WRESTING THE SCRIPTURES [2nd Peter 3:15]

Dictionary definition of Wrest = Distort into accordance with one’s interests or views.

I think any one who has read the writings of David Berg extensively would be aware of the fact that he didn’t have too much good to say about the apostle Paul.

Over all I think it’s fair to say he considered Paul to be some what of a woman hater, and to have certain sexual hang-ups.

It’s easy to see why he didn’t like Paul seeing that it was Paul who wrote a good deal of the New Testament, dealing with subjects that were often contrary and in opposition to David Bergs ‘Law of Love’.

It would certainly make David Bergs job of selling the ‘Law of Love’ doctrine to his followers much easier if he could manage to discredit the Apostle Paul, which he succeeded in doing.

Quoting from the section [LAW OF LOVE Basic Mop page 351 no.8]
“The Lord is writing a new testament for a new day and a new age, and we don’t have to go by Paul anymore!”

In this statement David Berg was obviously alluding to the fact that Paul’s writings did not comply with his new ‘Law of Love’ doctrine, what he’s actually saying here is,

“I’m coming out with a new testament, a new revelation and doctrine that is contrary to what Paul wrote”.

The above quote from the basic Mop is one of many that David Berg either directly or indirectly quoted against the Apostle Paul, on one occasion he even referred to the ‘Legalism of Paul’.

When it suited him however he was quite willing to quote Paul in a better light especially if it favoured or seemed to favour his ‘Law of Love’ doctrine, as in the famous ‘All Things’ quote.

1 Cor.6:12 All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me but I will not be bought under the power of any.

Of course he neglected to quote what Paul had said just a few verses earlier in the very same chapter.

1Cor.6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind. See also [Mark 7:21-22]

It’s quite obvious from this verse written just three verses earlier that 1Cor.6:12 was taken completely out of context and that Paul was in no way giving the green light to adultery, prostitution, incest or other sexual acts such as homosexuality.

Out of context from Wikipidia. The practice of “quoting out of context” is a logical fallacy and type of false attribution in which a passage is removed from it’s surrounding matter in such a way as to distort its intended meaning.

Another good example of this is the ‘decievers yet true’ verse, this allowed David Berg’s followers to incorporate deception into their fund raising in order to achieve what they deemed to be a greater good. ‘Let us do evil that good may come’ [the bible says] I prefer to quote a good old Yiddish proverb. ‘A half truth is a whole lie’   

David Berg would also use the scriptures to cover himself when necessary and in so doing would sometimes trip himself up, as in this quote again taken from the section ‘LAW OF LOVE’ in the Basic Mop.

[LAW OF LOVE Basic Mop page 351 no.13] “We believe that any thing that is done in love and not ‘strictly forbidden in Scripture’ is perfectly legitimate”.

Why would David Berg say that? Well when someone in the Family would ask “Doesn’t the ‘Law of Love’ permit me to have a homosexual relationship”, some thing David Berg was very much apposed to. He would then be able to say

“Sorry the scriptures strictly forbid it.” 

Well yes Mr Berg they do strictly forbid homosexuality but in case you didn’t notice they also strictly forbid adultery, fornication, prostitution, child adult sex, incest, the list goes on.

David Berg also used inferences very well, such as his often quoted example of Jesus forgiving the woman taken in Adultery. The inference being that Jesus somehow condoned Adultery or at least didn’t look on it as quite such a bad sin.

Well I am sorry Mr Berg but Jesus did not condone the Act of Adultery, notice when he forgave the woman he said to her, “Go and sin no more”.

The Implication from Jesus being that what she had done was in fact a sin, and that she was not to do it again. [John 8:3-11]

[He certainly wasn’t saying for her to literally go and ‘never sin again’ as he more than any one new that that would not be possible for her or anyone, accept himself.]

Further evidence of Jesus being apposed to adultery is in the book of Mark.

[Mark 7:21] “For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders”. See also [Mat.15:19]

The above are just a few examples of the many instances where David Berg twisted the scriptures to suit his own doctrine, and when he couldn’t do that then he would simply say.

“It’s a new revelation from God, so forget about what Paul or even the Bible says.”

It’s interesting to note that the word ‘wicked’ derives from the root word wicker, which literally means to ‘twist’, as in wicker work or [basket work]. So for example another way of describing someone as having wicked thoughts would be to say they have ‘twisted’ thoughts.

No doubt David Berg would very much like to forget the following warnings and admonitions given by the Apostle Paul, the first in [Gal 1:8] and repeated in verse [9].

[Gal.1:8-9] “But though we or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”.

Or this one in Corinthians -

[2 Cor.11:4] “For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted”.

Seeing as we began with David Bergs attitude towards the Apostle Paul lets see what the Apostle Peter had to say about this great man of God, from whence also we get the quote ‘Wresting the Scriptures’.

[2nd Peter 3:15] “And account that the long suffering of our Lord is Salvation; even as our beloved Paul also according to the wisdom given him hath written unto you; As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; hard to be understood which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures to their own destruction. You beloved knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of Lawless people and loose your stability”.

It’s interesting to note that in spite of clashing with Paul and even being on the receiving end of a rebuke from Paul, Peter still has the grace to speak respectfully of him, calling him beloved. No doubt he saw for himself first hand the grace of God that Paul had.

There is no doubt an element of truth to the ‘Law of Love’ doctrine, through out the bible we see instances of God appearing to break his own laws and operating contrary to them. However these instances are very much the exceptions than the rule and in all honesty should remain so.

What David Berg succeeded in doing and doing well, was not in practicing the ‘Law of Love’ or in getting us to practice it, but he succeeded in ‘Perverting Gods Grace’.

[Jude 1:4] Un Godly men turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jude clearly shows that there were so called “Christians” in the 1st century who were already perverting ‘Gods Grace’, claiming that it allowed them to live an immoral lifestyle. These people were practicing ‘lasciviousness’ disguised as ‘liberty from the Law’.

Other words for lascivious are, immoral, impure, obscene, wicked, self-indulgent Etc.
See also [Mark7:21-22]

So you see what David Berg attempted to do with the ‘Law of Love’ doctrine is nothing new I am sure it’s something Satan has tried numerous times over the past 2000 years.

There is one more instance in scripture that makes it very clear that God does not favour this Doctrine, and it happened long before the Laws of Moses even came into being.

Genesis [12:15-20] and [Genesis 20:2-18]
In both these instances we see God dealing severely with two Kings, Pharaoh King of Egypt and Abimelech King of the Philistines, because they attempted to take Sarah Abraham’s wife.
On both of these occasions it is stated these men were prevented from having sexual intercourse with Sarah, not by Abraham, but by God Himself. Why? Because Sarah was another mans wife that’s why.
If we were to go by the Gospel according to David Berg then what would have been wrong with Sara having sex with these men, wouldn’t it be an ideal opportunity to witness to them and show them Gods love in a real and tangible way? I leave you to answer that one.

Conclusion, David Berg did have twisted thoughts, in particular twisted sexual thoughts. Consequently he twisted the scriptures to align with his own thoughts; in effect turning the [Grace of God] or [Law of Love] into lasciviousness, i.e. perversion, self indulgence Etc.

See [2nd Peter 3:15] [Jude 1:4] [Mark 7:22]

To remove any further doubt he used his revered standing as the ‘End Time Prophet’ to say he had received a new revelation from God on the subject, issuing in a new testament.

It’s amazing the lengths to which David Berg went in order to achieve this diseption, further evidence if any were needed of the demonic hold it actually had over him.

Contrary to what he had to say about the Apostle Paul it was most likely David Berg himself who had the major sexual problems and hang ups, not Paul.[How often the case]

It’s sad that David Berg yielded to this sexually twisted side of his nature, he began so well. The Lord really did use him to start a spirit filled Christian movement, ‘The Children of God’.

Unfortunately Maria and Peter have chosen to continue on in the same vein as David Berg, obsessed with Sex and the Occult, i.e. necromancy, mediums, spiritism, demons, Etc.

Not to mention the use of False Prophesy and False doctrines, such as the Power of the Keys and the ‘Loving Jesus Revelation’

The Family is a dying movement, 422 people left in 2004; only 14% of its adult population are Second generation adults, which means 86% of Family adults, are in there fifties & sixties.

The above has since been some what revised by Peter but I can assure you it was presented so in the stats given for 2004 to 2005.

690 F.G.A.s alone left in 2005 no doubt the fall out due to the tradgic circumstances surounding the deaths of Ricky and Angela, approxamately 1,800 people have voted with their feet and left the ‘Family’ in the last two years.

Soon they will all be propped up like El Sid, riding off into the distance with their C.D.s, Videos, Posters Balloons and activated mags strapped to their sides. [Very sad]

Intelligent young people do not want to [are not going to want to] stay in or remain part of a group that has such twisted doctrines and practices, and rightly so.

As soon as any young person is made fully aware of David Berg’s iniquities and is able to reach an informed decision, they are immediately abhorred and often choose to leave the Family.

Unfortunately in so doing they often forsake their Faith also, being unable to differentiate between Faith and belief in God, and their Life in the Family.

“It were better for him that that a mill stone were hanged around his neck and he be cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones.” [Luke 17-2]

In this writing I again call on Family Leadership to show Moral Courage and renounce all False Doctrines, Teachings and Practices namely the Sexual and Occultist ones.

Sincerely Yours [Steve Matheson]

Below are just a few of the numerous scriptures that teach against these doctrines.

[Mat.15:19] For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses blaspheme:

[Mark7:21-22] For from within out of the heart of men proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.

[1Cor.6:9] Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.

[Heb 13:4] Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongerers and adulterers God will judge.

[Leviticus 19:21] Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore; lest the land fall to whoredom, and the land become full of wickedness.

[Leviticus 18:10] The nakedness of thy son’s daughter thou shalt not uncover.

[Deuteronomy 27:20-23] Cursed be he who lays with his sister, the daughter of his Father or the daughter of his mother.

[Rev. 22:15] For without are dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongerers and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

See also [1Cor.6:9] [Leviticus 18:6-16]

[Leviticus 20:16] The person who turns after mediums and familiar spirits, God says He would set his face against that person and cut him off from his people.

[Leviticus19:31] Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits, do not seek after them to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

[Isaiah 8.19]And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? For the living to the dead.

[Leviticus 20:27] A Man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit shall surely be put to death.

See also [Deuteronomy 18.10-12] [Lev.19:31] [2 Kings 23:24]

[Deuteronomy 18:20-22] But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, even that prophet shall die. When a prophet speaketh in the name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord hath not spoken, but the Prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.

[2 Cor.11:4] For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted.

[Gal.1:8-9] “But though we or an Angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed”.