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The Journal

2002-12 Summit Journal
Journal - December 2002

Essays

The Gnostic Gospels (via Equip)
In the first installment of this two-part series, I outlined the stark contrasts between the gnostic Jesus and "the Word become flesh." These respective views of Jesus are lodged within mutually exclusive world views concerning claims about God, the universe, humanity, and salvation. But our next line of inquiry is to be historical. Do we have a clue as to what Jesus, the Man from Nazareth, actually did and said as a player in space-time history? Should such gnostic documents as the Gospel of Thomas capture our attention as a reliable report of the mind of Jesus, or does the Son of Man of the biblical Gospels speak with the authentic voice? Or must we remain in utter agnosticism about the historical Jesus?

Gnosticism and the Gnostic Jesus (via Equip)
Popular opinion often comes from obscure sources. Many conceptions about Jesus now current and credible in New Age circles are rooted in a movement of spiritual protest which, until recently, was the concern only of the specialized scholar or the occultist. This ancient movement — Gnosticism — provides much of the form and color for the New Age portrait of Jesus as the illumined Illuminator: one who serves as a cosmic catalyst for others' awakening...

Philosophical Problems with the Mormon Concept of God (via Equip)
Most Christians who critique the Mormon view of God do so from a strictly biblical perspective. Christian apologists have correctly pointed out that Mormon theology conflicts with biblical doctrine in a number of important areas, including the nature of God, the plan of salvation, and the nature of man. Although the biblical approach should be the Christian's primary focus, Dr. Stephen E. Parrish and I have suggested another approach in several articles and books.This approach focuses on the philosophical rather than the biblical problems with the Mormon concept of God. In this article I will (1) compare and contrast the Christian and Mormon concepts of God and (2) present three philosophical problems with the Mormon view...

Lost Books and Latter-Day Revelation (via Equip)
The Mormon church offers four reasons for rejecting the historic Christian position that the 27 New Testament books are the final installment of divine revelation. It claims that some of Jesus’ teachings were never recorded because of their sacred nature and have been lost; that soon after the time of the apostles, apostates removed some books or parts of books from the original New Testament writings; that other inspired books were rejected in the canonization process; and finally, that God continues to give new revelation through latter-day prophets. However, the New Testament itself refutes the notion of secret teachings of Jesus, and Mormons are unable to cite any credible evidence of lost or rejected Scripture. The claim of a universal apostasy in the early church defies logic, history, and the Bible, and the claim of "restored truth" from "latter-day prophets" clashes with the unique office and teaching of Jesus’ handpicked apostles.

Of Cities and Swords (via Equip)
The Mormon organization FARMS is producing the most widely read and seemingly scholarly defenses of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith available in Mormonism today. The organization focuses primarily on a defense of the Book of Mormon as a historical document. Because its members are somewhat isolated from mainstream scholarship, many critics feel they often go out of bounds in their attitude toward those who disagree with their findings and conclusions. In their defense of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon they have been accused of using faulty arguments and inadequate evidence. Despite their use (or misuse) of scholarly references, they have not found much of an audience outside of the rather narrow confines of the Latter-day Saints community.

The Way Tree is Splintering (via Equip)
For followers of The Way International and its late founder Victor Paul Wierwille, the past two years have been life shaking. This is a key time for Christians to understand the issues which Wayers and ex-Wayers face and to learn ways to share biblical truth with them. Furthermore, this volatile time gives observers of new religions an unusual modern-day glimpse into how such movements spawn daughter groups. Many statistics show that The Way International is splintering...

Sharing Your Faith with a Oneness Pentecostal (Part 2) (via Equip)
In the previous issue of the Christian Research Journal I offered three suggestions on how to witness to Oneness Pentecostals. One must demonstrate to them Christlike love; one must correct their tritheistic misunderstandings about the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity; and one must confront their theology on its weakest points. We concluded by discussing the first of the four weakest points of Oneness theology: their belief that tongues is a necessary sign of salvation. I will now conclude this two-part series by discussing the remaining three weakest aspects of Oneness theology: (1) the Oneness denial of the preexistence of Christ; (2) their belief that Jesus was the Father as well as the Son; and (3) their belief that one must be baptized "in Jesus' name" in order to be saved.

Sharing Your Faith with a Oneness Pentecostal (Part 1) (via Equip)
Perhaps the most important thing to remember when dialoguing with Oneness Pentecostals is to demonstrate to them the unconditional love and acceptance of Jesus Christ. The most problematic aspect of my theology when I was a Oneness Pentecostal was the belief that no one other than us Oneness Pentecostals was going to heaven. Trinitarian Christians simply were not saved! So every time I met Trinitarian Christians who clearly reflected the loving presence of Jesus in their lives by the way they related to me, I confronted more strong evidence that my theology could not be true.

Christian Identity (via Equip)
"Christian Identity" is the name of a religious movement uniting many of the white supremacist groups in the United States. Identity's teachers promote racism and sometimes violence. Christian Identity roots are deeply embedded in movements such as the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazis. They consider themselves true Israel and view the Jews as half-devils and arch enemies. Christian Identity adherents believe all but the white race are inferior creations. Christian Identity's religious views are bizarre and occultic, and their view of history is often informed by conspiracy theories. Identity's use of the name "Christian" to promote racism and violence is blasphemous. Jesus Christ as redeemer of all races is God's supreme answer to Identity's outrageous claims.

The False God and Gospel of Moral Government Theology (via Equip)
Moral government theology (MGT), rooted in the philosophical definition of freedom as the "power of contrary choice," denies the fundamental Christian doctrines of God's perfection in knowledge, goodness, and power; original sin; human moral inability; the substitutionary satisfaction of God's justice in Christ's atoning death; redemption; and justification by the crediting of Christ's righteousness to believers by grace through faith apart from works. As documented in this article, these denials are unbiblical and are so serious as to warrant classifying MGT as non-Christian.

At What Price Success? (via Equip)
he Boston Church of Christ or Boston movement is a dynamic, controversial international church movement with roots in the Churches of Christ. Like the Churches of Christ, the Boston movement teaches that baptism is necessary for salvation. Unlike those churches, it has practiced an authoritarian form of discipleship. The biblical proof texts the movement relies on for its doctrine of baptism can each be shown to offer insufficient support for their view. The discipling process, though largely responsible for their success, has also been the cause of severe internal and external problems. Though they are currently attempting to correct these abuses, it does not yet appear that they have penetrated to the authoritarian root of their problem.

Is It Proper to Worship Jesus? (via Equip)
Consistent with their denial of the deity of Christ, the Jehovah’s Witnesses deny that Christ should be worshiped. Such worship is viewed as unscriptural and a form of idolatry. What most Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t know is that for more than 60 years Watch Tower founder C. T. Russell (d. 1916) and his successor J. F. Rutherford (d. 1942) taught the worship of Christ, a belief that would be expressed even after Rutherford’s death. In 1944, the Watch Tower Society’s charter was amended and Article II stated that one of the purposes of the Society was for “public Christian worship of Almighty God and Christ Jesus.” After changing this doctrine in 1954 by prohibiting the worship of Jesus, efforts were made to hide this portion of the charter whenever it was cited in Watch Tower publications. In the Bible, worship and prayer are consistently linked; consequently Witnesses must also deny that Jesus can be addressed in prayer — contrary to what Russell taught. Clearly, in Scripture Jesus was — and should be — worshiped, and Jesus invited His followers to address Him in prayer — which they did. The testimony of Jay Hess records how a once-dedicated Witness apologist concluded Jesus should be worshiped, which resulted in his disfellowship by the Jehovah’s Witnesses. After further investigation of the Scriptures, he concluded, “I have made Jesus my Lord and my God.”

Faith of Our Fathers (Part 2) (via Equip)
Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the Holy Spirit is an impersonal force and deny His deity. They further deny that the soul survives physical death and that hell is a place of conscious eternal punishment for the wicked. Moreover, the Witnesses imply that the early church believed as they do about these doctrines. Examination of early Christian literature, however, refutes these claims. It demonstrates that the early church believed in the full deity and personality of the Spirit. It also reveals that they believed in a soul that survives death and in a place of conscious eternal punishment for the wicked. There is no historical evidence from the earlieat years following the apostles for any group believing as the Witnesses do today. The absence of such evidence provides an opportunity for Christians to undermine the legitimacy and authority of the Watchtower Society, a necessary step for leading Jehovah’s Witnesses to Christ.

Faith of Our Fathers (Part 1) (via Equip)
The Watchtower Society (Jehovah’s Witnesses) claims to be the sole religious group faithful to the teachings of Christ and the apostles today. The Witnesses believe that the Christian church, which they refer to as "Christendom," fell into a great apostasy after the death of the apostles and became corrupted with the doctrines and ideas of Greek paganism and philosophy. Among the doctrines corrupted was the nature of Christ, whom they maintain was the first creation of Jehovah God. The Witnesses further claim that there has always existed, since the time of the apostles, a group of faithful, anointed men who taught and believed as they do today. They often cite passages from the early church fathers to demonstrate that these men held the same beliefs as contemporary Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, examination of the writings of the early church fathers provides no evidence to substantiate the claim that a great apostasy occurred in the church following the death of the apostles. Moreover, the church fathers refute rather than support Watchtower teachings about Jesus Christ.

Getting over the Hurdles of the New World Translation (via Equip)
Believers who attempt to present the message of Christ to Jehovah’s Witnesses face several daunting obstacles, particularly those involving the Watchtower’s New World Translation of the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses usually dispute several key passages and often are well trained in making presentations on these passages. Many believers feel inadequate to address questions that touch on the correct translation of the original Greek or Hebrew languages and so have no response. Others collect quotes from their favorite scholars about these passages, but the conversation usually ends in a stalemate because neither side can overwhelm the other with enough citations to settle the dispute. There is another approach to discussing the New World Translation and its questionable rendering of certain passages, one that not only bypasses the typical objections and defenses, but also provides a clear witness to the truth. This approach involves demonstrating the consistent testimony that the biblical context gives to the truth that a disputed passage contains, thereby exposing the underlying bias and inconsistency of the New World Translation. Even believers who have no training in Greek and Hebrew can use this approach to clear some of the hurdles commonly encountered when trying to reach Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Effectively Sharing the Deity of Christ with Jehovah’s Witnesses (via Equip)
How many times have you prepared ahead of time for a discussion with a Jehovah’s Witness on certain key Bible verses, only to get bogged down arguing over John 1:1, John 10:30, and other passages in which Jesus is called "God"? "Oh," the Witness responds, "we do believe Jesus is a god. Isaiah 9:6 calls him a mighty god. But he is not the Almighty God." Then you hear that men are sometimes called "gods" (John 10:34) and God made Moses to be a "god" to Pharaoh (Exod. 7:1). When the encounter is over, you feel about as frustrated as the Buffalo Bills after the Super Bowl. To avoid this problem we must learn to...

Discussing Deity with Jehovah’s Witnesses (via Equip)
Encounters between Christians and Jehovah's Witnesses typically revolve around a discussion of deity. The reason for this is twofold: 1) This is the area where Watchtower theology deviates most dramatically from orthodox Christianity. In contrast to the trinitarian concept of one God in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, the JWs have been taught to believe that God the Father alone is "Jehovah," the only true God; that Jesus Christ is Michael the archangel, the first angelic being created by God; and that the Holy Spirit is neither God nor a person, but rather God's impersonal "active force." 2) The subject of deity is a frequent confrontational focus because both Jehovah's Witnesses and Christians (at least those who like to witness to JWs) feel confident and well-prepared to defend their stand and attack the opposing viewpoint.

The Wise and Faithful Servant (via Equip)
The Jehovah’s Witnesses most important claim is that after Christ Jesus began his supposed invisible reign in 1914, he examined the religious organizations on earth and selected the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society as his “faithful and wise servant” (Matt. 24:45–47) in 1919. Jesus chose the Watch Tower to be his sole channel and only organization in which a person can serve Jehovah God and gain eternal life. The basis for their claimed selection was that the Watch Tower Society provided “the right sort of [spiritual] food, at the proper time.” If the Society’s current doctrinal “truth” is used as the standard, however, then this claim is suspect since much of what the Society taught before, during, and even after 1919 was later rejected by the Society as erroneous, including certain interpretations of Scripture, particular prophecies, creature worship, idolatry, and certain specific practices that were said to be pagan in origin. The Society even identified some teachings as deceptions of the Devil. This record of doctrinal changes does not support the claim that “God’s holy spirit” directed this organization. Even former Watch Tower leadership member Raymond Franz concluded, “It would be an insult to Christ Jesus to say that he selected this organization on the basis of what it was teaching uniquely and distinctly, as of 1919.”

Beth-Shan and the Return of the Princes (via Equip)
Beth-Shan, named only once in Watch Tower publications, gives another significant insight into the history and teachings of the Jehovah’s Witnesses. Predictions made concerning the resurrection of the pre-Christian "princes" failed, and the teachings concerning them over the years are in obvious self-contradiction. Positions taken and doctrines promoted in the 1940s have either been rejected by the Witness leadership or have been proven wrong by history. Beth-Shan, supposedly held in trust awaiting the "princes" return, was sold. Contrary to the Watch Tower Society’s claim, the testimony of history proves that this organization is not God’s chosen channel of communication.

Mormonism: A Survey and Biblical Critique
Originating in America, and now headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism) is one of the fastest growing pseudo-Christian religions in the world, with a presence in 140 nations and 21 territories and possessions. As of December 31, 1996, the church claimed a worldwide membership of 9,694,549, surely reaching 10 million by the end of 1997. The church also claimed: 52,938 full-time missionaries throughout the world, 90 partial or complete translations of the "Book of Mormon," and 49 temples in use, with 15 more planned or under construction around the world. Needless to say, Mormonism has grown from a small aberrant sect into the significance of a world religion...

Mormonism: Testimony to Another Jesus Christ
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints claims to be Christian in nature and teaching. In fact, members of this church (commonly called "Mormons") can become quite offended when this belief is denied. But given the fact that many today deny that the Mormon church is truly a Christian church (but rather classify it as a pseudo-Christian religion), several well-educated Mormons have taken it upon themselves to defend this claim. Some prominent examples of this would be the following...

Discerning Pseudo-Christian Religion
Discernment is a very important skill. It is definitely worth our time to develop good discernment skills. Discerning true from false religious claims can be difficult at times, and pseudo-Christian religions are legion (often they are called "cults"). In order to tell a true Christian religion from one that merely claims to be Christian, we have to have some standard by which to discern the difference. That standard for Christians is not political or social or merely psychological (though these elements may be very instructive in our analysis); but biblical and theological standards provide our sure basis for analysis and critique. As I have studied pseudo-Christian religions over the years, (with the help of others) I have developed a simple formula to discern the difference between true Christianity and those who would merely claim to be true Christianity. But before we get to the formula, we first need a working definition of...

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Cults