The basic doctrine of Jesus Christ

[EphesiansGal]

Do we really know what Jesus teaches?

A visit to the Gospels shows us that Jesus is well aware we need a few signposts to help us properly identify what is going on in the Christian world, as follows:

Matt 7: 13 �Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it"

So for starters the way to life is narrow and the way to destruction is broad…we have to find that narrow path and Jesus Himself says there are few that find it.

Matt 7: 15 �Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neithercan a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.�

We will recognise who the true Christians are by the fruit they bear: if what they say and do does not lead you into a place of safety and of peace in Christ, but rather into a more confused and divided state, they demonstrate that they do not actually know Him at all, and therefore cannot lead the way for you, if you are genuinely seeking.

Good fruit will also be characterised by truth: saying what is right as opposed to saying what you want to hear. You will know what good fruit is when you sample it, and likewise bad fruit has its own characteristics and consequences.

There is only one way to become a true Christian. Among the Jews Jesus saw that there were those who exalted the scriptures but would not come to Him personally to receive life, and these same ones did not bear the fruit of the love of God, as follows:

John 5: 39 Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. 40 And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. 41 I receive not honour from men. 42 But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

It is the same for us, we need to come personally to Jesus in order to receive life through being born again. Once born again the love of God compels us to minister according to His will.

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the LIFE.
Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

[Elijah John]

Do we really know what Jesus teaches?

Do you?

How about:

Mark 12.29-31

Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is one; you shall love YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". There is no other commandment greater than these.

[marco]

Good fruit will also be characterised by truth: saying what is right as opposed to saying what you want to hear. You will know what good fruit is when you sample it, and likewise bad fruit has its own characteristics and consequences.

We are most of us acquainted with what Scripture says; many take various interpretations. As for knowing what the good fruit is, that's a lot harder than you imply. Christianity spawned the Inquisition - is Christianity therefore false? Across the globe Christians are divided, and often quarrel with each other. Is this good fruit? And those who say: Look at us - we have the RIGHT interpretation are no better than the Pharisees whom Christ condemned.

It is very hard to judge the fruit without condemning Christianity. It is one thing to quote Scripture and quite another to understand what it means.

[dio9]

The letter of James in the Testament will give some insight in what jesus thought and taught . James was the brother of Jesus. He was known for 20 years aftyer Jesus crucifixion as the Just. I think his brother would be the closest to authentic Jesus thought. Read it.

[EphesiansGal]

Good fruit will also be characterised by truth: saying what is right as opposed to saying what you want to hear. You will know what good fruit is when you sample it, and likewise bad fruit has its own characteristics and consequences.

We are most of us acquainted with what Scripture says; many take various interpretations. As for knowing what the good fruit is, that's a lot harder than you imply. Christianity spawned the Inquisition - is Christianity therefore false? Across the globe Christians are divided, and often quarrel with each other. Is this good fruit? And those who say: Look at us - we have the RIGHT interpretation are no better than the Pharisees whom Christ condemned.

It is very hard to judge the fruit without condemning Christianity. It is one thing to quote Scripture and quite another to understand what it means.

Yes these are exactly the points I was trying to make originally. The reason Jesus says "ye shall know them by their fruits" is precisely because not all who name the name of Christ are actually true Christians and we have to be careful who we associate with and who is leading us. These denominational and other divisions are not what Jesus teaches at all...but that doesn't mean there is no true church or that Christianity is bad. So we look at the fruit, the results and the outcomes of the doctrines held and taught.

Sound doctrine lines up with scripture, not weeding out the bits it doesn't like.

The reason I make sure to repeat Jesus' words that "ye must be born again" is because this is what replaces the fruit of the religious flesh to the fruit of the Spirit, and there is truly no comparison between the two.

Galatians 5 says: vs 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.


These things come from the changed heart and cannot be obtained by religious observance alone: they come from the Spirit of God. Among those born of the Spirit, this fruit exists and can be observed, along with the unity that as Christians we all long for.

Many thanks for your perceptive reply

[EphesiansGal]

Do we really know what Jesus teaches?

Do you?

How about:

Mark 12.29-31

Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is one; you shall love YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". There is no other commandment greater than these.

...and also Jesus says this:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

[EphesiansGal]

The letter of James in the Testament will give some insight in what jesus thought and taught . James was the brother of Jesus. He was known for 20 years aftyer Jesus crucifixion as the Just. I think his brother would be the closest to authentic Jesus thought. Read it.

Not sure what you are trying to get at here since we have all the Gospels containing many many statements and admonishments and warnings and encouragements from Jesus Christ Himself, readily and freely available, praise God.

Regarding James, I especially love this paragraph:

James 1:19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: 20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. 21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. 25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.

Isn't that a lovely phrase, "receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls"

[Elijah John]

Do we really know what Jesus teaches?

Do you?

How about:

Mark 12.29-31

Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is one; you shall love YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". There is no other commandment greater than these.

...and also Jesus says this:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Welcome to the site, by the way.

And since we are talking about basic doctrine, essentials, here Jesus is saying something very, very basic and fundamental:

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you;for this is the law and the prophets."

Matthew 7.12

"The law, (the written expression of the will of God) and the prophets" in one line. It doesn't get any more fundamental and basic than that.

When I think "basic" I think the earliest Gospels, the Synoptics. That line from Revelation on the other hand, sounds very much like something from Isaiah that was uttered by YHVH about Himself, (41.4) that the author John lifted and applied to Jesus. Like much of John's Gospel, sounds like an elaboration, not something basic.

It is doubtful the historical Jesus ever called himself the "Alpha and the Omega", but yes, the Jesus of John's vision said it.

Ever wonder why the "I AM" statements and claims of John are absent from the earliest Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, the Synoptics?

[EphesiansGal]

Do we really know what Jesus teaches?

Do you?

How about:

Mark 12.29-31

Jesus answered, The first is, "Hear O Israel, YHVH our God, YHVH is one; you shall love YHVH your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". There is no other commandment greater than these.

...and also Jesus says this:

Rev 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Welcome to the site, by the way.

And since we are talking about basic doctrine, essentials, here Jesus is saying something very, very basic and fundamental:

In everything, do to others as you would have them do to you;for this is the law and the prophets."

Matthew 7.12

"The law, (the written expression of the will of God) and the prophets" in one line. It doesn't get any more fundamental and basic than that.

When I think "basic" I think the earliest Gospels, the Synoptics. That line from Revelation on the other hand, sounds very much like something from Isaiah that was uttered by YHVH about Himself, (41.4) that the author John lifted and applied to Jesus. Like much of John's Gospel, sounds like an elaboration, not something basic.

It is doubtful the historical Jesus ever called himself the "Alpha and the Omega", but yes, the Jesus of John's vision said it.

Ever wonder why the "I AM" statements and claims of John are absent from the earliest Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, the Synoptics?

Thank you for the welcome, good to be here

Yes I see that Jesus is saying the law and the prophets is summed up in that verse Matthew 7:12. In my case I would hope people would tell me the truth that they know, rather than the things which are supposed....and this I endeavour to do myself. It also draws attention to the matter of servanthood in the body of Christ, that we are many members and serve each other as the Lord leads, doing good to one another, and knowing that we are His workmanship created in Christ Jesus so to do.

On the second matter, reading through your post, it struck me as perfect that the identity of Jesus Christ came to John through revelation, which is the same way it came to Peter...

Matt 16:15 He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

Vs17 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

It would make sense, given the importance of Who Jesus is, to lodge this question in mens' hearts without giving an answer in the gospels, in order that they would ask, seek and knock (Matt 7:7) ...until they heard from the Father Himself.

Thanks for the conversation!

[OnceConvinced]

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