The Faith of the Apostles’ Creed - The Elementary Principles of CHRIST

Hello.
Today I will be reviewing a book by Paul C Jong titled,
`The Faith of the Apostles Creed, the Elementary Principles of Christ.` This Book delves into the blessed faith of the Apostles.
How truly fortunate are we to have the opportunity to believe in the same faith as the apostles. This faith is none other than the gospel of the water and the Spirit; that is believing in the baptism, blood and resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The apostles were human beings just like us that were born inherently sinful and heading straight to hell but were then born again and clothed in the righteousness of God through faith. In the preface, the author said that he began writing this book because; `When we tried to reach the unreached with the gospel of the water and the Spirit who had served other gods, I found that the gospel could not take root in their hearts due to the lack of true knowledge of God.`
The author goes on to say that, `We can affirm that the apostles believed and preached the Word of God concerning; repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptism and the laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment as the elementary principles of Christ.`
What we need to observe here is that the apostles spread the principles of the Gospel as they associated the laying on of hands of the sacrificial system with the baptism that Jesus received.
The laying on of hands is directly related to the sacrificial system of the Old Testament which God gave to the Israelites for them to receive the remission of their sins. Each year on the Day of Atonement the High Priest would lay his hands on the head of a sacrificial animal to transfer over, all the sins of the Israelites. The laying on of hands transferred the sins over to the sacrificial animal. In the New Testament John the Baptist laid his hands on the head of Jesus to transfer the sins of the world . John was a descendant of Aaron the High Priest in the Old Testament and he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, through the same laying on of hands used to transfer sins in the Old Testament.
Jesus received the sins of the world (John 1:29).
As we can see it was crucial for the apostles to believe in the baptism of Jesus. The baptism is what is not understood, believed or even preached by mainstream Christianity today. Hence, why the author, in all the books by The New Life Mission, does not fail to continuously instill the importance of believing in the baptism of Jesus in all the books. Acts 1:20 says;
"Let another take his office."
This is referring to the office of Judas Iscariot who betrayed the Lord.
The baptism of Jesus was necessary for the next apostle who would take Judas` office, to believe in. The scripture says;
"Beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
The apostles and us today cannot become a witness of Jesus and His salvation without knowing and believing in the mystery behind the baptism of Jesus. This is the blessed faith of our predecessors in the Bible and also what is required from anyone who wants to have the same faith as the apostles.
Along with the baptism of Jesus, the apostles confessed their faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is the Creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1).
Jesus Christ is the Son of God who has given the world the remission of their sins and the Holy Spirit is the Helper who is sent by God the Father to the believers (John 14:26).
In so far as the essence of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is concerned, they are all the same God as our faith in them is the same faith. In order for us to build the foundation of our faith in the Word of God, we must be anchored in this Word of Truth. If we desire the same faith as the Apostles Creed, we must believe exactly as they did. Our faith must be one that believes in the baptism, blood and resurrection of Jesus Christ and that believes in the Triune God.
We can only serve God through our faith in Him. The apostles had flesh that was weak and sinful just like ours but their faith and ours, cleanses our conscience toward God if we believe in the baptism and blood of Jesus (1 Peter 3:21).
Faith is what will allow us to serve God. Faith will help us overcome all obstacles, endure suffering, persecution and preach the gospel until the end.
So let us proudly hold fast to such faith and boldly preach this gospel to those around us and to the ends of the earth just as our predecessors, the apostles did.
Amen

Praise God, everyone. My name is Kennedy Macharia. I am 27 years old. I am a born again saint of the true gospel of water, blood and the Holy Spirit. I believe in my heart when Jesus was born on this earth, He saved us from the sins of the world including mine, sins of yesterday, sins of today, and sins of tomorrow when He was 30 year of the age. three years later, He died at Golgotha on the Cross, bearing the sins of me, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sins. Mine is included. Three days later, He was resurrected, ascended into heaven. He sits at the right hand of God. He will be back to judge quick the dead. I am happy to present a short video of review the book by Paul C. Jong. This book is titled, "The Elementary Principles of Christ." This is the book. This is the front page of the book "The Elementary Principles of Christ by Paul C. Jong." This is the back of the book.
This book talks about the apostles` creed. The apostles were delegates called upon by Jesus Himself when He was witnessing the righteousness of God on this earth from His baptism, to His death to His ascension. So the chosen few apostles, the disciples of Jesus Christ, called upon to witness and to preach His Word and His righteousness all over the world.
THE APOSTLES CREED:
I believe in God the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth,
I believe in Jesus Christ, the only son our Lord,
conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified and died, and was buried, descended to hell, resurrected on the third day and ascended into Heaven, sitteth on the right hand of God the father almighty, from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost , the Holy Catholic church, the communion of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting Amen.
That is the creed that the apostles declared as a statement of faith. This is what they believed in their hearts. The book breaks down the apostles` creed into 3 sections. Section of God the father, the section of Jesus Christ the only son and the section of the Holy Ghost that we have, the saints and everlasting life.
God the father is in other words called Yahweh or Adonai which means `one that exists by himself` also means that God the father is the Word of Life and thirdly means that God the father is the one that is, the one that was and the one that is going to be; the alpha and the omega.
Jesus Christ being born on this earth was conceived by the Holy Ghost, it was not of the human nature of the conception of the body fluids of a man and a woman but it was a conception of the Holy Ghost making Him an unblemished and pure son of God. We human beings are born in sin. Romans 5:12 tells us that we are all born in sin from the inheritance of the adamic sin from Adam but Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Ghost making Him pure. He was baptized by John the Baptist, the representative of the whole world. Matthew 11:11 states that among those born of women there has risen no greater than John the Baptist, that means he is our representative who was the last High priest of this earth. So he baptized Jesus on the day of baptism at the Jordan river placing on His shoulders all the sins of the world (Mattew 3:15). 3 years later He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified and died on the cross. He was buried and descended into hell. 3 days later He resurrected and ascended into Heaven and He sits on the right hand of God. He will be back to judge the quick and the dead. The quick and the dead will be judged by the books of judgement. The books of judgement are the books of life and the books of deeds. Revelation 20:12 tells us that those that their names are written in the book of life are those that their hearts have no sin and have no deceit and will inherit the kingdom of Heaven. The others that have sin still inside their hearts, others that have not yet believed in Jesus` the only son works of righteousness still remain condemned and they will be judged by the book of deeds. Jesus Christ indeed kept the role of being the High priest of Heaven in whom it is stated in Hebrews that He entered the most Holy place, that is Heaven, with His own blood: not repeatedly but once and for all to forgive the sins of many because the bible tells us that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sins hebrews 9:22. Jesus Christ fulfilled His role as a High priest, fulfilled His role as a prophet revealing God`s righteousness and He will fulfill His role as the King by coming back to this earth and judging the world by the books of judgment.
The last segment of the apostles` creed states that we believe in the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the Holy Spirit that witnesses the works of Jesus Christ and God from the beginning to the end. Without the witness of the Holy Spirit everything would be just but a story but the witness of the Holy Spirit seals and convicts our hearts of the righteousness that is fulfilled through the works of Jesus on this earth.
Then we understand that we believe in the Holy catholic church. This Holy church means holy without sin, so only those that do not have sin inside their hearts are those that believe in the water and blood, that is the works of Jesus Christ remain without sin in their hearts can indeed dwell in the Holy catholic church that is the communion of the saints.
The forgiveness of sins that comes from the baptism of John to Jesus Christ we are all forgiven and with this we have eternal life. Our bodies will indeed resurrect after the physical death and attain everlasting life with God the father the son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever in Heaven!
With that is the gist in the book by Paul C. Jong entitled `The Elementary Principles of Christ` found on the following websites: www.bjnewlife.org or www.nlmission.com.
From this book we can find true repentance. Repentance is not the act of asking for forgiveness for one`s sins committed.
Repentance is the act of turning around from one`s proposed deeds and thoughts that he/she thinks have the authority to attain forgiveness from God. Repentance is the act of confession on the realization of one`s sinful nature and the acceptance of God`s salvation according to the written Word of God.I recommend you to read this book and by the grace of God will be a blessing in your life.

WHTY DID CHRIST DIE VICARIOUSLY FOR MANY>
This was because Jesus accepted the sins of the world through the baptism which he received from John the Baptist; Matt.3:15. This baptism was because Jesus had to shoulder the sins of the world onto to cross, for this was the will of God, Isaiah 53:10. The reason for God sending him to this world was to bruise him because he was made sinful in his baptism. This love of God was emphasised by John, in 1 John 4:10, "Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." By obeying the will of God, he laid down his majesty and power, the compassion of his disciples and the great welcome of his people, because a righteous way was made for him to accept all the sins of the world by being baptised, he died for us, Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all." He opened a new way for us; Hebrews 10:20, " By a new and living way, which he hath consecrated for, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh." Jesus had to go through his baptism by John in order to satisfy the righteousness of God, whether people recognised it or not, because it was the desire of God the Father. He faced the accursed and terrifying death of the cross.
Because of God`s will, he was silent in his suffering; Isaiah 53:7, "He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." Although he was falsely accused, harshly beaten, plucked of his beard, and spat at for carrying the sins of the world passed onto him from John through his baptism, he remained silent. Also, because it was the will of the Father for him to be baptised and thus die, he died for the sake of those who believe. At the age of 30, he was judged for the sins of the world which he shouldered and crucified at the age of 33 to shed his blood. He rose again from the dead, and became the eternal Saviour for those of us who believe in this truth.

WE MUST FIRMLY BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS>
In accordance with the Apostles creed, apostle confessed, "The third day He arose
again from the dead." Acts 1:3 tells us "To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God." Here, "after His suffering", refers to the complete death of Christ. There are many proofs that Christ died completely, John 19:34; "But one of the Soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out." Crucifixion was a punishment of condemnation the Romans imposed on slaves and political insurgents. Crucifixion by hanging on the cross by tying ands and feet together and killing by piercing the chest was very painful and slow. and in some cases the death was so slow that it took six days for the convict to die. This type of punishment was changed by Constantine to nailing on the cross for a faster death instead of the duration of 3-4 days. In the case of our Lord Jesus it took six hours on the cross before he died. Jesus died sooner because he suffered a ruptured heart, because he suffered a great heartache for sinners for when they pierced his chest, blood and water came out showing that he had a broken heart.
In three days, after his death, Jesus rose again in a perfect body (a glorified body. However, despite the miracle of His some hesitated to believe in the resurrected Christ, even though they claim to recognize his death. clearly an attempt by the devil to stop people from believing in the truth, Luke 8:12, "Those by the way side are they that hear; then the cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved. To deny the truth of the resurrection , the devil advocates through unbelieving Scholars, divers hypotheses such as apparent death, spiritual resurrection, hallucination, manipulation, stolen body hypotheses and such like. However, authenticity of the Lord`s resurrection has many definitive proofs, including Acts 1:3.
THE FACT THAT JESUS PRESENTED HIMSELF ALIVE IS THE PROOF>
Acts 1:3 "To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God."
Jesus had liberated power over life and death, John 10:17-18; "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.
No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down of myself. I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."
Revelation 1:18, Jesus said, "I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore. A-men. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." Our Lord has the power to rise from the dead and to live again, for He is God the Almighty and a perfect man at the same time.
Romans 6:23 tells us, "the wages of sin is death." This is the unchangeable righteous law of God. Jesus conquered death and hades by dying for the sins of the world, and thereby blotting out all the sins of the world once and for all through his baptism and blood. He made all the sins to disappear, He rose from the dead again and has become the God of those who believe in Him. This is how the righteous law of God is established.
THAT HIS TOMB WAS EMPTY IS THE EVIDENCE>
MATTHEW 27:57-66 tells us that Joseph, the rich man from Arimathea, also Jesus` disciple laid Jesus` dead body in a tomb hewn out of rock, and sealed it with a large stone against its door; a guard placed at the tomb for security. However, the tomb was empty after Jesus rose from the dead with his power and came out His tomb. Luke 24:3, "And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus." This is the proof of the Lord`s resurrection.
Jesus is a great historic figure. One of the proofs is the chronological use of Anno Domini (A.D.), "in the year of our Lord.", based on the year of His coming. He is the Lord of creation and of Salvation. If He was still in the tomb, the tomb would have remained closed as an historical landmark; but he rose from the dead. The tombs of Confucius is in China, that of Buddha in India, and that of Mohammed in Mecca, Saudi Arabian are still closed because their bones are in their tombs; but because Jesus rose from the dead in three days His tomb has been empty. This is believing in our Lord, the one and only God.
THAT HE ATE AFTER HE ROSE FROM THE DEAD IS THE PROOF>
We know that Spirits do not eat. But the resurrected Lord ate. Luke 24:40-43 states, "And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet. And while they believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, have ye here any meat? And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took it, and did eat before them."
Further proof> Acts 10:40-41, "Him God raised up on the third day, and showed him openly, not to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with him after He arose from the dead." This provides the absolute proof of his resurrection.
More proofs> 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 4:18-20; Acts 5:29.
Jesus` disciples were troubled at the death of Jesus; but they became bold once they saw the living Jesus. This boldness to spread the gospel even onto our times is because of the certainty that he rose from the dead which also give the assurance of our resurrection as well, so we are troubled of persecution.
1 Corinthians 15:20, "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept." Similarly, the teachings of the Pauline Epistles are also centred around, firstly, the core truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and then on the message that this resurrection also brings us our own resurrection.

I read The Elementary Principles Of Christ by Paul C. Jong yesterday. It`s a quick and easy read. The book explains the Apostles` Creed.
There are three parts to the book. It explains what it means to believe in God as in the first part of the Apostles` Creed. The second part of the book is about faith in Jesus. And the last part of the book is about the Holy Spirit.
Coming from the point of view the book states that one is saved as long as one believes that you are born again by accepting the gospel of the water and the Spirit. That is to say that you accept that the baptism of Jesus washed away all sins and that the spilling of the blood on the cross was the affirmation of that truth.
I found the book to be informative. It`s written nice and clear. I hate when religious writing is hard to understand. The author is Paul C. Jong who founded New Life Mission.