Basic HTML Version
the last part of the same verse: "but
the gift of God is eterna! life through
Jesus Christ our Lord."
" But," 1 questioned in disillusion–
ment ,
" I
thought 1 already had eter–
nallife- 1am, or
1
have-an immor–
tal soul. Why should
1
need it as a
gift
?"
1
researched the word
soul
by
means of a Bible concordance. Twice
1
found the expression, "The soul
tha t sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel
18:4 and Ezekiel 18:20) .
Then
I
remembered
1
had read in
Genesis
2
how God said to the first
humans, " But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou
shalt not eat of it: for in the day that
thou eatest thereof thou shalt
surely
die."
In Genesis 2:7
l
read how God
formed man of the dust of the ground
and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life, and man (dust–
matter) "became a living soul." This
stated plainly that a soul is physi–
cal- formed from matter.
1
found
that the English word
sou/
is trans–
lated from the Hebrew
nephesh
and
that in Genesis 1 fowl, fish and
animals-all three- were
nephesh
as
Moses was inspired to write.
Next,
I
happened to read where
Jesus said, "And no man hath
ascended up to heaven, but he that
carne down from heaven, even the
Son of man" (John
3: 13). I
re–
searched the heaven and hell teach–
ing further.
1
saw where the inspi red
Peter, on the day he received the
Holy Spirit, said, " For ·David is not
ascended into the heavens..." (Acts
2:34).
In this in-depth study of the Bible,
1 had the use of a ll the biblical
helps-concordances, Greek-Engl ish
and Hebrew-English lexicons, com–
mentaries, Bible dictionaries and
religious encyclopedias. The latter
three of these, 1 found, were the
works of scholar ly but carnal minds.
In historical facts and matters of a
material and physical nature, they
give help in research, but in God's
revelation of spi ritual knowledge 1
found them of little help.
I also used, in questionable pas–
sages, the Hebrew Old Testament
and the Greek New Testament, with
the lexicons. And 1 used every trans–
lation or version then, 53 years ago,
so far published- especially the
10
Moffatt, Ferrar Fenton, Smith–
Goodspeed, American Revised and
the Williams New Testáment.
My Experience Utterly Unique
My research was totally different
from that of students in a seminary.
They absorb what they are taught in
the doctrines of their denoroination.
Education has become a matter of
memory training. The child, and the
adult student as well, is expected to
accept and memorize whatever is
taught.
For example, in an elementa ry
grade one of my grandsons was once
asked by the teacher, "Who discov–
e red America
?"
"The l ndians," promptly answered
the grandson. The teacher was aston–
ished.
"No, Larry, don' t you know that
Columbus discovered America
?"
"No, Ma'am, the Indians were
aiready here to greet Columbus when
he finally arrived."
The lad was given a zero for his
answer and severely instructed to
a lways remember that the book says
Columbus discovered America!
A pupíl , ora student in high school
or university, is graded on memoriz–
ing and belíeving what he is taught
by the textbook, the teacher, instruc–
tor or professor.
In the fi rst dummy copy of the
magazine
The Plain Truth ,
which
1
put together in 1927-seven years
before the magazine was actually
published,
1
had an artist draw a
picture of a school room, with chil–
dren sittíng at the desks, each with a
Tunnel stuck into his or her head. The
teacher was pouring out of a pitcher
ready:rnade propaganda into each
child's head.
A student enrolled at a Methodist
seminary receives Methodist doctrine
and teaching into his head. A Catho–
lic student studying in a Catholic
seminary is taught Roman Catholic
teachings. A student in a Presbyter–
ian seminary is given Presbyterian
doctrines. A student in Germany
studying history is instructed in one
version of World Wars I and 11, but a
history student in the United States
is taught an altogether different ver–
sion.
But l had been called specially by
the living Goo. l was trying to prove
the very opposite of what 1 found
clearly and unmistakably to be what
the Bible SAvs! 1 was taught by
Christ wha t
1
did not want to believe
but what He showed me was TRUE!
Jesus Christ is the
personal
Word
of God. He, in person, taught the
original 12 apostles and the apos tle
Paul. The Bible is the SAME Word of
God IN PRINT today. Thus it was t he
same Jesus Christ who taught both
the original apostles, beginning A.o.
27, and 1,900 years later, beginning
1927, myself.
And Jet me add here that my study
of God's revelation of truth has never
ceased. Later Christ used me in
founding tbree liberal arts colleges–
including one in England. Through
constant study, teaching and collabo–
ra tion with spirit-minded faculty
members in theologicaJ courses, my
mind has remained OPEN. And
knowledge of God's revealed truth
has increased.
But in my initia l six-months inten–
sive in-depth study
1
was undergoing
a process of UNiearning--<liscovering
that church teachings bad been the
diametric opposite of Bible TRUTH!
JOY in Defeat
This is not the place for a lengthy,
detailed account of my intensive
search in the Bible, bent on proving
to
my
satisfaction t hat "all these
churches can't be wrong, for thei r
teacbings carne from tbe Bible!" The
essential point here is the simple fact
that
1
di d
find irrefutable PROOF of
the divine inspiration and supreme
AUTHORITY of the Holy Bible as
originally written, as the revealed
Word of God. Even all the so-called
contradictions evaporated upon un–
biased study.
Yet, to my utter dismay and cha–
grín, 1 was forced to "eat crow" in
regard to my wife's supposed "fanati–
cism."
lt
was not what 1
wanted
to
believe
then!
But- by that time 1 had
taken a severe beating. 1 had to
accept PROVEO truth, contrary to
what 1 had wanted to believe!
And I can say now, witb the
apostle Paul , " tha t the gospel which
is preached of me is not after man.
For · 1 neither received it of man,
neither was 1 taught it, but by the
revelation of Jesus Christ. ... But
when it pleased God ... to reveal His
Son in me ... immediately 1 con-
(Continued on page 41 )
The PLAIN TRUTH