Church of God, The Eternal
Current leader Jon Brisby is the successor of the late Raymond Cole.
From a reader
In December of 2021, Jon Brisby pastor director of Church of God, the Eternal, opened Pandora's box concerning the teaching on Divorce and Remarriage. In two messages entitled "Just what do you mean the faith once delivered" numbers 48 and 49, he delves into the interpretation of the word "Porneia". Using scripture to support his message, but excluding other scripture, sets up an easy-to-knock down argument on one hand similar in nature to his topic, while on the other hand presents the argument he has formed around the word Porneia. His assertion postulates that the definition of the word Porneia is much more expansive in meaning than just merely pertaining to sins of a sexual nature, i.e. fornication, adultery, etc... His tactic makes his argument look legitimate because the easy argument he sets up can be clearly seen in scripture, which makes sense and is easily knocked down, but the assertion that he is trying to make look legitimate on the other hand, is convoluted in Greek and Hebrew and bogged down in multiple scriptures that he has put together himself. This blurs the listeners ability to discern the error because of how the two are mixed together. It all seems legit.
Ironically, this little church group screams to the heavens in defense of this teaching as it was taught prior to the changes made in WWCG 1974. Here we are almost 50 years later, and the sanctity of marriage is yet under attack once again within this little group. In short, Mr. Brisby states that God would have never bound a marriage that has fraud (Porneia) involved in it if the fraud happened prior to the marriage. Porneia he says, has a broad definition, and because of this, the word does not pertain to sexual sins alone. He elaborates more on this broad meaning in #49.
If you can already see where this is going, then you can see Pandora's box wide open. When we date a person with marriage in mind, and we get serious about it, how many agreements or promises are made between the two during courting? How many of those are serious? How many of those may be inconsequential to either party? If I follow Jon Brisby's logic, if I lied about my love for chocolate cake (which she hates) prior to the marriage, and then she discovers this in marriage; God never bound it because it is fraud or Porneia, and she can divorce me according to mans law. As laughable as that sounds, that's the box this man has opened.
This man is clever, and it takes an astute alert listener to hear the interwoven layers of deception. This group as of the past few years has had some issues with marriages, and it is no secret that there are favored ones who Jon would like to keep in the congregation. Money, i.e. tithe payers is always at the root of it. Why not joggle teaching around a little to keep these favored ones around with the future option of a new mate available to them? Now justified by convoluted teaching that if confronted, would get you kicked out. Seems like a well played plan to me.
14 comments:
Funny they are so hard on divorce when they actively blow up marriages.
Maybe he is creating some loopholes for himself?
Brisby admitted in a sermon that he counseled a man to divorce his wife over financial reasons.
"Just what do you mean the faith once delivered" numbers 48 and 49...
Is this man trying to be the successor to David Pack? Albeit way behind in the race?
The Greek word Porneia, according to Strong's Concordance, means prostitution (harlotry), and by extension idolatry. From it we get the English word pornography.
God is telling us to abstain from prostituting ourselves, or visiting prostitutes, or making pornography.
The writer of this post forgot to add that there is also a "Just what do you mean the faith once delivered"? #50, and possibly #51 where Brisby continues with the word "Porneia" and his assertion that the word has a much broader definition. Check those out to get everything in context.
The word "porneia" was prominent in the discussions prior to HWA's reversal of the original D & R doctrines, the last straw for Raymond Cole, causing him to go off and start his own splinter, over which Jon presides. The word must have been stuck in somebody's craw for the past almost 50 years!
All one has to do is take a listen to the very first message on "Marriage and Separation" by Jon's predecessor Mr. Cole. There couldn't be two more opposite teachings between these men. Mr Cole is correct.
Right, but that's what absolute pride and arrogance does to a man who likes to meddle. On one hand he will go into a marriage like a bull in a china shop and attempt to separate it, and then on the other hand, work to open up avenues for someone he favors to possibly remarry. Sounds double minded to me. Do we know someone else like that who wanted absolute power? Yes we do.
Fast forward to 58 minutes into his predecessor Mr. Coles first message on "Marriage and Separation", and you will hear that he says that no man, including a minister, has the authority to do this. Mr. Brisby is going to have to answer for this.
It's all about power and control. Power and control over members lives.
They run to try and ruin marriages and then run away from the members wrecked lives in any aftermath. They deny marriage to some, whilst others re-marry numerous times.
It's nothing to do with marriage but everything to do with control. Power and control over members lives.
Yeah he said he told the man to divorce his wife in a message entitled something like "a history on ministerial judgements".
Pornea îs sexual immorality, and yes blatantly lying makes you unbound immediately, let's say the person said they loved you but in fact they only wanted to marry you because you own real estate. That's an example. Common! There's so many people that marry and divorce in the COG groups, 1, 2, 3 divorces, when does it stop?!
That's not new. They've always pretty much believed that. There has always been a technical way out of marriage if you tried hard enough and were clever and smart enough to find it. What's asinine is people asking or allowing th ministry into their personal business. If you can't think for yourself, you belong in a halfway house. That said, most cog members would be in a halfway or nutt house if they didn't have a crazy controlling church to keep them subdued. So I guess cults do actually serve society with purpose
Post a Comment