CULT 013
             Cult of Error

                THE WAY

     You are approached on the street by 
a  young man with a Bible. A  member  of 
the  Jesus movement? He may try to  give 
that  impression.  He  asks  a  question 
like, "How many thieves died on  crosses 
near  Jesus?"  When you  reply  with  an 
answer  from  the Bible he  goes,  "Aha, 
You're wrong." Then he gives an entirely 
different number or answer and asks you, 
"Don't you wish you could know the Bible 
as  well  as I do?" At the  end  of  the 
conversation  he may say, "I'll bet  you 
have   never   heard   the    Scriptures 
explained  like this before, have  you?" 
Who is this young man?

     Almost   2000   years   ago   Jesus 
prophesied   the   increase   of   false 
prophets in the end times. The world has 
continued confirming His word by  adding 
yet another group to the expanding  list 
of cults. 

"The  Way  International"  or  the  "Way 
Bible Research Institute", most commonly 
called  "The Way", is a growing  pseudo-
Christian organization largely comprised 
of young adults. It is developing into a 
menace  to right-on body ministries  and 
fellowships.

     As  most  cults  operate,  the  Way 
innocently  infiltrates  a   fellowship. 
After   the  meeting  they  engage   new 
Christians  in Biblical discussions  and 
invite  them  to  Bible  studies.   Left 
undisturbed,   The  Way   members   will 
display  loving dispositions and  appear 
quite  harmless. But beware -  they  are 
dangerous and would love to steal  sheep 
from  the  flock  and  create   damaging 
divisions  in a fellowship. They  preach 
another  gospel  and a  different  Jesus 
than  the  one  you  have  received.  No 
matter  how  they  may  disguise   their 
message  with clever word games,  it  is 
erroneous.

         VICTOR PAUL WIERWILLE

     The  Way's founder and  teacher  is 
Victor Paul Wierwille. He propagates his 
many apostate doctrines by misusing some 
scriptures and ignoring others.
     Wierwille  has stated that  he  has 
produced  the  only "pure  and  correct" 
interpretation  of the Bible  since  the 
first century. 

    Nearly  all founders of  cults  take 
this proud unscriptural view: Herbert W. 
Armstrong  of  the Worldwide  Church  of 
God,  Witness Lee of the  Local  Church, 
Joseph  Smith  of the  Mormons,  Charles 
Russel   of  the  Jehovah's   Witnesses. 
Wierwille  has also said, "I  have  read 
every commentary in existence; I consign 
every one of them to Gehenna!"

           THE INSPIRED WORD

     Wierwille teaches that, "The  Bible 
as a whole is not relevant to all people 
of  all  times."  He  rejects  the   Old 
Testament    and    the    Gospels    as 
unnecessary.  Only the rest of  the  New 
Testament  is  relevant  for  his  group 
which he calls the "Church of God."  The 
Way  also teaches that the Bible is  not 
the  Word of God, but only contains  the 
word of God.
     The  Bible teaches us  an  entirely 
different thing. In II Timothy 3:16, the 
scripture  clearly  states  that,   "ALL 
scripture is given by inspiration of God 
and  is  profitable  for  doctrine,  for 
reproof, for correction, for instruction 
in righteousness."
     The  Greek word used in this  verse 
for   inspiration  is  theopneutos   and 
literally  means God-breathed.  This  is 
not  the  same word used  for  inspiring 
music  or  books. It is a  special  word 
denoting God's penmanship.
     The Bible says in II Peter 1:20, 21 
that   "Knowing  this  first,  that   no 
prophecy  of  the scripture  is  of  any 
private interpretation. For the prophecy 
came  not  in old times by the  will  of 
man,  but holy men of God spake as  they 
were moved by the Holy Ghost."

            COURSES FOR SALE

     Wierwille  offers numerous  courses 
at  a high price. Each course costs  $65 
or  more.  To take all  of  his  courses 
could   cost  a  disciple  hundreds   of 
dollars.  The  initial  "Bible"  course, 
"Power  for Abundant  Living,"  promises 
that  right "believing" will  keep  away 
sickness,  insure prosperity,  and  even 
protect  soldiers  from  enemy  bullets. 
Poverty  is condemned as the  result  of 
imperfect faith. The "Good Life" is  the 
proper reward for believing.
     Wierwille  seemingly  teaches   for 
gain   and  is  nothing  more   than   a 
sophisticated  Reverend Ike.  The  Bible 
warns   the  Church  about  such   false 
teachers who preach for worldly gain. II 
Peter  2:3 says that such men are  under 
judgement  and damnation.  "And  through 
covetousness  shall  they  with  feigned 
words  make  merchandise of  you:  whose 
judgment now a long time lingereth  not, 
and their damnation slumbereth not".

          THE DEITY OF CHRIST

     The    most   dangerous   of    all 
Wierwille's teachings are concerning the 
Trinity  and  the Deity  of  Christ.  He 
teaches  that Jesus is the Son  of  God, 
but  not God the Son. "You show  me  one 
place  in the Bible where it says he  is 
God," Wierwille thunders. "I don't  want 
you  rapping  your  double  talk,   your 
triple talk; all I want is Scripture!"
     John  1:1  and  14  says,  "In  the 
beginning was the Word and the Word  was 
with God and Word was God...And the Word 
was  made flesh and dwelt among us,  and 
we beheld his glory, the glory as of the 
only  begotten  of the Father,  full  of 
grace and truth".
     Col.  2:9  tells  us  exactly  what 
Jesus  is, "For in him dwelleth all  the 
fullness  of  the Godhead  bodily."  The 
Greek   word  for  Godhead  is   Theotes 
meaning deity. In other words, Jesus  is 
the  bodily  manifestation  of  all  the 
fullness of Deity.
     I   Timothy   3:16   states    this 
spiritual  truth even plainer, "God  was 
manifest in the flesh, justified in  the 
Spirit,  seen of angels,  preached  unto 
the Gentiles, believed on in the  world, 
received  up into glory." Jesus  is  God 
the flesh.
     "For unto us a child is born,  unto 
us  a son is given; and  the  government 
shall be upon his shoulders and his name 
shall  be called  Wonderful,  Counselor, 
The mighty God, The everlasting  Father, 
The Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
     There  is the excellent example  of 
Thomas'  unbelief changed to  belief  in 
chapter  20 of John. Thomas  was  absent 
when  Jesus  revealed  Himself  to   the 
disciples after His resurrection. Thomas 
refused  to  believe unless he  saw  and 
touched  the nailprints and the scar  of 
the spear on Jesus' side.
     Later   Jesus   appeared   to   the 
disciples  with  Thomas  present.  Jesus 
said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger 
and  behold my hands; and  reach  hither 
thy  hand, and thrust it into  my  side; 
and  be not faithless,  but  believing", 
Thomas  responded with, "My Lord and  my 
God."   Jesus   answered   him   saying, 
"Thomas, because thou hast seen me  thou 
hast  believed:  blessed are  they  that 
have not seen, and yet have believed".

              THE TRINITY

     Wierwille  absolutely  rejects  the 
Trinity calling such a doctrine paganism 
and  polytheistic.  In I  John  5:7  the 
concept  of the Trinity is  given.  "For 
there  are  three that  bear  record  in 
heaven,  the Father, the Word,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost: and these three  are  one." 
The word "one" can mean one in unity  as 
well as one in number.
     John  17:11 speaks of the unity  of 
the  Father and the Son. Jesus  answered 
Philip  in  John 14:9, "Have I  been  so 
long  time with you, and yet  hast  thou 
not known me, Philip? He that hath  seen 
me hath seen the Father; and how  sayest 
thou then, Show us the Father?"
     Jesus says about the Holy Spirit in 
John  14:16-17,  "and I  will  pray  the 
Father,  and he shall give  you  another 
comforter,  that he may abide  with  you 
forever: Even the Spirit of truth;  whom 
the  world  cannot  receive  because  it 
seeth him not, neither knoweth him;  but 
ye  know him; for he dwelleth with  you, 
and  shall be in you." In  these  verses 
the Holy Spirit is shown to be a  member 
of  the Godhead, yet a  distinct  Person 
from both Jesus and the Father.
     Wierwille does not believe that the 
Holy Spirit is a distinct personage  and 
says, "the Holy Spirit is just a synonym 
for God."
     The  Father is called God, and  the 
Son  is called God, and the Holy  Spirit 
is   called   God   (Acts   5:3-4).   As 
individual  persons each can  be  called 
God and collectively they can be  spoken 
of  as one God because of their  perfect 
unity.   Everything  said   collectively 
about God applies equally to each member 
of  the Godhead. There are  some  things 
spoken   of  each  personality  of   the 
trinity  such  as office,  position  and 
work that are unique to that individual.
     An example is the Father having the 
position  as the head of Jesus.  "But  I 
would  have  you know that the  head  of 
every man is Christ; and the head of the 
woman is the man; and the head of Christ 
is God." I Corinthians 11:3.
     Jesus  is the only begotten Son  of 
the  Father and the price paid  for  the 
redemption of man. "For God so loved the 
world  that  he gave his  only  begotten 
Son,  that  whosoever believeth  in  him 
should  not perish but have  everlasting 
life." John 3:16.
     Jesus  is the mediator  between  us 
and the Father. I Timothy 2:5.
     The  Holy  Spirit is  sent  by  the 
Father in Jesus' name and will teach  us 
and  anoint  us  with  power.  "But  the 
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom 
the  Father  will send in  my  name,  he 
shall  teach you all things,  and  bring 
all   things   to   your    remembrance, 
whatsoever  I have said unto you."  John 
14:26.
     "But  ye shall receive power  after 
that  the Holy Ghost is come  upon  you; 
and  ye shall be witnesses unto me  both 
in  Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and  in 
Samaria and unto the utter most parts of 
the earth." Acts 1:8.
     The  different names of God  denote 
plurality. The Hebrew Elohim is the word 
used for God in Genesis 1:1 and in  over 
2700   other  scriptures  in   the   Old 
Testament.  It is a plural noun  meaning 
God, and is translated 239 times as God. 
   Usually  Elohim,  a plural  noun,  is 
used with a singular verb, showing unity 
in  plurality. Plural personal  pronouns 
are also used in reference to God.  "And 
God said, Let us make man in our  image, 
after our likeness..." Genesis 1:26. The 
Old and New Testament concept of God  is 
plural and triune.

             FALSE PROPHETS

     Is   Victor  Wierwille  merely   an 
uneducated    man   ignorant   of    the 
Scriptures?  Unfortunately, he  is  not. 
Formerly  he  was  a  United  Church  of 
Christ  minister. He has studied at  the 
University  of Chicago  Divinity  School 
and Princeton Theological Seminary. 
   Wierwille   is  a  man,   who   being 
knowledgeable of the Bible, has rejected 
God's truth in utter rebellion.
     Wierwille  fulfills the  Scriptures 
on  false teachers. "For there are  many 
unruly    and    vain    talkers     and 
deceivers...;   Whose  mouths  must   be 
stopped,   who  subvert  whole   houses, 
teaching things which they ought not for 
filthy Lucre's sake....Wherefore  rebuke 
them sharply, that they may be sound  in 
the faith;" Titus 1:10a, 11, 13.
     The  followers of The Way  commonly 
portray the fruits of false teaching  by 
living   carnal  lives.  Titus   1:15-16 
clearly   illustrates  their   spiritual 
state,  "Unto  the pure all  things  are 
pure: but unto them that are defiled and 
unbelieving  is nothing pure;  but  even 
their  mind and conscience  is  defiled. 
They profess that they know God; but  in 
works  they deny him, being  abominable, 
and disobedient and unto every good work 
reprobate."

     The heart of Christianity is not an 
organization but a personal relationship 
with Jesus Christ the Lord. Don't be led 
astray  by false doctrine. There  is  no 
other  gospel,  only the  one  you  have 
received. (Gal. 1:6-8)

     If  any  of The Way  come  to  your 
fellowship,  coffeehouse,  or  churches, 
please  ask them to leave. The  Way  has 
just recently invaded Chicago, trying to 
establish a work here. Do not help  them 
get  rooted by ignorance  or  tolerance. 
Give them a false prophets left foot  of 
fellowship. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, 
I say unto you, He that enterest not  by 
the   door  into  the   sheepfold,   but 
climbeth up some other way, the same  is 
a thief and a robber...Verily, verily, I 
say  unto  you,  I am the  door  of  the 
sheep." John 10:1,7.
     Do not be fooled! They are not just 
sweet  people but dangerous  robbers  of 
the sheepfold. "The thief cometh not but 
for  to  steal,  and  to  kill,  and  to 
destroy." John 10:10a.

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