CHAPTER V
LIES
A LIE is a false statement made by one to another one who is entitled to hear and to know the truth, and which false statement tends to work injury to the other. A false statement made for the purpose of deceiving and working injury to another is a deliberate and malicious lie.
God appointed Lucifer as man's overlord. Faithfulness to God and duty to man required Lucifer to tell the truth. Eve was entitled to know the truth. Lucifer stated to Eve that 'the eating of the forbidden fruit would not result in her death, but the eating thereof would result in great wisdom to her'. By that false statement Eve was deceived, and the false statement resulted in Eve's death and brought suffering and death upon all mankind. Lucifer's statement to Eve, therefore, was a deliberate, wicked and malicious lie. It was the beginning of lies.
Lucifer, now known as Satan the Serpent, is the most fertile of all liars. From the very moment he became Satan he was a liar. His first lie resulted in murder. Jesus said of Satan the Devil: "He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44) "Father" means originator or life-giver. All lies originate with Satan the Devil, and those persons who indulge in
telling lies are the children of the Devil. For this reason Jesus said to the chief men or clergy of the Jews: "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do." He that is of God sees God's Word and obeys. Therefore those who repeat Satan's lies are children of the Devil. — John 8:44, 47.
The words of Jesus make a clear distinction between truth and lies. Replying to a question propounded to Jesus, he said: "To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should [be a witness to] the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice." (John 18: 37) "God . . . cannot lie." (Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18) He is the true and righteous One, and his Word is the truth. (John 17:17) It follows, then, that all doctrines or teachings of men, which are contrary to the Word of God, are false teachings; and if such doctrines or teachings tend to do injury to others, then such doctrines or teachings are lies. You are now about to give consideration to doctrines or teachings about which you have heard much, and for your own welfare you must determine whether or not those doctrines or teachings are true or false. If you find that doctrines, when measured by the Word of God, are contrary to the Word of God, then it is certain that such teachings are lies and that they proceed from the Devil, the originator or father of lies. If you find that a doctrine or teaching is a lie, you should quickly forsake it, regardless of who teaches it or how long you have believed that teaching to be true. Your own welfare and your duty to God demand that you abandon lies, no matter who teaches them, for the reason that the
end of the maker and supporter of lies is eternal death. — Revelation 21: 8, 27.
God hates a speaker of lies. (Proverbs 6:16-19) "A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish." (Proverbs 19: 9) The Devil lied to and deceived the perfect woman Eve. It is certain, then, that the Devil by and through his agents lies to and deceives many imperfect creatures. There is only one possible way to find safety, and that is to learn the truth of God's Word and follow that and keep away from the teachings of men which are contrary to the Word of God. If you find that you have been for some time in an organization called "the church", and that such organization teaches that which is contrary to God's Word of truth, then you will have to choose whether you will remain in accord with that so-called "church" organization and its teachings or will forsake the same and rely upon the Word of God. As you consider the following points the test will be upon you. Ask the God of all wisdom and comfort to let you see the truth.
DEATH
You have often heard some human teacher say: "There is no death; when a man is taken away in what is called death he is not in fact dead but passes on to live; his body dies, but his soul lives on for ever." In brief, such is the teaching of practically all the religious organizations of "Christendom". Is that doctrine or teaching true, or is it a lie? The Scriptures emphatically answer that such teaching is Satan's lie. God said to man: 'In the day that you sin, you shall surely die.' (Genesis 2:17) The liar
Satan said: "Ye shall not surely die." (Genesis 3:4) Jesus says: 'Satan is the liar.' (John 8:44) Whom do you believe? It is written: "The wages of sin is death." (Romans 6:23) If there is no death, then the creature must be immortal, which means that he cannot die. One lie needs support by another lie; therefore another doctrine taught by the religious organizations is, that the soul of man is immortal and lives on forever. That is another lie.
God says that every man is a soul. No man has or possesses a soul. "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." (Genesis 2:7) This scripture proves that the body and breath of life, together, constitute the "soul" or moving, living creature. When the breath of life is separated from the body the creature dies, and hence the soul is dead. For this reason it is written: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:4; James 5:20; Revelation 18:3) All persons are souls, and because of inherited sin such souls die. "What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave?" (Psalm 89:48) Pause and think. Angels are not immortal, because all the wicked angels God will destroy. (Psalm 145: 20) The Devil is not immortal, because God has declared that he shall be destroyed by Christ Jesus. (Hebrews 2:14) Who, then, is immortal? The Scriptures say: God "only hath immortality". (1 Timothy 6:16) God raised Jesus out of death and gave him immortality, and never again can Jesus die; therefore Christ Jesus the divine is now immortal. (Revelation 1:18) God will give immortality to the 144,000
associates of Jesus in the kingdom and will give it to none other. (Revelation 2:10; Romans 2:7; 1 Corinthians 15: 53) From these scriptures you see that the doctrine of inherent immortality of all souls is another lie of the Devil, told to deceive man, and which works everlasting injury to men.
PURGATORY
The leaders or chief men of the great religious organization of earth teach and thereby induce millions of persons to believe that when a person dies that person goes immediately, if good, to heaven; otherwise, to purgatory or to eternal torment; and that all such are fully conscious and have knowledge of what is being done concerning themselves. If you find that the dead person is not conscious and has no knowledge whatsoever, then you will know that the teaching concerning purgatory is another lie of Satan, made and taught to deceive and injure others.
Purgatory and eternal torment, commonly called "hell-fire", do not exist. Those who are dead are not conscious anywhere. "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Ecclesiastes 9: 5,10) "The dead praise not the Lord, neither any that go down into silence." (Psalm 115:17) In the light of these scriptures it is certain that those who have died are not suffering anywhere. Being an honest person, you have found it difficult to love a god who would tor-
ture a living creature in fire or in any other manner. You would not torture a dumb brute. The doctrine of eternal torment makes God appear a fiend rather than a God of love, and that is what the Devil desires. The doctrine of purgatory is another one of Satan's lies, made and told to deceive men and cause them to hate, disobey and reproach God.
Those who teach the false doctrine of purgatory cite only one Scriptural text in their attempt to find support, and that text does not at all support their teaching. That scripture is concerning the thief that was crucified at the same time Jesus was crucified, and a record thereof is found at Luke 23: 39-43. One of the thieves, just before dying, said to Jesus: "Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee today, Shalt thou be with me in paradise?" (Luke 23:42,43; see Rotherham) Manifestly the thief believed Jesus to be God's appointed King of the world and that in the future Christ Jesus would come into his kingdom, and the thief wanted to be remembered by the Lord at that time. The answer of Jesus was: "Shalt thou be with me [that is, on my side; believe and obey me] in paradise!" If the thief, when raised out of death, does take his stand on the side of the Lord Jesus Christ, and obeys, then he will have regeneration and receive the riches of life and his home will be in paradise, that is to say, the beautiful earth, "paradise" meaning a garden like Eden. Jesus did not come into his kingdom the day that he died. For three days he was dead and in the grave, and at the end of that time God raised him out of death, and forty days later Jesus ascended into heaven, and ap-
proximately nineteen hundred years later Jesus came into his kingdom and was placed upon his throne and sent forth to rule. —Psalms 2:6; 110:1,2; Rev. 11:18.
The thief will never be in heaven, because the promise to him is that if he is on the side of Christ Jesus he will be in paradise. It is certain that the thief did not go to heaven or paradise that day that he died. If he did, then he got there long before Jesus did; and we know that such a conclusion is wholly unreasonable. The thief died and was put in the grave and is still in the grave awaiting the time to be awakened out of death according to the promise of the Lord. (John 5:28,29) The words of Jesus to the thief were these: 'Today I say unto thee (that is, I am saying it now, this day), Shalt thou be with me in paradise?' You see that this scripture in no wise supports the "purgatory" doctrine.
The doctrine of purgatory is a lie because it is false and because the teaching of that doctrine has worked great injury to millions of persons. Men in the church organizations have induced millions to believe that their friends who have died are conscious and are suffering in purgatory and that the prayers of men called priests can relieve them from their sufferings. The people are thereby induced to give up their money to the priests to say prayers for those supposed to be in purgatory. Many an honest man has been induced to pay a large sum of money for such prayers. Certainly this manner of obtaining money is getting it under false pretenses and to the injury of those who pay. The greatest injury, however, is: inducing the living person to believe that his dead friends are
suffering in purgatory at the hands of Jehovah; and such is a defamation of God's name and tends to turn millions of honest persons away from God; and that is what the Devil is working for.
Is there any hope for those who have died in ignorance of the truth? Yes; and that hope is in the resurrection of the dead. It is written: "There shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust." (Acts 24:15) "Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." (Acts 17:31) Resurrection means to bring one back to life. If a person is alive in purgatory or in torment, that person could not be resurrected. Resurrection of the dead is sure and certain because the Lord has so provided, and that certainty alone proves that the doctrine of purgatory is another of Satan's lies.
Have those who are good gone immediately to heaven at death? No; because resurrection of the dead does not take place until the coming of Christ Jesus and his kingdom. (2 Timothy 4:1) The faithful apostle declared that he would receive his resurrection at the second coming of the Lord. (2 Timothy 4:8) Such faithful followers of the Lord Jesus Christ are the ones who have part in the chief resurrection or "first resurrection", and become members of the royal house of Jehovah in heaven, and that number is limited to 144,000. The hope of all other persons is in a resurrection and an opportunity for life everlasting on the earth.
TRINITY
Another lie made and told by Satan for the purpose of reproaching God's name and turning men away from God is that of the "trinity". That doctrine is taught by the religionists of "Christendom" and is in substance this: 'That there are three gods in one; God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, all equal in power, substance and eternity.' No man can explain that doctrine, because it is false. That false doctrine was prominent in the religions of ancient Babylon and Egypt and among other mythologists, all of which are Devil religions.
If you ask a teacher of the trinity doctrine to explain it, he invariably answers: "That is a mystery which you cannot understand." The doctrine was first introduced into "organized Christianity" by a Greek clergyman in the fourth century. To aid the gullible people to keep the thing somewhat fixed in mind an image was introduced, a triangle, a circle, a trefoil or three-pointed thing that was used as an object lesson. Men desiring to appear wise before others fell easy victims to Satan's subtility and were induced to turn away from the truth of God's Word and to make images to be employed in their worship and thus to induce others to believe that there is not one Almighty God, but three. Concerning such foolish persons the Scriptures say, "They . . . became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened: professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man." (Romans 1:21-23) The fraud and deceit of Satan's agents appears in connection with the so-
called "trinity" when it is seen that the doctrine attempts to nullify God's provision for the salvation of men by and through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus. It denies the value of the shed blood of Christ Jesus.
The Scriptures show conclusively that there is but one Almighty God, who is the Life-giver of creatures, and that Christ Jesus is the Son of God, the beginning of creation and the active agent of Jehovah in the creation of all other things. In giving his law to man Jehovah said: "I am Jehovah thy God, ... Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." (Exodus 20:2-4, A.R.V.) "I am the LORD [Jehovah]; that is my name," and "there is no God beside me". (Isaiah 42: 8; 45: 5) 'There is one God, and Father over all.' (Ephesians 4:6) He is the King Eternal, without beginning, and without end. "But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting King: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation." — Jeremiah 10:10; Deuteronomy 33: 27.
Jesus Christ, the Son of Jehovah God, the beginning of creation, was originally called "the Logos", and he says: "Jehovah possessed me in the beginning of his way." (Proverbs 8:22, A.R.V.) The Logos, the Son, was the beginning of creation, and him God has appointed heir over all things. — Ephesians 3:9; Hebrews 1:1,2.
The testimony of Christ Jesus fully corroborates the foregoing. Jesus said: "I am come in my Father's name." (John 5:43) "For I came down from
heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me." (John 6:38) "My Father is greater than I." (John 14: 28) "The head of Christ is God." (1 Corinthians 11:3) "I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me." (John 5:30) "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." (John 12:49) When Jesus had finished his work, he prayed to Jehovah God his Father and said: "Father, . . . glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee." On that occasion he uttered the prayer which is recorded at John the seventeenth chapter, all of which prayer is addressed to Jehovah his Father. If the Father and the Son were one in substance and eternity, why should one pray to himself?
On one occasion Jesus said: "I and my Father are one." (John 10: 30) He did not mean that they were one person or substance, but that they were at unity, always working together in full harmony. In his prayer to the Father Jesus makes clear the meaning of the word "one", to wit: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17: 20, 21) Jesus the Son was sent from heaven to earth that he might lay down his life as a ransom price for mankind. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known
of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep." (John 10:10,14,15) If the Father and the Son were one in substance, then it would be impossible for the Son to give his life a redemptive price for man. The purpose of the false doctrine of the trinity is to destroy faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus as the ransom price for mankind.
The word "ghost" is from the Greek word which, in the Revised Version, is properly translated "spirit". It does not mean a person or a creature or being, but means the power of Jehovah God, which power is invisible to human eyes. The holy spirit, otherwise translated "holy ghost", therefore means the invisible power of Jehovah, which is entirely devoted to righteousness or holiness.
The doctrine of the "trinity" finds no support whatsoever in the Bible, but, on the contrary, the Bible proves beyond all doubt that it is the Devil's doctrine, fraudulently imposed upon men to destroy their faith in Jehovah God and his gracious provision for the redemption and regeneration of the human race. Therefore it definitely appears that the doctrine of the so-called "holy trinity" is another of Satan's lies.
THE ROCK
Perversion, distortion and lies, and misrepresentation of the truth, are a cunning method of Satan employed to cause people to believe a lie and thereby to turn them away from Jehovah. A striking example of such lying is found in the application that is
made of the words of Jesus concerning the church and "this rock" upon which the church is built.
One of the titles which Jehovah gives to himself is "THE ROCK", because he is the eternal foundation of his universal organization which can never be moved. It is written: "I will publish the name of [Jehovah] . . . God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect." (Deuteronomy 32:3,4) He is 'the Rock of salvation'. (Deuteronomy 32:15) "There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God." (1 Samuel 2:2) "Jehovah is my rock, . . . and the horn of my salvation." (Psalm 18: 2, A.R.V.) "Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence: I shall not be greatly moved." — Psalm 62:1, 2.
The Head or Chief Corner and Foundation of Jehovah's capital organization is Christ Jesus, who is also designated in the Scriptures as a rock or precious stone. This prophetic statement appears in the prophecy of Daniel 2:34-45: a stone is "cut out of the mountain" (Jehovah's universal organization), which stone thus cut out by Jehovah becomes "a great mountain" or mass of rock and fills the whole earth; that stone or mountain is the kingdom of God under Christ. God's organization is called Zion, and in which organization Christ Jesus is the chief stone. "Therefore thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste." — Isaiah 28:16.
In Isaiah 32:2 Christ Jesus the King is called "a great Rock". Those who are of the kingdom under
Christ are said to be "inhabitants of the rock". (Isaiah 42:11) Christ Jesus, the King, is 'the stone which the builders rejected and which is become the head stone of God's great organization'. (Psalm 118:22,23) This and other scriptures show that Christ Jesus, who is God's anointed King, is the Head, the chief corner stone and foundation of God's capital organization. At 1 Corinthians 10:4 Christ Jesus is called the "spiritual Rock", of which Moses was a type.
All the prophets had written foretelling the coming of Christ Jesus, who would rule the world in righteousness, and these prophecies were written before Jesus came to earth. The word "Christ" means God's anointed King, the Head of his capital organization. The disciples of Jesus, being familiar with the prophecies, were looking for "The Christ". Jesus put them to a test to determine whether or not his disciples realized that he was the Christ; and that he did by propounding to them this question: "Whom say ye that I am?" Peter answered for the disciples: "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16) Jesus then told Peter that his answer was correct and that Jehovah God had revealed that truth to Peter: "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter [(Greek) Petros; that is, a piece of rock]; and upon THIS ROCK [(Greek) Petra; great rock] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." — Matthew 16:16-18.
Note that the Lord does not say: "On thee, Peter." In the classic Greek the name "Peter" was Petros;
and Jesus said, "Upon this [Petra; that is, a mass or mountain of rock, a great rock, a foundation rock] I will build my church." (See Rotherham, marginal note.) "This Rock" had no reference to Peter, but applied exclusively to Christ Jesus, God's anointed One, whom Jehovah laid as a sure and everlasting foundation of his capital organization. In further proof that Jesus was here fixing in the minds of his disciples that he is The Christ, note his words in verse twenty: "Then charged he his disciples, that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ." (Matthew 16:20) The proof is conclusive that the building of the church was not to be upon Peter, but upon Christ Jesus, the foundation rock.
Note now the corroborative proof. When Jesus said "my church" he referred to the 'church of God' (1 Timothy 3:15), and not to any organization on earth amongst men. The word "church" means a people gathered out from the nations for the name of Jehovah God, and who are made members of his royal house in heaven. (Revelation 20:4) The church is not built upon Peter, but upon Christ Jesus. The twelve apostles of Christ are designated as twelve foundation stones; but Christ himself, the chief foundation and corner stone. (Revelation 21:14) It is written that God "gave him [Christ Jesus] to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body". (Ephesians 1: 22, 23) "But now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometimes were afar off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For through him we both have access by one spirit unto the Father. Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit." (Ephesians 2:13,18-22) "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." — Colossians 1:18.
When Jesus used the words "Upon this rock", Peter understood him to mean that He would build the church upon Christ, and upon no one else; and this is proved by the words of Peter written: "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious; but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient; whereunto also they were appointed: but ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." — 1 Peter 2:3-9.
Knowing the Bible to be true, because it is the Word of God, can there be any doubt as to the meaning of the words of Jesus concerning THIS ROCK? The proof is conclusive that the words "THIS ROCK" mean Christ Jesus himself, who is God's Chief Executive Officer and to whom God has committed all power in heaven and in earth.
THE LIE
Now with unbiased mind note the perversion, the distortion, the twisting and the misrepresentation of the words of Jesus, by which the most subtle and tremendous lie has been fixed in the minds of many persons. Satan the Devil cunningly and gradually injected such perversion into the mind of men and for the purpose of turning men away from God. After the death of the apostles a religious organization came into existence, and gradually grew to great power and influence amongst men. That religious organization was named "Christian". Doctrines that had been taught by the pagans, or practitioners of the Devil religion, were introduced into the "Christian organization". Ambitious men in the congregations of the professed Christians became haughty, austere and scornful, and ruled the congregations in a manner suitable to their own selfish whims. They created the division between the members of the congregation, making the ruling ones "the clergy", and making the ruled ones, or common people, "the laity."
The clergy then formed the organization which they have since called "the church", of which the common people are not members. The ruling or clergy part is composed of comparatively few men, while the com-
mon people, called "the laity", finance and support the ruling organization, and such common people are numbered by the millions. To the rulers it seemed advantageous to have one man as the head or "father" of the organization. The Devil put in the mind of men that conclusion, and, needing some Scriptural authority to apparently support the same, the following false interpretation was placed upon the words of Jesus recorded at Matthew 16:16-18: That the apostle Peter, and not Christ Jesus, is the Rock mentioned in the text, and that it is upon Peter and his "successors in office" that Christ Jesus has builded the church; that Christ Jesus appointed Peter the president or head of the "Christian republic"; and that since the death of Peter a company of men have from time to time elected his successor who is father and head of the church. The ruling part of the so-called "church" is called "the Hierarchy", and upon the head of the organization has been conferred the following title: "His Holiness The Pope, Bishop of Rome and Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of St. Peter, Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of Vatican City."
Now note the subtle ingenious and misleading argument made by distinguished writers in that religious organization in support of the false conclusion and interpretation of the words of the Lord. The following is quoted from the comments in "Haydock's CATHOLIC BIBLE", approved by John, Archbishop of New York, "according to the Douay and Rheimish Versions":
"And I say to thee, and tell thee why I before declared, (John 1:42) that thou shouldest be called Peter, for thou art constituted the rock upon which, as a foundation, I will build my Church, and that so firmly, as not to suffer the gates (i.e. the powers) of hell to prevail against its foundation; because if they overturn its foundation, (i.e. thee and thy successors) they will overturn also the Church that rests upon it. Christ therefore here promises to Peter, that he and his successors should be to the end, as long as the Church should last, its supreme pastors and princes."
Now note the inconsistency that appears in the same notes of the same Bible: "It is true S. Augustine, in one or two places, thus expounds these words, and upon this rock, (i.e. upon myself:) or upon this rock, which Peter hath confessed."
It is interesting here to note that Augustine, above quoted, died in the year 430 and his comments were written, of course, in his lifetime, and the subsequent commentator construed this scripture as applying to Peter, and not Christ. Also a later comment on the same text says: "Our Savior, by the words 'Thou art Peter,' clearly alludes to the new name which He Himself had conferred upon Simon, when He received him into the number of His followers (John 1:42); and He now reveals the reason for the change of name, which was to insinuate the honor He was to confer on him, by appointing him President of the Christian republic; just as God, in the Old Law, changed Abram's name to Abraham, when He chose him to be the father of a mighty nation. . . . Jesus, our Lord, founded but one Church, which He was pleased to
build on Peter. Therefore, any church that does not recognize Peter as its foundation stone is not the Church of Christ, and therefore cannot stand, for it is not the work of God. This is plain." — The Faith of Our Fathers, by Gibbons; written in 1876.
The construction placed upon the words of Jesus concerning "THIS ROCK" by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is in direct contradiction of every scripture in the Bible bearing on the subject. That distortion and twisting of the Scriptures originated with Satan, the Serpent and Deceiver, and has been promulgated and carried forward by men; and since Satan is the father of lies, the men who continue to teach such perversion of the Scriptures are therefore, according to the Scriptures, the servants of Satan, whether they know it or not. (Romans 6:16) The same is a lie because it is a false statement made to those who are entitled to hear the truth, and made for the manifest purpose of causing credulous persons to serve men, and not the Lord, and thus to turn many away from God, and which has worked injury to millions of persons. Above all, it is a great reproach upon the name of Jehovah.
Out of that ingenious lie of Satan has developed and been built up "the Hierarchy of the Catholic church". Out of that lie of Satan the title "pope", which means "papa", has come. It is a title given to the man who is the head of the religious-political organization, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy. The claim is made that Peter was the first pope and that he has had successors since. It is certain that Peter was never called a pope or father at any time. On the contrary,
Jesus said to his disciples, and to the people: "Call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ." (Matthew 23:1-10) Peter obeyed the Lord's word, and it is certain that he was not called "father". Contrary to this emphatic command of the Lord Jesus all the clergy of the Roman Catholic Hierarchy are called "Father" by order of the Hierarchy, and the pope is called "the Holy Father". It is plain to see that the ingenious and cunning lie of Satan has tended to turn away from God many persons and cause them to give their allegiance and devotion to man, which is for the very purpose of carrying out Satan's boast.
In order to give apparent reason for the existence of the office of pope the proponents of the theory have boldly stated that the popes are successors in office to Peter. There is not one word in the Scriptures showing that Peter ever had a successor, but all the scriptures directly contradict such claim. The Scriptures tell of the "twelve apostles of the Lamb" (Revelation 21:14), and not one word about successors of any of these apostles. 'God himself hath set the members in the body [in the church] as it pleaseth Him'; and no man nor body of men can make a change therein. (1 Corinthians 12:18) By what authority could a body of men make a successor to the apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ? Since the Lord has made no provision for successors to the apostles, the claim that men are made successors by the votes of other men, and that the pope is the successor of the apostle Peter, is absolutely false.
KEYS
On the same occasion Jesus said to Peter: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 16:19) This statement of Christ has also been twisted and distorted and given a meaning by the Roman Catholic Hierarchy entirely contradictory to the Word of God.
In the Scriptures the word keys is used symbolically to represent the privilege of unlocking hidden truths and receiving an understanding thereof. On another occasion Jesus used the identical word key to show its meaning. The Pharisees and doctors of the law constituted the clergy and leaders of the Israelites. It was incumbent upon them, and therefore their privilege, to expound God's law to the people. They were unfaithful to God, fell into ignorance themselves concerning the kingdom, and took away from the people the opportunity to understand God's purposes. For this reason Jesus said to them, as the record at Luke 11: 52 reads: 'You have taken away the key of knowledge. You entered not the kingdom yourselves, and you have hindered others from entering.' The favor which those unfaithful Jews might have had, Jesus conferred upon Peter, giving to him the "keys of the kingdom of heaven", and which clearly meant that Peter in due time should be given understanding of the kingdom of heaven.
The kingdom of heaven was a mystery hidden from the understanding of men for many centuries. The proof of this is found in the Bible, at Colossians 1:26,27, which says: 'The mystery of the kingdom of heaven which was hidden for ages and generations, but now is made known to his saints.' The "kingdom
of heaven" means the royal house of heaven, and consists of Christ Jesus and the 144,000 members of his body. For more than four thousand years this great truth was a hidden mystery, and the disciples of Jesus did not begin to understand it until after his ascension into heaven and until the coming of the holy spirit at Pentecost. (Acts 2:14-18) When Jesus was with his disciples on earth he spoke to them in parables or dark sayings. These words appear in Matthew, chapter thirteen: 'Without a parable spake he not unto them, in order that the prophecy might be fulfilled, saying, I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.' It was God's purpose to have this mystery revealed sometime, and therefore Jesus told Peter that he had been selected as the one who would have the privilege of first knowing the mystery concerning the development of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus gave to Peter these "keys", which means the privilege to unlock these truths for himself and for his brethren in Christ.
Note that the word keys is in the plural and shows more than one. The facts which subsequently appear in the Bible show that there were two keys, and that they were, to wit, (1) the first key, showing God's purpose to take out from the Jews some of the church or "kingdom of heaven" company; and (2) the key disclosing God's purpose to take out from the Gentiles or non-Jews a part of those which shall compose the "kingdom of heaven" class.
When these "keys" or privileges were given to Peter and he used them, there could be no such thing as a successor to him. There is no Scriptural proof that Peter ever had a successor. The privilege was
granted to him exclusively. He performed the privilege and duty of unlocking these mysteries; which he did by the grace of God. Now please note from the Scriptures how he did this.
Peter and the other disciples thought that Christ Jesus was going to set up the kingdom with the Jews while he was on earth; and this is proved by their words spoken to him on the very day of his ascension into heaven. They said, as appears in Acts 1:6: "Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" The answer of Jesus to that question was that the disciples should wait at Jerusalem until they had received the holy spirit and then they would know about the kingdom. Ten days later was Pentecost, and it was then, at Jerusalem, when Peter received the first of these keys. It was there revealed to him by the holy spirit for the first time what is the mystery of the kingdom of heaven. The second chapter of The Acts of the Apostles tells of Peter's standing up and speaking to his brethren and telling them the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the beginning of the kingdom. Peter then, under the inspiration of the holy spirit of God, told the people that Jesus Christ was the approved one of God and the great Messiah or King for whom they had looked, that the Jews had put him to death and that God had raised him up out of death and had anointed him and appointed him to be King. Then Peter added these words: 'Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, the anointed King.' It was then and there that Peter used the first key committed to him by Jesus Christ to unlock
to the Jews the mystery of the kingdom of heaven. He told them that God would send Jesus Christ again, whom the heavens must retain until the time of the setting up of the kingdom and the restoration of all things pertaining to the kingdom, and about which all the holy prophets had written. — Acts 3:19-21.
For three and one-half years thereafter the apostles preached the gospel of God's kingdom to the Jews exclusively. Then the Lord handed to Peter the other key, by which he unlocked the mystery of the kingdom to the non-Jews or Gentiles. Peter was then at Joppa. The Lord caused to be revealed to him in a vision that the gospel must be taken to the Gentiles. At the same time Cornelius, a Gentile, had been praying to God. The record at Acts 10:4,5 is that the Lord by his angel said to Cornelius: 'Thy prayers and alms are come up as a memorial before God, and now send men to Joppa and call for Peter.' Then Peter went to Cornelius, and Cornelius told him of a vision that he had received by the angel of the Lord. Note now at Acts 10: 34, 35 the words of the apostle: "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."
Later Peter in conference with the other disciples told them that God had visited the Gentiles and given them the gospel for the purpose of taking out a people for his name, and that these together with the Jews would constitute the kingdom of God under Christ. (Acts 15:7-18) Thus was made clear by the second key, which Peter received from Christ Jesus, the mystery of the kingdom concerning the Gentiles.
There can be no such thing as a successor to Peter in this, because he had finished and completely used those keys by unlocking and making known God's purposes to take out the kingdom of heaven class from both Jews and Gentiles. For the purpose of confusing many and for the purpose of turning the people away from Jehovah, and to induce them to give their devotion to some creature, Satan by fraud and deception has induced many good persons to believe that Peter has had successors and that to the successor in office has been granted supreme authority in the church. This is plain blasphemy and is another proof of the means which Satan employs to use "organized Christianity" to deceive and mislead the people.
Based upon the false teaching that the church is built upon Peter, the Roman Catholic Hierarchy has further twisted and misapplied the words of Jesus, to wit: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven." Comments by a well-known author of the Hierarchy read: "When he says to Peter, 'I will give to thee the keys,' etc. He evidently means: I will give the supreme authority over My Church, which is the citadel of faith, My earthly Jerusalem. Thou and thy successors shall be My visible representatives to the end of time." — The Faith of Our Fathers, 78th edition revised and enlarged, 1904.
Be it noted that not one word is said in the Scriptures about "successors of the apostle Peter".
Out of the great lie that Christ builds his church upon Peter and his successors has also grown the falsehood that the pope is infallible and that when the pope interprets the Scriptures he speaks with au-
thority and cannot err. (The Faith of Our Fathers, pages 119,120) This claim is emphatically denied by the words of Peter himself, as well as other scriptures. — 2 Peter 1: 20.
GATES OF HELL
Jesus said to Peter: "Upon this rock [Christ, God's anointed King] I will build my church [the 144,000 living stones thereof]; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." What is meant by the "gates of hell"? The word "hell" means the condition of death, the tomb or the grave, while the gates refer to the way of entering into death and the grave. The death penalty was inflicted upon Adam because of sin, and by inheritance all mankind have been born in sin; and thus the "gates of hell" have stood open to all men and no man could prevail against them.
God has made Jesus to be the Redeemer and Deliverer of mankind from death and the grave. Jesus gave his life that those who believe on and obey him shall not perish, but live. In Psalm 16 it is written that Jesus died, and went to hell, but he did not remain there. (Acts 2: 24-32) Christ Jesus is the Head and Foundation of the church; and hell therefore did not prevail against him, because God raised him up out of death. (Acts 10:40) Jesus then said, as appears at Revelation 1:18: "I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Jesus Christ gained the complete victory over death and hell. 'Having the keys,' as he stated, means that to him, Christ Jesus, has been committed the power to release mankind from death and the grave. Concerning his faith-
ful members of the royal house, the 144,000, Jesus said, at Revelation 20: 6: 'Blessed and holy are they; for over such the second death shall have no power.' This is proof conclusive that hell shall never prevail against Christ and the members of his body, which is the church. These at their resurrection are made immortal; which means they will nevermore be in danger of death. — 1 Corinthians 15: 52-54.
Furthermore, it is written concerning Jesus and those who shall be partakers of the first resurrection and kingdom that he shall destroy the enemy death and the grave and give immortality to the members of his body. At 1 Corinthians l5: 25, 26, 54, it is written: "For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. So when this corruptible . . . shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."
The words concerning "the gates of hell" have also been twisted by the sophistries of men and made to appear as meaning that the Roman Catholic church organization is impregnable and that nothing can prevail against it. (The Faith of Our Fathers, page 121) Having this false conclusion in mind, the leading men of the great religious organization have pushed forward with determination to control the world, declaring that hell shall never prevail against the Catholic church. Otherwise stated, the leaders of this organization claim that they have a covenant or an agreement with death and hell and that neither death nor hell can have any power over their organization. On the contrary, the Scriptures clearly and definitely.
teach that God will completely destroy the Roman Catholic Hierarchy.
The distortion and twisting of the words of Jesus, as recorded at Matthew 16:16-18, has resulted in the most ingenious lies that Satan has created. Those lies have been told to so many generations and over so long a period of time that millions of honest persons in ignorance of the truth have been induced to believe such lies. For this reason the Hierarchy has been diligent in keeping the people in ignorance of the Bible and its true explanation. Those persons who are blindly prejudiced will continue to believe and to hold to those lies to their own great detriment and sorrow. Those who are of good will, and who are sincerely seeking the truth, will gladly lay hold upon Christ Jesus and fully embrace and follow the truth. No one is compelled to accept the truth. He is given the privilege of learning the truth, and that privilege is a gracious gift from the Lord.
MASS OF LIES
God's Word definitely shows that the following doctrines constitute a mass of lies, to wit: There is no death; every man has an immortal soul; many are in purgatory undergoing conscious suffering and can be aided and their term shortened by prayers said by men, and that it is proper to pay money to have such prayers said; that the apostle Peter is the foundation upon which God's church is built; that the apostle Peter has had successors; that Peter was the first pope and that his successors have been elected from time to time since Peter's death, and that Peter and his so-called "successors" as the pope have power
to forgive sins. The Scriptures also show without any question of doubt that all these lies originate with Satan. What organization on earth teaches these lies and thereby deceives the people? The answer is, the organization known as "the Roman Catholic Hierarchy" with its headquarters at Vatican City, Rome. Millions of the "Catholic population" are sincere and are of good will and are in no wise responsible for these false teachings. On the contrary, they have been misled and induced to support the organization, which has grown fat upon the revenue extracted from the common people or the Catholic population.
It is well known that the Roman Catholic Hierarchy is a political organization which seeks to influence and control the governments of the earth. Its ambassadors in almost all the nations, and the head of that institution, repeatedly participate in political affairs of the world. That it is not of God's organization nor following Christ Jesus is proved by the words of the Lord Jesus, who said: "My kingdom is not of this world." (John 18:36) Satan the Devil is "the god of this world", and this is the world that Christ Jesus will destroy, and that destruction will take in Satan, the prince of darkness, and every part of his organization on earth. This of itself is proof that Christ Jesus had nothing whatsoever to do with instituting and building the Roman Catholic church organization.
The men who rule the Roman Catholic organization are austere, exalted, worldly-wise, scornful, and seek to hide the inside work of that institution from the common people. Jehovah foreknew that such would be their course, and he caused his prophet to write
concerning them: "Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and their works are in the dark, and they say, Who seeth us? and who knoweth us? Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?" — Isaiah 29:15,16.
The history of that organization covers a period of more than fifteen centuries, disclosing that the men who rule have kept the Bible away from the common people. God's people who seek to know and to do his will are symbolically pictured as those of Jerusalem, because on that city God put his name. The men that rule the Catholic organization scorn others who attempt to teach the truth, and falsely claim that the pope is the only one authorized to promulgate what the Scriptures teach. They claim to have a covenant with death and hell and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against their organization, but God plainly tells them through his prophet that their covenant or agreement with hell shall not stand and that their organization shall be trodden down. (Isaiah 28:14-18) At Armageddon that organization will completely pass away. The Roman Catholic Hierarchy has taken away the true meaning of God's Word and has added its own words thereto, and concerning such Jesus said: "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of
life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. " —Revelation 22:18,19.
The Roman Catholic Hierarchy has made the nations drunk and stupefied with the false doctrines of that organization. The Lord applies to all parts of the Devil's organization, including the Hierarchy, the name "Babylon". To all persons who are now of good will toward God and his kingdom the Lord says: "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues." — Revelation 18:1-4.
