March, 2002

March 14, 2002

Dear Brethren,

The trip to Texas was a real success. First, I stopped in Salt Lake City, Utah for a Bible Study Monday night, February 18, with 12 scattered brethren, and stayed with Bob and Anita Jacobson. Then I went to Dallas and visited with my daughter Rachelle and her husband Chad for two days. After that I flew to Waco and stayed with Jack and Betty Thomas. On Sabbath, February 23, we had morning and afternoon services in Waco with a meal between services, more than 90 attended. In the morning I answered questions, and in the afternoon I gave a sermon on the fight that we are facing for the true Word of God. (That sermon is included in this mailing.)

Glenn Daniel and his grand daughter, from Pensacola, Florida, were with us in Waco, and Saturday night Glenn drove me down to Houston. On Sunday February 24, we had two services in Houston with 30 in attendance. In the morning, we had questions and answers. In the afternoon, I gave a sermon on the coming translation of the New Testament. We studied some the worst translated verses of the KJV, and understood the meaning of the Greek text and why the coming new translation is the correct translation. We are not mailing this tape to you, except by request. If you desire it you may write back and request it. Ask for The Worst Translated Verses in the KJV New Testament.

While in Texas, I picked up a strong flu bug, which kept me in bed for over a week. Because of being sick, I was not able to do the 7^th day of Unleavened Bread sermon until March 6. However, you should still get it in plenty of time to have it for the holy day. It has taken me another week to get back to full strength.

By time you receive this mailing, the Passover will nearly be upon us. Passover this year is observed Tuesday night March 26. For the Feast of Unleavened Bread, I will be in Fairfield, California; Lakeland, Florida and Phoenix Arizona.

At the present time, we are finishing the final editing of the New Testament translation, as well as writing the commentary material on the History of the New Testament from the apostles until now. Because of the newly announced Today’s New International Version, an inclusive version, we are taking additional time to make the New Testament commentary more complete. What is being planned by the translators and publishers for this new version, as well as other similar modern versions of the Bible that are forthcoming, is the destruction of the Word of God by making changes which destroy the true meaning of the Scriptures!

Since the enemies of the Word of God, cannot literally destroy the Word of God from the face of the earth, Satan has inspired a different kind of destruction by corrupting the Word of God and making it “gender neuter.” In so doing, they are making the Bible “politically correct” with the blither of confusion demanded by the femi-nazis, and homosexuals to rid the Bible of its masculine gendered references to God the Father and Jesus Christ. These new versions are being designed so that people will not be offended by the Word of God and make it something that it is not. However, Jesus did not come to please men. He came to reveal God the Father and bring the Word of God, which is a sharp two-edged sword—not “politically correct” milk toast.

Jesus made it clear that He did not come to bring peace but to bring a sword. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man at variance against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s enemies shall be those of his own household. The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take up his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. The one who has found his life shall lose it; and the one who has lost his life for My sake shall find it” (Matt. 10:34-39, AT).

To take away the power and cutting edge of God’s Word is to destroy it. But such attempts will ultimately fail. And will fail by the sword of the Word of God, because God will not be mocked, nor His word diminished. “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of both soul and spirit, and of both the joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is not a created thing that is not manifest in His sight; but all things are naked and laid bare before the eyes of Him to Whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:12-13, AT).

Their attempts to make the Word of God “politically correct” is all a part of Satan’s “double-speak” to change the meaning of words and the Word of God. These translations will destroy the knowledge of the true nature of God the Father and Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son and our Lord and Savior.

As we will see, this coming, corrupt TNIV, as well as an inclusive version that have already been published, completely changes the Word of God. Therefore, we are truly in a battle for the survival of the true Word of God—the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. This why Jesus asked the question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, shall He find the true faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8, AT.) All the “New Age Bibles” and politically correct translations are part of Satan’s attempts to destroy the truth of God.

This means that not only are we in a fight for the true faith of Jesus Christ, as contained in the New Testament, but we are in a fight to retain and publish the true Word of God. Satan’s tactics are not new. He just changes his approach in how he attempts to destroy the Word of God. However, it is the same fight that confronted the apostles when they were writing the New Testament. Before they were martyred or died, there were men, inspired of Satan the devil, who were out to destroy the word and faith of Jesus Christ. These were false teachers who came into the Church of God to pervert the grace of God. Notice Jude’s admonition when he wrote to the brethren: “Beloved, when personally exerting all my diligence to write to you concerning the common salvation, I was compelled to write to you, exhorting you to fervently fight for the faith, which once for all time has been delivered to the saints. For certain men have stealthily crept in; these are the ones who a long time ago have been written about, condemning them to this judgment. They are ungodly men, who are perverting the grace of our God into licentiousness, and are denying the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4, AT).

These men infiltrated the churches in order to deceive the brethren, and corrupt the Word of God. The apostle Paul confronted deceivers who were corrupting the Word of God and troubling the brethren in the church at Corinth. Paul wrote to the Corinthians to warn them against those false teachers: “For we are not like the many, who for their own profit, are corrupting the Word of God; but we speak as from God, and before God, and in Christ” (II Cor. 1:17, AT).

So powerful were the false apostles, inspired by Satan the Devil, that Paul had to prove his ministry by the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ and his godly behavior. He had to prove that he was not preaching himself or lies, as did the false apostles. Notice how he appealed to the brethren to awake to the spiritual realities of this battle: “Therefore, having this ministry, according as we have received mercy, we are not fainthearted. For we have personally renounced the hidden things of dishonest gain, not walking in cunning craftiness, nor handling the Word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth we are commending ourselves to every man’s conscience before God. But if our gospel is hidden, it is hidden to those who are perishing; in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, Who is the image of God, should shine unto them. For we do not preach our own selves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. Because it is God Who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, Who shined into our hearts the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Now we have this treasure [of the word of God and the Holy Spirit of God] in earthen vessels [our physical bodies and minds], in order that the supremacy of the power may be of God, and not from us” (II Cor. 4:1-7, AT).

Satan was busy with his false ministers and apostles who came preaching another Jesus and a different gospel. However, what was most troubling to the apostle Paul, was that the Corinthians were falling for it, hook, line and sinker. They were accepting the messages of these false apostles as a good thing—something new and interesting.

Again Paul had to defend himself and his ministry to the brethren. “I would that you might bear with me in a little nonsense; but indeed, do bear with me. For I am jealous over you with the jealousy of God, because I have espoused you to one husband, so that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For indeed, if someone comes preaching another Jesus, whom we did not preach, or you receive a different spirit, which you did not receive, or a different gospel, which you did not accept, you permit it as a good thing.

“But I consider myself in no way inferior to those highly exalted so-called apostles. For although I may be unpolished in speech, yet I am not in knowledge; rather, we have been completely open with you in all things. Now did I commit sin by humbling myself so that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you freely? I robbed other churches, receiving wages from them for ministering to you. And when I was present with you and I was in need, I was not a burden to anyone (for the brethren who came from Macedonia fully supplied my needs); for I kept myself, and will continue to keep myself, from being burdensome to you in anything. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I don’t love you? God knows I do. But what I am doing, I will do, so that I may cut off any occasion from those who are desiring an occasion; so that in the things they boast of, they also may be found to be men, even the same as us. For such are false apostles—deceitful workers who are transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And it is no marvel, for Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing if his servants also transform themselves as ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works” (II Cor. 11:1-15, AT).

The Corinthians were so spiritually smug and accepting of those arrogant false apostles that the apostle Paul had to ridicule them in his attempt to wake them up to the reality of what they were falling for and what they were doing. Instead of loving and worshiping God with true hearts and full faith, they were allowing men to begin to harness them with a hierarchy, which was beginning to be imposed by those false apostles. Notice: “For since you are so intelligent, you gladly bear with fools. For you bear it if anyone brings you into bondage, if anyone devours you, if anyone takes from you, if anyone exalts himself [over you], if anyone beats you on the face” (verses 19-20, AT). False ministers who abuse the brethren and take advantage of them is nothing new.

After false teachers gain power, they begin to preach against the truth of God’s Word. The apostle Peter warned the brethren this would happen: “But there were also false prophets among the people, as indeed there will be false teachers among you, who will stealthily introduce destructive heresies, personally denying the Lord who bought them, and bringing swift destruction upon themselves. And many people will follow as authoritative their destructive ways; and because of them, the way of the truth will be blasphemed. Also, through insatiable greed they will with enticing messages exploit you for gain; for whom the judgment of old is in full force, and their destruction is ever watching” (II Peter 2:1-3, AT).

Just as in Peter’s day, we are faced with the same kind of corrupt teachers and translators who have an ungodly, satanic agenda to corrupt and destroy the word of God through their new translations. Here is what God inspired him to write: “But particularly those who walk after the flesh in corrupting lust, and hold in utter contempt the lordship of God. They are audacious and self-willed; they are not afraid to blaspheme the divine powers….But these—as irrational brute beasts, born to be caught and destroyed—blaspheme those things of which they are ignorant, and shall be utterly destroyed in their own corruption. They are bringing upon themselves the reward of unrighteousness, while finding pleasure in satisfying their lustful desires day by day. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their own deceptions, while feasting together with you” (verses 10-13, AT).

We, in the churches of God, have lived through the subversion of church hierarchies by the agents of Satan the devil. They changed the doctrines, they destroyed the faith of brethren and caused thousands to accept the practices and observances of the apostate Christianity of the world and to embrace the sins and idolatry of the Roman Catholic Church.

The New Corruption of the Word of God, the

 Gender Neuter Inclusive Versions

In 1995, the Oxford University Press published The New Testament and Psalms—An Inclusive Version. It is a “politically correct,” gender neuter translation that absolutely corrupts the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the nature of God the Father and His only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Here are some quotes from the “General Introduction” explaining the reasons for the inclusive character of this version. “This version has undertaken the effort to replace or rephrase all gender specific language not referring to particular individuals, all pejorative references to race, color, or religion, and all identifications of persons by their physical disability alone, by means of paraphrase, alternative renderings, and other acceptable means of conforming the language to the work of an inclusive idea” (New Testament and Psalms—An Inclusive Version, pp. vii & ix, emphasis added throughout).

With no fear of God, they have taken to themselves to arbitrarily change the meaning of the inspired meaning of the Word of God. In order to change the nature of God the Father, they promulgate the pagan philosophical definition of God that God is in every thing and every where. Therefore, God is not an individual with form and shape—God is a glob. As a result, they claim that when the Bible speaks of God in the masculine sense, as a man, or as a Father, such terms are only metaphors without the specific meaning of God as a person. “A metaphor is a figure of speech used to extend meaning through the comparison of things that are dissimilar….Another metaphor to which we have become accustomed is God as Father. When we say that God is Father, we are saying that God is like a human father in the kinds of qualities good fathers have, like love and concern. But obviously, God is also not like every human father, since some do not always show love and concern, and, even more profoundly, God is not a finite being, like human fathers. So there are many ways in which God is not like a human father. The power of the metaphor comes from both the likeness and the unlikeness. But if we try to cast any biblical metaphor in stone and say that for example, God is literally a father, we lose the power of communication which makes us think, How is God like a father? How is God much more than a father?

“We have based much of this inclusive version on this insight into the nature of metaphor. When we craft new metaphors, such as Father-Mother, we have done so to make the reader think about what is being read and to experience the power of metaphor to make us ask, How is this the same? And, How is this different?” (Ibid., p. x).

“Because the church does not assume that God is a male being, or, indeed, that God has a sex, in this version God is never referred to by a masculine pronoun, or by a pronoun at all. This has been accomplished either by saying ‘God,’ or by using another expression for ‘God,’ rather than using a pronoun, or by changing the syntax of a sentence so as to avoid using a pronoun—for example, replacing ‘he said’ by a participle, ‘saying’ ” (Ibid., p. xi).

“By speaking to God, and by referring to God again and again, as ‘Father,’ one may begin to think of God, literally, as a ‘Father,’ hence also a male being; and those for whom the word ‘father’ has negative, rather then positive connotations, have great difficulty with that metaphor for God—do not want to either use it, or hear it used.

“Occasionally in the Bible, however, God is thought of on the analogy of a mother, and as the church does not believe that God is literally a father, and understands ‘Father’ to be a metaphor, the metaphor ‘Father’ is rendered in this version by the new metaphor, ‘Father-Mother.’ This new metaphor is not even understandable as a literal statement and can be understood only in a metaphorical way. One cannot be literally a ‘Father-Mother,’ so the metaphor allows the mind to oscillate between the picture of God as ‘Father’ and the picture of God as ‘Mother,’ the mind attributing both fatherly and motherly attributes to God” (Ibid., pp. xi-xii).

The new metaphor “Father-Mother” is a direct attack against God the Father. This metaphor is designed to cause confusion in the minds of the readers. God is the not author of confusion—Satan the devil is! So if a person is confused about the true nature of God, he or she can never know God.

To further their gender neuter, “politically correct,” agenda, in the Gospel of John they translate “the Father” as “God” and in the three Epistles of John they render “the Father” as “Father-Mother.” The word “Lord” replaces “God” or “Christ.” They replace “the Son” with “Child,” and “His Son” becomes “God’s Child.” The “Son of Man” is reduced to “the Human One.” The word “Dominion” is substituted for “Kingdom.” In order not to offend those who are left handed, they have substituted “the right hand” of God with “the mighty hand,” or the “powerful” hand of God.

In the Greek New Testament the nouns “devil” and ‘Satan” are in the masculine gender, as well as the pronouns. “In this version, however, neither the devil or Satan is identified by gender”—whether noun or pronoun. They have replaced all the masculine pronouns with “devil” or “Satan.”

They do avoid using words denoting color, such as, “darkness” or “whiteness,” that may offend the various races. “…Hence this version has reworded the text [of Eph. 5:11] so that it speaks of the ‘unfruitful works of the night,’ changing the metaphor ‘darkness’ to ‘night’….Throughout this version the root ‘dark,’ used as a negative metaphor, is altered in several different ways” (Ibid. p. xv).

In order not to offend the handicapped, they change the words “deaf, blind,” or “lame” by adding the word “people.” Also, to avoid offending descendants of “slaves” they change the word to “enslaved people.” “In this version when ‘the Jews’ is used to refer to the ethnic people, it remains unchanged. When it is used to refer to unbelieving people, it is rendered ‘the religious authorities,’ or simply the ‘leaders’ or ‘authorities,’ in order to minimize what could be perceived as a warrant for anti-Jewish bias” (Ibid., p. xvii).

Sample Verses From the Inclusive Version

Matthew 4:3: “The tempter came and said to Jesus, ‘if you are the child of God…”

Matthew 6:7-14: “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father-Mother knows what you need before you ask. Pray this way: Our Father-Mother in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your dominion come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from the evil one. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father-Mother will also forgive you”

Mark 9:31: “For he was teaching the disciples, saying to them, ‘The Human One’ is to be betrayed into human hands and will be killed by them, and three days after being killed, the Human One will rise.”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that God gave God’s only Child, so that everyone who believes in that Child may not perish but may have eternal life.”

John 5:10: “So the religious authorities said to the one who had been cured…”

John 8:44: “You are descended from the devil, and you choose to do the devil’s desires…     

The major changes in these Scriptures as quoted from the Inclusive Version is the same plan that the publishers have for the new translations of the NIV, NASB, NEB, and NRSV. Although we have to fight for the faith and Word of God, the vain plans of men will come to nothing, because God will keep His promise to preserve His Word. “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever” (Psa. 12:6-7, KJV). Jesus Christ said that His Words are Spirit and life. “It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you, they are spirit and they are life” (John 6:63, AT).

There is absolutely no way that men can truly destroy the words of God. Yes, they may make attempts, such as inclusive versions, but any success they may attain will only be short lived. We have the promise of Jesus Christ that His words will never pass away. He Himself said, “The heaven and the earth shall pass away, but not one of My words shall pass away” (Matt. 24:35, AT).

In the KJV, Psalm 119 also contains come of the most profound truths and promises about the Word of God. Therefore, we can be sure that in spite of the attempts of men to destroy it, and corrupt it, they can never accomplish it. Let’s read some of these most profound verses: “For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven” (verse 89). There is no way that men are going to invade God’s throne and change His word.

Here is the attitude that we always need to have toward God’s Word: “Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold. Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way” (verses 127-128). “Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth” (verse 142). “Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth. Concerning thy testimonies, I have known of old that thou hast founded them for ever” (verses 151-152). “Consider how I love thy precepts: quicken me, O LORD, according to thy lovingkindness. Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth forever” (verses 158-159).

Our personal love of God’s Word should be manifested, as was David’s love for His Word. “…my heart standeth in awe of thy word. I rejoice at thy word, as one that findeth great spoil. I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love” (verses 162-163). “My tongue shall speak of thy word: for all thy commandments are righteousness” (verse 172).

Brethren, we must never take God’s word for granted. We must always love God the Father and Jesus Christ and the Word of God. We must always live by every word of God and together with regular study will have it written into our hearts and minds by the power of God’s Holy Spirit.

We hope that the coming new translation of the New Testament will help fight against the works of Satan and men set to destroy the Word of God. In addition to the translation of the New Testament, we are hoping that it will be an informative and inspiring book to help people know the truth of God the Father and Jesus Christ, so they can be led to repentance and baptism.

Spanish Literature and Tapes

For the past several years Ed Ramos has been translating the literature into Spanish and Alfen Garcia has been assisting by doing editing and proof-reading. We now have fourteen booklets translated into Spanish. Also, we have seven sermons that Ed has translated on audio tapes. We have already sent out some of the booklets and tapes, but we know that there are more brethren who speak Spanish. Therefore, in order to serve them, we now need to establish a Spanish-speaking mailing list. If you would like to be on the Spanish mailing list, in addition to the regular list, please write back and let us know. We will put you on the list and send you the literature and tapes that we have to date. Also, we have a Spanish speaking section on our website—www.cbcg.org.

Brethren, as we come to the Passover, let us not only renew our covenant with God the Father and Jesus Christ, but let us renew our commitment to serving God with all our hearts and minds. God is continuing to give us growth as we continue to reach out to other brethren and new people. Thank you for your continued love, prayers and support. May God the Father continue to bless you with His love, grace and truth through Jesus Christ Our Lord.

With love in Christ Jesus,

Fred R. Coulter

FRC