James Trimm

Anyone who can email me scans of Power for Abundant Living, pp. 119-120 (along with title page and copyright date) I would appreciate it, also any other documentable statements by Wierwall to the effect that the actual words of the Bible are doctrine and scoffing at principles or dogma taught by men as doctrine : cleartruth@yahoo.com I would appreciate it.

Also if Yahweh actually inspired the Scriptures (and He did) then they had meaning the moment he inspired them because He understood them, so our understanding of them is irrelevant to their actual meaning. The Messiah is the Word itself incarnate. The Bible as it is written is therefore doctrine BEFORE we read and understand it.

Re: Federal Court Claims Right to Regulate Scripture Interpretation Date: April 5, 2010 Contact: Rabbi Robert Miller International Assembly of Nazarene Israelites 2006 South 57th Street Temple, Texas 76504 Phone: (254) 773-0703 http://www.iani.us.com/ cleartruth@yahoo.com Federal Court Claims Right to Regulate Scripture Interpretation A Federal Court has claimed the right to regulate how a religious organization may interpret the Scriptures. On Monday April 5th a court in the U.S. District Court Northern District of Texas denied a Motion to Dismiss filed by a Messianic Jewish Group being sued by The Way International. The Way International is an ostensibly Christian group often branded a “cult” (1) and with a history of alleged anti-Semitism. In a 1982 report the Anti-Defamation League reported that the group was "promoting anti-Semitism", that the founder was teaching that the Holocaust "never happened" and that "modern Jews are not descendants of ... the biblical tribes" (2). In 1995 the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that the followers were urged to read “The Myth of the Six Million” and “The Hoax of the Twentieth Century” which question the reality of the Holocaust (3). The suit claims that the Hebraic Roots Version (HRV) Bible, the standard version of the Scriptures for many Nazarene Jews worldwide for the last ten years, infringes on the copyright of the Aramaic English Interlinear New Testament once published by the Way. The Way seeks through this suit, to ban the HRV Bible. The Worldwide Nazarene Assembly of Elohim maintains that all translations of the Bible read very much alike and that the Hebraic Roots Version does not infringe on anyone else’s copyright. Many portions of the HRV New Testament and the AEINT are both literal translations of the ancient Aramaic Pedangta New Testament and while the two translations have many similarities, they also have many differences. The WNAE maintained that the HRV is its standard accepted version of the Scriptures, and as such, is the doctrine of its organization. The WNAE maintains that Bible translation is Scripture interpretation and that Scripture interpretation is doctrine. They state that they believe in every word the Bible as it as written as their doctrine and that the HRV is their Bible. In their Motion filed March 8th, the WNAE argued that their Bible is their doctrine, that Bible translation is Scripture interpretation, and Scripture interpretation is doctrine. They further argued that the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment has been understood by the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the court from hearing property disputes between religious groups where doing so would require the court to consider, weigh or interpret doctrine or resolve doctrinal disputes. In this case they argued that the court would have to engage in all of these forbidden activities in order to hear this case, and in effect regulate their interpretation of Scriptures and therefore their doctrine. On Monday April 5th the court denied the Motion to Dismiss with no explanation. In effect claiming that the Federal Government may regulate the interpretation of Scripture and tell religious organizations how their Bible can read. This action is the latest in a series of similar legal actions by the Way International, which raise questions concerning the free exercise of religion. In 2007 The Way International sent a letter to The Way, a Baptist church located in Grant County, Kentucky, threatening to sue them over use of the name “The Way”(4) That same year, they filed a lawsuit against “The Way Ministries” claiming trademark infringement (5). The term “The Way” is actually a term found in the Bible for the early followers of Yeshua (Jesus) (Acts 9:2; 19:9, 23 & 24:14). This latest suit directly challenges the foundations of the Establishment Claus of the Constitution, as to whether or not religious groups may interpret the Scriptures and word their Bibles as they see fit, or whether the Government can consider, weigh and interpret the doctrine of religious groups, resolve doctrinal issues and even ban versions of the Bible. Donations to the WANE Legal Fund are being accepted at: http://www.wnae.org (1) Listed as a “cult” by Watchman Fellowship a leading Christian anti-Cult ministry. Their “profile” on the Way International is at: http://www.watchman.org/profile/waypro.htm (2) Anti-Defamation League accuses religious group of Anti-Semitism St. Petersberg Times - July 24, 1982 p. 37 http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19820724&id=WPkNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WnsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5256,351011 (3) The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette says concerning The Way International: ”Charges of anti-Semitism brought more unwanted publicity when followers were urged to read “The Myth of the Six Million” and “The Hoax of the Twentieth Century.” Both books cast doubt on the Holocaust. Six ex-followers have told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazettethat Wierwille and other Way leaders had taught that the Holocaust was a myth concocted by the Jews.” - The Way: After a family breaks up, questions arise about the group; By Mary Hargrove; Arkansas Democrat-Gazette Staff Writer (http://web.archive.org/web/20061201095041/http://www.ardemgaz.com/prev/way/11.asp) (4) http://www.greasespotcafe.com/main2/news/latest/the-way-internationals-lawyers-strike-again.html (5) http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-kywdce/case_no-3:2007cv00368/case_id-62046/ All Motions involved and the court ruling is posted here: http://nazarenespace.ning.com/profiles/blogs/motion-to-dismiss-their

The Way International Argues: Actual Words of the Bible are Not Doctrine In recent court documents The Way International has argued that the actual words with which the Bible is translated and written are not doctrine. Instead they argue that doctrine is not “what the words [of the Bible] say” Instead TWI claims that “doctrine” is only “a principle or body of principles presented for belief.” TWI says for an example: "The Way teaches, that when someone dies, he is not judged immediately, but is 'asleep' until the time of the last judgment, when all the dead are awakened and judged. This... is an example of a doctrine, which can be taught, believed or rejected..." But of the actual words of the Bible they say: "It is what the words say; it is not itself a ‘principle presented for acceptance or belief...’” This is in sharp contrast to the beliefs of most Protestants in America who hold the words of the Bible to be doctrine and inseparable from doctrine. As the reformer Calvin said: This, then, is the difference. Our opponents (speaking of the Roman Catholic Church) locate the authority of the Church outside God's Word, that is, outside of Scripture and Scripture alone. But we insist that it be attached to the Word and to not allow it to be separated from it. And what wonder if Christ's bride and pupil be subject to her spouse and teacher so that she pays constant and careful attention to His words. For this is the arrangement of a well-governed house. The wife obeys the husband's authority. This is the plan of a well-ordered school, that there the teaching of the schoolmaster alone should be heard. For this reason the Church should not be wise of itself, should not devise anything of itself but should set the limit of its own wisdom where Christ has made an end of speaking. In this way the Church will distrust all the devisings of its own reason. But in those things where it rests upon God's Word the Church will not waiver with any distrust or doubting but will repose in great assurance and firm constancy. (Calvin: Institutes of the Christian Religion, Volume 1, Chapter VIII) Ironically TWI founder Victor Paul Wierwille taught in his Power for Abundant Living Classes that the greatest secret in the world today is that "the Bible is the revealed Word and will of God," or that "the Word of God is the will of God." Wierwille emphasized reading the words of the Bible directly as opposed to “principle presented for acceptance or belief...”. He even stated that one day he hauled over three thousand volumes of theological works to the city dump, because he found that "equally intelligent men, talking about the same verse of scripture, would be miles apart on their conclusions." (Power for Abundant Living, pp. 119-120) Wierwille maintained that God’s Word itself is doctrine and scoffed at “principles” and “dogma” taught by men. Yet with the most blatant of hypocrisy, as soon as it becomes convenient for them, TWI argues to a Federal judge that the actual words with which the Bible is written are not constitutionally protected “doctrine” only the “principals” and “dogmas” taught by men are constitutionally protected as “doctrine. Shame on you TWI! For more on this lawsuit see: http://www.religionnewsblog.com/23574/hebraic-roots-version http://nazarenespace. Response to MTD.pdf