Whycross.com
I just got through reading your email for June 6th and there was one regarding the site: www.whycross.com. I’ve been on that site exploring and the words that formed in my mind as I first started reading were “insidious”, “beguiling” “subversive”, and “poisonous”. I believe this site is just that in regards to the fundamentals of the Christian faith. The site seems to me to be mixing just enough “truth” in with the subtle poisoning or subversion of the true Scripture that only someone well versed in Bible study and the Scriptures would notice the differences.This site is, in my opinion, what we were told in the Gospels to be on the lookout for in the last days; a sort of Universalism of different religions if you will, in other words, false prophets. This is exactly what Christians need to be on guard about. A site and message that appears to support our belief in Scripture and the Lord Jesus Christ but, in reality, undermines those very same scriptures and belief that Jesus is Lord, Jesus is the ONLY Son of God and only through Him can ANYONE be saved.
All you need to do to see that what I say is true is go to the section of “Who ‘we’ Are”. They are “The Grammateus Institute”….”a Christian think tank dedicated to the research and compilation of useful Biblical writings that cross denominational boundaries and acknowledge the leadings of God’s Spirit throughout the Christian era.” Think about that statement and digest it a bit. That’s your first clue that something isn’t right about this site.
Next quote to consider: “The Institute exists to foster comparison and discussion of ‘fresh’ ideas that challenge orthodoxy, while seeking Biblical authentication for any concept that is advanced….Hopefully, the Institute can use the unprecedented technologies of the present to assist scholars, journalists, and Christian brethren to pursue Truth in an atmosphere of tolerance and love.” Think and meditate on this statement. They want “fresh” ideas that challenge orthodoxy. To me, this means challenging the fundamentals of Christianity, i.e. that Jesus is your only ticket to heaven. If you have not accepted Jesus as Messiah and your personal Savior and Lord then you don’t go to heaven. This is your second clue that something is wrong with this site. Also the phrase, “to pursue Truth in an atmosphere of tolerance and love.” is a dead giveaway as to the purpose of this group. The third clue is the word “tolerance”. The Gospels didn’t tell us to live quietly as Christians and “tolerate” other religions. We were told to go spread the Word and be missionaries and living witnesses that Jesus is Lord and Savior and except through Him no one comes to the Father.
Next quote to consider: “As most peole [sic] who study the Bible seriously soon discover, we have to be prepared to keep an open mind and follow God’s Word wherever it leads – even to conclusions which are not in keeping with many of the traditions of Christianity since the 3rd century C.E.” This quote doesn’t need much study to see why it is your fourth clue that something is seriously wrong with this site.
Next quote regarding their relationship with Jewish people: “We have a firmly non-proselytizing relationship with God’s chosen people, believing them to have a separate and distinct destiny in God’s plan.” Hmmm. My Scripture tells me that Jesus commanded us to proselytize regarding Him. It is clearly stated in many Scripture verses that even the Jewish people have to become believers in Jesus before they can go to heaven. In the book of Revelation Jewish people are clearly left from the Rapture and have to endure the tribulation and that God will divinely open the eyes of the 144,000 to the fact that Jesus was and is their true Messiah. Talk about proselytizing! These 144,000 Jews will bring new meaning to that word during the tribulation period. Anyway this quote should be your fifth clue that something is seriously wrong with this “Institute’s” thinking regarding Christianity. If they are “left behind” then why were they left behind; because they were not Believers of Christ? They were left out of the Rapture to face the great tribulation period. They were not part of the Bride of Christ that is to be “swept up”.
Last quote from the “Who ‘we’ Are” section: “And while we are definitely Christian in our perspective, not New Age or Ecumenical, we believe God loves and has provided for the future of the entire rest of the world – Moslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Shinto, etc.” No need for me to say too much more about this quote being your sixth clue. This is TOTALLY CONTRARY to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Scriptures. Remember above when I picked out the word “tolerance”? I knew this statement was coming before I had even read it.
Look how much material I got that is contradictory to Christian Scripture from just their “Who ‘we’ Are” section. There were many, many more quotes I could have used. I just chose the ones that jumped off the page at me.
If you want to see how really subversive and beguiling this site is I have several other sections I’ve read and would like to point out comments in their essays that totally contradict the fundamental tenets of Christianity and Scripture.
The next section I will deal with is their essay titled, “Why Jesus had to be a human” In this section at first it seems legitimate about why Jesus had to be human. However, then they say something that I totally disagree with and that I think is contrary to Scripture. To those of us who believe Jesus is the Son of God, thus God Incarnate born in the flesh on Earth then this quote is very diametrically opposed to this belief. “And so the scriptures are emphatic and very repetitive on this point. Jesus of Nazareth was a man – a holy, harmless, and righteous (Hebrews 7:26) – but a Man nevertheless.” What a total corruption of Hebrews 7:26. Jesus was more than just a holy man. He was God Incarnate in the flesh on Earth. Hebrews 7:26 states, “Such a high priest meets our need – one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens.” NIV. “Exalted above the heavens” says it all in that Scripture. That firmly places Jesus beyond the category of just a man. Earlier in Hebrews it says that “because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 24, 25. Once again this completely demolishes their idea that Jesus was “but a Man nevertheless.”.
Quote #2: “By saying that Jesus was a man, we acknowledge that human nature is indeed ‘very good’ as God put it after creating the first man. Perfect humanity is possible. Jesus proved that.” The Lord have mercy on these people. If you get nothing else from reading the Bible you get the fact that there is NO SUCH THING AS PERFECT HUMANITY, and that human nature is sinful. The only way Jesus is/was the perfect “human” is BECAUSE He is the Son of God. God Incarnate on Earth. Otherwise the sinful nature of being just a human man would have caused Him to sin. I point you to John 1:1-5, & 14 “In the beginning was the Word [Jesus], and the Word [Jesus] was with God, and the Word [Jesus] was God. He [Jesus] was with God in the beginning. Through him [Jesus] all things were made; without him [Jesus] nothing was made that has been made. In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (v 1-5), (v14) The Word [Jesus] became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his [Jesus] glory, the glory of the One and Only [Jesus], who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” [Jesus ] emphasis mine.
The next essay from this site I want to deal with is titled, “Movies come and go…” This essay essentially deals with Mel Gibson’s movie “The Passion of the Christ”. This section cautions Christians to be “careful, friends.” and not to fall into something that is subversive. Very ironic since this site is doing exactly what they caution you about not believing in this section. Example: “God works in quiet ways, in individual hearts. Hollywood, and the world system as a whole, works in splashy ways, using its influence to herd people into groups and to get them to follow a ‘movement’. Be careful, friends.” See what I mean? They warn you about the very thing they are doing, in my humble opinion, on their own site.
From this same essay comes their “take” on the Jewish situation. Quote: “We are Christian believers, who trust both Hebrew and Christian scriptures as the Word of God. But Jewish people who have suffered bitterness from the hands of ‘Christians’ for almost 2000 years must be forgiven for distrusting the accuracy of the ‘historic record’ - - the Gospels. …Though Christianity started as a sect of Judaism, within a couple hundred of years it became anti-semitic [sic]…” Pure hogwash!. They lump all Christians from the past 2000 years into a group (anti-Semitic) which is really quite small. True Christians cannot be anti-Semitic. Jesus is Jewish. In my opinion, for a Christian to be anti-Semitic is to be anti-Jesus. They have insulted every Christian who ever lived and loved his/her Jewish brothers and sisters. This is sewing discord at its finest.
Then they go totally insane with this quote: “Everything comes to the Jews first, then the Gentiles…. The Jews are the other Son of God.” They use Exodus 4:22 to support this insane idea. This passage is concerning spiritual adoption and is in no way equating Israel with the actual Son of God – Jesus. Also, this was God preparing Moses for his confrontation with Pharaoh and preparing the way for the Jewish tradition of circumcision. Also, relate this passage to the last plague on Pharaoh which Moses told Pharaoh would come from his own mouth…..the killing of the firstborn of Israel. Thus Pharaoh’s curse backfired and it was the firstborn if Egypt who died creating the Jewish Passover. I don’t believe in any way this scripture, Exodus 4:22, means that the Jewish people are equated to being the actual, incarnate Son of God that Jesus was/is. Then they conveniently put an asterisk after this and did a sales pitch for a free Bible study-guide. Also, with Jesus as Savior under His mercy and Grace we are no longer Jew and Gentile, we are all brothers and sisters in Christ; Sons and Daughters of God.
The next essay I will get into is the one titled, “If you are Jewish, your national resurrection has already begun…” I feel they are equating this with the resurrection of Jesus and saying the Jewish people do not have to be born again through Jesus to be saved. For instance, quote: “Our hats go off to you. God has brought you alive through the great storm of ‘Christian’ domination and oppression.” Are these guys for real? They make Christians sound like slavering beasts loyal to the anti-Christ. Then they go on to say, quote: “We ourselves are Christians who find Jesus compelling –but we fully understand why you find Jesus repulsive. You were promised a conquering Messiah and you didn’t find Jesus’ teachings very convincing.” In my opinion this very statement is repulsive. By stating they were promised a “conquering Messiah” and that they “didn’t find Jesus’ teachings very convincing” they are saying that God broke His promise to the Jewish people. Let me tell you my friend, God DOES NOT break promises. Jesus was/is the conquering Messiah the Jewish people were promised. He conquered sin and death and gave those who believe eternal life in the Presence of God. Now to me that’s definitely a CONQUERING MESSIAH!!!! The early Jewish people were looking for a conquering earthly king like David. They did not recognize that Jesus’ kingdom was not of this world.
They go on to state: “If you are troubled by the dangers posed by Christian ‘supporters’ who think you must convert to Christianity, or die in Armageddon, you should be! G-d is NOT asking you to embrace mainstream Christianity – G-d condemned it as an institution. Aliyah is the clear message to you from G-d’s prophets….You are G-d’s son, G-d’s inheritance!.....It was Christendom that persecuted you throughout her age of power, it was Christendom that hunted you and almost killed you; it was Christendom that made you drink the dregs of the cup of wrath……Never again will you suffer at the hands of the Christian world. Babylon is being destroyed again….and Israel’s star is on the rise.” For those who don’t know, the term “aliyah” means ascension or going up; the arrival of the Jews from exile back into the land of Israel. I still can’t quite get my mind wrapped around what they are saying here. Christians believe that when Jesus was born, crucified and resurrected, He brought to us the transition from the Old Testament Dispensation of the Law of Moses and brought us into the New Testament Dispensation of Grace. The Jews (not just the Jews but all people) who lived and died before Jesus was crucified were either in Sheol (Hades) or Paradise. Those who obeyed God’s law and were obedient dwelt in Paradise but not in the Presence of God. The unbelievers and those disobedient to God were and are still in Sheol or Hades. When Jesus died He fulfilled God’s promise to those Jewish people and old Testament Saints and believers and took those in Paradise to dwell with God the Father. Those in Sheol or Hades remained where they were for they had not been believers and obedient to God and followed the Law of Moses.
My nephew had a hard time grasping this concept and asked what about people like Abraham and Moses who didn’t believe in Jesus because Jesus had not yet been born…would they be in Heaven. I explained it to him this way…..all those Old Testament saints were buying their salvation on credit by following and obeying the law that God set forth through Moses. When Jesus came and died on the cross He was the final sacrifice for the human race. He paid the salvation credit card bill in full for everyone in the past, present and future. Those saints in the Old Testament were brought into the Presence of God the Father. And those in the present and future who accept His gift of Grace and Salvation by accepting Him as their Lord and Savior will be saved and go to heaven.
The above quote from that site also demonizes the entirety of Christendom and equates it with Babylon mentioned in the book of Revelation chap 14 v8 “A second angel followed and said, ‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” Then Revelation chapter 17 and 18 talk about the “great prostitute” and “Mystery Babylon the Great The Mother of Prostitutes and of the abominations of the earth” and the fall of Babylon. It’s clear that this Institute equates Christianity with Babylon the Great and the great prostitute. If this is true then all Christians are condemned. How do they reconcile being a Christian and saved and saying that Christianity is the “prostitute” and “Babylon”. It’s too warped to get my mind around it.
Especially when in Revelation chapter 7 when the LAMB, who we all know refers to Jesus Christ the Risen Savior Lord of all Creation, seals the 144,000 from the tribes of Israel. He seals 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Also in Revelation chapter 14 it talks again about the LAMB [JESUS] and the 144,000 who are divinely anointed to go out and preach the Gospel of Christ and save as many non-believers as they can before the end of the great tribulation period before Jesus comes back to Earth with His Bride (the believing Christians who were raptured).
Also, why can’t the author of this essay spell GOD? Why must he or she spell it G-d? It’s almost as if the author of the essay thinks God is a curse word.
The final essay I will talk about is titled, “Do Jews need to follow Jesus – or is there more than one blessing?” They blather on and on about how most Jewish people are not drawn to Jesus because they believed Joseph married Mary when she was pregnant with another man’s child and when she told everyone it was God’s child they didn’t believe her.
Then they talk about how Jesus grows up and is a man who “can’t quite get it together as a prophet”. They talk about his doubtful origins. Then they take Bible Scripture out of context by saying things like “one day he gets multitudes to follow” and the next “he stumbles most of them by going on and on about how they have to eat his flesh and drink his blood.”
Then they say Jesus was confusing because “Later, when his disciples ask why he won’t speak plainly to the people he says in essence, ‘I don’t want multitudes to follow me because I’m not ready to forgive their sins, heal them, etc.’.”
Then they prattle on about how “this on-again, off-again Messiah gets betrayed by one of his own band and put to death as the laughingstock of the community the ‘King of the Jews’. And his followers were slinking along in the shadows, obviously embarrassed to even be associated with him.” Then they say, “And so to the first-century Jewish people Jesus became a scandal – an embarrassment (1 Corinthians 1:23)”
This is a total perversion of that scripture. If you read the entire chapter 1 you will see that Paul is talking about how God has made foolish the wisdom of the world, i.e. the Jews at that time and the unbelieving Gentiles who thought the message of the cross was foolish. Then Paul talks later on about the foolishness of God being wiser than man’s wisdom and the weakness of God being stronger than man’s strength. Also, at the last supper, when Jesus broke bread and told his 12 disciples and said, “take and eat, this is my body”. Then He poured wine and said, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:17-30).
This established the practice we know of today as “Communion”. It was not as they quoted above. Jesus did this privately with his 12 disciples. He did not command them to actually eat His flesh or drink His blood. This moment in private was intended for the multitudes because Jesus says, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out for MANY for the forgiveness of sins.”
I have one last quote from this essay: “Fellow Christian, leave the Jews alone, and do not preach the way of Christianity, or even the person of Jesus, to them. When Jesus appears in his role of world governor, King Messiah, the Jews will be the first to recognize him.”
Sadly, according to Biblical Scripture when Jesus actually comes back to Earth in the Second Coming it will be too late for those Jews (or any other human being) this author of the essay speaks about. By the time of the Second Coming it will be the end of the great tribulation period.
Anti-Christ will reign and have all of the armies of the world at Armageddon and if the Jews and other people have not been converted to Christianity by the 144,000 and other tribulation saints they would have taken the Mark of the Beast and condemned themselves and their hearts would be so hardened they would not recognize Him until it’s too late. By then the WORD of God will speak the WORD of God and all will be slain. For remember the scripture that the WORD of God is like a two edged sword. So just imagine the WORD speaking the WORD. Wow! Gives me chill bumps just thinking about that day.
I know this is a rather long email and post but I felt the urge to at least bring some of the subversive rhetoric of this site into the light. Don’t believe me. Check your Bible. Read the Scriptures and see what they say and pray to God for discernment. He will send it to you. The message will be: Jesus Christ is Lord of Lord and King of Kings. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess this.
Don’t be led astray by sites like this that pretend to be under the guise of Christianity. It’s like the Scripture predicted would be in the end days. False prophets…..wolves in sheep’s clothing come to lead you astray.
I pray in the name of Jesus that those members of this Institute and authors of these essays be lifted up before the throne of Grace that the Holy Spirit might show them the truth before it’s too late and they lead too many people astray. Amen
Thank you for listening.
God Bless.
Linda Beebe