The Jot, the Tittle and Liberalism: The Retaining of the Law of Moses in Armstrongist Theology

 

The Jot, the Tittle and Liberalism:

The Retaining of the Law of Moses in Armstrongist Theology

By Neo

 

But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying, That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.  Acts 15:5, KJV. 

 

“Paul shows right here that Gods law is not abolished — that it is "written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart" (II Cor. 3:3).  God's laws — His commandments, statutes and judgments — are to be in our hearts — we are to live them by the power of God's Spirit.”  

– Rod Meredith in “Is Obedience to God Required for Salvation?”

“GOD’S MESSAGE is NOT one of LICENSE, BUT one of OBEDIENCE. For God says, “One jot or tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matt. 5: 17-18). EVERYONE everywhere, who would live forever, MUST COME TO LIVE BY ALL THE LAW!” 

– Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course, Lesson 23, p. 3. 

Armstrongist theology requires that the Mosaic Law kept by adherents to the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong.  Not only must the Law of Moses be kept in toto but it is also written on the heart under the New Covenant.  This means not only the preservation of the letter but any greater stringency that is exegeted out of, for instance, the Sermon on the Mount.  Given this doctrinal position in Armstrongist theology, it is worthwhile knowing what Jesus was speaking of in Matt 5:18 – the jot and tittle verse.   He was talking about nothing less than the full Mosaic Law – including not only laws, statutes and judgments but also ritual, sacrifices and other prescribed elements of liturgy.  Further, the compliance with some of this litigation required the context of the Temple in Jerusalem.   Required Temple worship was removed from Judaic practice in Rabbinical Judaism after 70 AD - not in the Bible. 

Later, after the sacrifice of Jesus, both the animal sacrifices and the ministration of death were excluded from the New Covenant.   So Jesus in Matt 5:17-18 was not speaking of the New Covenant law that would be instituted in the future for the church but the intact Mosaic Law that he kept when he was living under the Old Covenant.   And the jot and tittle constraint immediately underwent revision after Jesus’ death.  Other laws such as circumcision were magnified to become spiritual principles. 

Rhetorically, why then would Armstrongists use Matt 5:17-18 that refers to a transitional and superseded condition pertaining to Jesus’ life on earth to move elements of the Mosaic Law into the New Covenant?   For instance, Matt 5:17-18 is cited as part of the Armstrongist argument for retaining the Old Covenant tithing law as a New Covenant church requirement for salvation.  But by using Matt 5:17-18 to retain tithing, Armstrongists make themselves doctrinally liable to keep the entire Mosaic Law – every jot and every tittle.  They target tithing and the Sabbath and other select laws, for instance, but seem to almost inadvertently open the door to the full scope of the Mosaic Law as a requirement for salvation.  Re-read the quotation from the Ambassador College Correspondence Course above. 

The frightening (for Armstrongists) issue is that they have bound up their salvation in the keeping of the Mosaic Law in its full scope by misapplying Matt 5:17-18.     Whereas, they have readily adopted tithing and the Sabbath, what about this law of equal status and written also on their hearts:

"Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!'” (Leviticus 13:45, NIV)

The term “defiling disease” is in Hebrew tzara’at.  It is not clear what this means medically but the Jewish Study Bible analyzes it extensively and concludes that it refers to a “scale disease” or “surface affection.” It does not refer to leprosy.  How many Armstrongists follow this law, for instance, when their teenagers develop acne?  The only way you can get around this would be to claim that it falls below the threshold of being a jot or a title and, hence, can be disregarded.  (Note: I see in this scripture the endorsement for using masks to prevent the spread of diseases – at least as translated in the NIV.)  So here is an example of a law in the Old Testament, written on the heart and required for salvation, that no Armstrongist keeps. 

So how do Armstrongists reduce the cognitive dissonance – the uneasy state of mind stemming from the discrepancy between what the Law of Moses states and what they actually do?  From what I learned when I was an Armstrongist is that they resort to liberalism.  They void the jot and tittle principle by brazenly modifying what Herman Hoeh taught was God’s eternal, moral law.  This is a radical liberal approach.  A conservative approach is to retain every jot and every tittle just as Jesus defined the scope.  HWA many times used the term “liberal” as an epithet.  One wonders why.  A radical liberal revisionist approach is to believe that the Mosaic Law can be modified at will.   So the jot and tittle principle is nullified and now Armstrongists can stay at a nice hotel rather than experience the rigors of a scripturally prescribed brush arbor. To make it clear, Jesus’ statement in Matt 5:17-18 encompasses the idea of staying in a brush arbor only.  And so apparently for Armstrongists God’s Great Moral Law is not really so eternal after all.    It only lasts until there is a need to change it for convenience. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morally Reprehensible Philadelphia Church of God Has The Cure For Post Feast Blues

 

When Church of God members head home after attending Feast sites, they are usually filled with joy after visiting with friends and family at Feast sites and also filled with dread at having to go back to the doldrums of life waiting for them at home.

Many experience a post Feast let down as they return to tiny little church areas where most members are 60plus years or older. Never fear though, one of the favorite tactics of ministers is to tell members to review their sermon notes from the Feast and make a commitment to put into practice what was heard, something most never do because most ministers in the Church of God do not preach inspiring sermons. For most people hearing sermons at the Feast it is the same canned, prepackaged sermon they have heard for years. Rarely is any minister ever inspired to do preach differently or add a new twist to the same sermon they have preached for decades.

Those wild and crazy folk over at the Philadelphia Church of God have a sure-fire method to combat that post Feast let down...review your notes and read Mystery of the Ages! Woo Hoo! I get all tingly thinking about that!

From Exit and Support Network: 

October 8, 2021
Since members have returned from the Feast, the ministers are giving the same ol, same ol, sermons/sermonettes they give every year after the Feast; i.e., “review your notes”; “apply what you’ve learned”; “strengthen your resolve”; “hold fast to it”; “think like God”; “look forward to the Spring holy days”; ad nauseum. After reading the notes and comments which were only a taste of what they listened to for 20 hours at the Feast, it’s got to be exhausting to be told what else to do. I feel for the children who had to sit through all those “lectures”–opening night, offering appeals, and GF going on and on and on–unless they were in lockdown at home, and who knows, maybe even then these children were forced to sit and “pay attention.” Instead of members being able to make their own choice to read the Bible through, they must follow what Brad Macdonald has instructed, and that is to read Mystery of the Ages over and over. Since it is the Holy Spirit who opens our minds to understand the Bible, I do not believe for one minute that these so-called “ministers” even have the Holy Spirit, not only because of all the heresies they teach and the twisting of the Word, but because of their abuse and disdain for the members and their alienated families. I won’t even go into how they coerce members to not only give them “large offerings” but to also “leave their estates to them.” I can’t think of anything more morally reprehensible. –L. D.

Dave Pack: Third Times The Charm...Christ was supposed to return by end of Feast

 

COG Prophet Persecuted By Satan Once Again

 

Latter-day COG prophets are in the crosshairs of Satan who hates everything they do. Never has the church had a prophet that is persecuted as much as the Great Bwana to Africa and his 299 Caucasians. Just check out the intense persecution he had his leaders have been suffering lately.

Puerto Rico, Trials, and Triumphs


On September 26, 2021, Bob, Joyce, and David Thiel flew to Puerto Rico to meet with Spanish-speaking supporters of the Continuing Church of God who were gathered together for the Feast of Tabernacles. The Thiels encountered numerous tests and trials there as well as on their return to San Luis Obispo, California. In this sermon, Dr. Thiel mentions specific trials he and his family encountered on that trip including losses of electrical power, automotive failures, airline problems, and more. He also quotes scriptures from the Apostles, Peter, Paul, and James that Christians should expect trials and have the faith to not rebel like the ancient children of Israel did. Vaccine-complaints are discussed in the light of Jesus’ words in Mark 16:15-18 as well as Revelation 3:7. Dr. Thiel discusses some of the steps being taken and planned to reach more Spanish-speaking people. He also quotes Romans 11:25 and discusses the importance of not just being a witness to the world related to the gospel of the Kingdom of God, but also the necessity of the full number of Gentiles being converted before Jesus returns. He also quotes various leaders once in the old Radio/Worldwide Church of God on this topic. Dr. Thiel discusses that God will offer all salvation in this age or the age to come and that Gentiles being called and converted in this age will help the billions that will come up after the second resurrection. Dr. Thiel quotes the Apostle Paul who wrote, “God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.”

Is The Post Feast Letdown Depressing You? LCG Has The Answer.

 

It's that time of year when the post Feast letdown depresses a lot of people. Never fear though, Doug Winnail has the perfect antidote for that. Read LCG literature as you prepare for the Kingdom of God!

Goals for the Coming Year: The book of Proverbs advises, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil” (Proverbs 4:26–27). Returning from the Feast, inspired by sermons and fellowship, is a good time to set goals for the coming year. What changes can you make to improve your physical and spiritual health? How can you improve your relationship with God, your family, and others? How can you use your time more effectively? What can you do to serve others? How can you prepare for the Kingdom of God? We need to think and pray about these important aspects of our life. The Apostle Paul urged Christians to “walk circumspectly” and make the most of the opportunities we have (Ephesians 5:15–16). Peter advised his audience to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). Consider reviewing the Bible Study Course or reading a booklet each month or taking a Living Education course. Now is a good time to set goals and prepare for the future and the coming Kingdom of God.
Have a profitable Sabbath,


Douglas S. Winnail

Is Jelly A Better Preacher Than Bob Thiel?

 

I will just leave this here to see what you think....

Is Crackpot Prophet The Modern Day Elijah and One of the Two Witless Witnesses?

 

It is so comforting to know that God has been working behind the scenes to make Bob Thiel the greatest COG leader the church has ever seen in its entire history and who is behind the most superfantabulous COG to ever exist! Our God is an awesome God! 

Anyway, the Great Bwana to Africa and 299 Caucasians has a new article up trying to prove that his church and that he could possibly be the end-time Elijah and one of the two witless witnesses. Sadly, Thiel is just one more in a long line of men (and a couple women) down through the last 80 years of the Church of God movement that has claimed such mantles. Like all the others before him, he is not Elijah and not one of the two witless witnesses. Besides, Ron and Laura Weinland have already claimed that honor.

The Great Bwana and the official true dreamer of the Church of God has this to say:

Although people like the discredited Ron Weinland and David Pack have claimed to be ‘Elijah,’ neither of them are. 

 

Yet, the Bible does show that there will be an ‘Elijah’ who is alive before Jesus returns and that it is likely that he will be one of the two witnesses. And as Jesus is likely to return within the next couple of decades, it is reasonable to consider that he must be alive today. 

 

Could he be one who has restored information on church history, doctrine, prophecy, and the reason that God created anything? Could he be one reaching people around the world with the Gospel of the Kingdom of God in nearly 100 different languages? Or has God not chosen to have him do much at this stage?

Well, that is the $64,000 question! 

Could it have been Herbert Armstrong? Nope!

Those with a WCG background might find the following quote from Herbert W. Armstrong of some assistance here as he wrote:

I have been asked “Are you the Elijah?” And I say “No.” (Armstrong, Herbert W. Congress of Leading Ministers Hears Defined and Reemphasized Spiritual Organization of Church. Worldwide News, March 6, 1981, p. 10)

Never fear though, the Great Bwana is setting us to know just who might be the end-time Elijah and one of the two witless witnesses:

HWA, himself, wrote:

Jesus shall come, SOON NOW, to RESTORE ALL THINGS! He did NOT restore all things when he first came. John the Baptist did not “restore all things.” But the one who was to “restore all things” just before the “day of the Lord” and preparing the way for Christ’s second coming, was YET to come, in the future, as Jesus said. Now what are the “all things” to be RESTORED? “Restitution” means restore to a former state or condition (Armstrong HW. Brethren & Co-Worker Letter, August 24, 1982). 

 

Note that HWA states ONE (Elijah) comes just before the day of the Lord—an event that still has not occurred, hence some additional restoration beyond what HWA did is needed–and this has been happening in the Continuing Church of God. CCOG has restored more than any COG in the 21st century and under the human leadership of Bob Thiel it continues to do so. In time, God will make the final Elijah clear to all willing to see (this is NOT saying that he MUST be Bob Thiel–but we believe it will be a leader in CCOG).

The Great Bwana then trots out Herbert Armstrong, again...

Furthermore, it should be noted that a careful reading of another one of HWA’s articles supports the idea that the Philadelphia era will need to have something else be restored. HWA wrote:

This very WORK OF GOD for our day is foretold in the prophecy of Revelation 3:7-13. But there it is revealed that we, today, are a people of but little strength – little power (verse 8)! – within ourselves though we have faithfully KEPT GOD’S WORD! The impact of this WORK OF GOD today is going out only through the power of God! Are you having your part in this very WORK OF GOD? But – let’s face it! – WE DO NOT HAVE WITHIN OURSELVES, AS GOD’S INSTRUMENTS FOR HIS WORK TODAY, ANYWHERE NEAR THE POWER OF GOD THAT ACTIVATED THAT ORIGINAL FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH! For that very reason, the living Christ says (verse 8), He has opened to us the gigantic door of MASS COMMUNICATION! The magnified power of the microphone and the printing press. Yet that is only physical, mechanical power! The REAL POWER that makes God’s Work vital and alive is the Holy Spirit of God! (Armstrong HW. Christians Have Lost Their POWER! Plain Truth, Jun 1958).

The Greek word translated as strength, dunamis, which HWA refers to as power, is the same Greek word that is normally translated as ‘miracle’ or ‘miracles’. Thus, Revelation 3:8 shows that the Philadelphia Church will have some type of miracles, and although I agree with HWA’s position that the initial power/miracle had to do with electronic media, I also agree with him that the old WCG did not have, “ANYWHERE NEAR THE POWER OF GOD THAT ACTIVATED THAT ORIGINAL FIRST-CENTURY CHURCH.” Thus, HWA acknowledged, howbeit indirectly, that the power of God had not been fully restored to his WCG. And it should be noted that dreams and gifts of prophecy were given to the first-century church (Acts 2:17-18) and thus, according to his own writing, there should be these type of occurrences at the end. One group in the 21st century has that (see Dreams, the Bible, the Radio Church of God, and the ContinuingChurch of God and How To Determine If Someone is a True Prophet of God).

A failed prophet quoting another failed prophet. Two wrongs do not make Bwana Bob right.

The Great Bwana concludes while whining once again like a third-grade school girl that COG members continue to ignore him. Everyone's salvation is at stake for failing to acknowledge Bwana Bob as the Chosen One, the leader of the most incredible COG in human history, and that he is the most educated leader that has ever led any COG since Elijah himself walked the earth.

The Elijah’s restoring of “all things” means that he is to be restoring information that the true Church of God once understood, but later must have lost or misunderstood. 

 

The problem is that just as many would not hear Elijah’s or John the Baptist’s messages, relatively few will pay much attention to the end time Elijah as well.