In the second part of this series, we reviewed the BLM and the LGBT+ movements. In the last part of this series, we look at the Woke Movement and finish up with a conclusion about all that this series has revealed.

The Woke Movement

In the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, under “Woke – What to Know,” we read: “Woke is now defined in this dictionary as ‘aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice),’ and identified as U.S. slang. It originated in African American English and gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.”   We can see from this how the BLM and wokeness are inter-related, as are all the matters being discussed, which is precisely what this Q&A is highlighting.

Wikipedia makes these observations: “While the term woke initially pertained to issues of racial prejudice and discrimination impacting African Americans, it was appropriated by other activist groups with different causes.  Abas Mirzaei, a senior lecturer in branding at Macquarie University says that the term ‘has been cynically applied to everything from soft drink to razors.

“Woke (/ˈwoʊk/ WOHK) is an English adjective meaning ‘alert to racial prejudice and discrimination’ that originated in African-American Vernacular English (AAVE).   Beginning in the 2010s, it came to encompass a broader awareness of social inequalities such as sexism, and has also been used as shorthand for American Left ideas involving identity politics and social justice, such as the notion of white privilege and slavery reparations for African Americans.”

We can see from the above that the original meaning came to encompass a broader awareness of different matters that were attached to the original prejudice and discrimination, and we will see that other attachments have been made.

On the “younger.co.uk” website is an article, entitled “What Does ‘Woke’ mean to Britons?” as follows:

“Originally the term referred to a need to wake up to, and stay ‘woke’ to, the realities of Black people’s place in America and the system designed to keep them down. With the term becoming more mainstream recently it evolved to mean a more general sense of awareness to social injustice against all groups, although it remains closely associated with the Black Lives Matter movement.

“To opponents of the social aims of such movements, however, it has become a catch-all term for a certain type of socially liberal ideology they dislike – much as the term ‘political correctness’ can often be.”

In August 2022, on the byfaith.org website is a very long and instructive article, and below are a few excerpts:

“Today, the modern religion of the world is wokeness and when you examine its heart, you find wokeness is divisive and antichrist in nature. Those who embrace woke ideology claim to be distinctly aware of social justice problems and aim to eliminate all inequality. These people ‘awakened’ by the contemporary gospel of ‘justice’ believe this can be achieved by tearing down the old oppressive patriarchal order and by embracing all forms of diversity, inclusion and equity (DIE).

“Burning down buildings or dividing communities through violence is fine to woke protestors because they think it addresses ancient injustices. One famous woke warrior was asked about the violence and stealing within the movement, and replied, ‘I don’t care if someone decides to loot a Gucci or a Macy’s or a Nike store,’ adding, ‘That is reparations, anything they wanted to take, they can take it.’

“The command of Exodus 20:15, ‘You shall not steal,’ is not the only problem woke activists have with God’s Holy Scripture. All those limited Christian definitions in the Bible about human nature and sin, created by God, must be rejected and replaced. In short, they believe we must repent and renounce the gospel.

“All Christians should be committed to ending racism, but that desire does not extend to endorsing an antichrist movement that is in rebellion against God’s expressed will.  Be careful what cause you endorse because you may be making God your enemy.

“‘For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted – you may well put up with it!’ – 2 Corinthians 11:4.

“According to progressive woke ideology, God is hindering true justice. The Bible’s precise description of the two sexes is discriminatory for those who identify as one of 68, 69, 70, and counting different gender expressions. The boundaries keep moving in this movement (Proverbs 22:28), but Christ is the anchor of all truth. The Holy Scriptures represent continuing symbols of the oppressive patriarchy, to those who keep inventing a new series of gender-inclusive pronouns, as their feelings or demonic beings guide them.

“Those who ‘go woke’ have been manipulated to believe they are establishing a just order; but they end up defining themselves by what they hate. They fall out with friends, family and colleagues, and hate the country that gave them everything they possess.

“As wokeness is a faith, it additionally has a demonic inquisition of hatred. The woke belief compels you to hate those who disagree with the ‘justice’ you are bringing. You can cancel, despise, spit, harm and kill those who disagree with you because they’re evil. It provides its servants with a pass to abuse those who think differently.  Jesus said, ‘The time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service’ – John 16:2.

“In the woke religion, Christian beliefs about justice and truth are supplanted with contemporary doctrines of equality, LGBTQ+, aggressive feminism, anti-capitalism, cultural shame, historical national sin, legacy guilt, claims of privilege, intersectionality, micro-aggression, critical race beliefs, BLM, compelled speech and inclusion of all self-identities; but there’s no tolerance for those who challenge the woke faith. The woke spirit takes a young person who desires to do good and shifts them into a hating machine, an angry, bitter person.”

CONCLUSION

As we have mentioned previously, the overall discrimination package contains many different issues and situations.   It is generally agreed that racial discrimination on its own is wrong.  We were all made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26-27).

However, along with this issue, the promotion of LGBT+ rights are seen by many as justified or acceptable; any opposing view is described as discrimination.  However, biblical understanding clearly shows that this type of behaviour is wrong as it is the advancement and ennoblement of conduct of which God clearly disapproves.

Also, in the package generally called “discrimination” is the Black Lives Matter Movement (BLM).   They are against racial discrimination which is clearly correct but they then go on much further by adding in their aim to defund the police and are anti-family.  On their website we read, “We affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum.”   We have seen footballers “taking the knee” in an alleged attempt, in many cases, of supporting BLM and its aims and agenda.

White privilege and slavery together with identity politics and social justice are also inextricably woven into the fabric of this mass of unrest and negativity.   Add into the mix, the Politically Correct Brigade which have been around longer than most of those whom we have already discussed, can also be part of this package together with the lack of free speech on these issues if you oppose them, and you have a real broad group of complainants, and often aggressors.

Then we have the Woke brigade many of whom are just waiting to be offended when no offence is meant and who act and behave in a way that Christians must never do.

Throw in abortion and other ungodly practices and you have an eclectic mix of most of the grievances found in society today, with so many of them overlapping into one big complaints package.  All of these issues we have covered are inter-connected.

By supporting the general discrimination package, all of the other matters described above are included.   It is like voting in an election where candidates may be seen as acceptable because they are against abortion and are pro-marriage but have other views that are not acceptable as part of their political platform.   Therefore, voting for them is a non-starter for a true Christian as they would be giving support to views that are unacceptable to God’s Way of Life.   We must not be involved with racial discrimination but ensure that we are not involved nor accept the rest of the package that it comes dressed up in.   We have to be far more selective than those in the world because of the Way of Life to which we have been called.

We cannot change society nor is it our job to try and do so.   It can be so easy to say “everyone to their own” and accept that this is okay because that is the way it has been going for quite some time.  But we must be resolute in our own thinking, knowing that all of this antipathy to the Word of God, and the resultant depravity, will be replaced in God’s soon-coming Kingdom.   In the meantime, it is an attitude we must have against that which is patently wrong, and which mustn’t infect our Christian beliefs and a mindset that we must have.

We should love the sinner genuinely and hate the sin – a requirement that those without God’s Spirit just cannot comprehend!   One example of this may be helpful.  A Church member lived opposite two homosexuals who shared a house and one of them had cancer.  This member helped the person concerned in a number of ways and for which he was most grateful.   He knew that this Church member did not approve of their lifestyle but appreciated the help given.   That is a prime example of loving the sinner and hating the sin, which is something opponents of this concept cannot understand.

As Christians, we need to be aware of what is going on in the world today and to watch world events and our own personal spiritual condition.  But our attention will not be in the direction of the whole discrimination package and all of its different component parts but in the context of Luke 21:36: “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines discrimination as follows: “…to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences: to recognize or identify as separate and distinct.”  And we are separate and distinct from the world as the people of God, by not being involved, supporting or endorsing all of the wrong practices as discussed in this series of Q&As.

We read in James 2:10: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” Bible.ak.orgmakes these interesting observations: “Lawbreaking, whether civil or religious, doesn’t need to be a breaking of all the laws—one offense is enough to convict the offender. No earthly judge will pardon the breaking of one law simply because the offender has kept many other laws. A chain is broken by the rupture of its weakest link. So, to stumble in one commandment causes the breaking of the whole law for the transgressor.”

Similarly, we might say that the discrimination “package” has to be accepted as a whole and any part of it that is not agreed with, or discarded, can be seen by its adherents as dismissing the whole concept of discrimination, when it is not!

Of course, the big difference between the two descriptions above is that all of God’s laws are to be kept but this “package” of man-made concepts about discrimination is just the words and folly of man, and in many cases, is not in alignment with the Word of God.

In our Q&A about right and wrong: www.globalchurchofgod.co.uk/who-determines-what-is-right-and-wrong/, we quote Dr J Slattery, writing specifically about sexual matters, stating the following:

“‘In today’s culture, right and wrong are sorted through a grid of what we perceive as being the best for ourselves and our fellow humans. Essentially, human beings are now “god,” with the authority to determine our own moral compass. With this type of humanistic worldview, morality is defined as “do no harm.” Ethics and morality are measured by whether or not people are harmed. “She’s not hurting anyone, so how could she be doing something wrong?” From this perspective, Christians who stand against gay marriage, for example, are thought to be doing harm. They are “hurting” people who want to celebrate the gay lifestyle. In contrast, those who want to participate in gay marriage are viewed as doing no harm.’”

Who is the ultimate authority in all moral matters? Is it the created – man – with all of his imperfections and lack of wisdom and Godly knowledge, or is it the Creator God of the Bible who was the One who created us all? The answer is that God reveals what is right and wrong in His Word—the Bible. Put as simply as we can, God decides what is right and wrong in His Word, and that must be our guide to life.

Only God has the right to decide what is good and evil, and much that is part of the “blob” of discrimination is decidedly against the way that God has commanded His people to live!

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first part of this three-part series, we reviewed the matter of racial discrimination and political correctness in relation to the way that a true Christian must live his life, and we continue to look at other movements that reflect different values to that of the Bible.

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement

On the BBC website in June 2021 under the heading “What is Black Lives Matter and what are the aims?,” we read: “Among its main goals are stopping police brutality and fighting for courts to treat black people equally. Its demands for equality also include mental health, the LGBT community and voting rights.  However, former US secretary of housing and developments Ben Carson [who is black] said people with noble aims had been taken advantage of by a ‘Marxist-driven organisation’ that supports ‘taking down the model of Western family structures’.  Carol Swain, a political commentator and former professor, said: ‘They are using black people to advance a Marxist agenda.’”

In 2019, the Guardian newspaper reported the following: ‘A majority of people believe Black Lives Matter, the anti-racism movement that spread across the UK this summer, has increased racial tension, according to a poll.  Just over half (55%) of UK adults believe the BLM protests that took place in big cities but also in the Shetland Islands and the Isle of Wight, increased racial tensions, according to a survey of more than 2,000 people by pollsters Opinium. Only 17% of the people polled in October disagreed. The polling also showed 44% of ethnic minorities felt BLM increased racial tensions.”

The following was written by a black journalist, Elizabeth Matory, in September 2020, and reported on the website townhall.com. The heading was, “Yes, There’s a Problem With BLM, and No, You’re Not a Racist For Thinking That”:

“Society eventually came to believe that slavery was wrong, even though modern slavery still exists under the radar in various forms. Yet most people can understand that forcing another human being into submission and bondage against their will and treating that person as non-human is wrong.  Anti-abortionists and abolitionists have been able to voice opposition to these wrongs for generations.

“Here is the key difference: the BLM movement remains above reproach in that anyone questioning them is shut down, socially ridiculed, personally attacked, deemed a racist, and becomes a victim to our modern day ‘cancel culture.’ This fact makes the BLM movement the most powerful propaganda campaign in modern history.”

A number of the goals of this movement are not in alignment with the way that God requires of His people, including their apparent hatred for white people and their willingness to burn or otherwise destroy or vandalize buildings, burn cars, resort to violence and throw stones at police officers, and illegally occupy government buildings, sometimes with the use of weapons.

Therefore, it is not an organisation with which we should have any involvement or support in any way.

In the section on “Woke,” you will find a quotation from the Merriam Webster Dictionary showing the interconnection between the “Woke” movement and the Black Lives Matter and Antifa movements.

LGBT+

Another vociferous group which is connected to the other movements we are discussing is the LGBT+ organisation.   Wikipedia gives this definition:

“LGBT is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity.

“The LGBT term is an adaptation of the initialism LGB, which began to replace the term gay (or gay and lesbian) in reference to the broader LGBT community beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s.  When not inclusive of transgender people, the shorter term LGB is still used instead of LGBT.

“It may refer to anyone who is non-heterosexual or non-cisgender, instead of exclusively to people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender. To recognize this inclusion, a popular variant, LGBTQ, adds the letter Q for those who identify as queer or are questioning their sexual or gender identity.”

In our booklet “God’s Teachings on Sexual Relationships,” https://www.eternalgod.org/gods-teachings-on-sexual-relationships/ the matter of homosexuality is discussed on pages 95-114.

On page 95, we state the following:

“Before covering the controversial issue of homosexuality, we feel it is necessary to state our position, as anyone who opposes this behavior is commonly thought to be a homophobe or homophobic. This term is casually used against anyone who has the audacity to question the morality of such behavior, especially when asserting it to be sin, which homosexual lobbyists often refer to as hate speech.

“This argument is invalid, as people on both sides of the argument must be allowed to agree or disagree about homosexuality in a free and fair society. To assert that homosexual behavior is a sin is simply stating a biblical fact, and Christians who live by the Word of God are simply stating what God’s Word clearly reveals. There should be no hate for the individual concerned, just sadness at their way of life.”

In an editorial in our weekly Update, dated December 9, 2022 https://www.eternalgod.org/update-1048/, entitled “Just Because….”, we wrote: “… more controversy has arisen because of the refusal of FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) to allow teams to wear the ‘OneLove’ rainbow armband in a show of solidarity for the LGBT+ community and as protest against many human rights violations in that country.”

There was uproar about this situation with the press and media regarding this denial.  As our booklet on the matter clearly shows, the abhorrent practice of homosexuality which God roundly condemns, is supported by the mainstream media.  We know that it works this way – you either go along with it or you are in trouble!

In our Update No. 1053, dated January 13, 2023, https://www.eternalgod.org/update-1053/ we quoted the following from Life Site News, published on January 5: “Trump has also killed a lot of his support with his hosting of that massive Log Cabin Republicans event at Mar-a-Lago and his and Melania’s and Kari Lake’s enthusiastic partying with them. In doing so, they gave massive, likely naïve support to the ongoing LGBT agenda… and policies to protect and promote their immoral, anti-life, anti-natural-family lifestyle, and to punish all who even think or speak anything critical of what they do…”

On the website lgbted.uk, there is the following information:

“LGBTed is a network of LGBT+ teachers and leaders, empowering them to be authentic in schools, colleges and universities, to support students and to be an advocate for increasing LGBT+ visibility in our education system.

“LGBTed use our network to influence education policy around LGBT+ inclusion in education; we support and empower colleagues to come out at all levels in education; we increase school leaders’ knowledge of LGBT+ issues in education and provide training & mentoring.  We help improve teacher retention by allowing colleagues to be more authentic in the workplace.”

There can be no doubt that the teaching profession in schools, colleges and universities can influence students in ways that are not Godly.   The above is evidence of this.

On the Law Society website in the UK, there was an article in February 2021 entitled: “LGBT History Month, Imogen Hamblin, employment lawyer at Thrive Law and member of our LGBT+ Lawyers Division Committee, explores two facets of her identity – her faith and her sexuality.”   She writes:

“Let’s note, rejection of the LGBT+ community can take many subtle forms, for example exclusion from the membership or leadership teams, refusing to conduct marriage ceremonies and making comments like ‘we love the sinner not the sin’ or that ‘you are welcome, but your way of life is not’.

“The implication is there is something unholy or sinful about our lifestyle.

“The church is in an uncomfortable place for LGBT+ persons; however, there is good news.

“Facets of the church have reacted positively to the changes in legislation and have adopted a more thoughtful approach to the teachings of Scripture, recognising the culture in which it was written.

“The church is starting to become more inclusive and some Christian denominations do not consider homosexuality or transgender identity to be sins. Leading the way in this advancement is Rev Steve Chalk MBE of Oasis Church, Waterloo. He celebrates having LGBT+ people in the leadership team, music team and youth work teams. They also regularly conduct same-sex marriages.”

This is written by a professing Christian who is a lesbian which any honest student of the Bible will see as incompatible.   Referring to the culture in which the Bible was written is not an answer.

It may be that many are under the delusion that LGBTQ+ issues are the most important things in the world to them today when to most people on earth, they are very definitely not.  No one has to recognise or support this group if they don’t want to, and their constant pushing of this perverted “lifestyle” can become wearying.  We must be steadfast in our opposition to these ungodly lifestyles and practices that God condemns.

The Bible states quite clearly and unambiguously that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

In 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, we read: “Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.” Compare also 1 Timothy 1:8-11.

Romans 1:26-27 tells us: “For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature.  Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.”

No amount of theological twisting and turning can make acceptable that which is an abomination to God (See Leviticus 18:22, 26, 29; 20:13).

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

Discrimination is a much used word today, and there is so much confusion about a number of issues which seem to have been integrated into one package, and someone not accepting that totality of those issues can become “cancelled,” with others being called a variety of names that are deemed to show the outrage, bigotry, disapproval and opprobrium of their none-acceptance.  This “morphing” (changing the form or character of, or transforming) of one very necessary and important subject (racial discrimination) and adding other more contentious matters on to the same basic premise is clever; you either accept all of the attachments or you choose what to accept and reject, and then receive the usual abuse when you resist and challenge the orthodoxy.

In this new series, let us unpick this “blob” of many different issues which have come together, purposely by those with an agenda that undermines the very fabric of a healthy and decent society.  We will review those individual issues which are now a constituent part of the overall racial discrimination discussion and package.

According to Wikipedia, “Discrimination is the act of making unjustified distinctions between people based on the groups, classes, or other categories to which they belong or are perceived to belong. People may be discriminated on the basis of race, gender, age, religion, disability, or sexual orientation, as well as other categories.”

Because of this, many attachments are made to the initial racial discrimination issue and you have to accept, and approve of, the whole package or else you are in big trouble.   That is why we must review all attachments to the original as they may not be in line with what is approved by God.

It is very important, right at the beginning of this Q&A, to get some definitions.   We know, today, that words can mean different things to different people at different times, and it is easy for misunderstandings to occur.   The meaning of words is not static and set in stone. What a word means or describes can change over time, and that is how languages evolve.   For example, the word “wicked” used to mean “evil or immoral, playfully malicious or mischievous” whereas today, for some, it can mean something that is “neat” or excellent.

We have already seen one definition of discrimination above.   On the website eoc.org.uk, we read the following:

“Understanding When It May Not Be Considered Discrimination.

“In some instances, it may not be considered unlawful discrimination if someone treats you unfairly on the basis of any of the protected characteristics, provided that they have good enough reason for this unfair treatment and are able to justify the discrimination.

“These few examples demonstrate when discrimination may not be considered unlawful:

“A construction company requires all applicants for a high-rise construction job to take a series of physical tests. While this might put older applicants at a disadvantage and could be considered as indirect age discrimination, the company is justified as an older worker may not be able to meet the physical rigors of the job.

“A shelter for women posts an advertisement for female counsellors only. In this case the employers could escape any potential sex discrimination complaint by arguing that all of their clients are women who have suffered domestic violence by their male partners and they would be reluctant to speak to other men about their experience.

“A Roman Catholic school is justified in restricting applications for a job as a scripture teacher to only baptised Catholics.

“If an employer turns down an application because a prospective worker insists they be given time off at certain times for religious observance, it could be construed as religious discrimination. However, if the time off coincides with the employer’s business time and all workers are required to be on the job to ensure customer’s orders are met, then the employer may be justified in taking this action by citing the ‘occupational requirement clause.’”

Looking at the last example above, a request for certain times off for religious observance may sometimes be rejected, or a person may not be hired for that reason.   That is discrimination but not in the eyes of the law although it is blatant discrimination and in direct violation of the Law of God, if the requested time off for religious observance is biblically commanded. This refers mainly to the weekly Sabbath and the annual Holy Days, including the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day!  So much for protection in this rebellious and God-defying world ruled by Satan the Devil! But we know that if there is a conflict between what man wants and what God instructs, the true Christian will follow the Will of God and take the punishment dealt out by man.   In Acts 5:29, Peter said that “We ought to obey God rather than men.”

We will look now at the different groups that have become attached to, and inextricably linked with racial discrimination and will describe who and what they are, although we have covered some of this information previously in our writings.

Let us start with the matter of racial discrimination itself.   Of all the myriad descriptions of this matter, Wikipedia gives a fairly simple definition as follows: “Racial discrimination is any discrimination against any individual on the basis of their skin color, race or ethnic origin.  Individuals can discriminate by refusing to do business with, socialize with, or share resources with people of a certain group.”

What does the Bible have to say about this?  

“For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:27-28).   In the first book of the Bible, we read: “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26-27). Also note Acts 17:26.

We read that Jesus engaged the Samaritan woman in conversation (see John 4:1-42) and in Acts 8:26-39, Philip baptised an Ethiopian eunuch.  Paul preached to the Gentiles, and when the Day of Pentecost had fully come (Acts 2:1), there were “Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven” (verse 5) and “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (verse 41).   Many different races and ethnic groups were there, who had become “proselytes” and converted to Judaism, and none of them were discriminated against and many became church members. Compare our Q&A on Acts 2:5-11 and the presence of Arabs in Jerusalem.

The Bible most certainly does not discriminate against the different races; after all, God created them all in the first place.

Political Correctness

In our Q&A entitled “Why is political correctness a potential problem for Christians and the Church of God today?”, we cover this matter and will quote selectively from this to make the point that this can be a problem in certain circumstances for true Christians:

“On the Wikipedia website, the definition of political correctness is as follows: ‘The term political correctness (adjectivally: politically correct; commonly abbreviated to PC or P.C.) is used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in society’…

“Of course, it should not be our goal to purposefully insult others and to cause offense. But this does not mean that God’s Church can become timid and shy away from our duty to proclaim the Truth…

“The Church has a duty to proclaim God’s Way of Life and His standards fully and boldly, even and especially if this conflicts with the norms of a society which is cut off from God and inspired and motivated by Satan and his demons.

“In one of our Q&A’s on Romans 13:1-7, we state the following:

“‘As soon as the law of the land contradicts God’s command, we are to disobey the law of the land and obey God’s law. However, even in that instance, we are to accept the government’s authority over us. This is demonstrated by the fact that Peter and John did not protest being flogged, but instead rejoiced that they suffered for obeying God’ (Acts 5:40-42)…

“It is interesting that the UK, the USA, Canada and other countries pride themselves on freedom of expression which is not enjoyed in many other nations around the world.

“However, political correctness can have the opposite effect of allowing freedom of speech; for example, anyone quoting the Bible and God’s teaching on a number of issues could be seen as engaging in ‘hate speech’. Such is the level of antipathy now afforded the Word of God…

“Think about how society today is at odds with biblical teachings:

“Society today approves of a behaviour that the Bible calls an abomination – homosexuality – but don’t you dare speak out against it or you will be vilified.

“Abortion is allowed today in so many countries around the world but the killing of innocent, unborn children is called ‘choice’ by its proponents, but the bottom line is that abortion is murder. Therefore, by extension, society today approves of murder in this instance.

“Certain mind-altering drugs which are highly addictive and dangerous are decriminalised which can wreak terrible havoc on the users and their families. The anguish that bereaved parents and other family members may suffer is appalling.

“Society today is consumed by equal rights irrespective of Godly instruction and the rightness of things.

“We must never give the impression of condoning wrongdoing or wrong principles just for the sake of peace. We have to say and do, and be seen to say and do, the right things and not condone evil. Isaiah 5:20 tells us: ‘Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!’ We do live in a perverse society which, in general, rejects God and makes up its own laws and rules and the fruits of this are plain for all to see.

“The Church of God has a duty of responsibility to teach the ways of God. In Isaiah 58:1 we read: ‘Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.’…

“There is the warning message in Ezekiel 33:6 which reads as follows: ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’

“We have the responsibility to warn of the terrible times to come because of our sinful and godless societies, and we must fulfil that responsibility…

“Inevitably, the Church of God will be at odds with society. The Church teaches the Way of God; the world has no interest in this, thinking that they are capable of forging and maintaining a good and decent society without God being involved. We know that the world is deceived by Satan (see Revelation 12:9), and so no one should be in the least bit surprised. And, yes, political correctness can be a real problem for both true Christians and the Church today. However, God’s true Church will continue to stand up for God without compromising even one inch with what God has revealed to us about His Way.”

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the first instalment of this two-part series, we looked at quite a number of Scriptures that clearly show that the New Testament writings were considered part of God’s Word by those disciples living in the New Testament, and that God had approved their writings.

It could be said by critics that the New Testament writers were making grandiose claims personally by reflecting that their words carried the approval of God as part of the inspiration of the written Word of God.

However, two arguments countering that claim are as follows:

1. We believe that God inspired the whole of the Bible which includes both the Old and New Testaments, and
2. The consistency of the whole of the Bible.  We read on the website “scripturesubjects” the following: “The Bible was written over a span of 1,500 years by 40 authors living on three continents speaking three different languages with diverse educational and cultural backgrounds—yet it reads as one cohesive story from Genesis through Revelation. All 66 books of the Bible [in the way English Bibles order and count those books] are perfectly harmonious and consistent in their message, especially when answering and addressing life’s essential questions, ‘Where did we come from, and why are we here? Do we have a purpose? Does God exist, and if so, what is He like? Why is there suffering, evil, and trouble in the world? Is there life after death, and if so, where do we go and why?’

“If a survey were taken of twenty people from the same generation with similar backgrounds asking them these crucial questions, their responses would be diverse. Yet, the biblical writers’ content and doctrines are entirely coherent and congruent, fitting together within a logical framework. This fact is one powerful evidence of its divine origin.”

Therefore, it is entirely correct to embrace ALL Scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament, as approved by the great Creator God, given mercifully for our learning and understanding which leads to eternal life for all those called into His Church at this time and in previous generations, and for others to be given that same opportunity at a later time.

In our booklet “The Authority of the Bible” we read the following on pages 28 and 29 under the heading “The True Author and Preserver”:

“Beyond the rather blurry record that marks the transition of the early Christian faith into history’s background and the subsequent emergence of the Roman Catholic Church, another factor supersedes in accounting for WHO preserved the New Testament. The real AUTHOR of the inspired writings of the New Testament has also sustained His written Word throughout the ages. The proof of this statement is found in the words of Jesus Christ, when He said, ‘Sanctify them [set them apart] by Your truth, Your word is truth’ (John 17:17); and, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away’ (Matthew 24:35; also, compare parallel statements in 1 Peter 1:23, 25).

“These Scriptures, along with many others, point to the fact that the New Testament record would be preserved. Another quote from Jesus shows that His teachings would come before all men in all generations: ‘He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day’ (John 12:48).

“Consider one final answer as to who preserved the New Testament. The teachings of Christianity became a way of life for those who embraced what they learned! Note this statement by Paul: ‘For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe’ (1 Thessalonians 2:13; also, compare a parallel statement in 1 John 2:5).

“By taking to heart their calling to salvation, the faithful ones of countless generations have helped sustain and preserve a true understanding of the written Word of God. That same responsibility now falls upon us. We, too, must endeavor to uphold the teachings we have been given, just as those before us helped preserve the New Testament: ‘I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, HAVE KEPT MY WORD, and have not denied My name’ (Revelation 3:8).”

We further read in this booklet the following on pages 34-35 under the heading “God’s Word Endures Forever”:

“Jesus Christ Himself promised that God would ensure that His Word would be preserved for all eternity. He said in Matthew 5:18: ‘… one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.’

“Peter explained that ‘the word of the LORD endures forever’ (1 Peter 1:25). Paul instructed Titus to only ordain an elder if he would hold ‘fast the faithful word as he has been taught’ (Titus 1:9), expecting, of course, that ‘the word’ would be preserved. Jude challenged the brethren to ‘contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints’ (Jude 3). Again, true brethren were asked to stand up for the faith which had been taught and preserved in the sacred writings.

“We read that God’s end-time disciples would keep His Word (Revelation 3:8)—which requires that God’s Word had been preserved and would be available in the end time. In fact, some living in the end time would even be killed for keeping the Word of God (Revelation 20:4).

“Jesus is the personified Word of God (Revelation 19:13; John 1:1, 14; 1 John 1:1). As He is still alive today, so He made sure that His written Word—the entire Bible—would stay ALIVE as well. After all, the Word of God is ‘LIVING and powerful’ (Hebrews 4:12).

“Who canonized the New Testament? It was God, but He inspired His apostles Paul, Peter and John to pronounce the decision which books and letters should be considered as sacred and infallible. And so, God ultimately used the apostle John to canonize the writings of the New Testament.”

From the website “the banner,” we read the following observations.

“So then, can we trust the New Testament?

“The answer is a resounding ‘Yes!’

“The New Testament manuscript copies we have were written relatively close to their originals, and we possess more manuscript copies than any other document of antiquity. Fewer than 1% of its variants are meaningful, and it has both Christian and non-Christian sources that affirm the events of the biblical account. If we are to question the reliability of the New Testament, I argue we should then question every other historical work, too, because the New Testament surpasses in authenticity any other work of antiquity.”

If we ignore any part of the Bible, then we can’t have the full picture of what God is trying to achieve in our lives.   We must use ALL of the Word of God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In a series of three Q&A’s entitled, “why do you consider the Old Testament so important?,” we discussed the close connection between the Old and New Testament which is shown by the number of times the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament.   The Old Testament had the approval of Jesus Christ and He quoted from it to prove the point.

In 2 Timothy 3:16, we learn an important lesson about ALL Scripture: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

As we explained in the previous series, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes the following when discussing that it can be translated as: “Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable for doctrine, for reproof… “:

“The rendering followed by the English version, and which is certainly grammatically possible, by making—’all Scripture’ the subject, and ‘given by inspiration of God’ the predicate, declares positively the inspiration of all the Old Testament Scriptures, for this is what the Apostle must have referred to, if we understand this verse as we have it rendered in the English version above.”

In Acts 20:27, Paul wrote: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God,” and that must have been from the Old Testament which was the main written text at that time plus the teachings of Jesus which were, for the most part, not yet part of the written Word of God. Scholars tell us that some of the New Testament texts (such as the gospel records according to Mark, Matthew and Luke, and 1 Thessalonians) were all written before the book of Acts.

A key verse in the New Testament can be read in John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom (which) the Father will send in My name, He (it) will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

Barnes Notes on the Bible are instructive about this verse:

“Will send in my name – On my account [or better: “through Me”]. To perfect my work. To execute it as I would in applying it to the hearts of men. See John 14:13.

“Shall teach you all things – All things which it was needful for them to understand in the apostolic office, and particularly those things which they were not prepared then to hear or could not then understand. See John 16:12. Compare… Matthew 10:19-20. This was a full promise that they would be inspired, and that in organizing the church, and in recording the truths necessary for its edification, they would be under the infallible guidance of the Holy Spirit. [We hasten to add that the Holy Spirit is not a Person, but God’s power emanating from the Father and the Son.]

“Bring all things to your remembrance – This probably refers to two things:

“1. He [that is, Jesus through His Spirit] would seasonably remind them of the sayings of Jesus, which they might otherwise have forgotten. In the organization of the church, and in composing the sacred history, he would preside over their memories, and recall such truths and doctrines as were necessary either for their comfort or the edification of his people. Amid the multitude of things which Jesus spake during a ministry of more than three years, it was to be expected that many things which he had uttered, that would be important for the edification of the church, would be forgotten. We see, hence, the nature of their inspiration. The Holy Spirit made use of their memories, and doubtless of all their natural faculties. He (better “it”, unless we speak of Jesus Christ, working through His Spirit) so presided over their memories as to recall what they had forgotten, and then it was recorded as a thing which they distinctly remembered, in the same way as we remember a thing which would have been forgotten had not some friend recalled it to our recollection.

“2. The Holy Spirit [that is, Jesus Christ, through His Spirit] would teach them the meaning of those things which the Saviour had spoken. Thus they did not understand that he ought to be put to death until after his resurrection, though he had repeatedly told them of it, Luke 24:21, Luke 24:25-26. So they did not until then understand that the gospel was to be preached to the Gentiles, though this was also declared before. Compare Matthew 4:15-16; Matthew 12:21, with Acts 10:44-48.”

The ministry then, and down through the ages until the present time, were instructed in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Therefore as “rightly dividing the word of truth” is required, the admonitions and teachings of the New Testament must be God-breathed in order for His ministry to accomplish this.

A look at some of the New Testament writers will reveal much about the God-inspired nature of their writings.

As mentioned above, Paul addressed the Ephesians’ Elders and stated: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.”  We know from Acts chapter 9 that Saul was “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem” (verses 1-2).  On the road to Damascus, he met Jesus and, after 3 days of blindness which was healed, he was baptised (verses 3-18).   In verses 19-20, we read:

“So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.”   After persecuting those of “The Way,” he became one of the giants of the New Testament with many of his writings becoming part of the Word of God.

Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:37: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”

There is further proof in 1 Corinthians 2:13-16: “These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one.  For ‘who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?’ But we have the mind of Christ.”

In 2 Corinthians 2:17, there is further proof that what Paul wrote was of Godly inspiration: “For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ.”

In 1 Peter 1:12, Peter writes: “To them it was revealed that, not to themselves, but to us they were ministering the things which now have been reported to you through those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things which angels desire to look into.”

It is interesting that Peter indicates that Paul’s writings are to be viewed as are the rest of the Scriptures:

“…and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation—as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you, as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures” (2 Peter 3:15-16).

The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary observes: “other scriptures—Paul’s Epistles were, therefore, by this time, recognized in the Church, as ‘Scripture’: a term never applied in any of the fifty places where it occurs, save to the Old and New Testament sacred writings.”

In 1 Thessalonians 2:13 we read what Paul wrote to the Church there: “For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, because when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively works in you who believe.”

We read in Luke 1:2-4: “… just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.”   It is clear that the physician Luke, who also wrote the Book of Acts, wrote this gospel record to inform positively to the “most excellent Theophilus” about the truth, life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

In the Book of Revelation which was the last book written and which was included in the Scriptures, we read the following in Revelation 1:1-2: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants—things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John, who bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, to all things that he saw.”

This statement in the last book of the Bible clearly shows that Jesus Christ revealed to the apostle John those things that had to happen in the future. The Greek word for Revelation is apokalupsis (apocalypse) which is an uncovering, revealing or unveiling and it was God the Father who, through Jesus, gave this information thus sealing it with Godly authority.

(To be continued)

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)

In the previous instalments, we looked at some reasons why both the Old Testament and the New Testament combine to make up the complete Word of God.  We continue, in this final instalment, with some further reasons and conclude that anything less than the full Bible is insufficient for a true Christian.

5. Only the Old Testament was available when Jesus was on earth.

The New Testament hadn’t been written until the end of the first century, which was after Jesus’ death. In the Old Testament, we find a number of Scriptures that prophesy of Jesus’ first coming.   If we only relied on the New Testament, we wouldn’t have the prophecies to review and see how they were fulfilled.   Let us review just a few of these Old Testament prophecies.

In Isaiah 7:14 we read: “Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.”

This was written about 700 years before the birth of Jesus and was brought to fruition as we read in the New Testament – please see Matthew 1:22-23.

In the 53^rd chapter of Isaiah are remarkable prophecies:

Verse 5: “But He was wounded [pierced] for our transgressions, He was bruised [crushed] for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Compare Matthew 8:16-17.)

Verse 7: “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.” (Compare Matthew 26:63, 27:12-14, Acts 8:32-33.)

Verse 9: “And they made His grave with the wicked—But with the rich at His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was any deceit in His mouth.” (Compare Matthew 27:57-60, 1 Peter 2:22.)

We read in Micah 5:2 “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.”

This was written over 800 years before Jesus was born and pinpoints the town where He was to be born – see Matthew 2:6 for the fulfilment of this prophecy.

The accuracy is unerring.

There are more references, but to repeat what was written in the previous point, there are at least a minimum of 414 references in the Old Testament referring to Jesus’ first coming. And there are many Old Testament Scriptures speaking about Christ’s second coming.

6. The Old Testament is vital to understand many biblical teachings.

It is in the Old Testament that we find God giving Abraham promises.   In Genesis 12:2-3 we read: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

We in the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia and other English-speaking nations are still, today, reaping the benefit of Abraham’s obedience to God; although the blessings now seem to be ebbing away due to man’s behaviour and lack of trust in Him.   Please see our free booklet “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America” where on pages 6 and 7 we read about the “Birthright Blessings of Abraham Were Passed On” and “Blessings Withheld for Disobedience”.   On page 9 is a section headed, “Throne of David to Continue Until the Return of Christ”.   How would we have understood all of this vital information if we just had the New Testament?

On the first Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to the New Testament Church as recorded in Acts 2, Peter stood up and gave an address which referred to the prophet Joel (2:28-32) and to David in Psalm 16:8-11.

When Stephen, amongst others, was chosen as one of the seven deacons to serve, he was described as “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6:5).   He was accused of blasphemy (Acts 6:11) and when he was challenged, he gave an address (Acts 7:2-53) which covered many Old Testaments events and which culminated in his death by stoning (Acts 7:57-60).   This address would not have taken place, nor the reigning religious elite chided about his behaviour, had the Old Testament been unimportant and not necessary for the early Christian Church.

In Acts 8:26-38, we read that Philip preached Christ to the Ethiopian eunuch and referred to Isaiah 53:7-8.

In Acts 13:13-41, we read that the apostle Paul was reading from the Law and the Prophets.

Old Testament examples were given in 1 Corinthians 10.  In verse 4 we read that “that spiritual Rock that followed them… was Christ”.   Verse 6 of this chapter reads: “Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted.”   The apostle Paul gave the clear indication that the Old Testament was necessary for the fledgling Corinthian Church to learn lessons from.

7. The Church of God must preach “the whole counsel of God.”

In 2 Timothy 3:16 we learn an important lesson about the entire Bible: “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers observes the following: “Every scripture inspired by God is also profitable for doctrine, for reproof… by making… ‘all Scripture’ the subject, and ‘given by inspiration of God’ the predicate, [Paul] declares positively the inspiration of all the Old Testament Scriptures, for this is what the Apostle must have referred to…”

It follows, therefore, that those who profess Christianity must have, and use, the Old Testament as part of their faith.

We learn further from Romans 15:4: “For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.”

We read in Acts 19:8: “And he (Paul) went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.”   This was also the subject of His teaching in Acts 20:25 and 28:30-31.  In 28:23 we read: ^“So when they had appointed him a day, many came to him at his lodging, to whom he explained and solemnly testified of the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus from both the Law of Moses and the Prophets, from morning till evening. (See also Acts 26:22-23.)

We read in Acts 22:3 that Paul (previously Saul of Tarsus) said: “I am indeed a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, taught according to the strictness of our fathers’ law, and was zealous toward God as you all are today.”   It is, therefore, safe to assume that Paul, with his background and training, knew the Old Testament and applied this to Jesus Christ.   He would be able to preach the whole counsel of God (compare Acts 20:27).

While the Old Testament was written thousands of years ago, we are still the recipients of that body of knowledge and, combined with the New Testament, is the information that God wants us to have.

Jude wrote in his short epistle in verse 3: “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”   This is part of the whole counsel of God.

CONCLUSION:

In our booklet “The Authority of the Bible,” we read the following on pages 4 and 5 under the heading “The Bible Proves Itself”:

“The answer to that question is simply, THE BIBLE PROVES ITSELF! Human interpretation is not the final authority when it comes to the Word of God! But that is exactly how those who selectively pick and choose what they want to believe, view the Bible. It is also the position taken by so many who simply reject the Bible.

“So, again, how can we know what is true and what is false?

“Jesus Christ made an utterly profound statement in answer to Pilate’s questioning: ‘Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice”’ (John 18:37). Jesus Christ Himself bore witness of the Word of God, and that included the Holy Scriptures—the Old Testament at that time. The prophecies of His birth, death and resurrection proved to be true!”

Jesus also quoted the Old Testament passages of the Bible when tempted by Satan three times in the New Testament (see Matthew 4:1-11).  He responded to Satan each time with the phrase “It is written…” and then followed by quoting Deuteronomy 8:3 and Deuteronomy 6:13.  If we didn’t have and use the Old Testament, we wouldn’t realise that the references came from that source.   By using these verses, Jesus confirmed the validity and necessity of the Old Testament.

Unfortunately, there are those who acknowledge and use the Old Testament but they “believe that we don’t necessarily have to take everything in there as literal and factual history, and we can consider other options to interpret the Old Testament.”  As we have said so many times, if there are errors in the Bible, then it cannot be trusted, and then we cannot believe that God’s Word is infallible.

With such a weight of evidence showing how the whole Bible is necessary to understand the creation of man, promises made to Abraham right down to the present time, prophecies about Jesus in the Old Testament, being fulfilled in the New Testament, and the whole plan of God – and much more – there can surely be no disputing that the Old Testament is vital and necessary.

The evidence that we have reviewed in this series is but a small selection to prove the point that the whole Word of God must be used to understand, as much as we are able and what has been revealed to us, what God has in store for those who are obedient to His Will and live a life pleasing in His sight and which will lead to eternal life in the Kingdom of God.

Lead Writer: Brian Gale (United Kingdom)