Someone has to say it and give the warning. In all the countries of the world the respective representatives of the various religions fight for their own teaching views and defend their tradition as the “leading culture”. All of them send out their missionaries, who are bustling around everywhere. We not only have the different religions of this world, we also have 342 “Christian churches” joined in the “World Council of Churches”, which was founded on August 23^rd, 1948, in Amsterdam. All claim to believe in God and in the Bible, but teach and practise things quite differently. Apparently they are all building their own kingdoms, considering them to be the Kingdom of God. The Church of Jesus Christ is not striving for worldly recognition or worldly power, but rather is predestined to contend for the faith that was once and for all ordained for the saints (Jude 3). This was the task in apostolic days; this is our commission today. The Word of God must be acknowledged as valid in all things. The interpretations and teachings of men are deceptions of the enemy and must be uncovered. It does not make sense when evangelists speak about the return of Christ and the signs of the end-time, yet remain in the old leaven of the inherited unscriptural teachings. Everyone who searches honestly for the truth must be aware of the fact that those who read this exposition have to make a decision. They must know that God’s Word will also not return void with them, but accomplish in reality what It was sent for (Isa. 55:11).

One therefore must say what needs to be corrected, and he must be able to say it in the name of the Lord. The sad part is that people within Christianity do not even realise that we were all born into and live in “falsified faiths”. Interpretations exist everywhere, but not the Word!

The Apostle Paul had no doubts that he was preaching the true Gospel, for he received it by the direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Knowing therefore about his direct responsibility before God, he pronounced the curse upon all who preach another Gospel (Gal. 1). But today many are speaking of blessings and preach another Gospel, without being aware of it. Again we ask, “What does the Scripture say?”, and all who are of God will only take the answer found in God’s Word. The others will continue in their church views and defend them.

Especially misunderstood and privately interpreted in the course of church history — even by renowned Bible translators — and still to this day is Mt. 28:19, “… baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The same applies to the significant statement our Lord made in Jn. 20:23, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Also other Bible subjects were fiercely discussed. Actually, every teaching was more or less misunderstood and reinterpreted. Therefore we have to charge everyone before the Judgement Seat of God. If we are honest and wish to find our way out of the spiritual chaos, we must return to the very beginning. Only then we shall come to know how the apostles dealt with these teachings, which they never argued about, but they simply understood and practised them correctly.

The Apostle John writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled … declare we unto you” (1. Jn. 1:1-3) — not what was introduced centuries later. At the beginning of the New Testament Church, things were done as the Apostle Peter, who was ordained by the resurrected Lord and had the keys of the Kingdom, commanded. In his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost he led those who were seeking to the door and unlocked it for those who believed. He showed them the narrow way and the gate that leads to eternal life through repentance and baptism. Thus they entered into the Kingdom of God, by believing and obeying. He precisely proclaimed it according to what our Lord had said in Mt. 28 and also in conformity with the commission in the Gospel of Mark, “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mk. 16:16).

The Apostle Peter considered the commission in the Gospel of Luke as well, “… and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations …” (Lk. 24:47). In the first sermon therefore was also fulfilled what our Lord had said in the Gospel of John, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (Jn. 20:23).

The forgiveness of sins was proclaimed through the Gospel and all who believed experienced it. To them who truly believed, the man of God of the first hour could say, “Your sins are forgiven in His name!” All who did not believe, their sins could not be forgiven. Faith comes from the preaching of the Word of God (Rom. 10). All who believed, their sins were remitted, and all who believed not, their sins were retained. Thus it is to this day under the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The great commission was carried out in the first meeting on the Day of Pentecost as is written in the four Gospels — it was correctly preached as an all-inclusive summary and practised. First the sermon, then faith, followed by repentance worked through the Spirit and the forgiveness the individual receives. The next experiences are the baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit.

Whoever sees a contradiction between the great commission the Lord gave and the practice of the apostles has obviously misunderstood that baptism was to be done into the name. Father is not a name, Son and Holy Spirit are not names. They are designations like Creator, Saviour, King, etc. The baptism was to be done into the name, as it actually happened. What kind of book would we be reading if therein were discrepancies and contradictions? The contradictions are only in the heads of men, after the enemy has misinterpreted the Word to them. For those who are misled by him, the Word of God is made of none effect and the church traditions are justified. Thus saith the Lord to them, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition … Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition …” (Mk. 7:7-13).

Someone has to say it and give the warning. In all the countries of the world the respective representatives of the various religions fight for their own teaching views and defend their tradition as the “leading culture”. All of them send out their missionaries, who are bustling around everywhere. We not only have the different religions of this world, we also have 342 “Christian churches” joined in the “World Council of Churches”, which was founded on August 23rd, 1948, in Amsterdam. All claim to believe in God and in the Bible, but teach and practise things quite differently. Apparently they are all building their own kingdoms, considering them to be the Kingdom of God. The Church of Jesus Christ is not striving for worldly recognition or worldly power, but rather is predestined to contend for the faith that was once and for all ordained for the saints (Jude 3). This was the task in apostolic days; this is our commission today. The Word of God must be acknowledged as valid in all things. The interpretations and teachings of men are deceptions of the enemy and must be uncovered. It does not make sense when evangelists speak about the return of Christ and the signs of the end-time, yet remain in the old leaven of the inherited unscriptural teachings. Everyone who searches honestly for the truth must be aware of the fact that those who read this exposition have to make a decision. They must know that God’s Word will also not return void with them, but accomplish in reality what It was sent for (Isa. 55:11).

One therefore must say what needs to be corrected, and he must be able to say it in the name of the Lord. The sad part is that people within Christianity do not even realise that we were all born into and live in “falsified faiths”. Interpretations exist everywhere, but not the Word!

The Apostle Paul had no doubts that he was preaching the true Gospel, for he received it by the direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Knowing therefore about his direct responsibility before God, he pronounced the curse upon all who preach another Gospel (Gal. 1). But today many are speaking of blessings and preach another Gospel, without being aware of it. Again we ask, “What does the Scripture say?”, and all who are of God will only take the answer found in God’s Word. The others will continue in their church views and defend them.

Especially misunderstood and privately interpreted in the course of church history — even by renowned Bible translators — and still to this day is Mt. 28:19, “… baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.” The same applies to the significant statement our Lord made in Jn. 20:23, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” Also other Bible subjects were fiercely discussed. Actually, every teaching was more or less misunderstood and reinterpreted. Therefore we have to charge everyone before the Judgement Seat of God. If we are honest and wish to find our way out of the spiritual chaos, we must return to the very beginning. Only then we shall come to know how the apostles dealt with these teachings, which they never argued about, but they simply understood and practised them correctly.

The Apostle John writes, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled … declare we unto you” (1. Jn. 1:1-3) — not what was introduced centuries later. At the beginning of the New Testament Church, things were done as the Apostle Peter, who was ordained by the resurrected Lord and had the keys of the Kingdom, commanded. In his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost he led those who were seeking to the door and unlocked it for those who believed. He showed them the narrow way and the gate that leads to eternal life through repentance and baptism. Thus they entered into the Kingdom of God, by believing and obeying. He precisely proclaimed it according to what our Lord had said in Mt. 28 and also in conformity with the commission in the Gospel of Mark, “He that believeth and is baptised shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mk. 16:16).

The Apostle Peter considered the commission in the Gospel of Luke as well, “… and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations …” (Lk. 24:47). In the first sermon therefore was also fulfilled what our Lord had said in the Gospel of John, “Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained.” (Jn. 20:23).

The forgiveness of sins was proclaimed through the Gospel and all who believed experienced it. To them who truly believed, the man of God of the first hour could say, “Your sins are forgiven in His name!” All who did not believe, their sins could not be forgiven. Faith comes from the preaching of the Word of God (Rom. 10). All who believed, their sins were remitted, and all who believed not, their sins were retained. Thus it is to this day under the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The great commission was carried out in the first meeting on the Day of Pentecost as is written in the four Gospels — it was correctly preached as an all-inclusive summary and practised. First the sermon, then faith, followed by repentance worked through the Spirit and the forgiveness the individual receives. The next experiences are the baptism in water and in the Holy Spirit.

Whoever sees a contradiction between the great commission the Lord gave and the practice of the apostles has obviously misunderstood that baptism was to be done into the name. Father is not a name, Son and Holy Spirit are not names. They are designations like Creator, Saviour, King, etc. The baptism was to be done into the name, as it actually happened. What kind of book would we be reading if therein were discrepancies and contradictions? The contradictions are only in the heads of men, after the enemy has misinterpreted the Word to them. For those who are misled by him, the Word of God is made of none effect and the church traditions are justified. Thus saith the Lord to them, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition … Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition …” (Mk. 7:7-13).