Hey People!

I warn those who quote Bishop Spong as if he were a man who correctly divides the Word of Truth.Africa has got a lot to offer to the wolrd in terms of teaching the true gospel as written in the scriptures by the Holy Spirit.

The Bishop who was not[i][/i]

John Shelby Spong was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1931. John went to the public schools of Charlotte North Carolina and in the 1940s during his junior and senior years of school, he took two classes in the Bible. By age 12, he was given a King James Bible as a Christmas present by his mother after his father died. His mom is described as "a woman of a simple faith; no critical problems ever bothered her understanding of God" (Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism, p. 14). He read the bible religiously each day. The bible became his source of life and states he was able to quote the scriptures on salvation efficiently.

Spong was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1952 and received his Master of Divinity degree in 1955 from the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia. Both the seminary and St. Paul's College have both conferred on him honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees. He had served as rector of St. Joseph's Church in Durham, North Carolina from 1955 to 1957. Rector of Calvary Parish, Tarboro, North Carolina from 1957 to 1965. Rector of St. John's Church in Lynchburg, Virginia from 1965 to 1969. Rector of St. Paul's Church in Richmond, Virginia from 1969 to 1976. In 1973 he was elected by General Convention to a six-year term on the Executive Council, the governing body of the Episcopal Church, just under the General Convention. He was consecrated bishop on June 12, 1976. In 1986, under Bishop Edmond Browning, he was appointed to the Standing Commission on Human Affairs and Health. Spong has been the Episcopal bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark New Jersey since 1979. Starting in January 2000 he will retire and begin teaching at Harvard.

Bishop Spong's writings and teachings are on the authority of the Bible, God, History, the Virgin Birth, the resurrection of Jesus, culture, sexuality, and sin. However he is not writing an apologetic for the faith, he is criticizing it, ALL of it. His position is more than just challenging the Scripture, it is anti-biblical and antichrist. He has written several books that state that Jesus was not born of a virgin and another that denies that Jesus was actually raised from the dead, just about anything in scripture has become his target. He has campaigned for same sex marriages and the ordination of practicing homosexuals. He has lobbied for abortion rights on the premise of freedom from abortion restrictions, which are oppressive to women.

For those on his side he is admired and praised as a brilliant writer and speaker, bravely campaigning for reformation and a new morality in the Church. In his book In Living in Sin? 1988, A Bishop Rethinks Human Sexuality, Spong justified homosexuality,fornication. He has fervently promoted sexual relations outside of marriage for both heterosexuals and homosexuals, maintaining that "sex outside of marriage can be holy and life-giving in some circumstances." He has developed a marriage like ceremony to "recognize and bless" gay couples in Episcopal Churches. Spong has ordained homosexuals to the ministry and wants all the church to do the same.

Spong speaks with a man given authority on this and other matters. But in fact when one reads how he interprets the scripture they can only sympathize with a man with no direction. The real problem is his gangrene being spread to others. Spong is not gun shy to the public, he has appeared on The Phil Donahue Show, The Tom Snyder Show The Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, The Today Show, Firing Line with Wm. Buckley a few times, Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on 5 occasions, The O’Reilly Factor with Bill O’Reilly twice, Nightline , CNN, and even the apologetic program - The John Ankerberg Show.

In 1988 Spongs first wife died and he states "people all over the Dioscese prayed for her because I was well known. I wondered if the garbage collector in downtown Newark had a wife who had cancer who died and people didn't pray for her would she die quicker, or would she die more painfully and I decided if that’s the way this world works I don't want to believe in that kind of God." (Dec 27,99 Politically Incorrect Bill Mahr) Spongs mistake is interpreting God by his experience of the way the world is. Surely any Christian would pray for anyone from any walk of life, but it would be Gods prerogative to answering the prayer.

With Love KZ

Hello holder!

The money for taking care of the church does not come from the tithe.The tithe is for Levites as God said it clearly read Number and Deutoronomy.these wiil enlighten you that wwe are in error to ask the tithe from Christians.

Happy New Year!

I am glad that Christ has kept me until today; not because of my vocabulary in praeyer but His love endureth forever.

When Paul wrote to the Galatia Churches in Galatians 3,he calls them foolish Gatians; Gal 3:1.The reason why he called them this way is because they were accepting ungospel ways to live the gospel.The word gospel is two Greek words; god + spel.The word god means good and the word spel means news.therefore gospel means good news.What is good about saying that if people do not give tithes God will curse them?I believe God is the best planner.Do we believe that in heaven there will be a queue for those who did not tithe.For example if a person is unemployed for five years with what is s/he supposed to tithe with?

Let learn to reason with the Truth,who is Jesus and not our emotions.Read Galatian 3,we are not under the Law.

KZ

Mr Goodguy!

I am grateful to your sincere reply.What is sriking is that we are not supposed to follow the Ten Commandments in the first place.The Ten Commandments are only a part of the the law and not the Law.By Mosaic Law if a woman is found committing adultery the sentence is by stoning.If you suffer from a sexually transmitted disease the whole camp must be cleansed.Now why, as Christians, are we not following these in dealing with our current predicaments as the Church.

To qoute one part of scripture in order to make a point is sometimes dangerous. We are in the covenant of Grace.Remember Jesus say the words He speaks are Spirit and only the spiritually discerning can get them.The point about the tithe is that it was not paid but was a grain offering.This is the reason why Christ did not tithe He was a carpenter.The people required were the farmers:

Leviticus 27:30-33, "And all the TITHE of the LAND, whether of the SEED of the land, or of the FRUIT, of the tree, is the Lord’s: it is holy unto the Lord. And if a man will at all redeem ought of his tithes, he shall add thereto the fifth part thereof. And concerning the TITHE of the HERD, or of the FLOCK, even of whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the Lord. He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it..."

We learn a great deal about tithing in this section of Scripture:

The tithe comes from the "land," not the air or the sea. Fishermen were not required to tithe fish.
It was the "seed" or agricultural products from the fields that was holy to God and tithable.
Products from "trees" were to be tithed. This not only included the fruit, but oils, etc.
Of "herds or flocks" it was the "tenth" that passed under the rod that was holy and dedicated to God.

Here is exposed another lie of modern clergymen. It was not the first tenth, but rather the tenth tenth that belonged to God, contrary to every minister I have ever heard, who insists that the first tenth always belongs to God. Unscriptural. Untrue. Read your bible--it’s the tenth one of a herd that belongs to God. Money was never mentioned as a tithe.Reads the whole of Malachi the problem was not with the tithe it was a spiritual problem.They brought defiled animals, it was not about the notes and coins.

I pray that God may illuminate your hearts and give you a revelation because the Church is being robbed.By the way, we are becoming like Jesus Heb 12:2 & 2 Cor 3:17-18.WHY DID JESUS NOT COLLECT THE TITHE?

KZ

Hi!

As I have walked the Christian life for thirteen years I've realised that we are very gullible as Christians.This has caused us to accept thing because they have been done that way when we found them.This then has caused a cancer in the church where Christians become gangrenous cells in the body of Christ.

If you read the New Testament Jesus never taight about about the tithe.Paul in all his epistles never taught about the tithe.Peter and all the other writers never taught about the tithe. Now here we are as a church in Africa accepting things that were given to us and never to question them.We are tearing each tother apart on something that Jesus never said we must do.

Firstly the Old Testament is law based and the New Testamnet is Grace based.Tithing is Law and not a part of the covenant of grace.If you read the bible carefully you will realise that the tithe belongs to the Levites who are the sons of Aaron because God never gave them a portion of Canaan.Now in the church there are no Levites or sons of Aaron.Or are we saying the Pastors are the sons of Aaron.

Secondly, we are Gentiles and not Jews.As Gentiles we do not have to observe the Law because it was not meant for us.We are supposed to live like Christ so that the Jews can become jealous and return to God.However that is very far from happening because the current brand of Christianity is materialistic and not Christlike.Jesus was never bothered by how many donkeys and houses He had.On the contrary we are told to tithe in order to prosper in having cars and properties.We are told that if you do not tithe ypu are cursed,yet the bible say "Christ became a curse for us that we may become a blessing".Thus nobody has the power to curse us as Christians.God bless us all.Jesus is coming.