From: Tim
Subject: RE: New Apostolic Christian
Dear [New Apostolic Christian]
You have asked some good questions here.
Please keep in mind that I was a priest in the NAC before I really studied the Scriptures on my own.
In my experience, the leaders and the members of the NAC are not interested in righteousness as defined by the Scriptures.
For example, we are commanded in the Scriptures to set apart the Sabbath and do no work; it is a day of rest and a day of holy convocation. In my experience, people in the NAC and especially the leadership scoff at the very idea of doing no work on the Sabbath day. Furthermore, the NAC as well as many other Christian denominations bear the sign that they in fact belong to the beast by following the beast’s “Sabbath” on Sunday, which has been referred to as the “venerable day of the sun-god” in ancient Babylon and in the present-day Roman Catholic Church. A more detailed explanation can be found at The Beast and His Mark.
You asked, “Why should I double check the scripture / text when it’s read from the altar? Do you go to church to doubt / double check whatever’s mentioned over the altar?” The NAC ministers will read excerpts from the Bible to support the agenda being promoted in the NAC but will not preach the Bible in its entire context, and as a consequence, much of the meaning of Scriptures is omitted in NAC church services.
For example, consider the reference that you mentioned to Matthew 22. The beginning of Yahshua’s parable starts at verse 1 of that chapter. Did the minister start his explanation of this important parable at verse 1? In my experience, the answer is likely to be “no” in order to support the agenda that the NAC wants to promote – an agenda that is not necessarily consistent with the Scriptures.
According to the NAC, items in the 11th and 12th verses of this chapter are ideally suited to promote the NAC agenda. Considered out of context, the NAC will promote the following ideas regarding these verses.
- The sovereign rightly represents “God” or more correctly, Yah.
- The wedding feast represents the day of the first resurrection.
- The wedding garment represents being a good, faithful New Apostolic who obeys the NAC leadership.
According to the entire history of the Scriptures however, the entire parable starting at verse 1 takes on a slightly different meaning.
- The sovereign represents Yah.
- The wedding feast would not represent the “day of the first resurrection” because this idea is not supported in Scriptures but is rather an idea invented by Jesuits writing under pseudonyms to refute the protestant reformation. These ideas were then promoted by John Nelson Darby who was a fore-runner of many Charismatic Christian denominations including the NAC. The events of our future include a resurrection of the dead and a millennial kingdom of peace. This was a shock to me when I studied independently! Keep an eye out for an article about John Nelson Darby.
- The wedding garment represents sanctification through obeying the commandments of the Most High.
There are still more allusions in this parable.
- The servants represent the true prophets of Yah who preached repentance and obedience to Yah’s commandments yet were abused and martyred for doing so.
- The sovereign’s soldiers represent the Babylonian army under Nebuchadnezzar.
- The destroying of the murderers in verse 7 and the burning of the city represents the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by the Babylonians at the onset of the Babylonian captivity of Judah, a captivity that happened because Judah and Israel refused to obey Yah’s commandments.
- The “bad and the good” referenced in verse 10 refers to the gentiles and the Jews respectively who would all be gathered together and given the offer of eternal salvation through Yahshua our Messiah.
So, my question to you is, “were all of these details explained in the NAC service?” As I recall, the teaching of the NAC regarding Matthew 22:1-14 was quite limited in its explanation, and I do hope that the trend is changing so that the Bible will be taken more seriously and studied more thoroughly.
Furthermore, it is the responsibility of every believer to read and study the Scriptures and place their trust only in Yah by understanding His unadulterated Word as it is written. Men can be corrupted and should not be trusted. As the prophet YerimYah (Jeremiah 17:5) declared, “Cursed be the man who trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from Yah.”
I pray that all in the NAC will hunger and thirst for righteousness, which is thoroughly described by the written word of Yah as found in the Scriptures.
Peace of the Sabbath to you and yours,
Tim