📰The Bible is one of the best-selling and most widely distributed books in history, yet it is also considered to be among the least understood. The Bible, which is referred to as the New Covenant and Promise of God, in which 'the way to heaven and salvation' is presented, differs in theologians' interpretations that make it difficult to understand. These differing interpretations have been the cause of the rise of denominations with each one establishing their own doctrine. With the increase in online church services and gatherings resulting from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, there has been growing interest in the comparison of various church doctrine. This paper, therefore, attempts to provide readers with the opportunity to compare differing Biblical teachings without interpretation. Among a host of online sermons and Bible-based teachings, the contrasting doctrine between the established Church and Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which has drawn public interest throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, is hereby compared and summarised. Best efforts have been made to provide a summary of Shincheonji Church of Jesus' understanding of the Bible. Judgment as to what is right or wrong is left to the reader's discernment.
“It is one’s spirit, not body, that must be born again; it is water, which is the word of God, that washes one’s spirit clean”
Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony
In order to understand the meaning ‘being born again with water and the Holy Spirit’, we must understand the contents in John 3:5. One night Nicodemus, a Jewish leader and teacher of Israel, came to Jesus. Jesus told him that he could not enter the kingdom of God unless he was born again of water and the Spirit. Nicodemus, who understood this literally, asked Jesus, “How can someone be born when they are old?”
Jesus explained that what was gives birth to flesh is the flesh, and what gives birth to the Spirit is spirit. What Jesus meant is that the spirit, not body, must be re-born. What is the water and Spirit that is necessary for one’s spirit to be born again?
No matter how much one’s washes their body with physical water, one’s spirit can not be washed and can not be born again. God referred to His word as ‘rain’ or ‘dew’ from heaven in Deuteronomy 32:2. In addition, in Amos 8:11, the inability to hear the word of God is compared to a famine without water. Jesus said in John 15:3 that the disciples were already cleansed by the words he spoke.
In this way, the spiritual water that cleanses one’s spirit is the Word of God. Peter said in 1 Peter 1:23 that he had been born again of imperishable seed, which is the word of God, and in Luke 8:11, Luke likened God's word to a seed. To be recleansed by water and Spirit is to be born again of the seed of God, which is the Word of God, and of the Holy Spirit, which is the Spirit of God.
Why did Jesus tell Nicodemus to be born again? It is because Nicodemus was born of the spirit and seed of the devil. At the time of the first coming, Nicodemus and fellow believers belonged to the devil, believing in the devil’s lies, as evidenced in John 8:44. They were physical descendants of Abraham, but their spirits were of the devil and they were children of the devil, born of the devil's seed. That is why Jesus said to be born again with the Spirit of God and the seed of God.
This is even more important today for believers in God and Jesus who are said to be the chosen people. But Revelation 18 records that all nations have been born of the seed of the devil - the devil’s false doctrine, which is the wine of adultery - and are in fellowship with evil spirits. This is clear proof that believers all over the world who are living during the time of the fulfilment of Revelation have been born of the devil's seed and the devil's spirit. Therefore, all believers today must be born again with the seed of God and the Spirit of God.
Where can the seed of God and the Holy Spirit be found? In Shincheonji Church, where the promised pastor - the winner (the one who overcomes) - testifies the words of the book he received in Chapter 10 of the book of Revelation. The Bible testifies that only when one is born of the seed of God's word, receives the Spirit of God and is born again as God's child, can one then become God's new kingdom and new people. In addition, it is promised that the spiritual kingdom of heaven and the spirits of God, Jesus, the angels and the dead will come to this new kingdom and new people. It is recorded in the Bible that believers who come to this place will receive the greatest blessing in the 6000-year history of the Bible.
Water is needed for rebirth - this is water baptism of John the Baptist. Water is the Holy Spirit?
Presbyterian Church and Non-Denominational Church
Pastor A of the Presbyterian Church
In John 3:5, Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit.” Water and the Holy Spirit are, therefore, very important. Water here means water baptism. Thinking of this baptism carried out by John, many people of faith in today’s age are baptised with water.
In addition, the Holy Spirit tells us, ‘All those who are baptised with water and stand as people of faith in God have received baptism of the Holy Spirit.' There is baptism of water, but there is also baptism of the Holy Spirit. How? While taking in and believing in God's Word, the Holy Spirit works in our lives through the Word and the Holy Spirit is poured out to transform our souls, minds, feelings and more into God’s power. It’s only when we confess that we believe that the Holy Spirit can be entrusted into our lives.
Pastor B of the Non-Denominational Church
Water is for washing. It means to completely immerse the body in water and wash it away from sin. It can also mean repenting and being born again by the Holy Spirit. Water can also be interpreted as the Holy Spirit. In John 7:38, the rivers of living water that flows from within refers to the Holy Spirit. The water flowing out of the temple in Ezekiel 47 is also the Holy Spirit that comes to purify the sea.
Re-birth is the second birth. Being born can not be done through one person's effort alone. No one is born because of good deeds he or she has done in the womb. Re-birth is solely the grace of God, and receiving this grace is faith.
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