More than a year ago, a visitor to Walk with the Word noticed that one of the organizations we encourage Christians to financially support was Wycliffe Bible Translators. They wanted to know how we could support an organization which was purposely mistranslating the Scriptures for Muslim people groups so as not to offend them. Those of us directly connected to Walk with the Word not only have had tangible involvement in missions organizations, but long-time personal friends and ministry contacts at Wycliffe. Truthfully, we rejected this assertion out of hand and politely rebuked the submitter for making an accusation without providing tangible evidence to support it. To our dismay, we were then provided a host of documents and presentations which sort of politely rebuked us right back. As it turned out, not only had members of Wycliffe/SIL published mistranslated Scripture so as not to offend Muslim-centric people groups when it comes to the issue of Jesus "the Son of God" and "God the Father", but there were executives actually advertising this "advancement" as part of their recruiting presentations to enlist new translators to the ranks. Since then, we have become aware of a host of websites, blogs and online forums all devoted to this issue.

To be fair, the issues at this time seem to be limited to people associated with the UK arm of SIL. In other words, it does not appear that everything and everyone is corrupted or even aware of what has taken place. When first contacted, our friends at Wycliffe USA dismissed it outright, testifying not only that they knew of no translator who would be tolerated within their ranks if they did these unthinkable things, but that it was such an obvious violation of both their own written guidelines and the more than eighty years of strictly adhering to them by every translator they ever knew or heard of. But after sending them the materials provided to us, and engaging in their own internal discussions, they were surprised to learn that there did, indeed, appear to be a problem within other branches across the Atlantic. At that time we were informed that Wycliffe leadership was taking a very hard look at what was going on. What we expected was a purging and repudiation of both the individuals and the materials published contrary to Wycliffe's guidelines and history; instead, what has just occurred is even more disturbing.

In what appears to be a general letter to past and present donors dated May 20, 2012 from Bob Creson, President of Wycliffe Bible Translators USA, one of the introductory statements to what will follow is:

"Translating accurately from one language to a dramatically different one is hard, even when the subject matter is common, everyday activities. But translating accurately about deep spiritual truths is much harder."

This introductory statement, in our view, testifies to a much deeper spiritual compromise that is taking hold at Wycliffe. The main issue, as will be highlighted later in the letter, is whether it is acceptable to NOT literally translate "God the Father" and "God the Son" into materials which will be distributed to countries and people groups with substantial Muslim populations. If it was just a matter of "translating accurately", there is no issue! Simply translate the original text as is! But we can see from this statement an obvious compromise with the truth when he re-casts the issue as, "But translating accurately about deep spiritual truths is much harder". When "translation" become confused with "interpretation", much less cultural compromise, we would offer you are not a Bible "translator" anymore.

"You may have heard in recent media reports that Wycliffe Bible Translators and our strategic partner organization SIL, are wrestling with the translation of words that refer to the relationship between God the Father and God the Son, particularly in some languages in Muslim contexts. The discussion has been going on for years, but it has recently become more public...we remain deeply committed to the accurate translation of Scripture, the Holy Word of God."

This is deeply disturbing because the representations made to us up to this point in past communications with Wycliffe was that this issue "suddenly" came to Wycliffe USA's attention over just the past year or so, but now the President of the organization admits that private discussions of the problem have been "going on for years". He seems more concerned that it is now in the public eye than the more disturbing fact that they have even entertained such notions privately for years!

In case you do not know, the problem is not actually about "guidelines" at this point, but the fact that members of SIL have actually published and distributed materials which ALREADY completely violate their hitherto published "standards" on this issue. In other words, in our opinion, Bible "translators" have materially mishandled the Word of God and instead of correcting the error, leadership seems to have chosen a path to "discuss" accommodating something in direct violation of their own standards, something that has the potential to institutionalize and wholly incorporate the error, not stand against it. What hope is there of recalling the heresy that has already been published if they are pursuing a path to legitimize it? What kind of "wrestling" can there be when it comes "to the relationship between God the Father and God the Son" for ANY language or people group, much less "particularly...in Muslim context"?

But here is the real kicker:

"That's why, after extensive research and discussion of translation standards for phrases like 'Son of God' and 'God the Father', we reached out to the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA) and asked them, on behalf of the worldwide Church, to help us determine the best policies and principles to follow for translating these key terms.

"The WEA is convening an independent panel of experts to consider the issue. Last week they announced that Dr. Robert E. Cooley, president emeritus of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, will serve as chairman and assemble the rest of the panel...This panel will review current translation practices in light of sound theology to set guidelines for acceptable translation of these key terms. We have agreed to abide by their decisions."

We could write a book on the number of things wrong, again in our opinion, in these two paragraphs, beginning with the irony that a Bible translation organization is apparently incapable of rightly dividing the Word of God for itself, an 80-year old organization apparently cannot stick to its own founding principles, or the even more alarming thought process of allowing the WEA as the final authority "on behalf of the worldwide Church". The President of Wycliffe does not know the answer which nearly every rank-and-file translator in his organization instinctively and scripturally knows? He cannot adhere to the founding principles of his own organization?

We have seen so many denominations, ministries and prominent individuals fall from seemingly unshakable faithful commitments to God's Word and His Kingdom to sometimes precarious if not outright apostate resting places, but this is still quite shocking whenever it occurs. We continue to believe that there are many good and faithful members of Wycliffe working in the trenches who are unaware of the full extent of these things, but it is apparent that the corruption is not limited to the UK side of things as originally presented, and that there is a problem at the very top of the organization which will eventually permeate the whole. What will the "good" people in the rank-and-file of Wycliffe do when/if the WEA and company render a decision which violates the foundational principles on which Wycliffe was founded and has operated by these past 80 years? What will they do when what they signed on for no longer exists?

I am reminded of Jacob Prasch's teaching about the two pots in Scripture. In the case of Elisha's pot in 2 Kings 4, the problem was that the stew within the pot was poisonous and Elisha threw in the grain to neutralize the poison. It is a metaphor of the harmful effects of false doctrine (the poison) and the remedy of correction with the true teaching of the Word (the grain). It is in alignment with the teaching of the leaven of sin and false teaching which can work its way through the whole even though it is introduced in such a small amount. What is in an otherwise good container can be rescued.

But then there is Ezekiel's pot in Ezekiel 24. No matter what is put into the stew, the poison cannot be removed because the problem is that the pot itself has become permanently corrupt. No matter how good and pure something is when it is placed into the pot, the deterioration of the pot is so far gone that it becomes the source of the poison for everything placed into it.

The question is whether the pot is still fit so that the stew within it can be rescued, or if the corruption has attained to the pot itself and the opportunity for correction has passed.

If the President of Wycliffe led the effort to purge the individuals responsible, recalled the materials already published and pledged to halt their further spread, and made the commitment to hold his organization responsible to the biblical principles by which it has historically operated, we would be inclined to look toward the metaphor of Elisha's pot. But when it turns out that it has not only been tolerated privately for far longer than represented, and instead of standing up for their own principles they seek an outside opinion to justify what appears to be their hiding behind a course which is being actively pursued already, it is not difficult to wonder if they are already acting in the character of Ezekiel's pot.

As with all things in the Last Days, we have arrived at a time when everything has to be judged on an individual basis. Most financial assistance to Wycliffe is raised through its individual members. It is very likely that you may be supporting someone you personally know at Wycliffe, someone whom through their progress reports and personal contact you know to be carrying out the work of the Lord dutifully and faithfully. They need our prayer and support more than ever, because like the faithful who once belonged to other godly organizations, movements or denominations which no longer are, they will be faced with the dilemma of whether to stay and fight or leave and continue elsewhere.

Where is Wycliffe headed?

In Him,

Servant@WalkWithTheWord.org

Trust man or God? The brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. (Acts of the Apostles 17:10-11). It seems Lifeway has sadly forgot the basics just as so many others these last days. I highly recommend checking out Lighthouse Trails Research if you want to get a handle on just how ugly the Christian bookstore and publishing "industry" has become. Indeed, like all other things that were intended to be ministries, these have become industries of the world and becoming a part of Mystery Babylon. "Come out of her, my people"

THE CHRISTIAN POST - By Stephanie Samuel - June 20, 2012
NEW ORLEANS - Southern Baptist members upset with the products sold in Lifeway Christian Resources bookstores were admonished Tuesday to trust the trustees who determine what materials are sold in the chain.
Attendees of the Southern Baptist Convention's 2012 Annual Meeting told LifeWay President and CEO Thom S. Rainer that they were "tired" of changing policies regarding materials banned from sale in LifeWay bookstores.

Most recently, the retailer pulled copies of the 2009 movie "The Blind Side" from its shelves after a SBC pastor complained that characters use "explicit profanity, God's name in vain, and a racial slur." Before the complaint, Lifeway sold the movie with a warning.
Regarding the controversial 2011 NIV Bible, Lifeway announced five months ago that it would not discontinue the sale of the updated NIV Bible despite some Southern Baptists voicing concern over the translation's gender-neutral language.

On Tuesday a SBC member demanded that Rainer explain the company's decision-making process.
Rainer responded by urging SBC members to trust the judgments of the company's board of trustees who decides major issues for the Christian resource retailer. While he admitted that they don't look at every single product that is sold in stores, Rainer said the trustees "ask the tough questions" in order to ensure that questionable material is barred from shelves.

"We must trust our trustees," he insisted. "Trust the trustees. That's how we make the decisions."
Still another SBC member questioned that trust, arguing that LifeWay's decision to continue selling the updated NIV is in direct opposition to the SBC 2011 decision to reject the translation. The member highlighted the apparent opposition when he asked Rainer who should Southern Baptists trust - the SBC or Lifeway. ...

Edited :: See Original Report Here
http://www.christianpost.com/news/lifeway-tells-critics-of-2011-niv-bible-trust-the-trustees-76954/ 

Perry Trotter

As the persecution of Christians in Egypt, Syria, Sudan and Iraq intensifies, for many Western Christian aid agencies it is apparently not a high priority. Here in New Zealand it is not the ongoing expulsion or murder of Middle East Christians that is given special attention by Tear Fund and World Vision - rather, it is the one nation in the region in which religious freedom is guaranteed regardless of race.

As the Arab Spring reveals its true fruit, MPs of Egypt's new regime seek to mandate female genital mutilation (a barbaric procedure in which, typically, the clitoris of a young girl is gouged out by a ritual butcher, without anaesthesia). But it is not the honour killings and deepening degradation of women throughout the Middle East that so readily excites the moral crusaders and theologians of our best known aid agencies and Laidlaw College, an ostensibly evangelical Bible college. No, it is the Middle East's only Western style democracy that these agencies choose to castigate, a nation that has demanded equal rights for women from its very inception.

As Syria continues to butcher, rape and torture its own people at such an appalling rate that even the morally bankrupt UN has begun to notice, it seems almost unworthy of mention by the Claytons moralists at the aforementioned agencies. Their moral indignation seems uniquely sensitive to alleged Israeli injustices. In the conflict that Syrian born psychiatrist Dr Wafa Sultan calls a "battle between modernity and barbarism", these institutions have chosen to undermine evangelical support for the Middle East's only real beachhead of sanity in a landscape of tyranny and intolerance.

This writer has heard gasps of disbelief, dismay or disgust from World Vision and Tear Fund supporters as they learn that a clergyman who has openly associated with terrorists and Holocaust deniers is being promoted and given a platform by these very agencies and that the "apartheid Israel" lie is being peddled by the same. In our view, the sense of betrayal expressed by these donors is entirely justified.

Rev Dr Stephen Sizer is an Anglican clergyman who has spoken in defense of Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a man who has repeatedly declared his intention to wipe Israel from the map. The Middle East conflict is the fault of Israel and her Christian allies, according to Sizer.

By dispensing a toxic mix of historical revisionism, well-crafted propaganda, and aberrant theology, Sizer has duped many young Christians into believing they can take the moral high ground by standing against the very people group to whom they are most indebted. In Sizer's morally inverted worldview the victim becomes the aggressor, the historically indigenous people group becomes a foreign occupier, and the only beacon of freedom in the Middle East becomes a pariah.

While antisemitism in France, Germany, and the Netherlands reaches levels unseen since the 1930s, The Myth Of Moderate Islam (as Patrick Sookhdeo calls it) continues to be embraced by a Western culture paralyzed by political correctness and intellectual laziness. As media misrepresentation of Israel becomes increasingly Goebbelesque, it is shameful that supposedly evangelical institutions appear willing to cooperate with the prevailing culture. The European church failed the Jewish people in the 1930s. Will the New Zealand church fail likewise?

Test #2: Have I taken "pleasure in wickedness"?

This is not speaking of temporarily backsliding and engaging in a biblically unrighteous activity, but becoming so engaged as to experience actual "pleasure". This is speaking of allowing a sinful behavior to become so entrenched side-by-side with one's claims of Christianity that it results in a lifestyle.

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward. (Hebrews 11:24-26)

Every false teaching in every form within the Church today has at its bottom line objective the goal to get us to trust in this life to the exclusion of the next. Some are more subtle than others, they may have different proponents and different window dressing, but one of the proofs of a biblical "faith"-a life putting God's Word into daily practice, is living for the next life instead of this present one. Paul takes it even further...

and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:32)

Paul's admonition to the Thessalonians that those "who did not believe the truth...took pleasure in wickedness" explains for us the difference between an authentic believer and the counterfeit. While a true believer can succumb to their faults, their behavior can lead to a break in communion with Christ and they may sin in the most serious and grievous ways, they will never take "pleasure" in it! No, they will hate what has happened to them and spiritually wrestle with it until they come to mourn bitterly and sincerely repent in the course of seeking reconciliation.

Who is on the road to apostasy? Those who allow sin to so reside in parallel to their so-called Christianity that they do not just merely become comfortable with it, they take pleasure in it. We see evidence of this today in the fact that every poll and study has found that there is no longer any statistical difference when it comes to any moral issue between those who go to church and those who do not. (Note that I said "go to church", not "born-again" or regenerate believers.) Whether it is adultery, homosexuality, abortion, or any moral issue which God's Word specifically identifies as sin and unrighteousness, there are unspeakable numbers of church-goers who "not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them". They have "taken pleasure in wickedness".

Test #3: Have I received the love of the truth?

Although it starts with THE truth and not just A truth, it narrows the definition of "truth" to a much finer point by stipulating this is THE truth necessary "to be saved". Those who are in danger spiritually can trace the very beginning, root cause to leaving THE truth and gradually allowing it to be replaced by something else. It is either a case of having at one time embraced God's Word only to willfully leave it, or having never clung to it to begin with.

Perhaps an even more important qualifier in this verse is "the love of". "Love" means much more than feeling intense affection or fondness for something, but to be completely devoted and singularly fixed on someone or something. In our present climate, I do not think "the love of the truth" is present in a pulpit which no longer teaches from Scripture, or someone who gives priority to other books such as Purpose Driven or The Shack, or does not first view all things through the prism of Scripture. Can someone really claim they have "the love of the truth" if they are not regularly devoted to Scripture, do not really know Scripture, rarely form their basis for church and fellowship around Scripture, and basically do not live their life according to God's Word?

But there might be an even more important descriptor provided in the qualifier, "They did not receive". This is an argument that has been hotly debated for most of my lifetime, which asks the question that if people calling themselves "Christian" do not live like Scripture says a Christian should, if they embrace practices and books which replace the authentic with a counterfeit, if they are professing A truth instead of THE truth, what exactly have they "received"? Scripture is clear that the proof of salvation is in a life that is forever changed and living a daily, crucified life in stark contrast to the old life. There seem to be an overwhelmingly large number of people who go to church but whose lives are not discernibly different from those who do not. "Voting" for Jesus is not the same thing as "living" for Jesus. A truly born-again Christian is not only changed in heart but mind because they have a love for the truth which is evident by their visibly changed life and behavior.

This is not just a test to be applied to everyone else, but most importantly it is a self-test. "Love" of the truth is a far different animal than "knowledge" of the truth; it is possible to know what the truth is and yet not be so personally drawn to it that we actually put it into practice. One of the characteristics of the best Christian role models is a love of God's Word expressed in how it has not merely changed them from their past life, but continues to transform them in their new life in Christ. A true love relationship sees an exclusive devotion as continually providing positive benefits; It is never expressed as a "chore", "burden", or "restriction", but becomes a testimony of its qualities of freedom.

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. (James 1:25)

Those on the path of apostasy are not just at odds with the truth; they lack "the love of the truth" to the point that they take "pleasure in wickedness". In them, we can see how spiritual deception really works, that it is the end result of the personal choice to exchange the truth for a lie.

For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, (2 Thessalonians 2:11)

There is no shortage of truth-tellers. When it comes to documenting and sounding the trumpet of alarm where false teachers, false movements and sinful living is concerned, I cannot begin to count the number of speakers, books, websites and even entire ministries exclusively devoted to exposing the biblically false. The problem is not that we do not have enough people and resources providing and expounding the truth, the real problem is the great resistance to hearing the truth. Remember, "So faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of Christ" (Rom. 10:17) implies that the opposite can be at work as well, that there is a vacuum of faith when there is a refusal to listen to the Word of Christ which is the only hope a true, saving change can take place. Such refusal is actually loving something other than the truth so as to eventually take pleasure in the very things which will destroy them.

At one time I wondered why there could possibly be such a lifestyle of sin within the walls of the church when, for the past thirty-five years, there has been no shortage of books, speakers, conferences and websites clearly sounding the truth. It is really not a mystery once we realize that to "listen"-which biblically means to have to live by the standard of God's Word-means giving up greater pleasure in this world. The real work of discernment in these Last Days is not just reaching each individual for the purpose of sincere repentance of sin and a return to God's Word, but ensuring we ourselves do not allow those root influences to take hold in our own life. No wonder Christ asked, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?" (Lk. 18:8b)

I find it no small coincidence that this is precisely how the whole of Christ's Sermon on the Mount is summarized...

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27)

Before they are going to be capable of properly understanding the truth of God's Word which we want to teach, about how these are the Last Days in the shadow of all the prophetic fulfillment of Scripture devoted to the return of our Savior, we need to first reach them with the more important lesson of putting God's Word into practice on a personal, daily basis. Even those who "believe" we are in the Last Days are not properly prepared for them if they do not "believe" God's Word to the degree that they can prove it by loving His Word and taking no pleasure in what this world has to offer. The path is not through knowledge alone, but faithfulness that puts that knowledge into practice.

In Him,

Servant@WalkWithTheWord.org

Originally posted on the MORIEL website
http://moriel.org/MorielArchive/index.php/discernment/church-issues/take-the-end-times-apostasy-test

Now Available: Shadows of the Beast 

Jacob Prasch's latest book, Shadows of the Beast,  

is now available for purchase