Jesus Christ Son of God

.He had no servants, yet they called him master.

He had no degree, yet they called him teacher.
He had no medicines, yet they called him healer.
He had no army, yet kings feared him.
He won no military battles, yet he conquered the world.
He committed no crime, yet they crucified him.
He was buried in a tomb, yet he lives today.

So why do we pray in Jesus name? It means, we are saying Father, I cannot come to you in my name, because there are so many things in me that are wrong. Come therefore in Christ John 14:13-14, 16:23-24, 15:16 

Christ replaced the slaughter for sins.
Hebrews 10:18 And where these have been forgiven, an offering for sin is no longer needed. And where these have been forgiven, sacrifice for sin is no longer necessary. And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices. Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

This passage is to help Vegan Christian to answer a common challenge by non-vegans Christian.

The challenge:

1 Timothy 4:1-3 says:

"Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by giving heed to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, through the pretensions of 𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘀 whose consciences are seared, forbidding marriage and 𝗲𝗻𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀 which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth."

There are multiple reasons why many historians doubt the authenticity of this letter being written by Paul. Although the passage does reflect some of Paul's central ideas, certain theological details suggest that it is likely a forgery. However, for the purpose of this discussion, let us assume that the letter is indeed written by Paul.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Clearly, this passage serves as a warning against teachings that advocate abstaining from certain foods, possibly referring to specific dietary restrictions that were promoted by the "liars" or "false teachers" at the time.

It is highly likely that the "liars" referred to in 1 Timothy 4 were the disciples of the Original Apostles and the followers of Living Jesus, who later became known as Ebionites and Nazarites. They were known to practice asceticism. Considering that their practices and spiritual understanding came directly from the Living Jesus, we will refer to them as Jesus Followers in our discussion.

𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗿𝘀, 𝗛𝘆𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

In Galatians, Corinthians, and Romans, Paul referred to the Original Apostles, including Jesus's four brothers who grew up with Him, as "the circumcised." Additionally, he openly criticized Saint Peter, accusing him of hypocrisy. These instances clearly indicate that Paul harbored animosity towards the Original Apostles, which can be attributed to their insistence that all Jews should follow God's Law.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗚𝗼𝗱❜𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝘄

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Jesus Followers advocate the adherence to God's Law, which encompasses principles such as "𝑰 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝑴𝒆𝒓𝒄𝒚"and "𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍." Additionally, they practice vegetarianism, and some of them embrace celibacy. In Mark 10:19, Jesus explicitly stated the requirements to inherit eternal life: "𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔: '𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒖𝒓𝒅𝒆𝒓, 𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒚, 𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍, 𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔, 𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒅𝒆𝒇𝒓𝒂𝒖𝒅, 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓.'"

In contrast, according to Paul, observing the Law holds no relevance to salvation.

𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹❜𝘀 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Paul's teachings emphasize that salvation is attained through faith in Jesus' death and resurrection, rather than strict adherence to the Law. According to Paul, Jesus' sacrifice was necessary because full compliance with the Law is impossible, especially considering Paul's belief in the imminent apocalypse. The Jesus Followers' unwavering commitment to the Law may challenge Paul's teachings and contribute to his animosity towards them. He may fear that their dedication to the Law undermines the fundamental principles he teaches. Additionally, he may think that the strict requirements of the Law might intimidate believers, potentially leading them to forsake their faith, resulting in condemnation during the impending apocalypse.

𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹❜𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Did Paul believe that it is forbidden to adhere to the Law? Many Christians, after reading 1 Timothy 4, think that Paul forbade it.

But the truth is no, he did not forbid it. In Corinthians 8:13, Paul stated, "𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆, 𝒊𝒇 𝒇𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆, 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒍𝒆." This implies that Paul's followers can still observe the Law. This is also reflected in Romans 14:21.

𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝘁𝗵

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

So, if one has faith, what is the significance of keeping the Law?  

Jesus states in Matthew 5:17-19:

¹⁷"𝑫𝒐 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒘 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒉𝒆𝒕𝒔; 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒍𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎. ¹⁸ 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒏, 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒘 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒂𝒄𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅. ¹⁹ 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻."Therefore, even if you attain salvation, neglecting to uphold the Law will result in being considered the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗣𝗮𝘂𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘁 𝗝𝗲𝘀𝘂𝘀

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

It is crucial to note that Paul never personally met Jesus and only spent limited time with those who had direct contact with Him. As previously mentioned, he even derogatorily referred to Jesus's brother and the followers who learned directly from Him as "the circumcised."

Perhaps Paul's belief in an imminent apocalypse led him to prioritize his followers' avoidance of hell rather than their status in the Kingdom. Additionally, given the limited time available for Gentiles to fully accept the Law, Paul may have felt a sense of urgency. He believed time was limited for Gentiles to fully accept the Law. This could also explain why, as time went by, he even said that Jews don't have to follow the Law.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗿𝗼𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝘄

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Ironically, it is the breaking of the Law that cause apocalypse.

In the Old Testament, breaking God's law led to apocalyptic outcomes, such as the Great Flood, the Israelites' plagues and wandering, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. These examples serve as reminders of the consequences of disobedience and the need for obedience.

However, some may perceive them as mere stories. To provide a present-day example, consider the devastating impacts of climate change caused by human actions.

The assessment report from the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) issues a warning about the imminent danger of global warming. Additionally, their mitigation report highlights the significant contribution of the livestock industry to climate change. One urgent mitigation strategy is to reduce methane emissions, as methane is 80 times more potent as a greenhouse gas compared to carbon dioxide. The livestock industry is a major source of methane emissions. Therefore, one of the fastest and easiest ways individuals can contribute to mitigating climate change is by adopting a vegan diet.

𝗔𝗽𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗽𝘀𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

Since the consumption of meat accelerates the arrival of the apocalypse, non-vegans deprive others of the opportunity to achieve a higher status in the Kingdom of Heaven. By bringing forward the apocalypse, they rob faithful vegan Christians of the time to improve themselves. This leads to causing others to stumble, which goes against Paul's warning. As mentioned earlier, Corinthians 8:13 underscores this concern.

If one causes others to stumble and contributes to the apocalypse, it is a serious violation of the commandment "Thou shalt not kill." This raises the question: what is the punishment for a sin that results in the deaths of numerous others?

Therefore, embracing a vegan lifestyle to protect the Earth aligns with the principles of Love. It is an essential aspect of a Christian lifestyle. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is not a liar or false teacher.

𝗕𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻. 𝗕𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗱𝗼𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱

̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅

So, allow your will to guide you in the mission to save the world. Avoid using 1 Timothy 4:3 out of context as an excuse to contribute to global warming. Instead, firmly stand to protect the Creator's creation and live by the principle of "God desires Mercy."

We should strive to fulfill the Law to the best of our ability, aiming for greatness in the Kingdom. Let's draw inspiration from the Ebionites and Nazarites who successfully adhered to the Law. Even if we stumble occasionally, we can still avoid being considered the least in the Kingdom.

And the easiest way to "level up" is to be vegan.

source: FB Go Vegan Singapore