An Open Letter To The Ministry of the United Church of God
(First of all…Change the name.)
I used to be one of you. I spent 26 years watching human beings posture, pronounce, declare, defend, ridicule, rebel, on again and off again their way through the pages of the Bible. I have to say how nice it is not to be embroiled still in this current round of “nothing new under the sun.” It wore me out as a younger man and certainly would make me question if I had wasted my life time as an older man were I still hanging on to majoring in the minors and the very small box of how all of the Churches of God view their world.
That being said, you’re not going to fix this. Why not? Because no two people are the same and while a “strong” (bully) leader may get outward compliance, most people who disagree on this or that approach, idea, speculation, fact or fiction do so because we all filter our world of perceptions differently for the most part.
I’d like to take you on a short journey through the politics of the New Testament so you can see what I know you don’t see and that I never saw while soaking in the very texts. I will assume you know your Bible, so pardon me if I don’t reference every thought. As Bible readers and perhaps piously convicted, let me show you where I also believe you, like myself in the past, are marginally informed about such things.
Do you understand that The Apostle Paul and Luke really really didn’t like Peter nor did they think he should ever lead anything in the Church of God? Do you understand that the story of Annanias and Sapphira, in Acts, so often used to put fear into the brethren is, in fact, a cruel joke on Peter and a message to Paul’s followers to disregard his leadership? It’s true. That’s how writers sent their coded messages to the members. When they read that account, (and it never happened literally. Romans just can’t let you kill people in your Church without an investigation.) they understood the joke. Here you have a man, Peter the Great, striking down two misguided members for saying one thing (giving all) and yet doing another (holding back). Ahem, excuse me. Everyone knew that Peter ALSO had said he’d do one thing, (never leave Jesus) and did another (denied him). So simple a message. Don’t follow Peter. It was a slam against Peter and a message to the followers of Paul. Pretty cool actually.
The community of John’s believers also had little use for Peter. Did you realize that every time in John, where John refers to Peter, he sandwiches him between two references to Judas. It’s true. Judas-Peter-Judas. What was that message to the followers of John? Simple…Judas betrayed Jesus and Peter denied him. No difference, so don’t follow him. John even tries to make a fool out of Peter in the race to the tomb by noting that Peter came in second in the race, ran into the tomb but somehow couldn’t come up with understanding it. John, however, understood clearly. Lesson…follow John not stupid Peter.
However, it all worked out nicely because in the Bible, the one you over read at times yet miss the content, it all works out for Peter. You see, the Gospel of John has two endings. Chapter 20 is the original and Chapter 21 has been added, years later no doubt to reinstate Peter. John’s community of believers lost the fight against Peter. Someone tacked what may or may not be the missing chapter at the end of Mark (a book that has no good ending) on to the already ended Gospel of John to tell the world Peter is ok after all.
I know you know how Paul had to withstand Peter to his face over Peter’s withdrawing from the table when some of James’s men showed up. Paul makes it sound like Peter had a problem with Gentiles. But what Peter really had a problem with was Paul. It was obvious to Peter that Paul was not following the rules he agreed to follow in Acts 15 about telling Gentiles to abstain from meats offered to idols. I bet there was plenty of it on the table that night. After all, Paul told the Corinthians that “we know that the idol is nothing, but in all men is not that knowledge.” Paul was slamming his fellow Apostles and really not inforcing any such rule in his churches. Peter was not reacting to any Gentiles at the table or any issue of meat being unclean. He was reacting to Paul’s obvious change of heart in teaching what they all agreed to teach Gentiles (The Noahide Rules) in Acts 15.
So what have learned? Well…Paul really dislikes Peter. Peter really mistrusts Paul. John really thought Peter was stupid. Luke really mistrusted Peter. James really mistrusted Paul and all of them had different views on the way to be or not to be as Christians.
If you thought, as I once did, and I know you still do, that all these guys got along and all believed the same thing, you’re going to have a rude awakening in the world of the New Testament politics and upheaval in the Church.
Let’s take one final journey into this world of “but we all have to speak the same thing.”
I never understood the Book of Galatians and just how self centered the Apostle Paul was until I really read it for what it really says. Clearly, Paul was the self appointed head of the Gentile Christian Church while James, Peter and John headed up the Jewish version. Of the 24 times Paul is called an Apostle in the NT, he calls himself one 22 of those times….hmmm. Seems the Jerusalem faction could not come to label Paul and Apostle. The other two were by Luke who was Paul’s apologist in Acts endeavoring to make it seem like they were all on the same page theologically even thought they weren’t.
I’d go so far to say that it is the Apostle Paul that got booted out of the Ephesian Church in Revelation as one who said he was an Apostle but was not and this was why Paul lamented that ‘all those in Asia have forsaken me,” but I spare you. He meant, all Jewish Christians forsook him. You’d think that if “all” forsook you, you might want to ask why intead of blaming them. But Paul was a bit of a loon at times.
But on to Galatians chapters 1-2. Hold on to your Mitre’s
1Paul, an apostle—sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— 2and all the brothers with me,
To the churches in Galatians
So first of all, we see that Paul was not a team player. His version of the Gospel and Jesus came in visions and was hallucinatory in nature. Paul never asked others about what to believe about Jesus. He was the Alpha and Omega on these issues and had a direct line to God and Jesus.
3Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, 4who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, 5to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
6I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
So aside from Paul saying somewhere, “when cursed, we bless and do not curse” Paul curses and condemns this bunch. These were the Jewish Christians as in Peter, James and John.
10Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.
Hey hold on here! Is this the same Paul who said that he was all things to all men so that he might save some? Is the Paul who said, to a Jew I became a Jew, to a Gentile, I became a Gentile? Which is it and how much can you trust a guy like this anyway? I spare you.
11I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. 12I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
So at least we know Paul didn’t go the the school of James or bothered to ask those who actually had met Jesus in real life (according to the story) what Jesus taught. It’s ok. Paul never quotes Jesus or knows nothing of the Gospel Jesus anyway. He never met the man. From this we also learn that Paul thought all the other, as in Peter, James and John, made it all up.
13For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. 14I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when God, who set me apart from birth[a] and called me by his grace, was pleased 16to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man, 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went immediately into Arabia and later returned to Damascus.
No humility here. Forget the Damascus Road story in Acts. Paul, like Jeremiah and Jesus was called from the womb. End of discussion. God revealed Jesus in Paul. Notice that Paul admits he consults with no man nor did he go up to see anyone who was an Apostle before him. Sounds a lot like your old school chums who now have their own splinters doesn’t it. This account of Paul directly contradicts Luke’s Damascus Road story, which also contradicts itself three times in Acts.
18Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Peter[b] and stayed with him fifteen days. 19I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother. 20I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie. 21Later I went to Syria and Cilicia. 22I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy." 24And they praised God because of me.
Paul is real good on “me, me, me” The reason we know Paul did not write Hebrews is this very factor in Paul’s writings is completely missing in Hebrews. Paul also often resorts to “I lie not,” so we know he was or was being accused of it.
Galatians 2
Paul Accepted by the Apostles
1Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain. 3Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4This matter arose because some false brothers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might remain with you.
Forget that in Acts Paul is hustled down to see the Apostles in Jerusalem after he recovers his sight. So finally, afters years, Paul goes to see “those who seemed to be leaders.” “Seemed”? You do know he is talking about Peter, James and John of the Jewish church don’t you? False Brethren to Paul were those stinker Jewish Christians under Peter, James and John.
6As for those who seemed to be important—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not judge by external appearance—those men added nothing to my message. 7On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles,[c] just as Peter had been to the Jews.[d] 8For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9James, Peter[e] and John, those reputed to be pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship when they recognized the grace given to me. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles, and they to the Jews. 10All they asked was that we should continue to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.
Did you catch that? “Seemed to be important,” “whatever (or whoever) they were (they were Peter, James and John) makes NO difference to me.” No difference? Whoa. They added NOTHING to my message? Double whoa.
Now get ready for this one. “James, Peter and John, those reputed to be pillars…” Gulp. Reputed? Are the lights going on here for you? Are these guys getting along? I think not.
Paul Opposes Peter
11When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. 12Before certain men came from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he began to draw back and separate himself from the Gentiles because he was afraid of those who belonged to the circumcision group. 13The other Jews joined him in his hypocrisy, so that by their hypocrisy even Barnabas was led astray.
I vote this is Paul’s side of the story. Oh that we had Peter’s. I suspect Peter saw that Paul was not adhering to the rules Paul agreed to in Acts 15 and the meat, while great meat for all, had come from Pagan altars in town.
So you see, there truly is nothing new under the sun. The early NT church was awash in conflict and controversy amongst themselves. So in this sense, all the COG’s really are the true Church. At least they act like them as seen, when you remove your, through the “all is well” filter, in the NT.
It is sad to me how many decades this issue of government in the Church causes rebellion in the body. I certainly don’t miss it. My phone doesn’t ring often but when it does it is not some angry or confused soul demanding I stand up for the one right way which depends on who you favor.
What is more sad is the dis-illusionment the average, very sincere, church member has to put up with as they seek yet again to find the one true church. They won’t ever find one I fear. Granted, they won’t see anything but harmony between Peter, James, John and Paul, but you are supposed to be able to show them what is and not what you wish was.
I am sorry for the pain of upheaval. I have had my fair share and still do. It rips at one’s heart and soul. My wish for you is to find some reality in your misperceptions of the Bible and how it “should” or “must “ be understood. Remember, I know how you think. I was one of you. But the box you and I both got in years ago because it was the one true box, is much much bigger than you think. I also know you don’t really have the freedom, except privately hoping no one finds out, to examine this.
I hope I have helped just a few to see that the entire New Testament was one huge “Fiery Trial” and the fire was between the key players..Peter, James, John and Paul. I know how you have been trained to filter out what some parts and players in the NT were really saying, or to cover it up with smoke and mirrors so it still fits the group think. But it is ripping you apart and I’d like to suggest you invite Rodney King to speak to you his one short famous line…”Can’t we all just get along?” Beats a four hour sermon on “and yes Brethren, I am that Apostle.” I love that line in you know whose sermon on “How I got to be an Apostle. ..send it in.”
Regards
Dennis C Diehl
Former one of you.
