Jon Brisby Opens Pandora's Box Concerning Porneia

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.

The Most Spoken About Entity In Armstrongism

The Philadelphia Church of God recently finished celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, a period of time that they claim portrays the millennium and eternal peace and happiness. Then, just like a typical COG immediately after the Feast, they start harping about Satan, politics, and other useless topics that constantly occupy their minds.

Satan even rears his ugly head the day after Passover when COG followers believe all their sins from the previous year have been wiped clean. They now have a clean slate for another year of grievous sins as Satan starts filling up their scorecards.

Satan, particularly in the COG, is the entity that is mentioned the most in sermons, articles, and broadcasts. Satan is the powerful god of this world and apparently in the eyes of many COG leaders and ministers, He is far more powerful than that seldom-mentioned dude, Jesus Christ. Mention Satan and church leaders and ministers' eyes light up because they have a lot to say about the guy. Mention Jesus and they immediately shut down not knowing what really to say.

Biblical Archaeology Society has this interesting history of Satan in Judaism and Christianity.

In the Hebrew Bible, YHWH’s greatest enemies are not fallen angels commanding armies of demons, nor even the gods of other nations, but, rather, human beings. It isn’t the devil that spreads evil across the face of creation—it is mankind. Other than human beings, YHWH has no nemesis, nor are there malevolent spiritual forces not under his authority. YHWH is ultimately a god of justice. He is behind the good and the bad, behind the blessings and the curses. It is within this divine court of justice and retribution that Satan has his origins. 

 

The Hebrew word śāṭān, meaning “accuser” or “adversary,” occurs several times throughout the Hebrew Bible and refers to enemies both human and celestial alike. When referring to the celestial adversary, the word is typically accompanied by the definite article. He is ha-satan—the Accuser—and it is a job description rather than a proper name. From the Accuser’s appearances in the Books of Job and Zechariah, it seems that the job entails calling attention to the unworthiness of mankind. The Accuser is essentially the prosecuting attorney of the divine court of YHWH, and part of his job includes collecting evidence to prove his cases. With this bit of knowledge in mind, it isn’t difficult to envision the various “outcries against sin,” such as that against Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20–21), as the voice of the Accuser. 

 

It is difficult to determine at which point in Israel’s history the Accuser began to take on a much more sinister role in the Israelite/Jewish belief structure, or how heaven’s great prosecutor became the prince of darkness (Ephesians 6:12). It is certainly easy to make the connection between Israel’s time in exile and the likely influence of the cosmic dualism of Persian religion.1 However, even within books written well after the return from foreign lands, the Accuser is still a self-righteous lawyer. Though if 1 Chronicles 21:1 is any indication,2 they began to believe the Accuser wasn’t above getting his hands dirty. 

 

It is perfectly clear, however, that by the first century C.E., Judaism developed a belief in the divine forces of darkness doing battle against the forces of light. This can be seen within the New Testament and other extra-Biblical writings such as those found among the Dead Sea Scrolls. There are likely several factors that inspired these developments, including the influence of Persian, as well as Hellenistic, religions. 

 

If there was an army of evil spiritual forces making war on the righteous, they had to have a commander. It is at this time that the impersonal and lofty Accuser began to acquire the various names and titles that have filled the writings of western civilization for 2,000 years. The Greek word diabolos (from which “devil” is derived), meaning “slanderer,” comes from a verb that means “to hurl” (i.e., accusations). 

 

Diabolos was typically used as the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew śāṭān (in the Septuagint version of Job, for example), though it was not uncommon to simply transliterate the word into the Greek satanas (1 Kings 11:14). Other names used for the leader of the forces of evil at this time include Maśṭēmāh, which means “hatred” (1QM 13:4, 11; Jubilees 10:8), and Belial, a popular name among the writers of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which means “worthless” or “corrupt.” “Children of Belial” (Hebrew: bene-belial) was a typical phrase used to describe evil people in the Hebrew Bible (e.g., Deuteronomy 13:13; 1 Samuel 1:16; 2 Chronicles 13:7, etc.). If someone were searching for a name that personified evil in the Hebrew Bible, it would be Belial, not Satan. Interesting enough, the name only occurs once in the New Testament (2 Corinthians 6:15), as Paul’s stark contrast to Christ.
It is also in this period that we begin to see the development of the tradition of equating the talking serpent in the Garden of Eden with Satan (Life of Adam and Eve xi–xvii). 

 

Etruscan fresco of Typhon from the Tomba del Tifone in Tarquinia, Italy, c. third century B.C.E. According to Greek mythology, the montrous Titan Typhon battled the mighty Zeus, who bound his foe in the dark depths of Tartarus to bring about a new era of peace. 

 

Satan’s role in the New Testament, though highly expanded, has much more in common with the Accuser of the Hebrew Bible than the commander of the armies of darkness that is typically portrayed in the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even though he is given such lofty titles as “the ruler of this world” (John 12:31), “father of lies” (John 8:44), “god of this world” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “ruler of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), and Beelzebul, “ruler of the demons” (Matthew 10:25; Mark 3:22; Luke 11:15), Satan is essentially treated as nothing more than a glorified prison warden who has been corrupted by his own power. Throughout the Gospels, Satan’s “kingdom” is never considered to be a burning underworld full of the tormented dead, but, rather, is equated with the bondage of sin and the curses brought upon humanity for acts of unrighteousness. According to Jesus (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27; Luke 11:21–22), a “strong man” (Satan) must be bound in order to plunder his house for treasures (humans), and it is clear he viewed his ministry and that of his disciples within this context. All other references to Satan in the New Testament, including those in Revelation, reflect this struggle for spiritual freedom. 

 

Over the course of several centuries of influence from many different cultures, the defeated Accuser of the Christians would go on to appropriate aspects of various divine enemies (Typhon, Hades, Ahriman, Hela, to name but a few) to become the complex mythological monster that was thrown out of heaven at the beginning of time to rule the fiery underworld and torment the souls of the damned. Such a character makes for great movies and Halloween costumes, but would have been virtually unknown to anyone in Biblical times.

The Church of God movement has created its own unique understanding of Satan and the power he has over people. Far too many believe that power is unparalleled. In their eyes, Satan is equal in power to God. 

Yet Christians who understand what Jesus accomplished do not live in a constant state of fear.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers [satanic power included], nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38–89

“He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4)

 

Gerald Flurry's Latest Pathetic Snow Job On HWA and The WCG

 

Gerald Flurry sent out a letter today supposedly directed towards all present Church of God members and the unclean Laodiceans who have left the church An Open Letter to the Churches of God. It has to be the biggest snow job I have ever seen! He waxes eloquent and longingly for the days of the past when the church was supposedly one big unified family doing marvelous works as families were restored to wholeness and tranquility.

Reading it almost makes you want to gag at how syrupy and nostalgic it all is. 

Flurry writes:

Herbert W. Armstrong was part of something great. That Church was a work of miracles.
Do you remember that glorious history? Too many of God’s people don’t. God challenges us to always keep the big picture. 

 

Over Mr. Armstrong’s 55 years in Jesus Christ’s ministry, the work blossomed. It started as nothing and grew into a huge, Spirit-led work that spread God’s beautiful truth throughout the world. 

 

Mr. Armstrong oversaw a work that was based on the principle of give—which is what God’s love is. By the end of his life, each month the Church was giving 8 million free monthly copies of the Plain Truth newsmagazine (which the Trumpet magazine is patterned after). We gave 6 million copies of The United States and Britain in Prophecy, not to mention countless other magazines, newspapers, books, booklets, tracts and articles—all free. We made the World Tomorrow broadcast freely available on over 400 television stations. 

Flurry obviously never spent much time around Pasadena where the principle that ran everything was the principle of GET. More money, more power, higher rank. better homes, newer cars, etc. Corruption walked the hallways of the Hall of Ad, Finance Offices, and the Office Facilities building finding shelter in many of the top leadership of the church.

Do you remember that history? God put our tithes and offerings to magnificent use, and we were happy to be a part of such a noble cause. 

 

The Ambassador International Cultural Foundation, which Mr. Armstrong founded in 1975, freely sponsored humanitarian projects including archaeological digs, schools and anthropological excursions. Its activities stretched from Bombay to Brussels; the Philippines to the Netherlands; Tokyo to Cairo. We hosted projects in Jerusalem, Jordan, London, Nepal and Okinawa. Why? Because Mr. Armstrong wanted to preach the gospel “for a witness unto all nations” (Matthew 24:14). 

 

Using the international contacts Mr. Armstrong established through the cultural foundation, God opened doors for him to meet high-ranking officials around the world. Mr. Armstrong was invited to speak publicly on many occasions, and he took those opportunities to preach the gospel—to tell people about God’s master plan and about their incredible human potential. These events opened the way for personal appearance campaigns, where he spoke to hundreds of thousands of leading people in various countries. 

Who can forget HWA preaching about "a strong hand from someplace" Again, too embarrassed to talk about Jesus he had to dress his words so he did not come off as too religious. 

Do you remember that history? 

 

In the wcg’s hometown of Pasadena, California, we hosted the concert series, staged in the Ambassador Auditorium, which attracted world-class performing artists and brought a standard of excellence to the community. Physically, it was the crowning achievement of a work that over decades had built great resources to draw on for the betterment of mankind. 

The concert series, funded almost entirely from tithe money was a financial boondoggle that the church had to highly subsidize. Ticket sales never covered any of the events. While impressive concerts were held there, some of them even historical, the concert series was never a tool to witness about the gospel to anyone. When and if anything was ever said it was about people using their God-given potential. Jesus was just too damn embarrassing  

Under Mr. Armstrong, the Church of God practiced the way of give—of godly character, generosity, cultural enrichment, true education—of beautifying the environment and caring for fellowman. Mr. Armstrong never deviated from his God-given commission, and the work prospered! His work acknowledged God’s desire to have all men saved and brought to the knowledge of His truth (1 Timothy 2:3-6). It was an inspiring display of God’s love for all mankind. 

The way of "give" only extended as far as sending out literature, supposedly "free". As we all well know that "free" came with a 30-40% tithing statement if you joined up. 

When Mr. Armstrong died, he was highly praised by leaders and prominent individuals from around the world. Even unconverted people could clearly see what a towering legacy of love and generosity he left behind and were deeply impressed by it. Certainly we in the Church all recognized on a much deeper level what he had achieved. 

"Unconverted" people clearly saw the gifts of Steuben Crystal and financial donations as quick entrances into their offices. No gospel was ever preached and if it accidentally might have been, there was never any follow-up or encouragement by the church to continue to instruct these leaders or their countries. Sure, doing an archeological dig helped out the countries they did it in or the setting up of schools to teach English or disadvantaged children. All of these did good, but no gospel was ever preached, Jesus was never taught. Yet, all of this was funded by tithe money that people send after they were fed slick stories on how awesome this new "door" for the "work" was to be. 

Do you remember that glorious history?  

Now, did Mr. Armstrong do all that? Certainly he worked hard to implement God’s law and government and to walk by faith. But was the work so powerful and effective simply because of Mr. Armstrong’s intellect or advertising expertise? Did Mr. Armstrong swing open all those mighty doors? 

 

No—the great God did that! 

 

It doesn’t take great spiritual discernment to recognize that God was behind that work—God was blessing that work—God was empowering and multiplying that work—as Mr. Armstrong submitted to Him. 

Yet, that "powerful "work" had already splintered and ruptured untold numbers of members over the decades. God sure was not able to keep his church unified, even though Pasadena brass was constantly saying the church was unified. 

No man could have ever built such a marvelous and wondrous work in this satanic world. It was built and sustained by the miracles of the living God!

Satan was a bigger god in the church than Jesus ever was. No one was mentioned more than Satan was. He lurked around every corner, behind every hedge, and in every office building ready to devour church members because God and Jesus were too inept to do anything about it.

Flurry continues:

Family Education 

What truly distinguished Mr. Armstrong’s accomplishments was that they were all built upon the foundation of God’s truth. God flooded Mr. Armstrong with biblical understanding, restoring all foundational true doctrine to His Church through that man. We learned and lived by the wonderful truths of God, and our lives were richer as a result. 

Anyone who has ever had a minimal amount of understanding of Christian belief knows for a fact that God's word was never lost. Jesus was never lost. Hundreds of millions of Christians have died in the faith knowing their standing was God was secure, unlike COG members who were always fretting about losing their salvation. Millions have been slaughtered for their beliefs while standing firm in their salvation, yet the COG arrogantly implies they were all too stupid to understand and therefore need CCOG leaders like HWA and Flurry to restore so-called lost truths to them.

Right at the heart of Mr. Armstrong’s teaching was his instruction about the God-plane institution of family (Malachi 4:5-6). He taught us how to build beautiful marriages and to rear happy children. We educated our children with Youth Educational Services lessons; we provided our teens rich experiences through the Youth Opportunities United program—with its sporting events, talent shows and summer camps. 

Flurry glosses over the rampant divorce rate in the church. The parents that abused their children mentally, physically, and sexually. The stalkers and rapists in the ministry. The pedophiles that were ministers. The pedophiles that were on staff at Imperial Schools. The children of evangelists and high-up ministers who were drug pushers.

Do you remember what life was like in the Church under Mr. Armstrong? If you were applying God’s family education, then you have personally experienced the blessings that come as a result! Do you remember that? 

Those that were abused can NEVER forget!  

Naturally, the Church wasn’t perfect; there were problems. Some members and even ministers did not implement God’s loving family government the right way. But the problem went beyond simple neglect. Revelation 3:9 tells us that “the synagogue of Satan” was actually at work within the Church of the Philadelphia era—under Mr. Armstrong! 

Here we go again! Powerful Satan continues to get the upper hand on Jesus and God thwarting them at every move.  

The Bible is filled with prophecies that show how God knew this crisis would happen—and actually allowed it in order to test our loyalty to Him. The Bible also shows that He is going to bring every abuse to judgment. God will not be mocked! I strongly encourage you to request a free copy of my book Malachi’s Message for a very thorough scriptural study of God’s perspective on what happened to His Church. 

Oh yes, write in for the book that Flurry stole and copied word for word from Jules Dervaies' The Letter to Laodicea.  For more information about Flurry's corruption see: The PLAIN TRUTH About Malachi’s Message And THAT PROPHET. Next to Dave Pack and Bob Thiel, the Church of God has never seen a more corrupt man than Gerald Flurry.

Many of God’s people have turned away from God altogether—because of the mistakes and sins of men. They are missing the big picture. 

Men like Flurry, Pack, Weinland, and Thiel are corrupt and spiritually abusive men who have turned untold numbers away from God. Lies and half-truths make up their so-called ministries. 

Do the sins of men change the truth of God? 

 

Mr. Armstrong has been dead nearly 34 years now. But did the Almighty God who empowered his work die? 

 

Is God too weak to do the same marvelous work today—simply because a man has passed from the scene? 

 

Absolutely not.

Ha Ha!

Flurry then pulls a Bob Thiel and has to say he is the modern-day Elijah. The bullshit just keeps piling higher and higher! 

“My Father, My Father” 

When the Prophet Elijah was carried away in a whirlwind, his student Elisha was moved with emotion. “And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces” (2 Kings 2:12). 

 

Elijah was not Elisha’s physical father. But he was his spiritual father. That is because Elisha and the sons of the prophets came to God through Elijah. In that sense they were all his sons. 

 

Some people didn’t see Elijah’s office as one of importance, but Elisha saw that it was the only office that could lead and carry Israel forward! It was Israel’s only hope—then and now! He saw that, ultimately, all Israel would be governed by the teachings of Elijah. His statement, “My father, my father,” revealed a deep understanding and a beautiful attitude. God liked it so much that He used Elisha to succeed Elijah. God loved his attitude. 

 

Some people today scoff at such an attitude, but it is very biblical. The Apostle Paul told the Church members in Corinth, “I write not these things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you” (1 Corinthians 4:14). Paul considered his followers to be his spiritual sons. Why? “For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel” (verse 15). Paul was their spiritual father because they came to God through him. He called himself their spiritual father. 

 

Mr. Armstrong said the same to all of those who came to God, either directly or indirectly, through him. 

 

The original Elijah and the end-time Elijah held extremely important “father” offices for God. The Philadelphia Church of God, like Elisha, recognizes that fact. This is the foundational issue that sets the pcg apart from any other Church of God group. If you follow the Elisha example in this respect, God will make you a king with a headquarters position forever. Why? Because this foundational truth points us to God the Father. 

Such utter bullshit! For a Christian, the foundational TRUTH is Jesus Christ. Not some stinking turd leading some splinter group here in the United States.  As a side note: Why are all COG splinter groups led by WHITE privileged Americans? Why is no one from Europe, Australia, Africa, or the Philippines? Who is no one of color?

Do you view Mr. Armstrong the way God does?

Flurry continues to blabber on:

The God of Elijah 

After Elijah was gone, Elisha learned an important lesson. “He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over” (2 Kings 2:13-14). 

 

If you study this account in the original Hebrew language, you will see that the first time Elisha came up to the Jordan, he smote the water but didn’t speak—and nothing happened. Then he asked the important question, “Where is the Lord God of Elijah?” and smote the water, and the river opened up and he walked across! 

 

Do you want to know how to do the work of God today? How to have doors open for you—even rivers, if necessary? Here is the formula. Elisha knew where the God of Elijah was, and he was following his spiritual father. So God opened up the river for him, just as He did for Elijah. 

 

Where is the God of Elijah today? Where is the great Almighty God who did that powerful work?
Can you answer that question? Far too many of God’s people aren’t even asking it! 

 

God did not die with Mr. Armstrong! Yet none of the scattered churches of God have that kind of power. They don’t receive and proclaim God’s revelation. They don’t have the right government. And their works are frankly devoid of the kind of miracles and wonders that were almost routine when the work was led by Mr. Armstrong. 

 

We must find and remain with the God of Elijah! 

 

All baptized members of the Church of God during the Philadelphia era will be held accountable for the fact that they were with that God for so long. The tragic fact is this: Not only have most of God’s people left Him—most of them are not even interested in where He is! If they wanted to know, they would submit to God’s government and end up in God’s true Church.

This is such disgusting bullshit! there is no other word more appropriate for it than bullshit. God is no more involved in the Philadelphia Church of God than he is in the improperly named "continuing" Church of God.

Flurry then has a slobber-fest on how awesome his college and work are and ends with this:

And—most importantly—God has continued to bless us, as He did Mr. Armstrong, with new revelation. The living God did not stop speaking to His people when Mr. Armstrong died. He has continued to give us “present truth” (2 Peter 1:12) that builds upon the foundation of the truth He restored through Mr. Armstrong. The pcg produces over 100 books and booklets, the large majority of which contain new biblical understanding from the great God. 

How can God be blessing the COG with new revelation when Dave Pack and Bob Thiel claim they and they alone are the sole possessor of new revelation. They are either lying or God is. 

That is the single greatest proof that the God who inspired Mr. Armstrong is behind our work.
We hope you can clearly identify the same miracles and blessings that built Mr. Armstrong’s work. Most of all, we hope and pray that you can recognize the work of the God of Elijah! 

 

Our time in this age of man is fast running out. God is growing much more urgent in trying to reach His sons who have turned away from Him, because eternal life hangs in the balance. We urge you to respond to Him!

Jesus be damned! It's all about Flurry. No one has a more magnificent work than he does. No one! Eat your heart out Bobby Boy!  You are a nobody compared to Flurry!

Anyone, even a nominal Christian needs to run as fast as they can away from Flurry and his church. Your salvation may depend on it!