to seize power; it is a call to make disciples of all nations through the proclamation of the gospel (Matthew 28:18–20). The early church did not transform the Roman Empire through legislation or revolution but through suffering, witness, and love. The weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4).

The mission of the church is not to bring heaven to earth through human effort but to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ, His death, burial, and resurrection, as the only hope for salvation. The kingdom of God advances not through coercion but through conversion. It is the Spirit who regenerates hearts, not apostles who legislate morality.

Scripture Alone Is The Final Authority

The sufficiency of Scripture is a bedrock doctrine of the Christian faith. Paul writes that “all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16–17). This affirms the divine origin and authority of Scripture. It is not merely inspired; it is the very voice of God. To claim ongoing revelation is to imply that Scripture is insufficient, that God’s Word needs supplementation by fallible human impressions.

The NAR’s embrace of the Passion Translation, a paraphrase riddled with theological bias and lacking scholarly rigor, is emblematic of its disregard for biblical fidelity. By altering the text to fit its agenda, the movement undermines the clarity, authority, and trustworthiness of Scripture. This is not reformation; it is deformation.

A Call To Discernment:

The New Apostolic Reformation is not a harmless renewal movement. It is a theological Trojan horse, smuggling in doctrines and practices that erode the foundations of biblical Christianity. It redefines apostolic authority, distorts the nature of prophecy, politicizes the mission of the church, and undermines the sufficiency of Scripture. Its influence is growing, particularly in the Global South, where explosive church growth is often accompanied by shallow theology and susceptibility to charismatic authoritarianism.

The church must respond with clarity and courage. We must recover a robust doctrine of Scripture, a biblical understanding of the church, and a Christ-centered vision of the kingdom. We must test every spirit, examine every teaching, and hold fast to the faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). The gospel is not a call to cultural conquest but to spiritual transformation. Christ alone is King, and His Word alone is our final authority.

Answering The Mormon Claim Of Total Apostasy

• Introduction: 

          -Mormonism is a religious sect that was founded by Joseph Smith in the woods of Palmyra, New York, in the year 1820. He claimed that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him and told him to establish a completely new church. In other words, he had visions that gave him allegedly new revelations to restore the church back to the original teachings of Jesus Christ and the apostles. The loss of divine truth is said to have occurred sometime after their deaths. The Mormon church was officially recognized in 1830.

          -Smith claimed that the "Angel Moroni" gave him some golden "Nephi Plates" so that he could translate them into English. This religious text is known as the Book of Mormon. The three other religious texts used by the Mormons are the King James Version, Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants. The underlying assumption of Mormonism is that the entire Christian church has gone totally astray. The message of the Bible has been corrupted and lost, to be trusted (to borrow a Mormon phrase) only "as far as it is translated correctly."

• Examining Claims Of Total Apostasy In Light Of Biblical Teaching:

          -If Mormonism is correct in claiming a total apostasy, then Jesus’ promises in Matthew 16:18 and 28:20, and Paul’s declaration in Ephesians 3:21, must be false, which would make God a liar, an unthinkable conclusion for any Christian. Jesus explicitly said the gates of hell would not prevail against His church and that He would be with it always, even to the end of the age. Paul affirmed that God would be glorified in the church throughout all generations, world without end. These are not vague spiritual sentiments. They are declarations of divine continuity and protection. To assert that the church ceased to exist for over 1,700 years until Joseph Smith restored it is to deny the very words of Christ and the enduring work of the Holy Spirit. Scripture consistently shows that God preserves a faithful remnant, not through reinvention, but through continuity. The Mormon narrative of total apostasy and restoration contradicts the biblical witness and undermines the trustworthiness of God’s promises.

          -While the apostles spoke of the coming of false teachers, they nowhere spoke of a total apostasy. It is one thing to say that the church became unrecognizably dirty throughout history, but it is another to claim that the church essentially disappeared from the face of the earth.
          -His Word endures forever, unlike the things of man (Isaiah 40:8; Proverbs 30:5-6; 1 Peter 1:23-25). The Scripture cannot be broken (John 10:35). The Word of God has not been lost, corrupted, or forgotten. Divine providence rules out that possibility. 

          -Those who present strange doctrine are to be deemed heretics (1 Timothy 1:3-4; 2 John 9-11), of which the Mormons teach several science fiction sounding ideas. Further, angelic visions are not an acceptable method of drawing attention to oneself (Colossians 2:18).

          -The Apostle Paul in Galatians 1:8-9 wrote a categorical condemnation of any different gospels that could arise during his lifetime or in the future after his death. He even issued an anathema to angels who could theoretically arrive to preach differently from the doctrine originally delivered by the apostles. 

          -So, even granting that Joseph Smith had an encounter with the Angel Moroni, Mormonism is a false religion because it preaches a different message of salvation. According to Paul, another gospel is no gospel at all (Galatians 1:6-7). The gospel never needed to be restored because it was not lost to begin with.

• Examining Claims Of Total Apostasy In Light Of History:

          -When did the Christian church go into the state of total apostasy? If this happened, one should be able to chronicle the steps at which it took place and how it happened. One should be able to refer to established facts, writings, history, etc. However, this has never been done successfully by Joseph Smith or Mormon apologists.  

          -The New Testament is supported by thousands of different manuscripts and manuscript fragments. Further, a creed summarizing the gospel message that the Apostle Paul recounted in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 has been dated back to the first century. The teachings of Jesus and the apostles have not been lost or altered, disproving the claims of Mormonism.
          -Why would Mormons use the Bible at all, since they maintain that the whole of Christianity became irredeemably corrupt after the first century and the canon was assembled by an (allegedly) apostate church? Which parts of the Bible have been corrupted?

A Micro-Refutation Of Mormonism

• Discussion:

          -Joseph Smith claimed to have received divine revelation from God to establish a new sect that possesses the fullness of lost truth. This encounter has been described as a face to face dialogue between a so-called prophet, God the Father, and God the Son. Consider the words spoken by God to Moses during the journey to the Promised Land:

          "And he said, Please, show me Your glory. Then He said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. But He said, You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live. And the Lord said, Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:18-23, emphasis added)

           No man in his present condition can look into the fullness of God's glory and survive. God cannot be looked at by the eyes of a sinful mortal. Moreover, the New Testament tells us that no man alive on this earth has seen God the Father:

          "No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." (John 1:18)

          "No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1 John 4:12)

          The mere fact that Joseph Smith came out of the woods of Palmyra, New York, testifies to the falseness of his claims. He certainly would not have been able to walk and talk in his flesh. Thus, he is a liar and a deceiver. Smith received no divine revelation.

Is The Watchtower Society Correct In Asserting That Jesus Was Created?

          The following excerpt from a Jehovah’s Witnesses Watchtower publication outlines their view of Christ’s origin and role in creation:

          “God created Jesus before creating Adam. In fact, God created Jesus and then used him to make everything else, including the angels.”

          This claim—that Jesus is a created being who assisted God in creation—stands in stark contrast to the testimony of the Old Testament. Scripture affirms that God alone is the Creator, unaided by any part of the created order:

          “Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, and He who formed you from the womb: I am the Lord, who makes all things, who stretches out the heavens all alone, who spreads abroad the earth by Myself.” (Isaiah 44:24)

          Here, God explicitly declares that He created the universe by Himself. No subordinate being, no intermediary, no created helper participated in the act of creation. He is both the source and the agent of all that exists.

          Malachi 2:10 reinforces this truth:

          “Do we not all have one Father? Has not one God created us?”

          The biblical Creator is unique—set apart from the false gods of the nations. He alone is worthy of covenantal faithfulness and worship.

          If Jesus were merely a created being, as Jehovah’s Witnesses claim, then He could not have participated in creation. Yet Scripture teaches that He did.

          “For by Him all things were created—in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible... all things were created through Him and for Him.” (Colossians 1:16)

          This verse does not describe a created agent assisting God. It identifies Jesus as the Creator Himself. He is not part of creation—He is the origin of it. He sustains all things by the power of His word (Hebrews 1:3), a divine prerogative.

          Further evidence of Christ’s divinity is found in the messianic prophecy of Zechariah 12:10, where God declares:

          “They will look on Me whom they have pierced.”

          In the New Testament, this prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus’ crucifixion (John 19:36–37; Revelation 1:7). Isaiah 53:5 also foretells that the Messiah would be “pierced for our transgressions.” The implication is profound: the one who was pierced is none other than God Himself. But God, being spirit, cannot be pierced—unless He takes on human flesh.

          This is the mystery and majesty of the incarnation. Jesus Christ is not a created being. He is God in the flesh—the eternal Son, coequal with the Father, and the Creator of all things.

A Problem For Roman Catholic Mariology

The Roman Catholic Church teaches two dogmas about Mary: that she was conceived without original sin (the Immaculate Conception) and that she remained a virgin for her entire life (the Perpetual Virginity). These doctrines are held as essential truths. However, when examined together in light of Scripture, they present a theological contradiction.

In 1 Corinthians 7:2–5, the Apostle Paul commands that spouses must not deprive one another of sexual intimacy, except temporarily and by mutual agreement for spiritual purposes. He states that each spouse has authority over the other’s body and that withholding intimacy invites temptation and sin. This is not presented as optional advice. It is a moral directive grounded in the nature of marriage.

If Mary and Joseph were truly married, and Mary permanently withheld sexual intimacy, then by Paul’s standard, she violated the moral obligations of marriage. That would constitute sin. But Catholic doctrine insists that Mary was sinless. Therefore, one of two conclusions must follow:

• Mary was not sinless, which contradicts the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.
• Mary was not truly married to Joseph in the full sense, which contradicts Scripture and tradition.

Or, Paul’s moral directive does not apply to Mary and Joseph, which undermines the universality of apostolic teaching.

To affirm both dogmas simultaneously, one must carve out an exception to Paul’s teaching, an exception not found in the text itself. This requires assuming that Mary and Joseph had a unique, divinely ordained marriage exempt from normal moral obligations. But such an assumption is theological special pleading: it introduces an exception to resolve a contradiction without scriptural support.

Therefore, the tension remains unresolved. Either Mary sinned by withholding what Paul calls a marital duty, or she did not remain perpetually virgin. Both cannot be true without redefining either sin or marriage in a way that departs from the ordinary meaning of Scripture.

Is Your Sin Beyond The Forgiveness Of God?

        There are Christians who feel burdened and disheartened in their journey of faith as a result of previous shortcomings in their lives. There are those who feel guilty on a constant basis for sins committed in the past, seemingly unable to find comfort in the forgiveness that God provides. There are people who feel hopeless, utterly beyond the point of redemption. Further, the reality that we cannot change our past can be a difficult one to accept. That haunts the minds of certain people. It is also a basic fact of life that all decisions we make have consequences. However, this does not mean that all hope for us is lost. We must take responsibility for bad choices made by us rather than make excuses to justify them or shift the blame on to other people or things.

        We do have the present moment in life. That is the mode in which we all operate. Any vague notion about hope for the future is nothing but an empty delusion without a focus on the here and now, with single steps being taken at a realistic pace. Eternity is to be our biggest focus, in which God guides and shows grace to us. The deliverance that He gives from sin is complete, and without cost to us. We must trust God at His word. Our problem is sin, which is rebellion against Him who made us. It cannot simply be pushed aside or ignored. Sinners must either receive forgiveness from God or face divine judgment. That is the reason Christ came to this earth. He died for our sins. Consider the words of King David in the Psalms:

         "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust." (Psalm 103:8-14)

         Those words came from a man who was guilty of adultery and murder. To be "slow to anger" means to not speedily express wrath. God gives people time to repent of sin. When God is said to "abound in love," it means His love exists in great quantity and makes itself known in action. If God did not have compassion for sinners, then He would not have spared the Israelites who repeatedly turned against Him. He would have destroyed David the instant that he sinned, and had every right to do so. God would simply not pardon our iniquity. He is not under obligation to save us. Nobody is deserving of His salvation. The mercy of God has no limits. 

          Jesus Christ came to earth so that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness could live life more abundantly (John 10:10). The kind of life that we experience in Him is a higher quality of life. It is spiritual life that God gives. It is not a matter of having millions of dollars in the bank or living in a mansion. Countless believers throughout history, the apostles included, did not have access to earthly comforts or luxuries. We must turn not to ourselves, but to God who resurrects the dead (2 Corinthians 1:9). If one is still struggling with how God could possibly forgive his sins after reading all this, then he needs to consider the notorious example of the Apostle Paul:

         "I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life." (1 Timothy 1:12-16)

         If Paul, who even had put to death God's own people, could be saved, then so can anybody else who calls upon His name. If God can forgive two murderers (i.e. King David and the Apostle Paul), then He certainly has the power to forgive more. There is no such thing as a cut off point for the mercies of God, except physical death. As long as there is life, there hope remains. It was that same man who uttered these refreshing words:

         "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

         If this kind of a description of the love of God does not suffice to remove doubt from a man's heart, then nothing else will. It is safe to assume that he has no faith in Him. The Apostle Paul exhausted the words of his finite vocabulary in an effort to convey to readers the depth of God's love for sinners. Things cannot be broken down any further than they have.

A Study On The Jewishness Of Jesus Christ's Atonement

In The Old Testament, Animals Were Offered For The Sins Of God's People:

• "Then to the sons of Israel you shall speak, saying, ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both one year old, without defect, for a burnt offering." (Leviticus 9:3)

Animal sacrifices were a crucial part of the Old Testament law, serving as a tangible representation of atonement for sin. The offerings needed to be without defect, symbolizing the purity required to approach a holy God.

Jesus Christ Offered Himself As A Sacrifice Once For Our Sins:

• "and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption." (Hebrews 9:12)

• "and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world." (1 John 2:2)

Christ’s sacrifice marked a pivotal shift from the Old Covenant to the New. Unlike the repeated animal sacrifices, His single offering was sufficient to atone for all humanity's sins, signifying eternal redemption.

The Animal Sacrifices Of The Old Testament Were To Be Unblemished:

• "Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats." (Exodus 12:5)

• "and he said to Aaron, “Take for yourself a calf, a bull, for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without defect, and offer them before the Lord." (Leviticus 9:2)

These unblemished animals prefigured Christ's purity. Just as the Old Testament sacrifices needed to be perfect, Christ, as the final sacrifice, was without sin.

Christ Is The Final Unblemished Sacrifice For The Sins Of Mankind:

• "knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ." (1 Peter 1:18-19)

Christ’s unblemished life and sacrificial death fulfilled the sacrificial system of the Old Testament, offering redemption that surpasses earthly possessions.

The Animal Sacrifices Of The Old Testament Were Peace Offerings:

• "Then Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people and blessed them, and he stepped down after making the sin offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings." (Leviticus 9:22)

Peace offerings were a form of fellowship and gratitude towards God, symbolizing reconciliation and harmony with the Divine.

The Lord Jesus Christ Is Our Peace Offering:

• "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

• "For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven." (Colossians 1:19-20)

Through Christ, believers find ultimate peace with God. His sacrifice is the means by which reconciliation is achieved, ensuring eternal peace.

The Blood Of Animals In The Sacrifices Served As A Temporary Covering For Sin:

• "And any man from the house of Israel, or from the aliens who sojourn among them, who eats any blood, I will set My face against that person who eats blood and will cut him off from among his people. For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement." (Leviticus 17:10-11)

• "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, ‘You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off." (Leviticus 17:14)

The life contained in the blood was critical in the sacrificial system. It provided a means for temporary atonement, foreshadowing the eternal atonement through Christ's blood.

The Shedding Of Blood Was Foundational To The Entire Levitical System:

• "And according to the Law, one may almost say, all things are cleansed with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22)

The necessity of bloodshed for atonement was a central tenet of the Levitical system, underscoring the gravity of sin and the price of redemption.

Insightful Comments On The Shedding Of Blood And The Law:

• "Even though the Law does mention some cleansing rites apart from sacrifice (for example, Num. 19:11–12), we must remember that once a year, on the Day of Atonement, blood was offered for the sins of the entire nation (Lev. 16). As such, all of the cleansing rites of the old covenant were subsumed under the absolute necessity of a blood sacrifice once every year. Likewise, the grain offerings that in some cases could atone for sin were ultimately effectual only because of this annual, “bloody” event. The shedding of blood was absolutely necessary for atonement under the old covenant, and, as we are to infer from these verses, death is also absolutely necessary for atonement in the new covenant." (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/devotionals/without-blood)

These comments emphasize the indispensable role of blood in the sacrificial system, pointing to the ultimate necessity of Christ's sacrificial death under the New Covenant.

Offerings In The Old Testament Produced "Pleasing Aromas" (A Theme Of Propitiation) To The Lord:

• "Present with this bread seven male lambs, each a year old and without defect, one young bull and two rams. They will be a burnt offering to the LORD, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings—a food offering, an aroma pleasing to the LORD." (Leviticus 23:18)

The pleasing aroma of the offerings symbolized God's acceptance and the propitiatory nature of the sacrifices.

Christ's Sacrifice Had A "Pleasing Aroma" To God:

• "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." (Ephesians 5:1-2)

Christ’s sacrificial love is described as a fragrant offering, signifying God’s pleasure and acceptance of His atonement.

Just As The Blood Of Lambs and Goats Were Offered For The Sins of Israel In The Old Testament, So Jesus Christ Had His Blood Shed For The Sins Of Mankind:

• "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins." (Matthew 26:28)

• "The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29)

Jesus, the Lamb of God, fulfills the sacrificial system’s ultimate purpose, offering His blood for the forgiveness of sins, not just for Israel, but for all humanity.

The Fraudulent Nature Of The Charismatic Movement

"If these faith healers have the same ability as the apostles, why do they do their “healings” in church buildings, in front of people who already believe? Signs are given for unbelievers; Christians do not need to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ—they already believe.

Why don’t modern faith healers do what Christ and the apostles did and perform a public healing on someone that everyone knows is crippled? The answer is simple: they can’t.

If miraculous healings were still occurring today, it would be very easy to prove. Anyone could take a camcorder to the healing crusade and film the miracle for all to see. But why is this not happening?

If Charismatics were healing crippled legs, withered hands, cut-off ears, blind eyes, deaf ears, palsy, hemorrhages, etc., like Christ and the apostles, they would be on the nightly news, 60 Minutes and 20/20. Sadly, the only Charismatic faith healers who make the news are there because of fraud, adultery, theft, prostitution, and the like.

If Charismatic healers could raise the dead, like Christ and the apostles, then they could prove it by doing it in front of a large group of witnesses."

Brian M. Schwertley, The Charismatic Movement: A Biblical Critique, p. 33-36

The Charismatic Movement Violates 1 Corinthians 14

"There is often speaking in "tongues" without proper interpretation (contrary to 1 Corinthians 14:28); unless this requirement is met, it does absolutely nothing to edify the church (14:4-5). The biblical requirement of speaking in turn is frequently not observed (14:27-30); rather, a number of individuals speak at the same time (this lapse in proper church order is inexcusable, for "the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets," 14:32)."

Brian M. Schwertley, The Charismatic Movement: A Biblical Critique, p. 20