Part01_Why

WHY STAY - PART 1

This article is divided in separate parts, reduced to a simple format, for ease of transmission via e-mail via straight text, or formats like RTF etc. The reader will have to recompose the article into readable text, inserting point sizes etc. Titles and subtitles could be made bold, etc. Formerly italic words have been made into caps, since some e-mail systems eliminate italics. Footnotes are introduced into the text between brackets.

Title:

"So Tell Me -- Why on Earth Do You Stay in the Worldwide Church of God?"

Running Head = Why Attend WCG?

AN EXPLANATION

I have been asked the question a number of times in the past five years: "Why on earth do you stay in the Worldwide Church of God when the Church has officially rejected every shred of the Truth?" The question has usually come from friends and acquaintances who have joined themselves to splinter groups. My answers have been from the Scriptures -- what other basis is there for making such a big decision?

Some months ago, a like-minded friend in the States asked me to put to paper some of those Scriptures, for her information. As I started to jot down the passages, I found that the list was much longer than I had first realized. It turned into a larger undertaking than I had initially intended (16,000 words, sports fans!). So, J---, my apologies for taking so long to respond, but here is my reply.

A couple of notes:

The Audience

I hope the references prove valuable to everyone who reads this. But, specifically, I am writing this paper for the edification of fellow brethren who have held fast to God's Truth, and have remained in the WCG based on their conviction that that is God's Will. FN1 - [FN1: The name given to this group, which seems to have stuck. is "GRUMP". It forms the handy acronym: "God's Remnant Under Much Persecution". Lest anyone perceive that this means we are grumpy, it's usually prefaced with "joyful", a la James 1.2. Although our laughter is turned to mourning, we are by no means a sulky group. We share a palpably upbeat attitude in this grim situation.]

So, if you believe in the veracity of the CURRENT teachings of the WCG, and have come across this article indirectly, you will doubtless not find it edifying (perhaps not even intelligible), so I don't recommend your reading it. Alternatively, if you are one who has joined a splinter group in response to the Heresy, you will probably be put off by my tone (understandably so), so this paper will not be valuable for you. I mention this because I want readers to know that I am not writing this to sway anyone from a conviction different from my own. I have no delusions that I can (or should) convince another person in a matter of the Truth -- only by the conviction of God's Holy Spirit and the Word of God do we learn Truth.

The Content

I have not written out many Scriptures. It used to frustrate me as a youth in the Church to read literature by Mr. Armstrong referring to Scriptures without directly quoting them, because it meant I had to go to the trouble of pulling out my Bible and turning to every single reference. Now I get it. As much as we prefer to be spoon-fed, the essence of learning God's Truth is in setting aside the study aid we are scanning, and spending quality time "searching the Scriptures ... to see whether those things be so". (Acts 17.11)

Just listening to someone else preach has been perhaps one of our greatest handicaps to understanding the Truth. I accept falsehoods when I go by what "sounds right" and what "seems to gibe with Scripture" instead of reading the words myself. Whether the speaker was Mr. Tkach, Sr., Mr. Armstrong, or Paul, it makes no difference. Clever men may sound Scriptural--may quote Scripture--but utterly mislead the gullible. Godly men may sound Scriptural--may quote Scripture--but be mistaken on certain points because of their sheer humanity. Listening to others, we may become convinced by logic or emotion, but if we search the Scriptures ourselves, we can be convicted by God's Spirit.

So, don't look for extensive Bible quotes in this piece--I want you to check up on me and find out where I'm right and where I'm wrong. Go look the passage up, read what precedes it, what follows it, and especially what other passages of Scripture it connects to elsewhere in the Bible. The whole Book hangs together around key principles and themes, and if something is true, it will be found in many passages in Scripture. Please set your heart to learn from the Word of God, not from my words.

Regardless of who's doing the feeding, don't just swallow what's fed to you - chew!

Cheers.

A Joyful GRUMP

December 1999

[end of Part 1]

Click Here to Continue to Part 2



	WHY STAY - PART 1 This article is divided in separate parts, reduced to a simple format, for ease of transmission via e-mail via straight text, or formats like RTF etc. The reader will have to recompose the article into readable text, inserting point sizes etc. Titles and subtitles could be made bold, etc. Formerly italic words have been made into caps, since some e-mail systems eliminate italics. Footnotes are introduced into the text between brackets. Title: "So Tell Me -- Why on Earth Do You Stay in the Worldwide Church of God?" Running Head = Why Attend WCG? AN EXPLANATION I have been asked the question a number of times in the past five years: "Why on earth do you stay in the Worldwide Church of God when the Church has officially rejected every shred of the Truth?" The question has usually come from friends and acquaintances who have joined themselves to splinter groups. My answers have been from the Scriptures -- what other basis is there for making such a big decision? Some months ago, a like-minded friend in the States asked me to put to paper some of those Scriptures, for her information. As I started to jot down the passages, I found that the list was much longer than I had first realized. It turned into a larger undertaking than I had initially intended (16,000 words, sports fans!). So, J---, my apologies for taking so long to respond, but here is my reply. A couple of notes: The Audience I hope the references prove valuable to everyone who reads this. But, specifically, I am writing this paper for the edification of fellow brethren who have held fast to God's Truth, and have remained in the WCG based on their conviction that that is God's Will. FN1 - [FN1: The name given to this group, which seems to have stuck. is "GRUMP". It forms the handy acronym: "God's Remnant Under Much Persecution". Lest anyone perceive that this means we are grumpy, it's usually prefaced with "joyful", a la James 1.2. Although our laughter is turned to mourning, we are by no means a sulky group. We share a palpably upbeat attitude in this grim situation.] So, if you believe in the veracity of the CURRENT teachings of the WCG, and have come across this article indirectly, you will doubtless not find it edifying (perhaps not even intelligible), so I don't recommend your reading it. Alternatively, if you are one who has joined a splinter group in response to the Heresy, you will probably be put off by my tone (understandably so), so this paper will not be valuable for you. I mention this because I want readers to know that I am not writing this to sway anyone from a conviction different from my own. I have no delusions that I can (or should) convince another person in a matter of the Truth -- only by the conviction of God's Holy Spirit and the Word of God do we learn Truth. The Content I have not written out many Scriptures. It used to frustrate me as a youth in the Church to read literature by Mr. Armstrong referring to Scriptures without directly quoting them, because it meant I had to go to the trouble of pulling out my Bible and turning to every single reference. Now I get it. As much as we prefer to be spoon-fed, the essence of learning God's Truth is in setting aside the study aid we are scanning, and spending quality time "searching the Scriptures ... to see whether those things be so". (Acts 17.11) Just listening to someone else preach has been perhaps one of our greatest handicaps to understanding the Truth. I accept falsehoods when I go by what "sounds right" and what "seems to gibe with Scripture" instead of reading the words myself. Whether the speaker was Mr. Tkach, Sr., Mr. Armstrong, or Paul, it makes no difference. Clever men may sound Scriptural--may quote Scripture--but utterly mislead the gullible. Godly men may sound Scriptural--may quote Scripture--but be mistaken on certain points because of their sheer humanity. Listening to others, we may become convinced by logic or emotion, but if we search the Scriptures ourselves, we can be convicted by God's Spirit. So, don't look for extensive Bible quotes in this piece--I want you to check up on me and find out where I'm right and where I'm wrong. Go look the passage up, read what precedes it, what follows it, and especially what other passages of Scripture it connects to elsewhere in the Bible. The whole Book hangs together around key principles and themes, and if something is true, it will be found in many passages in Scripture. Please set your heart to learn from the Word of God, not from my words. Regardless of who's doing the feeding, don't just swallow what's fed to you - chew! Cheers. A Joyful GRUMP December 1999 [end of Part 1] Click Here to Continue to Part 2