I am going to borrow what Cindy put as AFF's definition of Apostolic.
Let it be understood that Apostolic Friends Forum is an Apostolic Forum.
Apostolic is defined on AFF as:
There is One God. This one God reveals Himself as Father, Son and Holy Ghost.
The Son is God himself in a human form or "God manifested in the flesh" (
1Tim 3:16)
Every sinner must repent of their sins.
That Jesus name baptism is the only biblical mode of water baptism.
That the Holy Ghost is for today and is received by faith with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues.
The saint will go on to strive to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
As speaking only for myself, I believe every bit of what is posted above.
I am thinking that maybe what a lot of dissension here is based on the definition of what holiness is? Some view it as a purely physical manifestation of the inwards called standards. Others view it as both inward holiness and outward manifestation of holiness. Still others do not believe outward laws of how to dress has anything to do with a holiness lifestyle.
That one would be me. Although I do not believe standards has anything to do with holiness, because I have been in churches that people stretch standards to the limit and are still accepted within their ranks.
Holiness to me is how one lives their life. Do not backbite, defraud one another, cheat, steal, fornicate, commit adultery (in other words obey God's 10 Commandments) avoiding emulations, wrath, seditions and other things such as loving one another that Jesus taught to us and Paul wrote about.
But someone, at some time decided what one should look like outwardly and make it a denominational ordinance for an inaccurate measurement about somebody's consecrated holiness to God. Here, I believe lies wherein much, but not all of the infighting
We have people here at AFF who want to reach out to all types of people, not excluding homosexuals in the process.
Where would Christ's church be without those who are accepting that call to minister to them?
And if this forum wasn't accessible to atheists and agnostics to discuss Bible, where else could they go? Frankly, in my area of the country, I see no Apostolic outreach to the lost. What has the physical church become?
Yet, I became aware that in other parts of the country, some churches are in full-bloom Pentecostal revivals. We have spiritual feasts and famines going on.
I am missing the people who came and left in my short period of time of being here. Titus2woman brought a lot of goods to the discussions. Even ol Atlanta Bishop had a few good things to say. Yet I see others who hang around here but never join in conversation. I think the few times Michelow came here while I was here...she made me think about some things.
And Timmy....I cannot imagine this forum without him. He knows his bible as good as any preacher here and feels comfortable enough here to stay here.
Point is...we all got our reasons why we are here...hoping, enjoying discussion having debates and getting angry...it's all a learning experience of life. None of us never know what will be said that just might enrich our lives either.
And like Sam, I am not trying to start any debate...just sharing my thoughts.
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