For all his pontificating and supposed calling of the Churches of God to repentance, James Malm has certainly undercut his own supposed reason for his blog recently by claiming that those who do not make it in this age are not condemned but rather are disqualified for leadership in the Kingdom of God, and that you cannot commit the unpardonable sin in this age. Pretty much all of this is summarized in his article “Three Resurrections? Part Four: Hope of Deliverance!” on TheShiningLight Blog!
Not only did he previously twist HWA’s theology around to make him say something he didn’t say (there is a “third death”), but now he would have you believe that Jesus said something other than what He said.
31Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.
32And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. (Matthew 12:31-32, King James Version)
When this passage is pointed out in the comments, Malm writes:
Be careful not to read into this things that are not there. He did NOT say it was possible, he said if it were to happen. Christ did NOT know all things during his earthly ministry for much was sealed until after his resurrection and acceptance by the Father Rev 5. THAT WOULD INCLUDE EVERYTHING IN THE BOOK OF REVELATION ABOUT THE RESURRECTIONS. Jesus simply did not know these things and so spoke in generalities about them. James
In other words, according to Malm Jesus didn’t know what He was talking about. That would mean that Jesus was engaging in empty rhetoric. Perhaps, then, Jesus was just as wrong about some other things. Perhaps Jesus spoke authoritatively about other things that He really had no knowledge about.
Or, perhaps the real Jesus told us plainly when He didn’t know something specific (Mt 24:36). Otherwise, He would be guilty of deceit.
James continues his misreading of the Bible with his analysis of Heb 6:4 [emphasis his]:
There is NO need for a third resurrection because no person is judged to damnation in this age! Heb 6:4 is talking about a final decision made freely with an undeceived and understanding mind in the Main Judgment.
Heb 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, 5And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance;
Nowhere in that passage does it say it is the “main judgment”. It says that people who “were” past tense “once enlightened” and “were made partakers of the Holy Ghost”. So, are people given the Holy Spirit now or not? What was Pentecost about if not about being given the Holy Spirit? About seeing the power of God? About seeing the power that will cover the earth in the ages to come?
Can you truly fall away and come again to Christ? Why did Malm leave out part of v 6?
6If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.
All the hand waving, all the smoke and mirrors, cannot completely cover the truth that those who have their minds open and reject Christ now in this age have had their chance.
If it does not mean that, then why even warn the Church at all? Doesn’t that mean you can now go out and sin to your heart’s content because you will just get a second chance in the second resurrection? If it is impossible to commit the unpardonable sin in this lifetime, then what’s the point in warning the Church? After all, that means you can be as lukewarm as you wish and still make it one way or another.
Worse, it means Jesus gave a false warning. That means no less than He was a false prophet.
Malm is a good example of what Peter wrote to avoid:
1But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not. (2 Peter 2:1-3, King James Version)
Malm denies the Lord in that he denies that Jesus meant what He said. Jesus said there would be many false teachers at the time of the end and that many would be deceived.
Malm’s teaching lulls people into a false sense of complacency. After all, why do it the hard way now when you can take the easy way out later? If you fall short, there really is no need for heartfelt repentance, since everyone gets a second chance.
No, Jesus, the real Jesus said something very different:
62And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God. (Luke 9:62, King James Version)
And, if that doesn’t get the point across, consider another of Jesus’ sayings:
32Remember Lot’s wife. (Luke 17:32, King James Version)
Whether or not you believe in a third resurrection, you have to account for those who are called in this lifetime but consciously reject that calling.
Well said, John. I sent my own rebuttal to him, which has failed to be posted or responded to privately (as one could expect).
Reproduced here:
James, your series on this has been very contradictory in nature, and based more on human reasoning than Biblical. For example you ignore one scripture that shoots down your theory that Satan’s attacks can get to be toonuch for a person:
1 Cor 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God will never allow anyone to face such a hard trial that stumbling is the given outcome! Which means that even Satan’s attacks on us can be endured by the called. Doesn’t mean it is easy, but it can be done. If we could be overpowered by Satan, why would God call anyone now? Why would He call anyone before Satan was put away?
As well, your reasoning begs the question as to why God doesn’t call everyone today. If the unpardonable sin cannot be committed today, then why has God not poured His Spirit and understanding out to -everyone-? If failing just leads to the mass resurrection and a chance to try then, then why has God been picky? Why does a veil persist even today? (2 Cor 3:14-15) a veil that can only be broken by God and not efforts of man (2Cor 3:16, John 6:44)
Could it not be that if even Christ acknowledged that it is possible to blaspheme the Holy Spirit in this lifetime, that it is? That receiving the Holy Spirit and falling away entirely is still possible? Could it not be that the veil persists today because not everyone that had their minds open would be able to make it into the Kingdom, and having their minds already open would be judged as such? That God is being merciful by not calling everyone in a world where he knows certain people would never make it.
In fact, if people could have their minds open and respond to God’s calling, and fail due to Satan, and not be judged for that but given a second chance later (because you make the claim anyone with God’s Spirit and truly converted would never reject God)… Then why would anyone reject God in the future? Why is there a second death at all? Why is it even needed to be discussed? And why is judgment already beginning with the house of God, as Peter says? (1 Peter 4:17) If we can be judged to life, we can also be judged to death–something else that Peter makes clear. (2 Peter 2:4-9)
Your understanding of the third resurrection doctrine, as taught by COGs and HWA himself is faulty and without evidence or sound basis. As well, your understanding of the Unpardonable Sin taught by the same two is also faulty. You’ve attempted to knock down a belief that you set up incorrectly to begin with. And your own teaching is full of holes and very problematic. It appears to have been designed strictly to have yet another difference between yourself and others. And in the end, the scriptures do not agree with you.
Our judgment has begun now.
Is it once a false teacher always a false teacher, once a false apostle always a false apostle? By using that standard there may not be very much hope for a number of people.
I do believe there is a proclivity within CoG’s for a person to know less than what they are authoritatively claiming the Bible teaches. As in 1Tim 1:7 “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm.”
Now I am not sure what that verse in the beginning of the chapter has exactly to do with it’s end, but Paul gives some hope there. “Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck:
Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered to Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” (1Tim 1:19-20)
Norbert wrote: “Is it once a false teacher always a false teacher, once a false apostle always a false apostle?”
Not sure what your point is, but a thief is a thief as long as he steals.
There are so many ridiculous flaws with his view on this stuff. I was shocked by the entire discussion in the comments about people not having a “full measure” of God’s Spirit and not having seen the “powers of a coming age.” If God is only half-heartedly giving us His Spirit today and if we have not seen the power of God in our own lives, then what hope do any of us have? Furthermore, his whole belief that Christ didn’t “know” any of the details in the book of Revelation is totally gnostic, as is his belief that no interpretation of prophecy in the Churches of God could be correct up until now because it was sealed until the *very* end – and given to him (although he would never state that last bit, it’s effectively the claim that he is making.)
If there was ever any doubt about whether he was a false teacher, it is now totally out in the open for all to see. I just hope people don’t keep falling into this deception like some of the commenters there apparently have 🙁
Well, Steve, et al, it actually gets even more contradictory and ridiculous. One of Malm’s comments on this same article reads (insert sic where appropriate), “Because two persons [the Beast and the False Prophet] are thrown into fire does not mean ior even implay any FINAL judgment for them at that time, it merely means that they are burned as an example for others. Thousands of others have been burned alive in history and will be awakened in future. It is an unjustified assumption to believe that these two will not be raised in the main resurrection.”
So, apparently even the Lake of Fire is not necessarily a final judgment according to Malm.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s probably time to unsubscribe from his RSS feed. I reckon he’s now as far gone as Ronald Weinland as to anything that might have resembled the truth.
“Not sure what your point is, but a thief is a thief as long as he steals.
When it comes to “Is it once a false teacher always a false teacher, once a false apostle always a false apostle?”
A large number of people in the CoG world still regard Herbert Armstrong’s teachings and use them when it suites their topic even though numerous statements he made were in error too.
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2204532071&v=app_2373072738#!/topic.php?uid=2204532071&topic=11403
@Norbert: Not sure where that link was supposed to take me, but I wound up only on my FB wall page.
I think James is self-deceived in the impact he has. He has regular commenters that support his every word. And he allows other comments through that he can easily rebutt the points made on (or serve some other goal of his), but his impression of how many follow his blog is greatly over-exaggerated.
I can probably claim at -least- a dozen of his unique IP visits for April, given the number of locations I log into the internet and check his site. And who knows what the real number is, since many are public locations that I probably have new IPs at each time. And I check several times a day, to see comments and so forth.
I know I’m not alone in that kind of habit. In fact, I’d say 90%+ of the people I know who visit his site do so purely to see what insane thing he has to say next and not for honestly believing him. He gets me frustrated and yet I go back all the time… I equate the impact that Palin or Beck or Trump has on liberals and why they still give them attention.
His idea of representing a portion of unique IPs as to represent a family of four? That’s just plain absurd for anyone that’s really been much around the internet.
Let’s not forget the sheer number of webcrawlers, indexers, and spiders out there.
The number of people honestly buying into what he preaches is far less than he would like to believe.
Still, I’m completely amazed at how incongruous this one series of posts makes his blog. It dovetails exactly in with the “all you need is love” and “new age/all paths lead to the same outcome” philosophies he preaches so much against. And yet this pretty much provides no motivation for anyone to heed his ‘warnings’.
I still believe he means well–he still wants people to be zealous and turn to God and read their Bibles. But I think being away from any fellowship environment for too long, and led by his own heart (and conspiracy theories!) have led him astray. Sadly, though, he has set himself up as a prophet and a teacher and elevated himself to a position higher than most ministers I know would ever claim. …I would not want to be in his shoes.
John,
It is a FB page. In the “United Church of God” group, their discussion section the question “Was Herbert Armstrong A False Prophet?” is discussed. The person starting that thread lists numerous church literature from 1934 to 1982, citing HW and what a few others stated.
Andrew wrote: “I think James is self-deceived in the impact he has.”
Well, I know he is. BTW, webcrawlers are not supposed to show up in the number of hits, but his counting of hits for a family of four is pretty ludicrous.
However, my comment was more about myself than a suggestion for anyone else. For example, I don’t have an RSS feed setup for Ronald Weinland. In fact, I stopped commenting on his antics for the most part some time ago. The only real difference is that there are plenty of other sites out there to comment on his bizarre behavior (which in itself shows the comparative impact of the two).
More to the point, is commenting directly about Malm even helpful after this? While I’m not going to turn this into “Malm Watch” or anything like that, it seems that he may have reached the point of egregious teachings to which it hinders more useful conversations.
Pretty soon, time will run out on his false prophecies as well. However, after seeing that people still follow Weinland, I am not hopeful that even that will shake them out of their deceptions.
So, again I ask if it is useful to even pay him much attention?
Well, I guess I got my answer just a few moments after posting that last comment. Sure enough, I got an email that will probably be the basis for tomorrow’s post.
To be honest, I didn’t know he had RSS set up. I tried to find one once, but didn’t manage (same with Bob Thiel). And despite knowing his tabloid quality, part of me still gets so outrageously indignant about what he writes I feel like I should be writing something to combat it. I often don’t, but at times I consider.
Regarding webcrawlers…they may not show up in hits, but unique IP visits they’ll log. At least in my experience. I’m an admin on a fairly popular writing forum of about 2500+ members. Online users includes a list of guests by IP. You can look up those IPs and get results of spiders and/or spambots. He didn’t just talk hits, but unique IPs. I bet that IP visit log he has still includes the spiders.
@Andrew: It’s so easy to find things on TheShiningLight! site. ;->
Actually, if you look at the top, you can see the orange RSS symbol by the search bar. It’s in an out of the way place, but it is there.
I forget how I found the COG News feed. It probably popped up as an icon in the address bar in an older version of my browser. On a lark, I typed in http://www.cogwriter.com/news/feed/rss/ into the address bar, and it found the feed that way.