For a master copy of the outline, click here: Another Jesus
I. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4) For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.” (2Co 11:3-4)
II. Christians have a propensity to stray away from the true faith.
1. As we see from Paul’s words above, it is entirely possible for Christians who have came to a knowledge of the truth of the gospel, and of the true Jesus, to be deceived into believing a lie (2Co 11:3-4).
2. These Corinthians were Paul’s own converts (1Co 4:15-16), and nevertheless, he was still fearful that they would be led astray.
3. Paul had this very thing happen to his Galatian converts (Gal 1:6-7).
A. Paul pronounced a curse on anyone on earth or in heaven who would preach any other gospel (Gal 1:8-9).
B. Accursed ppl.- 1. Lying under a curse or anathema; anathematized; doomed to perdition or misery.
4. Paul even warned Timothy, a preacher whom he had ordained, of this same thing.
A. Timothy was told to take heed unto the doctrine and continue in it (1Ti 4:16).
i. Heed n. - 1. Careful attention, care, observation, regard.
ii. Continue v. - 1. To carry on, keep up, maintain, go on with, persist in (an action, usage, etc.).
B. He was told to hold fast the form of sound words which he heard of Paul, and to keep them (2Ti 1:13-14).
i. Hold v. - 1. a. To keep watch over, keep in charge, herd, ‘keep’ (sheep, etc.); to rule (men). b. To guard, defend, preserve (from hurt). 2. a. To keep from getting away; to keep fast, grasp. Often with advb. extension, as hold fast;
ii. Fast adv. - 1. a. In a fast manner, so as not to be moved or shaken; lit. and fig.; firmly, fixedly. Often with stand, sit, stick, etc. †to sit fast upon: to insist upon.
iii. Keep v. - 1. To seize, lay hold of; to snatch, take.
C. He was told to continue in the things which he learned of Paul (2Ti 3:14).
D. Assured ppl. - 1. Made safe, secured; safe, secure.
E. Timothy was to charge some that they teach no other doctrine (1Ti 1:3).
5. Paul told Titus, another minister whom he had ordained, to ordain elders who would hold fast the faithful word as they had been taught (Tit 1:9).
6. Ministers are given to the church to bring the brethren into the unity of the faith, and to ensure that they are not led away by false teachers and false doctrine (Eph 4:11-14).
7. We are told to cease to hear the instruction that cause us to err from the words of knowledge (Pro 19:27).
8. Err v. - 1. intr. To ramble, roam, stray, wander.
9. The Bible is replete with admonitions to hold fast to the faith (Pro 4:13; 1Co 15:58; Heb 10:23; 2Th 2:15).
A. Fast adj. - 1. a. Firmly fixed in its place; not easily moved or shaken; settled, stable. Hold n. - 1. †a. The action or fact of having in charge, keeping, guarding, possessing, etc.; keeping, occupation, possession; defence, protection, rule.
B. Steadfast adj. - 1. Fixed or secure in position. a. Of a person, esp. a soldier in battle: Maintaining his ground. (Now with mixture of sense 2.) †Also, of a battle: Fought without change of position.
C. Waver v. - 1. a. To go about or travel at random or without fixed destination; to wander, rove.
III. The Bible warns of another Jesus, false Christs, and gods and lords many.
1. As we have already seen, Paul warned us of “another Jesus” (2Co 11:4).
2. Jesus Himself said that “false Christs” would arise and deceive many (Mat 24:24).
3. Paul said that there are “gods many, and lords many” (1Co 8:5).
4. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that there are many today who are called the “Lord Jesus Christ” who are anything but that.
IV. The most prevalent “Jesus” in the world today.
1. The Jesus that is preached in most churches these days is nearly a polar opposite of the true Jesus revealed in the word of God.
2. The "Jesus" that is preached by many today is different than the true Jesus in his nature, birth, death, appearance, works, ability, attitude, emotions, character, and future plans.
3. Let’s examine each aspect of this "Jesus" in light of the real Jesus…
4. His nature:
A. The other Jesus’ nature: he is an eternally begotten god.
i. "And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;" (Nicene Creed - First Council of Constantinople - 381AD (Catholic), Wikipedia)
ii. "In this Trinity of Persons the Son is begotten of the Father by an eternal generation, and the Holy Spirit proceeds by an eternal procession from the Father and the Son." (Catholic Encyclopedia, The Dogma of the Trinity)
iii. “the Son is eternally begotten of the Father” (Westminster Confession (Presbyterian), Ch.II, Section III, 1646)
iv. “the Son is eternally begotten of the Father” (1689 London Baptist Confession, Ch. 2, Section 3)
v. "Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary." (Southern Baptist Convention Statement of Faith)
vi. "...the Son is eternally begotten of the Father..." (The 1900 Primitive Baptist Confession of Faith, Chapter II - Of God and of the Holy Trinity, Mt. Moriah Primitive Baptist Church)
B. The other "Jesus" wrote a "bible" that says he is an eternally begotten god.
i. "No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him." (John 1:18, NASB)
ii. The true Bible says Jesus is God's begotten Son (Joh 1:18 - KJV).
C. Definitions
i. Eternally adv. - In an eternal manner. 1. Chiefly with reference to God: ‘From everlasting and to everlasting’.
ii. Eternal adj. - 1. a. Infinite in past and future duration; without beginning or end; that always has existed and always will exist: esp. of the Divine Being.
iii. Begotten adj. - 1. Gotten. 2. Procreated. (Usually with only-, first-.) 1382 Wyclif John iii. 16 His oon bigetun sone.
iv. Procreate v. - trans. To beget, engender, generate (offspring).
v. Generation - 1. a. The act or process of generating or begetting physically; procreation; propagation of species.
vi. Son n. - 1. a. A male child or person in relation to either or to both of his parents.
D. Questions
i. How can the "process of generating" be eternal?
ii. How can a son be eternally procreated?
iii. Since to be begotten is to come into existence, how could Jesus have eternally come into existence?
iv. How can the divine nature of Christ have been begotten without it having a beginning?
v. Their answer: it's an inscrutable mystery.
E. The real Jesus’ nature
i. The real Jesus is the eternal God which was never brought into existence (Joh 8:58 c/w Exo 3:14).
ii. In His divine nature, He existed and was with God, and was God from eternity (Joh 1:1).
iii. He became the Son of God, not in eternity past, but when “the Word became flesh” (Joh 1:14) when he was conceived by the power of God in the virgin Mary’s womb (Luk 1:35).
iv. Therefore adv. - II. 2. In consequence of that; that being so; as a result or inference from what has been stated; consequently.
5. His birth:
A. The other Jesus’ birth: he was born on December 25th in a manger with three wise men present.
B. The real Jesus’ birth.
i. The scripture nowhere gives the exact date of Jesus’ birth.
ii. Had God done that, the world would have made a big carnal celebration out of it which He never commanded.
iii. The time of Jesus’ birth was most likely not in the winter since shepherds were watching their flock in the field by night (Luk 2:8).
a. It's cold and rainy in Israel in the winter (Son 2:11).
b. Therefore shepherds would not have been abiding in the fields in late December.
c. Based on the date of the course of Abia (Luk 1:5) when John the Baptist was conceived (Luk 1:23-24), it can be calculated with reasonable accuracy that Jesus was likely born in early September (see Luk 1:1-5 sermon).
iv. The Bible nowhere says there were three wise men at Jesus' birth.
v. Furthermore, they didn't arrive at Jesus’ birth when He was in a manger, but rather when he was a “young child” in a house (Mat 2:9,11), possibly as old a two years (Mat 2:16).
For a master copy of the outline, click here: Another Jesus
