Epistle of Romans XXVI

Chapter 13—Answer to Freemanism

Fred R. Coulter—July 25, 1998

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I have an open letter and treatise by Arthur A. Ferdig. This basically says that corporations and corporate law is evil, and that what you need to do to come out of Babylon is to completely get out from underneath the law of the government of the land, and apply the Law of God in your life and in the land, as much as you can. The problem is that there are many misapplied things in this. This is why it's going to be very important for us to understand about doctrine.

Let's understand something that's very important and this will cover another thing that I'll touch on a little later. We need to keep this in mind.

'All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and his profitable for prophecy, for speculation, for opinions and for whatever you believe' (2-Tim. 3:16). You know that isn't what it says, but this is how may people treat the Bible.

Another thing that goes right along with that is 2-Cor. 4. This is really one of the major problems today. This is a major problem with this paper by Art Ferdig saying that if you have a church corporation you're sinning before God and that you ought to get out of that. You ought to get out of every corporation. The next step is get rid of

• your social security number
• your drivers license
• the license number on your car

All of that is part of the evil Babylon. They quote certain Scriptures. Sometimes they quote them correctly. Other times they don't quote them correctly.

2-Corinthians 4:1: "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…" (vs 1-2). That is a big problem among those teachers who have been in the major Churches of God; a major problem: dishonesty, because they were in a dishonest system.

"…not walking in cunning craftiness…" (v 2)—having a personal agenda to accomplish something.

How is walking in craftiness' today? One of the big ways that walking in craftiness is accomplished today is to take something like psychology or sales attributes in the world and apply that to promoting a church and promoting the Word of God. That's craftiness! You're using the wrong things. You're taking carnal things to accomplish a spiritual goal. One of the most profound things that we need to always remember is that you cannot accomplish spiritual things with carnal or physical means. You can't do it. That's important to remember.

That's why we see all of these things going on around us—all of the doctrines, all of the opinions—and a lot of people have a lot of difficulty with it.

"…nor handling the Word of God deceitfully…" (v 2). I'm going to give you an example of handling the Word of God deceitfully right out of this paper by Art Ferdig.

This tells me something else. Do you remember who Art Ferdig was? He was editor in chief of The Plain Truth magazine! He was also a surrogate writer for Herbert W. Armstrong. You see some of the same problems carried over from that into this. Is it going to make any sense to try and not have any corporations and think this is righteousness on this hand—not have any drivers license, car license or any professional license of any kind—then turn around and handle the Word of God deceitfully!

What have you accomplished? You've accomplished nothing! All of this over here, leaving these carnal things behind—which are neither here nor there to God—and coming over and misapplying the Word of God, now becomes another problem.

Verse 2, again: "For we have personally renounced… [in repentance disavowed, expunged away as dung] ….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."

What is the most deceitful way of handling the Truth of God deceitfully? That is to properly quote it, quote it exactly, and then misapply it! That's why it's very important that not only do we understand the Truth—which we need to do—we need to understand why it is true, then we also need to understand the errors, why they are errors and false doctrine, so we can understand the Truth! Because intermixed with this, on the side of teachers, now we have another problem on the side of the hearers.
We have two compounding problems in the Church of God today, which are meeting head on. This is why there is so much turmoil in it. Intermixed in this is:

2-Timothy 4:3: "For there shall come a time whenthey will not tolerate sound doctrine…" That's a problem we are having everywhere! They, in this case, not being the ministers in particularly, but the brethren! So, you have two problems:

• people who want to deceitfully handle the Word of God for their own benefit and profit and be teachers
• brethren who want to hear all of these things

So, it's compounding. Then when they get together to hear doctrine, they can't endure it. They can't handle it. What do they do?

"…but according to their own lusts they shall accumulate to themselves… [raise up for themselves] …a great number of teachers, having ears itching to hear what satisfies their cravings; and they shall turn away their own ears from the Truth; and they shall be turned aside unto myths" (vs 3-4)—because:

• doctrine is the teaching
• doctrine is what we need to know
• doctrine comes from God

Let's understand something very, very important concerning doctrine. Doctrine is not opinion. Doctrine should always be interpreted by the Word of God: Scripture interpreting the Scripture. Whoever is teaching has to rightly divide, or rightly cut the Word of God, which tells us there's is a right way to do it and there is a wrong way to do it. Let's understand about doctrine.

John 7:14: "But then, about the middle of the Feast, Jesus went up into the temple and was teaching. And the Jews were amazed, saying, 'How does this Man know letters, having never been schooled?'" (vs 14-15)—which is a ridiculous statement, but it's tell us that:

• He didn't learn at the hands of Judaism

He was taught of the Father, that's Who He was taught of!

• He didn't go to their schools
• He didn't go to their universities
• He didn't go to their rabbinical high echelon, schools to learn of the rabbis

Then all of a sudden out of that, discover God's Truth. No! He learned of the Father! Notice:

Verse 16: "Jesus answered them and said, 'My doctrine is not Mine, but His Who sent Me.'" That's a very profound and important verse. All of the Words of God as recorded in the Bible are the teachings of God. Doctrine means teaching. That's what it means. It has come from the Father.

Therefore, we need to consider very carefully the Words of God. Notice, there is also a very important thing we will do. Jesus said, 'My doctrine,' everything that He taught, which means subsequently everything that He inspired:

• the Apostle Paul
• the Apostle Peter
• the Apostle James
• the Apostle Luke
• the Apostle Mark
• the Apostle Matthew

is all the doctrine of God the Father through Christ. Notice another very important thing.

Verse 17: "'If anyone desires to do…'" The Greek there is 'poieo,' which means to practice, to keep or to do.

"…His will… [you have to do His will, which is His doctrine] …he shall know of the doctrine, whether it is from God, or whether I speak from My own self" (v 17). Even Jesus didn't speak of Himself. It's interesting that in the Greek of is 'ek,' which means out from, meaning that He is not speaking of anything that He originated Himself coming from His own mind.

Verse 18: "The one who speaks of himself is seeking his own glory; but He Who seeks the glory of Him Who sent Him… [In other words, Christ is saying that He (Christ) is seeking the glory of Him (God the Father) that sent Him.] …is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him" (v 18).

• this is why doctrine is so important
• this is why correctly using the Word of God is so important
• this is why it needs to be brought out whenever someone is teaching falsely in public

We also need to understand that if you make any publication—whoever you may be—and send it out to anybody anywhere, don't get all upset that your doctrine may be challenged and compared with the Scriptures. Do not take it as a personal attack.

Doctrine belongs to God the Father. If you preach false doctrine, you are attacking God the Father, in case you don't know it. If false doctrine is pointed out and shown that your teaching—whoever you are or may be—is wrong, don't take it as a personal insult. Take it as a message that maybe you ought to check out the Word of God to know whether you know it or not. If you get mad at something like that and take it personally, what are you going to tell God when He judges you this way?

Deuteronomy 18:18: "I will raise them up a Prophet… [these are the words of the One Who became the Father, speaking of Christ] …from among their brethren, One like you [Moses] and will put My words in His mouth…. [that's how Christ learned, from the Father] …And He shall speak to them…" That is, the future generations of Israel and the ministry that Christ had as recorded in Matt., Mark, Luke and John.

"…all that I shall command Him" (v 18). This also goes beyond, to inspiring the rest of the New Testament, because it is the Spirit of Truth coming from Christ to inspire and make sure that it's done, so this is all inclusive.

Verse 19: "And it shall come to pass, whatever man will not hearken to My words… [the Father's words and doctrine] …which He shall speak in My name, I… [the Father] …will require it of him." Going to be held accountable.

It dawned on me. Remember the Kid's Bill of Rights that came in the Post cereal box? Never did it say anything about responsibility. That's what's wrong with this age today. They demand the right, but they refuse to be responsible. They demand the right to a fair trial, but they refuse to be obedient to the law so they don't have to go to trial. It is their duty to be obedient to the law! You cannot have rights without duties. You cannot have the Truth of God without responsibilities. God is the One Who is saying that He has the right, He is God and we have duties. That's what He's saying, here.

He "…will require it of him" (v 19)—that's anybody. We shall all come before the judgment seat of Christ and everyone will give an answer, give an account for his life and what he has done (Rom. 14), No way around it, no one's going to change it. It doesn't matter what you think or feel. It matters what the Truth is.

Have you ever done anything that when you did it, it seemed and felt so right? Yes! I have, you have! Was it right because it felt so? No! That was your own carnal nature and your own lust! That's not to put anybody down and make anybody mean or nasty more than anybody else. It's just not. It's just the way it is.

There's another responsibility, v 20: "But the prophet…" A prophet is anyone who speaks the Word of God and considers himself a teacher. There are many and there are many teachers who have been 'heaped up,' as we just read.

"…who shall presume to speak a word…" (v 20). Why is that important? Every Word of God has been tried and purified! 'Speak a word,' you could extrapolate that to mean a message, but then you get down into the message and it is a word.

"…in My name which I have not commanded him to speak…" (v 20). In other words, we're not to teach anything that's not commanded. That's why when I give my opinion, I ring the cowbell. Some people don't like my cowbell, other people like my cowbell. That's okay.

"…or who shall speak in the name of other gods… [doctrines of other religions] …even that prophet shall die" (v 20). I take this most seriously. God takes this most seriously. We need to be very, very careful when we give our opinions.

I'm going to give you an example of someone who has violated this in public. If it's in public, then it's public domain and we can comment on it.

This is, The Answer to Romans 13. We won't read Rom. 13, yet. I'll read what he has written. What is another rule that you always need to have? I have this rule: when you're sitting around talking about the Bible and you begin to quote verses and things and you start getting it a wee bit off, open the Bible so you know! It's the same way here: we're to test, prove and know!

from: The Answer to Romans 13, by Arthur A. Ferdig:

The answer to the authority question of Romans 13, becomes quite plain (and logical)…

What is the truth of logic? All logic is not truth, but all truth is logical! That is not an equal equation as you would do it in algebra. You understand what I mean? That's a heavy statement—all logic is not truth, but all truth is logical.

…when we understand what Paul is actually saying. He instructed Christians to obey lawful authority. Meaning, authorities that God, not Satan, ordained whether within the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of men that are enforcing Godly laws, that have their basis and motive for enforcement in God's holy law for the well being of all concerned. This authority of which Paul speaks then, is derived from real law not lawlessness. The Greek word…

This is were people begin to sound very intelligent.

…for power or authority in Romans 13:1, is not lawlessness,…

Because he says, everything in the world out here, is greater Babylon and everything in it is lawlessness. Well, not everything in it is lawlessness. Do they not have laws, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, etc.? Is that lawlessness? The thing that he is after is, 'now then we're going to change what Paul wrote here.' Listen carefully.

…and that Greek word is 'exousia' (see Strong's Concordance #1849)…

Whenever you see that, know that the person does not understand the Greek—period!

…which can be rendered force, capacity, competency, authority, power, jurisdiction, liberty, right and strength. The word 'state, civil or government,' does not appear among those possible definitions.

My comment was true, but the context of government is understood, as we will see. This is very sophisticated in it's presentation. So, you need to be very careful in how you read things.

The civil government concept has been added or inferred by translators.

We will see that is not a correct statement. It is by context of what is written, who assumed, possibly by the reference tribute, that Paul was talking about civil offices of power. But notice the same word is used in Matt. 28:18 to show that Christ has all authority: 'exousia.' You see the transfer device? You follow that? You can't take a word over here which has this application and then take and say that now we have another, broader application over here, because you're taking both things out of context to try and create something that you want created by using the Scriptures.

Satan, too, has 'exousia' of the air (Ephesians 2:2), and the deciples were given power, 'exousia,' over Satan by Christ (Luke 10:19).

All of these are basically true statements. So you get, true statement, true statement, basically true statement, true statement. Now, listen to this next paragraph.

The rulers spoken of by Paul in Romans 13, though not specifically identified by a particular title, were obviously not among rulers of darkness or advocating enforcement of lawlessness, for Paul would not condone obedience to lawlessness.

You see, once you buy the mistake that all the governments in the world are devoted to lawlessness, he's got you hooked. They're not all devoted to lawlessness. They're a mixture of good and evil, because that's what Babylon is. It is not given over to total lawlessness. Notice where he's going with this.

These rulers were without question…

Whenever you see that phrase, 'without question,' watch out. Another typical one is, 'there can be no doubt at all.' Unless you've proven there's no doubt at all, watch out for that statement. You will read this in historical writings as they go along. They'll make a statement, then they'll make a transference device to their conclusion. Then they will say at the end, 'undoubtedly.' That's how you need to read some of these things. I know this is a little heavy, but hang on.

Part of what I'm doing today is to give you some ammunition so that when you read things like this you will never read it the same way you used to, that you will know how to read it. We have to discern right from wrong. He does not quote Rom. 13; typical device, you don't dare quote it, but you refer to the verse.

These rulers were, without question, able to judge righteously between good works and evil works (v 3), and had God's authority to enforce their righteous judgment (v 4). The reader should also note that the same word for ruler is used to identify rulers of the synagogue and the priesthood offices ordained by God (see Mark 5:22; Acts 4:5-8; Acts 13:15).

This is sounding authoritative!

Paul also makes it plain that there is lawful tribute to be gathered for common good (vs 6, 7), which fits with the Jews custom of paying a temple tax for use at a Jewish synagogue or even a community poll tax, a per head or census tax, to the community treasury to be used for the common good. There was no income tax under Roman law at the time.

All wrongly applied statements with the exception of no income tax. They came and took 20% of everything. If you have an increase, isn't it your income? And if they take 20% of it, isn't it an income tax? What he means to say is there were no income taxes, like our Federal income taxes today, where you can do it all by remote control through forms and checks and money. Now then, he says:

…(see Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, A.N. Sherwin-White, 1963 Oxford University Press, pp 125-127). It is obvious then…

Now, notice: 'Without question' and 'it is obvious then'; these are put there so that you will agree, because if you question it, then you're saying that he doesn't know what he's saying, which means that, if that be true, you know more than the writer. He's trying to make you feel that you know less than him. Then he says, 'It is obvious then…'

…that Romans 13 can just as easily be referring to a authorities and rulers that God put into His Church.

Wrong conclusion! Totally wrong! A very good example of deceitfully handling the Word of God, because you have a preconceived notion as to what your conclusion is going to be.

For even Paul calls them Gods, ministers (v 4). It is also interesting to note that the only Greek word used in the Bible properly translated governments, appears one time only in 1-Corinthians 12:28, where Paul listed the offices and responsibilities God placed in the Church. First apostles, secondly prophets, thirdly teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments and different kinds of tongues. Furthermore, if you will continue in the context of Romans 12:4-8, where Paul once again discusses how God set members and leaders in the Church, you will that Romans 13 naturally follows the context with Church leadership given Godly rulership and authority over the flock as ministers of God for our good. It makes little sense for Paul to suddenly leave the context of his epistle, the Church and Christian behavior, to address the powers of civil government over the Church. And if this admonition was so important to Christian behavior, why didn't Paul include such exhortation in his other epistles?

Once is sufficient! I won't go on anymore with that. Let's go back and look at this.

Romans 12 does talk about the functioning of the Church and our one-to-one conduct with each other and even our enemies. He ends up at the end by saying that if your enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirsts, feed him; if he is naked, clothe him.

Romans 12:20. "Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for in doing this you will be heaping coals of fire on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (vs 20-21).

You have to also ask the right questions: To whom did Paul write this? To the brethren located in Rome! There were only about four synagogues in Rome at that time. He's talking to those who are in the Church who have to live in the city of Rome. Not only do they have to interface with people in the Church and also their enemies (Rom. 12), but they also have to interface with the Roman government.

Did not Paul use the Roman civil government for his own advantage? Yes, he did! God even used the Roman soldiers to protect him. Remember that? (Acts). When he was on trial, what did he say? I appeal to Caesar! He used Roman law—did he not? Did he consider them the rulers of darkness? Yes! Was everything that they did darkness? No!

Romans 13:1: "Let everyone be subject to the higher authorities…" This is any higher power.

• Is a civil government a higher power than the individual? Yes!
• Is it a higher authority? Yes!

"…because there is no authority except from God… [Did God delegate these things to the nations? Yes!] …and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God" (v 1). Did God raise up the Roman Empire? Yes, it's even prophesied by Daniel!

Verse 2: "So then, the one who sets himself against the authority is resisting the ordinance of God; and those who resist shall receive judgment to themselves."

• Does that happen with these Freemen?
• Does it happen with the Sovereignists?

Rather than coming out from under the government, which on the surface it may appear:

• I renounce my social security number
• I renounce my drivers license
• I renounce my car license
• I renounce my zip code number

The way they get around it is to put it in parenthesis, because the government won't deliver it without the zip code, because they have a machine read it.

• Is the machine evil?
• Is the machine the mark of the beast?
• Is it wrong to have an address?
• Is it wrong to have a zip code?
• Of course not!
• Do they receive damnation or condemnation to themselves? Yes they do!

Furthermore, they do not come out from underneath the control of the government as they think on the surface they do. They become a separate noted watched group and actually are under more of the control of the government than they would care to even imagine. The government can come and shut them down any instant they want to. Now what have they accomplished? Nothing! A corporation of itself is not evil. It's what people do with a corporation.

Comments/Questions:

• Paul himself was a Roman citizen and took advantage of it. Yes, without a doubt!
• Is this treatise written so that they would follow what they are teaching? Yes! That's why this was written, 'You follow what we're telling you about this.' If you don't see it in the Scriptures clearly then don't follow it!
• In light of this, is military service wrong? Obviously, murder is wrong!
• Is every job in the military a murdering job? No!
• Can you as a conscientious objector work in a phase of the army and still be a Christian? Yes!

The instruction that was given that John the Baptist told the soldiers was: 'Do no harm and extort nothing from people.' They were Roman soldiers. So, that would apply, too. Also you have Jesus' Word, 'Render to God the things that are God's and unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's.' If that was not a government issue, I don't know what it is. Was not Caesar the Tsar, we could put it that way? Yes! These are cleverly devised arguments

(go to the next track)

These are cleverly sounding arguments by people who appear to know the Scriptures, but don't.

Romans 13:1: "Let everyone be subject to the… [head rabbi—that's what he's implying—Doesn't say that—does it?] …because there is no authority except from God; and those authorities that exist in the synagogue have been instituted by God." No! God destroyed the synagogue and temple system!

Test these things! Analyze them! If you have a hard time understanding it, don't leap to any conclusions, go back and read it again at a later date. Approach it two or three different ways.

Verse 2: "So then, the one who sets himself against the authority is resisting the ordinance of God… [v 3]: For rulers…" That's any ruler. The word ruler in the synagogue is anyplace, you cannot compare the two except the two words are the same. Does that mean that they are in the same office? No! It does not!

The word 'ruler' is a word that needs the clarification of the synagogue? Of the army? Of the nation? Of the Church? Of a household? 'Ruler' itself, tells you nothing, in and of itself. You cannot make a transference device that one equals the other. Because you have rulers of the synagogue, does not mean that these rulers here are rulers of the synagogue. It is a foolish and improperly applied use of the Scriptures.

"For the rulers are not a terror to good works…" (v 3).

• Can you be arrested for loving your neighbor?
• Can you be arrested for obeying the law?
• No!
• Is it a good work to obey the laws? Yes, it is!
• Are you going to be arrested if you don't like your neighbor and shoot up his home? Yes, you are!
• Are you going to get arrested if you ignore the speed laws and go 95 miles an hour and zoom in and out of the traffic and endanger your life and everybody else's life? Yes!

I tell all of those of you who don't like the higher powers, that when you get in a car wreck and you're lying there bleeding and your life is threatened by death, you're going to be mighty thankful that even on the Sabbath Day the highway patrol comes. You're going to be mighty thankful that the ambulance workers come.

• Are those evil workers?
• Are they lawless workers?
• Are they agents of Satan the devil?
• No, they're the good workers within the society that does not reckon the Sabbath!

Therefore, they work on the Sabbath. If you're coming to Church and have a car wreck on the Sabbath, will be very happy that they are there. Will you tell them to go away it's the Sabbath Day, let me lie here and bleed to death? I speak as a fool! Of course not!

They're having fires in Southern California. If your home is threatened, are you going to tell them to go away? No! You're going to say, 'Come on up here and let me help hold the hose.' Sure you are! How about delivering babies on the Sabbath? 'You rebellious kid! How dare you be born on the Sabbath Day! You stay in there until sundown!' Never happen! It's stupid! You have to have a little humor in this.

"…Do you desire not to be afraid of the authority? Then practice good…" (v 3). Let's understand something. If this were talking about rulers of the synagogue and you came in and did a good work and confessed Christ, what would happened? They'd throw you out and you'd be beaten up! This cannot refer to synagogal authorities. It's a stupid statement and improperly put together treaties here, which is the one who was the chief editor (Arthur Ferdig) of the Plain Truth Magazine for years and years. Now you know what was wrong with the Plain Truth Magazine.

The truth is, all the money was made in this evil system and 'now we're retired and we have bought our property up in the mountains. Now, we're up here in Railroad Flats and we're just comfortable so we can renounce it. All of you other people down here in the valley, you better follow us and renounce it, too.'

It doesn't work! Coming out of the world is a spiritual thing. What did Christ pray? He said, 'Father, I pray not that You take them out of the world, but that You protect them from the evil one!' Even if you try and get out from underneath the authority of the law of the land, you're still under the authority of the law of the land with the exceptions that they have made. You're still under their authority one way or the other.

The thing that they are missing with the mark of the beast entirely, is that the mark of the beast is not going to be just a system of buying and selling, but:

• you must commit idolatry
• it is a system of control, mind control

What you need to do is, you watch all the television programs. Almost every program has to do with some sort of mental control, more and more and more, you watch how many. I'm not saying to watch those programs, but you flick the channels around and see how many there are.

I discovered four programs the other night that had to do with some kind of demon possession, mind control, alter your thoughts, alter your reality and that is preprogramming people for the coming mark of the beast. So, the mark of the beast is going to be to control your thoughts, to send messages to you so you become a techno-robot. That's what they want.

One of them I watched a little bit. They devoided this man completely of his memory. Then they were reprogramming him to be another person. This is what Satan wants to do. He wants to take away your existence, because what you are is up here in your mind. The mark of the beast is not going to be not just the buying and selling, that's a secondary thing. You have to first commit idolatry and it will be to control you. You give up your will to Satan. All of these other arguments leading up to it are all superficial.

"…and you will have praise from it; for he is a servant…" (vs 3-4) Not a minister in the sense of a hands laid on ordained bona fide thinking of Church of God minister or synagogal ruler.

"…of God to you for good. But if you are practicing evil, have fear! For he does not wear the sword in vain…" (v 4). Who carries the sword? The civil government, by the context it tells us this! Before guns, what did they have? Swords, spears, shields!

"…because he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to the one who is practicing evil" (v 4). Granted, the civil laws of the land and the way courts are run today, may not be run exactly the right way according to the Word of God, but they are still there and they go after the evil one. That's what it's talking about.

Verse 5: "Consequently, it is necessary to be subject to authority, not only because of wrath… [which they may bring upon you] …but also because of conscience." As a Christian, that's what he is talking about.

Verse 6: "For this cause, you are also obligated to pay tribute…" He doesn't say to give a temple tax. He doesn't say to give it to the synagogue ruler. Jesus said, 'Render unto God the things that are God's and unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's.' Pay him his tax.

"…for they are servants of God, continually engaged in this very thing" (v 6). That's why they have bureaucracies. I hate taxes just like all of you, but I pay them out of conscience, grudgingly, but pay them.

Verse 7: "Therefore, render to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. Do not be indebted to anyone for anything, unless it is to love one another. For the one who loves another has fulfilled the Law…. [is fulfilling the Law] …Because it says, 'You shall not commit adultery. You shall not commit murder. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not lust.' And if there be any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, even by this standard: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself'" (vs 7-9). That has to do with civil authorities.

How can we ever be a light to the world if we withdraw from the world and go up to our mountain flats up there and just sit there and contemplate God?

• we can't be a witness to them
• we can't love them
• we can't help them
• we can't show them the right way

This thing of coming out of the world is that what they really need is a separate satellite capsule in which to get and then be shot off into space. Then they would be truly out of the world.

Coming out of Babylon (Rev. 18:4) means to come out of her spiritually. Have we come out of Babylon spiritually? Yes! The only country in the world that you have a remote ghost of a chance of doing any of the things advocated in this particular dissertation by Art Ferdig is in the United States of America. Any other country on earth, you could not do it. Could you withdraw in:

• China?
• Tibet?
• Russia?
• Germany?
• France?
• Great Britain?
• Canada?
• South America?
• No!

You can get out of social security legally if you want to. In doing that, you have to take a poverty vow that you will take no assistance of any government agency anywhere under any circumstances, which means that you could not go to a hospital in an emergency and then have the emergency fund of the community help pay it for you. They will not allow you to do that.

• What about those who are living on social security?
• How are they going to be supported?
• Are you going to have all the senior citizens renounce social security because the system is not perfect?

Show me anything in the world that is perfect, even yourself in your own body. Tell me. I want to know. Nothing is!
God has called us because we're weak and imperfect. We live in a terrible, awful, and evil world. We're called out of it spiritually. That's what we need to understand. This kind of thing is going to lead to really extremism to the nth degree. Unfortunately, there are so many people out there who don't know their Bibles. There are so many teachers out there who don't know their Bibles and sound good, but:

• don't know how to think
• don't know how to talk
• don't know what the will of God is

Yet, when I come along and point it out and say this is wrong and that is wrong doctrinally, I'm a bad, bad boy. I'm attacking that person. No, I'm not! Who's going to stand for the Truth? Tell me! Where are they going to stand for the Truth? I don't count myself the only one, but I tell you what:

• what I know, I know
• what I don't know, I'll tell you I don't know
• what I know that I really know and have proved and reproved and I know it to be the Word and Truth of God

Believe me, anyone who comes out with any public doctrine like that, you are open game! Welcome! Everyone has done it to me. Join us!

A comment on John 17:15: "I do not pray that You would take them out of the world, but that You would keep them from the evil one." We're not equipped to be taken out of the world. The only way that you're going to completely and totally come out of the world is to either be changed, if your alive when Jesus Christ returns and you become a spirit being and the Kingdom of God comes, or you die in the faith. Another very important thing: What they're trying to do is physically set up the Kingdom of God on earth and you can't do it.

How long can these people be an end unto themselves and still survive in this world? I do not know! I think until the first snowfall and all of the power is cut off. These things always end up in moneymaking schemes where they teach others. You come to a seminar and you pay and you pay for more material. Now what are they going to do because they have to use dirty, filthy, rotten federal reserve notes?

• Are they only going to teach those who bring silver?
• How are you going to get your silver?
• What are you going to buy with it?
• Are you going to teach only those who have gold?
• Now what are you going to do?
• It's all hypocritical!
• If you have health insurance is that not a corporation?
• One of those 'wicked' corporations?
• Yes, it is!
• If you need surgery, are you going to do it yourself, because you don't want to have a wicked, wicked corporation pay for it?
• What if you make a mistake when you're doing your own colostomy? You're in bad shape!
• You get the plumbing all wired up wrong and the wrong thing's doing the wrong thing and now what are you going to do?

You can't call a plumber because you can't pay him. You can't use federal reserve notes. You're in bad shape. Try a Roto-Rooter, that may do it. We have to have a little humor in this.

The basic, fundamental question is how much you love God, not how far out of a corporation you can be. I agree with one thing that he as here, that the constitution and by-laws of the United Church of God is a corporate bunch of garbage. That's because they created those. Therefore, it has nothing to do with that a corporation is evil. It's the men who wrote those. A corporation is not evil; people are evil.

That's not going to stop someone from suing you whether you're a corporation, a non-corporation, an individual, an unincorporated association doing business as whatever. They're still going to sue you and if you get a subpoena for court and you don't show up, you can only run so long. Sooner or later they're going to get you and put you in jail.

If you count that as being 'persecuted for righteousness sake,' you got a big mistake. That's being persecuted for your own stupidity and your own lawlessness! You end up being lawless while you accuse the world of being totally lawless in every case.

See how all this gets confused when you try and bring the Kingdom of God here now? You can't do it because Christ is not here. You can't make it work. Let's go back to the original Constitution once delivered.

• Can you do it? No!
• Was it perfect? No!
• Was it better than now? Yes!
• Is it God's way? No!
• Was it based on certain principles out of the Bible? Yes!
• Does that make it Holy? No!

Any person who will keep any of the commandments of God in any degree, will be blessed in degree as he keeps the commandments of God because God is no respecter of persons. You need to understand that.

We're being assaulted by all of these things just right and left. Not only doctrinally, but this kind of stuff. What a world we live in! None of this has to do with salvation because salvation has nothing to do with whether you have a license plate, or a drivers license, or an address. What are you going to do, strip off the number of your house? Then you also have to go down to the county and you have to strip away the legal designation of your lot where you are. Then you sell your house and you buy something in the country. It is still on a preliminary title report that you have a lot designation. I don't care if you have 50,000 acres. Are you going to strip that out of the county books or out of the state? No! You can't do it!

They're trying to accomplish spiritual things by doing carnal things! You can't do it. Loving God does not come because you get rid of your driver's license. Loving God comes because you have a converted heart! You can homestead your property, but a homestead is only worth $75,000 and they can take anything beyond that.

The reason we have the laws that we have now is because of sin. That's why they're worse than they used to be.

• Are you going to defy God?
• Are you going to stop the one-world government?
• Are you going to stop Satan's system from coming to its greatest manifestation in history?
• No! It isn't going to happen!

Our time will come when the mark of the beast comes down. That's when our time will come. That's when you resist, because they are making you commit idolatry. They are wanting you to bow down to this image. Then you'll receive the mark of the beast, not until.

Even if you had 50,000 acres, you would still have to pay tax. If you don't pay the tax, then they take your property. Furthermore, someone could buy your property by paying the taxes and at the end of seven years they could do a hostile takeover and take it from you. If you're going to try and get your property exempt from taxes, you still have to go to the evil government and fill out an evil form so you can get your evil exemption. Then the cost of an evil attorney. You could go ahead and plant some marijuana and then have the Feds come in and confiscate the property for having marijuana and now they got it. We could go on and on.

Pope Stresses Evolution and Faith Can Coexist:

Throughout his papacy, John Paul II has paid close attention to science. In 1992 at the tend of 13 years of study by the Vatican…

Notice, a committee study. Whenever you have a committee study, it always comes out invariably evil.

…he declared that the Church was wrong to have condemned the astronomer, Galileo.

After 600 years! Marvelous! Aren't you wonderful?

In his most comprehensive statement yet on evolution, Pope John Paul II insisted that faith and science can coexist, telling scientists that Darwin's theories are sound as long as they take into account that creation was the work of God. The pope's message to the Pontifical Academy of Science…

This is bad as denouncing Galileo.

…a lay organization, meeting in Rome this week recalled how Pope Pius XII proclaimed in 1950, that evolutionary doctrine was a serious hypothesis.

They do this step-by-step. 'Serious hypothesis' means that it's a serious theory that we ought to consider. They like to bury them in these words.

In the statement released Wednesday, the pope said new knowledge had confirmed that Darwin's theory of evolution is more than a hypothesis.

Though they can't find any 'missing link' fossils.

Darwin's theory that mankind was a product of a slow evolutionary process from early forms of life conflicts with a literal reading of the Biblical account of creation that the world, including humans, was created in six days.

Little Effect in the U.S.

Bay area religious scholars said Thursday they wouldn't expect the pope's statement to create much controversy among American Catholics, since many have already reconciled the teaching of science and religion. "For most Catholics scholars," says Ken Cramer, a religious studies professor at San Jose State University, "it's not a matter of creationism vs evolution, rather it's a matter of what is the source of the evolution process itself, which stands behind it at the beginning. Among lay Catholics, there's likely to be a range of views," Cramer said, "depending on their upbringing and religious training."

Santa Clara University religious studies Professor J. David Pleens said, "Many religions have begun to address the findings of science. There is an interesting openness to not view this as a battle between religion and science, but as how do the two co-exist together."

You see ecumenism even in this.

'There's also a diversity of views among local Evangelical Christians,' said Peter Wilkies pastor of South Hills Community Church, one of San Hose's largest Evangelical Churches.

Divine Complexity

While some take a literal view of the Bible account," Wilkie said, "others, including many scientists and engineers find it difficult to argue with the literal interpretation of Genesis, but we still agree that we don't have the complexity of the DNA code is ever going to happen randomly, by accident."

Though the pope has, in the past, made references to scientific consensus behind evolution, his latest comments were the clearest and most comprehensive in support of Darwin's conclusions.

He says: 'Both are gifts from God.' Well, well, well! Which God?

Scripture from The Holy Bible In Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• 2-Timothy 3:16
• 2-Corinthians 4:1-2
• 2-Timothy 4:3-4
• John 7:14-18
• Deuteronomy 18:18-20
• Romans 12:20-21
• Romans 13:1-9
• John 17:15

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• 2-Timothy 3:16
• Romans 14
• Matthew 28:18
• Revelation 18:4

Also referenced: Articles:

• The Answer to Romans 13, Treatise paper, by Arthur A. Ferdig
• Pope Stresses Evolution and Faith Can Coexist, Oct. 1996

FRC:bo
Transcribed: 1-23-11
Reformatted/Corrected: November-December/2016