Template:Confess: Difference between revisions
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Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you? | Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you? | ||
It should be clear that the people needed the ministration of the Spirit of God in love for one | It should be clear that the people needed the ministration of the Spirit of God in love for one another and a need to test the spirit of the congregants, brethren and ministers of one another by what they do and not merely what they say. | ||
What spirit is written in their hearts and minds is manifest in how they keep the commandments so that we may know more clearly whose people we | What spirit is written in their hearts and minds is manifest in how they keep the commandments so that we may know more clearly whose people we are gathering with in our congregations and who is really coming in the character or name of Christ. Jesus told us in His Gospel and Paul and John preached the gospel of Christ first. | ||
: Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. | : Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. | ||
Revision as of 08:35, 12 January 2023
Profess
To profess is to confess and appears in the Bible 11 times,[1] 10 of which are in the New Testament. The Greek word is homologeo[2] The word homologeo is more often translated Confess.
Confessing
From the beginning confession was good for the soul of the individual and therefore for the soul of society. Confession requires a humble spirit and Proverbs 29:23 tells us that "A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit."
Adam and Eve admitted that they did what they did but blamed the action on others. Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed God because he said "The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree".[3]
Were Adam and Eve cursed because they sinned by eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or because they failed to confess their part in the sin process?
To confess and profess includes the idea of admitting and taking the responsibility for what we did in a way that actually allows us to alter our actions because of a deep personal acceptance of blame and recompense. That changing of our acts is evidence of Repentance. If we were Covetous we would become charitable. If we were angry we would become forgiving.
As an example if we blame our failings or even our sins on Demons and Devils or the World are we cursing ourselves because of our failure to confess our part in acquiring the curse?
There are a few places that talk about confessing the truth of our sins and more in order to be Saved.
Confess with our mouth
Whole theology is built up around the idea that all we have to do is confess with our mouth and we are saved.
- Romans 10:9 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
But Paul begins with a prayer that Israel might be saved[4]He fully admits they have "a zeal of God" according to their own knowledge because of what they learn from men. but they do not know the righteousness of God because they have not received the anointing of the Holy Spirit which is "Christ".[5]
He goes onto explain that Moses described[6] righteousness with His hand written statutes Nailing it to His cross along with the laws of the Pharisees which had snared the people with their Corban.[7]
Paul is not saying that anyone can no longer be a doer of the word and still be saved. He is saying that if we do have faith in the real Christ and His real Holy Spirit then we will see the righteousness of God being done through us. We are not saved by our own knowledge or imagination, nor can we bring the anointing down from the loftiness of heaven or from the dead.[8]
When our faith is not just a product of our own knowledge and vanity of the mind but is also written in our hearts by the Holy Spirit unto righteousness because that spirit will be in us and in our mouth.[9] We cannot draw salvation to us by saying Lord, Lord but we must be doers of the word. Paul is not contradicting Christ (see Born again).
Repenting and confessing
In the New Testament confessing the error of our ways, our sin, seems to be an essential part of the process of repentance. We cannot confess until we admit that the Corban of the Pharisees and the covetous practices of the Nicolaitans makes the word of God to none effect. Just as we were not to desire the dainties of rulers nor consent to the One purse systems of socialism offered by Nimrod we were also not to be covetous of the wages of unrighteousness offered by the Benefactors who exercise authority one over the other. Instead of desiring the benefits offered by the fathers of the earth we were to pray to our Father who art in heaven as we sat down in a network of tens as commanded by Christ providing for one another through a daily ministration of charity in the practice of Pure Religion.
Spirits Confess
We know all men are sinners and:
- 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Yes John said:
- 1 John 4:2 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God:
But that was only after he verified what he said:
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
He had been preparing the reader of this single epistle since before Chapter 2.
So just to quote 1 John 4:2 out of context of the whole message of John is not taking the whole gospel into consideration because how do you Know the confessor is not a liar and that his verbal confession is true.
There are many who confess with their lips but are liars and we know this by their deeds and of course the revelation of the Holy Spirit. The context is talking about testing the spirit not merely testing the ability of the flesh to quote verses of the Bible so that they may creep into our homes.
So it would be foolish to try to apply 1 John 4:2 without applying 1 John 2:3, 4:
- And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
This is also why he writes in:
- 1 John 4:3 And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.
When he says in the world he is using the Greek word that means with the world.
- 1 John 4:15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
Who is John writing this to?
- 1 John 4:4 "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."
John is not writing liars but those who are of God and already been baptized, repented and confessed their iniquity, not those who just say LORD LORD.
- Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
- Matthew 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
- Luke 6:46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
- Luke 13:25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Our question is what spirit is this visitor of? We know John says again in 1 John 4:5
We all should know what Jesus said about not being of the world:
- John 15:19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
- John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
- I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
- John 17:16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
Manifest the Spirit
So everything mentioned previously about testing the spirit is important and how that spirit manifests itself will include how it keeps the commandments as we see in 1 John 2.
We see Paul talking about this in:
- 2 Corinthians 3:1-8 Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:
3 Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart. 4 And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: 5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; 6 ¶ Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. 7 But if the ministration of death, written and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the children of Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glory was to be done away: 8 How shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious? Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some [others], epistles of commendation to you, or [letters] of commendation from you?
It should be clear that the people needed the ministration of the Spirit of God in love for one another and a need to test the spirit of the congregants, brethren and ministers of one another by what they do and not merely what they say.
What spirit is written in their hearts and minds is manifest in how they keep the commandments so that we may know more clearly whose people we are gathering with in our congregations and who is really coming in the character or name of Christ. Jesus told us in His Gospel and Paul and John preached the gospel of Christ first.
- Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? [there is] none good but one, [that is], God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
- John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
- John 15:10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.
- 1 John 2:3 And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments.
- 1 John 3:22 And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
- 1 John 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
- 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
- Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
- Revelation 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
If any one just says all you have to do is believe remember also that you will know who truly believes by who keeps the commandments.
Never trust a liar. Test the spirit. Is it of God or is it of evil? That is another way to know if they are truly of God and if they are of the truth or of the father of lies:
- 1 John 4:6 We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
- 1 John 4:7 ¶ Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.
- 1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
So the question is do we see the love of God in what they do?
Are they gathering according to the teachings of Christ and his apostles?
- James 5:16 "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
Do we confess our faults one to another or do we gather to have our ears tickled and bellies filled?
Are we thankful for the opportunity to give or do we gather for what we may get?
Do they come in the Spirit of Christ keeping the commandments of God confessing in Spirit and in truth?
- 2 John 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
- Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Early Old Testament Confessing
Leviticus 5:5 And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing:
Leviticus 16:21 And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
Leviticus 26:40 If they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against me, and that also they have walked contrary unto me;
Numbers 5:7 Then they shall confess their sin which they have done: and he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.
Joshua 7:19 And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me.
1 Kings 8:33 When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
1 Kings 8:35 When heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
2 Chronicles 6:24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;
2 Chronicles 6:26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;
2 Chronicles 30:22 And Hezekiah spake comfortably unto all the Levites that taught the good knowledge of the LORD: and they did eat throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.
Ezra 10:1 Now when Ezra had prayed, and when he had confessed, weeping and casting himself down before the house of God, there assembled unto him out of Israel a very great congregation of men and women and children: for the people wept very sore.
Ezra 10:11 Now therefore make confession unto the LORD God of your fathers, and do his pleasure: and separate yourselves from the people of the land, and from the strange wives.
Nehemiah 1:6 Let thine ear now be attentive, and thine eyes open, that thou mayest hear the prayer of thy servant, which I pray before thee now, day and night, for the children of Israel thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against thee: both I and my father’s house have sinned.
Nehemiah 9:2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.
Nehemiah 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.
Job 40:14 Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.
Psalms 32:5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.
Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments;
Daniel 9:20 And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God;
New Testament Confessing
Matthew 3:6 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
Mark 1:5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
Luke 12:8 Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God:
John 1:20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
John 9:22 These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.
John 12:42 Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:
Acts 19:18 And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds.
Acts 23:8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.
Acts 24:14 But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 14:11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
Romans 15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.
Philippians 2:11 And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
1 Timothy 6:13 I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession;
- ↑ : Deuteronomy 26:3 And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the country which the LORD sware unto our fathers for to give us.
- Matthew 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
- Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- 2 Corinthians 9:13 Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men;
- 1 Timothy 2:10 But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works.
- 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
- 1 Timothy 6:21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen. « The first to Timothy was written from Laodicea, which is the chiefest city of Phrygia Pacatiana. »
- Titus 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
- Hebrews 3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;
- Hebrews 4:14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.
- Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)
- ↑ 3670 ~ὁμολογέω~ homologeo \@hom-ol-og-eh’-o\@ from a compound of the base of 3674 en with and 3056 logos; v. AV-confess 17, profess 3, promise 1, give thanks 1, confession is made 1, acknowledgeth 1; 24
- 1) to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent
- 2) to concede
- 2a) not to refuse, to promise
- 2b) not to deny
- 2b1) to confess
- 2b2) declare
- 2b3) to confess, i.e. to admit or declare one’s self guilty of what one is accused of
- 3) to profess
- 3a) to declare openly, speak out freely
- 3b) to profess one’s self the worshipper of one
- 4) to praise, celebrate
- or see homologia 3671 i.e. what one professes [confesses].
- ↑ Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
- ↑ Romans 10:1 ¶ Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
- ↑ Romans 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ [is] the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
- ↑ 1125 γράφω grapho [graf’-o] a root word; v; TDNT-1:742,128; [{See TDNT 164 }] AV-write 206, writing 1, describe 1, vr write 1; 209
- 1) to write, with reference to the form of the letters
- 1a) to delineate (or form) letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material
- 2) to write, with reference to the contents of the writing
- 2a) to express in written characters
- 2b) to commit to writing (things not to be forgotten), write down, record
- 2c) used of those things which stand written in the sacred books (of the OT)
- 2d) to write to one, i.e. by writing (in a written epistle) to give information, directions
- 3) to fill with writing
- 4) to draw up in writing, compose
- 1) to write, with reference to the form of the letters
- ↑ Romans 10:5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
- ↑ Romans 10:6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down [from above]:) 7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
- ↑ Romans 10:8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, [even] in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; 9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.