A Respectful Challenge to the Worldwide Church of God

By Michael Fenemore

March 18, 2002

To the leadership of the Worldwide Church Of God (WCG) and Plain Truth Ministries (PTM):

The New Testament writers, including the apostles Paul, James, Peter and John, taught that the second coming and resurrection would occur in their lifetimes. You clearly agree. The following is quoted from your booklet Will Christ Return?:

"The disciples' early epistles show the belief most of them apparently carried to their graves: that Jesus' return was imminent."

[This text was available at the WCG website on March 18, 2002. The complete text for WCG and PTM quotations is available at: http://www.worldwidechurchofgod.info.]

Those who take the view that all Bible prophecy has been fulfilled contend that the second coming of Christ must be tied to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and was completely fulfilled in that generation. You teach that the predictions of a first-century second coming failed and that we should be looking for the return of Christ in our future almost 2,000 years later. The following is quoted from the Statement of Beliefs of the Worldwide Church of God under the heading The Second Coming:

"Jesus Christ, as he promised, will return to earth to judge and reign over all nations in the kingdom of God. His second coming will be visible, and in power and glory. This event inaugurates the resurrection and reward of the saints."

[This text was available at the WCG website on March 18, 2002.]

Your booklet Will Christ Return? says, "They grossly underestimated how much time would pass before Jesus' return."

I respectfully suggest that promoting an unfulfilled view forces you into an absurd position. When one listener to the Plain Truth Commentary radio broadcast requested an explanation for the apostle Paul's alleged timing error, host Greg Albrecht answered:

"How could Paul have been wrong? The same way that many Christians have been 'wrong' over the last two thousand years. Our hearts lead, instead of our heads. We want the Lord to return, and want him to come in our lifetimes�"

[This text was available at the PTM website on March 18, 2002.]

This is presumably the best answer possible from your position, but it implies that some portions of Holy Scripture are based on nothing more than the wishful thinking of Paul's deluded heart. Is that where Paul�s gospel came from?

"I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:12, NIV throughout)

Mr. Albrecht goes on to imply that Paul made a "huge mistake". He portrays Paul as clearly too emotional and poorly trained to properly fulfill his role as an apostle of Jesus Christ. Yet, Scripture speaks of "holy apostles" who received their revelations "by the Spirit" (Ephesians 3:5).

Paul was specially chosen by Jesus Christ to take the gospel to the gentiles, but Mr. Albrecht has him misleading them into a pitiful delusion. The obvious questions are: "What other parts of Scripture can't be trusted?" and "Why did Jesus choose someone so incompetent?" Mr. Albrecht's explanation makes Jesus incompetent too!

Furthermore, you state that Paul was actually revising divinely inspired Scripture throughout his ministry, updating doctrine as he matured:

"Paul later had to soften this view of when the second coming would occur�"

[This text is quoted from the booklet Will Christ Return? It was available at the WCG website on March 18, 2002.]

Again, you imply that some of Paul's earlier contributions to Scripture are unreliable. Yet, at the same time, you declare Holy Scripture to be infallible. The following is quoted from the Statement of Beliefs of the Worldwide Church of God under the heading The Holy Scriptures:

"The Holy Scriptures are the inspired Word of God, the faithful witness to the gospel, and the true and accurate record of God's revelation to humanity. As such, the Holy Scriptures are infallible and are foundational to the church in all matters of doctrine and godly living."

[This text was available at the WCG website on March 18, 2002.]

I urge you to reconsider your position. Is it not a serious matter to teach that the apostles of Jesus Christ were living under an enormous delusion making bogus predictions about Jesus? Has this teaching not given the Jewish people throughout almost 20 centuries occasion to ridicule Christianity and dismiss the apostles as false prophets?

"'But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death.' You may say to yourselves, 'How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?' If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him". (Deuteronomy 18:20-22)

The resurrected Jesus Christ spoke directly to all of the apostles. The twelve were eyewitnesses to his entire ministry, were personally trained by him, and were promised divine revelation regarding "what is yet to come" (John 16:13). Therefore, after receiving the Holy Spirit, whatever they said "is yet to come" must have been right. And there was a deadline attached to their predictions�it was all to take place within their lifetimes�"according to the Lord's own word"!

"When you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." (Mark 13:29-30)

"I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." (Matthew 16:28)

"According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord�" (1 Thessalonians 4:15)

So, how can you teach that the apostles' predictions failed? Are we to believe that you understand the timing of the second coming better than the apostles did? Is that not an outrageous position? Should we not be afraid to take such a stand?

"But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned!" (Galatians 1:8)

Have you received "surpassingly great revelations" (2 Corinthians 12:7)? Was anyone of you hand-picked by the resurrected Jesus to receive supernatural "insight into the mystery of Christ" and then unveil the "mystery of the ages" to the whole world?

"Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation�you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God's holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel�this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God" (Ephesians 3:2-6, 8-9)

"�These men who have caused trouble all over the world" (Acts 17:6)

"�your faith is being reported all over the world" (Romans 1:8)

"�All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing" (Colossians 1:6)

"�This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven" (Colossians 1:23)

Why are you confident teaching that Christ's apostles were deceiving the very people they were continually warning not to be deceived?

"�Do not be deceived�" (1 Corinthians 6:9)

"Do not be deceived�" (Galatians 6:7)

"Don't be deceived, my dear brothers." (James 1:16)

I cannot accept the explanation that Paul's heart was leading him instead of his head. Since you choose to declare before God and the world that you are a source of Plain Truth, then I would respectfully suggest that you are obligated to provide a better answer for this issue�one that upholds the integrity of Scripture�one that defends Paul's inspired testimony and portrays him as Christ's greatest apostle, not as a deluded fool.

I humbly challenge you to offer a solid response to my short article titled The Timing Issue found on the website listed below.

The issue is�

How could the apostles have been wrong in light of Luke 8:10, John 15:15, Galatians 1:11-12 and especially John 16:13?

"He said, 'The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you�'" (Luke 8:10)

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15)

"I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ." (Galatians 1:11-12)

"But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come." (John 16:13)

I will be pleased to send your reply to all who have received the link to this friendly challenge and I will post it on the website.

The Timing Issue is easily found at: http://www.preterism.info

Kindest regards,

Michael Fenemore

This article can be viewed and downloaded at:
http://www.Preterism.info

Michael Morrison's reply to Michael Fenemore

Dear Michael,

You ask: "How could the apostles have been wrong in light of Luke 8:10, John 15:15, Galatians 1:11-12 and especially John 16:13?"

Answer: Your question contains a false premise. Those Scriptures do not mean that the apostles became infallible. One example is clear in Acts 27:10 - Paul predicts that the voyage will cause a loss of life. This did not happen. Luke was not afraid of admitting that Paul made a prediction that was not accurate.

Luke 8:10 says that the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been [past tense] given to you... -- but the apostles did not suddenly become aware of everything they needed to know. As Luke goes on to show, there was still a lot that they needed to learn, some of which came after Jesus was resurrected. And we see in Acts that they had to grow in understanding that the gospel invited gentiles into the kingdom just as much as it did Jews.

John 15:15 is similar - it says that Jesus told [past tense] everything his Father had told him. But at that point there was a lot that the disciples did not know.

Galatians 1:11-12 says that Paul learned the gospel from Jesus Christ. This does not mean that he could not make mistakes in other matters, including predictions. The timing of Christ's return is not the gospel. It has nothing to do with the way we live, how we are saved, or what we preach.

John 16:13 says that the Spirit would guide the apostles into all truth. I have already shown that they did not know everything right away. Maybe they did when they died, but unfortunately, we do not have any deathbed writings from them.

My point is that you are making these verses mean more than they were ever intended to mean. Despite Jesus' comments and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, an apostle can make a mistake. That does not mean that everything they wrote is wrong, but Scripture itself shows us that Paul could make a prediction that he later had to retract.

Peace, in Christ,

Mike

Date:: 26 Mar 2001
Time:: 01:07:53

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Thanks, Michael! Great work.

Date:: 23 May 2002
Time:: 00:11:46

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Jesus Christ SAID that he would return within his disciples lifetime in the HOLY WORD OF GOD.WHO are we going to believe a man or JESUS CHRIST. Ed B.

Date:: 19 Aug 2002
Time:: 06:07:47

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Don't bother getting into a discussion with the WCG. They are liars, cheats and are following the mandates of there Master-Satan. I know, I was a former member and they have turned against the one that BUILT the church in the first place, meaning God and Mr.Armstrong. There is NOTHING worse than a traitor, backstabber, lair, adulterer and a betrayer. That is what they have done to the members that they were supposed to teach, AND to the truth that they were supposed to administer and protect. They say that God is transforming the church, but God is the same yesterday, today and forever. Sure it is god that's doing transforming, but it's the god of this world, Satan that is doing this (Eph.2:2, 2 Cor. 4:40), NOT the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. They have betrayed God, their old leader, teacher and friend, themselves and the world, and they will pay dearly for this. When you see the last two prophets spoken of in Zech 4 and Rev.11 speaking and saying the same thing, then you will know what is said here is correct. Good Day.

Date:: 04 Sep 2002
Time:: 10:04:15

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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO AMBASSADOR BIBLE COLLEGE? IS THE PL AINTRUTH MAGAZINE STILL IN CIRCULATION?

Date:: 10 Oct 2002
Time:: 04:57:21
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I spent most of my life in the WWCG. God the Father called me and gave me a portion of his Holy Spirt through babtism while I attended this church. Then I prayed and asked God for a mate! A week later I met my wife in this church and married her and together we had two children while attending this church. My son was blessed in the WWCG and he is now in his second year at the most prestegious college in our city at 16 years old, He holds down a 30 hour a week job while maintaining an A average. I have a daughter with high honnors in her private school as well.Thank God Almighty for His blessing on my son and daughter that the WWCG taught and made time to do. I'm disabled but that dosen't stop the great God almighty through Jesus Christ our Lord that Mr.Armstrong taught me to love, adore, worship, honor and obey. I hurt and suffer in extreme pain all day long every day but this dosen't give me the right to blame God or Mr. Armstrong for my faults. I don't worship Mr. Armstrong or anyone else. My faults are mine and mine alone and may God help me to overcome them. You need to accept responsability for your decisions in life and quit trying to find somebody to blame them on. Truely a friend in Christ Jerry Huff

Date:: 10 Oct 2002
Time:: 05:14:57
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Date:: 10 Oct 2002
Time:: 05:18:43
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Date:: 09 Nov 2002
Time:: 13:06:44

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The Worldwide Church of God: An African American Student Perspective based on Personal Experience by Lester Washington For 7 years I worked for the Worldwide Church of God and Ambassador University. I am still a member of the Chrsitian Faith named the Worldwide Church of God!! Why do so many of you attack a church, condemn other Christians, and spend time on such foolishness as condemning people who repent daily and ask God to forgive them for mistakes. I attended Ambasssador University and studied about more than 1,200 other religions, beliefs, ideas, etc. All of them have varying and differing beliefs, minor or major!! The truth is, your church is no diffferent from the Worldwide Church of God, or it may be "worse" whatever that means for a church. All churches are full of people who made and are making mistakes,learning, growing, changing. Oh excuse me, some are not changing, they are condemning the Worldwide Church of God because they have: nothing better to do, taken on the job of God, pretended to defend Christianity, pretend to be righteous, holy, just, etc? By whose standards? Isaiah 55:6-7; What does God think about what you are doing - He doesn't think like we do!! I hope that many churches and groups will have the guts to do what Jimmy Swaggart, the Worldwide Church of God, Bill Clinton, and other greats have done - lived, recognized they were wrong, repented, and moved on - forward - still human, making mistakes, etc. but growing towards perfection. I dare say that you will find few true members of the WCG killing others, stealing, condemning, lying for personal gain, etc. I HOPE THAT ALL OF THE CHURCHES IN AND OUT OF AMERICA, THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, WHITES IN AMERICA WHO ARE RACIST, bLACKS, THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT, RACIST MINISTERS AND CHURCH MEMBERS, BIGOTS, ABUSERS OF WOMEN,CHILDREN, AND MINORITIES, ETC. WILL HAVE THE GUTS TO REPENT AND CHANGE THEIR DIRECTION AS THE WCG DID IN 1986 AND BEYOND. The WCG changed and where they once ADMITTEDLY practiced racism, they hired, trained, and promoted African American, women, minorities, and other in the majority who had been discriminated against to the highest ranks. when Joseph Tkach and other in the church decided to make the changes, it was not lipservice, they hired, trained, promoted, and paid African Americans, women, and other minorities. In fact your stats are off, there were 500,000 people attending the WCG and 300,000 left because they didn't want to change with the church; wanted to maintain HWA's beliefs, ideas, etc.; and for other personal and not so personal ideas "WHICH I WILL NOT CONDEMN THEM FOR!!" GOD IS JUDGE!! Lethim that is withoutt sin cast the first stone at the WCG an other Christians!! I pose a question to all who read this: How many African Americans, women, minorities,Asians and Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, Native Americans, etc. has your church hired, trained, promoted, and paid a decent wage? How many minorities are on your church board, not in the congregation paying money for you to gloat, complain, ridicule, and condemn others. How many are in power positions so they can truly speak what "THUS SAITH THE LORD" from NA, AA, API, HA, or EA woman (abbreviations for races)? How many are in your church changing the lives of others and making a difference? The belief in a superior race, church, group, church, etc. is the reason there are so many "WARS AND FIGHTINGS AMONG YOU/US" today. Racism, hatered, bigotry, genderism, etc. assumes that God is a racist, is guilty of sin, is a hatemonger. I submit to you that if "GOD IS A BIGOT, RACIST, HATER OF MINORITIES, HATER OF AFRICANS AND AFRICAN AMERICANS, HATER OF BLACKS, ETC. THEN HE IS GUILTY OF SIN! IF GOD IS GUILTY OF THE SIN OF RACISM OR GENDERISM, THEN HE IS NOT THE GOD OF THE BIBLE, THE KORAN, OR THE SUPREME GOD OF THE JEWS, AFRICANS, ASIANS, HISPANICS, NATIVE AMERICANS, EUROPEANS, AFRICAN AMERICANS, ETC.!! HE CANNOT BE BOTH ALYING SINNER/RACIST AND GOD!! THE WCG RECOGNIZED ITS "SINS" AND IS CHANGING!! HAVE YOU CHANGED? IS YOUR CHURCH SEGREGATED FROM THE PUGH TO THE BOARD ROOM? DO YOU HAVE A LILLY WHITE PASTORAL STAFF WITH NO WOMEN OR MINORITIES ON IT? ARE ALL OF YOUR LEADERS WHITE MALES WITH WOMEN AT HOME CLEANING UP AND "SUPPORTING THEM?" THE WORLD HAS CHANGED!! LOOK AT YOUR POLICE FORCE!! CITY BOD! SCHOL BOARDS!! HISTORICAL PICTURES!! ETC. LOOK AT YOUR COLLEGE BOARDS AND BOARDROOMS!! LOOK AT THE PICTURES ON THE WALLS IN YOUR INSTITUTIONS AND SEE HOW MANY ARE NOT WHITE, MALES, AND SUPERIOR TO EVERYONE ELSE! AFTERWARDS, ASK YOURSELF; IF I AM A RACIST, HATER OF OTHERS, JUDGE OF MY BROTHER, ETC. THEN WHEN WILL I DECIDE TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN. I FIND IT HARD TO BELIEF THAT GOD CREATED CHILDREN IN HIS IMAGE, TO BECOME LIKE HIM, ANDTHEN HATED THEM DUE TO THE COLOR OF THEIR SKIN, GENDER, ETC. WHICH HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE WCHG IS DIFFERENT!! SINCE THE 1970'S THE WCG HAD AFRICAN AMERICANS INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING AND NOW HAVE BECOME "MORE COMMITTED" TO DIVERSITY. I KNOW, SOME OF MY FRIENDS GAINED POSITIONS THERE!! NO IT WASN'T ALWAYS THAT WAY!! I WAS DENIED A JOB BECAUSE I WAS BLACK ADN THE PERSON TOOLLD ME "WE DON'T HIRE MANY BLACKS IN THAT AREA/DEPARTMENT." THAT IS CHANGING. THE CLAIM OF DIVERSITY IS NOTHING. IF YOU DO NOT HIRE, TRAIN, PROMOTE, GIVE EQUAL POWER TO MAKE DECISIONS TO, AND EQUALLY PAY MINORITIES, ESPECIALLY AFRICAN AMERICANS - THE MOST UNDERPAID GROUP IN AMERICA, YOUR ORGANIZATION IS NOT DIVERSE. YOU ARE A PRACTICING RACIST, GUILTY OF SIN, NOT A PERFECT CHRISTIAN, IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGING, ETC. BUT YOU HAVE NOT ARRIVED AT TRUE DIVERSITY YET!! FINALLY, I POSE A QUESTION TO YOU, IF YOU FIT THIS MOLD, WHAT GOD DO YOU SERVE/CERTAINLY IN MY OPINION, IT IS NOT THE GOD OF THE BIBLE BECAUSE HE IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN A RACIST, BIGOT, HATER OF BLACKS AND WOMEN, ETC. AS THE FOUNDERS OF THIS COUNTRY SUPPOSED. FOR IF GOD IS A RACIST, BIGOT,ETC. THEN HE IS GUILTY OF SIN AND IS NOT GOD!! I ask you to "examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith, lest you be deceived!! NOW PRINT THIS IF YOU WILL AND WRITE ME BACK!! THE WORLD DOES NOT REVOLVE AROUND US, OUR GROUP, OUR RELIGION, ETC.!! THERE ARE OVER 1,200 RELIGIONS IN THE WORLD BUTONLY ONE SUPREME GOD. THERE IS NO ROOM AT THE TOP FOR TWO SUPREME GODS, EVEN CHRIST SAID THE FATHER IS GREATER THAN I!! AFRICAN AMERICANS KNOW THAT AS DOES MANY OTHE REOPLE. WHY DO THE DICTATOR, RACISTS, BIGOTS,POWERMONGERS, ETC. AT THE HEAD OF CHURCHES CRY ABOUT PAST AND PRESENT DICTATORS? IS IT JEALOUSY OR JUST PLAIN SIN? Lester Washington AFRICANAMERICANMALES@YAHOO.COM Doctoral Student at Jackson State University (ON LEAVE)

Date:: 30 Jan 2003
Time:: 09:02:49

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Please discontinue any correspondence immediately to Patrick Harrington of Canada - Postal Code V9W 1Y7 as he has passed away. Thank you. Are you associated with Quick Study Ministries? Please advise at mcsmith27@yahoo.com. Thank you.

Date:: 20 Apr 2004
Time:: 09:06:19

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hi people how are u people i need a prayer request for my health i had gall stone in my gall bladder about few months and please pray for me thank u very much

Date:: 02 Dec 2004
Time:: 15:23:35

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Fact: Mr. Armstrong did bring the truth in these last days. Fact: He was being led by God to come to understand over a period of time the Bible and it's teaching. Fact: Once WWCG grew to a size and other men/ordained ministers (certain ones) came into being in the church. Satan had a greater avenue to travel. Fact: thru this avenue and so-called scholars wisdom, rather than the simplicity of a babes mind, those true teachings were put away in the 70's (Apostosy) Fact: There still is someone out there continueing in this way of life, albeit most likely a small number of people. Fact: Christ is going to return wether anyone likes it or not, wether anyone thinks there opinion or scholarly wisdom matters, he is going to return to set up a just and right kingdom on this earth and be the almighty judge. Fact: Proof is in your vision.........look around at the state of the world wether you believe in the Bible or not., Sins are coming to a full. Fast: God is the same yesterday, today and forever and as a thief in the night, he will return. I fully suspect many sheeple will start waking up eventually as continents start to skip, 10's of thousands of people, even here in America are killed in a days time, when the system crashes, when families turn against families. Eyes will open, truth will be revealed, all of the worldly Satanic days made up of men and promoted by Satan will be done away with and so it will begin. Good day and God bless

Date: 11 Feb 2007
Time: 11:45:03

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My wife of 5 years has suffered terribly as a result of the brain washing cult mind control practices of the WWCG.For me, the issue is not the falibility/non falibility of certain christian beliefs but the extreme ARROGENCE of their position. Even now, in their confusion, they still take a position of INFALIBILITY, concerning any article of faith revised or otherwise. As long as this attitude continues and no real repent is offered, the devil's just changed his blazer as far as I'm concerned.If anything the sickness is now better hidden from the flock.They really didn't resolve much, exept to move off to different churches so as not to have to talk or debate with one another on different views, all mutually 'infallable'. I love God and Jesus with all my heart but some times I catch myself praying quite honestly. 'Lord Jesus, please protect me from your followers.'This is my arrogence