The Fraud Of I John 5:7

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Question: “Does I John 5:7 belong in the Bible? Some say this verse proves God is a Trinity.”

Answer: This verse is spurious! It is a FRAUD — a deliberate hoax — foisted upon a deceived world centuries AFTER the inspired New Testament was written!

Those who cite this verse to prove the doctrine of the Trinity are either in gross ignorance or are out-and-out deceivers! The Bible nowhere teaches the pagan doctrine of a Trinity! I John 5:7 is properly deleted in modern translations, such as the Moffatt, Goodspeed, and the Revised Standard Version.

So where then did I John 5:7 come from? Why is it found today in the King James Bible? And who put it there?

The editors of the “Critical and Experimental Commentary” were forced to admit this verse is NOT found in ANY of the old manuscripts of the Bible and was not found in the manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate until as late as the eighth century! Notice their confession:

“The only Greek MSS., in any form, which support the words:

“….in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one: and there are three that bear witness in earth,”

are the Montfortianus of Dublin, copied from the Modern Latin Vulgate; the Revianus, copied from the Complutensian Polyglot; a MS. at Naples, with the words added in the margin by a recent hand; Ottobonianus, 298, of the fifteenth century, the Greek of which is a translation of the accompanying Latin. ALL THE OLD VERSIONS OMIT THE WORDS. The oldest MSS. of the Vulgate omit them, the earliest Vulgate MS. which has them being Wizanburgensis, 99, of the eighth century.

Even Adam Clarke confesses in his “Commentary”: “But it is likely this verse is NOT GENUINE. It is wanting in every MS. of this epistle written before the invention of printing, one excepted, the “Codex Montfortii”, in Trinity College, Dublin

Clarke continues, “It is wanting in both the Syriac, all the Arabic, Ethiopic, the Coptic, Sahidic, Armenian, Slavonian, etc., in a word, IN ALL THE ANCIENT VERSIONS but the “Vulgate”; and even of this version many of the most ancient and correct MSS. have it not. It is wanting also in ALL THE ANCIENT GREEK FATHERS; and in most even of the Latin.”

How, then, did it creep into the text of the King James Version? Hear the voice of History:

I John 5:7 “… is not contained in any Greek manuscript which was written earlier than the fifth century. It is not cited by ANY of the Greek ecclesiastical writers; nor by any of the early Latin fathers, even when the subjects upon which they treated would naturally have led them to appeal to its authority. It is therefore evidently spurious; and was first cited (though not as it now reads) by Virgilius Tapsensis, a Latin writer of no credit, in the latter end of the fifth century, but by whom forged, is of no great moment, as its design must be obvious to all.” (The Emphatic Diaglott.)

Trinitarians grasp at I John 5:7 as a last straw to support their doctrine because NO OTHER SCRIPTURE IN ALL THE BIBLE CAN LEND CREDENCE to the pagan doctrine of a tri-une God!

The doctrine of “God in three Persons” is not Biblical! It originated in ancient paganism!

Babylonish and Oriental religions have long believed in triune divinities — father, mother and child. The Egyptians worshiped Isis, Osiris, and Horus; the Babylonians deified the archrebel Nimrod, his wife Semiramis, and her illegitimate son Horus, known also as Gilgamesh. The widespread worship of a “Trinity” traces all the way back to this original trio!

God is NOT a trinity. God is a family (Eph. 3:15), composed of the Father, and Jesus Christ, the first-born among many brethren (Rom. 8:29). The Bible does not teach a “closed” God-head. Rather, true Christians can become Sons of God — very members of the God family — if they are born again by His Spirit at the resurrection.

At the resurrection, Christians begotten by the Holy Spirit, are born into God’s ruling Kingdom. We will become co-inheritors with Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:17)! We will be born of God as He is! We will be glorified just like Jesus Christ — we will be like Him, “for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2) — as very God!

Satan has deluded the world with his diabolical trinitarian concept in order to hide the marvelous truth about man’s destiny!

Source: The Plain Truth, January, 1965

Witchcraft And Magic: Dangerous Paranormal Psychic Powers

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Interest in witchcraft is a popular focus of current occult attention. Those involved in witchcraft today look upon it as a religion of magical techniques — intended to produce paranormal psychic powers resident in the human mind.

“Witch” comes from the Anglo-Saxon wicce. Wicce comes from the German root wic, “to turn or bend.” The original connotation of wicce is possibly “someone with the power to turn [change] things.”

Some say that Wicca [witchcraft] is really a method of enlarging your mind to develop ESP awareness. They state it doesn’t deny God and is meant to be used for helping others.

Such an alleged difference between so-called white versus black magic is one major distinction discussed in much of occult literature. White magic is supposed to be the use of magic for socially beneficent ends. Black magic is supposed to be the use of magic for malevolent ends. Most magicians basically view magic as a value-free “technology-of-the-supernatural” (or “supernormal”). They believe that their own motive really determines whether their use of magic is for good (white) or evil (black). Most contemporary witches stress that they perform only white magic.

What is the difference between white and black witchcraft?

Witchcraft focuses a great deal on ritualism — involving candles, magic circles and such like. But few witchcraft advocates today believe there is magic force in the ritual itself. Rather, they use props and a ritual as a means to focus what they feel are natural powers of the human mind.

The Origin Of Astrology

Astrology is by far the biggest area of popular occult attention. Probably two thirds of books printed on occultism deal with the subject of astrology.

In the 1950’s, only about 100 papers carried horoscope columns. Twenty years later, over 1200 daily newspapers regularly catered to the subject. Statistics claimed that about 10,000 full-time and 175,000 part-time astrologers in the U. S. served some 40,000,000 in their American audience. Another 40 million dabbled in it. Shops carried astrological recordings, calendars, ashtrays, hairstyles, sweat shirts, and thousands of merchandise items linked to the zodiac. Astrology pulp magazines sold millions of copies monthly.

The popular musical Hair with its hit song of Aquarius and its own well-publicized company astrologist gave special impetus to the movement. In 1969 the Dell Publishing Company alone had some 49 horoscope publications in print and sold over 8,000,000 copies of its annual astrological dope sheet.

Today, the number of astrological adherents has increased exponentially. It has been estimated that up to 1 billion people on earth today believe in or follow astrology to some extent. The practice has gained appeal through public endorsement by a wide variety of celebrities who range from Hollywood stars to members of the political and intellectual communities.

Valentine's Day: A Millennia Old Fertility Rite With A Little Magic To Boot!

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When we were small children, we’d often use the word “why”—usually in the form of a question, directed at a person older than us. And each answer, it seemed, triggered another question—another why. But as we grew older, our curiosity began to wane. We stopped asking why so frequently. What was the reason? Was it because we thought we knew everything at that point? No, we became comfortable with the status quo. Most of us began to accept things the way they are—without question.

And so it is with the holiday we are fast approaching on February 14, 2010 – Valentine’s Day — a day which supposedly celebrates love and affection between couples by giving flowers and sending greeting cards.

But since there’s no biblical basis for its observance, we must look to secular history to determine its origin.

Centuries before Christ, the Romans celebrated the evenings of February 14 and 15 (named “Lupercalia)” as an idolatrous and sensuous festival in honor of Lupercus, the “hunter of wolves.” This pagan free-for-all was to be done away with when Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire, but the general public would have none of it, and so only the more grossly sensual observances were toned down.

Modern tradition says that this holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. But the fact is that by this time, the holiday had BECOME a “Christian” custom, appropriating the name St. Valentine in place of Lupercus (Lavinia Dobler, Customs and Holidays Around the World).

What Is The Origin Of Steeples And Spires?

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Steeples and spires long predate Christianity. In fact, they go back to ancient pagan fertility rites. The male symbol of fertility was represented by the pagans as an upright stone, pillar, obelisk, or slender tower.

A church is not complete without its steeple or tower. It is the principal and consecratory feature of a religious building. But little is it realized that this important and distinguishing feature of church architecture is a relic of primitive pagan religion, and that its original function was to hallow the place in which their deity of procreation was worshiped.

Today we see a multitude of these phallic symbols prominently and widely displayed in towns and cities around the world, towering above housetops in glorious, though unconscious symbolization of false gods, as a milleniums old representation of a phallic symbols.

According to Edward Carpenter, in the book “Pagan and Christian Creeds,” the lingam (a stylized phallic symbol) occurs all over the world.

Notice: “As to the lingam…representing the male organ, in some form or other–as upright stone or pillar or obelisk or slender round tower–it occurs all over the, world, notably in Ireland, and forms such a memorial of the adoration paid by early folk to the great emblem and instrument of human fertility, as cannot be mistaken…Above all, no doubt, there were images of the phallus and the vulva, the great symbols of human fertility” (from the website digital.library).

“The Biblical Cyclopaedia,” by McClintock and Strong, says: “… the spires of churches are symbols retained from the old phallic worship.” See article “Phallus,”  Vol. VIII, p. 55.

Thomas Inman, in his book “Ancient Pagan and Modern Christian Symbolism,” states that ancient fertility rites and phallic worship resulted in the setting up of various architectural structures such “as we now see towers or spires before our churches, and minarets before mosques” (p. XXII).

The Encyclopædia Britannica states this of the spire: “[it is] a symbol of the heavenly aspirations of pious medieval men” (1979). The earliest of man’s “heavenly aspirations” is recorded in Ge. 11:4: “And they said, Go to, let us build a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven…” Speaking of the steeples, spires and other forms of idolatrous high places, God expressed to Israel His contempt for such structures in Lev. 26:30: “And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.”

The Cross: A Symbol Of Faith Or Rank Paganism?

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The hymn “Onward Christian Soldiers” portrays the cross as the identifying sign of everything for which Christianity stands and around which Christians should rally in their fight against the forces of evil.

Throughout the world, people universally regard the cross as THE symbol of Christianity. Churches have crosses atop their steeples, on their walls, windows and doors. Catholics and Protestants wear crosses on necklaces, bracelets, rings, pendants, keychains and items of clothing. People in some churches “cross” themselves by touching the forehead, breast, and then each shoulder to form a symbolic cross in carrying out certain religious rituals or in blessing themselves or others. Some think the sign of the cross to be effective in warding off evil spirits and for generally protecting believers from harm.

So is it okay to wear a cross as a symbol of our personal faith? Is it OK to assume that the early Christian Church revered the cross as part of its religious observance? Check any encyclopedia or historical reference work on this subject. It makes for an interesting study for those who are not afraid to face the truth.

The cross, in many shapes and forms, was used centuries before Christ by abject pagans! Notice a few of the many examples:

• In the British Museum is a statue of the Assyrian king Samsi-Vul, son of Shalmaneser. Around his neck is an almost perfect Maltese cross. On an accompanying figure of Ashur-nasir-pal is a similar cross.
• The ancient Greek goddess Diana is pictured with a crosses over her head, in much the same way that the “Virgin Mary” is represented by many medieval artists.
• Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, is often pictured wearing a headdress adorned with crosses.
• Different types of crosses were used in Mexico centuries before the Spaniards arrived.
• The Egyptians used cross symbols in abundance, as did the Hindus.

The shape of the two-beamed cross had its origin in ancient Chaldea and was used to represent the god Tammuz. Tammuz is the deified Nimrod, the first man to lead the opposition against God after the great Flood. He founded the city of Babylon, and along with his mother/wife Semiramis, founded the pagan Babylon mystery religion—the origin of all false religion today. The Egyptians used crosses in abundance, as did the Hindus.

The surprising thing is that the Christian use of the cross did not begin until the time of Constantine, three centuries after Christ. Archaeologists have found no Christian uses of the symbol before that time. According to one writer, “By the middle of the third century A.D. the churches had either departed from, or had transvestied, certain doctrines of the Christian faith. In order to increase the prestige of the apostate ecclesiastical system, pagans were received into the churches apart from regeneration by faith, and were permitted largely to retain their pagan signs and symbols” (W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, article “Cross“).

“In the papal system, as is well known, the sign of the cross and the image of the cross are all in all. No prayer can be said, no worship engaged in, no step almost can be taken, without the frequent use of the sign of the cross. The cross is looked upon as the grand charm, as the great refuge in every season of danger, in every hour of temptation as the infallible preservative from all the powers of darkness. The cross is adored with all the homage due only to the Most High; and for anyone to call it, in the hearing of a genuine Romanist, by the Scriptural term, “the accursed tree,” is a mortal offense. To say that such superstitious feeling for the sign of the cross, such worship as Rome pays to a wooden or a metal cross, ever grew out of the saying of Paul, “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”—that is, in the doctrine of Christ crucified—is a mere absurdity, a shallow subterfuge and pretense. The magic virtues attributed to the so-called sign of the cross, the worship bestowed on it, never came from such a source.”

“The same sign of the cross that Rome now worships was used in the Babylonian Mysteries, was applied by paganism to the same magic purposes, was honored with the same honors. That which is now called the Christian cross was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians—the true original form of the letter T, the initial of the name of Tammuz—which, in Hebrew, radically the same as ancient Chaldee, as found on coins, was formed as in No. 1 of the accompanying woodcut (below), and in Etrurian and Coptic, as in No’s. 2 and 3. That mystic Tau was marked in baptism on the foreheads of those initiated in the Mysteries, and was used in every variety of way as a most sacred symbol. To identify Tammuz with the sun, it was joined sometimes to the circle of the sun, as in No. 4; sometimes it was inserted in the circle, as in No. 5.” (The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop, page 197).

There is an enormous body of evidence proving that the cross is not a Christian symbol but has its roots in rank paganism. Some will argue, however, that we may use the sign of the cross because it represents the manner in which Jesus Christ died, or that they are not using it today to worship a pagan deity. However, using it as a Christian symbol is a product of syncretism, (the blending of pagan traditions and methods of worship with the true worship of God), something God strongly condemns.

Before entering the land of Canaan, God told the Israelites,

. . . take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not inquire after their gods, saying, “How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.” You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way; for every abomination to the LORD which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods. (Deuteronomy 12:30-31)

Does the cross even represent the manner in which Jesus Christ died? I have argued against this in another article on this blog. The Bible does not specifically state which method the Romans used in the crucifixion of Christ, and as far as I can tell, no one has yet conclusively proven on what shape of instrument of torture Christ was crucified. Does it even matter? We have to consider if it is even appropriate to use the very tool that was used to kill our Savior as an emblem of our faith. If Jesus Christ had been killed by hanging, would we use a gallows or a noose as a symbol of our faith? If He had been beheaded, would we use a guillotine? It makes no sense to parade the instrument of shame and death before the world and be proud of it.

Satan the devil knew long before Jesus was born that Christ would die by crucifixion (Numbers 21:4-9; John 3:14; Psalm 22:16). He has deceived the entire world (Rev. 12:9) into worshipping a false Christ by making the cross a popular symbol of worship.

Most importantly, God forbids the use of any item that takes the place of faith. He instructs His true followers to worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:23), and forsake all of this world’s false religions, rituals and pagan symbols of worship. This includes the cross, which assists only to add to a dead, empty faith. As the apostle Paul exhorted, Christ’s true followers walk by faith, not by sight (II Cor. 5:7).

Week Days and Months: Are They Named After Pagan Deities?

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Scripture reveals the names and order of Biblical months, however, none of the customary names of months and names of days found in the Gregorian calendar can be found anywhere in the Bible.  On the contrary, a little research shows us that the name of the months and days in the Gregorian calendar are names of pagan sun gods and goddesses.

According to the Encyclopedia International article “Week,” the days of the week are named after the ruling luminary — the days were names for the sun, the moon, and the five visible planets, are represented in the modern Gregorian Calendar week and all are associated with pagan deities.

The names of the days of the week and their meanings are as follows:

Sunday became the first day of the week.

• Latin: translates from dies solis, or “Day of the Sun”.
• Roman myth, Apollo was the god of the sun and of healing, so sick people prayed to him. Each day he drove his chariot of fiery horses across the sky to give light to the world.
• Greek Mythology; Helios was the god of the Sun.
• Saxon: sunnandaeg – god of the heat and light ball in the sky.

Monday is the second day of the week. Named after the Moon.

• Roman Myth: Luna, or Diana was goddess of the moon. Diana’s twin brother Apollo was the god of the sun.
• Saxon: mona – god of the light ball in the night sky, and tide maker.
• Latin: dies lunae, or “Day of the Moon”.

Tuesday is the third day of the week, named after the planet Mars, in honor of the god Mars.

• Latin: dies martis or “Day of Mars”. This day is named for the day of Tiw, or Tiu, and old Teutonic (Anglo-Saxon) deity. They also called it Tiw’s day.” So Tuesday” comes from the name of this Saxon god.
• Roman Myth: Tiu identifies with Tyr, which was the Norse god of war and sky and translated to Mar’s day.
• Mars: named in honour of the God of War, father of Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome.
• French: word for Tuesday is Mardi, as in Mardi Gras.

Wednesday is the fourth day of the week and named after the planet Mercury, and later named in honor of the Teutonic god Wedn or Woden.

• Latin: dies Mercuii, or “Day of Mercury.
• Old English: spells the word as “Odin” and refers to the planetary god of Roman mythology.
• Mercury: “the cunning God”, was the god of travelers. He had a winged hat and sandals, so he could fly and carried a staff with two snakes winding round it.

Thursday is the fifth day of the week and corresponds to the planet Jupiter. Later named in honor of the Teutonic god Thor.

• Latin: dies Jovis, or the day of Jove
• Norse god: The “Day of Thor”, “the Thunder god”

Jove compares to the Roman planetary god Jupiter, and the Greek god Zeus.

Friday is the sixth day of the week.

• Norse goddess: Frigg, or Frigga, names that day. Frigg was the wife of Wodin, or Odin, and the goddess of marriage.
• Latin: dies Veneris, or the day of Venus who was the goddess of love.

Saturday correspond to the planet Saturn, in honor of the Roman god Saturn.

• Latin: dies Saturni, or the “Day of Saturn”.
• Roman: The Romans had a mid-winter festival in honor of Saturn, called the Saturnalia. It lasted seven days, and there was much merrymaking. Public business was suspended and schools were closed. Parents gave toys to their children and there was a public banquet.
• Old father time: god of Time and agriculture and his weapon was a scythe. He ruled the gods before Jupiter.

Sources: Falk, Michael (1999). “Astronomical Names for the Days of the Week”, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 93:12

Astronomical

Day	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Luminary & symbol	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
Latin	dies solis	dies lunea	dies martis	dies mercurĭi	dies jovis	deis venĕris	dies saturni
Italian	domenica (1)	lunedì	martedì	mercoledì	giovedì	venerdì	sabato (2)
Spanish	domingo (1)	lunes	martes	miércoles	jueves	viernes	sábado (2)
French	dimanche (1)	lundi	mardi	mercredi	jeudi	vendredi	samedi (2)
Welsh	dydd Sul	dydd Llun	dydd Mawrth	dydd Mercher	dydd Iau	dydd Gwener	dydd Sadwrn
Old High German	sunnuntag	mānetag	zeistag Ziu’s day	wodenstag Woden’s day	donerestag Donar’s day	friatag Freia’s day	sambaztag (2)
German	Sonntag	Montag	Dienstag	Mittwoch (3)	Donnerstag	Freitag	Samstag (2) or Sonnabend (“sun’s eve”)
Dutch	zondag	maandag	dinsdag	woensdag	donderdag	vrijdag	zaterdag
Old Norse	sunnundagr Sunna’s day	mánandagr	tysdagr Tyr’s day	óðensdagr Odin’s day	þorsdagr Thor’s day	friádagr Freya’s day	laugardagr (5)
Swedish	Söndag	Mândag	Tisdag	Onsdag	Torsdag	Fredag	Lördag (4)
Finnish	sunnuntai	maanantai	tiistai	keskiviikko (3)	torstai	perjantai	lauantai (4)
Old English	sunnandaeg Sunne’s day	mónandaeg	tiwesdaeg Tiw’s day	wodnesdaeg Woden’s day	þunresdaeg Thunor’s day	frigesdaeg Frige’s day	saeternesdaeg
English	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
Luminary & symbol	Sun	Moon	Mars	Mercury	Jupiter	Venus	Saturn
Day	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday

Source for graph.

But how did this planetary week come to be so commonly used in the professing Christian world? Hutton Webster, in his book “Rest Days,” provides the answer: “The early Christians had at first adopted the Jewish seven-day week with its NUMBERED weekdays, but by the close of the third century A.D. this began to give way to the planetary week …. The use of planetary names by Christians attests the growing influence of astrological speculations introduced by converts from paganism …. Thus, gradually a PAGAN INSTITUTION was engrafted on Christianity.” (Emphasis added. See pages
220-221).

This planetary week with its days named after pagan deities is not of God. God Almighty DID CREATE the week with seven days. But He merely numbered the days one through seven (Gen. 1; 2:1-3). The only day He named was the seventh day. He called that day “Sabbath” (Ex. 16:22-26; 20:8-11).

The names of the worldly months and their meanings are as follows:

Month                                                        From the Latin:

JANUARY                                                  Januarius, in honor of the Roman god Janus.
FEBRUARY                                                Februarius, in honor of the Roman festival of general expiation and purification.
MARCH                                                        Martius, in honor of the Roman god Mars.
APRIL                                                          Aprilis, which was derived from APERIO, a Latin verb meaning to open. So called
because it is the month when the earth opens to produce new fruits.
MAY                                                             Maius, in honor of the Greek goddess Maia.
JUNE                                                            Junius, in honor of the Roman goddess Juno.
JULY                                                           Julius, in honor of Roman emperor Julius Caesar.
AUGUST                                                     Augustus, in honor of Roman emperor Augustus Caesar.

The rest of the months — September, October, November, December — are derived from the Latin words for the numerals 7, 8, 9, and 10. They were the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th months of the old Roman calendar.

Should True Christians Join Lodges Or Fraternal Orders?

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Most lodges and fraternal based on the idea of the brotherhood of man and mutual cooperation among their members around the world. The idea is to make the world a better place in which to live. 

That is certainly a noble idea, but this question remains: Is there any hope of them attaining their goal? The hard truth is, the state of this world cannot be changed by the efforts of any lodge, club, or organization of human origin. Only God can change it. 

The idea of improving the world by human means is a misplaced one. Only Christ Himself, when He returns, will change the world and make it a happy place in which to live (Isa. 11:1-9). 

In addition, such lodges and fraternities embrace people of many religions, whether or not they are obeying God and His Word. Yet, God’s people are commanded not to be yoked together with unbelievers in such “brotherhoods” (II Cor. 6:14). 

Further, most of these groups will admit that many of their practices, ceremonies, and symbols originated in paganism. For further background information, I suggest consulting the article “Friendly Societies” in the eleventh edition of the “Encyclopaedia Britannica.” God’s Word, on the other hand, warns against adopting pagan ways of worship; please notice Deuteronomy 12:29-32, for example.

Does John 10:30 Prove God Is A Trinity?

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John 10:30 says: “I and my Father are one.”

Does this scripture really prove that, together with the Holy Spirit, God exists as a trinity? Not if the context is properly understood. Jesus here revealed that there is one Godhead, or one God Family, and that its members work together with one mind and purpose. That Family, however, is presently comprised of two individuals, God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. This is clearly stated in John 1:1: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The “Word” or “Spokesman” was the One who later became Jesus Christ (see verse 14).

Hebrews 1 also shows conclusively that Christ was and is now God:

“God … Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb. 1:1-3).

God says of Christ, “Let all the angels of God worship him” (verse 6). Only a member of the God Family is worthy of worship. But, the God Family is not limited to God the Father and Jesus Christ: “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God” (John 1:12).

Hebrews 2:7-8 shows that man, like Christ, was made for a while “a little lower than the angels,” but that he is to be crowned “with glory and honour.” Everything will be put “in subjection under his feet,” but “now we see not yet all things put under him” because the resurrection to immortality has yet to occur. The Family of God, then, will eventually be expanded to include all who choose God’s way.

Christians “now are … the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2). Paul adds, “This mortal must put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:53).

This plainly says that resurrected Christians, like Christ, will be immortal. When we are changed, our mortal bodies will become spirit bodies like His (Phil. 3:20-21). The Father and Christ are one — one united, holy Family. At the resurrection, we will be born into the one God Family and become one with them. There is NO trinity, but there is family. Scripture proves it!

Is There A Biblical Prohibition Against The Symbol Of The Heart?

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Is any biblical prohibition against using the symbol of the heart, since it is often associated with the pagan observance of Valentine’s Day?

 We should remember that it is God who made the heart. Reference is made to it many times in the Bible. God uses this organ as a SYMBOL of our attitude and thoughts, for example. 

The pagans merely adopted a stylized drawing of a heart as a symbol in their worship, as for Valentine’s Day. In fact, a number of other objects in God’s creation have been treated in a similar manner. But, the misuse of an object by this or that group, even if the people are atheistic, should not prohibit a Christian from putting it to a proper use. Based on this principle, it is not wrong to use the heart shape in jewelry, pillows, or other items. 

There is one other factor to consider — conscience. If a person feels that the heart symbol is “tainted,” so to speak, because of its connection with the pagan Valentine’s Day, then it would be wise to avoid its use. The Bible tells us, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Rom. 14:23).

Is The Christmas Tree Biblical?

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Christmas and the use of the “evergreen” tree is one of the most unbiblical and pagan doctrines ever devised by man. And God hates it! Jeremiah was inspired to write: “Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, they deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.”

Can anything better describe our modern custom of a Christmas tree? It’s almost as if God knew in advance that man would continue this practice right down to our time today. So although these scriptures picture the carved idols of Jeremiah’s time, they are also an accurate description of the Christmas tree we are familiar with today. The practice Jeremiah wrote about was a CUSTOM (verse 3) and was associated with “the signs of heaven” (verse 2) — just as Christmas today is a custom and is associated with the winter solstice. Many argue that they do not associate Christmas with the winter solstice, but that does not change its pagan origin.

Even though these scriptures no doubt had an application to the customs practiced some 2500 years ago, we must keep in mind that the book of Jeremiah is PRIMARILY prophetic. Just as with other prophecies, this was written for our time, to our people, and referring to the common customs of the modern world!

We should especially note that cutting down and setting up a tree is termed “the way of the heathen.” We are commanded not to learn or follow that way (verse 2). This whole passage clearly tells us that using a tree in this manner is idolatry. The basic commandment against idolatry, of course, is found in Exodus 20:4-6.

Roman Catholic Parishioners See Face Of Jesus In Seat Cushion?

File this one under “deceived.” This sad article at www.news.com.au/ says thousands of people have flocked to a Roman Catholic church on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion after believers said they saw the “face of Christ” in the pleats of a church cushion. Yes that’s right – rational people are saying this with a straight face. Have a look at the picture on the left and see if you get all teary eyed over it.

Church officials limited access to the Jesus-Misericordieux church in eastern Saint-Andre’s Cambuston district to a few minutes per visitor as traffic in the area ground to a halt. Apparently, there are a lot of people who don’t use their sense of discernment properly.

One 82-year-old parishioner said, with tears welling up in her eyes, that  the face was a divine phenomenon, while  another called the church a holy site. The priest himself went one step further and called it a sign of God. Really, in the pleats of a cushion?

I don’t know about you, but to me, the face look more like a clown. Perhaps God has a greater sense of humour than we thought. Just goes to show how deceived and confused some of these worshippers in false churches really are.

The Cross Versus The Stake, Which One Is Correct?

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Many have tackled the subject of whether Christ died on the cross or stake, yet as far as I can tell, there is still no conclusive answer among debaters. To say that it is assumed that the instrument of torture was a cross is a gross understatement. The vast majority believe this fact, but we have to remember that the majority is not always right.

When Christ came to earth as a human being, it was NOT the majority which believed what He said, but the minority. Remember, there were only 120 disciples at the time of Pentecost (Acts 1:15), even after Jesus Christ preached to multiple thousands and had the disciples teach far and wide. Then, as now, the vast majority is WRONG . The teaching about Jesus Christ as the central figure of the gospel is incorrect and glosses over the fact that Christ said he came to tell the world about the gospel, or message, from the Father. He, unlike Christian religions today, did not glorify himself.

The doctrine of the cross has been carefully cultivated from that ancient Babylonian Mystery religion furthered by a particular church at Rome. Anything coming from this paganised denomination masquerading as a religion is not something God would ever associate with his Son, or His true Church. This is the subject we will discuss now.

Different views on form of wood

The New Testament does not specifically describe the instrument upon which Christ died. Writers hold various views on the form of the device used in the public execution of Jesus, and differ about the meaning of the Greek word “stauros” (σταυρός) and xylon (ξύλον). Though these words do not indicate the precise shape of the instrument, they give us vital clues.

The following accounts use the Greek word xulon which, when translated “tree,” can also mean “a stick, club…or other wooden articles” (Strong’s).

“The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree” (Acts 5:30).

“And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree” (Acts 10:39).

“And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre” (Acts 13:28-29).

“Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree” (Gal. 3:13).

“Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed” (I Pet. 2:24).

Stauros defined

The word Xulon is unlike dendron which is used of a living, or green tree, as in Matthew 21:8; Revelation 7:1, 3; 8:7; 9:4 etc.  Stauros (an upright stake) can also be used in place of the word Xulon, the instrument to which criminals were nailed for execution.

A lot of the confusion arises from the English word cross, which believers try to forcefully insert into scripture.This word is “the translation of the Latin crux; but the Greek stauros no more means a crux than the word ‘stick’ means a ‘crutch’…. It never means two pieces of timber placed across one another at any angle, but always of one piece alone…. There is nothing in the Greek of the N.T. even to imply two pieces of timber.” (The Companion Bible)

The Imperial Bible Dictionary also denies the connection to the cross: “The Greek word for cross, stauros’, properly signified a stake, an upright pole, or piece of paling, on which anything might be hung, or which might be used in impaling [fencing in] a piece of ground…. Even amongst the Romans the crux (from which our cross is derived) appears to have been originally an upright pole, and this always remained the more prominent part.”

In his book, “The Non-Christian Cross,” John Denham Parsons wrote: “There is not a single sentence in any of the numerous writings forming the New Testament, which, in the original Greek, bears even indirect evidence to the effect that the stauros used in the case of Jesus was other than an ordinary stauros; much less to the effect that it consisted, not of one piece of timber, but of two pieces nailed together in the form of a cross.”

Hermann Fulda, another author, agrees in his own writings, “The Cross and Crucifixion”: “Jesus died on a simple death-stake: In support of this there speak (a) the then customary usage of this means of execution in the Orient, (b) indirectly the history itself of Jesus’ sufferings and (c) many expressions of the early church fathers.” Fulda also points out that some of the oldest illustrations of Jesus impaled depict him on a simple pole.

Pagan sources

It is the Catholic church which later capitalized on the imagery of the cross, and blatantly used it as a symbol of their faith contrary to the Ten Commandments they profess to keep. To the Catholic church, the sign and image of the cross are all in all. No prayer can be said, no worship engaged in, no step can be taken without the frequent use of the sign of the cross. It is looked upon as a refuge from all dangers and the infallible protection from all powers of darkness. It is adored with all the homage due only to the Most High, which makes it such an abomination to God.

“To say that such superstitious feelings and worship for the cross ever grew out of the saying of Paul, ‘God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ’ is absolute absurdity, a shallow subterfuge and a foolish pretence.” Those fully indoctrinated by that Romish Pagan (Catholic) mother church now support the use of the cross with relatively recent (though debatable in their connection) archeological findings and historical accounts, while wholly ignoring “the ancient Babylonian Mysteries which were applied by paganism to the same magic purposes, honoured with the same honours as the Catholic church gives it today. That which is now called the Christian cross was originally no Christian emblem at all, but was the mystic Tau of the Chaldeans and Egyptians – the true original form of the letter T – the initial of the name of Tammuz.” (The Two Babylons, Alexander Hislop)

The cross had further uses especially in Egypt. It represents the Tree of Life, the age-old fertility symbol, combining the vertical male and horizontal female principles, either as an ordinary cross, or better known in the form of the crus ansata, the Egyptian ankh (sometimes called: the Tau cross), which had been carried over into our modern-day symbol of the female, well known in biology.

Questions and Answers

There are some incidental arguements (parodied the same way) all over the internet which some state as proof of a cross over a stake, yet they can easily be explained.

1. Question: If Jesus was crucified on an upright stake, then why does John 20:25 say that “nails” were used as opposed to a single “nail”? And why did both hands of Christ show holes?

Answer: One nail through both hands leaves a hole in both the left and right hand. Though the word “nails” is used, [ἧλος or hēlos] implies the singular — “of uncertain affinity; a stud, that is, spike: – nail.”

John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible states: “That nails were used in the crucifixion of Christ, is certain …How many were used, whether three, as some, or four, as others, or more, as were sometimes used, is not certain, nor material to know. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Persic versions read, “the place of the nails”; that is, the place where the nails were drove.”

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2. Question: In view of John 21:18-19, how can a crucifixion be on an upright stake if the hands are outstretched?

Answer: Outstretched simply means fully extended especially in length. Hands can be outstretched up or sideways.

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3. Question: If Jesus was crucified on an upright stake, then why does Matthew 27:37 say a sign was put above Jesus’ head instead of above His hands?

Answer: Whether a sign is put above his head or above his hands, it would still constitute being above His head. This arguement is an agonizing way of splitting hairs.

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4. Question: The sign should have fitted three rows of properly readable letters from a distance. Could such a sign have fit in between the head and the points where the hands where pierced by either a ‘nail’ or ‘nails’.

Answer: The answer to this requires a small degree of common sense. Please reread the answer to the previous question.

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5. Question: The thieves that died with Him were described as being on the right hand and the left, as opposed to “at the side of” or “at His left and right”

Answer: This is merely colourful use of verbiage. “Right hand” is Strong’s # 1188 (δεξιός or dexios); meaning the right side or (feminine) hand (as that which usually takes): – right (hand, side). For example, Jesus who sits on the right hand (side) of God – I Pet. 3:22.

Conclusion

Some state that only Christ’s sacrifice for us — not the exact shape of the wood on which He died — is important. But I am not persuaded that the relative lack of detail on the subject in the Bible is proof that we should take this approach. I Thess. 5:21 admonishes us to prove all things.

Others say that the cross was used as a means to an end — the punishment or death of a criminal — therefore Jesus Christ did not choose his instrument of death. But didn’t He? Only people thinking carnally (without the Holy Spirit), would utter such a statement. Do not various prophecies of old (such as Psalm 22) point to the instrument of death before the event happened? Or do we simply ignore Old Testament prophecies because some erroneously believe they are no longer in effect?

We must remember that God is a God of miracles. He foretold the method of His death and would certainly know in advance that the symbolism of this pagan sign would be (and was) appropriated for the use by religion today. This does not however in any way mean that God would allow the physical use of the pagan cross in the death of His Son. Any student of the Bible who has even a rudimentary understanding of the loathing God has for anything pagan, will know this is a ludicrous assertion.

So the mere fact that the traditional cross figures so prominently in pagan religious custom today (which includes mainstream religion), ought to give serious pause for thought. The symbol, and the supposed means, were later substituted by a church which impersonated the “little flock” of Jesus Christ. The Cross was adopted in an attempt to make Christianity more familiar and “friendly” to the pagan converts.

I believe that God purposely left out the information on the shape of the “stake” because He knew pagan counterfeit religions would indeed appropriate the symbol of the cross. Yet lack of Biblical information on this subject is actually a strong indicator of faith needed, as well as vigorous study required, to understand that this symbol is NOT associated in any way with the true Church of God, including its very Head and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, true Christians do not wear crosses, as a mere physical object does not assist in worshipping God. Their use is needed to keep the mind of adherents physically focused on objects, rather than understand that their faith is dead and empty. True Christians deeply appreciate Christ’s sacrifice and God the Father’s eternal love for them in giving up His only Son. They walk by the faith of Christ, not by sight of eyes (II Cor. 5:7). The Bible plainly states that God is Spirit and we are to worship Him in both spirit and in truth (John 4:24).