The Way. It Was.

[John Lynn]

The Way. It was.By John A. LynnIn 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. (http://www.swiftlynx.com/beyondTheWayInternational/)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 and 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 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 Old Testament 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, see the following link: http://www.christianeducational.org/25diffTWI.htmIf you would like to discuss with me about what I have written, please contact me at [e-mail]]

[John Richeson]

George how about this, ha, ha,

[Frank Abissi]

A vote for Davis Crowell is a vote for sanity.

A chicken in every pot and a glass of wine at every table - Vote Davis for Senator

[Davis Crowell]

Yup! All you guys are like.... really really smart and good thinkers! Once again thanks for striving for civility.

Hey! I've bin' in Chicago since '79 and have bin' labeled a "Chicago street guy" at times. I'm in wine sales and I go to a number of tastings throughout the city tasting what my competition has to offer. All these guys and gals, plus myself, will stand around and taste wines and try to show each other how smart we are. We talk about the "terrior", we talk about the guy or gal who made the wine, the region it's from ,etc.

I've concluded and I use the term, forgive me ladies, "mental masturbation"...Yea!..Each person present is trying to show the other how smart they are.....kinda like what ended up on this blog....So what happened?
We took our ball and went home,..... Like what would happen if the kid, in the ballgame on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon felt he was being picked on by the bigger kids would do, if he brought the ball.

I've resolved for '09 to help more people, to be kinder, to tell them about the joy that I have in my life and how they can get it.

Billy Britt just posted a blog about time ( kinda deep but read it.) Lets not waste time "splittin' hairs", lets not dwell on the "time" that's in the past, lets continue to be the ones who can help those who struggle with their idenity gain time. Hey!.... lets be the ones who take the good in life and lay aside that which causes stife and maybe help add a bit of good time/s in someones life.

You know we can do this while Gaza is being bombed or while IL. struggles with the wacky govonor of IL. as he appoints, Roland Burris, to the U.S. senate ( FYI: I want the senate job now, I don't wanna be the govonor).

This is a "heavily traveled" blog. I wanna come back to it, I like this kind of "road" at times, so behave yourselves!

Peace and "good times"

[George M. Hendrix]

This may be trivial, and I'm sure well known experiencially to us all here.......but thought I would mention it anyway.
Without looking into one's eyes, seeing their facial expressions, and hearing their voice inflections, it is so easy to read into and misjudge what one is saying exactly and how exactly they are saying it when discussing something.
I started emailing in 1990, when I bought my first computer. Over the years, I have seen how easy it is to be misunderstood and misunderstand what others are saying. Email can easily suggest an attitude that is not really there. That said though, correct me if I'm wrong here John R., but I don't think this blog or any other blog on this site, should tolerate harsh personal and condescending criticisms and judgments towards one another. We have to be mature enough and willing to set aside our egos, and agree that we can disagree with one another, and still love one another. Does that sound too bubble gum? Or how's this? Can't we just all get along? Group hug?! Your right, enough alright already! Present the facts, make your point, but please do not get into harsh criticisms and judgments against a persons heart....should not a person mature in the love of God, be able to do and be that?
Someone correct me if necessary...but no one ministry, church, man, denomination, etc. has the perfectly finished packaged Word of God. The Bible doesn't mention a "right-divided" Word of God, but it does in 2 Timothy 2:15, depending on what translation you look at, exhort us to participate in a "right dividing," a "handling aright," "correctly handles," correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching]. But, is there such a thing as "the rightly divided word," the finished product, once and for all, this is it, we've done it, here it is, line up with this or else? Maybe, maybe not!? One thing is very clear in the Word of God...that is to esteem others better than ourselves, and to pursue that which makes for peace, and to be especially kind to those or the household of faith ( whatever that means?)
That said, I think our hearts are all after the same thing....to love God with all our hearts, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. I think we all still want to effect others with the love of God.
I am done rambling now....love you all
George

[Frank Abissi]

Steve: at the expense of sounding too wayfer-ish

you said "My point that I've been laboring to make here is that this is only a big deal (big enough to split the sheets over) if we want to make it one. Again, what's the point? Where's the gain? If you're willing to admit to the fact that there's an element of mystery to this issue, that in all honesty it seems to be greater than our finite brains can know, then we ex-Way types can do ministry with the rest of Christendom--and why not? There are battles worth fighting"

What is imortant to realize is tha the identity of Jesus Christ is what you have called in question. When you put him as a god-man you ae really stripped away his identity as a man who walke perfectly with God and died for our sins. This is the worlds biggest deal. You are actually saying that there are more important things .than knowing who Jesus Christ really is.

I had the unique pleasure of being able to call Dr. Bruce Metzger my friend. He once told me that this was an area that he saw much confusion in the world about. We talked once about the "Italian Anti-Trinitarians" of the 1600's and what they believed was that there was a monotheistic God who created a man to be specifically his chosen, annonted child.

So whats the point? where is the gain? you ask for an admission that there is an element of mystery to this issue. Sorry but I don't think you are going to get it. If I were in Johns shoes I would never do that becasue the truth of the fact tat Jesus is the son and God is the father and that Jesus is not a god-man like those on Mt. Olympus ready to do whaever. I cannot associate with a god-man. I can with another man but not with a savior who was i all points tempted like me and yet without sin.

Well, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds but I wanted to adress your last post because wha you are telling us is o go back tothe dark ages, lke the ones I went through before PFAL and nod that the whole damm thing is a mystery. Next timeI talk the about the goodness of God to someone I will be sure to tell him tha the whole thing about our saviour is a mystery like you are saying

[John Lynn]

Hey there.

Bless you, one and all. I'm not invested in continuing this dialogue if it is to no profit, but I am trying to stand up for the Word of God as the bottom line for truth. If any of you want to dialogue with me in the Word, let's do it via email so as not to get out of bounds with what brother John intends for this site.

John, I was not speaking of your neighbor, or any other Muslim who wants to peacefully co-exist with us. Bless them. I was speaking of those who adhere to what the Koran clearly says, which is to kill all infidels. A cursory glance at history will show that world domination is the unwavering goal of Islam, and that its history is a bloody one. Look at what is going on in the world today--virtually every conflict is due to Islamists pushing their agenda, and they are slaughtering innocent people all over the world. I don't think we should let them kill us.

Dan, first of all, you are presumptuously judging me as being unloving because I said I would defend myself. You do not know me at all, so how can you say that I love only those who agree with me? If you read what I wrote, you noted that I lovingly engaged the Muslim after the debate I mentioned, and would do so with anyone. Then you say that I have disregarded the words of Jesus, which leads me to believe that you did not read the article I referenced, in which we explain that what Jesus said had nothing to do with protecting our lives, defending ourselves, etc. If you want to address me in regard to that article, feel free to email and I'll be happy to dialogue with you. Your comment about the "lower case 'l'" was unkind, as well as inaccurate, for Jesus is the only Lord, so it is properly capitalized. On the other hand, as I stated, men are called "god" in Scripture, and the lower case accurately distinguishes it from the one true "God." I hope you will study that for yourself.

The Book of Revelation is not in the OT, and there it is JESUS, whose encouragement to love our enemies is well taken, in its context, who will kill all his enemies. Again, our article addresses this whole issue, and we did our best to take into consideration every pertinent verse. If you have not read it, I hope you will.

Stephen, I'll not again belabor the point that every argument you have brought up is addressed in detail in our 688 page book, ONE GOD & ONE LORD. VPW's JCNG was a beginning, but OGOL goes far beyond that, and with a much softer and gentler attitude. For example, of course people "worshipped" Jesus, and so do I. A study of the word proskuneo will show why, and it is not because Jesus is God. Scripture clearly states who Jesus is, and thus who he is not. There is no mystery about it because did not give us His Word to keep us guessing, but so that we would KNOW HIM and His Son. Why not read the book and see if it does not both enlighten and inspire you, as it has many, many people searching for the truth.

I love you all.

John

[Davis Crowell]

Ok!...I've had just about enough of this!....I'm gonna come over there and "kick" some serious butt!

Jesus I know, Paul I know and gosh darnit I think I know each one of you!.... John Lynn!... as I said earlier you are a wonderful guy...Yea!... you said some things that irritated me and a few here...but crap!...Its friggin' John Lynn...the guy who has stirred up our thoughts for so many years...and for that I say thanks!...and another thing....I like this blog you started...Yes! ...You said some things that "rubbed me the wrong way"...but you're John Lynn and you will always be John Lynn...the guy that either is loved or the guy that conjurs up negative "stuff" in our minds.

As for me I "dig" you..you know why?....Cause God and His son asked me to! So all you other guys here, take a "chill pill" and lets keep those "warm and fuzzy" juices flowing.

Ok!...Now what do we do? Are we gonna' be civil with one another? As I stated earlier if you persist I'm gonna get Ted Ferrel and David Bailey to come make a "call" on the next person that p_isses me off!

HAPPY HAPPY '09

[John Richeson]

Dan - how can you judge John like the following you stated?

"Your love is reserved for those who agree with you"

How do you know who he loves and who he doesn't?

Double WTF??

See why this thread sucks now? Somebody shoot it and put it out of it's misery before it hurts someone.

No, shoot me!

Stephen Kingsley, thanks for your interesting views and for not attacking someone in the process. That's cool. I encourage you to start your own Blog and get out of this one.

[Stephen Kingsley]

A last plea for love's sake and reason. After this, I'm likely to bow out here. Too many other things to do and my dear wife is mad at me for spending too much time at the computer (she's right of course). I love you all and thank you for hearing me out.

As I said in my first posting on this important blog, "Wierwille's Jesus Christ is not God (JCING) doctrine is a teaching that tells a small part of the truth while insisting it is the whole truth." Though I'm not anti-Trinitarian (because I understand what the early authorities were trying to protect) I doubt too many Trinitarians would appreciate my position. I at least partly agree with the statement “Jesus Christ is not God.” What I can not in good conscience agree with is that though at least partly true, that it is the whole truth. To say that with authority I would have to read it as a plain absolute statement of truth from the pen of such an authority as one of the founder-like apostles or prophets. God certainly and repeatedly says enough in the whole of Scripture to indicate that there is more to Jesus than meets the eye or registers in the wee mind of man. Jesus sometimes spoke as a man; and at other times as God (and without the customary "thus saith the Lord"). Jesus said, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up (Jn. 2:19)." And "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not (Lk. 13:34)." Jesus was the only-begotten Son of God. What does that mean? How was that done? I don't know. The Bible says, "God was in Christ (2 Co. 5:19)." How exactly? I don't really know. Where did God end and Christ begin? I don't know. It doesn't appear that the Lord's own Jewish disciples knew either: "And when they saw him [Jesus], they worshipped him (Mt. 28:17)." Now if God wanted to clear up any mystery on this matter and give us what we needed to make a slice and dice absolute declaration of "Jesus Christ is not God" then he certainly wasn't helping matters by allowing monotheistic Jews to worship the man Jesus. My problem is not the JCING teaching so much as the absoluteness it implies. That AND that if you really believe it true (as in the whole truth) then you must yet hold to the same conclusion we proclaimed in the old Way-daze: “Trinitarians are idolators.” How about it John Lynn? Answer please. Are Trinitarians idolators? Were the apostles who worshipped Jesus idolators too?

I've yet to meet an absolute Trinitarian. For example in my coming out of the Way period, I met a highly educated Seminary professor. He was shocked that I claimed to be a Christian and admitted that I had been in the Way Int’l. He asked me how I could ever have supported Wierwille's Jesus Christ is not God position. I said, "Let me ask you a question. When Jesus died did God die?" He answered no. I said "Then wouldn't you have to agree that the statement "Jesus Christ is not God is at least partly true?" He said, "Well, in his humanity I guess I'd have to say so." Then he changed the topic and we moved on.

My point that I've been laboring to make here is that this is only a big deal (big enough to split the sheets over) if we want to make it one. Again, what's the point? Where's the gain? If you're willing to admit to the fact that there's an element of mystery to this issue, that in all honesty it seems to be greater than our finite brains can know, then we ex-Way types can do ministry with the rest of Christendom--and why not? There are battles worth fighting.

I’m all about resolving apparent Bible contradictions. I’ve sought out some of the world’s top atheist Bible scholars, listened to their arguments, and debated them. It’s good fun and extremely educational. They’re the enemy God has given us. They’re making great nearly militant strides into culture trying to steal away the faith of Christian children. IMO the scriptural difficulties (apparent contradictions) concerning the godhead are much easier resolved with a nod to mystery (there’s more to this than can be known) than by trying to make all (100 +) verses agree with the Jesus Christ is not God position. Maybe it can be done, but doing so convincingly is an incredibly tough sell.

[George M. Hendrix]

Ouch! Dan.
Ouch! Steve.