Ever since Herbert Armstrong hit the scene and in the subsequent years after his death, the Church of God has been filled with men who claim to have direct access to God, that their words and writings are God-inspired, and that we as members are to heed every word that comes from them as the "truth." The problem lies when men like Pack, Flurry, Thiel, Weinland, and others say things, they expect us to take it all as being true when the vast majority of us know they are liars and blasphemers.
In the churches of God, we have heard over and over that God ordained the ministry and, therefore, they are the only ones who have the ability to interpret scripture. Bible studies held without a minister present are frowned upon, if not outright forbidden.
But what does scripture say?
Scripture says when we’re baptized, all of us whom God has called and chosen have the same two things: God’s spirit and God’s word.
Nothing irritates many of today's COG leaders than the laity sitting around and discussing scriptures. How dare they! They have not been educated at God's College, whatever and wherever that may be, so how can they know the proper meaning of scripture!
One of the amazing things about Judaism is that many of them regularly sit around and discuss and argue scripture. So many in the COG think it is blasphemy to argue over scripture, but if you look at the different COG leaders today, they all do that in their own unique way. The main way is when they each declare that God has delivered to them the CORRECT version of how things should be. That immediately negates every other COG leader out there. Then those offended COG leaders ramp up the discourse and clam revelations and dreams sent by their god to them. It is all one huge mess.
Jesus Christ, in Matthew 11, invites us to learn from Him. Luke tells us that the Bereans poured over the scriptures to compare what they were hearing preached with the word of God to see if the preaching matched what God says.
Paul repeatedly admonishes us to study to show ourselves approved by rightly dividing the word of truth and to prove all things and to work out our salvation (this indicates an intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ, which is impossible without being in the word of God).
Many COG members, regardless of the group they are in or not in, know far more about scriptures than most of the COG leaders today. There are women in the COG who can up to shame most of the present-day COG leaders, which I think is hilarious!
The diaspora (this was all the Hebrew Christians, not just some) is admonished in the book of Hebrews that they should be spiritually mature enough to be teachers, but that they are not because they haven’t learned how to discern between right (God’s word) and wrong (everything else) and good (godliness) and evil (worldliness).
Scripture does not say what we often hear in the churches of God. However, this belief among the church of God ministers is (although most of them probably don’t realize it) designed to make the non-ministers dependent on them for everything.
But we are supposed to be dependent on God and Jesus Christ for everything, not another human being just like ourselves.
Although this may be unconscious, it is a perversion of the word of God.
The belief that COG ministers and leaders are the direct conduit from God in all matters, both spiritual and physical is not only a perversion of the Word of God but utter blasphemy. Look at the perverted things they say and how members suffer under their leadership.
I wonder how many COG members out there actually study the Bible WITHOUT any HWA booklets or writings of any other COG leader? There are Christians in the "world" who are far better versed in the meaning of Scripture than many COG members because they are willing to look at many sources. Sadly though, far too many sit there month after month, year after year waiting for their minister or leader to tell them how things should be.
We, as followers of Jesus Christ, bear responsibility as well. Many of us aren’t abiding in the Vine continually by digging into the word of God and reading it (the words on the page, not the words we think are on the page), thinking about it (as the source against which we compare the words we have heard, not the other way around), learning it, and applying it.
Instead, many of us look to human words (in writing, in sermons, etc.) for knowledge, instead of to God’s words. We are not guiltless in the perversion of the word of God either.
You can read the entire article here which includes two examples of subtle deceptions of a couple of current COG ministers.
Concretized Christianity: “Huh?!?” Things We Hear…
1 John 2:27 RSV.....but the anointing which you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that any one should teach you; as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie, just as it has taught you, abide in him.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason why the COG leaders don’t want lay members to study the scriptures themselves, is that they don’t want you to start thinking for yourself.
ReplyDeleteLay members thinking for themselves is the biggest threat there is for the COG’s. Because people that think for themselves would immediately see all the bull crap that’s going on. And God forbid that.. Members would leave, and less members = less money for Pack, Thiel, Flurry and Co.
I say: start thinking!
The Roman Catholic Church has their priests who are so essential for the administration of the sacraments. Just like the C of God, the "clergy" try to make themselves indispensable to the members. They claim to have the knowledge, the ability to dispense grace, etc. This give them power to control the people. No one but the priest can baptize, or forgive sins, etc. The priests are the go between between members and God, but I don't see any "priests" in the NT church, only elders and deacons. All believers are priests, which strips clergy of much of their power, if we all claimed it.
ReplyDelete"I wonder how many COG members out there actually study the Bible WITHOUT any HWA booklets or writings of any other COG leader?"
ReplyDeleteummm, that would be what we do, which is why we are out of step with a few official Church positions....and it's very rare that the ministry is willing to discuss any of them....but then, HWA did say to believe the bible over him, didn't he?
Most of them don't mind you studying the Bible.
ReplyDeleteBut questioning them on why the church is not following it....
Better to leave when you figure this out.
The problem I ran into, is on some questions, there are no answers - or at least no good answers.
TLA noted: "The problem I ran into, is on some questions, there are no answers - or at least no good answers."
ReplyDeleteThe problem tended to be when there were no answers or no good ones, someone still felt obligated to make up answers anyway. It got to be the classic majoring in the minors. Some things were none of the church's business either but they had a hard time figuring out which things those were. That's where I learned in my ministry, "Ask and you shall not have. Do not ask and all things are possible." :)
Most of them don't mind you studying the Bible.
ReplyDeleteBut questioning them on why the church is not following it....
Better to leave when you figure this out.
Not in LCG. Some members in Charlotte were asked to study a non-canonical book (quoted in a couple of canonical books of the Bible) in a Living University class. They did as they were instructed to do. Rod McNair found out, and hounded those members out of LCG, except for one family that gave some big donations to "buy" their way back in.
I don't know which is more pathetic, that McNair threw people out for being obedient LU students, or that after being thrown out one family was so desperate that they "bought" their way back into LCG. Wouldn't you figure out that if you can buy your way back you aren't buying into something of God?
It is not just “Pack, Flurry, Thiel, Weinland” that promote this. It is in the more mainstream COG’s. Here is part of a letter sent to UCG members in Australia a few months ago:
ReplyDeleteThose ordained to preach the gospel are ‘sent’ – therefore, those who ‘send’ these ‘teachers’ must have ‘authority’ to do so. Where does that authority originate? From the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ, as He has appointed these ecclesiastical roles and responsibilities within the Body of the Church, (I Cor. 12:27-28; Eph. 4:8, 11) so that the Body would be edified by the “truth” being preached “in love” (Eph. 4:12-16). Within this environment the members of the Body ‘learn Christ’ (V20), in a structured way, that is they learn how to think and live like Jesus Christ, as they are ‘taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus’ (V21). The truth is ‘in’ the Body which Jesus Christ leads and directs (Col 1:18). Paul’s SPS statement in I Timothy 3:15 captures one of the great purposes of the Church of God: “…I write so that you may know how to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”
Consider our connection with ‘the Truth’ this age. Where did you and I learn the truth - about God, about God’s plan of salvation? We learned it from the Church. No other church denomination – nor indeed any other belief system in the world – other than the Church of God - understands, upholds, and preaches the truth of God, as it is revealed in, by, and through, Jesus Christ! Outside of the ‘Church of God’, no other church denomination preaches with clear Biblical exegesis, that the Holy Days and Festivals of God reveal precious hope-giving insights into the Plan of God! We all found out about that hope right here – in the Church of God.
It is also important to remember ’how’ God revealed that truth to us - God did not reveal it to all of us ‘individually’, and then we somehow ‘found’ each other. No! We learned it from the Church – when God opened our minds to understand the truths taught by the Church and drew us into that structured Body.
Over many years, information on various Biblical topics was presented in ‘Booklets’. It is quite interesting then that this same information is now called a ‘Study Aid’ or a ‘Study Guide’. This extensive range of material is intended to be an aid and a guide to our study of the Bible – to give us guidance and insights into understanding the truths of the Bible for that is one of the great purposes of the Church. In the spirit of Paul’s instruction in Romans 10:14 (quoted above), this ‘preaching’ is ‘sent’ in the form of ‘Study Aids’ and ‘Study Guides’ – and various other mediums including sermons and bible studies from the ministry of the Church. All of this comes from and through the Church of God.
It is also worth noting that the Church promotes – and itself practices – certain rules of exegesis – rules by which to study God’s word faithfully – to ensure we all “rightly divide the Word of truth”.
Following these rules – and recognising the central role the Holy Spirit plays in revealing truth (John 14:17, 26) – the Church of God has produced clear and sound “Study Aids” for more than 80 years on a range of Biblical doctrines that only the Church of God understands and has consistently taught in the modern era.
Did you or I come to this depth and breadth of Biblical truth and understanding apart from the Church? No – and we didn’t, because that is not how God works. These ‘study guides’ enhance and provide direction for our study of God’s inspired Word – helping to bring us to completion – helpful to understanding salvation through Christ (II Tim. 3:14-17). They are not ‘God’s Word’ – but they are important in helping us understand God’s Word more fully.