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To be accepted by the media as a “scientist” these days, one must be an atheist. By what authority is this unscientific distinction made? Whenever it is mentioned that hundreds of scientists oppose evolution, atheists smile condescendingly and say, “But there are thousands who believe in it and who do not believe in God.” The truth in science is not determined by vote. In fact, one often hears it said, “No competent scientists believe in Creation or Intelligent Design.” We are simply showing that the New Atheists often exaggerate in order to make their case.

There has been a change in the meaning of the word “scientist.” Today, does it include all bona fide, thoroughly competent scientists? Certainly not included, when speaking to atheists, are any of the more than 700 who have signed their names to a statement declaring that evolution is not a scientific theory and that they oppose it on those grounds. At the top of the list is the statement, “We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.”

In National Geographic’s Lost Treasures of the Bible episode two, archaeologists dig into potential evidence for the Genesis flood. But was their investigation thorough and unbiased?

Genesis 6–9 describes the worldwide judgment of the flood of Noah’s day. The Bible tells us that the fountains of the great deep burst forth and it rained 40 days and 40 nights covering the whole globe with water (Genesis 7:12). All living things God had made were destroyed except for Noah, his family, and the animals that were brought aboard the ark.

National Geographic treats the first five books of the Bible—including Genesis—as later writings. Because of this, earlier sources outside of the biblical account are treated as superior and more reliable. They also believe these five books were compiled by several authors—a hypothesis that undermines Scripture’s authority.

In this episode, National Geographic opened the program with a summary of the biblical account but quickly turned their attention from the Bible and the details it recorded and focused instead on the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Sumerian kings list, and Eridu Genesis as primary sources of information.

National Geographic assumes that the biblical account of the flood was derived from earlier myths. Since National Geographic holds to a naturalistic worldview that rejects the supernatural, they seek to fit the archaeological and geological evidence into their own framework. They assume that the flood of Noah was not global because these ancient texts describe vessels that would not withstand a flood of that proportion. However, the biblical account is very clear and precise in its wording that the floodwaters covered the whole earth, and not a living creature was left that was outside the ark.

According to the secular timeline, the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia existed before the biblical date of the flood. Genesis 10–11 document the origin of all civilizations as they spread from the area of Mesopotamia after the flood and the tower of Babel event. We would therefore look to the fossil record that lies all over the globe as our evidence for a global flood before the establishment of major civilizations. However, because of their greatly inflated dates for the geological layers, as well as ancient sources and sites, National Geographic does not look in the right places or time for the evidence of Noah’s flood.

The book of Genesis is foundational to our understanding of the world and its origins. Genesis provides us the answer to “why” the world is the way it is today. If you reject the historicity of the supernatural, biblical creation account, then the rest of Scripture is undermined.

The authorship of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) is attributed to Moses who wrote the events following the Exodus event. National Geographic does not agree with this understanding of authorship. Instead, they claim multiple, later authors had a hand in writing down these accounts. This theory of how the Pentateuch is written, though unnamed by National Geographic, is known as the Documentary Hypothesis. This hypothesis undermines the authority of God’s Word and directly contradicts what other biblical authors believed about the authorship of the Pentateuch. Joshua, who took over leading the people after the death of Moses, wrote that Moses had indeed written down the Book of the Law of Moses: “Just as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded the people of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ‘an altar of uncut stones, upon which no man has wielded an iron tool.’ And they offered on it burnt offerings to the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings.” (Joshua 8:31)

Within the field of archaeology, I am surprised that there are still archaeologists who believe that Moses couldn’t have written down the Book of the Law after he led the Israelites out of Egypt. Numerous writing systems existed at the time the Exodus occurred, and Moses was educated and brought up in the household of Pharoah. Why would it be unreasonable for him to write down what the Holy Spirit inspired him to write and share with the Israelites? It is not far-fetched; in fact, there is evidence of alphabetic script that very well could have been used by Moses and the Israelites. The Bible is God’s precious Word, and it sheds light on the truth of the origins of the world, why there is suffering and death, and God’s plan.

This episode is a prime example of how our presuppositions determine where we look for our data as well as our understanding of the data. National Geographic stopped short of completing the investigation of Noah’s great flood and dismissed the biblical account as being a later adaptation of ancient Near Eastern myths.

[TBC: for the full article and footnotes, see:

https://answersingenesis.org/archaeology/national-geographic-false-assumptions-flood/ .]

Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

—Titus:1:9Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
See All...

This is part three in our series of articles on being a Berean. Tom McMahon wrote “Being a Berean,” an article that laid out who we are as a ministry. Tom and Dave started The Berean Call to help get God’s message out through newsletters written by Dave Hunt (and later by Tom, too). In part two, Dave wrote a newsletter entitled, “More on Being a Berean” that continued the theme of what our ministry stands for with examples of error being taught in our Lord’s name. This newsletter will continue on those themes and our desire to do God’s will out of love for Him.

We start with the very first commandment, which Jesus said is “…thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark:12:30And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
See All...). “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John:4:19We love him, because he first loved us.
See All...), which the Lord demonstrated because “…while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans:5:8But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
See All...), “…was buried, and…rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians:15:4And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
See All...).

God saved us from an eternal punishment that we fully deserve, but He didn’t stop there. He has given us His Word, which He magnifies above His name (Psalm:138:2I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
See All...). In addition, Jesus promised that He would send from the Father (John:15:26But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
See All...) the Spirit of truth, who will guide us into all truth (John:16:13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
See All...). With God’s Word and His indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians:3:16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
See All...), He “…hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue” (2 Peter:1:3According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
See All...).

God’s Word is powerful in the lives of both believers and unbelievers. The Bereans in Acts 17 were Jews being presented the gospel by Paul, and they are commended because they “…received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, [to see] whether those things were so” (Acts:17:11These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
See All...). The Lord used Apollos to “…mightily [convince] the Jews…shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (Acts:18:28For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publickly, shewing by the scriptures that Jesus was Christ.
See All...). In their outreaches, the apostles preached the Word in Samaria, Salamis, Perga, and many other cities (Acts:8:25And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
See All...; 13:5; 14:25; 15:36; etc.). Jesus told a group of Jews who sought to kill Him, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John:5:18Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.
See All..., 39).

It is with words that the Lord chose to communicate with mankind, forbidding any images. He “…[wrote] with the finger of God” (Exodus:31:18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
See All...) the second commandment: “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or 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:20:4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or 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:
See All...). After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, many things changed in man’s relationship with God—no more required sacrifices by the sons of Aaron (Exodus 29); no more mandatory observance of sabbath days (Exodus:31:15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
See All...); men were no longer required to come before the Lord three times in the year (Exodus:23:17Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God.
See All...); no more dietary restrictions (Leviticus 11, etc.). However, the commandment against graven images is set in stone. Art had risen to a high level in the 1st century AD, yet God did not choose to use images, or even descriptions, of the Man Jesus Christ. It is obvious why He didn’t: how could you accurately depict the One who said to Philip, “…he that hath seen me hath seen the Father…” (John:14:9Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
See All...)?

In 1982, my wife and I moved to Greenville, South Carolina, so my new bride could complete her senior year at Bob Jones University. BJU had what they called a “Sacred Art Museum.” I wasn’t sure what sacred art could be, given that the Lord had forbidden graven images. Much to my surprise, the museum was full of images of one who was supposed to be “Jesus Christ.” In many cases he was depicted as a baby or child (sometimes a graphically naked one), sometimes in Mary’s arms, sometimes with a crown. He was also depicted as an adult, sometimes effeminate, sometimes a strapping man. He was depicted on the cross, with a halo…image types that you would expect to see at the Vatican Museum, not at a fundamentalist Christian university. The wildly disparate images could not possibly be the same person, but had one thing in common: none of them was a true depiction of the Lord Jesus Christ “Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him” (1 Peter:3:22Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
See All...).

At that same time, BJU was involved in a Supreme Court battle over their tax exempt status because they forbade interracial dating or marriage. Dr. Bob Jones III, BJU president at the time, said,

“Bob Jones University is opposed to interracial marriage, and I believe every Christian should be [opposed to interracial marriage] on the basis of the principles of the Word of God…”1 and

“God doesn’t want the black race to become white or the white race to become yellow or the yellow race to become green. God doesn’t want that! He wants the distinctions to remain lest we help the cause of Antichrist in bringing about that obliteration of the differences that God has established.”2

BJU required students to get involved with a local fellowship, but they “excommunicated” any church in the Greenville area that allowed an interracial couple to attend their fellowship. BJU’s influence was such that being banned by the University in Greenville at the time was tantamount to a church death sentence. I wasn’t sure what an interracially married couple was to do if they moved to Greenville. Should they attend a liberal church (since the conservative churches feared the consequences of allowing them in), or get divorced, or…?  I couldn’t find anyone who could answer that question.

Doctor Jones’ main text for the message quoted above was the 11th chapter of Genesis. The Lord’s only spoken words in Genesis 11 are, “Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that theymay not understand one another's speech” (Genesis:11:6-7 [6] And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. [7] Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech.
See All...). This passage deals with languages, not races.

The Bible deals with the issue of races succinctly. God has said that He has “…made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth…” (Acts:17:26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
See All...): there is only one race, the human race. God does deal with cultures in the Bible: Paul wrote to Titus, “One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. This witness is true…” (Titus:1:12-13 [12] One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies. [13] This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
See All...). This passage is clearly a generalization about the culture that had developed on Crete because right before this, Paul told Timothy, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest…ordain elders in every city…If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers” (Titus:1:5-9 [5] For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: [6] If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. [7] For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; [8] But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; [9] Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
See All...). There were godly candidates for being an elder on the island of Crete, but the Cretian culture was debased.

I spoke to faculty and senior administration to no avail. I wrote to Bob Jones III and noted that his chosen text of Genesis 11 quoted above is about the confounding of languages, not the establishment of races: if he believed that “maintaining God’s distinctions” was truly God’s will, logically he would have forbidden foreign language instruction at Bob Jones University instead of forbidding interracial dating. BJU held to their stance and subsequently lost their tax-exempt status before the Supreme Court in the case Bob Jones University v. United States.3

BJU was perhaps the best-known university that marketed itself as a fundamentalist institution. Fundamentalism has a bad name in the world and in the church, but true fundamentalism is the only rational position for a Christian to take. As Dave Hunt wrote, “If to be a fundamentalist means that one adheres to the sound fundamentals of math, accounting, chemistry, or whatever one’s profession, then I happily accept the label. And since the Bible is literally God’s Word and inerrant, embracing and standing true to its fundamentals is the only intelligent choice.”4 We must insure when defending the fundamentals, they are God’s fundamentals, not our personal preferences. Neither celebrating images of Jesus nor forbidding interracial marriages are defended biblically.

In extolling His Word, the Lord said, “Every word of God is pure…” (Proverbs:30:5Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.
See All...). Jesus said, “…Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God” (Matthew:4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
See All...). The Lord has given us His Word to be understood, and sometimes He makes small changes that make a big difference. At the lake of Gennesaret, Jesus told Peter, “Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets [plural] for a draught” (Luke:5:4Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
See All...). Peter replied, “Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net [singular]” (Luke:5:5And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
See All...). Whether through willful disobedience or a misunderstanding, Peter only let down a single net. Following Peter’s inappropriate response, the crew “…inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake” (Luke:5:6And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
See All...). In contrast, the resurrected Christ appears in John 21, and He tells the seven disciples to let down the net (singular). Despite being full of great fishes, the net did not break (John:21:4-11 [4] But when the morning was now come, Jesus stood on the shore: but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus. [5] Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No. [6] And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea. [8] And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. [9] As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. [10] Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. [11] Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.
See All...).

Another singular/plural distinction with a significant impact is noted in Paul’s epistle to the Galatians. The Lord wrote through Paul, “Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ” (Galatians:3:16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
See All...). Many of the “seed” (Hebrew word zera‛) passages in Genesis refer to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (i.e., the Jews), but the Lord is highlighting the blessing the nations receive in Jesus Christ, e.g., “And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice” (Genesis:22:18And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.
See All...). Even with the clarification, some translations of Galatians:3:16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
See All... are poorly rendered in English, e.g., “Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, ‘And to offsprings,’ referring to many, but referring to one, ‘And to your offspring,’ who is Christ.”5 According to the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, the plural of “offspring” is also “offspring.”

When studying with others, we are to evaluate even trusted sources (like The Berean Call) or teachers, even as the Bereans checked out the Apostle Paul. As a young Christian I listened to Walter Martin, who referred to himself as “The Bible Answer Man.” From him I was able to learn much about the teachings of the Mormons and the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and how to effectively share with people who used the same words I did, but with a different meaning. Walter frequently recommended the New International Version (NIV) as the best and most scholarly English Bible translation available. I knew that the Bible was God’s Word and I wanted the best that God had available, so I bought an NIV for my Bible reading and study. Imagine my surprise when I read the Gospel of Mark in my NIV and found that Mark’s gospel “ended” with chapter 16, verse 8, which reads, “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” Below that verse was a large blank section with bracketed statement that read,

[The earliest and most reliable ancient manuscripts do not have verses 9-20.]6

The MacArthur Study Bible similarly has a footnote: “The external evidence strongly suggests [verses 9-20] were not originally part of Mark’s Gospel. While the majority of Greek manuscripts contain these verses, the earliest and most reliable do not….”7

This was followed by the last 13 verses of Mark, verses that the reader has just been led to believe are not trustworthy. It is difficult to imagine that even the most jaded cynic would think that the Lord completely omits any appearance of the resurrected Jesus Christ from one of His gospel accounts. After reading that, I went back to using the King James Version, the translation that was used at the fellowship I attended and that we use at The Berean Call.

By God’s grace, we at The Berean Call will continue as Paul exhorted Timothy: “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth…. [F]ollow righteousness, faith, [love], peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves…” (2 Timothy:2:15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
See All..., 22, 25). May we be led of the Holy Spirit and walk in obedience with the Lord, speaking the truth in love (Ephesians:4:15But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:
See All...), remembering “…though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not [love], I am nothing” (1 Corinthians:13:2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
See All...).

Endnotes

1  Bob Jones III, BJU Tape God’s Barriers Between Men, January 15, 1982.

2  Bob Jones III, BJU Tape God’s Barriers Between Men, January 15, 1982.

3  At the turn of the century, BJU removed their ban on interracial relationships.

4  Dave Hunt, “Am I A Fundamentalist?”, TBC Newsletter August 1998.

5  Galatians:3:16Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
See All..., English Standard Version.

6  The latest revision of the NIV has moved up the text and has the bracket section stating [The earliest manuscripts and some other ancient witnesses do not have verses 9–20.].

7  John MacArthur, ed, The MacArthur Study Bible, 2nd Edition, English Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishing, 2021), 1366.

• Question: Does every Christian have the power to cast out demons and heal sickness?
• Question: Why do some interpret the leaven as a GOOD thing?
• Question: Prove the Trinity without using any Church Councils.
• Letters
• Quotable
• NewsWatch
• Dave Hunt Classic/TBC Extra

Question: In the recent lead article by Dave Hunt [February 2025], he says, "So by the gift of healing, the disciples could loose the sick from their bondage to illness; and by casting out demons they loosed souls from that form of bondage. Every Christian has the power, in the name of Jesus (as He would and to His glory), to do the same today." So, TBC thinks every Christian today has the power of Jesus and the disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons? If so, why isn't this happening all the time? I think you are wrong on this one.

Response: The issue regarding what Dave Hunt said is not the question. Rather, did he quote the Scriptures correctly and in context? You ask: "So TBC thinks every Christian today has the power of Jesus and the disciples to heal the sick and cast out demons?  If so, why isn't this happening all the time?"

As Dave wrote: "The promise of having from the Father what two or three agree upon echoes Christ's similar promises concerning prayer, such as, 'Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you' (Matt:7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
See All...). All of these promises—binding and loosing, agreeing upon a request, or simply believing—seem very much alike. But what is meant? Christ surely does not mean that no matter what we bind, loose, agree upon, or ask, God will grant it like an overly indulgent grandparent. It is axiomatic that God has not turned His universe or mankind over to us to do with as we will.

"James declares that God, far from giving us a blank check, does not indulge our selfish desires: ‘Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts’ (Jas 4:3). John writes, ‘And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight…if we ask anything according to his will…we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him’ (1 Jn:3:22And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.
See All..., 5:14-15)."

Consequently, those in the Third World Nations today where the gospel is now reaping greater numbers of the saved bear a likeness to the history of the church in its early days. Yet, even in our nation, there is a growing number of individuals who have come to the Lord through the intervention of the Holy Spirit operating in ways some have not more recently seen.

In short, with today's growing interest in the occult by our citizens, there certainly is a need for the Lord to do as He did in the early church. And, He does so in His time, place, and reason in using those who are available.

Question: I have kind of a loaded question concerning the kingdom parables of Matthew 13. I don’t know if you are able to follow me on this, but the typical evangelical interpretation of the parable of the “leaven hidden in three measures of meal” starts with “leaven is usually bad in the Bible,” but in this case it is good. This to me is not an acceptable interpretation, but I’m really perplexed as to why so many evangelical leaders, who undoubtedly are aware, at least, of the other interpretation still persist in this.

Response: The fuller context of this parable is found in Matthew:13:33-42 [33] Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. [34] All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: [35] That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world. [36] Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. [37] He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; [38] The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; [39] The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. [40] As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. [41] The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; [42] And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
See All..., which includes the Lord’s explanation of the “tares and the wheat.” It is instructive that in the parable of the tares and wheat, the Lord has planted “good seed.” We cannot deny that this is good. The enemy, however, has (using the same method) sowed his own seeds. The seed of the Lord permeating the world like leaven is good. Yet the tares (until the harvest) are virtually indistinguishable from the wheat. This is bad. Leaven is a natural development in the process of making good bread and the process is used by both the good and the bad. And it is true that most references to leaven are used as a negative: “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Gal:5:9A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.
See All..., etc.).

This parable gives insight to what we are seeing in the world. Church congregations have tares in them, which have been planted by the enemy. Today, it seems like we are drawing close to the end, and perhaps the initial stages of the harvest are being seen. People speak about the problems of church splits, but often the “split” occurs because the good seed are withdrawing from congregations controlled (for the most part) by tares.

In summary, the short parable about the leaven has both good implications (God’s seed working like leaven) and bad (Satan’s seed also working like leaven and affecting the whole), as the Lord explains in the parable of the wheat and the tares.

Question:I challenge you to prove the Trinity without the help of Catholic Church councils like Nicea in 325 and others after. Also don't even give me the opinions from the early Church Catholic Fathers either. Also, don't even give me any theological eisegesis interpretation on who is God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

Response: You sound like you're not acquainted with our position on the Godhead. The Berean Call has never referenced "Church" Councils in establishing that the Scriptures are the final authority as to whether or not the Trinity exists.

The key to understanding the Godhead is knowing His Word. To study the Trinity to the point of full understanding requires extremely finite individuals grappling with an infinite God. Further, we have to understand what is said in Scripture. Titus:3:4But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
See All... speaks of "God our Saviour" and Titus:1:3But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;
See All... speaks of "God our Saviour," while the next verse speaks of "Jesus Christ our Saviour" (1:4). 

Isaiah:43:11I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
See All... tells us, "I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour." Yet in Acts:4:12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
See All... (speaking of Jesus), we are told, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."

The declarations made are often explained by the idea that the one God takes on a different "mode" or existence. Yet Jesus, the Son, left the disciples at times to go and have conversations with the Father. As limited humanity, we cannot conceive of a simultaneous unity and diversity. Our closest "understanding" (and that a stretch) is what some call schizophrenia; but we are not deities. 

Yet even the prophecies concerning the Lord Jesus contain elements foreign to anyone less than God: "But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (Mic:5:2But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
See All...). Jesus is a distinct individual who regularly talks to His Father. "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" (Jn:12:49For 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.
See All...). He was also in submission to the Father.

That's just a few of the challenges to those who deny the Trinity (Godhead). We would encourage you to read what we have already written; there is quite a bit more (see—https://bit.ly/4csqWT3).

Dear TBC,

To say "Pope Francis is just a big-hearted guy who loves people" is a shockingly NAIVE and misinformed portrayal of a man who LEADS an organization that is OPPOSED to the True Gospel of Jesus Christ: and not only that, but a man who claims to REPRESENT CHRIST (Vicari di Christo) to the world: which, btw, is the textbook definition of the word ANTICHRIST. The HOLY GHOST, not any man, or a man-made organization, represents Jesus Christ, the Head of His church, and Savior of the world, to the church, and to those He is calling OUT of Satan's world system (the Ecclesia). AM (email)

Dear T. A.,

I thank the Lord for you and Dave and all the discernment you have brought to the body of Christ. As a new Christian in the 1980s, TBC helped me so much to see the error of the [Roman Catholic] Church/Calvinism and the New Age Movement. I met you once near Southampton, UK, and found you to be such a humble and gentle man—and you gave me wise advice when I was withdrawing from an ungodly church. May the Lord bless all your days—long or short—with His peace and presence. AP (email)

Dear TBC,

Blessings to you all at the Berean Call. I just happened to notice a question in December's newsletter about a person wanting to know about praying, whether using beads or some other kind of thing to hold on to would help them to pray better. Maybe if they just got quiet and put away ALL distractions and do what works for me…I talk with my Father like I would talk to anyone else, because He…wants a relationship with me. That might be the only appropriate way to spend time with your favorite Friend. It works very well with me because I'm always in prayer, and might not be able to carry around some beads or, like you said, a distraction. Love your work and I pray blessings on your ministry. See you in the sky. SG (email) 

Dear TBC,

I thank God for this ministry. Keep it up, Bereans. You are an eye opener and the Lord will not "forget your labor of love shown towards His name." God will justly judge all who are blaspheming and insulting Him and His holy Word to perfect judgment. They think they are wise and smart but they are fools. ID (email)

Dear TBC,

[Concerning the video “King of Screens”, see—www.bit.ly/3ReYiem] “They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood" (1 John:4:5-6 [5] They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. [6] We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error.
See All...). Those involved in these so-called “faith” productions are of this world and speak from the viewpoint of this world. They are blind fools held captive to the will of the ruler of this world. They do not know the one true God and they do not obey the true gospel of Jesus Christ. They reveal themselves as pawns in the hand of the father of lies, used by him to craft false narratives that subvert the truth and seduce a multitude onto the broad way that leads to destruction. HH (email)

Dear TBC,

I didn’t know all these stories are claiming to come from the Bible; it’s blasphemy. Satan is trying to reach those that like to be entertained and have their ears tickled. TEACH DIRECTLY FROM THE WORD OF GOD.

Thank you for sharing and keeping us aware of the worst entertainment of all times. SM (email)

Dear TBC, 

I am grieved and heartbroken. However they can, this new world ecumenical movement of gathering all religions into one big happy group is going strong. Pray that all these people who are involved or who get sucked into watching these movies will be able to separate the lies from the truth. In the last days there will be many who come to the true Christ, and perhaps the true and only God will use this blasphemy for His good. Anon. (email)

Dear TBC,

We walk by faith, not by sight. Without faith it is impossible to please God. We should be led by the still, small voice of the Spirit and not by scripts or actors' voices trying to portray Jesus. Even though maybe well-meant and intentioned, these movies and docuseries are presented through the media of entertainment.

The time watching them should be spent in prayer and the Word. The money to make them could be donated to missions. America desperately needs revival, not movies, acting, and entertainment. Sadly, one of the definitions for acting is "hypocrisy,” pretending to be someone you are not. Believers are to be Christ-like, not acting a part, and not paid to do it. Sadly, this will greatly deceive and mislead children. 

Horrible literary "license" is being practiced in The Chosen series with "clever" and "humorous" lines found nowhere in Scripture. Really an insult to God's Word and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross for our sins. Pray this will stop and all involved will repent of their sins. GJ (email)

Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches into happiness.

— William Law (excerpt from A Serious Call to a Devout & Holy Life)

Pedigree Dogs and Artificial Selection

Creation.com, 7/1/10, “‘Parade of mutants’—pedigree dogs and artificial selection” [Excerpts]: When choosing a pet, many people opt for purebred pedigree dogs. Though they come at a price, it is easier to predict the eventual size, temperament, and needs of a purebred dog breed than for a “mutt.” But as a new BBC documentary “Pedigree Dogs Exposed” shows, the cost of breeding purebred dogs is genetic as well as economic.

All dogs are descendants of a wolf-like ancestor. This ancestor had the genetic diversity that allowed people to breed dogs as different in size as the Chihuahua and the Great Dane. Other traits such as colour, temperament, and exercise needs are just as diverse among the breeds. This great variability is an example of just how much genetic variation is built into the various created animal kinds. Other breeds, as will be shown, are the result of downhill mutations.

Over many hundreds of years, humans have produced the various breeds by specifically selecting different traits to breed for; there are currently over 200 distinct varieties of dog, but all belong to the same species, and could theoretically breed with each other….

Over time, breeding only for certain traits allows great predictability in what a dog’s offspring will look like—a Dalmatian mated with a Dalmatian will produce Dalmatian puppies, and so on. When this occurs regularly, the type of dog becomes an official breed. But this predictability comes at a genetic cost. The breeders have drastically reduced the amount of genetic information in the population of dogs—such as for other coat colours and lengths, or different sizes or temperaments.

The Eugenics movement, founded by Darwin’s cousin Francis Galton, held that the key to human improvement was in controlling who could reproduce with whom…. While we know today that the eugenicists’ ideas about purity make no scientific sense, the documentary argues that The Kennel Club is one of the few organizations that still operate under the fundamental assumptions of eugenics.

https://bit.ly/3Eh8joi

On a Positive Note

MidwestOutreach.org, 2/13/25, “On a Positive Note” [Excerpts]: According to “Most American teens ‘very motivated’ to know about Jesus: Barna” by Leonardo Blair, Senior Reporter:

Although religious affiliation and church attendance are on the decline, more than half of American teenagers say they’re “very motivated” to know more about Jesus, and just over 75% say they’re at least “somewhat motivated” to learn about the centerpiece of Christianity, according to Barna Research.

While not a biblical worldview, there is an interest in churches that take the time to answer the questions and disciple the youth into a biblical worldview that could bring about a considerable change in culture as a whole.

https://bit.ly/42vAojW

Swedish Woman converts to Islam, joins ISIS, holds slaves

JihadWatch.org, 2/13/25, “Sweden: Woman converts to Islam, joins ISIS, holds Yazidi slaves, forces them to recite Qur’an and pray” [Excerpts]: What Lina Ishaq did after converting to Islam is wholly inexplicable in light of the picture of Islam that the Western political and media establishment pushes on the public. Maybe that picture is inaccurate, eh?

“A Swedish court on Tuesday sentenced a 52-year-old woman to 12 years in prison on genocide charges, in the country’s first court case over crimes by the Islamic State group against the Yazidi minority.

“Accused of keeping Yazidi women and children as slaves at her home in Syria in 2015, Lina Ishaq was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, the Stockholm district court said in a statement….

“Ishaq also forced the Yazidis, who practice their own religion, to ‘become practising Muslims’ by making them recite Koran verses and pray four or five times a day.

“She also called the injured parties ‘demeaning invectives such as “infidels” or “slaves”’, the court said….

“Ishaq grew up in a Christian Iraqi family in Sweden but converted to Islam after meeting her late husband and Islamist Jiro Mehho, with whom she had six children, in the 1990s….”

https://bit.ly/4cwgTMH

Some have asked why we attend events like Paganicon. After all, we are Christians, not pagans. Some of the leadership at Paganicon asked us the same question; why were we attending their event? They were concerned we might stir up trouble. We have covered this in previous articles like “Walking in Their World,” “Mission to Paganistan,” and others. The answer is fairly simple. We want to know what it is that Pagans truly believe? As we point out in both of the linked articles, the best way to find out what someone believes is to go where they are and ask them directly. We also were interested to know if they came out of some sort of Christian tradition, and if so, what caused them to leave and how did they come to embrace one of the various pagan groups. We were not there to accost anyone. Their workshops are another good way to understand pagans and their beliefs and practices. The Western world and even churches are very quickly adopting pagan ideas, and it behooves us to understand why.

Paganicon offers a variety of workshops, such as “Money Drawing Magic.” It turns out that their teaching on that subject is not all that different than the Word Faith/New Apostolic Reformation’s teaching concerning acquiring wealth. Another workshop, entitled “Coming Out as a Pagan,” covers the question of whether a pagan should or should not let their family and friends know of their new faith commitment, how that might be done, and how those they care about may react.

As it turns out, many of those that are now embracing a variety of neopagan beliefs and practices grew up in or had at some point been part of a church. There is, as John Daniel Davidson’s puts it in his article, America Becoming Less Christian Is A Problem For Everyone, an ongoing “de-Christianization of American society.” He comments on a recent headline from an article by Pew Research Center, “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off.”: “It’s easy to misread the study, or misapprehend what’s important about it, which is that the de-Christianization of American society is not going to stop anytime soon, in part because it’s being driven by a younger, less Christian, increasingly neopagan cohort of Americas as older Christians die off without being replaced and aging Christian parents fail to pass the faith onto their children. Pew itself seems to misapprehend its own survey, giving it the rather optimistic headline, “Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off.”

Quite a few pagans that we have had the opportunity to speak with at events like Paganicon or the Parliament of the World’s Religions or Burning Man feel betrayed, angry, or, as one of the organizers of Paganicon put it during a conversation with us, have experienced “spiritual trauma” for a variety of reasons. One I spoke with was raised in the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church, but was caught up in the Quiver Full movement. As we spoke, it became clear that she was also very familiar with Bill Gothard, who is closely tied to the Quiver full movement. The faith and the God she rejected based on her experiences was most definitely not the God of Scripture, but she was not interested in discussing it more fully.

Others may not have really known much about the faith they were rejecting. One woman I spoke with grew up Roman Catholic but said she never really understood it. Catholicism was her family tradition, but she believed there had to be something more; in her search, she eventually embraced Wicca. She hasn’t told her family yet. She also said she really likes Jesus. I asked her if she realized Jesus and the apostles were calling the nation of Israel to repentance while He walked the earth. I went on to say that Jesus offered redemption from sin and is the one who died to pay the debt for our collective sin and raised Himself from the dead to defeat death itself. She was interested and said she did not recall hearing these things before. We spoke for a while and I able to share the gospel. I am not sure what she will do with it, but perhaps God will water that seed.

https://midwestoutreach.org/2025/04/03/paganicon-2025-re-enchantment-and-neopaganism/

Of course, their confident faith in the Bible, in Jesus Christ, His death for man’s sins, and resurrection does not prove that the biblical record is true. It does disprove, however, the claim that only ignorant, uneducated people believe in God, the Bible, and Christ, and that faith is based only upon emotion and not on evidence.

In the river-laced jungles of Central America, an agile reptile demonstrates why it has earned the nickname, “The Jesus Christ Lizard”. It runs on water. Upright on two legs, the lizard can skip briskly across the surface of a river. God in His creative genius enabled this little creation to defy conventional physics.

Apparently, most of the basilisk lizard’s ability to run on water comes from a well-timed downward stroke of the leg and foot, slapping the water and creating an air-filled cavity while quickly moving on to the next step. Of course, physical parameters such as the animal’s mass under the pull of gravity (its weight), the length of its leg, and the shape of its foot, etc., also factor into this ability.

God uses the testimony of His “general revelation” (His creation) to remind us of His “special revelation” (Jesus Christ our Lord). And the Jesus Christ Lizard is a little monument to a wondrous miracle that has captured the imagination of many people. Many folks may not know much else about Jesus, but they have heard that He walked on water, hence the lizard’s nickname.

Furthermore, since God created what we know as “the creation”, He created the physics and chemistry that governs all of creation. Therefore, it stands to reason that He can change the physics and chemistry of a local environment in order to perform “miracles”. A miracle is, by definition, a miracle if it falls outside the probability of occurrence defined by the scientific laws of creation. Miracles within the governing laws of this present creation would cease to be “miracles” if the physics and chemistry were changed. But constrained as we are by three dimensions of space and one dimension of time, and with the formulas of physics and chemistry and the present values for the natural constants (like the gravitational constant and the speed of light), miracles when they happen, amaze us and point to a God who created everything in the first place and therefore transcends His creation!

– Mark Cadwallader, Board Chairman of Creation Moments