Apologia - The Anti-Bible Club
An organized group of people that have formed a club to do biblical studies in order to understand how to fight against the teachings of the bible. They then (as modern day Nehor's Alma chapter 1) approach those that believe in the bible to convince them in their error in believing God who has spoken in past dispensations and in this dispensation. The philosophical structure of this club was born out of apostasy from the Catholic church. These apostates from the Catholic tradition reject the apostolic succession of the Catholic church and yet want people to believe that they have the true faith while in a state of heretical division. Who wants to listen to a group of heretics that have no authority from God and who don't even believe in the bible and in what it says about God, His Church, ordinances and authority? No intelligent person should give any credence to these bible haters.
The poisonous fruit of their core belief is in believing the Greek philosophical notion of God which is not biblical and surely isn't sola scriptura as they declare their ideology to be. Because they turn to Greek philosophy instead of the bible to learn who God is - they have to literally change the meaning of the bible to conform to this extra-biblical view of God. They turn the God of the bible into a false god and they arrogantly blaspheme the God of the bible by bearing false witness against Him (Romans 1:25). In turning the truth of God into a lie, their followers worship and esteem the leaders of Apologia because of their supposed superior knowledge - instead of the worship of the Creator.
Ironically, because they have no authority, they then turn outside their own club to the early Church fathers of the Catholic tradition for authority to preach the Greek extra-biblical notion of God. A tradition Apologia have apostatized from on one hand and defend as truth on the other hand - manifesting a schizophrenic schism in mind and belief.
This anti-bible club, hate the fact that Jesus Christ "was called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 5:10). And that it is through this authority that all of the ordinances of salvation are performed and recognized by God and without it are not recognized by God. And that it is through this authority that the church as an institution is organized (Acts 14:23; Acts 6:5-6). And that all priesthood offices are ordained by the authority of the Melchizedek priesthood (John 15:16; 1 Timothy 2:7). No one can take this authority upon themselves. Just because the leader's of Apologia church have a copy of the bible does not give them authority, nor does it give them the right, nor does it give them the privilege of teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ for the salvation of souls. The bible condemns such a teaching (Hebrews 5:4-10; Galatians 1:6-9). Apologia hates this truth that is found within the bible. They have to lie about these verses and explain them away before their followers to be able to continue to deceive them in believing that their leaders within this anti-bible club named Apologia is legitimate.
What false extra-biblical god does the Apologia anti-bible club believe in? They believe in neo-Platonism which is Greek philosophy not the bible. It is Greek philosophy not the bible. Shall it be repeated three times for clarity to awaken the mind from the delusion? It is Greek philosophy not the bible. The so called early church fathers created a synthesis between revealed truth from God's chosen prophets and apostles concerning God and blended that truth with the philosophy of Plotinus who believed in the three principles the One, the Intellect and the Soul. Which inspired the belief in some that God is a unity beyond unity and an undivided monad embracing all reality. Which then lead the early church fathers to add Christian terms to this neo-Platonist philosophy to incorporate the philosophical idea of One, Mind and World Soul. They also incorporate into their false god the philosophy of Zeno. Which is the philosophy of using one's mind to understand the world which includes God. This approach rules out God revealing to his servants his true identity, character and attributes. God's identity must be explained within the Zeno's philosophy of Stoicism and the concept of Logos which explains how deity came into relation with the universe. Incorporating Greek philosophy into Christian theology individuals like Irenaeus of Lyon explained God in this way "There is a single personage, the Father, the Godhead itself, with his Word (reason) and his Wisdom." Later Augustine perfected this Greek philosophical concept of God stating it this way, "there is one God, the Trinity - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are at once distinct, numerically one in substance." He then gives an analogy of this one god as a Trinity like he who loves, that which is loved and the power of love. Another analogy of his is that God the Trinity (one god) is like memory, intelligence and will. This philosophy proudly preserve the monotheism of God. Now God is memory (the Father), as memory is connected to intelligence so (the Holy Spirit) is connected to the Father, as will is connected to the memory and intellect so (the Son) is connected to the memory and intellect. Or you can say the Trinity (the Father) is he who loves, (the Son) that which is loved and (the Spirit) the power of love. These three make up the essence of the Trinity not their individuality. There's no specific person that is God the Father, there is no specific person that is God the Son, there is no specific person that is God the Spirit. God the Trinity is one being manifesting in three essences.
Why is it necessary to change the God of the New Testament by using Greek philosophy? Because these individuals erroneously believe in the false tradition that the Old Testament children of Israel, the covenant people of God were monotheists - a term which is never mentioned or found within the bible. The term monotheist or monotheism is a modern philosophical expression of a false interpretation of the revealed Word of God. It also is a concept which comes from a false tradition that stems from apostate belief systems. Because of this belief in that the Old Testament children of Israel were monotheists there are people that have to change the New Testament to conform to that idea as the anti-bible group Apologia does. The children of Israel in the Old Testament were not monotheists and certainly the children of Israel of the New Testament period were not monotheists. Meaning believing that there is only one God. True it is that the children of Israel worshipped God and not the god's of the nations round about them. In this sense they were monotheists, but not in the sense that the term is used and understood to mean. Even Adam knew that God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son are two distinct beings. Adam states that an angel of the Lord appeared to him and taught him this important truth concerning the sacrifice of animals "This thing is a similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father, which is full of grace and truth. Wherefore, thou shalt do all that thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt repent and call upon God in the name of the Son forevermore" (Moses 5:7-8). The gospels of the New Testament are ripe with messages from Christ that him and his father are two different beings. And that Christ's followers are to be reconciled unto Christ's father, which is also their father, through his [Christ's] atonement. If the children of Israel were monotheists, then why does the Old Testament itself begin with two God's in the creation discussing the creation and what is to be done (Genesis 1:26)? The very first commandment of the ten commandments God declares to all the house of Israel that there are a plurality of Gods (Exodus 20:3). Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stand with the apostle Paul and declare to the world "For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many), But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him" (1 Corinthians 8:5-6). It is in light of these verses that Isaiah chapter 43:10-11 must be understood. Indeed the Lord reveals to Isaiah what he means by the chapter 43:10-11 verses in Isaiah 43:12. Which agrees with the apostle Paul's teaching. There's harmony in the Word of God not disharmony as the anti-bible club Apologia teaches. Of course Apologia will lie to their listeners that they don't believe there is any disharmony in the scriptures because they change the truth of the bible into a lief to conform to their Greek god that they clothe in Christian terms.
Because of the anti-bible club known as Apologia believes in Greek philosophy and not on the revealed word of God they will continue to teach against the bible and these verses. They take one verse out of context and condemn the rest of the bible as heresy, demeaning God and blaspheming the message of Christ to the world as found in the Gospel concerning his relationship and our relationship with God the Father (John 20:17).
Because the anti-bible group known as Apologia fight against God's word the apostle Paul has the following warning to them "And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Even him, whose coming is after the workings of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thessalonians 2:8-12). The strong delusion is not being able to see the bible verses for what they are. Upholding one verse at the denigration of all other bible verses.
God the Father and God the Son have revealed themselves once again in this dispensation to the Prophet Joseph Smith and others. Declaring and showing their separate identities and that they are two separate beings. This truth, this reality conforms with the bible patriarchs, bible prophets and bible apostles. The God of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the God that the prophet Isaiah worshipped and taught about. The God of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the God that all the bible patriarchs, all of the bible prophets and all of the apostles of the New Testament worshipped and taught about.
God has warned people like those that belong to the anti-bible club Apologia the following "Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God" (2 Nephi 10:16).
It is sad to see how blind the people of Apologia are to God and biblical truth. They should be pitied for not being able to see how apostate they are from the bible itself. The people of Apologia are apostates from the Roman Catholic church and as heretics of that Church are actively preaching falsehoods and lies concerning the bible to those that love the bible and actually believe in it. Again, why would any intelligent person ever give them any credence?