TEXTS: "...Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not..." Rev. 2:2)

"...Such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ." (II Cor. 11:13)

The Apostle Peter cautions, "Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the Scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (II Peter 1:20, 21)

It is of primary importance; it is the first element that we be assured that no prophecy of Scripture is the result of one’s own interpretation. Interpretation is not a private matter: it belongs to the Church. In exegeting Scripture, the question must be asked, "How have believers historically interpreted the passage?"

Gnostics of the first century claimed to have a NEW word from God. Here the Apostle refutes their claims. No prophecy of Scripture has come by the impulse of man. It was neither concocted by men nor is the interpretation of it open to the whims of men, for "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Scripture is therefore not the opinion of Paul or Peter or John, but is the very Word of God. (I Timothy 2:12)

Peter here declares the authority of Scripture by affirming the authenticity of Scripture. He verifies this by the fact the writers of Scripture were divinely inspired. We accept or reject his word by faith, or by the lack of it. Scripture is entirely trustworthy --in its entirety; "whereunto ye do well that ye take heed."

No Christian should be involved in any way with any group that denies the absolute authority of the Bible, or that perverts the person or work of Christ.

The Scriptures are as a light that shines in a dark place "until the day dawn and the daystar arise in your hearts." By this statement, the Apostle means that Scripture can only be disclosed to and received by people after God illumines their heart.

Speaking with the authority of an Apostle Paul declared, though me or an angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you let him be accursed," i.e. "damned." (Galatians 1:8)

The Reason for the Local Church

For this reason, God instituted the local church: "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive...." (Ephesians 4:14) Yet we are warned "in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils... (I Timothy 4:1)

The Bible declares what we are to believe and how we are to behave ourselves. For this reason Peter warns that "unlearned", i.e. ignorant, and "unstable" men "wrest", i.e. twist Scripture, and that they do it "Unto their own destruction." (II Peter 3:16)

Peter warns of false teachers who shall bring in "damnable heresies" –i.e. heresies that damn, heresies that have their origin in Hell; yet "Many shall follow their pernicious way." And, since they profess themselves to bona fide teachers of Christ, "the way of truth shall be evil spoken of." The "Good News" is "their judgement lingers not, and their damnation slumbers not." (II Peter 2:1-3)

The Apostle Paul speaks of false apostles, or "false sent ones," deceitful workers who TRANSFORM THEMSELVES INTO THE APOSTLES OF CHRIST." (II Corinthians 11:13) God has not called them: they have sent themselves.

The Attack by Conservatives

The integrity of Scripture is under greater attack today than at any other time in history. German seminaries succumbed to rationalism during the late 1800’s. At that time under the pretended scholarship, Higher Critics attacked the canon of Scripture. Prior to that time the enemies of Christ persecuted the people of God, but there was scant effort to impugn the authority of God’s Word.

Today, there is emerging a disdain of Scripture by political and moral conservatives, some of whom are attempting to transform themselves into religious conservatives –indeed into the very ministers of Christ.

Consider the fact that in a recent issue of the Spotlight (c. July 7, 1987) an article appeared by Mike Brown of California in which the writer praised the merits of the Geneva Bible, while misrepresenting the King James Bible as being a government Issuance, and thus implying it was not to be trusted.

The Geneva Bible is a quality translation that antedated the King James or Authorized Version by about 50 years. A limited number have been republished and are available for $150- $200. In, fact, you can purchase an original edition for $350-$500.

The seriousness of the article lay not in its praise of the Geneva Bible, but in misinformation aimed at discrediting the veracity of the King James translation.

Consider some of the conservatives involved in the modern attack upon Scripture.

Sheldon Emry

Sheldon Emry, now deceased, is well-known for his many writings, chiefly for his pamphlet entitled, "Billions for the Bankers." He was the founder of the Lord’s Covenant Church. But Pastor Emry scoffed at the doctrine that Satan is a real person, and he denied the existence of Hell. If a man who is finite, breaks the Law of the Infinite, Justice demands infinite suffering as punishment. For this reason only the Son of God with His infinite ability could make infinite satisfaction. Pastor Emry taught conditional immortality and that true Israelites are the white race. Only they—the white race—is "under God’s covenant sealed by the blood of Christ."

John Harrell has formed the Christian Conservative Church as well as the Citizens Emergency Defense System, or the Christian Patriotic Defense League. But Mr. Harrell believes in continuing revelation, and in addition to preaching that the sacraments actually convey race to believers, he too denies the existence of Hell.

Richard Butler has founded the Church of Jesus Christ Christians—Aryan Nations, and calls for Aryan (white) warriors to smash the lying, murdering Jews.

Robert Miles has established the Mountain Church. He has spent 6 years in a federal penitentiary charged with bombing school buses.

The Authority of Scripture

What determines the basis by which we ally ourselves to others? The Scriptures are our authority in matters of faith and practice, and Scripture is exceedingly clear—

The afore-mentioned groups unanimously disdain the authority of Scripture. If by faith I stake my soul upon the Word of God, I will intend to be very cautious of everything I hear or bead from one who denies the verities of Scripture.

God has said, "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly." (Psalm 1:1) It is therefore an ungodly thing to pursue ungodly counsel. I want the blessing of God upon my head.

All one needs to do to be the Devil’s fool is to believe everything he hears or reads. The Apostle John has warned us to "try the spirits" to see whether they are of God. But what standard shall we use to discern what we are to believe and what we should spurn? We are to use the Bible. It is God’s Word on the subject.

How can we accept a book and reject the theology of men like Pastor Emry? --It is "Faith" i.e. conviction, and without it, it is impossible to please God. (Hebrews 11:6)

The Identity Movement

Most of these organizations are identified with what is known as the "Identity movement." Whether or not they are bone fide members, they nevertheless espouse a transplanted form of British-Israelism maintaining that America is the Promised Land of Scripture, and that the white race is true Israel.

According to them, the Hebrew word "Adam" means "able to blush", And since that description only fits the white race, only they are the true sons of Adam. To interpret the word in this manner is to violently lay hold upon the text, for if all "races" have not come from Adam, then the doctrine of Federal Headship is destroyed, and the words of Paul, "As in Adam all die," lose their meaning. The word "Adam" does not mean "able to blush" but rather means "red," and is the same root as the name "Edom," the name given to Esau.

The Influence of

Herbert W. Armstrong

Why do so many of these organizations deny the doctrines of Heaven and Hell? because they have been seduced by the writings of Herbert W. Armstrong and his World-Wide Church of God. He too believed in British-Israelism. In the November/December 1982 edition of his magazine Plain Truth, Mr. Armstrong declares

The Apostle Paul warned, "evil communications corrupt good manners." (I Corinthians 15:33) ONE CAN HARDLY EXPECT TO RETAIN GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF TRUTH WHEN HE EATS A STEADY DIET HERESY.

Bible "Mistranslations"

Dan Gayman, who founded the National Kingdom Ministry, and the Christian Heritage Church, wrote a book entitled, The Two Seeds of Genesis. In it he attempted to affix Scriptural authority to his naughty prejudice. Rev. William Gale has expressed the view in a message he has entitled, "Biblical Mistranslations."

Rev. Gale declares Genesis 1:26,27 --"Let us make man in our image, after our likeness" was incorrectly written. According to him, the word "Adam" and translated "man" should have an "enosh" because this passage denotes the origin of the races --the blacks, the Orientals, etc. "Adam", that is, the white race, was created later, perhaps even after the 7th day! Obviously Rev. Gale is confused over Genesis chapter one, which speaks of creation in general, and chapter two which tells of the creation of man in greater detail.

He also deliberately mistranslates the Greek word "day" in Genesis 2:1-8 making it read "aeon" i.e. a long expanse of time, instead of the Greek word "hemera" which means a solar or 24 hour day. Mr. Gale declares, "The translators were altogether confused." He even declares that whenever the word "Lord" appears, it should be translated "Baal." This is an example of the "doctrines of devils."

According to Rev. Gale, the "Jews" are descendants of Cain and that "Baal" or "Satan" was Cain’s father. After all he argues, Jesus told the Jews of his day, "Ye are of your father the Devil."

The Flood: Universal or Local?

Since the Scriptures teach that only 8 persons were saved from the flood in the days of Noah, (I Peter 3:20; II Peter 2:5), it is clear that the Cainites perished from the earth.

God overthrew the earth with the flood. For this reason, climbers can find fossils of shells in sedimentary rock high in the Rocky Mountains. However, in order to continue his theological perfidy, Rev. Gale declares the flood was limited in scope. If this were true, the ark would have been unnecessary: Noah would have had 120 years to find high ground!

The Jews and Israel

"Jews" are not "Israelites" according to Rev. Gale. "No Jew is a Judean," says he. Therefore, he re-translates John 5:16 explaining, "God so loved Israel." Jesus is the "Saviour of Israel" --and by the word "Israel" we are to understand the white race.

Mark wrote by Divine inspiration. According to the Apostle Peter, it is completely authoritative. Yet while Mark records the words of Jesus "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15), Rev. Gale takes the liberty to contradict, and to say the verse was added 400 years after the text.

Rev. Gale sounds like any liberal when he tells the account of Jonah. According to him, you would have to be a fool to believe the prophet was swallowed by a whale. He believes a ship named, "The Whale" took Jonah in, and then, without any fear of God, he says flatly, "Another part of the Bible is wrong."

Remember the words of Martin Luther: "whom God intends to destroy, He gives leave to play with Scripture." Peter tells us it is the "unlearned" and "unstable" who twist the Scriptures, and that they do it unto their own destruction.

According to Rev. Gale, John 1:29 --"Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world" should be translated, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the nation of Israel." And, although the Apostle John wrote, "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him..." (John 8:31), Rev. Gale flatly contradicts the translation declaring "No Jews believed on Christ."

"GIGO"

In computer language there is a term "GIGO." It stands for "Garbage In, Garbage Out." No one can constantly ingest such heresy without becoming theologically bankrupt. But of a far more serious nature is the fact that we influence others. "No man is an island" --we either influence people for the glory of God, or we scatter abroad.

According to our text, there are people who "transform themselves into the apostles of Christ" and in doing so, bring in damnable heresies. Not content to be damned themselves, they lie in wait to deceive others. (Ephesians 4:14) Not desirous of entering into Heaven themselves, they seek to hinder others who would.

There are other people who teach the doctrines of devils.

While God’s judgment will be more pronounced upon intentional false teachers, yet "they, who knew not the Lord’s will neither prepared themselves, shall be punished." (Luke 12:47,48) Wherefore James wrote, "Be not many masters (i.e. teachers) knowing we shall receive the greater condemnation." (James 3:1)

NO CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN ANY WAY WITH ANY GROUP THAT DENIES THE ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY OF THE BIBLE, OR THAT PERVERTS THE PERSON OR WORK OF CHRIST.