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Introduction and Purpose
By Mahlon Wickey, June 2007Thank you for hitting on my personal web site. First of all I want to mention that I was born into the old-order Amish faith and left the Amish in 1969, and I must say when I left it was a very stressful and trying experience for my wife and I and three young children and everyone involved. But I did not (I repeat, I did not) leave the Amish faith because I wanted the modern conveniences such as a car and other things that the Amish call "worldly". I left simply because of what I began to understand from reading an English Bible, and I could understand why the Amish interpret the scriptures in the way they do, and then I truly was compelled to leave the Amish religion.
Most of my life I had a profound interest in the Bible, and I started writing articles in 1995 and a few years later this web site was originally designed and posted on the internet. I should mention that since it is hosted free of charge I want to apologize for all the ads and distractions that might open up on this page. Due to serious Bible study in recent years I have since changed my beliefs on several doctrines, but my original writings to this web site have NOT been revised and updated to reflect my changed personal beliefs. Therefore I have decided to remove my original writings from this page and off the internet since they no longer truly reflect what I now believe. My interest in the Bible led me to join the World Wide Church of God in 1969, but I later left this Church when I became aware of the truth on "Church government".
As the years went by I became involved with what is known as the "Israel" message and truth. Not to go into detail what the "Israel" truth is but due to being led in other areas of theology I have also departed from the "Israel" movement, but I did NOT denounce that there is an Israel "after the flesh" people in today's world that most Churches ignore or are simply unaware of. Please bear with me as I want to write just a few short paragraphs as a sort of introduction to the purpose of this updated web site which came as a result of my recent personal studies.
In recent years I became aware of why the modern churches are divided in their interpretation and understanding of scripture; hence all the different and opposing doctrines. Yet the irony is that all the Churches read and teach generally from the SAME scriptures! Granted, there are many translations but all these translations were supposedly taken from the same Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. So the question must be asked; why all the different interpretations of scripture? I truly believe the major flaw is that the Churches have build their doctrinal foundations on TRANSLATED words and traditions, and not necessarily on the original inspired words of God. The point I'm making is that the Bibles we have in our possession are only translations and versions of the inspired words; therefore our Bibles are NOT the inspired words of God! I know this statement will offend some people simply because they put their theological trust in certain translations such as the King James Bible. The obvious principle is that if doctrines are built around translated words then the result is various interpretations and confusion. God is not the author of confusion (1Corinthians 14:33), therefore He is NOT the author of all the beliefs and doctrines that caused the many denominations and divided Churches we see in today's world.
But I want to clarify that it still could be said that our Bibles are spiritual books with a spiritual message, simply because they are accurate enough to cause people to be emotionally touched by the grace and love of God, and what Christ did for us at Calvary. The Bible is also able to cause awareness of the seriousness of the judgments of God. But the fact remains that there are examples of major errors in the KJ Bible (and others). I want to point out that if we are serious about loving God (since He first loved us) then we must love the truth of His inspired words. That requires that we make an honest effort to study the meanings of His original inspired words, and then BELIEVE them in spite of our beloved so-called Christian traditions!
I repeat, it most certainly would be in our own best theological interests to study the meanings of the original words of the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts. It is the meanings of these original words that point to spiritual truths and concepts that CANNOT be understood by the "normal", natural, and literal thinking of carnal minds. If sincere study into the meanings of the original words is NOT done then this is precisely why sincere believers understand and explain scripture in different opposing ways from reading the SAME words found in our English Bibles!
The words of the original manuscripts were deliberately designed and inspired by an All-wise God for the very reason that His words must be spiritually discerned, and therefore can ONLY be understood with spiritual minds revealed by the Holy Spirit of God. The point is, the normal natural literal thinking of carnal man, through no fault of his own, CANNOT know the things of God (in the Greek it means he is not able or it is not possible). Please read 1Corinthians 2:14. This is why it could be said that the scriptures were generally written in symbolic and parable fashion, and it is also the premise of why Christ spoke in parables, as Christ himself explained in Matthew 13:10-13.
Salvation is the work of God! Salvation is NOT dependent on natural carnal minded man to choose on his own so-called "free will" since he is UNABLE to choose and believe the spiritual things of God. God has to first draw him; which in the Greek means to "drag off". Read John 6:44 and John 12:32. God has to spiritually drag the carnal SELF out of the natural man in order to awaken his spirit to change his thinking so that he is now ABLE to be aware of spiritual realities. Then and ONLY then is he able to "work out" his own salvation (NOT work "for" his salvation) as explained in Philippians 2:12. God is dragging and is choosing ONLY a company of overcoming "firstfruits" during this present evil world (age) to rule with Jesus Christ. What the modern Churches fail to understand is that God is NOT dragging and awakening the vast majority of mankind during this age of evil and deception.
Modern Christianity has acknowledged that the Bible is the inspired "Word of God", but strangely it is never explained WHICH Bible is inspired since there are many Bibles, versions, and translations which are all worded different, therefore subject to opposing doctrines. Very little study is required to recognize the flaws in modern translations, and it is therefore easy to know that certain words found in our Bibles (namely the KJV) should NOT be in our Bibles. It is these certain English words that have caused all the false concepts about God and His plan of salvation, reconciliation, and the restoring for all of His creation. This is the premise of the following articles found on this web page which explains what these certain words are.
Most truth seekers are aware that the Christian faith is a spiritual growth in the maturity of Jesus Christ. The point I want to make is that we should NOT stay as "babes" in Christ, and a serious study into the meanings of God's words will cause that spiritual growth in the maturity of Jesus Christ. But keep in mind, no good works of study or good works of charity can "earn" our salvation. Our salvation is a GIFT and it was earned ONLY by the sacrificial works of Jesus Christ. But to be "firstfruits" in the first resurrection we should go on to "perfection" (spiritual maturity); which means we are to LEAVE the beginning principles and teachings of the doctrine of Christ, and not go back and again lay a certain foundation (Hebrews 6:1). So my prayer is that these following articles will be helpful in your personal spiritual growth. But keep in mind, spiritual growth can only be caused by the Holy Spirit opening our minds so that we are ABLE to understand the meanings of the words of God.
By Mahlon Wickey June, 2007
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