UCG’s Dan Dowd on LGBTQ Folks

Dan Dowd of the United Church of God recently delivered a sermon entitled And Such Were Some of You on how the church should respond to the LGBTQ community. He began by providing some historical background for our current circumstances. Predictably, Dowd sees the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s as the origin of our society’s present attitudes toward LGBTQ related issues. For him, the pill (birth control), declassifying homosexuality as a psychological disorder, and greater acceptance of alternative “lifestyles” within the larger society are all symptomatic of the larger problem.

Dowd made clear that he believes that sexual identity is central to LGBTQ folks. He believes that their identity is their religion – that things like love, morality, interpersonal relationships, finances, and other interests are secondary to them. Indeed, Dowd asserts that these folks have set themselves up as their own gods – that they get to decide for themselves what is right and what is wrong. In other words, he makes no allowance for the fact that these folks are the same degree of human as everyone else around them. It appears to be inconceivable to him that these folks might be motivated by the same wants and needs which motivate him and other heterosexuals.

Mr. Dowd also talked a great deal about gender fluidity, and how our society has gotten away from the binary gender status which God assigned to the human race at the beginning. Interestingly, he quoted from the story of Adam’s creation in Genesis to make his point, but he completely ignored what is said and suggested there. In the first chapter of Genesis, we read: “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” (Verse 27) Likewise, in the second chapter, we read: “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” (Verse 23) The clear implication of both passages is that the essence of both genders was present within man from the beginning – that “Adam” had both genders within him!

Mr. Dowd’s binary perspective on gender is also not consistent with what science and nature have to teach us on the subject. In the real world, we see that most folks exhibit both masculine and feminine traits – that just like the pH scale, most of us fit somewhere on a continuum between the two extremes (male and female). Some men have higher levels of estrogen coursing through their veins, and some women have higher levels of testosterone. It is, simply, part of the very complex chemical and biological mechanisms which make up the human organism. Mr. Dowd’s perspective also fails to account for the real world phenomenon of the intersex human – the person who is born with some of the physical equipment of BOTH genders.

Mr. Dowd also made clear that he personally believes these aberrant behaviors are motivated by a desire for acceptance and validation. According to him, these unfortunate folks are looking for love (In the words of an old Country classic, “in all the wrong places”). Which, incidentally, would seem to contradict his assertion that sexual identity is the religion of these folks. In other words, he appears to be acknowledging that these folks might be motivated by some of the same things which motivate heterosexuals.

Mr. Dowd went on to assert that all of this aberrant behavior stems from a rejection and/or ignorance of God’s Law. In this connection, he referenced most of the classical “clobber” passages which Christians have employed over the last fifty years in their war against LGBTQ folks and their “sinful” behaviors.

Predictably, he referenced the story of Sodom and Gomorrah in the nineteenth chapter of Genesis as an example of God’s perspective on the sinfulness of homosexuality. However, Dowd failed to account for the fact that it is both irrational and unsubstantiated to claim that the entire male population of any city could be homosexual. Indeed, in our own time, cities which are intimately identified with the gay community (San Francisco, New Orleans, New York) are universally acknowledged as being majority heterosexual. Moreover, Scripture itself suggests that there were a number of sinful behaviors present in those cities (see Ezekiel 16:49-50). Finally, hopefully, we can all agree that gang rape is fundamentally different from consensual sex. Again, hopefully, we can all agree that raping someone is inconsistent with loving someone as ourselves or treating others the way that we would like to be treated – that it is inconsistent with doing no harm to our neighbor.

Dowd went on to reference both of the passages in Leviticus which have traditionally been identified as prohibiting same gender sexual relationships (Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13). Of course, he immediately dismissed any suggestion that (whatever these passages command) they are completely irrelevant to Christians operating under the New Covenant. In this respect, at least Mr. Dowd is true to the philosophical basis of Armstrongism – that Torah (the tenets of God’s covenant with Israel), or a substantial portion of it, is binding on Christians. In other words, like Herbert Armstrong, Mr. Dowd believes that Christians are obligated to keep many of the 600-plus commandments of the Law of Moses. Likewise, Mr. Dowd dismissed any suggestion that these passages were referencing behaviors within the context of a primitive agricultural society and are consequently NOT analogous to modern sexual behaviors or relationships (e.g., the fact that they had male temple prostitutes is not relevant).

Likewise, Mr. Dowd referenced the first chapter of Romans (verses 18-31) and the sixth chapter of Paul’s first epistle to the saints at Corinth (verses 9-11) as prooftexts that homosexual behavior of any kind is sinful. Once again, any suggestion that the behaviors described in these passages may not be analogous to modern same sex behaviors is dismissed out of hand. Indeed, Mr. Dowd ridicules any suggestion that the sinful behaviors described in these passages might apply to heterosexual folks. Far be it from any “normal” heterosexual person to engage in any kind of sexual relationship with someone of his/her own gender!

According to Mr. Dowd, homosexuality is a choice. In the complete absence of any definitive scientific findings on the subject (which he acknowledges), he asserts that sexual orientation is not determined at birth. Of course, he then failed to give any account of his own decision in this respect. He did not share with his audience the events surrounding his own determination that breasts were more attractive than pecs. Indeed, Mr. Dowd appears to be oblivious to the absurdity of the notion that anyone has a choice in their sexual orientation. He appears to be at odds with the notion that sexual attraction is something that comes naturally to most folks. In other words, most of us never had to decide that Mary was hot, and Billy was not (or vice versa)!

Mr. Dowd then proceeded to remind us that sin has consequences. In making this point, he cited a whole host of statistics about how LGBTQ folks are more susceptible to things like drug/alcohol addiction, depression, suicide, and disease. Once again, he dismissed any suggestion that these afflictions could be related to the way that society (including the Church) has treated these individuals. For example, is it possible that being isolated, bullied, and continuously ridiculed and/or disparaged might lead to someone experiencing depression, or even contemplating ending their own life? I don’t know about you, but if we’re talking about cause and effect, it does seem like the two might be connected to me!

Nevertheless, in what was mostly a recitation of the traditional perspective on LGBTQ folks and their behaviors, there were a few bright spots in Mr. Dowd’s presentation. He did acknowledge that Christ met people where they were at that moment in time. He also reminded his flock that they were obligated to try to live at peace with EVERYONE. And, most importantly of all, Dowd affirmed that it isn’t part of our calling to condemn or judge the world. Well, that’s a start!

 

When my voice is stilled

WISE MEN SPEAK BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY; FOOLS BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING – PLATO

When you have something to say, silence is a lie. - Jordan B. Peterson

As I grow older and watch my grandchildren grow and explore the world around them, I am reminded of the joy of learning, experience, and discovering that you have something to contribute to the world around you. Of course, I am also inevitably drawn to an ever-expanding awareness that my own contributions will one day come to an end.

In my own journey, I have always felt a keen obligation to share the things that I've learned with others. In doing so, it has always been my hope that I might be of some help or assistance to others with their own journey. I am also aware that some folks will regard the notion that I might have anything worthwhile to contribute to someone else as the epitome of hubris. Nevertheless, I find that I have always been very willing to own and admit the mistakes I've made along the way, and that I have always been motivated by a desire to prevent others from suffering from the same errors in judgment and reasoning which have impeded my journey. If that is arrogance, then I guess that this will serve as an admission of guilt.

At any rate, when my own voice is inevitably silenced, I hope that my heirs (familial, spiritual, and intellectual) will feel this same compulsion to share with and help others of their kind along their way. To be sure, there are occasions when it is best to remain silent, and the opportunities for listening and observing must never be ignored or intentionally missed. Even so, I hope that my own memorial will record that I have had something to say, NOT that I had to say something.

The Human Heart

 The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. - Jeremiah 17:9

Darlene and I had an opportunity to see the new Martin Scorsese movie this week, Killers of the Flower Moon (based on the book of the same title by David Grann). The movie told the story on the silver screen of how a supposedly Christian white man (and his associates) systematically murdered an Osage Indian family in Oklahoma so as to secure the rights to the profits from oil discovered on their lands. As we watched the sad tale unfold, it made me think of that passage from Jeremiah (quoted above) and of the things that European Christians told themselves to justify their murder/theft of/from Native Americans and enslavement and abuse of their African brethren.

They justified their atrocious and inexcusable behavior by dehumanizing the objects of their exploitation - making themselves superior to their prey. They told themselves that those dark-skinned folks were ignorant, pagan, and lazy savages who had failed to properly use or develop the resources which had been committed to their care. Moreover, as educated, Christian, industrious, and civilized men, everyone should realize that they were entitled to take over what those inferior folks had forfeited any right/claim to!

Never mind that God had said: You must NOT murder. You must NOT steal. Love your neighbor as yourself. Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. Yes, even folks who have professed themselves to be followers of Jesus Christ have convinced themselves that some of the most abhorrent behaviors in human history were morally good and justified. Which brings another verse to mind: There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death. - Proverbs 14:12

Why an Apostle Paul? (part 2)

Previously, we focused on Christ's commission to his twelve apostles to carry his teachings to the whole world, and how they clearly failed to do so. Indeed, prior to decisive Divine intervention, the book of Acts makes clear that the Church remained wholly Jewish in both its composition and character. In the previous essay on this topic, we saw how God used Paul to finally get Christ's message to the Gentiles. In this essay, we will examine how Paul's work transformed what had been an insular and provincial movement into something more broadly appealing and universal in nature. In short, we will see that Paul was used by God to effect a fundamental change within the nature of the Church.

In a sense, Paul's life experiences prior to his conversion made him the perfect vehicle for God to use in transforming his Church. In the previous segment, we referenced the fact that Saul/Paul was present at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1). Indeed, in the persecution of the Church which followed that event, we read that "Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison." (Verse 3)

Later, when Paul was arrested at the Temple, he made clear that he was a Jew and addressed the mob in the Hebrew language (Acts 21:39-40 and 22:1-2). According to the account, he told them: "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated at the feet of Gamaliel according to the strict manner of the law of our fathers, being zealous for God as all of you are this day. I persecuted this Way to the death, binding and delivering to prison both men and women, as the high priest and the whole council of elders can bear me witness. From them I received letters to the brothers, and I journeyed toward Damascus to take those also who were there and bring them in bonds to Jerusalem to be punished." (Acts 22:3-5)

In the same account, when he was on trial before Agrippa, Paul said that he had been a strict Pharisee prior to his conversion (Acts 26:5). He continued: "“I myself was convinced that I ought to do many things in opposing the name of Jesus of Nazareth. And I did so in Jerusalem. I not only locked up many of the saints in prison after receiving authority from the chief priests, but when they were put to death I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities." (Verses 9-11)

In fact, Paul's former zealousness within the Jewish faith and persecution of Christ's disciples is well-documented throughout the New Testament. In his letter to the saints at Philippi, Paul wrote: "If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless." (Philippians 3:4-6) Likewise, in his epistle to the saints of Galatia, he wrote: "For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers." (Galatians 1:13-14)

As biblical scholar, Bart Ehrman observed: "Paul was a highly educated and zealous Jew. He prided himself, he tells us, in following the traditions passed along by Pharisees. This would mean, among other things, that he was an expert in the Torah and fervently believed in keeping the Torah to the best of his abilities." In other words, understanding Paul's pre-conversion background is essential to understanding why God chose him to transform his Church and its message. To be more precise, Paul's thoroughly Jewish background, comprehensive understanding of Torah, and participation in Jewish efforts to eradicate the Jesus movement uniquely qualified him to transform a provincial Jewish sect into the world religion which Christianity became. Moreover, there is a fairly widespread consensus these days among biblical scholars that that is precisely what the Apostle Paul did!

Heretofore, we have focused on the fact that Paul transformed the Church by carrying the message about Christ to the Gentiles and bringing them into the Church in ever greater numbers as a consequence of those efforts. Obviously, in so doing, he changed the composition of the Church. Henceforth, the circle of Christ's disciples was NOT exclusively composed of Jewish believers.

However, it wasn't just the composition of the Church that Paul transformed - he also fundamentally altered the way that Christians regarded Torah and their own relationship to it. Now, while I do not subscribe to the notion that Paul's theology was radically different from that of Christ and his original apostles, I do think that the instincts of scholars like James Tabor that there are some fundamental differences when we compare Paul's perspective on Torah and messaging with those of the original apostles.

Moreover, scholars have long understood that Paul's epistle to the Romans constitutes the most comprehensive statement of his theological perspective. This epistle has had a profound impact on the most important Christian theologians since the days of Augustine. Martin Luther thought that it was the most important writing of the New Testament and the most perfect expression of the Gospel. Calvin thought that Romans was the key to a comprehensive understanding of Scripture. In his The Bible, Bart Ehrman wrote: "The letter to the Romans has been, historically, the most influential of Paul's writings. In no small measure that is because Paul uses this letter to wrestle with many of the key theological issues of his day. The book expresses some of the most fundamental aspects of Paul's understanding of the Gospel. It is because of its occasion and purpose that this letter, better than any other, reveals Paul's understanding of his message and mission."

In this regard, much is revealed in Paul's opening to the letter. He wrote: "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ," (Romans 1:1-6) Interestingly, this was one of the few Gentile congregations which Paul had NOT personally founded or visited, so we immediately understand his impulse to establish his credentials within the faith in introducing himself to this congregation. Hence, he makes it very clear that he is Christ's servant, and that God has called him to proclaim his message to the world. In other words, "I am the apostle to the Gentiles."

Then, after expressing his desire to visit Rome and meet with the saints there, Paul quickly pivots to delineating the theme of this communication. Indeed, he told them that he was "eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome." (1:15) He continued: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Verses 16-17) So, Paul makes clear that God's message isn't just for his own people, the Jews - that it is also for Gentiles like them. He also made it very plain that the salvation which was available through Jesus Christ was based on faith, NOT traditional notions about righteousness! He then proceeded to make clear that EVERYONE was responsible to God for their behavior (Romans 1:18-32).

In the following chapter, Paul went on to explain that no human was in a position to judge the behavior of another human - that God will provide the ultimate judgment, and that no one will escape that justice (Romans 2:1-5). He continued: "He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality." (Romans 2:6-11) Once again, the message is clear: The salvation offered through Jesus Christ is also available to Gentiles.

Paul then proceeded to explain how both - those who were bound by the terms of God's covenant with Israel (the Jews), and those who were not bound to observe the tenets of Torah (the Gentiles) - will be subject to God's justice (Romans 2:12-24). The thought concluded with Paul's assertion that anyone who tries to live within God's will is a part of God's people - that being a Jew does NOT automatically secure God's favor (verses 25-29).

Next, Paul went on to explain that Gentiles had the same access to God that Jewish people enjoyed. Yes, Scripture had been given into the hands of the Jews (Romans 3:1-2), but that did not entitle them to special treatment before God. He wrote: "What then? Are we Jews any better off <than the Gentiles>? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: 'None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless no one does good, not even one.'" (Verses 9-12)

Then, finally, Paul tied everything that he had had to say on the subject to the theme that he had referenced in the opening to the epistle. He wrote: "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (Verses 19-28) For Paul, only those who had faith in Jesus would stand justified before God. For Paul, God was just as much the God of the Gentiles as he was the God of the Jews (verses 29-20). Having established the theme of his epistle, Paul then returned to the role that faith had played in the life of the Jewish patriarch, Abraham, and in the promises made to him (Romans 4)

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After finishing with Abraham's example, Paul returned to the one whom he pointed to as the fulfillment of those promises, Jesus Christ. Paul reminded the Romans that Christ must be the object of our faith - that HE alone is the one who has actually reconciled all of us sinners to God (Romans 5:1-11)! Next, Paul contrasted the death that Adam had introduced into the world with the life that Jesus had made possible for all of us (verses 12-21). Even so, Paul went on to warn believers away from using the freedom they have in Christ to indulge in wicked/sinful behavior. He reminds them that this is the very thing from which Christ has rescued them - that we can be slaves to righteousness or sin (Romans 6). Moreover, Paul went on to make clear that he believed that it was a flaw in humans which rendered the Law an unworkable solution for us, not any defect inherent in the Law itself (Romans 7).

Once again, the apostle returned to his favorite theme - the crux of his gospel - that they would be saved by their faith in what Christ had done for them, not by trying to obey Torah. He wrote: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit." (Romans 8:1-4) Paul then proceeded to eloquently express his faith that NOTHING would be able to separate a person who had accepted Jesus from his love and protection (verses 31-39).

Later, Paul explained why the Gentiles' faith in Christ had achieved success for them while Israel's pursuit of Torah had resulted in failure. He wrote: "What shall we say, then? That Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness have attained it, that is, a righteousness that is by faith; but that Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness did not succeed in reaching that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, 'Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.'" (Romans 9:30-33)

The chapter divisions having been added much later, Paul's thought continued into the next chapter. He continued: "Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. But the righteousness based on faith says, 'Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down) or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, 'Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For 'everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'" (Romans 10:1-13)

In the following chapter, Paul explained that the Jews' failure to accept Jesus as the Messiah had made the Gentiles' acceptance of him possible. He went on to assure them that the Israelites would also someday accept him and be saved (Romans 11). In the remainder of the letter, Paul dispenses practical guidance for Christian living and concludes with some personal remarks to people affiliated with him and the congregation (Romans 12-16). He does, however, assert one more time that he believed that God had commissioned him to carry this message to the Gentiles (Romans 15:14-21).

So, we see that the essence of Paul's message was that God was using him to introduce Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, and that they would be justified by their faith in Jesus Christ - NOT by trying to obey Torah. Just as Paul had written to the saints of Galatia: "We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified." (Galatians 2:15-16) A little later, in the same letter, he wrote: "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.' But the law is not of faith, rather 'The one who does them shall live by them.' Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." (3:10-14)

Moreover, we have already demonstrated that this was a consistent theme throughout Paul's career as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Indeed, what we have just read in the epistles to the Romans and Galatians underscores the importance of what happened at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). This was the moment of decision: Would Christianity remain a provincial Jewish sect? OR Would it become a faith that would embrace a larger audience and appeal to the Gentile world? Some of the Jewish Christians insisted that the new Gentile converts be circumcised and required to obey the tenets of Torah (verse 5). And, according to the author of Acts, this was the moment that Peter finally got it.

We read in that account that, "after there had been much debate," Peter stood up and said: "Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, and he made no distinction between us and them, having cleansed their hearts by faith. Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." (Verses 7-11)

Then, after Paul and Barnabas had talked about their work among the Gentiles, we read that James arose and affirmed Peter's judgment in the matter. Keeping in mind the fact that Peter and James were the pillars of the Jewish Church at Jerusalem, the triumph of Paul's vision and mission is made even more remarkable. James said: "Therefore my judgment is that we should not trouble those of the Gentiles who turn to God, but should write to them to abstain from the things polluted by idols, and from sexual immorality, and from what has been strangled, and from blood. For from ancient generations Moses has had in every city those who proclaim him, for he is read every Sabbath in the synagogues." (Verses 19-21) The verdict? God had accepted the Gentiles into his Church, and who are we to impose the terms of our covenant with him on them?

Hence, we have seen how God used the Apostle Paul to transform the Church from a narrow sect of the Jewish religion into a group which fully embraced Jesus Christ and his commission to his disciples. In short, God used Paul to bring Christ - at long last - to the Gentiles. This is why there was this man named Paul!

Why an Apostle Paul? (part 1)

The Gospel narratives conclude with eleven apostles in place (Judas Iscariot having previously committed suicide). And, immediately following Christ's ascension into heaven, we are informed by the author of the book of Acts that the eleven chose Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:12-26).  Moreover, as any good student of the New Testament knows, Jesus Christ commissioned them to "go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." (Matthew 28:19-20, NLT) Indeed, while he was still with them, this same Gospel informs us that Christ had predicted that his Gospel would be preached throughout the world before the end of the age (Matthew 24:14).

So, with twelve men designated to carry Christ's message to the world, why was an Apostle Paul necessary? In answering that question, we must not forget that Christ's apostles and first disciples were all Jews. According to the book of Acts, this small group of Jewish disciples were gathered at Jerusalem to observe the Day of Pentecost, and they were surrounded by observant Jews from all of the nations of the Roman world (Acts 2:1-11). During the gathering, of course, the Holy Spirit settled over each of the disciples in the form of flames of fire, and the multilingual group of Jews surrounding them all understood what the disciples were saying in their native language. Then, as we all know, Peter stood up and delivered a very compelling sermon, and we are informed that about three thousand of these people (Jews) became Christ's disciples as a consequence of everything that had happened that day (Acts 2:14-41). And, at the end of the chapter, we are further informed that "each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved." (Verse 47)

Continuing with the account in Acts, we are informed that the apostles and early disciples focused on Jerusalem. In the third chapter of the book, we find John and Peter healing and preaching at the Temple. In the next chapter, we find Peter and John hauled before the Jewish Council to explain their activities in Christ's name (Acts 4). In the fifth chapter, we read: "The apostles were performing many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers were meeting regularly at the Temple in the area known as Solomon’s Colonnade." (Verse 12) And, after yet another audience before the Council, we read: "And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: 'Jesus is the Messiah.'" (Verse 42)

In the sixth chapter, we learn that the twelve apostles decided that the Jerusalem Church had grown enough to appoint seven men to take care of administrative matters so that they could devote themselves to preaching (verses 1-6). As a consequence, we are told that "God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too." (Verse 7) Later in the same chapter, we see one of the men designated by the apostles (Stephen) debating with "Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia." (Verse 9)

In the following chapter, we are informed that Stephen delivered a sermon that was so powerful that it infuriated the Jewish leaders, and that he was stoned to death as a consequence of their rage (Acts 7:1-59). Interestingly, in connection with this event, we are introduced to someone named Saul. In the eighth chapter, we are informed that "A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria" (verse 1), and that they spread the Good News about Jesus to those regions (verse 4). Later, in the same chapter, we find an account of Philip's conversion of an Ethiopian Jew (verses 26-39).

Do we begin to discern a pattern in all of this? In the first eight chapters of the book of Acts, the Church is portrayed as being entirely composed of Jews! In these chapters, ALL of the work of the twelve apostles (and the men whom they appointed to assist them) is portrayed as taking place in and around Jerusalem. As we have seen, it is only after the Church is persecuted that we begin to see people evangelizing in other areas of Judea and Samaria. In other words, the apostles were NOT fulfilling the commission which Jesus Christ had given to them - to preach his message to the world! After many years since Christ's ascension into heaven, the Church was still wholly Jewish in both its composition and character.

This being the reality within the Church, do we really think that it is a coincidence that the story of Saul's conversion is related in the very next chapter (Acts 9)? Even so, initially, we read that "Saul stayed with the apostles and went all around Jerusalem with them, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord." (Verse 28) Did you catch that? The twelve apostles were still focused in and around Jerusalem!

Indeed, it isn't until the tenth chapter that we find mention of a captain in the Roman army being instructed by an angel to contact the Apostle Peter (Acts 10:1-7). As far as we know, this is the first time a Gentile was approached with the Gospel, and it was at the instigation of one of God's angels!

However, before Cornelius' emissaries had arrived to summon the apostle to his household, we are informed that Peter fell into a trance and was given a vision of a large sheet being lowered to the earth from heaven, and it was filled with animals which were designated as unclean by Torah (Acts 10:9-12). Then Peter heard a voice instructing him to arise, kill, and eat (verse 13). Even so, we are informed that Peter protested that he had never eaten anything that was unclean to the Jews (verse 14). Finally, the voice told him, "Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean." (Verse 15)

Later, after the emissaries from Cornelius arrived, we are told that Peter finally understood why God had given him that vision - that it applied to these Gentiles. We read that Peter told them: "You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean." (Verse 28) Then, after Cornelius had told him about his own visitation by the angel, we read that Peter said: "I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right." (Verses 34-35) In other words, despite Christ's clear instructions before he ascended to heaven, God had to personally intervene to make clear to Peter and the other apostles that he wanted them to carry his message to the Gentiles!

That this was something new is made very clear at the beginning of the next chapter. We read there: "Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. 'You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!' they said. Then Peter told them exactly what had happened." (Acts 11:1-4) After listening to Peter's explanation, we are informed that "they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, 'We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.'" (Verse 18)

In other words, what had been a wholly Jewish Church, finally, began to understand that God intended for Gentiles to be drawn into his Church! Indeed, it is in this context that we read: "Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord." (Acts 11:19-21)

Continuing with the account in Acts, we read: "When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)" (Acts 11:22-26) I ask again, do we think that Saul's (Paul's) mission to the Gentiles was happenstance? Was the timing of all of this just coincidence? OR Did God raise up Paul to fulfill the commission which the twelve had previously failed to perform?

Then, beginning in the thirteenth chapter and occupying most of the remainder of the book of Acts, the author's narrative is preoccupied with Paul's missionary efforts among the Gentiles of the Eastern Roman Empire. In the meantime, we learn in the fifteenth chapter of this account that some of the Jewish Christians felt that the Gentile ones should be required to observe the tenets of God's covenant with Israel. Interestingly, in that narrative, we continue to find Peter, James, and the other apostles headquartered in Jerusalem!

Moreover, we find that most of the rest of the New Testament is composed of a collection of Paul's epistles to various Gentile congregations of the Church! Indeed, in his epistle to the saints of Galatia, Paul wrote that "the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles. In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews." (Galatians 2:8-9)

Now, certainly, both the first epistle attributed to the Apostle Peter and tradition, suggest that Peter later pivoted to a larger role within the Gentile part of the Church; but that was clearly a later development (and one for which Paul and his companions were largely responsible). Likewise, the epistle attributed to James was addressed "To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion." (James 1:1) Hence, we have seen that the book of Acts and the epistles of Paul make very clear that Paul was raised up by God to fulfill the commission which the twelve had steadfastly neglected to complete. Indeed, in my humble opinion, if you believe in God and the inspiration of Scripture, this is the only logical explanation for the material we find there. What do you think?

Rediscovering Our Intellectual Curiosity and Critical Thinking Skills

This post appeared on the Banned by HWA blog, but I feel like the topic was hijacked by a commentator there who has a personal animus against me and is reliably hostile to anything I post there. Nevertheless, I feel so strongly about the potential for this post to help others in coming to terms with their experiences within Armstrongism that I felt it deserved another run:

One of the great ironies of having once been a part of Armstrongism is the loss and/or distortion of two of the things that allowed us to entertain Herbert Armstrong’s teachings in the first place. I am, of course, speaking of our intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills.

In an article for Psychology Today, Dr Michael Austin defined intellectual curiosity as “a deep and persistent desire to know.” He went on to say that an intellectually curious person pursues the “why” questions. Remember how those old Worldwide Church of God booklets with questions as titles first grabbed your attention and instilled a desire to want to know the answers to the questions they posed?

Likewise, it was the employment of some of our critical thinking skills which first allowed us to entertain the answers that Mr. Armstrong was selling. In Coursera’s article What Are Critical Thinking Skills and Why Are They Important?, C.T. is defined as “the ability to interpret, evaluate, and analyze facts and information that are available, to form a judgment or decide if something is right or wrong.” In his writings, Herbert Armstrong invited us to employ some of our critical thinking skills. He asked us to identify the biases and prejudices of traditional Christianity. He invited us to research the topic from the pages of our own Bibles. He encouraged us to be open to God’s “truth.” Mr. Armstrong also encouraged us to meditate on what he (or the Bible) was teaching us about some subject (analysis and problem-solving).

The problem was that Mr. Armstrong offered us a destination – a place to park our intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills. After all, once we had discovered “THE TRUTH,” there was no longer any reason to be curious or use those critical thinking skills! Indeed, according to Herbert Armstrong, if we continued to explore and employ those skills, we might lose the truth which we had discovered. In fact, after we were hooked, Mr. Armstrong encouraged us to become binary thinkers!

According to LifeHack’s Clay Drinko, binary thinking “is thinking there are two sides, and you can only pick one. Also known as dichotomous thinking, this way of thinking becomes simple for us to process complex ideas and situations. The gray area in the middle of these complex issues is often ignored or goes unnoticed.” This is also sometimes referred to as black and white thinking. With Mr. Armstrong, everything was either or. He was the master of the false dilemma. Things were either Holy or Pagan, clean or unclean, good or evil, true or false! When we think about it, the problems inherent with this kind of thinking become readily apparent. Once again, Drinko informs us that “The problem with binary thinking is its inaccuracy. Gray areas do exist and are prominent in every issue. It may make us feel better to think about this or that, them or us, him or her, but it’s not how the world works.”

So, how do we recover what was lost? How do we recover our intellectual curiosity and critical thinking skills? My guess is that, like most of us who contribute to this blog, Mr. Armstrong never completely succeeded in suppressing your curiosity or eradicating your critical thinking skills. In other words, they’re probably still there – bruised and buried in your subconscious. Hence, you only need to reawaken them – start exercising those dormant muscles – and allow yourself to begin once again exploring Scripture and the world around you! You have to give yourself permission to listen to other people and their ideas. You have to allow yourself to explore writings outside of the books and booklets promulgated by Armstrong and his disciples.

Also, you have to work on the biases/prejudices which Herbert Armstrong instilled within you concerning science, history, and education. In other words, it’s not just about beginning to research topics again – you must also learn that some sources of information are superior to others. In short, you must learn again to recognize that other folks also have their biases and prejudices which they bring to the table for discussion. And, most importantly of all, you need to acknowledge that you may be wrong about some things – that you may not have all of the answers to all of the questions!

Likewise, on the spiritual side of your journey, you will need to acknowledge that we currently see through a glass darkly – that God’s Holy Spirit doesn’t make you (or anyone else) infallible in matters of faith. Allow yourself to entertain the ideas of the folks who have devoted their lives to the study of Scripture. Biblical criticism is NOT a bad thing! It can be an extremely helpful tool in better understanding the Bible. Allow yourself to explore the textual, philological, and literary criticisms of the scholars. You don’t have to swallow everything they write hook, line, and sinker (indeed, you shouldn’t), but you should recognize that it is possible that they have something to contribute to your understanding of Scripture. And, finally, we must all remember that we should continue to grow in grace and knowledge for as long as we are breathing and cognitively able to do so! Best wishes and blessings on your journey! 

The Things That Armstrongists Can Say, BUT Others CANNOT

Since leaving the Worldwide Church of God in 1985, I have had the opportunity to examine and experience the things which Herbert Armstrong and his disciples say about the folks who do not agree with them. Of course, this should not be surprising to anyone - as it is consistent with the philosophical basis of their theology. After all, they were/are the REAL Christians, and everyone else is a "so-called" Christian. They are the ones who obey God, and everyone else has adopted PAGAN practices. They have "THE TRUTH," and everyone else is deceived and steeped in falsehood. They are the only people on the face of the earth who truly understand Scripture. Everyone else, even the world's greatest biblical scholars, misunderstand and misinterpret "God's Word." They understand the PROCESS of salvation and have received the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. All of those "so-called" Christians haven't even taken the first step!

Their favorite adjectives for describing those other people are words like ignorant, deceived, wicked, evil, perverts, liars, insincere, double-minded, confused, violent, insincere, superficial, and a dozen others of the same variety. Even so, many of them will use this kind of language and then quickly add that "God is NOT trying to save the world right now." "Those poor, deceived folks will have their opportunity for salvation someday," they assure us. In other words, their current condition is temporary, and it's not really their fault that they don't understand.

Nevertheless, you let any one of those "so-called" Christians criticize them in any way, and the fur is ready to fly! "How dare those clearly deceived and ignorant folks call us deceived, delusional, ignorant, heretical, simplistic, arrogant, and insincere! In other words, how dare they do the same thing to us that we do to them! Any criticism of them, their practices, or beliefs is persecution. God has given them a special commission to point out everyone else's faults, but others do NOT have the right to do the exact same thing to them! "How can you cretins have the audacity to criticize God's Apostle, God's ministers, God's TRUTH, or God's doctrines." "I'd hate to be in their shoes on Judgment Day!" they exclaim. The clear implication being that God will zap their critics or throw them straight into Gehenna.

Moreover, they believe that anyone who has the temerity to actually leave the movement and/or reject some or all of its teachings will almost certainly experience "the second death." And, if by some miracle they escape that fate, they have absolutely disqualified themselves from appearing in the "First" Resurrection (because ALL of GOD's people know that that's the good one). Then there are the folks who are so bad and disruptive that they have to be "disfellowshipped" (very much like the Roman Catholic doctrine of excommunication). Even so, whether they leave on their own or with assistance, they are expected to go on about their business, not try to contact their former friends and family members, and keep their mouths SHUT! That is the expectation. "How dare those folks attack God's people and Church!" they proclaim with incredulity. Indeed, during Herbert's lifetime, all such folks were labeled as "DISSIDENTS," and they were looked upon by the "Apostle" and his followers as if they had stormed the Holy of Holies!

Unfortunately, even some of the folks who have successfully extricated themselves from the mess that is Armstrongism have adopted this same mindset against those who would dare to disagree with them on some issue - religious or political. The same reasoning and vocabulary animates the language they employ against their "enemies." "It's my way or the highway!" "I'm right - you're wrong - any questions?" 

Once again, these are the folks who have reached destination TRUTH. For these folks, the truth is a collection of spiritual or political truths which they've discovered. They KNOW God's will. They HAVE the mind of God. The notion of growing in grace and knowledge has become meaningless to them. Their focus and energy is spent on defending and protecting what they already have - "THE TRUTH." They remind me of the servant in the Parable of the Pounds who gave his master the exact same pound which he had entrusted to him before taking his journey. The servant tells his master that he knew that he would be harsh in evaluating his performance and was proud of himself for returning what had been entrusted to him. Jesus said that the master replied: "Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up that I laid not down, and reaping that I did not sow: Wherefore then gavest not thou my money into the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with usury?" (Luke 19:22-23) In the end, the servant lost the pound he had saved. Will that happen to some of us?

A Higher Plane

Yesterday, Ranger posted The Absoluteness of God on the Banned by HWA blog. The author pointed out that the anthropomorphic language used in Scripture to describe God was NOT meant to be taken literally. In other words, God is NOT just a better version of us. Indeed, the author advocates for a much grander view of God than what is common among most of those who hold to a fundamentalist or literalist view of Scripture. The thesis of the article is that God is NOT bounded or limited by that which confines and limits us! I hope that that theme will appear familiar to my readers.

Unfortunately, instead of acknowledging that we are made in the image of God, too many Christians have flipped the script and have attempted to remake God in our image! Indeed, in some of the commentary on the post, a few folks made clear that they believe God looks, thinks, and acts like us, and that "he" must act within the confines of our reality. To be clear, this view contradicts and/or ignores a whole lot of Scripture.

In my response to one of those comments, I wrote: "As for the notion, that our minds operate on the God plane - consider the following: In the book of Isaiah, we read: "'My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,' says the Lord. 'And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.'" (55:8-9) Also, we read that God told Samuel (a man who had God's Spirit), "The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7) Also, in Isaiah, we read: "To whom will you compare me? Who is my equal?" (46:5)

God's Perspective on the Israel and Hamas War

Unfortunately, many within the Judeo-Christian community of the United States will see the current conflict in the Middle East in starkly simplistic terms, and they will wrongly assume that God is on Israel's side in their contest with Hamas. However, the same human nature which has motivated so many of the wars and conflicts before this one is on prominent display here. We are, of course, thinking of what the Apostle Paul called the works of the flesh (e.g., enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions). Both sides are motivated by things like fear, vengeance, impatience, pride, and lust. In other words, the exact opposite of the traits which are features of the Divine nature (e.g., love, kindness, compassion, empathy, forgiveness, mercy, humility, patience). We humans are preoccupied with assigning blame and picking a side in the conflict to support.

Are we truly interested in God's perspective on this war? I think that a good place to start is the fifty-ninth chapter of the book of Isaiah. We read there: "Their feet run to evil, and they are swift to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; desolation and destruction are in their highways. The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace." (Verses 7-8, ESV) There is a principle at play here that James applied to Christ's disciples among the Jews. He wrote: "What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions." (James 4:1-3)

Hence, the solution to this current conflict will NOT be found in American support for Israel, Israeli military action, improving intelligence gathering, building walls, punishing Hamas and Iran, or a host of other measures which will almost certainly be taken in the wake of this mammoth tragedy. The solution will only be found in permanently changing the nature which caused this conflict - the change that Christians believe can only come through the acceptance of Jesus Christ and his work and message. Unfortunately, when I look at the current situation in the Middle East, I don't have any confidence in the ability of the humans involved in this conflict to stop it or permanently resolve the issues which gave rise to it. For me, I look at what is happening, and it becomes crystal clear to me why Jesus Christ instructed his followers to pray "Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." 

The problem with trying to isolate ourselves from the world

Unfortunately, it seems that there have always been elements within the Christian community who have sought to separate/isolate themselves from the wider community - the world. Whether we are speaking of monks or nuns cloistering together in a monastery or convent, or Amish and Mennonite communities seeking to insulate themselves from the modern world, we see that these impulses have always existed within the Christian community to withdraw from the sinfulness of the world around us. Indeed, some sects and cults have formed their own community or village (as in the Branch Davidians and Peoples Temple) with disastrous consequences (Waco and Jonestown).

Moreover, we've seen this same impulse play out on a larger scale with regard to some corners of the Christian community's attitudes toward education. Many denominations have established private schools for their members, while others have turned to homeschooling their children. The impetus, of course, is to protect the Christian child from being tainted or polluted by the ideas and sinfulness of the society which surrounds them. Nevertheless, the questions that we (Christians) should really be asking are: Is this what Jesus wanted for his disciples? Did Christ want his followers to isolate themselves from the world to protect their beliefs and way of life?

In the Gospel of John, we are informed that Jesus prayed for his followers just before he was arrested and condemned to death. We read there that he said: "My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth. I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me." (John 17:9-21, NLT)

So, according to Jesus, the Christian's uniqueness was inherent in their profession of faith in him and in their determination to follow his example - NOT in separating themselves from the world around them! Jesus prayed that God would protect his disciples from the wiles and deceptions of Satan - NOT that God would isolate and protect them from non-Christians! Once again, the Christian's uniqueness and separateness resided in his/her relationship with Jesus Christ and his message - NOT in withdrawing from the wider community! Indeed, Jesus implied that his followers would serve as a witness/example to the rest of the world! The Christian would be expected to live within the world and keep him/herself from being polluted by it (James 1:27).

Likewise, in the Gospel of Matthew, we read that Christ told his followers: "You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." (5:14-6) Indeed, the commission which Christ gave to his disciples prior to his ascension to heaven makes clear that Christ was sending his disciples INTO the world. He said: "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you." (Matthew 28:19-20)

Finally, if all of that wasn't clear enough, Christ once gave a parable which made crystal clear that Christ didn't want the worldly folks "weeded out" of his field. Once again, in the Gospel of Matthew, we read: "Here is another story Jesus told: 'The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ ‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. 'Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. ‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn." (13:24-20)

And, so that there wouldn't be any room for misunderstanding, later, Christ explained the meaning of the parable to his followers. He said: "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed. The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one. The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels." (Verses 37-39) In other words, I don't want my children separating themselves from Satan's children! Jesus Christ understood that this very human impulse only produced bad fruit. The intent was to protect the good from being corrupted by the bad, but it is as they say - "the road to Hell is paved with good intentions!"

The "I AM" Statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John

1. I am the bread of life (John 6:35, NKJV)

2. I am the light of the world (John 8:12)

3. I am the door of the sheep. (John 10:7)

4. I am the good shepherd. (John 10:11)

5. I am the resurrection and the life. (John 11:25)

6. I am the way, the truth, and the life. (John 14:6)

7. I am the true vine. (John 15:1)

Do you think that the author included these seven metaphorical statements by design? OR Is it merely coincidence that they appear in this Gospel? In this connection, it should also be noted that the Gospel of John attributes this statement to Jesus: "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM" (John 8:58) Once again, do you think that John was trying to tell us something about Jesus?

Jesus IS the Plan!

Herbert Armstrong had a great deal to say about God's Master Plan for humankind. He also continuously characterized the doctrines of the Worldwide Church of God as the truth. However, although Jesus was certainly assigned a role to play in that plan and truth, Herbert Armstrong failed to comprehend that Jesus Christ WAS/IS the plan - HE was/is THE truth.

Why were Armstrong and his followers the only ones who were able to understand God's plan and truth? Herbert and company loved to quote this passage from the sixth chapter of the Gospel of John: "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them to me" (verse 44). For them, this explained why they were the only ones who understood the plan and had the truth. They simply could not see that Christ was at the center of this verse and so many others. The passage wasn't focused on what God was drawing them to, but WHO the Father was drawing them to - Jesus!

In that same Gospel, we read that Jesus also said: "Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going.' 'No, we don’t know, Lord,' Thomas said. 'We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?' Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!'" (John 14:1-7, NLT)