Two verses come to mind, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump", and "Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought".
I agree with LZ too, JAL rolled from one "leadership" legacy to another, if the lump has been thoroughly leavened, how are you gonna separate the fish from the bones?
John also failes to give credit to BG Leonard who is the real one who put PFAL together, if God worked in anyone it would have been him, not the repackager, vp. If what was in that class was really the truth, wouldn't the one who God originally inspired (BG Leonard) be the spiritual one, not the theif who presented it as his own and used it as a cash cow marketing plan? Why laud vp as the spiritual one? He just regurgitated what others did and lied about it being from himself. How is it people like John refuse to acknowledge this? Does he not admit to the plagierism? Whom is fooling whom now?
John also knows the truth regarding vp overtaking the Way East and the Way West, he knows vp also hijacked those ministries, the outreach never came from vp, it always came from others, in spite of vp. VP will have to answer to God for that one.
Excerpts from John Lynn's June 2008 letter are in bold blue and key words in red:
…I speak so that you can know "the rest of the story," as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with "ex-Way vision." In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI…
This hits me as the typical spin control used by TWI leadership that always painted up the media and "other Christians" [i.e. anyone who claims to be a Christian but is not in TWI] as the enemy, sowing disinformation. After all, everyone is wrong and he is right. And as for what's coming out of the mouths of "disgruntled former followers" – he suggests we need his powers of discernment to determine what's true or false. No thanks – I'll do my own thinking.
He says he wants to present a better redemptive view of TWI – suggesting what he has to offer will offset the bad stuff. After reading, not only the whole letter of June 2008 [thanks BFH for posting the link], but also the detailed list of 26 topics that he said TWI mishandled and his March 1988 letter – I believe Lynn would have clung to the ever listing deck of the Titanic saying no problem…a minor setback…this is a great ship…we can patch things up.
Perhaps the following paragraph indicates how entrenched he still is in the TWI mindset and that he's still committed to maintaining a grand delusion.
…Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word. And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom…
The big whopper of an assumption in the above statement is that TWI was following God and His Word in the first place. The founding president vp was a prolific plagiarist, egotistical, delusional, drunken sexual predator…and sociopath to boot. TWI was nothing more than an organization based on the personality of vp. Folks' understanding of God and the Bible were based on the doctrines and mannerisms they absorbed from vp.
The following portion of his letter – I think is the thing that drives Lynn to salvage the essence of TWI or feeds his hope that there's something able to compensate for any defects:
…Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered. I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young…men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word? …
…God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church…
…I don't know where else we could have heard the "package" of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did…
I said this on the Who is John Lynn? thread – Lynn thinks he's the greatest salesman in the world today. And what he's selling is the same old delusions of grandeur that vp had. And if you want to cherish the sappy idea of God leading vp to Bullinger's stuff – well, then maybe vp should have been a Bullinger book salesman. But I guess that wouldn't have satisfied his taste for power or sexual appetite.
TWI had a mass-market approach with the PFAL class – there were enough benefits of the class listed on the back of the Green Card to appeal to just about anyone. PFAL was THE "package" – a ready-made belief system with a cookie-cutter process for homogenizing thousands of young men and women into walking-talking-PFAL-selling-machines.
That's about all I want to say on this. I've spent way too much time already on a delusional salesman.
How come I feel proselytized after reading his letter?
I wouldn't be surprised if it was penned just for the Greasespot community's benefit as an wierwille apologist's rebuttle. It is too bad he will not allow for an open discussion here on this forum, and has resorted to a rather one sided diatribe.
It's also interesting that God gets very little credit in his letter, most of the credit is given to men, vp and Bullinger, and to the twi organization itself....
His beliefs concerning the rightness of twi teachings border on being offensive, he is hopelessly, and obliviously locked into the twi doctrinal treadmill repeating and believing the same errors over and over again, ad infinitum, with the arrogant assumption that it is us who are not in tune with God.
I again read the list of differences with twi, and what caught my attention, again, was how many of the items on that list has been discussed and complained about here on GS Cafe! Good changes, positive changes for the better. Yet Lynn still gets slammed and disparaged. This proves to me one thing: that no matter how many changes are made, there will be endless criticisms, endless condemnation, endless complaining about something. It occurs to me that change will never be enough for those with an ax to grind. They want to use that ax. I would imagine that even if twi itself made these changes, the relentless attack machine wouldn't miss a beat. This attack machine is a form of godliness that I find repulsive. JAL is a brother in Christ, I wish him well always.
In retrospect, I don't think the Way Ministry did very much right, but there were ideas out there that attracted me, and still seem attractive to me. For example, "letting" the Word "speak for itself." It's clear to me that the Ministry didn't do that very well, but it was a "principle" to which they supposedly held. In subsequent years, I've found that others have really done quite a good job of that, and progressively arrived at an astonishingly accurate view of a 2000 year old collection of documents -- the New Testament. Erasmus, the KJV translators, Wescott and Hort, F.F. Bruce, Bruce M. Metzger -- from a textual standpoint, these folks did some serious and successful work. Alongside them, theorists/theologians like Barth and Bonhoeffer, Pascal, Kierkegaard, etc continued to ask questions of the texts, sometimes better questions than had been asked since the first century. Current theologian N.T. Wright and others have re-thought the post-Reformation and postmodern attitudes toward the scriptures, and I think have truly made some progress in literally understanding the Word more precisely than it had been known since the First Century (As VPW was wont to say).
Good points, above about the Gnostic angle of the Way Ministry, though, and LindaZ's comments, as usual, strike a chord with me. The scriptures are indeed themselves living and powerful. "Biblical Research," while wonderful, is not every believer's calling. We take "search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life" as a mandate -- a universal principle for all believers. We do this apparently without recognizing whom Jesus was addressing. The shepherds were not biblical researchers, neither were Joseph and Mary, but they saw "the Word" pretty clearly in the manger that day!
I agree with the many voices that conclude that John still has his head in the sand (where the sun also does not shine). My emotional response to CES, and John's periodic attempts to do something godly with his life, is often one of sympathy. They do seem to be stuck in a marketing model, and darnit, the product is not that good. But I appreciate the effort, and often identify with John's struggle to make sense of the Word and to practically apply it. He's a gifted, intelligent, and caring person, who has stumbled and fell, like we all have. He still hasn't got it all figured out, just like all of us. He was hoodwinked by brokencistern thinking, and I think, as others have expressed here, that there are still very important areas that John simply hasn't acknowledged sufficiently to be free of the consequences of that thinking. One of them is the man-of-God ideas promulgated by the Ministry. He's tried to break some of the molds, and he has in some cases, but no way will you see me lining up for a class or buying any books or other "educational materials."
Mark's comments about dispensationalism are spot on, IMO. I've posted before along those lines. Thanks Mark.
The Way was a rotten tree, but the analogy is not so simple. There were wonderful godly souls connected with the Way. We (I dare to include myself... let others judge) were not "fruit" of the Way Tree, we were the fruit of what God did in Christ, what God did in our lives. We participated in a failed experiment in Christian living, the leaders of which expounded one thing and did another -- not too different than Jesus' day, when he told his followers to obey those funky spiritual leaders, but not to do what they did. The Way Corps site has a marvelous collection of these souls.... and some folks like John, who still feel the Way tree was a good tree, maybe with a couple of bad apples on it. From the blogs and comments, it seems to me that many have matured under God's loving care, and have the authentic fruit as proof of that.
What was good, even in the old days of TWM was the love of God that the Holy Spirit shed abroad in our hearts at times, despite the rot at the root of the tree. God has hewn that tree down / plucked it up by the roots. But He has not forsaken His children in the least. Chastise them, He does.
Here are some other good things; "fish" and not "bones."
Jesus Christ is the Way.
The scriptures should be held in high regard.
Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Service / obedience to God / labor in the Lord is never in vain. The greatest leader is the greatest servant.
These things were taught, but all too often they were not practiced by the teachers. There are plenty of other rotten-rooted "ministries" and "teachers" out there, today. Sometimes those who join them are truly blessed in spite of the leaders, but ultimately, poison is poison. Growing up spiritually as an adult is just as hard as it was growing up in high school. Truth is as relentless a teacher as Reality. (i.e., you are not the center of the universe, and yet, you are the apple of God's eye.)
OM - I think the main thing to consider is that if you take a tiger and paint over 26 of it's stripes, you still have a tiger with a few stripes missing and not a kitty-cat.
The core of the thing is still the same, as is evidenced in JAL's letter. There is still an underlying arrogance that claims to "have it all." This idea of a "package" stings of a marketing tool. I've heard it before.
You have to ask yourself about the timing of the thing and the words that are used. I think JAL wanted this letter to find it's way to GSC. I think he counted on it. (Which, if true would mean that once again he used people to do the work for him instead of posting here himself.) I believe it's his way of getting his message out and he's using any means possible. Afterall, not only was the podcast "Cutting Through the Fog" aired recently, V2P2 is on the rise in the house of WC2...
I still have to ask myself, "Why would JAL want to mobilize those who were involved with TWI. Why not look for "young, fresh blood"? Why go after a group of people now entering their retirement years?" After all, CES/STFI is approximately 20 years old now. They should have grown far beyond the need to troll for more marks... err... people from a dead and corrupt cult machine.
I'll let that question settle in a bit - my own answer is admittedly not very kind.
Oh, and wishing him well doesn't have to be exclusive to calling him on being dishonest.
JAL has always been a master of jabber. It can be used as smoke and mirrors to confuse rather than clarify. Rhino's explanation of dichotomy and disparate shows how JAL is now he's confusing himself.
Most of these guys at the top have only had "indepth" teaching of the word from TWI. I don't think any of them have ever invested a full year of seminary study [except MG, and he's been rightfully deposed] in any other Christian theological work, so how do they really know that their "keys to bibilical research" are even accurate.
They don't have any comparison from which to make an honest assumption. All they know is what VPW told them that Bullinger or Styles or Leonard, or the Evangelical movement said.
I still have to ask myself, "Why would JAL want to mobilize those who were involved with TWI. Why not look for "young, fresh blood"? Why go after a group of people now entering their retirement years?"
I'll let that question settle in a bit - my own answer is admittedly not very kind.
Here dooj, allow me:
Why? I'll tell you why. :D
Maybe, just maybe, he remembered the old ministry campaign to "remember the Way in your will". A significant number of the members of "this group of people now entering retirement years" are/should be making wills and getting their affairs in order. I can't imagine anyone leaving anything to twi, but there are probably those who could be convinced to remember one of the many "other ways" (offshoots) in their wills.
You make a valid point Oldies Man, there are some differences of substance noted. And it may be that John's interest is simply wishing the best for those he knew and loved. In fact, I don't doubt that's what he'd want for any individual, on face value.
The line that sticks out is that "until" 1987, PFAL was the best source for the largest amount of "truth" available. What happened in 1987?
John and others left the Way and started other endeavors like CES, or whatever it's called now. So there was then another place, places, where it could be had. If not better, a work in progress, I suppose. That seems to be his point.
I can't completely fault John's sources, the means by which he chooses to continue to learn and fellowship. Those are of his choosing. Free country, all of that.
But points like the ones about Bullinger don't sound right - to me. The methods that Bullinger presents may work for some, but clearly don't work practically for everyone and that approach to reading and studying the bible often bogs individuals down in minutiae - tiny little points of so-called "light" that send people off on tangents. The study requires detailed, minute work but the range of vision, of purpose should always remain on the "big picture", the pursuit of a simply day-to-day living relationship with God and Christ, and each other.
Knowledge isn't bad. Effort is good and necessary. Study is profitable. But John's words speak to a group of people, "ex-TWI", who were largely built around a "movement" who's activities required detailed and minute knowledge and understanding of the "rightly divided" bible and activities designed to "spread the Word".
My take - a "new" form or pastoring is desirable, which is really an "old" form, one that places the emphasis on the simplest values of a Christian faith and not endless drilling and adherence to "new" rightly divided or "corrected" teachings and Flavors-of-the-year doctrinal pushes - one that goes to bringing people one on one to Christ, through simple day to day help, the stuff people need that betters people's lives and leads to their own relationship with God and Christ, and enjoying that to whatever degree, with others.
I don't know STFI, CES or whatever from personal experience, so they may say "but that's what we're doing!" I don't think their examples really support that but there's probably some good there by the look of it, people who would say so. But time goes on, and that's the benefit of a work in progress I guess - there's always room for improvement. Our own "fruit" can take awhile to hatch, some a lifetime, hey? :)
God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love?
I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you.
I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them.
On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason.
Despite The Way leadership' s attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil.
In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically.
We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes.
We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped.
What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh?
You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again.
Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None.
This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God.
First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so.
Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it.
Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe."
Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you.
We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen.
Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable.
Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true.
Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say.
This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly?
If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women.
I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned.
Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area.
What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do.
Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to.
Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt.
The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon."
As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren.
I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you.
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
===================================
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[Here's the same letter, with commentary from me.]
================================
[Although hindsight is 20/20, and I was willing to view this letter lightly, knowing how we ALL were so mistaken, there's 3 reasons I'm
using more discrimination here.
1) JAL fundamentally holds the same opinions, 20 years later.
2) As was underscored recently, JAL had a LOT more insider knowledge than the rest of us, at the time of the writing of this letter.
3) JAL's made a point of closing off open discussion of this subject- first by the closing of the CES messageboards
(which, in fairness, was not, as far as I know, entirely HIS decision), second, by posting about it briefly on the GSC-
specifically, to say he won't be posting about this and discussing it,
and third, by only speaking on this when he controls the medium-
and tossing in INSULTS to those who might disagree with him.
Respectfully disagreeing with a brother in Christ seems to not be an option-when JAL is in charge.
God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love?
[First, pump people up with lots of really inflated talk. If you want to get people to prejudge what you will say in a positive way,
get them to feel good, and to WANT to agree with you. So, first, you compliment them and say lots of things about how much you love God.
That way, when what you say later doesn't match, they will go with their FIRST impression, and hopefully ignore what came later.
It worked for vpw, and it could work for any other Christian who cares more about titles, money and things than people.]
I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you.
I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them.
[JAL was an insider. He was around for the entire buildup of members, saw vpw push out St3v3 H33fn3r and J1m D**p, saw vpw centralize his authority
by training people to do what he wanted in the way corps, saw vpw scream at people for little or no reason-as documented inadvertently by lcm
in his book, "VP and Me", saw vpw set up a separate set of teachings that allowed those at the top to use others for sex and teach that it
was to be kept secret, saw vpw set up a cadre of people to find young women to use for sex, to arrange for vpw to meet with them privately,
and to monitor them after vpw used them for sex to make sure they wouldn't tell others-and destroy them if they DID look like they would
tell others.
JAL was either COMPLICIT in all these things knowing they were wrong,
or he was around when all this happened, saw it then, and was unable to judge any of it as WRONG when it happened.
Either way, his testimony is compromised by this.
Notice the timing- he's ready to call bad things "bad"-but only when others are speaking up.
Was it less "wrong" when someone didn't announce "this is wrong"?]
On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason.
Despite The Way leadership's attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil.
[Actually, other than "there's problems", "the Passing of the Patriarch" exposed NOTHING except some odd opinions.
vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore- or cg made up that vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore.
The ACTUAL problems were never addressed-
possibly because they were instigated by vpw himself, and cg was complicit in them.
He's expecting us to accept this-and he's had over a year to evaluate this and so on.
And this was his JOB at the time- he wasn't working fulltime and looking at this after work- he was a "full-time minister"
of twi, and had lots of time to look all this over.
Did he completely miss that it didn't actually "expose" anything,
or was he fully aware it did NOT, and was he using the name to INTENTIONALLY DECEIVE?
It's one or the other....]
In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically.
We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes.
We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped.
What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh?
[As we now all know, (almost all of us, anyway), the Trustees were completely in error, and were complicit in, and active participants in,
activities both condemned by the Bible and considered FELONIES by the laws in the United States of America.
As we now all know (almost all of us, anyway), Geer was not only wrong, but he was EXTENSIVELY wrong, trying to "fix the problem"
by salvaging the felonies, and reinstating the vpw-worship.
Neither the errors and crimes of the Trustees, nor the errors, delusions and crimes of Geer guarantee that JAL was CORRECT-
THEY were wrong, but that doesn't make him RIGHT.
Some people, however, might make that mistake. I'm unclear whether JAL intended them to think that.]
You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again.
[Well, NOW, we've all had a chance to read POP and Schoenheit's adultery paper as well.
Schoenheit's paper is correct and specific from the Bible, Geer's paper was vague and error.]
Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None.
[Geer was, as we can all see now (or almost all of us), completely in error, and made a good show while talking-and practicing- error.]
This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God.
[A) This religious 'caste system' was just fine for JAL for about 20 years. None of these immoral, unBiblical practices caused him
any problems during that time-problems vpw instituted in each instance.
B) JAL is assuming that "for the most part" that twi Christians "know much rightly-divided Word",
and
C) People who "know much rightly-divided Word" are "bored with the Bible" and operating Godly principles
largely because TWI's LEADERSHIP SYSTEM IS CRAPOLA.]
First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so.
[This is correct. Those were all errors, and unhealthy.]
Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it.
JAL was well aware of the FINANCIAL MOTIVATION of vpw from the 1960s, but was fine being in leadership under him.
The problem existed for his entire involvement in twi, but it's not a problem until more than 20 years later.
Was JAL that slack-witted that this wasn't a problem, or was JAL aware this was error and he deliberately chose
to ignore it for 20 years because it suited him to do so?
Take your pick-it was one or the other.]
Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe."
Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you.
We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen.
[Correct.
Why did this take you 20 years? Was it that hard to accept, or were you happier with your mouth shut all that time?]
Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable.
[You're leaving out, of course, any personal knowledge, or lack thereof, YOU had.
Did you turn a blind eye to it for 20 years, or were you well aware and are tactfully skipping your own complicity
in multiple felonies on behalf of vpw?]
Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true.
Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say.
This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly?
[Good question.
Here's another- why did you remain silent about it for 20 years-
because it happened around you and you failed to put the pieces together,
or because you knew and were in the crowd keeping it silent until you chose to join those who spoke up?]
If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women.
I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned.
Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area.
[All of that is correct.]
What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do.
[vpw was the one that "afflicted" this "religious error" on twi. This was a specific "man"-why return to generalities?
"A steppingstone to greater spiritual truth." JAL is claiming he's reached a new plateau of "spiritual truth" post-twi.
Oh, and this "approximately 100,000 PFAL grads" is an exagerration. Supposedly, about that many people had ever signed up
for pfal. Not everyone who signed up for pfal attended Session 1. Not everyone who attended Session 1 attended Session 12.
No figures were ever taken for actual # of pfal grads.
It IS true that, at the time of this writing, 80,000 of those people were no longer associated from twi.
That was across the entire history of twi.
The assumption that there was ONE reason-and that ONE reason was EXACTLY what JAL was talking about here,
is unfounded. Notice JAL shies away from actually making that CLAIM, but he IMPLIES it.
"Perhaps many of them felt as I do."
And perhaps NONE of them did.]
Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to.
[Well, they were a lot more "self-governing" than before, but the ex-twi community was never composed of small local groups that NEVER
answered to higher-ups....and those higher-ups were all trained in twi, and were participants in that SAME stratification JAL
railed against- after a mere 20 years of participation.
It was stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree-within the limits allowed. I, for one, hit the glass ceiling on
the new LIMITS of same.
Does it strike no one slightly ironic that JAL currently clamps down on questioning and disagreeing, a mere 20 years
after extolling their virtues?]
Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt.
[Analogies are nice, WHEN THEY ARE VALID.
This one assumes that one can partake fully of twi doctrine, complete with biases and errors which served vpw nicely, and yet filter out
ALL the harmful doctrine with relative ease. We left with the ASSUMPTION that what we had was "right doctrine", and ACCURATE
keys to learning more.
Oh, and being wary of all the evil things that affected us in ways small and large throughout our lives,
is HARDLY to be compared with Israel's laments after leaving Egypt.
Cute how he's already making careful approaches into WRONG ACTION.]
The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon."
[One may feel free to leave twi- but one should leave twi to join CES/STFI, of course. Don't be afraid to become part of HIS group-
but it won't be long before one should be afraid to become part of "anything else."
And don't call CES/STFI "another bandwagon."]
As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren.
I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you.
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
[sure took long enough to add the commercial to this...]
Maybe, just maybe, he remembered the old ministry campaign to "remember the Way in your will". A significant number of the members of "this group of people now entering retirement years" are/should be making wills and getting their affairs in order. I can't imagine anyone leaving anything to twi, but there are probably those who could be convinced to remember one of the many "other ways" (offshoots) in their wills.
Like I said before...trolling for rubes.
Ha! Tonto, you're not far from what I was thinking...
I was going to say that like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, he wanted one of two things - our money or our children.
Now I'll let the image of JAL in tights and goofy pointy shoes sink in...
Wordwolf I offer an answer to your attack of JAL "he knew for 20 years and did nothing" as follows: he was a kool-aid drinker for 20 years, just like DWBH. Show some mercy bro. :D
Since DWBH was there all those years, knew and experienced much or all of the same, rose up to a very high position knowing all those things for years; yet now gets exonerated from folks here at GS cafe, then we really should offer JAL the same courtesy don't you think? Its only fair.
Wordwolf I offer an answer to your attack of JAL "he knew for 20 years and did nothing" as follows: he was a kool-aid drinker for 20 years, just like DWBH. Show some mercy bro. :D
Since DWBH was there all those years, knew and experienced much or all of the same, rose up to a very high position knowing all those things for years; yet now gets exonerated from folks here at GS cafe, then we really should offer JAL the same courtesy don't you think? Its only fair.
See, Oldies,
I gave him the benefit of the doubt on that one for over a decade. However, his approach SINCE then has been rather selective.
DWBH's approach differs from JAL's in several ways. To name a few, DWBH found out LATE, and took action relatively quickly.
He focused DIRECTLY on helping Christians who were hurt by vpw and twi.
He's learned that twi-type moneymaking "ministries" are NOT the best way to help other Christians.
He has refrained from advertisements to the ex-twi community, and he's demonstrated he's SERIOUS about us thinking
This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands.
He was right at the center of that behavior. I watched it happen - even after CES was formed, I heard of this from friends who were involved in CES - and not bitter people - just people who thought everything was hunky dory.
Wordwolf I offer an answer to your attack of JAL "he knew for 20 years and did nothing" as follows: he was a kool-aid drinker for 20 years, just like DWBH. Show some mercy bro. :D
Since DWBH was there all those years, knew and experienced much or all of the same, rose up to a very high position knowing all those things for years; yet now gets exonerated from folks here at GS cafe, then we really should offer JAL the same courtesy don't you think? Its only fair.
I'll add to WW's answer that DWBH has not started a new ministry and has not gone trolling for rubes here at GSC. He's engaged in open dialogue. The differences in how they approach people are entirely different.
I still think jl is trolling for a new source of self-importance and his long lost identity..
the money and the kids, well.. isn't all that supposed to be a GIFT to support one "who labors in the WORD among us"?
or rather, one who doles out the vicster's stolen labors?
It's almost like he's terminally ill.. or something.. and looking over the last forty some years, and.. were they REALLY worth it? His life and organization in shambles.. he doesn't command the respect he once had.. apparently he has some respect left from Schoenheit.. it looks like he let him publish his rambling on their web page. The phone very likely does not ring for advice like it once did..
The sadness is probably unbearable. So he goes along with the fictional account that we had the greatest "package" since the first century..
that we had the greatest "conjunction of TRUTH" ever known in the old defunct organization..
He still reveres and calls vic "Doctor".. says a lot to me.
God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him.
This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you." The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time. The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics.
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice. I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way. Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else.
In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith.
Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ.
I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com.
In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him.
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
===================================
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===================================
[For those who have forgotten, JAL has claimed he was around 20 years in twi. After that, he wrote the previous letter.
Some 20 years after that-about as long as he was in twi, he's been out, and part of his own organization-
he has considered this letter the revision of the previous letter.
Having had 20 years to review his previous letter, what insights has he gained since then?
Has he gained a full perspective on what happened, on what motivated vpw, how he operated, why he did
what he did?]
Revised September 2007
Dearest brother/sister in Christ,
God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him.
This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you."
[still leading off with some flattery, I see. Well, that's the same as the old letter. 20 years hasn't changed this-
except to make the opening lengthier.]
The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time.
He's had 20 years to be exposed to Christians outside twi and outside his OWN organization, but his perspective, if anything,
is no LESS narrow-minded than it ever was. Everybody ELSE among us are well aware that the claim vpw made of "the Word as it has not been taught
since the first century" was full of hot air, and never approached what was demonstrated in twi.
Further, there are plenty of Christians who learned things we did NOT, and demonstrate more love and heart than ex-twi'ers do.
If JAL meant to say "only the doctrines that match what we heard" count-which is silly, but he seems to mean that-
is he totally ignorant that BG Leonard's ministry is still teaching and still going strong? The genuine of which vpw was the counterfeit?
Or is he aware of that and refusing to acknowledge it entirely?]
The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.
[ONE of the main problems was that vpw declared Christ was "absent", and set himself up as the Head of the Body in any practical sense.
ANOTHER was that "special knowledge" and "secret knowledge" took the place of God's Love. Knowledge puffs up- and in twi, that's exactly
what it does. JAL seems to have forgotten that, judging from this letter.
Oh, and, JAL, can the false modesty, with the "poor substitute" thing. If you thought you were THAT "poor", you wouldn't be making the
commercials for your group. Give us a little credit for seeing an attempt to snow us coming.]
I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics.
[We cut to the commercial a LOT sooner, this time around. Personally, I find that an improvement. Let's not pretend
this ISN'T a commercial.
Oh, and the assumption that they found ALL the error and deleted it is not only arrogant- it is WRONG.
Just in this letter ALONE we had errors that haven't been fixed in TWENTY YEARS.
Just because JAL has DIFFERENT doctrine from twi in some places does NOT mean they removed ALL the critical errors,
or that everything they removed was error.
Moreover, DIFFERENT does not guarantee BETTER- "different" includes the "Momentus" program that some people found useful, some people found
disastrous, and JAL QUIETLY promotes PRIVATELY but never speaks of PUBLICKLY.
"Different" also includes the "spiders-in-the-noses" business that JAL ALSO hasn't repudiated.
Also, JAL's clamped down on QUESTIONING and DISAGREEING with EITHER of those. (Probably more as well, but I know of these two
doctrines that have proven to be quite harmful to a number of people.)
20 years ago, he lauded the ability "to think, question and disagree."
In revising this letter, he's dropped that little detail- probably because those "thinking", "questioning" and "disagreeing" would
be thinking about HIS doctrine, questioning HIS doctrine, and disagreeing with HIS doctrine.
What a difference 20 years CAN make.]
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice.
[And sometimes wrong practice arrives all by itself.]
I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way.
[No he's not, unless everyone at the GSC is also "more aware than most".]
Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else.
[True. He's made it possible for us to work through what was needed, and find other Christians who can teach
us lessons about love and substance that are long overdue for twi survivors.
We also heal at the GSC.
(Does JAL ever give the GSC credit where it's due for helping there?]
In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
["You could chose to be a victim." Cute little "false dilemma" there. You can just dismiss the harm done in twi-
which, coincidentally, was also at the hands of many people who switched over to CES/STFI and retained MOST of the
doctrines they learned from the self-serving felon vpw, and claimed they dismissed ALL the harmful doctrines.
If you don't, you're "choosing to be a victim."
Cute quote-if one wants to SILENCE people.
So is "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
But, see, this fish was almost all bones, and much of what little meat WAS there, was spit out WITH the bones,
and then more bones from a DIFFERENT fish were added. (Some were from the Momentus fish, some were from the PP fish.)
I wouldn't bring all that up in the analogy, but HE was the one who wanted to replace DISCUSSION with PITHY SAYINGS.
Colossians 2:4 (KJV)
"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words."
Beguile: "paralogizomai", to use words that don't touch logic
There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith.
[Then again, lots of Christians survived twi, and aren't swelling the coffers of CES/STFI. What a shame that is!
JAL wants to sell the CES/STFI bony fish to those who lost their taste for bony fish after twi.
Although, in honesty, after the abuses of twi (which were delivered by JAL and others besides JUST vpw), I can understand why
some people don't want to claim being Christians, or associate with them. They were told all Christians EXCEPT OURS sucked,
and then they saw that OURS sucked as well. So, they concluded all Christians sucked. QED.
Oh, and JAL's still saying the other Christians suck, without using those words.
Scroll up-"nowhere else on earth", "as it has not been taught since the First Century".]
Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ.
I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com.
[We saw a REPEAT of the commercial. He must be SERIOUS about advertising his "product"-a lot MORESO than the previous version
of this letter. Shorter letter and TWO commercials.]
In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
[20 years later, he "honestly believes" that a man who lied about the voice of God, who took credit for the work of others
and claimed God gave it directly to him, who carefully arranged a ministry for God's people to satisfy his lusts for filthy lucre,
creature comforts, and raping innocent daughters of God "would be very proud" of what he's doing.
This is JAL's claim, not mine. He believes that he would have the endorsement of a corrupt subverter of God's people,
a human parasite who fed off God's people. Considering his practices have damaged numbers of people and exerted
leverage and control over them in God's name (Momentus and Personal Prophecy), perhaps vpw WOULD admire the results!
However, it still falls far short of vpw's "accomplishments" since he hasn't been raping the women.
Oh, and again, they found ALL the error, and eliminated it, and didn't add errors of their own.
JAL says so.]
Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him.
In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
Oddly Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist and didnt continue to support the marvels of slavery, nor the system that he came out of by changing a few commas and then acquiescing to its magnificence.
Douglass spit out the bones, the mercury, the poisoned fish, the bait, the fishing line, the fishing hole and the whole river and then fought tirelessly against the entire system.
maybe he should have had a "more positive approach" like John says, and gone back to that wonderful time <_< and just changed a few minor things here and there
Here's John's latest advertisement to the GSC and anyone else....
=======================================
=======================================
The Way, It Was - June 2008 letter by John Lynn
In the interest of truth, both small “t” (the facts about The Way International) and capital “T” (the Word of God it taught), I am compelled to propose why I think The Way International was (past tense), from a certain perspective, one of the most significant movements in the history of the Christian Church. I do so for the benefit of any graduate of the “Power For Abundant Living” class who still wants to live for the Lord and who may have been unduly discouraged, either by his/her own experience in The Way or by the ensuing barrage of negatives from other ex-Way saints about what was wrong with The Way.
Given that I was one of the top ministry leaders from 1967-1987, I speak with experiential knowledge. Furthermore, I have spent the past 21 years continuing to dig into the Word of God along with knowledgeable Christians, and, in the process, re-evaluating everything we were taught. I speak with great thankfulness for the truth I heard in The Way (hereinafter TWI), with no doubt that God led me to it, and then away from it. And though I left with some wounds, I also took with me the resources I had been given that enabled me to be healed from those wounds and help others do likewise.
I speak so that you can know “the rest of the story,” as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with “ex-Way vision.” In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI.
Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word. And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom.
Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered. I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young, energetic, enthused, biblically knowledgeable, logistically equipped, organizationally backed, diverse, multi-lingual, mobile, available, and committed-to-“It-is-written” men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word? Certainly not often in the past 2000 years. Thank God that many of these students of the Word became teachers themselves, and were thus able to recognize the errors that crept into TWI.
The Way. It was. What was it? First and foremost, it was, from about 1955-1987, the only place I know of where anyone could hear the amount of truth of the Word of God that we heard. Why? In large part because God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger, whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church.
The sad thing was that I, and many others, became too proud of our knowledge, and failed to couple it with enough of a humble, heartfelt desire to obey God and become like Jesus Christ. We became too arrogant toward other Christians, thinking that our study of truth somehow made us more “approved before God” than they. To a degree, we became more like hearers of the Word than doers, and often deceived our selves. BUT, the antidote to that is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, because without knowledge of truth, there can be little practice of it.
Why did God have a need for The Way International? Actually, He didn’t. But He did have a need for any group of people who would make known what, or close to what, the Apostle Paul taught once the whole of what we now read in the Church Epistles had been unfolded to him. Why was there such a need? Because true Christian doctrine had all but disappeared from the spectrum of Church history by the 4th century. It was then that the Roman Catholic Church began based upon a bunch of fables mixed with Christian verbiage, established a monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for more than a thousand years dominated the European religious landscape, killing countless dissenters and for the most part silencing the rest.
When Martin Luther came along (1517 was when he nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenburg), thank God he did recognize justification by faith rather than by works, but what we today refer to as the "Reformation" of the Roman Catholic Church was very limited in scope. Much of the Roman Catholic doctrine was assimilated into Protestantism and is still being passed along as Christian groups continue to split off from one another. In a nutshell, that is why even the independent church in your neighborhood today most probably believes that there is a Trinity, dead people are alive, God is in control of everything that happens, the Four Gospels are written to Christians, water baptism is relevant, and maybe even that the Bible is not absolute truth.
I don’t know where else we could have heard the “package” of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did. Let’s begin with what I mentioned about E.W. Bullinger’s contribution to TWI, which was HUGE, because his basic approach to Scripture is what facilitates one being able to discover its inherent keys and utilize them to derive the Author’s originally intended meaning.
TWI taught us to approach the Word with the “It is written” conviction that it is what it says it is, and that it cannot contradict itself. That alone is enough to at least identify error about the Bible, and the keys to the Word’s interpretation we were taught enabled us to understand it, take its truth into our hearts, and apply it on a daily basis.
Given that the identity of Jesus Christ is the world’s biggest deal, I would have to say that chief among the wonderful biblical truths we heard in TWI was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (not God), the Man who mediates between God and men, and that the Trinity is a pagan fable. Some ex-Way saints now say this distinction is not that important, but I assert that God thinks differently, given what He says in His Word (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3,4). Yes, TWI failed to teach us that we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, but there were not too many other places where we could have heard that Jesus is not the “eternally begotten” Second Person of the Trinity.
I’d have to say that the next most important biblical truth we heard in TWI was what we then called the “Mystery,” and, correspondingly, what parts of Scripture are written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to Christians regarding either the past, the present, or the future. For the record, we have since learned that “Sacred Secret” is a more accurate way of rendering the Greek, musterion.
Ephesians is the apex of the Church Epistles (the primary curriculum for Christian living), and it clearly shows that the Body of Christ (the “one new man” of Chapter 2, verse 15) is the most unique group of people who have ever lived, chiefly because of the permanence of our salvation and our holy spirit equipping. 1 Corinthians 2:8 chimes in with the monumental (and generally overlooked) truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified Jesus!
In terms of biblical error that is practically debilitating to one’s quality of life,
I see nothing more important than knowing what Scripture is written to whom, when, and in particular what is written to us as Christians today. The Church’s failure to understand this central truth has led to its trying to live in accordance with directives pertaining to other people at other times. It is only in the Church Epistles that a Christian finds his true identity “in Christ,” as well as his true Hope. Simply put, the Word of God will never fit together without contradiction if one does not understand the “administrations” therein, and in particular this current “administration of the Sacred Secret” (Eph. 3:9).
Yes, there are quite a few Christians who have a “Dispensational” view of Scripture, but the vast majority of them fail to grasp that Jesus is not God and that he did not know the Sacred Secret. Most think that parts of the Four Gospels and of the Book of Revelation speak of the Christian Church, but that is not the case. The Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s first coming to the earth to Israel (his suffering), and Revelation records the fulfillment of the prophecies about his second coming to the earth to Israel (his glory).
Another major truth we learned in TWI, which is unknown to most Christians, is that of the Giver and the gift, and, correspondingly, that speaking in tongues is available to all Christians because it is a manifestation of holy spirit, not a gift. We also learned the indispensable truth that speaking in tongues is the only absolute proof that one is saved. How many tens of thousands of people did those truths alone set free?
TWI also taught us that death is, in fact, the end of life, and that our true Hope for new life in the coming age is to be raised from the dead and meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the Tribulation (the “time of Jacob’s trouble” – Jer.30:7). What percentage of Christians do you think know this? Although TWI failed to teach us that Paradise (the new earth), not heaven, will be our everlasting home, thank God we learned that resurrection is much more than an incorporeal “soul” once again getting a body.
And TWI pointed us toward an understanding of the figures of speech in the Bible (thanks to Bullinger), of which little is known in theological circles. This included the figurative language in the Old Testament that helped us see that God is not responsible for evil or suffering, nor is He in control of everything that happens.
Like I, you may know of some ministries that do teach some of these truths, but I submit that until 1987 there was nowhere other than TWI to find all of them taught as accurately as they were there. That is why The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly significant Christian movement.
As far as I can see, TWI was also about the most disparate dichotomy of good and evil in the history of Christianity. Like the wheat and the tares growing up together, tremendous truth and egregious evil shared the ministry platform. Many people look back on their TWI experience with nothing but thankfulness, while others rue their free will choice to stay involved as long as they did because of the abuse they suffered. Some have been stymied by self-condemnation due to the abuses they themselves committed. No doubt there are also many who recognize that they heard the Word like they never had, who have allowed the Lord Jesus to heal any wounds they suffered in TWI, and who have since experienced spiritual growth far beyond what they ever imagined back in “the good old days.”
I hope you are in that last category, and if you’re not, you can be. Even if people badly abused and disappointed you, you can turn to the Lord Jesus, he who is The Way to wholeness in all categories of heart and life. His love and truth will heal your heart and help you forgive and move forward with him toward the same goal you once had. You have a ministry in the Body of Christ, and he who is the Head longs to help you fulfill that calling. It was neither your heavenly Father nor your Lord who hurt you, nor does whatever happened to you change anything the Word says. God’s promises are still true, and they are yours for the believing.
The Way, we were. If you once sat through PFAL, you heard the Word of God taught more accurately than the vast majority of Christians who have ever drawn breath. As a fellow PFAL grad, I identify with you, and have an affinity for you and a desire to encourage you to take advantage of the truth you once heard, if you are not already doing so. Along with me, you will one day stand before our precious Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward you according to how you have lived your life as a Christian. In essence, he will ask each of us something like this: “What did you do with what you knew?”
For a detailed list of biblical subjects I think TWI mishandled, click here.
If you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at jalces@aol.com
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
=============================
=============================
[And, again, with WordWolf's replies.]
[Here's JAL's latest letter. Again, he's pretending it won't be seen and discussed at the GSC.
And that he's not trying to insult the posters at the GSC.]
The Way, It Was - June 2008 letter by John Lynn
In the interest of truth, both small “t” (the facts about The Way International) and capital “T” (the Word of God it taught), I am compelled to propose why I think The Way International was (past tense), from a certain perspective, one of the most significant movements in the history of the Christian Church.
[Actually, twi was a SUBVERSION both of BG Leonard's ministry (having his materials so coldly stolen by vpw
was discouraging to Leonard, which is understandable) and a SUBVERSION of the Jesus People movement, since it had
them interest Christians in hearing- then swapped the Jesus People they were listening to (like H33fn3r and D**p)
for vpw and people he trained personally.
From that perspective, it HINDERED the Christian Church on two levels.
The one comfort is that, relatively speaking, the numbers of people who were affected (and some savaged) by twi were
miniscule. Across a 35 year period, less than 100,000 people took pfal worldwide. That's less than CURRENT numbers
of Christians in specific denominations in some major cities (including their metro areas.)]
I do so for the benefit of any graduate of the “Power For Abundant Living” class who still wants to live for the Lord and who may have been unduly discouraged, either by his/her own experience in The Way
[some were nearly destroyed by twi. A few WERE destroyed by twi. I think those who were will need more than a few slogans
to heal up, and they certainly are going to need counselors more competent than those whose claims to "trained" are
"I was trained in twi." They also will need approaches more compassionate and gentle than the 2 x 4 favored by Momentus grads
in general.]
or by the ensuing barrage of negatives from other ex-Way saints about what was wrong with The Way.
[That's one of those "barrages of negatives" JAL intends to refer to the GSC without saying the name. Naturally, he's never noticed
that some discussions have been neutral, others have been positive. From HIS perspective, the "negative" ones predominate, probably
because they interfere with him prostelytizing ex-twi. Hard to tell people vpw was a man to admire when all his felonies and disgusting
abuses of God's people are common knowledge.]
Given that I was one of the top ministry leaders from 1967-1987, I speak with experiential knowledge. Furthermore, I have spent the past 21 years continuing to dig into the Word of God along with knowledgeable Christians, and, in the process, re-evaluating everything we were taught. I speak with great thankfulness for the truth I heard in The Way (hereinafter TWI), with no doubt that God led me to it, and then away from it. And though I left with some wounds, I also took with me the resources I had been given that enabled me to be healed from those wounds and help others do likewise.
[Naturally, the methods for "healing" came from twi, the same twi that crushed Christians with dangerous doctrines and dangerous
practices...but the ones JAL wishes to retain are all 100% safe, of course.
Also of course, those who wish to be healed up from twi should go to JAL, and also retain most of the doctrines of the organization
they need healing from in the first place. To heal up elsewhere is NOT to be recommended.]
I speak so that you can know “the rest of the story,” as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with “ex-Way vision.” In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI.
[in short, if you want to know the truth of twi, you have to discard anything you heard at the GSC, and take your information
EXCLUSIVELY from JAL. All other former members, even former leaders, are not to be trusted. JAL's the SOLE exception,
and the only approach is a careful PRAISING of twi. Can't be a COMPLETE praising, since the conclusion has to be
"CES/STFI is the sole source of accurate Christianity", so praise must be qualified carefully.]
Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word.
[i'd go so far as to say that most ex-twi are STILL CHRISTIANS. They turned to God for healing, but they turned away from
twi and twi-style approaches. Of course, to those like JAL whose own "ex-Way vision" require he view EVERYTHING with the color-filters
provided by twi, to turn away from twi-style is to "turn away from God and His Word."
So, you can join CES/STFI, or you can be WRONG!]
And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom.
[Of course, CES/STFI should NEVER be seen has having "marginalized itself in Christendom."
Not even if there's spiders coming from people's noses.]
Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered.
[After 20 years of supposed investigating,
JAL STILL labors under the thoroughly-discredited, and throughly-discredited- fiction penned by, and spread by, vpw that vpw
was some great one, and unique in 2000 years of Christians. We've discussed it so often here. JAL has missed it completely,
even though HE's supposed to be superior in understanding Scripture and wants us to come to HIM for understanding.
If he could FAIL so miserably at something so SIMPLE to investigate- and had 20 years to find the answer-
why would any of us (except the delusional) think he could be trusted in DEEPER matters of Scripture?
I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young, energetic, enthused, biblically knowledgeable, logistically equipped, organizationally backed, diverse, multi-lingual, mobile, available, and committed-to-“It-is-written” men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word?
[One is supposing that ALL of those are actually TRUE, and not just how we WISH to have seen ourselves. After all,
none of us WANTS to see ourselves as having wasted time, or learned harmful doctrines, or especially HURT OTHERS
with harmful doctrines. An approach that embraces truth would admit, however, that those things happened, and suggest
a wary approach about repeating the same errors as in one's youth.
JAL's approach is an approach that embraces his twi experience, however, and the results are markedly different.]
Certainly not often in the past 2000 years. Thank God that many of these students of the Word became teachers themselves, and were thus able to recognize the errors that crept into TWI.
[using JAL himself as an example, however, that was only PARTLY successful.
He addressed some errors as errors, retained other errors, and added new errors, and suppressed open discussion
of doctrines that became the new dangerous doctrines.
Since his group is the sole source of doctrine, and dangerous doctrines of theirs are to be embraced,
I agree that it operates as a sort-of successor to twi.]
The Way. It was. What was it? First and foremost, it was, from about 1955-1987, the only place I know of where anyone could hear the amount of truth of the Word of God that we heard.
[JAL should get out more. He, apparently, has never even heard of BG Leonard, just to name ONE.
Is it stretching credibility to suppose that NOBODY ELSE taught accurately BESIDES Leonard?
I think it is. Leonard himself wasn't even acknowledged....]
Why? In large part because God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger, whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church.
[vpw cut corners, and saw nothing wrong with plagiarizing the work of others rather than doing his own.
He insisted on using the title "Doctor" when the place he got it from was unaccredited, rather than going to a
reputable theological institute for his doctorate.
Until Rosal!nd R!nk3r told him the Bible was God's Word, he had been a practicing minister WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS SO, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION.
(Flip through your copy of "The Way:Living in Love.")
vpw claimed God spoke to him about God Almighty teaching him His Word like it hadn't been known since the First Century, if he would teach
it to others. For the next 11 years, vpw's ministry coasted and none of this "teaching" business happened, neither from God nor any
other source. Then, vpw was ministered to by Stiles, and vpw took the contents of Stiles' book, retyped it, and claimed it was his own book.
vpw pushed his way into BG Leonard's class (again, by his own admission), and then taught Leonard's class (with the same contents) as HIS OWN.
Plagiarism, and stealing the credit from others, are not unique.
To this, after someone told vpw that Bullinger wrote like vpw taught (which must mean Bullinger was like Leonard and Stiles), vpw then added
the complete works of Bullinger. Sometimes he gave Bullinger credit (like using "How to Enjoy the Bible") and sometimes he didn't
(like the entire contents of Bullinger's book on the Holy Spirit, which vpw claimed was his own work.)
Let us not forget that JAL's assuming that Bullinger's mechanized, systematic approach-which DID result in Bullinger making MISTAKES,
like the "kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God" mistake- is all correct, and what God wanted, that God wanted a scholarly approach to
be the exemplar for Christians, whereas we were told a man should be found "FAITHFUL", not "SCHOLARLY".
Finally, if Bullinger's approach was so exemplary, why, then, did vpw renumber Bullinger's "dispensations" into "administrations"
with a change that made them make LESS SENSE?
This whole "since the first century Church" thing was a fiction from vpw. That anyone is still pushing it is a sad statement
on behalf of the person pushing it. Has he truly never read through the book of Acts?
There was no "scholarship", no concern about translations from Hebrew to Greek, no intellectual teachings.
They had RELATIONSHIPS-with each other, with God. They were concerned with LIVES, with LOVE, and the only money collected was
to feed poor Christians. They were decentralized. They were inclusionary- Jesus said anyone who wasn't against him was
for him. twi's approaches were the opposite of those of the first-century Church.
Further, the entire claim is silly to those who've put in a little look into history.
The first-century Christian church did not have Gutenberg's printing press. Until the 2nd century, copies of the books of the
New Testament were nearly nonexistent. So "the Word like they knew it in the first century" was the TORAH, the OLD TESTAMENT-
and "The Word" as existed IN THEIR HEARTS, not ON THEIR PAGES.
Knowledge puffs up, and God's Love BUILDS up. THEY BUILT up. vpw PUFFED up.]
The sad thing was that I, and many others, became too proud of our knowledge, and failed to couple it with enough of a humble, heartfelt desire to obey God and become like Jesus Christ. We became too arrogant toward other Christians, thinking that our study of truth somehow made us more “approved before God” than they.
[HEY!
If you're still claiming you "knew the Word like it hasn't been known since the first-century Church",
YOU ARE STILL TOO PROUD OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
If you're still claiming OTHER Christians don't have it, but your group does,
YOU ARE STILL TOO ARROGANT TOWARD OTHER CHRISTIANS.]
To a degree, we became more like hearers of the Word than doers, and often deceived our selves. BUT, the antidote to that is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, because without knowledge of truth, there can be little practice of it.
[i noticed this unhealthy obsession with analogies whenever it's time to put all things to the test, and hold fast
to what is true. The problem here is, what is JAL's "baby" in his analogy? If I were to say this expression,
I might mean "truth" no matter what, I may mean "God's People", I may mean "God's Love."
It appears that JAL's "baby" is "an organization that teaches the Bible and is above being questioned"-
because that's what he's spent the last 20 years retaining.
He may TALK of "truth", but that's not his obsession...]
Why did God have a need for The Way International? Actually, He didn’t.
[i agree!
God is Almighty. He doesn't NEED any of us. He gives us the pleasure in sharing many tasks with us.
He didn't, and doesn't, NEED any group of people.]
But He did have a need for any group of people who would make known what, or close to what, the Apostle Paul taught once the whole of what we now read in the Church Epistles had been unfolded to him. Why was there such a need? Because true Christian doctrine had all but disappeared from the spectrum of Church history by the 4th century.
[JAL hasn't done ANY more reading on Church history beyond what's in "Jesus Christ is Not God", apparently.
Among MOST Christians, knowledge BEYOND this is considered EASY TO FIND.
There's even information on the internet-he wouldn't even need to go to a library or bookstore for some of it.
If it REALLY had all disappeared, there would have been nothing for us to find in the 20th century.]
It was then that the Roman Catholic Church began based upon a bunch of fables mixed with Christian verbiage, established a monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for more than a thousand years dominated the European religious landscape, killing countless dissenters and for the most part silencing the rest.
[We agree that establishing monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchies and suppressing dissenters is bad.
Why, then, does one of us embrace it when vpw does it?]
When Martin Luther came along (1517 was when he nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenburg), thank God he did recognize justification by faith rather than by works, but what we today refer to as the "Reformation" of the Roman Catholic Church was very limited in scope.
[if the doctrine-and the Scripture- was all obliterated in the 4th Century, why, then, was Luther able to FIND "justification by faith" at all?
If the Roman Catholic Church hadn't PRESERVED GOD'S WORD by having monks painstakingly hand-copy it in the centuries before
Gutenberg's printing press, there would have been nothing for Luther TO find. Once the printing press was invented, the stage was set for
an explosion of Bible reading, which resulted in an explosion of Bible discussion and understanding.]
Much of the Roman Catholic doctrine was assimilated into Protestantism and is still being passed along as Christian groups continue to split off from one another. In a nutshell, that is why even the independent church in your neighborhood today most probably believes that there is a Trinity, dead people are alive, God is in control of everything that happens, the Four Gospels are written to Christians, water baptism is relevant, and maybe even that the Bible is not absolute truth.
A) A lot of Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God, no matter what their group teaches.
I've spoken to Catholics who do.
B) Lots of Christians believe the dead are dead.
C) God IS sovereign over all- but, as we know, things in the short-term are allowed to proceed without direct control by Him.
Many Christians have no problem understanding this, and there's books about why there's suffering.
D) That which was written before the Epistles was "for our learning". The Gospels address the time before Pentecost,
but are written TO Christians-the Gospels were written AFTER the Epistles. Don't confuse their order in the book with their
order of writing. Even vpw said Thessalonians was the first Epistle written, but the last one in the order in the book.
E) Many Christians consider water baptism to be a SYMBOL. Symbols ARE RELEVANT.
F) So-called "higher-criticism" is taught in some academic circles, but rarely in churches. I'm sure you can find a church
SOMEWHERE that teaches it, but most churches do NOT.
In the past 20 years, JAL hasn't learned that other Christians are not all uniformly a bunch of idiots. He's not gone beyond
the self-serving claims of vpw, who insisted that to leave his group was to leave any hope of knowing the truth.
In fact, JAL's promulgating that HIS group is now the sole source of truth on earth.]
I don’t know where else we could have heard the “package” of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did. Let’s begin with what I mentioned about E.W. Bullinger’s contribution to TWI, which was HUGE, because his basic approach to Scripture is what facilitates one being able to discover its inherent keys and utilize them to derive the Author’s originally intended meaning.
TWI taught us to approach the Word with the “It is written” conviction that it is what it says it is, and that it cannot contradict itself. That alone is enough to at least identify error about the Bible, and the keys to the Word’s interpretation we were taught enabled us to understand it, take its truth into our hearts, and apply it on a daily basis.
[And yet, supposed mastery of these principles provided NO protection from embracing Momentus as something EVERY Christian
should take, and the bizarre "personal prophecy" doctrine that was a major scandal in CES/STFI.
The supposed unenlightened Christians out there didn't make those mistakes....]
Given that the identity of Jesus Christ is the world’s biggest deal, I would have to say that chief among the wonderful biblical truths we heard in TWI was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (not God), the Man who mediates between God and men, and that the Trinity is a pagan fable. Some ex-Way saints now say this distinction is not that important, but I assert that God thinks differently, given what He says in His Word (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3,4).
[Must be why he spent whole chapters of Scripture explaining it in clear, unambiguous terms.
What? He didn't?
Then, he must surely have stated that salvation is dependent upon this.
What? He didn't?
Then, perhaps God doesn't think this distinction is that important.
I assert that matters that are critical, are made clear BY God, and don't require specialized study.
God gives light to the simple.]
Yes, TWI failed to teach us that we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, but there were not too many other places where we could have heard that Jesus is not the “eternally begotten” Second Person of the Trinity.
[There were a number, actually. If one is set on making that the doctrinal make-or-break.]
I’d have to say that the next most important biblical truth we heard in TWI was what we then called the “Mystery,” and, correspondingly, what parts of Scripture are written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to Christians regarding either the past, the present, or the future. For the record, we have since learned that “Sacred Secret” is a more accurate way of rendering the Greek, musterion.
Ephesians is the apex of the Church Epistles (the primary curriculum for Christian living), and it clearly shows that the Body of Christ (the “one new man” of Chapter 2, verse 15) is the most unique group of people who have ever lived, chiefly because of the permanence of our salvation and our holy spirit equipping. 1 Corinthians 2:8 chimes in with the monumental (and generally overlooked) truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified Jesus!
[i reject the claim that any ONE Epistle is greater than the others. Romans explains the path of salvation.
Thessalonians explains the hope of Christ's return.
Without those subjects, Ephesians doesn't matter much.
Furthermore, since JAL took vpw's word that the Gospels are not written to Christians at all,
I question just how accurate OR useful the distinctions are between "to whom." Few Christians read the Old Testament and claim it's of equal
relevance to Christians as the New Testament-all of which was written after Pentecost, and is thus written TO us,
no matter what vpw said.]
In terms of biblical error that is practically debilitating to one’s quality of life,
I see nothing more important than knowing what Scripture is written to whom, when, and in particular what is written to us as Christians today. The Church’s failure to understand this central truth has led to its trying to live in accordance with directives pertaining to other people at other times. It is only in the Church Epistles that a Christian finds his true identity “in Christ,” as well as his true Hope. Simply put, the Word of God will never fit together without contradiction if one does not understand the “administrations” therein, and in particular this current “administration of the Sacred Secret” (Eph. 3:9).
Yes, there are quite a few Christians who have a “Dispensational” view of Scripture, but the vast majority of them fail to grasp that Jesus is not God and that he did not know the Sacred Secret.
[Nothing like making an arbitrary distinction between YOUR group and other Christians to define the
line between "us" and "them", and make "them" a bunch of idiots.]
Most think that parts of the Four Gospels and of the Book of Revelation speak of the Christian Church, but that is not the case. The Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s first coming to the earth to Israel (his suffering), and Revelation records the fulfillment of the prophecies about his second coming to the earth to Israel (his glory).
[i haven't heard Christians claiming these errors JAL is claiming they do, and, apparently, I interact with them in a meaningful
way a LOT more than he does.]
Another major truth we learned in TWI, which is unknown to most Christians, is that of the Giver and the gift, and, correspondingly, that speaking in tongues is available to all Christians because it is a manifestation of holy spirit, not a gift. We also learned the indispensable truth that speaking in tongues is the only absolute proof that one is saved. How many tens of thousands of people did those truths alone set free?
[if that was the make-or-break, surely God Almighty is not so impotent that all the Christians between 99AD and 1941
would have been left in darkness, and nearly all those in the 20th century likewise.
As for the manifestation of holy spirit, there's a spectrum of Christian beliefs concerning this.
"Charismatic" Christians put this into practice to varying degrees.
Also, it's obvious Stiles and Leonard understood this subject better than vpw, if you bother to look into them.]
TWI also taught us that death is, in fact, the end of life, and that our true Hope for new life in the coming age is to be raised from the dead and meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the Tribulation (the “time of Jacob’s trouble” – Jer.30:7). What percentage of Christians do you think know this?
[More than 1%, certainly, which would not be the case if it was a twi exclusive.
twi's taught this one, and the non-Trinity, to a tiny fraction of people in comparison to, say, who the Watchtower Society has taught either.]
Although TWI failed to teach us that Paradise (the new earth), not heaven, will be our everlasting home, thank God we learned that resurrection is much more than an incorporeal “soul” once again getting a body.
And TWI pointed us toward an understanding of the figures of speech in the Bible (thanks to Bullinger), of which little is known in theological circles.
[Depends on the figure of speech. Most common figures are evident to a casual read-simile, metaphor....]
This included the figurative language in the Old Testament that helped us see that God is not responsible for evil or suffering, nor is He in control of everything that happens.
[Yet God is sovereign, which IS the main point.]
Like I, you may know of some ministries that do teach some of these truths, but I submit that until 1987 there was nowhere other than TWI to find all of them taught as accurately as they were there. That is why The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly significant Christian movement.
[Perhaps.
On the other hand, where else outside of twi would you have found a supposed Christian organization where its founder claimed
to have heard from God when he didn't, where he funnelled the money for his creature comforts and his vices,
where the progress of genuine Christians (Leonard, the Jesus People) was STRANGLED to strengthen the organization,
where its founder required leadership candidates to write a biography which was then used to help select which of them
he was going to rape or molest, or where he implied all his doctrines came directly from God while some of them
came from conspiracy/rumor mills? All while claiming everyone else walked in error?
In all this, The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly corrupted Christian movement.
It takes a backseat to the Branch Davidians, but it also damaged more people than Koresh's group did.
Harsh? Well, you were the one who wanted to compare twi to other Christians...
I think few Christians would be willing to accept a group doing that to anyone in exchange for a greater understanding
of the Bible- presuming twi had a greater understanding of the Bible. And most Christians love God and would accept
knowing Him better. I think they consider God's Love more important than God's Knowledge.
I think they're right, too.]
As far as I can see, TWI was also about the most disparate dichotomy of good and evil in the history of Christianity. Like the wheat and the tares growing up together, tremendous truth and egregious evil shared the ministry platform.
[i agree about the "egregious evil."
I assert that the "tremendous truth" position was largely a matter of "believing one's own press releases", and that this was
an unrealistic position, relying only on the constant repetition in twi that it contained "tremendous truth."
Many FELT like they had "tremendous truth." I certainly did- but I was young and naive. I have learned things in the
past 20 years about God Almighty and about my fellow Christians, and I feel no need to attempt to
"continue to wear the footsie pajamas" of twi doctrine when I can "put on the jacket-and-tie" of God's Love
and mature Christianity.)
(Hey, if JAL can make silly analogies about bathtubs and plates of food, I can make ones about wardrobe.)]
Many people look back on their TWI experience with nothing but thankfulness, while others rue their free will choice to stay involved as long as they did because of the abuse they suffered. Some have been stymied by self-condemnation due to the abuses they themselves committed.
[And some live in utter denial that they inadvertently took part in things that hurt others,
and some KNOW they did INTENTIONALLY and refuse to face it.]
No doubt there are also many who recognize that they heard the Word like they never had, who have allowed the Lord Jesus to heal any wounds they suffered in TWI, and who have since experienced spiritual growth far beyond what they ever imagined back in “the good old days.”
[And many more recognize that vpw and twi was overblown and didn't match its hype, but think we learned SOME accurate
things, went on to Jesus healing us, maturing in our understanding, and grew once we were free of the mental straitjacket
of the twi paradigm. Many of us who can say that have posted, or currently post, at the GSC.]
I hope you are in that last category, and if you’re not, you can be. Even if people badly abused and disappointed you, you can turn to the Lord Jesus, he who is The Way to wholeness in all categories of heart and life. His love and truth will heal your heart and help you forgive and move forward with him toward the same goal you once had. You have a ministry in the Body of Christ, and he who is the Head longs to help you fulfill that calling. It was neither your heavenly Father nor your Lord who hurt you, nor does whatever happened to you change anything the Word says. God’s promises are still true, and they are yours for the believing.
The Way, we were. If you once sat through PFAL, you heard the Word of God taught more accurately than the vast majority of Christians who have ever drawn breath.
[if you keep telling yourself that over and over, and hide from all the evidence otherwise,
you can spend the rest of your life believing that piece of fiction, that rural myth.
If you can't live without embracing a lie, it's not that unbearable.
Many of us would rather suffer the consequences of seeing and accepting the unvarnished truth,
no matter how ugly the truth is, and no matter how pretty the lies are.
Take your pick.]
As a fellow PFAL grad, I identify with you, and have an affinity for you and a desire to encourage you to take advantage of the truth you once heard, if you are not already doing so. Along with me, you will one day stand before our precious Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward you according to how you have lived your life as a Christian. In essence, he will ask each of us something like this: “What did you do with what you knew?”
[Jesus' question will be dependent upon our intellectual knowledge?
Chapter and verse, please.]
For a detailed list of biblical subjects I think TWI mishandled, click here.
If you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at jalces@aol.com
[Lest we forget, here's the commercial one last time....]
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
Oddly Frederick Douglass was an abolitionist and didnt continue to support the marvels of slavery, nor the system that he came out of by changing a few commas and then acquiescing to its magnificence.
Douglass spit out the bones, the mercury, the poisoned fish, the bait, the fishing line, the fishing hole and the whole river and then fought tirelessly against the entire system.
maybe he should have had a "more positive approach" like John says, and gone back to that wonderful time <_< and just changed a few minor things here and there
Indeed, it would appear he was a great man who shunned finger-pointing victim mentality by accepting personal responsibility for the outcome of his destiny. A real winning attitude!
"Find out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."
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geisha779
The letter of Assumptions--by St. John the divine of Indiana This is what happens when people isolate themselves from the Christian community at large. No accountibility. John, get out there and mee
geisha779
Word Wolf--That. . . was. . . an. . . AWESOME read!! Thank-you for that effort. Astute very astute!
now I see
Two verses come to mind, "a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump", and "Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought".
I agree with LZ too, JAL rolled from one "leadership" legacy to another, if the lump has been thoroughly leavened, how are you gonna separate the fish from the bones?
John also failes to give credit to BG Leonard who is the real one who put PFAL together, if God worked in anyone it would have been him, not the repackager, vp. If what was in that class was really the truth, wouldn't the one who God originally inspired (BG Leonard) be the spiritual one, not the theif who presented it as his own and used it as a cash cow marketing plan? Why laud vp as the spiritual one? He just regurgitated what others did and lied about it being from himself. How is it people like John refuse to acknowledge this? Does he not admit to the plagierism? Whom is fooling whom now?
John also knows the truth regarding vp overtaking the Way East and the Way West, he knows vp also hijacked those ministries, the outreach never came from vp, it always came from others, in spite of vp. VP will have to answer to God for that one.
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Shellon
I have no opinion about Johns letter, now or the first one.
I am curious that he referred to The Way International through out the letter as the shortened TWI version.
I don't know.........just strange to me
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T-Bone
Excerpts from John Lynn's June 2008 letter are in bold blue and key words in red:
This hits me as the typical spin control used by TWI leadership that always painted up the media and "other Christians" [i.e. anyone who claims to be a Christian but is not in TWI] as the enemy, sowing disinformation. After all, everyone is wrong and he is right. And as for what's coming out of the mouths of "disgruntled former followers" – he suggests we need his powers of discernment to determine what's true or false. No thanks – I'll do my own thinking.
He says he wants to present a better redemptive view of TWI – suggesting what he has to offer will offset the bad stuff. After reading, not only the whole letter of June 2008 [thanks BFH for posting the link], but also the detailed list of 26 topics that he said TWI mishandled and his March 1988 letter – I believe Lynn would have clung to the ever listing deck of the Titanic saying no problem…a minor setback…this is a great ship…we can patch things up.
Perhaps the following paragraph indicates how entrenched he still is in the TWI mindset and that he's still committed to maintaining a grand delusion.
The big whopper of an assumption in the above statement is that TWI was following God and His Word in the first place. The founding president vp was a prolific plagiarist, egotistical, delusional, drunken sexual predator…and sociopath to boot. TWI was nothing more than an organization based on the personality of vp. Folks' understanding of God and the Bible were based on the doctrines and mannerisms they absorbed from vp.
The following portion of his letter – I think is the thing that drives Lynn to salvage the essence of TWI or feeds his hope that there's something able to compensate for any defects:
I said this on the Who is John Lynn? thread – Lynn thinks he's the greatest salesman in the world today. And what he's selling is the same old delusions of grandeur that vp had. And if you want to cherish the sappy idea of God leading vp to Bullinger's stuff – well, then maybe vp should have been a Bullinger book salesman. But I guess that wouldn't have satisfied his taste for power or sexual appetite.
TWI had a mass-market approach with the PFAL class – there were enough benefits of the class listed on the back of the Green Card to appeal to just about anyone. PFAL was THE "package" – a ready-made belief system with a cookie-cutter process for homogenizing thousands of young men and women into walking-talking-PFAL-selling-machines.
That's about all I want to say on this. I've spent way too much time already on a delusional salesman.
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now I see
How come I feel proselytized after reading his letter?
I wouldn't be surprised if it was penned just for the Greasespot community's benefit as an wierwille apologist's rebuttle. It is too bad he will not allow for an open discussion here on this forum, and has resorted to a rather one sided diatribe.
It's also interesting that God gets very little credit in his letter, most of the credit is given to men, vp and Bullinger, and to the twi organization itself....
His beliefs concerning the rightness of twi teachings border on being offensive, he is hopelessly, and obliviously locked into the twi doctrinal treadmill repeating and believing the same errors over and over again, ad infinitum, with the arrogant assumption that it is us who are not in tune with God.
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oldiesman
I again read the list of differences with twi, and what caught my attention, again, was how many of the items on that list has been discussed and complained about here on GS Cafe! Good changes, positive changes for the better. Yet Lynn still gets slammed and disparaged. This proves to me one thing: that no matter how many changes are made, there will be endless criticisms, endless condemnation, endless complaining about something. It occurs to me that change will never be enough for those with an ax to grind. They want to use that ax. I would imagine that even if twi itself made these changes, the relentless attack machine wouldn't miss a beat. This attack machine is a form of godliness that I find repulsive. JAL is a brother in Christ, I wish him well always.
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anotherDan
In retrospect, I don't think the Way Ministry did very much right, but there were ideas out there that attracted me, and still seem attractive to me. For example, "letting" the Word "speak for itself." It's clear to me that the Ministry didn't do that very well, but it was a "principle" to which they supposedly held. In subsequent years, I've found that others have really done quite a good job of that, and progressively arrived at an astonishingly accurate view of a 2000 year old collection of documents -- the New Testament. Erasmus, the KJV translators, Wescott and Hort, F.F. Bruce, Bruce M. Metzger -- from a textual standpoint, these folks did some serious and successful work. Alongside them, theorists/theologians like Barth and Bonhoeffer, Pascal, Kierkegaard, etc continued to ask questions of the texts, sometimes better questions than had been asked since the first century. Current theologian N.T. Wright and others have re-thought the post-Reformation and postmodern attitudes toward the scriptures, and I think have truly made some progress in literally understanding the Word more precisely than it had been known since the First Century (As VPW was wont to say).
Good points, above about the Gnostic angle of the Way Ministry, though, and LindaZ's comments, as usual, strike a chord with me. The scriptures are indeed themselves living and powerful. "Biblical Research," while wonderful, is not every believer's calling. We take "search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life" as a mandate -- a universal principle for all believers. We do this apparently without recognizing whom Jesus was addressing. The shepherds were not biblical researchers, neither were Joseph and Mary, but they saw "the Word" pretty clearly in the manger that day!
I agree with the many voices that conclude that John still has his head in the sand (where the sun also does not shine). My emotional response to CES, and John's periodic attempts to do something godly with his life, is often one of sympathy. They do seem to be stuck in a marketing model, and darnit, the product is not that good. But I appreciate the effort, and often identify with John's struggle to make sense of the Word and to practically apply it. He's a gifted, intelligent, and caring person, who has stumbled and fell, like we all have. He still hasn't got it all figured out, just like all of us. He was hoodwinked by brokencistern thinking, and I think, as others have expressed here, that there are still very important areas that John simply hasn't acknowledged sufficiently to be free of the consequences of that thinking. One of them is the man-of-God ideas promulgated by the Ministry. He's tried to break some of the molds, and he has in some cases, but no way will you see me lining up for a class or buying any books or other "educational materials."
Mark's comments about dispensationalism are spot on, IMO. I've posted before along those lines. Thanks Mark.
The Way was a rotten tree, but the analogy is not so simple. There were wonderful godly souls connected with the Way. We (I dare to include myself... let others judge) were not "fruit" of the Way Tree, we were the fruit of what God did in Christ, what God did in our lives. We participated in a failed experiment in Christian living, the leaders of which expounded one thing and did another -- not too different than Jesus' day, when he told his followers to obey those funky spiritual leaders, but not to do what they did. The Way Corps site has a marvelous collection of these souls.... and some folks like John, who still feel the Way tree was a good tree, maybe with a couple of bad apples on it. From the blogs and comments, it seems to me that many have matured under God's loving care, and have the authentic fruit as proof of that.
What was good, even in the old days of TWM was the love of God that the Holy Spirit shed abroad in our hearts at times, despite the rot at the root of the tree. God has hewn that tree down / plucked it up by the roots. But He has not forsaken His children in the least. Chastise them, He does.
Here are some other good things; "fish" and not "bones."
Jesus Christ is the Way.
The scriptures should be held in high regard.
Love is the fulfilling of the Law.
Service / obedience to God / labor in the Lord is never in vain. The greatest leader is the greatest servant.
These things were taught, but all too often they were not practiced by the teachers. There are plenty of other rotten-rooted "ministries" and "teachers" out there, today. Sometimes those who join them are truly blessed in spite of the leaders, but ultimately, poison is poison. Growing up spiritually as an adult is just as hard as it was growing up in high school. Truth is as relentless a teacher as Reality. (i.e., you are not the center of the universe, and yet, you are the apple of God's eye.)
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doojable
OM - I think the main thing to consider is that if you take a tiger and paint over 26 of it's stripes, you still have a tiger with a few stripes missing and not a kitty-cat.
The core of the thing is still the same, as is evidenced in JAL's letter. There is still an underlying arrogance that claims to "have it all." This idea of a "package" stings of a marketing tool. I've heard it before.
You have to ask yourself about the timing of the thing and the words that are used. I think JAL wanted this letter to find it's way to GSC. I think he counted on it. (Which, if true would mean that once again he used people to do the work for him instead of posting here himself.) I believe it's his way of getting his message out and he's using any means possible. Afterall, not only was the podcast "Cutting Through the Fog" aired recently, V2P2 is on the rise in the house of WC2...
I still have to ask myself, "Why would JAL want to mobilize those who were involved with TWI. Why not look for "young, fresh blood"? Why go after a group of people now entering their retirement years?" After all, CES/STFI is approximately 20 years old now. They should have grown far beyond the need to troll for more marks... err... people from a dead and corrupt cult machine.
I'll let that question settle in a bit - my own answer is admittedly not very kind.
Oh, and wishing him well doesn't have to be exclusive to calling him on being dishonest.
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waysider
Think of it as a marketing campaign with a carefully targeted customer base.
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Rejoice
JAL has always been a master of jabber. It can be used as smoke and mirrors to confuse rather than clarify. Rhino's explanation of dichotomy and disparate shows how JAL is now he's confusing himself.
Most of these guys at the top have only had "indepth" teaching of the word from TWI. I don't think any of them have ever invested a full year of seminary study [except MG, and he's been rightfully deposed] in any other Christian theological work, so how do they really know that their "keys to bibilical research" are even accurate.
They don't have any comparison from which to make an honest assumption. All they know is what VPW told them that Bullinger or Styles or Leonard, or the Evangelical movement said.
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tonto
Here dooj, allow me:
Why? I'll tell you why. :D
Maybe, just maybe, he remembered the old ministry campaign to "remember the Way in your will". A significant number of the members of "this group of people now entering retirement years" are/should be making wills and getting their affairs in order. I can't imagine anyone leaving anything to twi, but there are probably those who could be convinced to remember one of the many "other ways" (offshoots) in their wills.
Like I said before...trolling for rubes.
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socks
You make a valid point Oldies Man, there are some differences of substance noted. And it may be that John's interest is simply wishing the best for those he knew and loved. In fact, I don't doubt that's what he'd want for any individual, on face value.
The line that sticks out is that "until" 1987, PFAL was the best source for the largest amount of "truth" available. What happened in 1987?
John and others left the Way and started other endeavors like CES, or whatever it's called now. So there was then another place, places, where it could be had. If not better, a work in progress, I suppose. That seems to be his point.
I can't completely fault John's sources, the means by which he chooses to continue to learn and fellowship. Those are of his choosing. Free country, all of that.
But points like the ones about Bullinger don't sound right - to me. The methods that Bullinger presents may work for some, but clearly don't work practically for everyone and that approach to reading and studying the bible often bogs individuals down in minutiae - tiny little points of so-called "light" that send people off on tangents. The study requires detailed, minute work but the range of vision, of purpose should always remain on the "big picture", the pursuit of a simply day-to-day living relationship with God and Christ, and each other.
Knowledge isn't bad. Effort is good and necessary. Study is profitable. But John's words speak to a group of people, "ex-TWI", who were largely built around a "movement" who's activities required detailed and minute knowledge and understanding of the "rightly divided" bible and activities designed to "spread the Word".
My take - a "new" form or pastoring is desirable, which is really an "old" form, one that places the emphasis on the simplest values of a Christian faith and not endless drilling and adherence to "new" rightly divided or "corrected" teachings and Flavors-of-the-year doctrinal pushes - one that goes to bringing people one on one to Christ, through simple day to day help, the stuff people need that betters people's lives and leads to their own relationship with God and Christ, and enjoying that to whatever degree, with others.
I don't know STFI, CES or whatever from personal experience, so they may say "but that's what we're doing!" I don't think their examples really support that but there's probably some good there by the look of it, people who would say so. But time goes on, and that's the benefit of a work in progress I guess - there's always room for improvement. Our own "fruit" can take awhile to hatch, some a lifetime, hey? :)
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WordWolf
[Well, I would take this up with JAL publickly.
However, he's decided that he will not engage in dialogues on anything.
He will, however, make periodic proclamations which are not open to discussion on his website.
Since we discuss matters openly here, I will do so.
I'm starting with his first letter.
Here's the contents:]
==============
http://www.christianeducational.org/monthl.../misc/index.htm
John Lynn's Letter to Way Believers
March 30, 1988
A current Letter from John Lynn
Dearest Way Believer:
God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love?
I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you.
I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them.
On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason.
Despite The Way leadership' s attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil.
In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically.
We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes.
We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped.
What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh?
You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again.
Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None.
This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God.
First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so.
Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it.
Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe."
Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you.
We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen.
Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable.
Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true.
Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say.
This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly?
If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women.
I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned.
Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area.
What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do.
Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to.
Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt.
The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon."
As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren.
I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you.
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
===================================
===================================
[Here's the same letter, with commentary from me.]
================================
[Although hindsight is 20/20, and I was willing to view this letter lightly, knowing how we ALL were so mistaken, there's 3 reasons I'm
using more discrimination here.
1) JAL fundamentally holds the same opinions, 20 years later.
2) As was underscored recently, JAL had a LOT more insider knowledge than the rest of us, at the time of the writing of this letter.
3) JAL's made a point of closing off open discussion of this subject- first by the closing of the CES messageboards
(which, in fairness, was not, as far as I know, entirely HIS decision), second, by posting about it briefly on the GSC-
specifically, to say he won't be posting about this and discussing it,
and third, by only speaking on this when he controls the medium-
and tossing in INSULTS to those who might disagree with him.
Respectfully disagreeing with a brother in Christ seems to not be an option-when JAL is in charge.
So, I will give my impressions of this letter.]
http://www.christianeducational.org/monthl.../misc/index.htm
John Lynn's Letter to Way Believers
March 30, 1988
A current Letter from John Lynn
Dearest Way Believer:
God bless your wonderful heart super-abundantly in the precious and powerful name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.
I love you very much, and I love God and His Word also. I know that you too love God and want to do His will. Thus I am writing you this letter, which I pray will speak to your heart. Remember, you have within you "the spirit of truth," and I believe it will confirm to you that what I say, though perhaps not all pleasant, is true. And it is the truth that makes us free. This is not an easy letter to write, but what else can I do but speak the truth in love?
[First, pump people up with lots of really inflated talk. If you want to get people to prejudge what you will say in a positive way,
get them to feel good, and to WANT to agree with you. So, first, you compliment them and say lots of things about how much you love God.
That way, when what you say later doesn't match, they will go with their FIRST impression, and hopefully ignore what came later.
It worked for vpw, and it could work for any other Christian who cares more about titles, money and things than people.]
I would guess that as a Way believer you probably recognize my name. During nearly 20 years of working for The Way, I was privileged to serve in just about every capacity except Trustee and Trunk Coordinator. I wrote three books that you may have read. Via these and thousands of live and tape teachings, it was my privilege to interact with tens of thousands of fabulous people like you.
I basically "got in on the ground floor" in 1967 and was near "the top" all along. This afforded me many, many personal encounters with all the original and current Trustees and other top leadership. I was a loyal employee and worked hard to teach and serve God's people. I certainly made my share of mistakes, but I always tried to treat all believers kindly and believe in them.
[JAL was an insider. He was around for the entire buildup of members, saw vpw push out St3v3 H33fn3r and J1m D**p, saw vpw centralize his authority
by training people to do what he wanted in the way corps, saw vpw scream at people for little or no reason-as documented inadvertently by lcm
in his book, "VP and Me", saw vpw set up a separate set of teachings that allowed those at the top to use others for sex and teach that it
was to be kept secret, saw vpw set up a cadre of people to find young women to use for sex, to arrange for vpw to meet with them privately,
and to monitor them after vpw used them for sex to make sure they wouldn't tell others-and destroy them if they DID look like they would
tell others.
JAL was either COMPLICIT in all these things knowing they were wrong,
or he was around when all this happened, saw it then, and was unable to judge any of it as WRONG when it happened.
Either way, his testimony is compromised by this.
Notice the timing- he's ready to call bad things "bad"-but only when others are speaking up.
Was it less "wrong" when someone didn't announce "this is wrong"?]
On April 1, 1987, I was fired by the Board of Trustees from my position as Limb Coordinator of The Way of Washington, D.C. Why? That's a good question, and one I asked Howard Allen that day. He refused to give me a reason.
Despite The Way leadership's attempt to cover up, it's no secret to most followers of The Way that there are major problems. Many have been aware of them long before April 1986 when Chris Geer first read "The Passing of a Patriarch" and publicly exposed some things. Yet even that did not begin to expose the root of the evil.
[Actually, other than "there's problems", "the Passing of the Patriarch" exposed NOTHING except some odd opinions.
vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore- or cg made up that vpw was bitter he wasn't being fawned over anymore.
The ACTUAL problems were never addressed-
possibly because they were instigated by vpw himself, and cg was complicit in them.
He's expecting us to accept this-and he's had over a year to evaluate this and so on.
And this was his JOB at the time- he wasn't working fulltime and looking at this after work- he was a "full-time minister"
of twi, and had lots of time to look all this over.
Did he completely miss that it didn't actually "expose" anything,
or was he fully aware it did NOT, and was he using the name to INTENTIONALLY DECEIVE?
It's one or the other....]
In February of 1987, in conjunction with Ralph Dubofsky, Tom Reahard, Robert Belt and my wife Pat, I participated in writing a 37-page letter that we sent first to the Trustees. In it we confronted them with God's Word as to where they were in error, and called for a meeting of leadership to get out in the open and resolve them biblically.
We gave the Trustees ten days to respond, which they did not. Then we went "to the church," sending out about 500 copies to as many leaders and believers whose addresses we had. Since then we have continued to send them out, along with other pertinent and enlightening literature and tapes.
We mailed the letter to the Trustees February 26, and they did not respond until March 30, when Craig and Howard called me and asked me if I had heard Chris Geer's tape of March 25 to all The Way Corps, and if I still thought they were in error. Of course I did, because they had not specifically handled from the Word even one issue we brought up, and to this day they have still not done so. That was the whole conversation, and two days later Howard came and fired me, refusing to tell me why. I have a transcript of that conversation, which was taped.
What was Chris Geer's tape about? Besides accusing all the USA Way Corps of being "at enmity with God," he condemned our letter and us. How many Bible verses did he read? None. How many specific issues did he handle from the Word? None. Where was our letter biblically wrong? He didn't say. He did say that he had told the Trustees they were "the most qualified men on the face of the earth to handle the responsibilities that God had called them to," and that "the only exception is that they haven't yet turned back to the one True God." Huh?
[As we now all know, (almost all of us, anyway), the Trustees were completely in error, and were complicit in, and active participants in,
activities both condemned by the Bible and considered FELONIES by the laws in the United States of America.
As we now all know (almost all of us, anyway), Geer was not only wrong, but he was EXTENSIVELY wrong, trying to "fix the problem"
by salvaging the felonies, and reinstating the vpw-worship.
Neither the errors and crimes of the Trustees, nor the errors, delusions and crimes of Geer guarantee that JAL was CORRECT-
THEY were wrong, but that doesn't make him RIGHT.
Some people, however, might make that mistake. I'm unclear whether JAL intended them to think that.]
You say you don't know what "The Passing of a Patriarch" is about, that you haven't read our letter, or heard Chris Geer's tape. Well then, how about John Schoenheit's paper showing from the Bible that adultery is sin (not a shock to most people)? Because of it, he was fired from the Research Department of The Way. Shortly thereafter, four clergy, Bo Reahard, Franklin Smith, Bob Mirabito and Dennis Hickman, were also fired for their "involvement" with the paper, and told they'd never run anything more than a Twig again.
[Well, NOW, we've all had a chance to read POP and Schoenheit's adultery paper as well.
Schoenheit's paper is correct and specific from the Bible, Geer's paper was vague and error.]
Haven't seen it? OK, surely your leadership informed you about the November 1986 meeting where Chris Geer told the Limb Coordinators that over half of us were there "under the direct influence of evil spirits." How many Bible verses did he read in 90 minutes of talking? None. How much open discussion was there as in Acts 15? None.
[Geer was, as we can all see now (or almost all of us), completely in error, and made a good show while talking-and practicing- error.]
This religious "caste system" has resulted in unhealthy competition, strife, ladder-climbing, currying favor, intimidation, and an abuse of people to the end that it has squelched the spiritual initiative of thousands. It is a big reason why today, for the most part, Way believers, who know much rightly divided Word, are bored with the Bible and living far below the walk of power available to every son of God.
[A) This religious 'caste system' was just fine for JAL for about 20 years. None of these immoral, unBiblical practices caused him
any problems during that time-problems vpw instituted in each instance.
B) JAL is assuming that "for the most part" that twi Christians "know much rightly-divided Word",
and
C) People who "know much rightly-divided Word" are "bored with the Bible" and operating Godly principles
largely because TWI's LEADERSHIP SYSTEM IS CRAPOLA.]
First, idolatrous allegiance to men has, in practice, cut believers off from THE SON OF GOD Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Body. In our zeal to proclaim the truth that Jesus Christ is not God, we relegated him to a "seated" position of virtual inactivity. He wasn’t allowed in the "Athletes of the Spirit" production, even at the Gathering Together! Instead, it was "the minister" who was the mediator between God and men, and the believers served and worshipped him. It is only "holding the Head" (Col. 2:19) that will enable believers to live the Mystery, and in The Way, because of this doctrinal error, we’ve never really been able to do so.
[This is correct. Those were all errors, and unhealthy.]
Second, money. I Timothy 6:10 makes it plain that wrong doctrine regarding money will have very detrimental effects on God’s people. The booklet "Christian’s Should Be Prosperous" absolutely contradicts the Church Epistles, and its destructive effects on people’s lives cannot be calculated. Dr. Wierwille was confronted about its error in the early 60s but refused to change it.
JAL was well aware of the FINANCIAL MOTIVATION of vpw from the 1960s, but was fine being in leadership under him.
The problem existed for his entire involvement in twi, but it's not a problem until more than 20 years later.
Was JAL that slack-witted that this wasn't a problem, or was JAL aware this was error and he deliberately chose
to ignore it for 20 years because it suited him to do so?
Take your pick-it was one or the other.]
Work it for yourself. By page 3 one already believes he will "take the consequences" if he "withholds the rightful portion from God," and that he certainly wouldn’t do less than his tithe if he desires God’s blessing. Ephesians 1:3? On the last page of the book it says, "Don’t pray for prosperity if you don’t tithe."
Jesus Christ is more than a 90% Redeemer. You do not have to spend 10% to buy protection from a "God-father." Then we were taught that 15% gets you spiritual insight. And of course there’s Craig’s famous line that if you give less than 10%, "God won’t even spit in your direction." Actually, that's true—He won't. You do not give in order to get. You give because God has given to you.
We are not under the law. Malachi is not to us. 2 Corinthians 9:6-8 is. And the Bible plainly says that if you do choose to give of your abundance (not your need), the way to do it in this administration is to give to other believers who have needs. I have a 3 hour tape on this subject, and a number of us are collaborating to write a very comprehensive book on it. When God’s people believe and apply the truth of His Word in this area, they will prosper far beyond what we have yet seen.
[Correct.
Why did this take you 20 years? Was it that hard to accept, or were you happier with your mouth shut all that time?]
Third, sex. Now this is perhaps more sensational than the other points, but keep in mind that again the root of the problem is doctrinal error, not human weakness. More than one woman has personally told me that Dr. Wierwille taught her, verbally and by example, that sex outside of marriage is not only permissible, but profitable.
[You're leaving out, of course, any personal knowledge, or lack thereof, YOU had.
Did you turn a blind eye to it for 20 years, or were you well aware and are tactfully skipping your own complicity
in multiple felonies on behalf of vpw?]
Ralph Dubofsky told me that in September 1986, after a woman had come to him, he confronted Craig Martindale about having sex with her. Craig admitted it, and told Ralph that Dr. Wierwille had told him that unless he "loosened up in this category of life, he would never be a great leader or lover of God’s people." I know this sounds unbelievable, but it is true.
Dr. Wierwille told people that without broadening their sexual activities beyond marriage, they’d never be able to handle the things of God." A friend of mine told me Dr. Wierwille told her he thought that "a woman gets eternal rewards for blessing a man of God like this." Craig told Ralph that there have been "thousands of times it has been done in the love of God and ministered God’s healing wholeness and deliverance to people." And I have a copy of a phone conversation on this past November 24 between Craig and a Corps grad in which he told her that there is not a straight answer from the Word on adultery, and that sex is in the category of need, like food on the table, and God supplies our needs. Where did he learn this? Not in the Baptist Church, I dare say.
This esoteric doctrine has permeated the leadership structure of The Way to the end that believers all over the country know about it. This is the real reason why John Schoenheit and the others were fired. Chris Geer and the Trustees are trying to cover up for Dr. Wierwille and themselves. Here’s a good question: If it is spiritually beneficial, why isn’t it being taught publicly?
[Good question.
Here's another- why did you remain silent about it for 20 years-
because it happened around you and you failed to put the pieces together,
or because you knew and were in the crowd keeping it silent until you chose to join those who spoke up?]
If you want to, you can look up the definitions of "allegation," "accusation," "rumor," and then "fact." These statements are facts and what I have just told you about this issue is "the tip of the iceberg." I have another 3 hour tape titled "Overview of Events: 4/85-10/87" in which I do my best to chronicle the key events from the time Dr. Wierwille stopped to see Ralph in Boston en route to Scotland, up until this past fall. In it I go into more detail about the adultery issue. I believe it is important because this wrong doctrine strikes at the very heart of the Mystery, and it has ruined countless Way marriages and wreaked havoc on hundreds of other men and women.
I believe you can see for yourself the rejection of God’s Word by top Way leaders. How? Take the information in this letter, which is admittedly only skeletal, and start asking questions of your Way leaders. Better yet, get the biblical truth regarding what I have brought up, and confront them with chapter and verse. How can you get it? Well first, you can study the Bible, especially regarding the three main subjects I mentioned.
Also, believers all over the USA have tapes by Sue Pierce, Ralph Dubofsky, me and others on many of the subjects I listed. They also have our letter, John Schoenheit’s paper and other literature. Ask around, and if you can’t locate what you want, call me. Sue, Ralph, John, Mark Graeser, Mark Carli and I are all travelling also, so call if you’re interested in one of us coming to your area.
[All of that is correct.]
What has happened in The Way is nothing new. Man has long been afflicted by similar religious error. Rest assured that there is life after The Way. Although many of us have been victims of wrong doctrines and practices to varying degrees, I view my involvement as a steppingstone to greater scriptural truth. I can no longer grow spiritually within The Way’s tightening confines. Of the approximately 100,000 PFAL grads in the USA since 1953, about 80,000 have already disassociated themselves from the structure. Perhaps many of them felt as I do.
[vpw was the one that "afflicted" this "religious error" on twi. This was a specific "man"-why return to generalities?
"A steppingstone to greater spiritual truth." JAL is claiming he's reached a new plateau of "spiritual truth" post-twi.
Oh, and this "approximately 100,000 PFAL grads" is an exagerration. Supposedly, about that many people had ever signed up
for pfal. Not everyone who signed up for pfal attended Session 1. Not everyone who attended Session 1 attended Session 12.
No figures were ever taken for actual # of pfal grads.
It IS true that, at the time of this writing, 80,000 of those people were no longer associated from twi.
That was across the entire history of twi.
The assumption that there was ONE reason-and that ONE reason was EXACTLY what JAL was talking about here,
is unfounded. Notice JAL shies away from actually making that CLAIM, but he IMPLIES it.
"Perhaps many of them felt as I do."
And perhaps NONE of them did.]
Local fellowships in many areas are finally "self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating," and they love it. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Body, and he is coordinating the efforts of those members who look to him. No longer do you need to sit around like a "bump on a Twig." You can get involved any way you want to. It is wonderful to be free from answering to men, especially those enforcing a self-constructed false standard of righteousness and "spirituality" based on works of the flesh. It is electrifying to go to the Word without fear of contradicting previous teaching. It is stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree. And it is refreshing not to have to apologize for living your life the way you want to.
[Well, they were a lot more "self-governing" than before, but the ex-twi community was never composed of small local groups that NEVER
answered to higher-ups....and those higher-ups were all trained in twi, and were participants in that SAME stratification JAL
railed against- after a mere 20 years of participation.
It was stimulating to be able to think, question and disagree-within the limits allowed. I, for one, hit the glass ceiling on
the new LIMITS of same.
Does it strike no one slightly ironic that JAL currently clamps down on questioning and disagreeing, a mere 20 years
after extolling their virtues?]
Here’s an analogy that has blessed lots of people: WE HAVE ESCAPED FROM EGYPT WITH ALL THE GOLD! That’s right--we’re free, and we have all the right doctrine we heard, and the keys to learning more. So let’s spend the gold! That sounds better than sitting on it and lamenting our time in Egypt.
[Analogies are nice, WHEN THEY ARE VALID.
This one assumes that one can partake fully of twi doctrine, complete with biases and errors which served vpw nicely, and yet filter out
ALL the harmful doctrine with relative ease. We left with the ASSUMPTION that what we had was "right doctrine", and ACCURATE
keys to learning more.
Oh, and being wary of all the evil things that affected us in ways small and large throughout our lives,
is HARDLY to be compared with Israel's laments after leaving Egypt.
Cute how he's already making careful approaches into WRONG ACTION.]
The Bible still encourages us to pray, read the Word, fellowship with believers on the Word, speak the truth in love and share of our material abundance. Many who have left The Way are afraid to become part of anything else. I tell them they’re already a part of the only thing they can join--the Body of Christ, and that is hardly "another bandwagon."
[One may feel free to leave twi- but one should leave twi to join CES/STFI, of course. Don't be afraid to become part of HIS group-
but it won't be long before one should be afraid to become part of "anything else."
And don't call CES/STFI "another bandwagon."]
As we look to our true Head, knowing all that he has done (and is doing) for us, he will "choreograph" the functioning of his Body. Our hearts will be knit together in genuine love, and each of us can maximize the limitless potential of holy spirit within us. You can still live your life’s dream, and help preserve the truth of God’s Word for your children and grandchildren.
I love you with all my heart and will do whatever I can to help you.
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
[sure took long enough to add the commercial to this...]
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
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doojable
Ha! Tonto, you're not far from what I was thinking...
I was going to say that like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, he wanted one of two things - our money or our children.
Now I'll let the image of JAL in tights and goofy pointy shoes sink in...
Like I said before... my answer isn't very kind.
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oldiesman
Wordwolf I offer an answer to your attack of JAL "he knew for 20 years and did nothing" as follows: he was a kool-aid drinker for 20 years, just like DWBH. Show some mercy bro. :D
Since DWBH was there all those years, knew and experienced much or all of the same, rose up to a very high position knowing all those things for years; yet now gets exonerated from folks here at GS cafe, then we really should offer JAL the same courtesy don't you think? Its only fair.
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WordWolf
See, Oldies,
I gave him the benefit of the doubt on that one for over a decade. However, his approach SINCE then has been rather selective.
DWBH's approach differs from JAL's in several ways. To name a few, DWBH found out LATE, and took action relatively quickly.
He focused DIRECTLY on helping Christians who were hurt by vpw and twi.
He's learned that twi-type moneymaking "ministries" are NOT the best way to help other Christians.
He has refrained from advertisements to the ex-twi community, and he's demonstrated he's SERIOUS about us thinking
for ourselves.
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doojable
From the JAL's letter:
He was right at the center of that behavior. I watched it happen - even after CES was formed, I heard of this from friends who were involved in CES - and not bitter people - just people who thought everything was hunky dory.
I'll add to WW's answer that DWBH has not started a new ministry and has not gone trolling for rubes here at GSC. He's engaged in open dialogue. The differences in how they approach people are entirely different.
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Ham
I still think jl is trolling for a new source of self-importance and his long lost identity..
the money and the kids, well.. isn't all that supposed to be a GIFT to support one "who labors in the WORD among us"?
or rather, one who doles out the vicster's stolen labors?
It's almost like he's terminally ill.. or something.. and looking over the last forty some years, and.. were they REALLY worth it? His life and organization in shambles.. he doesn't command the respect he once had.. apparently he has some respect left from Schoenheit.. it looks like he let him publish his rambling on their web page. The phone very likely does not ring for advice like it once did..
The sadness is probably unbearable. So he goes along with the fictional account that we had the greatest "package" since the first century..
that we had the greatest "conjunction of TRUTH" ever known in the old defunct organization..
He still reveres and calls vic "Doctor".. says a lot to me.
I think he needs help..
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WordWolf
Revised September 2007
Dearest brother/sister in Christ,
God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him.
This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you." The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time. The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics.
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice. I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way. Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else.
In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith.
Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ.
I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com.
In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him.
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
===================================
===================================
===================================
[For those who have forgotten, JAL has claimed he was around 20 years in twi. After that, he wrote the previous letter.
Some 20 years after that-about as long as he was in twi, he's been out, and part of his own organization-
he has considered this letter the revision of the previous letter.
Having had 20 years to review his previous letter, what insights has he gained since then?
Has he gained a full perspective on what happened, on what motivated vpw, how he operated, why he did
what he did?]
Revised September 2007
Dearest brother/sister in Christ,
God bless you richly in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our Lord, our Savior, our Mentor, the one whose perfect trust in his heavenly Father made it possible for us to do likewise and walk with him.
This is John Lynn, and I am writing this letter to anyone who is or ever was involved in The Way International, that is, those with "ex-Way vision." The Real Me, by the grace and mercy of God, is still standing, and still "living in the eye of the storm." The first thing I want to say is, "I love you."
[still leading off with some flattery, I see. Well, that's the same as the old letter. 20 years hasn't changed this-
except to make the opening lengthier.]
The second thing is that, as it has since I was dispatched by TWI in 1987, my heart goes out to everyone who ever sat through the “Power For Abundant Living” class. We certainly did hear much of the Word "as it has not been taught since the first century," and the truth is that there was nowhere else on earth we could have heard what we heard. We were in the right place at the right time.
He's had 20 years to be exposed to Christians outside twi and outside his OWN organization, but his perspective, if anything,
is no LESS narrow-minded than it ever was. Everybody ELSE among us are well aware that the claim vpw made of "the Word as it has not been taught
since the first century" was full of hot air, and never approached what was demonstrated in twi.
Further, there are plenty of Christians who learned things we did NOT, and demonstrate more love and heart than ex-twi'ers do.
If JAL meant to say "only the doctrines that match what we heard" count-which is silly, but he seems to mean that-
is he totally ignorant that BG Leonard's ministry is still teaching and still going strong? The genuine of which vpw was the counterfeit?
Or is he aware of that and refusing to acknowledge it entirely?]
The main problem was that we had an "absent Christ," and therefore, practically speaking, we were like a body without a head. I was only one of the "poor substitutes" that people looked to when they should have been looking to the Lord Jesus Christ.
[ONE of the main problems was that vpw declared Christ was "absent", and set himself up as the Head of the Body in any practical sense.
ANOTHER was that "special knowledge" and "secret knowledge" took the place of God's Love. Knowledge puffs up- and in twi, that's exactly
what it does. JAL seems to have forgotten that, judging from this letter.
Oh, and, JAL, can the false modesty, with the "poor substitute" thing. If you thought you were THAT "poor", you wouldn't be making the
commercials for your group. Give us a little credit for seeing an attempt to snow us coming.]
I thank God that I was taught the inherent keys to the Word’s interpretation. They are still true, and they are what enabled me, along with my dear friend John Schoenheit (and many others), to see the wrong doctrine mixed in with the right doctrine we were taught, to correct it, and to move forward. If you are interested, we have a list of 26 biblical subjects about which we believe the Word says differently than we were taught in The Way, with links to our books and tapes that cover those topics.
[We cut to the commercial a LOT sooner, this time around. Personally, I find that an improvement. Let's not pretend
this ISN'T a commercial.
Oh, and the assumption that they found ALL the error and deleted it is not only arrogant- it is WRONG.
Just in this letter ALONE we had errors that haven't been fixed in TWENTY YEARS.
Just because JAL has DIFFERENT doctrine from twi in some places does NOT mean they removed ALL the critical errors,
or that everything they removed was error.
Moreover, DIFFERENT does not guarantee BETTER- "different" includes the "Momentus" program that some people found useful, some people found
disastrous, and JAL QUIETLY promotes PRIVATELY but never speaks of PUBLICKLY.
"Different" also includes the "spiders-in-the-noses" business that JAL ALSO hasn't repudiated.
Also, JAL's clamped down on QUESTIONING and DISAGREEING with EITHER of those. (Probably more as well, but I know of these two
doctrines that have proven to be quite harmful to a number of people.)
20 years ago, he lauded the ability "to think, question and disagree."
In revising this letter, he's dropped that little detail- probably because those "thinking", "questioning" and "disagreeing" would
be thinking about HIS doctrine, questioning HIS doctrine, and disagreeing with HIS doctrine.
What a difference 20 years CAN make.]
Wrong doctrine always leads to wrong practice.
[And sometimes wrong practice arrives all by itself.]
I am more aware than most of the grievous abuses laid upon many of God’s precious people when they were in The Way.
[No he's not, unless everyone at the GSC is also "more aware than most".]
Perhaps you are one who was so abused. The point is that now the choice is yours as to how you see your past involvement in The Way. In our lives, we are not the sum total of what has happened to us, but rather how we have responded to what has happened. As such, you can ask the dear Lord to help you arrive at a healthy perspective of whatever events have comprised your life. In his infinite resourcefulness, he can somehow turn it into something you can use to help someone else.
[True. He's made it possible for us to work through what was needed, and find other Christians who can teach
us lessons about love and substance that are long overdue for twi survivors.
We also heal at the GSC.
(Does JAL ever give the GSC credit where it's due for helping there?]
In regard to your involvement in The Way, you could choose to be a victim, as many have, but may I suggest that is not the best perspective if you desire to live a fruitful life. Frederick Douglas, a former slave and then an abolitionist in the time of the Civil War, once said, "The limits of tyrants are prescribed by those whom they oppress." I like to look at my time in The Way in a more positive sense. I want to "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
["You could chose to be a victim." Cute little "false dilemma" there. You can just dismiss the harm done in twi-
which, coincidentally, was also at the hands of many people who switched over to CES/STFI and retained MOST of the
doctrines they learned from the self-serving felon vpw, and claimed they dismissed ALL the harmful doctrines.
If you don't, you're "choosing to be a victim."
Cute quote-if one wants to SILENCE people.
So is "eat the fish and spit out the bones."
But, see, this fish was almost all bones, and much of what little meat WAS there, was spit out WITH the bones,
and then more bones from a DIFFERENT fish were added. (Some were from the Momentus fish, some were from the PP fish.)
I wouldn't bring all that up in the analogy, but HE was the one who wanted to replace DISCUSSION with PITHY SAYINGS.
Colossians 2:4 (KJV)
"And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words."
Beguile: "paralogizomai", to use words that don't touch logic
"enticing words": "pithanologia", pithy sayings, slogans.]
There are many things I could say here, but I’m trying to keep this letter as brief as possible. I know thousands of people who, in my opinion, have "thrown out the baby with the bathwater." They have spit out the whole fish because of some bones. I know many others who are "tired of the fight," that is, of "not fitting in" with traditional Christianity, primarily because they are branded as heretics for not believing that Jesus is God. In regard to that subject, I encourage you to read our book titled One God and One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of the Christian Faith.
[Then again, lots of Christians survived twi, and aren't swelling the coffers of CES/STFI. What a shame that is!
JAL wants to sell the CES/STFI bony fish to those who lost their taste for bony fish after twi.
Although, in honesty, after the abuses of twi (which were delivered by JAL and others besides JUST vpw), I can understand why
some people don't want to claim being Christians, or associate with them. They were told all Christians EXCEPT OURS sucked,
and then they saw that OURS sucked as well. So, they concluded all Christians sucked. QED.
Oh, and JAL's still saying the other Christians suck, without using those words.
Scroll up-"nowhere else on earth", "as it has not been taught since the First Century".]
Since 1987 we have been helping people around the world, many who have never heard of The Way, move forward, most especially by getting Jesus Christ in the right place as Lord. Spirit & Truth Fellowship International (formerly Christian Educational Services) is a full service ministry with a wide range of activities and materials for everyone. We are seeing people's hearts healed and seeing them come together to reach out to others in the love of Christ.
I encourage you to listen to or read for yourself what we have produced. If you like, we are most happy to send you a Spirit & Truth Fellowship statement of beliefs, and/or put you on our mailing list for our bi-monthly magazine, The Sower. Each issue has an order form listing all the materials we have. I also encourage you go to one of our three websites and see if you are blessed by what you find. They are: STFonline.org, TruthOrTradition.com, and BiblicalUnitarian.com.
[We saw a REPEAT of the commercial. He must be SERIOUS about advertising his "product"-a lot MORESO than the previous version
of this letter. Shorter letter and TWO commercials.]
In closing, let me say that I honestly believe that Dr. Wierwille (TWI Founder) would be very proud of what we are doing. We have taken the keys to the Word’s interpretation that he taught us and used them to evaluate his own teachings, correcting those that did not agree with Scripture. We have never lost sight of the goal of moving the Word around the world. If that is still your goal, or if you think there is any way we could be of service to you, please do not hesitate to contact us.
[20 years later, he "honestly believes" that a man who lied about the voice of God, who took credit for the work of others
and claimed God gave it directly to him, who carefully arranged a ministry for God's people to satisfy his lusts for filthy lucre,
creature comforts, and raping innocent daughters of God "would be very proud" of what he's doing.
This is JAL's claim, not mine. He believes that he would have the endorsement of a corrupt subverter of God's people,
a human parasite who fed off God's people. Considering his practices have damaged numbers of people and exerted
leverage and control over them in God's name (Momentus and Personal Prophecy), perhaps vpw WOULD admire the results!
However, it still falls far short of vpw's "accomplishments" since he hasn't been raping the women.
Oh, and again, they found ALL the error, and eliminated it, and didn't add errors of their own.
JAL says so.]
Once again let me say that I love you. I wish that I could adequately communicate to you how thrilling life is when the Lord Jesus Christ is a daily reality. Understanding who he is as "the Lord" and living accordingly exalts both him and our heavenly Father. The Lord Jesus is the glue that can knit our hearts together so that we can enjoy the "camaraderie of the committed" and stand together for him.
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
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oldiesman
I love that paragraph...
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doojable
Or just order a pizza.
Not likely... there would be a war over who had the greater truth...WHAT does that mean? It's a goal with no real goal-posts. So in the end, there's a perpetual service that will be demanded.
Sorry - but this is a "Pentapuke of Pious Platitudes for Patsies" <_<
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mstar1
Douglass spit out the bones, the mercury, the poisoned fish, the bait, the fishing line, the fishing hole and the whole river and then fought tirelessly against the entire system.
maybe he should have had a "more positive approach" like John says, and gone back to that wonderful time <_< and just changed a few minor things here and there
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WordWolf
Here's John's latest advertisement to the GSC and anyone else....
=======================================
=======================================
The Way, It Was - June 2008 letter by John Lynn
In the interest of truth, both small “t” (the facts about The Way International) and capital “T” (the Word of God it taught), I am compelled to propose why I think The Way International was (past tense), from a certain perspective, one of the most significant movements in the history of the Christian Church. I do so for the benefit of any graduate of the “Power For Abundant Living” class who still wants to live for the Lord and who may have been unduly discouraged, either by his/her own experience in The Way or by the ensuing barrage of negatives from other ex-Way saints about what was wrong with The Way.
Given that I was one of the top ministry leaders from 1967-1987, I speak with experiential knowledge. Furthermore, I have spent the past 21 years continuing to dig into the Word of God along with knowledgeable Christians, and, in the process, re-evaluating everything we were taught. I speak with great thankfulness for the truth I heard in The Way (hereinafter TWI), with no doubt that God led me to it, and then away from it. And though I left with some wounds, I also took with me the resources I had been given that enabled me to be healed from those wounds and help others do likewise.
I speak so that you can know “the rest of the story,” as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with “ex-Way vision.” In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI.
Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word. And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom.
Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered. I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young, energetic, enthused, biblically knowledgeable, logistically equipped, organizationally backed, diverse, multi-lingual, mobile, available, and committed-to-“It-is-written” men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word? Certainly not often in the past 2000 years. Thank God that many of these students of the Word became teachers themselves, and were thus able to recognize the errors that crept into TWI.
The Way. It was. What was it? First and foremost, it was, from about 1955-1987, the only place I know of where anyone could hear the amount of truth of the Word of God that we heard. Why? In large part because God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger, whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church.
The sad thing was that I, and many others, became too proud of our knowledge, and failed to couple it with enough of a humble, heartfelt desire to obey God and become like Jesus Christ. We became too arrogant toward other Christians, thinking that our study of truth somehow made us more “approved before God” than they. To a degree, we became more like hearers of the Word than doers, and often deceived our selves. BUT, the antidote to that is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, because without knowledge of truth, there can be little practice of it.
Why did God have a need for The Way International? Actually, He didn’t. But He did have a need for any group of people who would make known what, or close to what, the Apostle Paul taught once the whole of what we now read in the Church Epistles had been unfolded to him. Why was there such a need? Because true Christian doctrine had all but disappeared from the spectrum of Church history by the 4th century. It was then that the Roman Catholic Church began based upon a bunch of fables mixed with Christian verbiage, established a monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for more than a thousand years dominated the European religious landscape, killing countless dissenters and for the most part silencing the rest.
When Martin Luther came along (1517 was when he nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenburg), thank God he did recognize justification by faith rather than by works, but what we today refer to as the "Reformation" of the Roman Catholic Church was very limited in scope. Much of the Roman Catholic doctrine was assimilated into Protestantism and is still being passed along as Christian groups continue to split off from one another. In a nutshell, that is why even the independent church in your neighborhood today most probably believes that there is a Trinity, dead people are alive, God is in control of everything that happens, the Four Gospels are written to Christians, water baptism is relevant, and maybe even that the Bible is not absolute truth.
I don’t know where else we could have heard the “package” of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did. Let’s begin with what I mentioned about E.W. Bullinger’s contribution to TWI, which was HUGE, because his basic approach to Scripture is what facilitates one being able to discover its inherent keys and utilize them to derive the Author’s originally intended meaning.
TWI taught us to approach the Word with the “It is written” conviction that it is what it says it is, and that it cannot contradict itself. That alone is enough to at least identify error about the Bible, and the keys to the Word’s interpretation we were taught enabled us to understand it, take its truth into our hearts, and apply it on a daily basis.
Given that the identity of Jesus Christ is the world’s biggest deal, I would have to say that chief among the wonderful biblical truths we heard in TWI was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (not God), the Man who mediates between God and men, and that the Trinity is a pagan fable. Some ex-Way saints now say this distinction is not that important, but I assert that God thinks differently, given what He says in His Word (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3,4). Yes, TWI failed to teach us that we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, but there were not too many other places where we could have heard that Jesus is not the “eternally begotten” Second Person of the Trinity.
I’d have to say that the next most important biblical truth we heard in TWI was what we then called the “Mystery,” and, correspondingly, what parts of Scripture are written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to Christians regarding either the past, the present, or the future. For the record, we have since learned that “Sacred Secret” is a more accurate way of rendering the Greek, musterion.
Ephesians is the apex of the Church Epistles (the primary curriculum for Christian living), and it clearly shows that the Body of Christ (the “one new man” of Chapter 2, verse 15) is the most unique group of people who have ever lived, chiefly because of the permanence of our salvation and our holy spirit equipping. 1 Corinthians 2:8 chimes in with the monumental (and generally overlooked) truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified Jesus!
In terms of biblical error that is practically debilitating to one’s quality of life,
I see nothing more important than knowing what Scripture is written to whom, when, and in particular what is written to us as Christians today. The Church’s failure to understand this central truth has led to its trying to live in accordance with directives pertaining to other people at other times. It is only in the Church Epistles that a Christian finds his true identity “in Christ,” as well as his true Hope. Simply put, the Word of God will never fit together without contradiction if one does not understand the “administrations” therein, and in particular this current “administration of the Sacred Secret” (Eph. 3:9).
Yes, there are quite a few Christians who have a “Dispensational” view of Scripture, but the vast majority of them fail to grasp that Jesus is not God and that he did not know the Sacred Secret. Most think that parts of the Four Gospels and of the Book of Revelation speak of the Christian Church, but that is not the case. The Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s first coming to the earth to Israel (his suffering), and Revelation records the fulfillment of the prophecies about his second coming to the earth to Israel (his glory).
Another major truth we learned in TWI, which is unknown to most Christians, is that of the Giver and the gift, and, correspondingly, that speaking in tongues is available to all Christians because it is a manifestation of holy spirit, not a gift. We also learned the indispensable truth that speaking in tongues is the only absolute proof that one is saved. How many tens of thousands of people did those truths alone set free?
TWI also taught us that death is, in fact, the end of life, and that our true Hope for new life in the coming age is to be raised from the dead and meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the Tribulation (the “time of Jacob’s trouble” – Jer.30:7). What percentage of Christians do you think know this? Although TWI failed to teach us that Paradise (the new earth), not heaven, will be our everlasting home, thank God we learned that resurrection is much more than an incorporeal “soul” once again getting a body.
And TWI pointed us toward an understanding of the figures of speech in the Bible (thanks to Bullinger), of which little is known in theological circles. This included the figurative language in the Old Testament that helped us see that God is not responsible for evil or suffering, nor is He in control of everything that happens.
Like I, you may know of some ministries that do teach some of these truths, but I submit that until 1987 there was nowhere other than TWI to find all of them taught as accurately as they were there. That is why The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly significant Christian movement.
As far as I can see, TWI was also about the most disparate dichotomy of good and evil in the history of Christianity. Like the wheat and the tares growing up together, tremendous truth and egregious evil shared the ministry platform. Many people look back on their TWI experience with nothing but thankfulness, while others rue their free will choice to stay involved as long as they did because of the abuse they suffered. Some have been stymied by self-condemnation due to the abuses they themselves committed. No doubt there are also many who recognize that they heard the Word like they never had, who have allowed the Lord Jesus to heal any wounds they suffered in TWI, and who have since experienced spiritual growth far beyond what they ever imagined back in “the good old days.”
I hope you are in that last category, and if you’re not, you can be. Even if people badly abused and disappointed you, you can turn to the Lord Jesus, he who is The Way to wholeness in all categories of heart and life. His love and truth will heal your heart and help you forgive and move forward with him toward the same goal you once had. You have a ministry in the Body of Christ, and he who is the Head longs to help you fulfill that calling. It was neither your heavenly Father nor your Lord who hurt you, nor does whatever happened to you change anything the Word says. God’s promises are still true, and they are yours for the believing.
The Way, we were. If you once sat through PFAL, you heard the Word of God taught more accurately than the vast majority of Christians who have ever drawn breath. As a fellow PFAL grad, I identify with you, and have an affinity for you and a desire to encourage you to take advantage of the truth you once heard, if you are not already doing so. Along with me, you will one day stand before our precious Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward you according to how you have lived your life as a Christian. In essence, he will ask each of us something like this: “What did you do with what you knew?”
For a detailed list of biblical subjects I think TWI mishandled, click here.
If you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at jalces@aol.com
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
=============================
=============================
[And, again, with WordWolf's replies.]
[Here's JAL's latest letter. Again, he's pretending it won't be seen and discussed at the GSC.
And that he's not trying to insult the posters at the GSC.]
The Way, It Was - June 2008 letter by John Lynn
In the interest of truth, both small “t” (the facts about The Way International) and capital “T” (the Word of God it taught), I am compelled to propose why I think The Way International was (past tense), from a certain perspective, one of the most significant movements in the history of the Christian Church.
[Actually, twi was a SUBVERSION both of BG Leonard's ministry (having his materials so coldly stolen by vpw
was discouraging to Leonard, which is understandable) and a SUBVERSION of the Jesus People movement, since it had
them interest Christians in hearing- then swapped the Jesus People they were listening to (like H33fn3r and D**p)
for vpw and people he trained personally.
From that perspective, it HINDERED the Christian Church on two levels.
The one comfort is that, relatively speaking, the numbers of people who were affected (and some savaged) by twi were
miniscule. Across a 35 year period, less than 100,000 people took pfal worldwide. That's less than CURRENT numbers
of Christians in specific denominations in some major cities (including their metro areas.)]
I do so for the benefit of any graduate of the “Power For Abundant Living” class who still wants to live for the Lord and who may have been unduly discouraged, either by his/her own experience in The Way
[some were nearly destroyed by twi. A few WERE destroyed by twi. I think those who were will need more than a few slogans
to heal up, and they certainly are going to need counselors more competent than those whose claims to "trained" are
"I was trained in twi." They also will need approaches more compassionate and gentle than the 2 x 4 favored by Momentus grads
in general.]
or by the ensuing barrage of negatives from other ex-Way saints about what was wrong with The Way.
[That's one of those "barrages of negatives" JAL intends to refer to the GSC without saying the name. Naturally, he's never noticed
that some discussions have been neutral, others have been positive. From HIS perspective, the "negative" ones predominate, probably
because they interfere with him prostelytizing ex-twi. Hard to tell people vpw was a man to admire when all his felonies and disgusting
abuses of God's people are common knowledge.]
Given that I was one of the top ministry leaders from 1967-1987, I speak with experiential knowledge. Furthermore, I have spent the past 21 years continuing to dig into the Word of God along with knowledgeable Christians, and, in the process, re-evaluating everything we were taught. I speak with great thankfulness for the truth I heard in The Way (hereinafter TWI), with no doubt that God led me to it, and then away from it. And though I left with some wounds, I also took with me the resources I had been given that enabled me to be healed from those wounds and help others do likewise.
[Naturally, the methods for "healing" came from twi, the same twi that crushed Christians with dangerous doctrines and dangerous
practices...but the ones JAL wishes to retain are all 100% safe, of course.
Also of course, those who wish to be healed up from twi should go to JAL, and also retain most of the doctrines of the organization
they need healing from in the first place. To heal up elsewhere is NOT to be recommended.]
I speak so that you can know “the rest of the story,” as opposed to all the disparaging things that have been said about The Way through the years by the media (much of that false), other Christians (much of that false), and disgruntled former followers (much of that true, some of it false). My purpose is to set forth a much more redemptive view of The Way than what I have thus far read from others with “ex-Way vision.” In some ways, this is a sequel to my March, 1988 letter in which I blew the whistle about what was then going on in TWI.
[in short, if you want to know the truth of twi, you have to discard anything you heard at the GSC, and take your information
EXCLUSIVELY from JAL. All other former members, even former leaders, are not to be trusted. JAL's the SOLE exception,
and the only approach is a careful PRAISING of twi. Can't be a COMPLETE praising, since the conclusion has to be
"CES/STFI is the sole source of accurate Christianity", so praise must be qualified carefully.]
Yes, there was more doctrinal error than I ever realized while I was in TWI, and there was corresponding practical error that became more evil than most of us involved ever imagined. Yes, many precious people were terribly abused. Yes, there was dishonesty about Scripture, there was plagiarism, and there was rampant sexual sin, all of which contributed to many people choosing to turn away from God and His Word.
[i'd go so far as to say that most ex-twi are STILL CHRISTIANS. They turned to God for healing, but they turned away from
twi and twi-style approaches. Of course, to those like JAL whose own "ex-Way vision" require he view EVERYTHING with the color-filters
provided by twi, to turn away from twi-style is to "turn away from God and His Word."
So, you can join CES/STFI, or you can be WRONG!]
And as I realized these things, I did speak out about them, both publicly and privately, from 1987 until about 2000, after which TWI had marginalized itself in Christendom.
[Of course, CES/STFI should NEVER be seen has having "marginalized itself in Christendom."
Not even if there's spiders coming from people's noses.]
Perhaps worst of all, a golden opportunity to make known the Word of God, as it had not been known since the first century, was squandered.
[After 20 years of supposed investigating,
JAL STILL labors under the thoroughly-discredited, and throughly-discredited- fiction penned by, and spread by, vpw that vpw
was some great one, and unique in 2000 years of Christians. We've discussed it so often here. JAL has missed it completely,
even though HE's supposed to be superior in understanding Scripture and wants us to come to HIM for understanding.
If he could FAIL so miserably at something so SIMPLE to investigate- and had 20 years to find the answer-
why would any of us (except the delusional) think he could be trusted in DEEPER matters of Scripture?
I will elaborate upon why that is true from a doctrinal standpoint, but when else in the history of the Christian Church has there ever been such a cadre of thousands of young, energetic, enthused, biblically knowledgeable, logistically equipped, organizationally backed, diverse, multi-lingual, mobile, available, and committed-to-“It-is-written” men and women with leadership qualities who were willing to go anywhere and spread the Word?
[One is supposing that ALL of those are actually TRUE, and not just how we WISH to have seen ourselves. After all,
none of us WANTS to see ourselves as having wasted time, or learned harmful doctrines, or especially HURT OTHERS
with harmful doctrines. An approach that embraces truth would admit, however, that those things happened, and suggest
a wary approach about repeating the same errors as in one's youth.
JAL's approach is an approach that embraces his twi experience, however, and the results are markedly different.]
Certainly not often in the past 2000 years. Thank God that many of these students of the Word became teachers themselves, and were thus able to recognize the errors that crept into TWI.
[using JAL himself as an example, however, that was only PARTLY successful.
He addressed some errors as errors, retained other errors, and added new errors, and suppressed open discussion
of doctrines that became the new dangerous doctrines.
Since his group is the sole source of doctrine, and dangerous doctrines of theirs are to be embraced,
I agree that it operates as a sort-of successor to twi.]
The Way. It was. What was it? First and foremost, it was, from about 1955-1987, the only place I know of where anyone could hear the amount of truth of the Word of God that we heard.
[JAL should get out more. He, apparently, has never even heard of BG Leonard, just to name ONE.
Is it stretching credibility to suppose that NOBODY ELSE taught accurately BESIDES Leonard?
I think it is. Leonard himself wasn't even acknowledged....]
Why? In large part because God led Victor Paul Wierwille to the work of E.W. Bullinger, whose approach to Scripture was virtually unique. That is what allowed Wierwille, and thus TWI to an even greater degree, thanks to the quality men and women with research ability whom it attracted, to put the Word together like it had not been known since the first century Church.
[vpw cut corners, and saw nothing wrong with plagiarizing the work of others rather than doing his own.
He insisted on using the title "Doctor" when the place he got it from was unaccredited, rather than going to a
reputable theological institute for his doctorate.
Until Rosal!nd R!nk3r told him the Bible was God's Word, he had been a practicing minister WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IT WAS SO, BY HIS OWN ADMISSION.
(Flip through your copy of "The Way:Living in Love.")
vpw claimed God spoke to him about God Almighty teaching him His Word like it hadn't been known since the First Century, if he would teach
it to others. For the next 11 years, vpw's ministry coasted and none of this "teaching" business happened, neither from God nor any
other source. Then, vpw was ministered to by Stiles, and vpw took the contents of Stiles' book, retyped it, and claimed it was his own book.
vpw pushed his way into BG Leonard's class (again, by his own admission), and then taught Leonard's class (with the same contents) as HIS OWN.
Plagiarism, and stealing the credit from others, are not unique.
To this, after someone told vpw that Bullinger wrote like vpw taught (which must mean Bullinger was like Leonard and Stiles), vpw then added
the complete works of Bullinger. Sometimes he gave Bullinger credit (like using "How to Enjoy the Bible") and sometimes he didn't
(like the entire contents of Bullinger's book on the Holy Spirit, which vpw claimed was his own work.)
Let us not forget that JAL's assuming that Bullinger's mechanized, systematic approach-which DID result in Bullinger making MISTAKES,
like the "kingdom of heaven/kingdom of God" mistake- is all correct, and what God wanted, that God wanted a scholarly approach to
be the exemplar for Christians, whereas we were told a man should be found "FAITHFUL", not "SCHOLARLY".
Finally, if Bullinger's approach was so exemplary, why, then, did vpw renumber Bullinger's "dispensations" into "administrations"
with a change that made them make LESS SENSE?
This whole "since the first century Church" thing was a fiction from vpw. That anyone is still pushing it is a sad statement
on behalf of the person pushing it. Has he truly never read through the book of Acts?
There was no "scholarship", no concern about translations from Hebrew to Greek, no intellectual teachings.
They had RELATIONSHIPS-with each other, with God. They were concerned with LIVES, with LOVE, and the only money collected was
to feed poor Christians. They were decentralized. They were inclusionary- Jesus said anyone who wasn't against him was
for him. twi's approaches were the opposite of those of the first-century Church.
Further, the entire claim is silly to those who've put in a little look into history.
The first-century Christian church did not have Gutenberg's printing press. Until the 2nd century, copies of the books of the
New Testament were nearly nonexistent. So "the Word like they knew it in the first century" was the TORAH, the OLD TESTAMENT-
and "The Word" as existed IN THEIR HEARTS, not ON THEIR PAGES.
Knowledge puffs up, and God's Love BUILDS up. THEY BUILT up. vpw PUFFED up.]
The sad thing was that I, and many others, became too proud of our knowledge, and failed to couple it with enough of a humble, heartfelt desire to obey God and become like Jesus Christ. We became too arrogant toward other Christians, thinking that our study of truth somehow made us more “approved before God” than they.
[HEY!
If you're still claiming you "knew the Word like it hasn't been known since the first-century Church",
YOU ARE STILL TOO PROUD OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE.
If you're still claiming OTHER Christians don't have it, but your group does,
YOU ARE STILL TOO ARROGANT TOWARD OTHER CHRISTIANS.]
To a degree, we became more like hearers of the Word than doers, and often deceived our selves. BUT, the antidote to that is not to throw out the baby with the bathwater, because without knowledge of truth, there can be little practice of it.
[i noticed this unhealthy obsession with analogies whenever it's time to put all things to the test, and hold fast
to what is true. The problem here is, what is JAL's "baby" in his analogy? If I were to say this expression,
I might mean "truth" no matter what, I may mean "God's People", I may mean "God's Love."
It appears that JAL's "baby" is "an organization that teaches the Bible and is above being questioned"-
because that's what he's spent the last 20 years retaining.
He may TALK of "truth", but that's not his obsession...]
Why did God have a need for The Way International? Actually, He didn’t.
[i agree!
God is Almighty. He doesn't NEED any of us. He gives us the pleasure in sharing many tasks with us.
He didn't, and doesn't, NEED any group of people.]
But He did have a need for any group of people who would make known what, or close to what, the Apostle Paul taught once the whole of what we now read in the Church Epistles had been unfolded to him. Why was there such a need? Because true Christian doctrine had all but disappeared from the spectrum of Church history by the 4th century.
[JAL hasn't done ANY more reading on Church history beyond what's in "Jesus Christ is Not God", apparently.
Among MOST Christians, knowledge BEYOND this is considered EASY TO FIND.
There's even information on the internet-he wouldn't even need to go to a library or bookstore for some of it.
If it REALLY had all disappeared, there would have been nothing for us to find in the 20th century.]
It was then that the Roman Catholic Church began based upon a bunch of fables mixed with Christian verbiage, established a monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchy, and for more than a thousand years dominated the European religious landscape, killing countless dissenters and for the most part silencing the rest.
[We agree that establishing monolithic ecclesiastical hierarchies and suppressing dissenters is bad.
Why, then, does one of us embrace it when vpw does it?]
When Martin Luther came along (1517 was when he nailed his 95 Theses on the church door at Wittenburg), thank God he did recognize justification by faith rather than by works, but what we today refer to as the "Reformation" of the Roman Catholic Church was very limited in scope.
[if the doctrine-and the Scripture- was all obliterated in the 4th Century, why, then, was Luther able to FIND "justification by faith" at all?
If the Roman Catholic Church hadn't PRESERVED GOD'S WORD by having monks painstakingly hand-copy it in the centuries before
Gutenberg's printing press, there would have been nothing for Luther TO find. Once the printing press was invented, the stage was set for
an explosion of Bible reading, which resulted in an explosion of Bible discussion and understanding.]
Much of the Roman Catholic doctrine was assimilated into Protestantism and is still being passed along as Christian groups continue to split off from one another. In a nutshell, that is why even the independent church in your neighborhood today most probably believes that there is a Trinity, dead people are alive, God is in control of everything that happens, the Four Gospels are written to Christians, water baptism is relevant, and maybe even that the Bible is not absolute truth.
A) A lot of Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God, no matter what their group teaches.
I've spoken to Catholics who do.
B) Lots of Christians believe the dead are dead.
C) God IS sovereign over all- but, as we know, things in the short-term are allowed to proceed without direct control by Him.
Many Christians have no problem understanding this, and there's books about why there's suffering.
D) That which was written before the Epistles was "for our learning". The Gospels address the time before Pentecost,
but are written TO Christians-the Gospels were written AFTER the Epistles. Don't confuse their order in the book with their
order of writing. Even vpw said Thessalonians was the first Epistle written, but the last one in the order in the book.
E) Many Christians consider water baptism to be a SYMBOL. Symbols ARE RELEVANT.
F) So-called "higher-criticism" is taught in some academic circles, but rarely in churches. I'm sure you can find a church
SOMEWHERE that teaches it, but most churches do NOT.
In the past 20 years, JAL hasn't learned that other Christians are not all uniformly a bunch of idiots. He's not gone beyond
the self-serving claims of vpw, who insisted that to leave his group was to leave any hope of knowing the truth.
In fact, JAL's promulgating that HIS group is now the sole source of truth on earth.]
I don’t know where else we could have heard the “package” of biblical truth we heard in TWI. Admittedly, most of the major doctrinal components of that package were being taught by some Christians, with varying degrees of accuracy, but none that I know of put together as many into a package as TWI did. Let’s begin with what I mentioned about E.W. Bullinger’s contribution to TWI, which was HUGE, because his basic approach to Scripture is what facilitates one being able to discover its inherent keys and utilize them to derive the Author’s originally intended meaning.
TWI taught us to approach the Word with the “It is written” conviction that it is what it says it is, and that it cannot contradict itself. That alone is enough to at least identify error about the Bible, and the keys to the Word’s interpretation we were taught enabled us to understand it, take its truth into our hearts, and apply it on a daily basis.
[And yet, supposed mastery of these principles provided NO protection from embracing Momentus as something EVERY Christian
should take, and the bizarre "personal prophecy" doctrine that was a major scandal in CES/STFI.
The supposed unenlightened Christians out there didn't make those mistakes....]
Given that the identity of Jesus Christ is the world’s biggest deal, I would have to say that chief among the wonderful biblical truths we heard in TWI was that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (not God), the Man who mediates between God and men, and that the Trinity is a pagan fable. Some ex-Way saints now say this distinction is not that important, but I assert that God thinks differently, given what He says in His Word (e.g., 2 Cor. 4:3,4).
[Must be why he spent whole chapters of Scripture explaining it in clear, unambiguous terms.
What? He didn't?
Then, he must surely have stated that salvation is dependent upon this.
What? He didn't?
Then, perhaps God doesn't think this distinction is that important.
I assert that matters that are critical, are made clear BY God, and don't require specialized study.
God gives light to the simple.]
Yes, TWI failed to teach us that we can have an intimate relationship with the Lord Jesus, but there were not too many other places where we could have heard that Jesus is not the “eternally begotten” Second Person of the Trinity.
[There were a number, actually. If one is set on making that the doctrinal make-or-break.]
I’d have to say that the next most important biblical truth we heard in TWI was what we then called the “Mystery,” and, correspondingly, what parts of Scripture are written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to Christians regarding either the past, the present, or the future. For the record, we have since learned that “Sacred Secret” is a more accurate way of rendering the Greek, musterion.
Ephesians is the apex of the Church Epistles (the primary curriculum for Christian living), and it clearly shows that the Body of Christ (the “one new man” of Chapter 2, verse 15) is the most unique group of people who have ever lived, chiefly because of the permanence of our salvation and our holy spirit equipping. 1 Corinthians 2:8 chimes in with the monumental (and generally overlooked) truth that had Satan known the Sacred Secret, he would not have crucified Jesus!
[i reject the claim that any ONE Epistle is greater than the others. Romans explains the path of salvation.
Thessalonians explains the hope of Christ's return.
Without those subjects, Ephesians doesn't matter much.
Furthermore, since JAL took vpw's word that the Gospels are not written to Christians at all,
I question just how accurate OR useful the distinctions are between "to whom." Few Christians read the Old Testament and claim it's of equal
relevance to Christians as the New Testament-all of which was written after Pentecost, and is thus written TO us,
no matter what vpw said.]
In terms of biblical error that is practically debilitating to one’s quality of life,
I see nothing more important than knowing what Scripture is written to whom, when, and in particular what is written to us as Christians today. The Church’s failure to understand this central truth has led to its trying to live in accordance with directives pertaining to other people at other times. It is only in the Church Epistles that a Christian finds his true identity “in Christ,” as well as his true Hope. Simply put, the Word of God will never fit together without contradiction if one does not understand the “administrations” therein, and in particular this current “administration of the Sacred Secret” (Eph. 3:9).
Yes, there are quite a few Christians who have a “Dispensational” view of Scripture, but the vast majority of them fail to grasp that Jesus is not God and that he did not know the Sacred Secret.
[Nothing like making an arbitrary distinction between YOUR group and other Christians to define the
line between "us" and "them", and make "them" a bunch of idiots.]
Most think that parts of the Four Gospels and of the Book of Revelation speak of the Christian Church, but that is not the case. The Gospels record the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ’s first coming to the earth to Israel (his suffering), and Revelation records the fulfillment of the prophecies about his second coming to the earth to Israel (his glory).
[i haven't heard Christians claiming these errors JAL is claiming they do, and, apparently, I interact with them in a meaningful
way a LOT more than he does.]
Another major truth we learned in TWI, which is unknown to most Christians, is that of the Giver and the gift, and, correspondingly, that speaking in tongues is available to all Christians because it is a manifestation of holy spirit, not a gift. We also learned the indispensable truth that speaking in tongues is the only absolute proof that one is saved. How many tens of thousands of people did those truths alone set free?
[if that was the make-or-break, surely God Almighty is not so impotent that all the Christians between 99AD and 1941
would have been left in darkness, and nearly all those in the 20th century likewise.
As for the manifestation of holy spirit, there's a spectrum of Christian beliefs concerning this.
"Charismatic" Christians put this into practice to varying degrees.
Also, it's obvious Stiles and Leonard understood this subject better than vpw, if you bother to look into them.]
TWI also taught us that death is, in fact, the end of life, and that our true Hope for new life in the coming age is to be raised from the dead and meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the Tribulation (the “time of Jacob’s trouble” – Jer.30:7). What percentage of Christians do you think know this?
[More than 1%, certainly, which would not be the case if it was a twi exclusive.
twi's taught this one, and the non-Trinity, to a tiny fraction of people in comparison to, say, who the Watchtower Society has taught either.]
Although TWI failed to teach us that Paradise (the new earth), not heaven, will be our everlasting home, thank God we learned that resurrection is much more than an incorporeal “soul” once again getting a body.
And TWI pointed us toward an understanding of the figures of speech in the Bible (thanks to Bullinger), of which little is known in theological circles.
[Depends on the figure of speech. Most common figures are evident to a casual read-simile, metaphor....]
This included the figurative language in the Old Testament that helped us see that God is not responsible for evil or suffering, nor is He in control of everything that happens.
[Yet God is sovereign, which IS the main point.]
Like I, you may know of some ministries that do teach some of these truths, but I submit that until 1987 there was nowhere other than TWI to find all of them taught as accurately as they were there. That is why The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly significant Christian movement.
[Perhaps.
On the other hand, where else outside of twi would you have found a supposed Christian organization where its founder claimed
to have heard from God when he didn't, where he funnelled the money for his creature comforts and his vices,
where the progress of genuine Christians (Leonard, the Jesus People) was STRANGLED to strengthen the organization,
where its founder required leadership candidates to write a biography which was then used to help select which of them
he was going to rape or molest, or where he implied all his doctrines came directly from God while some of them
came from conspiracy/rumor mills? All while claiming everyone else walked in error?
In all this, The Way International stands out on the spectrum of Church history as an amazingly corrupted Christian movement.
It takes a backseat to the Branch Davidians, but it also damaged more people than Koresh's group did.
Harsh? Well, you were the one who wanted to compare twi to other Christians...
I think few Christians would be willing to accept a group doing that to anyone in exchange for a greater understanding
of the Bible- presuming twi had a greater understanding of the Bible. And most Christians love God and would accept
knowing Him better. I think they consider God's Love more important than God's Knowledge.
I think they're right, too.]
As far as I can see, TWI was also about the most disparate dichotomy of good and evil in the history of Christianity. Like the wheat and the tares growing up together, tremendous truth and egregious evil shared the ministry platform.
[i agree about the "egregious evil."
I assert that the "tremendous truth" position was largely a matter of "believing one's own press releases", and that this was
an unrealistic position, relying only on the constant repetition in twi that it contained "tremendous truth."
Many FELT like they had "tremendous truth." I certainly did- but I was young and naive. I have learned things in the
past 20 years about God Almighty and about my fellow Christians, and I feel no need to attempt to
"continue to wear the footsie pajamas" of twi doctrine when I can "put on the jacket-and-tie" of God's Love
and mature Christianity.)
(Hey, if JAL can make silly analogies about bathtubs and plates of food, I can make ones about wardrobe.)]
Many people look back on their TWI experience with nothing but thankfulness, while others rue their free will choice to stay involved as long as they did because of the abuse they suffered. Some have been stymied by self-condemnation due to the abuses they themselves committed.
[And some live in utter denial that they inadvertently took part in things that hurt others,
and some KNOW they did INTENTIONALLY and refuse to face it.]
No doubt there are also many who recognize that they heard the Word like they never had, who have allowed the Lord Jesus to heal any wounds they suffered in TWI, and who have since experienced spiritual growth far beyond what they ever imagined back in “the good old days.”
[And many more recognize that vpw and twi was overblown and didn't match its hype, but think we learned SOME accurate
things, went on to Jesus healing us, maturing in our understanding, and grew once we were free of the mental straitjacket
of the twi paradigm. Many of us who can say that have posted, or currently post, at the GSC.]
I hope you are in that last category, and if you’re not, you can be. Even if people badly abused and disappointed you, you can turn to the Lord Jesus, he who is The Way to wholeness in all categories of heart and life. His love and truth will heal your heart and help you forgive and move forward with him toward the same goal you once had. You have a ministry in the Body of Christ, and he who is the Head longs to help you fulfill that calling. It was neither your heavenly Father nor your Lord who hurt you, nor does whatever happened to you change anything the Word says. God’s promises are still true, and they are yours for the believing.
The Way, we were. If you once sat through PFAL, you heard the Word of God taught more accurately than the vast majority of Christians who have ever drawn breath.
[if you keep telling yourself that over and over, and hide from all the evidence otherwise,
you can spend the rest of your life believing that piece of fiction, that rural myth.
If you can't live without embracing a lie, it's not that unbearable.
Many of us would rather suffer the consequences of seeing and accepting the unvarnished truth,
no matter how ugly the truth is, and no matter how pretty the lies are.
Take your pick.]
As a fellow PFAL grad, I identify with you, and have an affinity for you and a desire to encourage you to take advantage of the truth you once heard, if you are not already doing so. Along with me, you will one day stand before our precious Lord Jesus Christ, who will reward you according to how you have lived your life as a Christian. In essence, he will ask each of us something like this: “What did you do with what you knew?”
[Jesus' question will be dependent upon our intellectual knowledge?
Chapter and verse, please.]
For a detailed list of biblical subjects I think TWI mishandled, click here.
If you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at jalces@aol.com
[Lest we forget, here's the commercial one last time....]
Please check out what we are doing to keep the Word alive and moving all over the world:
www.STFonline.org and www.TruthOrTradition.com
Your brother in Christ,
John A. Lynn
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oldiesman
Indeed, it would appear he was a great man who shunned finger-pointing victim mentality by accepting personal responsibility for the outcome of his destiny. A real winning attitude!
"Find out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them; and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."
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WordWolf
It's a famous old joke I'm reminded of.
A teacher wanted to show the harmful effects of alcohol.
First, he dropped a worm in a glass of pure water, which didn't harm it at all.
Then, he dropped the worm in a glass of pure alcohol, which killed it instantly.
When he asked his class what they learned, one student in the back said
"If you drink lots of alcohol, you won't have worms!"
===========
If one is determined to only seeing things their own way, it doesn't matter what the subject
is-they'll be able to cherry-pick, change the subject, and legitimize their point of view.
"People project their own personalities, fears and desires onto everything they read and will argue black is white if need be."
-Grant Morrison
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