bobkee posted on 14-11-2013 04:39 PM
Mungkin saudara masih baru di UCG. Sejarahnya berkaitan secara langsung dengan WCG. WCG secara sebua ...
Kepercayaan UCG.
Fundamental Beliefs We trace our origins to the Church that Jesus founded in the early first century. We follow the same teachings, doctrines and practices established then. Our commission is to proclaim the gospel of the coming Kingdom of God to all the world as a witness and teach all nations to observe what Christ commanded (Matthew 24:14
; Matthew 28:19
, Matthew 28:20
).
Please read Fundamental Beliefs of the United Church of God for a more detailed explanation of our beliefs. God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit We believe in one God, the Father, eternally existing, who is a Spirit, a personal Being of supreme intelligence, knowledge, love, justice, power and authority. He, through Jesus Christ, is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and all that is in them. He is the Source of life and the One for whom human life exists. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who is the Word and has eternally existed. We believe that He is the Messiah, the Christ, the divine Son of the living God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born in the human flesh of the virgin Mary. We believe that it is by Him that God created all things and that without Him was not anything made that was made. We believe in the Holy Spirit, as the Spirit of God and of Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the power of God and the Spirit of life eternal (2 Timothy 1:7
; Ephesians 4:6
; 1 Corinthians 8:6
; John 1:1-4
; Colossians 1:16
). The Word of God We believe that Scripture, both the Old and the New Testament, is God's revelation, and His complete, expressed will to humanity. Scripture is inspired in thought and word, infallible in the original writings, is the supreme and final authority in faith and in life, and is the foundation of all truth (2 Timothy 3:16
; 2 Peter 1:20-21
; John 10:35
; John 17:17
). Satan the Devil We believe that Satan is a spirit being who is the adversary of God and the children of God. Satan has been given dominion over the world for a specific period of time. Satan has deceived humanity into rejecting God and His law. Satan has ruled by deception with the aid of a host of demons who are rebellious angels, spirit beings, who followed Satan in his rebellion (Matthew 4:1-11
; Luke 8:12
; 2 Timothy 2:26
; John 12:31
; John 16:11
; Revelation 12:4
, Revelation 12:9
; Revelation 20:1-3
, 7, 10; Leviticus 16:21-22
; 2 Corinthians 4:4
; 2 Corinthians 11:14
; Ephesians 2:2
). Humanity We believe that humanity was created in the image of God with the potential to become children of God, partakers of the divine nature. God formed humanity of flesh, which is material substance. Human beings live by the breath of life, are mortal, subject to corruption and decay, without eternal life, except as the gift of God under God's terms and conditions as expressed in the Bible. We believe that God placed before Adam and Eve the choice of eternal life through obedience to God, or death through sin. Adam and Eve yielded to temptation and disobeyed God. As a result, sin entered the world, and through sin, death. Death now reigns over all humanity because all have sinned (Genesis 1:26
; 2 Peter 1:4
; Hebrews 9:27
; 1 Corinthians 15:22
; Romans 5:12
; Romans 6:23
). Sin and God's Law We believe that sin is the transgression of the law. The law is spiritual, perfect, holy, just and good. The law defines God's love and is based upon the two great principles of love toward God and love toward neighbor, and is immutable and binding. The Ten Commandments are the ten points of God's law of love. We believe that breaking any one point of the law brings upon a person the penalty of sin. We believe that this fundamental spiritual law reveals the only way to true life and the only possible way of happiness, peace and joy. All unhappiness, misery, anguish and woe have come from transgressing God's law (1 John 3:4
; 1 John 5:3
; Matthew 5:17-19
; Matthew 19:17-19
; Matthew 22:37-40
; James 2:10-11
; Romans 2:5-9
; Romans 7:12-14
; Romans 13:8-10
).
Truth.8 posted on 15-11-2013 11:02 AM
Kepercayaan UCG.
Fundam ...
I am not making a judgment call as to whether UCG's teachings are right or wrong. I would just like to point out that there are some fundamental and diametrically opposed differences between the teachings of the UCG (which is similar to the teachings of the old WCG and many other Sabbatarian Christian based groups) and historical Trinitarian Christianity:
Belief in Biblical tithing, a donation of 10 percent of a member's income to the church to fund the organization's gospel mission. Another 10 percent is set aside for the church's annual religious festivals.
Belief in a non-Trinitarian view of God. Specifically, the belief that the Holy Spirit is the spirit/power of God and of Christ Jesus rather than a separate person in the Godhead. God 'the Father' and Jesus Christ are viewed as distinct 'God beings' in the 'God family'.
Belief that Christians are begotten as children in the Family of God and will at their resurrection become "spirit-born divine beings who are part of Elohim, the universe-ruling family of God."
Belief that the core of Jesus Christ's message was the coming of a literal earthly Kingdom and that people who are 'saved' will not go to heaven, but will live and rule eternally with Jesus Christ on earth after his second coming, and will subsequently share rulership over the entire universe as part of the 'God Family'. UCG also asserts that the final destination of the unrepentant wicked is not everlasting torture, but annihilation or permanent destruction.
Belief in British Israelism, which is the teaching that people of Western European descent, primarily the original British colonies and the United States, are direct physical descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of the northern kingdom of ancient Israel, whereas the historical Jews (and modern-day Israel) are descendants of the ancient southern kingdom of Judah.
Belief that the basic Old Testament law is not "done away with" and is carried over into the "New Covenant" such that certain commandments apply to Christians today, including the Ten Commandments and teachings such as clean and unclean meats, literal observance of Holy Day festivals such as eating unleavened bread during the 'Days of Unleavened Bread', and living in 'temporary habitations' during the 'Feast of Tabernacles'. These beliefs excludecivil and sacrificial temple laws, but includes the literal observance of the seventh-day Sabbath and the Holy Days of the Old Testament Hebrew calendar, dietary restrictions, and the condemnation of homosexuality.
Belief that people who do not know or understand the truth of the Bible during their lifetimes will be given time to learn these teachings after the 'second resurrection' to a new physical life. After living again in the Millennial world under God's Kingdom, those who continue to reject God's Holy Spirit and way of life will be annihilated after the "Third Resurrection" along with unrepentant former believers who had turned away from God. They are destroyed in the third resurrection (the "resurrection of fire") in the Lake of Fire, along with Satan and his demons
* Note that the links here refer to UCG published documents.
Depending on one's understanding of what Christianity is, one would then determine whether or not UCG and other groups that stemmed from Armstrongism and Sabbatarian theology would be considered orthodox Christianity (ajaran Kristian yang sahih).
My personal opinion is that it does not fit the bill of orthodox Christianity and is a derivation and evolution of Millerist eschatology and Seventh-Day Adventism (which by themselves are not necessarily unorthodox IMHO).
It is probably very similar to what the Apostle Paul described as Judaizers in his time, a heretical group that compelled gentile converts to Early Christianity to "judaize" and maintain continued obedience to the Law of Moses (Acts 21:20-25) and reproached in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 2:14, Gal 3:1-29).
Setelah mendengar laporan Paulus, mereka semua memuji Allah.
Kemudian mereka berkata kepada Paulus,
"Saudara Paulus, dengarlah! Di sini ada beribu-ribu orang Yahudi yang sudah percaya kepada Yesus, dan mereka mentaati Taurat Musa dengan setia. Tetapi mereka sudah diberitahu bahawa saudara mengajar semua orang Yahudi yang tinggal di kalangan orang bukan Yahudi supaya tidak menurut Taurat Musa, tidak menyunat anak-anak mereka ataupun menurut adat istiadat orang Yahudi. Mereka tentu sudah mendengar bahawa saudara sudah tiba di sini. Apakah yang harus kita lakukan sekarang?"
"Kami mahu saudara melakukan hal ini. Di sini ada empat orang yang sudah bernazar. Pergilah dengan mereka dan lakukanlah upacara penyucian diri, dan bayarlah biaya mereka juga. Kemudian mereka boleh mencukur rambut. Dengan cara demikian semua orang akan tahu bahawa apa yang didengar oleh mereka tentang saudara tidak benar, kerana saudara pun taat kepada Taurat Musa."
"Tetapi bagi orang bukan Yahudi yang percaya kepada Yesus, kami telah mengirim sepucuk surat kepada mereka tentang keputusan kami. Mereka tidak boleh makan makanan yang sudah dipersembahkan kepada berhala, atau makan darah, atau makan daging binatang yang mati dicekik, dan mereka juga harus menjauhkan diri daripada perbuatan cabul."
Orang Galatia, kamu sungguh bodoh! Siapakah telah memukau kamu? Kematian Kristus pada kayu salib sudah aku jelaskan dengan seterang-terangnya kepada kamu! Beritahulah aku satu hal ini: Adakah kamu menerima Roh Allah oleh sebab kamu mengikut Taurat, atau kerana kamu mendengar Berita Baik, lalu mempercayainya? Mengapa kamu menjadi begitu bodoh? Setelah kamu memulakan hidup baru dengan Roh Allah, adakah kamu mahu menamatkannya dengan kekuatan sendiri? Adakah semua yang sudah kamu alami tidak bererti apa-apa? Tentunya pengalaman itu mempunyai erti! 5Allah mengurniakan Roh-Nya kepada kamu dan melakukan mukjizat-mukjizat antara kamu. Adakah Allah melakukan hal ini kerana kamu mengikut Taurat, atau kerana kamu mendengar Berita Baik lalu mempercayainya?
Apa yang telah berlaku kepada Abraham sangatlah mustahak. Di dalam Alkitab tertulis seperti ini, “Abraham percaya kepada Allah, dan kerana kepercayaannya dia diterima oleh Allah sebagai orang yang sudah berbaik semula dengan Allah.” Demikianlah kamu harus sedar bahawa orang yang percaya kepada Allah ialah orang yang benar-benar keturunan Abraham. Alkitab telah memberitahu terlebih dahulu bahawa Allah memungkinkan orang bukan Yahudi berbaik semula dengan Allah, jika mereka percaya kepada-Nya. Di dalam Alkitab tertulis bahawa Berita Baik itu diberitahu kepada Abraham sebelum perkara itu berlaku, “Melalui engkau, Allah akan memberkati semua umat manusia di atas bumi.” Abraham percaya lalu dia diberkati. Demikianlah Allah memberkati semua orang yang percaya kepada-Nya, seperti Dia memberkati Abraham.
Mereka yang bergantung kepada Taurat, hidup di bawah kutukan. Di dalam Alkitab tertulis, “Orang yang tidak melakukan semua yang tertulis di dalam kitab Taurat, dikutuk oleh Allah!” Sekarang nyatalah bahawa tidak seorang pun dapat berbaik semula dengan Allah kerana mengikut Taurat. Hal ini tertulis di dalam Alkitab, “Hanya orang yang percaya kepada Allah sehingga hubungannya dengan Allah menjadi baik semula, akan hidup.” Tetapi Taurat tidak berdasarkan iman. Di dalam Alkitab tertulis, “Orang yang melakukan semua hukum Taurat akan hidup kerana Taurat itu.”
Tetapi Kristus telah membebaskan kita daripada kutukan yang didatangkan oleh Taurat. Dia melakukan hal ini dengan membiarkan diri-Nya terkutuk kerana kita. Di dalam Alkitab tertulis, “Terkutuklah orang yang mati digantung pada pokok.” Kristus berbuat demikian supaya berkat yang dijanjikan oleh Allah kepada Abraham, juga boleh diberikan kepada orang bukan Yahudi. Dengan demikian kita yang percaya kepada Allah, dapat menerima Roh yang dijanjikan oleh Allah.
Saudara-saudaraku, biarlah aku gunakan contoh daripada pengalaman sehari-hari. Apabila dua orang mengikat janji, lalu menandatangani perjanjian itu, tidak seorang pun dapat membatalkannya ataupun menambahkan apa-apa. Allah telah membuat janji-janji-Nya kepada Abraham dan kepada seorang keturunan Abraham. Di dalam Alkitab tidak tertulis, “dan kepada keturunanmu,” yang bererti banyak orang. Yang tertulis adalah, “dan kepada seorang keturunanmu,” yang bererti seorang sahaja, iaitu Kristus. Inilah yang aku maksudkan: Allah telah membuat satu perjanjian dengan Abraham, dan Allah berjanji hendak memenuhinya. Taurat yang diberikan 430 tahun kemudian tidak dapat memansuhkan perjanjian itu ataupun membatalkan janji Allah. Jika pemberian Allah diberi berdasarkan Taurat, maka pemberian itu tidak diberi berdasarkan janji Allah. Tetapi kerana Allah telah berjanji kepada Abraham, maka Allah memberikan pemberian itu kepadanya.
Jika demikian, apakah tujuan Taurat? Taurat diberikan untuk menunjukkan pelanggaran manusia. Taurat itu terus berlaku sehingga kedatangan seorang keturunan Abraham, yang disebut dalam janji Allah kepada Abraham. Taurat disampaikan oleh malaikat-malaikat dengan perantaraan seorang manusia. Seorang perantara diperlukan apabila ada dua pihak. Tetapi Allah tidak memerlukan perantara, kerana Dia sendiri bertindak.
Adakah hal ini bererti bahawa Taurat berlawanan dengan janji-janji Allah? Tentu tidak! Jika manusia sudah menerima hukum agama yang dapat memberikan hidup, maka manusia dapat berbaik semula dengan Allah, melalui ketaatan kepada hukum agama itu. Tetapi di dalam Alkitab tertulis bahawa semua umat manusia dikuasai oleh dosa. Oleh itu pemberian yang dijanjikan berdasarkan kepercayaan kepada Yesus Kristus, diberikan kepada mereka yang percaya.
Sebelum adanya kepercayaan kepada Kristus, Taurat menawan kita seperti orang tawanan, sehingga iman itu dinyatakan. Dengan demikian Taurat itu menjadi seperti pengawas kita sehingga Kristus datang untuk memungkinkan kita berbaik semula dengan Allah, kerana kita percaya kepada Kristus. Sekarang, kerana sudah tiba masanya manusia dapat percaya kepada Kristus, Taurat tidak perlu mengawasi kita.
Kerana kamu percaya kepada Kristus Yesus, maka kamu menjadi anak-anak Allah dan bersatu dengan Kristus Yesus. Kamu semua telah dibaptis dan disatukan dengan Kristus. Oleh itu, sekarang kamu sudah menerima sifat-sifat Kristus sendiri. Dalam hal ini tidak ada lagi perbezaan antara orang Yahudi dengan orang bukan Yahudi, antara abdi dengan orang bebas, antara lelaki dengan perempuan. Kamu semuanya menjadi satu kerana Kristus Yesus. Jika kamu milik Kristus, maka kamu keturunan Abraham dan akan menerima apa yang telah dijanjikan oleh Allah.
bobkee posted on 15-11-2013 01:43 PM
I am not making a judgment call as to whether UCG's teachings are right or wrong. I would just lik ...
The problem with christian now is, they do not observed God commandments....even food dietry also broken...we keep all those commandments...not only UCG but http://www.tomorrowsworld.org/
bobkee posted on 19-11-2013 12:15 AM
Nope, just that he admonished the Judaizers.
What Did Paul Mean by 'Christ Is the End of the Law'? Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, is a perfect replica of what God's law teaches. Pointing us to His character and work is the aim" of the law. In Romans 10:4
, Paul's words are translated: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes." Regrettably, most translators render the Greek word telos simply as "end" instead of giving Paul's intended meaning of that word in this context. Reasoning incorrectly that faith makes the law void, they have adopted an illogical assumption that Paul plainly rejected in Romans 3:31
. This passage reads: "Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law."
To discover the proper translation of a word that can be used in more than one way, its context has to be understood correctly before any effort is made to determine the right nuance of meaning that the author intended. Here is a simple example. One might ask a college student, "To what end are you attending college?" The word "end" in that context would refer to the "objective" or "goal" the student has in mind. Receiving a degree would be only the "end result" of his college years of learning, not the end to his ability or desire to learn.
The Greek word telos, translated "end" in Romans 10:4
, can convey variations in meaning, including "'the aim or purpose' of a thing" ( Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, 1985, "End, Ending"). This is very clear in the New King James Version's rendering of 1 Timothy 1:5
, where telos is properly translated as purpose in the clause "the purpose of the commandment is love." In this same verse the NRSV translates telos as "aim" and the NIV renders it as "goal."
Paul uses telos in Romans 10:4
to convey that the objective or goal of the law—the "aim or purpose" of it—is to point us to the mind and character of Jesus Christ (Galatians 4:19
; Philippians 2:5).
Jesus Christ, the living Word of God, is a perfect replica of what God's law teaches. Pointing us to His character and work is the aim" of the law. Rendering of telos as "end" in Romans 10:4 distorts Paul's intended meaning—something Peter forcefully warns us not to do (2 Peter 3:15-16 ).
I would suggest you to get free booklet from ucg.org.
Does the New Covenant negate God's law and do away with any need to obey the Ten Commandments and other laws of God? The belief that it does has long been a popular teaching in traditional Christianity. We'll thoroughly examine this question in this booklet. Even more important, we'll address the real purpose of God's biblical covenants—more than one—and their vital role in the Creator's overall plan for mankind. It's highly important that we understand their true meaning. Last edited by Truth.8 on 19-11-2013 09:52 AM
Its right at the top, ie. Acts 21 and the whole book of Galatians. And to be fair, I have not given any specific opinions, i have only just quoted scripture and asked questions. In reply, I get full excerpts from published UCG booklets containing what you describe as "opinion of men".
bobkee posted on 19-11-2013 04:10 PM
Its right at the top, ie. Acts 21 and the whole book of Galatians. And to be fair, I have not given ...
The Holy Spirit Is Not a Person The Holy Spirit, from the evidence found in the Bible, is not a person in a supposed Trinity. The Holy Spirit is the very nature, presence and expression of God's power actively working in His servants. ". . .'Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6
).
In the preceding chapter we saw that the teaching of the Trinity originated well after the New Testament was written rather than with the Bible writers themselves. How, then, do we define the Holy Spirit if it is not a person?
Rather than describing the Holy Spirit as a distinct person or entity, the Bible most often refers to it as and connects it with God's divine power (Zechariah 4:6
; Micah 3:8
). Jewish scholars, examining the references to it in the Old Testament Scriptures, have never defined the Holy Spirit as anything but the power of God.
In the New Testament, Paul referred to it as the spirit of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7
). Informing Mary that Jesus would be supernaturally conceived in her womb, an angel told her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you ...," and he defined this as "the power of the Highest," which "will overshadow you" (Luke 1:35
).
Jesus began His ministry "in the power of the Spirit" (Luke 4:14
). He told His followers, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you" (Acts 1:8
).
Peter relates that "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38
). This was the same power that enabled Christ to perform many mighty miracles during His ministry. Likewise, Jesus worked through the apostle Paul "in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God" (Romans 15:19
).
The Holy Spirit is the very nature, presence and expression of God's power actively working in His servants (2 Peter 1:4
; Galatians 2:20
). Indeed, it is through His Spirit that God is able to be present everywhere at once throughout the universe and affect it at will (Psalm 139:7-10
).
Again and again the Scriptures depict the Holy Spirit as the power of God. Furthermore, it is also shown to be the mind of God and the very essence and life force through which the Father begets human beings as His spiritual children. The Holy Spirit is not God, but is rather a vital aspect of God—the divine substance of the Father and Christ as well as the agency through which They work. Divine inspiration and life through the Spirit
In its article about the Holy Spirit, The Anchor Bible Dictionary describes it as the "manifestation of divine presence and power perceptible especially in prophetic inspiration" (Vol. 3, 1992, p. 260).
Repeatedly the Scriptures reveal that God imparted divine inspiration to His prophets and servants through the Holy Spirit. Peter noted that "prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21
).
Paul wrote that God's plan for humanity had been "revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets" (Ephesians 3:5
) and that his own teachings were inspired by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:13
). Paul further explains that it is through His Spirit that God has revealed to true Christians the things He has prepared for those who love Him (verses 9-16). Working through the Spirit, God the Father is the revealer of truth to those who serve Him.
Jesus told His followers that the Holy Spirit, which the Father would send, "will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you" (John 14:26
). It is through God's Spirit within us that we gain spiritual insight and understanding. Indeed, we come to receive the very "mind of Christ" (1 Corinthians 2:16
)—also referred to as the "mind of the Spirit" (Romans 8:27
).
Christ had this spiritual comprehension in abundance. As the Messiah, He was prophesied to have "the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:2
).
As the Son of Man on earth, Christ portrayed in His personal conduct the divine attributes of Almighty God through completely living by His Father's biblical standards through the power of the Holy Spirit (compare 1 Timothy 3:16
).
Now returned to the spirit realm, Christ wields the omnipotent power of the Holy Spirit along with the Father. The Holy Spirit, we should understand, is not only the Spirit of God the Father, for the Bible also calls it the "Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9
; Philippians 1:19). By either designation, it is the same Spirit, as there is only one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13
; Ephesians 4:4
).
The Father imparts the same Spirit to true Christians through Christ (John 14:26
; 15:26; Titus 3:5-6
), leading and enabling them to be His children and "partakers of the divine nature" (Romans 8:14
; 2 Peter 1:4
). God, who has eternal life in Himself, gives that life to others through the Spirit (John 5:26
; 6:63; Romans 8:11
).
The word grace is regularly used by some religious people as if it replaces all need to obey God's law. That conclusion is not only inaccurate, it is also diabolical!
Here is the reason: Without law there would be no need for grace. The word grace, as the Greek word charis is translated in the New Testament, means freely shown “favor”—a gift (it’s from charis that we derive the English word charity ). In a religious context the word grace is used most often for the gift of forgiveness. It refers to how God extends His favor to repentant sinners by forgiving their former disobedience of His law—their “sins previously committed” (Romans 3:25, NRSV).
This is necessary because “everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4, NIV). If there is no law to break, there is no such thing as sin. And if there is no sin the very idea of grace, as God’s forgiveness, has no meaning at all.
God does not just dismiss our sins, our lawless acts. Nor does He simply ignore them. Rather, “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3) so “that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).
In other words, it was to make God’s favor —His grace—available to all who repent (by turning away from sin) that Jesus “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14).
Therefore, grace encompasses more than just the forgiveness for past sins. It also includes the gift of the Holy Spirit to help us obey God’s laws. Indeed, it refers to all the free and unmerited gifts of God. It includes His help in initially turning us away from sin and leading us to His truth and way of life, His forgiveness of our past sins and ultimately His granting us the greatest gift of all— eternal life in His Kingdom.
But without law, grace would be meaningless because there would be no way to define sin. Yet without grace, forgiveness of sin for breaking God’s law could not be made available to us.
So Jesus died and rose again to make grace available to anyone who is eager and willing to “go and sin no more” (John 8:11). Through grace, we can first be forgiven of our lawbreaking and then enabled by the Holy Spirit to obey God’s law from the heart—with the ultimate goal and promise of being able to live for all eternity in perfect obedience.
Thus, law and grace are utterly inseparable. Law is necessary to define sin and its consequences. Grace is necessary so sinners can be forgiven and led to obedience to God through the power of the Holy Spirit and the assistance of Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and High Priest.
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Post time 15-11-2013 01:43 PM
