Don’t freak out by the title, I still believe in Him.
I just finished reading an interview with Teresa MacBain, a former Methodist pastor who has renounced her faith and is now the public relations director for the “American Athiests”. Unfortunately, Teresa is now one of those described in 1 John:
1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but [they went out] that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”
Nonetheless, her departure from us was inevitable because she dared to question the status quo … and the status quo didn’t have an answer. When talking about the journey that led her to forsake her salvation, she says:
“It’s just theological. I had no problems with the church or the structure or the organization. There are basically four steps that occurred over a long period of time. One was the contradictory nature of the Bible; the lack of scientific or historical foundation or accuracy, which took me a very, very long time to come to terms with. That was the starting point I guess when I realized that that wasn’t true, that the Bible wasn’t true. From there I moved to thinking about all of the religions in the world and how people basically associate, in most cases, with one religion or another based upon their own culture and how they were raised.”
The Hard Truth
The Truth is, if we don’t “follow the leader” (meaning church leadership) like lemmings, we have all struggled with these questions. Some of us used to cling to the latest charismatic confessions or the newest “christian catch phrases” to temporarily “hide” these questions from our thoughts but eventually, if the questions were left unanswered, they re-surfaced.
There are reminders throughout the Word that tell us it is PERFECT and ETERNAL. The Word emphatically states:
Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”
Deuteronomy 32:4 “[He is] the Rock, His work [is] perfect; For all His ways [are] justice, A God of truth and without injustice; Righteous and upright [is] He.”
Psalm 18:30 “[As for] God, His way [is] perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He [is] a shield to all who trust in Him.”
Psalm 19:7 “The law of the LORD [is] perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the LORD [is] sure, making wise the simple;”
Well, if the Word is perfect (and it is) … then WHY are there inconsistencies?
Translation Errors
The ugly Truth is, ALL bible translations have errors — including the King James Version! Add to that the fact that our bible was canonized by people heavily influenced by Catholic/pagan theology, and you have quite a mess!
To be true Bereans, and also to attain the Honor of Kings, we really need to “search out a matter”!
Concordances, dictionaries and multiple translations are invaluable, but each study aide (even concordances) are not without their own bias.
What is my recommended bible translation? Personally, I use the NKJV, supplement it with the Hebrew Interlinear (OT) and, occasionally, the Amplified. This is NOT because I think it is BETTER than any other translation, I just happen to LIKE it better.
Philosophical/Educational Errors
Another cause for the inconsistencies is philosophical and educational errors. Much of the content taught in our “christian” schools and seminaries are taught by professors heavily influenced by our “church fathers”. No doubt, many of them claim to be led by the Holy Spirit, but if you probe a little, you’ll hear names like Calvin, Luther, etc.
All of the most notable ”church fathers” were anti-Semitic (in the WORST sense) and heavily influenced by Catholic/pagan theology (more on the “church fathers” below).
These revered “professors” teach the vagaries and inconsistent doctrines taught by our “church fathers” to the students, and then leave the students to accept this as “solid Truth”. Then the misguided students go on to lead our churches and fellowships! Some of them end up being people like Joel Osteen or Rob Bell. Others unknowingly deceive smaller flocks.
Some of the students (the ones who think for themselves) reject the idea that 1+1 = 3 and search out the matter!
Let’s look at just one of the MAIN contradictions foisted upon us by the seminary sheeple.
The Unchangeable God
How many believe that our God doesn’t change? Do we believe the following verses?
Malachi 3:6 “For I [am] the LORD, I do not change”
Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ [is] the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Many of us will think of the immorality in America today, proudly take up these scriptures on our lips, and say, “YES! Amen!!” But then we turn around and preach that, somehow He changed between the Old and New Testaments. Do you see the contradiction?
One well known “prophetic” person that I’ve written about a LOT said to me, “God never changes ….. unless He does!” Such contradictory nonsense is accepted by most Christians as biblical Truth. Let’s get it in our heads … either the scripture is FALSE, or it is TRUE.
We’ll DEFINITELY address this later!
OK, I can’t help myself … one more …
The Supremacy of His Word
The Supremacy and “Absolute Truth” of the Word of God is now a subject worthy of debate to most deceived “Christians”.
Psalm 119:89 “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.”
Psalm 138:2 “…. You have magnified Your word above all Your name.”
It’s pretty cut and dry. Keep in mind that, back in biblical times, a person’s “NAME” was not just a label …. it wasn’t just what they were called (Laura, May, Sally, Sue). A person’s name was EVERYTHING THEY WERE … their reputation, their integrity, everything!
And yet GOD exalts His Word ABOVE His Name. Now THAT is SUPREME!
But how many of us will pick and choose scriptures from this SUPREME Word … written by an UNCHANGEABLE God … and throw out the rest? I’ll tell you why … because it fits our own personal theologies!
Think about it.
Historical Context
Teresa also mentioned the lack of historical foundation and accuracy …. this too is a very valid point. Most of what we are taught today (if we are taught anything), in churches, “christian colleges” and seminaries is a tainted portrayal of what really occurred in history.
Martin Luther, Justin Martyr, St. Augustine and all of the rest of the “church fathers” were extremely biased and prejudice against God’s people. Martin Luther (the “Head of the Reformation”) was one of the worst. In fact, Hitler LOVED Martin Luther’s writings. Hitler used Martin Luther’s writings as inspiration for the Holocaust pogroms.
What follows is quite a bit of reading, but I highly advise you to take the time to read the whole thing. This is the “spirit” that our church fathers were following.
Martin Luther – 1543
On The Jews and Their Lies
“What then shall we Christians do with this damned, rejected race of Jews? Since they live among us and we know about their lying and blasphemy and cursing, we can not tolerate them if we do not wish to share in their lies, curses, and blasphemy. In this way we cannot quench the inextinguishable fire of divine rage nor convert the Jews. We must prayerfully and reverentially practice a merciful severity. Perhaps we may save a few from the fire and flames [of hell]. We must not seek vengeance. They are surely being punished a thousand times more than we might wish them. Let me give you my honest advice.
First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. And this ought to be done for the honor of God and of Christianity in order that God may see that we are Christians, and that we have not wittingly tolerated or approved of such public lying, cursing, and blaspheming of His Son and His Christians.
Secondly, their homes should likewise be broken down and destroyed. For they perpetrate the same things there that they do in their synagogues. For this reason they ought to be put under one roof or in a stable, like gypsies, in order that they may realize that they are not masters in our land, as they boast, but miserable captives, as they complain of incessantly before God with bitter wailing.
Thirdly, they should be deprived of their prayer-books and Talmuds in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are taught.
Fourthly, their rabbis must be forbidden under threat of death to teach any more…
Fifthly, passport and traveling privileges should be absolutely forbidden to the Jews. For they have no business in the rural districts since they are not nobles, nor officials, nor merchants, nor the like. Let them stay at home…If you princes and nobles do not close the road legally to such exploiters, then some troop ought to ride against them, for they will learn from this pamphlet what the Jews are and how to handle them and that they ought not to be protected. You ought not, you cannot protect them, unless in the eyes of God you want to share all their abomination…
To sum up, dear princes and nobles who have Jews in your domains, if this advice of mine does not suit you, then find a better one so that you and we may all be free of this insufferable devilish burden – the Jews…
Let the government deal with them in this respect, as I have suggested. But whether the government acts or not, let everyone at least be guided by his own conscience and form for himself a definition or image of a Jew. When you lay eyes on or think of a Jew you must say to yourself: Alas, that mouth which I there behold has cursed and execrated and maligned every Saturday my dear Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed me with his precious blood; in addition, it prayed and pleaded before God that I, my wife and children, and all Christians might be stabbed to death and perish miserably. And he himself would gladly do this if he were able, in order to appropriate our goods…
Such a desperate, thoroughly evil, poisonous, and devilish lot are these Jews, who for these fourteen hundred years have been and still are our plague, our pestilence, and our misfortune.
I have read and heard many stories about the Jews which agree with this judgment of Christ, namely, how they have poisoned wells, made assassinations, kidnapped children, as related before. I have heard that one Jew sent another Jew, and this by means of a Christian, a pot of blood, together with a barrel of wine, in which when drunk empty, a dead Jew was found. There are many other similar stories. For their kidnapping of children they have often been burned at the stake or banished (as we already heard). I am well aware that they deny all of this. However, it all coincides with the judgment of Christ which declares that they are venomous, bitter, vindictive, tricky serpents, assassins, and children of the devil, who sting and work harm stealthily wherever they cannot do it openly. For this reason, I would like to see them where there are no Christians. The Turks and other heathen do not tolerate what we Christians endure from these venomous serpents and young devils…next to the devil, a Christian has no more bitter and galling foe than a Jew. There is no other to whom we accord as many benefactions and from whom we suffer as much as we do from these base children of the devil, this brood of vipers.”
Translated by Martin H. Bertram, “On The Jews and Their Lies, Luther’s Works, Volume 47″; Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1971.
Of The Unknowable Name and The Generations of Christ
“But your [God’s] judgment is right, justus es Dominie. Yes, so shall Jews, but no one else be punished, who held your word and miracles in contempt and ridiculed, insulted and damned it for such a long time without interruption, so that they will not fall, like other humans, heathens and all the others, into sin and death, not up in Hell, nor in the middle of Hell but in the pit of Hell, as one cannot fall deeper…
Even if they were punished in the most gruesome manner that the streets ran with their blood, that their dead would be counted, not in the hundred thousands, but in the millions, as happened under Vespasian in Jerusalem and for evil under Hadrian, still they must insist on being right even if after these 1,500 years they were in misery another 1,500 years, still God must be a liar and they must be correct. In sum, they are the devil’s children, damned to Hell…
The Jews too got what they deserved. They had been called and elected to be God’s mouth as Jeremiah says…Open your mouth wide and I will fill it; they however, kept tightly closed their muzzles, eyes, ears, nose, whole heart and all senses, so he polluted and squirted them so full that it oozes from them in all places and devil’s filth comes from them.
Yes, that tastes good to them, into their hearts, they smack their lips like swine. That is how they want it. Call more: ‘Crucify him, crucify him.’ Scream more: ‘His blood come upon us and our children.’ (Matthew 27:25) I mean it came and found you…
Perhaps, one of the merciful Saints among us Christians may think I am behaving too crude and disdainfully against the poor, miserable Jews in that I deal with them so sarcastically and insulting. But, good God, I am much too mild in insulting such devils…”
Ignatius Bishop of Antioch (98-117A.D.) – Epistle to the Magnesians
“For if we are still practicing Judaism, we admit that we have not received God’s favor…it is wrong to talk about Jesus Christ and live like Jews. For Christianity did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity.”
“Epistle of Barnabas” Chapter 4vs 6-7 (between 130A.D. and 138 A.D.)
“Take heed to yourselves and be not like some piling up you sins and saying that the covenant is theirs as well as ours. It is ours, but they lost it completely just after Moses received it.”
Justin Martyr – Dialogue with Trypho (Between 138A.D. and 161 A.D.)
“We too, would observe your circumcision of the flesh, your Sabbath days, and in a word, all your festivals, if we were not aware of the reason why they were imposed upon you, namely, because of your sins and the hardness of heart.
The custom of circumcising the flesh, handed down from Abraham, was given to you as a distinguishing mark, to set you off from other nations and from us Christians. The purpose of this was that you and only you might suffer the afflictions that are now justly yours; that only your land be desolated, and your cities ruined by fire, that the fruits of your land be eaten by strangers before your very eyes; that not one of you be permitted to enter your city of Jerusalem. Your circumcision of the flesh is the only mark by which you can certainly be distinguished from other men…as I stated before it was by reason of your sins and the sins of your fathers that, among other precepts, God imposed upon you the observance of the sabbath as a mark.”
Origen of Alexandria (185-254 A.D.) – A ecclesiastical writer and teacher who contributed to the early formation of Christian doctrines.
“We may thus assert in utter confidence that the Jews will not return to their earlier situation, for they have committed the most abominable of crimes, in forming this conspiracy against the Savior of the human race…hence the city where Jesus suffered was necessarily destroyed, the Jewish nation was driven from its country, and another people was called by God to the blessed election.”
John Chrysostom (344-407 A.D.) – One of the “greatest” of church fathers; known as “The Golden Mouthed.” A missionary preacher famous for his sermons and addresses.
“The synagogue is worse than a brothel…it is the den of scoundrels and the repair of wild beasts…the temple of demons devoted to idolatrous cults…the refuge of brigands and dabauchees, and the cavern of devils. It is a criminal assembly of Jews…a place of meeting for the assassins of Christ… a house worse than a drinking shop…a den of thieves, a house of ill fame, a dwelling of iniquity, the refuge of devils, a gulf and a abyss of perdition.”…”I would say the same things about their souls… As for me, I hate the synagogue…I hate the Jews for the same reason.”
From “The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism” by Malcolm Hay
St. Augustine (c. 354-430 A.D.), Confessions, 12.14
“How hateful to me are the enemies of your Scripture! How I wish that you would slay them (the Jews) with your two-edged sword, so that there should be none to oppose your word! Gladly would I have them die to themselves and live to you!”
Peter the Venerable – known as “the meekest of men, a model of Christian charity”
“Yes, you Jews. I say, do I address you; you, who till this very day, deny the Son of God. How long, poor wretches, will ye not believe the truth? Truly I doubt whether a Jew can be really human… I lead out from its den a monstrous animal, and show it as a laughing stock in the amphitheater of the world, in the sight of all the people. I bring thee forward, thou Jew, thou brute beast, in the sight of all men.”
From “The Roots of Christian Anti-Semitism” by Malcolm Hay
John Calvin
A Response To Questions and Objections of a Certain Jew
“Their [the Jews] rotten and unbending stiffneckedness deserves that they be oppressed unendingly and without measure or end and that they die in their misery without the pity of anyone.
Excerpt from “Ad Quaelstiones et Objecta Juaei Cuiusdam Responsio,” by John Calvin; The Jew in Christian Theology, Gerhard Falk, McFarland and Company, Inc., Jefferson, NC and London, 1931.”
After reading this, the following verse came to mind.
John 16:2 “They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service.”
I have a few friends (even a couple on this list) that will disagree with me, but I think that if a person has this much hatred in his heart towards God’s chosen people (or any people for that matter), he/she has NO business teaching on “love” and “grace” … which is exactly what the church fathers did! And these teachings are taught to seminary students around the world!
We wonder how our churches got so far off the mark. Gaining “wisdom” from these guys, and their professors is part of the reason. We’ll discuss the “church fathers” more in a later post.
The misplaced reverence for the “church fathers” is only PART of the history that the church knows nothing about. There are many more significant events that affected the church and we will be discussing it!
The Western church’s ignorance of her own history is astounding. Many pastors will claim to shepherd a ”New Testament church”, but have NO IDEA what a New Testament church looks like! And, if they knew what a “New Testament church” actually looked like, they would not be so eager to make such a bold statement.
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that traditional church people are kept in the dark, and for the most part, they like it that way. When one rises up and asks questions that nobody dares to address, they are basically told to shut up and accept the status quo. Some cower down … some, like Teresa MacBain, stand up, but forsake their eternal reward in the process.
Neither will be True at HonorofKings.org. Jesus is still Lord … and I’ve had too many of the questions answered to back off!
- If you really study it out, YOU can find the PERFECTION in God’s Word! Don’t let preconceived ideas and man-made doctrines hinder you from pursuing this!!!
- Our God IS the same … always. He never changes … and He never changed.
- The history of the church you see today is dark, but very informative. Most of the time they don’t teach it in seminary … or if they do, they teach it from the anti-Semitic and deceived perspective of the “Church Fathers”. If you knew church history, you would see that the Fruit that you are seeing today is the result of seeds sown long ago.
We will be digging in to these subjects over the next few posts. We will also be taking a “second glance” at the doctrines that are “set in stone” for today’s christian. Will they stand up to scripture?
We’ll see !! I know this post has probably generated many more questions … STICK AROUND … things are about to get interesting!
For the Love of the Search,
Kevin Kleint
Email: kevin@honorofkings.org
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It is true that as Luther aged, he seemed to develop a hatred against the Jewish people. However, he did have some positive things to say about them. As early as 1516, he stated, “…many people are proud with marvelous stupidity when they call the Jews dogs, evildoers, or whatever they like, while they too, and equally, do not realize who or what they are in the sight of God.” In 1523, Luther advised kindness toward the Jews in That Jesus Christ was Born a Jew, but only with the aim of converting them to Christianity. When his efforts at conversion failed, he grew increasingly bitter toward them. In 1543, his anti-Semitic book was published, On the Jews and Their Lies.
It’s impossible to know what was in Luther’s heart as he wrote these awful things. Was he truly a Jew-hater? Or was his passion for the truth of Scripture and for Jesus Christ—who was rejected by the Jews—so overwhelming that he felt compelled to condemn the Christ-rejecters to whoredom in the same vein as the prophet Hosea who compared the Jews who rejected their God to whores and prostitutes? Whatever his motivation, it is clear that Luther’s writings were used as Nazi propaganda. Of course, the long history of German hatred of the Jews played a much more significant role in bringing about the Holocaust than did Luther’s writings.
THough I DO NOT in any way excuse his apparent hatred of the Jews, there is no doubt that Martin Luther has played an important role in the formation of Protestantism. Sadly, his great contributions are hampered by his unbiblical hatred of the Jewish people. One thing to remember when wrestling with questions like Luther’s apparent anti-Semitism is the fact that believers in Christ are still natural-born sinners, and we retain the sin nature even after the new birth. Just because Martin Luther was in error on one subject does not deny that he was right on others. Conversely, just because he was able to teach God’s absolute truth does not mean that everything he said was absolute truth.
All that to say, I hope we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater!
I discovered an excellent critique of reformed theology/calvinism via the website: //watchmanforjesus.blogspot.com.
There was a link to a PDF download which i found most informative. As you have said the Catholicism was still there. The writer of this treatise argues that the reformers did not desire to come out of Catholicism, they wanted to reform it. There is also discussion in detail about the five points of Calvinism and the meaning of their terminology such as “irresistible grace” “total depravity” etc and much of the convoluted reasoning in the whole reformed doctrinal position.
We are sanctified by the Word of God not the theology of men. Theologians exalt theologians; true worshipers exalt the Lord.
To the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Whoa…. I am utterly shocked at what seems like doctrines of utter hatred… doctrines of demons came to mind actually and it would not suprise me in the least if it is true that Hitler loved these…. I have never seen these, however, I was never looking for them. And I believe John 16:2 coming to mind was not innapropriate or out of context in the least… I believe It is one of those, In the same way cases.
I can’t tell you how thankful I am that you wrote this article with the points you’ve made about John Calvin, Martin Luther, and others. I know Calvinists who truly love the LORD, consider themselves 5-point Calvinists, but do believe the gospel of Jesus Christ (every part of it). But I found myself concerned about the many times that some preachers love to refer to John Calvin. I would just think, “Well, that’s them, I guess.”
How can I identify my walk of faith with Christ as being a Calvinist or any other man’s name when clearly Paul pointed out that people were erroneously identifying themselves as being of Paul, or of Apollos? He said Christ wasn’t divided. Why is it that people identify themselves as Calvinists? Doesn’t somewhere in the Word warn that identifying ourselves with man will lead to error? I don’t see in this passage (even though I refer to it in my heart when people start arguing Calvin vs. Arminion – which I just became familiar with this year). Again, I appreciate your article greatly because it confirms some concerns I’ve awaken to this year when I learned about Calvinism.
Hey Kevin, I’m trying to catch up with where I left off at Mkaylas, so I’ll try to start with the whole Luther thing. He actually had some riff, raff with some other reformers all because he insisted on an unbiblical view of the Lords Supper. But other than that, he did make headway against the Catholic version of works-salvation, which is the only reason I think he was on to something—-not that he was perfect though.
Are you very familiar with Catholicism? Because I think alot of it has seeped into the Word of Faith scene.
That’s my take on it anyway. Like the Bill Johnson followers “soaking up the anointing” from the graves of saints for instance. That’s so legalistic, superstitious and works-oriented. Only God can grant any anointing, and it’s by the Holy Spirit applying the merits of Jesus’ sacrifice to our account. These people know nothing of the merits of Christ and our lack of human merit. They still think they can effect their own salvation, anointing, deliverance, healing, etc
From what I’ve read, Luther’s 95 thesis (what he is famous for) was nothing more than a manuscript scolding the Catholic church for the “granting of indulgences” … I don’t remember the specifics of that term, other than the Catholic church granting some sort of forgiveness for sins for dead relatives (I’m totally open to correction on that). Nonetheless, the “Reformation” by Luther was really quite a sham. He did nothing to address the worship of Mary and other blasphemous practices of the Catholic church that we “christians” SHOULD consider absolute heresy. Nonetheless, it was enough to enrage the church (who didn’t like being questioned) and placed him as one of our “fathers”.
I’ve heard of the 95 theses, but have never read them yet. I only know that he was deemed a reformer because of his belief in justification by faith alone, which was supposedly the main thing that outraged the Catholic church and still does today.
A very interesting (and helpful) summary of the thought of some of the “great and good” of the history of Christianity. Three points’ and a question, come to mind:
1) The term “church fathers” generally applies to those writing well before the split between the eastern and western churches in the 11th century. Before that, there was more of a unity in the church than today – the church was “catholic” in the sense of universal and also, of course, Orthodox.
2) You’re wrested John 16:2 out of context:: Jesus is telling his disciples that “they” (the synagogue rulers) will throw His followers out of the synagogue, because of the “heretical” views that the disciples hold.
3) Antisemitism is as old as the church – based on Matt 27:25
Q) What do you mean by “our bible was canonized by people heavily influenced by Catholic/pagan theology”? Are you suggesting that the Biblical canon is not (all) the word of God, or that there are some other writings which are equally the word of God? I hope neither!
#1 … I’ll talk about this point in a later post. But the church (whether or not it was “catholic” or Orthodox) was a far cry from the Acts church. Be Patient!!! … we’ll get to it!
#2 … I stand corrected. I only said that that particular scripture came to mind after reading the quotes beforehand.
#3 … I agree … and it was as terrible then as it is now. Feel free to clarify what you meant from the reference to Matt 25:27 … I’m not sure where it applies.
Q ….. What we have in our bibles is VERY MUCH the Word of God – I think that point was clearly stated in this post as well as several other posts. Nonetheless, just in case there is ANY misunderstanding, … THE BIBLE IS THE INFALLIBLE WORD OF GOD!!!! As far as other books that didn’t make the cannon of scripture? I’m not qualified to answer that … I definitely wouldn’t preach doctrine from any other. Still … certain books such as the Maccabbee’s, the Talmud, etc. and such are good for historical reference (NOT as the Word).
Sorry for the delay in replying – I’ve been away on holiday, enjoying th beauties of God’s creation in northern BC.
1)I’ll try to be patient – I’m looking forward to what you have to say. The church is very different today (or in 1500 AD or in 300 AD for that matter) from the description in Acts, as you say. The interesting (and important) question is whether that is contrary to God’s will (the thesis of Frank Viola and George Barna, in “Pagan Christianity”) or a legitimate outgrowth and development (as argued by theologians in the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches claim.
3) The argument used is roughly: the Jews accepted responsibility for the judicial murder of Jesus; therefore they’re guilty of deicide. Their radical rejection of the Christ places them beyond the pale – condemned for eternity and no longer God’s people. (And from this type of exegesis, the whole unhappy edifice of anti-Semitism grew.)