A critique of:

THE URANTIA BOOK: A DANGEROUS NEW AGE DOCTRINE!

[Norm’s note: Apparently the author’s name is not in this document, so I’ll refer to him as “Mr. Christian” when necessary. Also, I was struck by the largely waste-of-time nature of much of this discussion. It hardly matters to one’s eternal survival if Jesus’ celestial name is Michael, or if Michael is the name of an archangel, or if there is an archangel who is known as the archangel of Michael, etc.]

Mr. Christian wrote:
>Some time ago, the following erroneous statement was made by Dr. Byron Weeks concerning the relationship between Jesus Christ and the Archangel Michael:

>"According to the Urantia Book, The Archangel was the "Archangel OF Michael" for Michael is the Heavenly title or name of Jesus, who is the Creator of this "Local Universe." Melchizedek is one of His Sons, and Not Jesus Christ. "Michael" has a whole hierarchy of Sons which include Lucifer, and his subordinate, Satan..."

It seems there is only one celestial “Michael” in the OT, other than the run of the mill human Michaels, and he is always referred to as a “prince.” Daniel 10:13, Daniel 10:21, and Daniel 12:1 A prince is a member of a royal family, a son of the King. Thus, this Michael of Daniel clearly refers to Jesus, the Son of God the King, and a prince in God’s kingdom.

In the NT, Michael is referred to twice. Once, at Jude 1:9 it says:

“Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.”

As Byron points out, The Urantia Book validates this character but in doing so explains that he is an “archangel of Michael.” It says:

“Even the archangel of Michael, at the time of Moses' resurrection, "did not bring against him an accusing judgment but simply said, `the Judge rebuke you.'" 53.1.2

And of course there is a reference to Michael in Revelation.

“And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon.” Revelation 12:7

I choose to believe that the Revelation reference refers to Michael as Jesus, the Son of God, and certainly not “Michael the archangel” of Jude 1:9 which almost certainly should say, “Yet the archangel of Michael, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.” Some copyist in the Middle Ages probably got it wrong.

>In quite a few of my other articles, I have sounded the alarm for the many lies and inaccuracies which are being espoused and propagated in this current 'Age Of Deception' by New Age thought advocates and other self-styled false prophets of the Endtime.

Nothing in religion can be said to be “lies and inaccuracies” except as judged against some other religious “benchmark.”. In this case the premise of Mr. Christian is that the Bible is the truth, the “inerrant Word of God,” and a certain interpretation of the Bible is truth, and anything that conflicts with the Bible or with a certain interpretation of it is a lie or inaccuracy. Such arguments are akin to saying, “I’m right and you’re wrong and that settles it.”

Furthermore, The Urantia Book is not “current 'Age Of Deception'” (whatever that is) or “New Age thought.” And last, it’s hard to say who are self styled false prophets of the Endtime. Again, the writer presupposes a PREMISE, that his beliefs and his interpretations are true, and all others false. Christians are constantly making end times predictions that don’t come true.

>The above quote is clearly another example of the strong delusion which is overcoming those who have rejected God's holy unerring Word, the Bible.

There it is, THE PREMISE that all else hangs on for a fundamentalist Christian, that the Bible is “God's holy unerring Word.” Of course, this premise can be shown to be wrong in a thousand ways, but not to a closed minded fundamentalist. How “holy” is this, from the holy unerring Word of God?:

“But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? [hath he] not [sent me] to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?” 2 Kings 18:27

Or this, from a loving God who COMMANDS, “Thou shalt not kill?”

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." 1 Samuel 15:3

Such ideas that these are “God's holy unerring Word” are simply idiocy at best, insanity and blasphemy at worst. This issue is not even about The Urantia Book. If a fundamentalist believes that the Bible is “God's holy unerring Word,” there’s little you can do. There are no laws against stupidity and everyone is free to kiss their brains goodbye.

In the introduction to “Self-Contradictions of the Bible” by William Henry Burr, R. Joseph Hoffmann writes:

“Fundamentalism-the belief that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and literally true word of God-thrives on ignorance, not just of a general sort, but an ignorance of the Bible itself. The ability to perceive contradictions in a written text, to appreciate the nuances of historical and literary context or the intentions that ancient writers hide beneath their words are hard-acquired skills in the best of times. Fundamentalism presupposes none of them.”

And it should be mentioned that unless you are a Jew and you attend Synagogue on Saturdays, the OT should be as relevant to you as is the Bhagavad-Gita or the Koran. Christians should get some religious self respect, get their own religion and give the OT back to the Jews. The NT is all the Scripture Christians should need or use.

>But, as I have pointed out elsewhere, this is all in fulfillment of words which were spoken almost two thousand years ago such as the following:

>"For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." (Matthew 24:24)

Probably not as it relates to Byron. What “great signs and wonders” has he shown? Seriously. It’s hard to say who Jesus was referring to. It could be Billy Grahams, Pat Robertsons, or Jerry Falwells of the world, to name a few. And as William Shakespeare has so insightfully said, even “the devil can cite Scripture for his purpose.”

>"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;" (2 Timothy 4:3)

The quote above cannot be answered rationally because it is irrelevant, and it’s based on the false premises that the “Bible,” the 2,500 year old Jewish scriptures bound together in the same book as the 400 year newer Christian documents called the New Testament, is “God's holy unerring Word,” and that the writer’s interpretations are true. The quote above is also not from Jesus, the Son of God, but from a mere man, a follower of Jesus. Why Christian fundamentalists prefer the teachings of everyone else, particularly Paul, to those of Jesus is a mystery. Once, a Christian fundamentalist handed me a pamphlet. Of the 15 quotes in it, one was from the Jewish scriptures, 13 were from Paul, and one was from Jesus, the Son of God. It’s shameful.

>"...because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:" (2 Thessalonians 2:10b-11)

The material above (and below) again cannot be answered rationally because it is based on the PREMISE that the Bible is “God's holy unerring Word,” and that the writer’s interpretations and applications are true. And the PREMISE is based on belief only, not on logic or reason. The writer, like all fundamentalist Christians, is basically reduced to saying, essentially, “I believe the Bible is true and so your material or belief is false and a lie.” The material above is also not from Jesus, the Son of God. Nor of course would God ever send anyone “strong delusion, that they should believe a lie.” Such ideas are simply more Christian fundamentalist blasphemy. God is at all times true and honest and straight with us, and above all, He respects our freewill. How could anyone be held responsible for believing wrong if God sent them delusions so that they would believe lies? What twisted ideas about God!! Who but Satan could be behind such blasphemy? Who indeed!

>While I have read parts of the Urantia Book, I will readily admit that I have not read it in its entirety.

That’s part of the problem, of course.

>However, to be honest, based on what I have read thus far, and the grave errors that I have seen in it, I have no intentions of reading the remainder any time soon, if ever.

In other words, “The door to my mind is closed.” And the alleged “grave errors” are exactly like the “lies and inaccuracies” mentioned above. Thus, it bears repeating:

Nothing in religion can be said to be “grave errors” or “lies and inaccuracies” except as judged against some other religious “benchmark.” In this case the PREMISE is that the Bible is the truth, the “inerrant Word of God,” and a certain interpretation of the Bible is truth, and anything that conflicts with the Bible or with its alleged correct interpretation is grave error or lies and inaccuracies. The only true thing that can be said is that the two religious texts or their interpretation do not agree. Neither can be said to be the truth, except as a matter of belief.

>Considering the above quoted material, plus another letter written by Dr. Weeks in 1996, (which I will shortly quote below), I have no doubt whatsoever that the Urantia Book is just another product of New Age psychobabble.

What “above quoted material?” The Bible quotes? They’re mostly meaningless as has been shown. Also, Mr. Christian pronounces something that he says he has not read to be psychobabble. I doubt if he even knows what the word means, since he has used it so inappropriately and largely as simply a derogatory label. Often, whenever people are under pressure they resort to labels and name calling. It’s not logical, but it’s a way out.

>According to what I have read, it was 'received' as a collection of papers from so-called 'spiritual entities' during the first half of the twentieth century…

Yes, that’s about right, but “spiritual entities” is apparently a term chosen by Mr. Christian and put in quotation marks to attempt to show how strange the term is and to associate that strangeness with The Urantia Book, but of course, in Christianity, “spiritual entities” are known as ANGELS (as they are also in The Urantia Book), which we can assume Mr. Christian believes in. Thus, Mr. Christian believes in “spiritual entities.”

>…under conditions which seem very similar to me to New Age channeling.

Hard to say, really, and “similar” is not “the same.” Fords and Hondas are similar. Men and women are similar. Etc. In any case, God can use whatever method he chooses to bring a new revelation to this planet. If God wished to use “New Age channeling,” it’s not for Christians to tell him He’d better not do so.

>Regardless of the source of its origin, it is absolutely clear to me that the primary motivation behind writing the Urantia Book was to strike a mortal blow at the credibility of, and The Truth found within, the pages of the Holy Bible.

Well yes, that will happen, though I’m sure it’s not a “primary motivation” of anyone, let alone the celestial, spiritual beings of God’s government. But if it strikes a mortal blow to the bizarre untruth of the blood atonement doctrine of the Apostle Paul then it has done its job of revealing new truth.

>It is for this reason that I prefer to call it the Unbelief Book, as its sole purpose is to rob one's faith in the Bible as the inspired Word of God.

Intelligent, thoughtful people including Biblical scholars already know that the Bible is not the “inerrant inspired Word of God.” Only ignorant Christian fundamentalists still cling to such views. No offense. Ignorant simply means “uninformed,” and fundamentalist Christians are certainly that.

>As will be seen by Mr. Week's letter below, the Urantia Book strike at the very heart of Christianity, at the Cornerstone of our Faith, which is the redemptive Blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary.

Yes, it does strike at the very heart of Christianity, which is Christian error and Christian blasphemy. Jesus never taught any such thing. Jesus had ample time to say and do whatever he wanted to say and do, but in his entire thirty-some years on earth, and on all of his public tours with the apostles “preaching the gospel of the kingdom,” (Mt 9:35) and “preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God,” (Luke 8:1) Jesus never, ever said:

“Hello folks. My name is Jesus and these are my apostles, and I have good news for you today, glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and this good news is that I have been sent here by my loving Father, God in Heaven, in order that I should die for your sins by your hand, -you will murder me for this purpose, and if you believe this you will have eternal life and happiness in Heaven, but if you refuse to believe it, my Father will punish you eternally in Hell. Isn't that GREAT GOOD NEWS folks? Please save your applause for later, and thank you, thank you very much.”

The “redemptive Blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross at Calvary,” the idea that an innocent person can take the place of a criminal, is Christian blasphemy against God and a travesty of justice, divine or otherwise. If Christians would only follow Jesus, they’d find that he’s already told us how we can have our sins forgiven and have eternal life:

"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you." (Matthew 6:14)

For anyone paying attention, Jesus also tells us that we won’t have our sins forgiven, no matter what (blood atonement or not), if we don’t forgive others. Mt 6:15 Read what Jesus says. That’s where the truth is. Follow Jesus only and none other.

>I do not recommend that any Christian, particularly young Christians who are new in the Faith and not yet grounded in the True Word of God, read this demonic work of darkness.

“Grounded” means “brainwashed,” “indoctrinated.” Yes, by all means, warn people away from the truth, the new revelation from God’s government, just like the Pharisees exhorted the people to reject Jesus and even to kill him. No one would expect those of a closed minded religious group (Christian fundamentalists) to do otherwise. Play out your part in the drama. God is watching.

>If you do, you may find yourself seriously doubting your Christian heritage!

And for good reason, having discovered the real truths of the matter.

>As far as I can tell, the voice or entity which inspired this book is definitely NOT of God.

“As far as I can tell…” Well, as far as I can tell, this is definitely not of God either: “But Rabshakeh said unto them, Hath my master sent me to thy master, and to thee, to speak these words? [hath he] not [sent me] to the men which sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung, and drink their own piss with you?” 2 Kings 18:27

Or this, from a God who COMMANDS, “Thou shalt not kill.”

"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass." 1 Samuel 15:3

There is NOTHING so vile and so base and so blasphemous as the above material, in The Urantia Book. Nothing like it at all.

Just as Jesus the Son of God was persecuted and rejected by many, so too will The Urantia Book, the new revelation from God’s government, be persecuted and rejected by the fundamentalists, modern day Pharisees who, like their brethren of two thousand years ago, believe that they already know everything and that they already have all the answers. Like the Pharisees of old, the modern Pharisee-fundamentalists have their Scriptures and they’re sticking by them come hell or high water. If it means crucifying this new revelation, slandering it to the best of their ability, then that’s what they intend to do.

>As John warns us in his first epistle:
>"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world." (1 John 4:1)

It doesn’t really matter what “John” said, if he even said it at all. Billions of people say lots of things.

>My words may seem very harsh indeed; however, after reading the following excerpts, I am sure you will understand why my reaction to this material is so strong; particularly if you are a Bible-believing Christian like myself.

The Pharisees’ (Scripture believing Jews) words against Jesus were also very harsh indeed. We know that this new revelation from God will be attacked just as Jesus was attacked. Nothing in human nature has changed in 2000 years.

>Here then is Dr. Byron Week's letter of 1996:

----- BEGIN QUOTE -----

August 10, 1996

Dear Ms. Wallace,

Thank you for being concerned about the condition of my soul.

I suggest that we rethink our concepts about the nature of God and Jesus, after reading the following references from a modern epochal revelation, The Urantia Papers, which are given at the end of a dispensation.

The atonement doctrine was largely from the ideas of Paul of Tarsus, who had never even met Jesus in the flesh. It is almost identical to the Mithraic doctrine, a pagan belief in atonement by the barbaric shedding of blood, common in Tarsus (Tarshish) in Asia Minor where Paul spent his youth. I have yet to find in the Bible where Jusu bar Jussef said that He was going to die to "atone for the sins of mankind!" Sure, He laid down His life even though He could have saved Himself at any time, for His Father's will was that He go through death just as Man must do.

Could it be that you fundamentalists are the ones who are insulting God by your primitive belief system? God is a God of love, not of vengeance.

THE ATONEMENT DOCTRINE

Urantia Book, Paper 4, Page 59

Religious tradition is the imperfectly preserved record of the experiences of the God-knowing men of past ages, but such records are untrustworthy as guides for religious living or as the source of true information about the Universal Father. Such ancient beliefs have been invariably altered by the fact that primitive man was a mythmaker.

From The Urantia Book Paper-4 Section-5 Para-2 Page-60 Line-3 Para-1

One of the greatest sources of confusion on Earth (Urantia) concerning the nature of God grows out of the failure of your sacred books clearly to distinguish between the personalities of the Paradise Trinity and between Paradise Deity and the local universe creators and administrators. During the past dispensations of partial understanding, your priests and prophets failed clearly to differentiate between Planetary Princes, System Sovereigns, Constellation Fathers, Creator Sons, Superuniverse Rulers, the Supreme Being, and the Universal Father. Many of the messages of subordinate personalities, such as Life Carriers and various orders of angels, have been, in your records, presented as coming from God himself. Urantian religious thought still confuses the associate personalities of Deity with the Universal Father himself, so that all are included under one appellation.

Paper-4 Section-5 Para-3 Page-60 Line-14 Para-2

The people of Urantia continue to suffer from the influence of primitive concepts of God. The gods who go on a rampage in the storm; who shake the earth in their wrath and strike down men in their anger; who inflict their judgments of displeasure in times of famine and flood--these are the gods of primitive religion; they are not the Gods who live and rule the universes. Such concepts are a relic of the times when men supposed that the universe was under the guidance and domination of the whims of such imaginary gods. But mortal man is beginning to realize that he lives in a realm of comparative law and order as far as concerns the administrative policies and conduct of the Supreme Creators and the Supreme Controllers.

Paper-4 Section-5 Para-4 Page-60 Line-24 Para-3

The barbarous idea of appeasing an angry God, of propitiating an offended Lord, of winning the favor of Deity through sacrifices and penance and even by the shedding of blood, represents a religion wholly puerile and primitive, a philosophy unworthy of an enlightened age of science and truth. Such beliefs are utterly repulsive to the celestial beings and the divine rulers who serve and reign in the universes. It is an affront to God to believe, hold, or teach that innocent blood must be shed in order to win his favor or to divert the fictitious divine wrath.

Paper-4 Section-5 Para-5 Page-60 Line-31 Para-4

The Hebrews believed that "without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin." They had not found deliverance from the old and pagan idea that the Gods could not be appeased except by the sight of blood, though Moses did make a distinct advance when he forbade human sacrifices and substituted therefore, in the primitive minds of his childlike Bedouin followers, the ceremonial sacrifice of animals.

Paper-4 Section-5 Para-6 Page-60 Line-37 Para-5

The bestowal of a Paradise Son on your world was inherent in the situation of closing a planetary age; it was inescapable, and it was not made necessary for the purpose of winning the favor of God. This bestowal also happened to be the final personal act of a Creator Son in the long adventure of earning the experiential sovereignty of his universe. What a travesty upon the infinite character of God ! This teaching that his fatherly heart in all its austere coldness and hardness, was so untouched by the misfortunes and sorrows of his creatures, that his tender mercies were not forthcoming until he saw his blameless Son bleeding and dying upon the cross of Calvary!

Paper-4 Section-5 Para-7 Page-60 Line-46 Para-6

But the inhabitants of Urantia are to find deliverance from these ancient errors and pagan superstitions respecting the nature of the Universal Father. The revelation of the truth about God is appearing, and the human race is destined to know the Universal Father in all that beauty of character and loveliness of attributes so magnificently portrayed by the Creator Son who sojourned on Urantia as the Son of Man and the Son of God.

Ref. The Urantia Book, pages 59-60 (There should be a copy in the City library.)

In His love,

Byron T. Weeks, MD

-----END OF QUOTE -----

Makes perfect sense to me. Bravo! But Mr. Christian says:

>What blatant lies! What heresies are being committed in the Holy Name of Truth! I will be the first to admit that the Bible, due to manipulations in the past by the so-called 'Church Fathers' and others, is not complete. There were many scrolls, manuscripts and books whose contents were deemed either false, uninspired or inaccurate by those who compiled our modern Bible. I have no doubt that there are other things which have been purposely hid from us because those who have controlled religion for the past several thousand years either don't want us to know about them, or else they feel that we are not yet ready to accept them. Even the Apostle Paul felt obligated to withhold some of the deeper Truths from the young Christians of his day:

Some “amazing” admissions above: “…the Bible, due to manipulations…is not complete.” A little more of that sort of thinking and Mr. Christian would be on his way out of the woods. But The Urantia Book is a new revelation of religious truth from God’s government. Read it and accept it, or reject it with or without reading it, and for whatever other reasons you may have. It’s your choice. The Son of God himself, TRUTH PERSONIFIED, was rejected and murdered, so that shows you that not everyone will make the right choice or be open to truth. One other curious idea about the blood atonement scheme is that if it were true then Judas did exactly as God wanted him to do and thus he is a hero and not a traitor at all. His place in Heaven must be very high. The same would apply to the Jewish rulers who brought about Jesus’ death, they did what God wanted. God wanted them to kill his Son, it was necessary, according to the Christians. What insanity! I have deleted the quote from Paul below. It’s not from Jesus and it’s irrelevant.

>On the other hand, could it also be that some of these manuscripts and scrolls have purposely been kept from us for some ulterior reason? Could it be that those who came into religious power beginning several hundred years after Christ and the Original Disciples, were afraid that those scrolls might expose the lies of their own false religious system which they have forced down the throats of countless millions since then? In short, as I explained in my article 'The Book Of Enoch: Truth Or Heresy?', our spiritual course has been neatly and carefully served to us by those in power since the early centuries of the Christian Era.

It’s hard to believe that Mr. Christian can realize and understand the truths he’s saying above, and at the same time cling to the idea that the Bible is the inerrant, inspired Word of God. In asking such questions it’s almost as if he’s is crying out for help, but it’s not enough, and it’s clear from his writing that he is confused, possibly afraid, and has no idea what is correct.

>It is for the above reasons that I will sometimes read other Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphical works which happen to come my way in order to try to fill in some of the gaps.

You can fill in ALL the gaps with The Urantia Book and stop wasting your time on the rest. Start reading something important.

>In reading such materials, I will always compare them with the Holy Scriptures in order to see how well they stand up to The Truth contained in accepted Scriptures. If there is general agreement, or an expansion of what is already revealed in the Bible, if I feel the same Spirit and Inspiration in the writing, then I might be willing to accept it.

>In following this process with the Urantia Book, it fails miserably in every regard. From what I have read, seen and been told by some of its supporters, the Urantia Book is basically telling us that the Bible is so full of errors, misconceptions, myths and inaccuracies, that we should just throw it out and accept this modern work of theosophy.

Well yes, most thinking people including Biblical scholars (not to be confused with fundamentalists) know that the Bible is a mess. That doesn’t mean there isn’t some truth in it, but now with the advent of the new revelation from God’s government, The Urantia Book, it’s hardly necessary anymore. And like “psychobabble,” Mr. Christian misuses the word “theosophy” and mislabels The Urantia Book with it.

>In fact, I have had adherents of the Urantia Book tell me that they use the 'Encyclopedia Of Biblical Errancy' to prove that the Bible is severely flawed!

The Bible is severely flawed, but one doesn’t need the 'Encyclopedia Of Biblical Errancy' to know that. The ‘'Encyclopedia Of Biblical Errancy,' which I have a copy of, is a very helpful book but it has flaws of its own.

>These are the very people who claim to be the 'New Christians'. What audacity!

New Christians? I don’t know any Urantians who call themselves or claim to be “New Christians.” There may be some, but I don’t know of any. Christians follow Paul and Urantians follow Jesus. I think most Urantians have decided they’re not Christians, much like early Christians decided they weren’t Jews in a religious sense.

>Why in the world should we just throw out a Work…

Because it’s wrong.

>…which has saved literally millions, if not billions of souls over the past two thousand years,

This is a completely unfounded and unsupportable PREMISE. Complete rhetorical nonsense. And books don’t save people. According to Jesus, people are saved by doing the Father’s will. Matthew 7:21

>…and replace it with some unknown so-called modern 'revelation'?

Because The Urantia Book is a new revelation of religious truth from God’s government.

I have snipped a couple of irrelevant quotes from Paul.

>Contrary to these false claims being made in the Urantia Book,

More slander and slurs. “False claims” like the terms “lies and inaccuracies” and “grave errors” before it can only be so in the context of the belief PREMISE that one source is true and all others are then false. In my opinion, there are no false claims in The Urantia Book, the new revelation from God’s government, while there is much that is false in the so-called Bible.

>I sincerely believe that what we do have in the modern Christian Bible is accurate and true, particularly God's method of Salvation through Jesus Christ His Son. I believe that through His Power and Wisdom, God has made sure, that He has absolutely guaranteed, that the basic and most important Truths in the Bible have remained intact for these past six millenia.

Lots of people believe lots of crazy and irrational things. The idea that “God has made sure…” and that “He has absolutely guaranteed” smacks of magic and wishful thinking. Monasteries burn, floods happen, wars, earthquakes, -and documents are lost. God does not step in to save vulgar un-Godly texts that talk about people sitting on the wall eating their own dung, and drinking their own piss with others.” 2 Kings 18:27 Such ideas are childish.

>To doubt this, is to doubt God's omnipotence; which I for one do not.

More falseness. Whether the Bible is true or not has nothing whatsoever to do with God’s omnipotence.

>God's spoken and written Word will endure forever:

Surely it will, but the Bible is not God’s spoken and written Word. Again, please see 2 Kings 18:27 for just one example. And I’ve included a few “contradictions” at the end for further study.

>"He hath remembered his covenant for ever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations." (Psalms 105:8)

Irrelevant quote, and an attempt to prove the Bible (the OT in this case) is God’s Word by quoting the Bible to prove the Bible is God’s word… It’s called circular reasoning. More such quotes below are deleted. Circular reasoning is a waste of time.

>This idea of replacing God's proven Word with this New Age 'revelation' seems very sinister to me.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. They rejected Jesus too and said he was “very sinister.”

“But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.” Luke 11:15

The Pharisee types of old railed against Jesus just as the fundamentalist-Pharisees of today rail against this new revelation from God’s government.

I’ve deleted a large amount of material below, bizarre assumptions and Biblical quotes, irrational material that simply cannot be answered rationally because it’s all based on the false, belief-only premise of the Bible as the Word of God and Mr. Christian’s interpretations as true.

>So how does all of this tie in with the Urantia Book?

That’s a good question, it’s about time, and finally back on the subject at hand after paragraphs full of irrelevant Biblical quotes, interpretations, and circular logic.

>It is really quite simple. As I have already stated, in order to deceive people, Satan must include some morsels of Truth in his web of lies.

That’s precisely what the Bible does. Or perhaps it’s more correct to say, as Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong has said in “Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism,” that it’s fundamentalists’ misuse of the Bible that is the real problem.

>This is precisely what the Urantia Book does.

Everything in The Urantia Book is truth since it’s a new revelation from God’s government. Reject it at your own risk just as those who rejected Jesus.

>It doesn't deny that Jesus Christ is a son of God; it simply states that He is not THE Son of God.

And that’s true. That’s why it’s revelation. It reveals new religious truth to an ignorant planet. Jesus is not part of the Trinity, the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, and the Infinite Spirit. Neither was Jesus “the Christ,” that is, the messiah that the Jews were expecting, and he never said he was.

>According to the Urantians, Jesus is just one of many 'Creator Sons'.

That’s true. 700,000 Creator Sons, each in charge of 10 million inhabitable planets. It’s an awesome story.

>He is demoted from His unique status as THE Son of the Eternal;

He is not demoted since Jesus never was the Eternal Son. That’s the nature of revelation, you learn new things. But whether Mr. Christian spoke the truth by mistake or not, Jesus IS a son of the Eternal Son, but he is not the Eternal Son.

>…and this is a very common deception found within different areas of New Age thought as other of my articles bear out.

Smear it with the “new age” label as much as you like, but The Urantia Book is not “New Age thought.” Rather it is a new revelation of religious truth from God’s government. Nor are there any deceptions in The Urantia Book. God does not so deceive his children. At least, the God of The Urantia Book does not even if the God of the Judeo-Christians does, as is blasphemously shown in their “Holy Book.” (See 2 Thessalonians 2:11)

>Furthermore, as has already been clearly pointed out, the Urantia Book also erroneously states that His Blood Sacrifice is not a necessary part of our Salvation.

It’s not erroneous at all. It’s absolute, real truth, and Jesus never taught such error as the atonement doctrine.

>This deceptive work,

Not deceptive at all, but absolute, real truth. It’s time to face the fact that you’ve been taught and believed lies all your life and based your life on them. It’s never too late to turn back toward the truth.

>…and those who adhere to it, insist that the events at Calvary were a horrid barbaric act totally unrelated to God's Plan of Salvation;

Exactly right. It’s absolute, real truth, new religious revelation from God’s government to bring humanity out of its religious ignorance.

>…totally in contrast to what is actually contained in both the Old and New Testament Scriptures.

It’s in contrast because the Bible is wrong. Jesus never taught the atonement. Try following JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, for a change. Break free from Paul and from the Jewish Scriptures and follow the Master only. He said, “Follow me.” Do it.

>In addition to the above, as was seen at the beginning of this article, the Urantians also claim that Michael is the celestial name of Jesus Christ.

That’s correct. Also, as noted above, Jesus was not the Christ, not the messiah that the Jews were expecting, and he never said he was. Thus, Jesus should not be referred to as Jesus Christ. “Christ” is a Greek word for “messiah” and messiah is a Jewish religious concept. It’s their concept and their religion, let them have it. They’re still waiting for the messiah.

>From conversations I have had in the past, I am aware of the fact that this same doctrine is espoused by the Jehovah's Witnesses. As such, I can only wonder if the Urantia Book might not have been written by, or at least inspired by, an ex-Jehovah's Witness, or a group of former Jehovah's Witnesses.

No, it wasn’t (not that it matters, everyone has a past, and there are only so many variations of religious ideas out there on Earth or in the universe), but it does mean that the Jehovah’s Witnesses may have at least partially successfully interpreted the Biblical passages that refer to Michael. “Jesus” or Joshua ben Joseph is the name that was given to him by his parents here on earth. It hardly seems likely that Jesus would have that same name on high. The Urantia Book now clarifies the matter and tells us what Jesus is known as when he’s in “Heaven.” Why should there be any mystery about such things? God isn’t playing games with us about names.

And the same sort of bizarre reasoning could have been employed by the Pharisees or by anyone opposed to Christianity with the intent to smear it. They probably said something like this: “Regarding the blood atonement doctrine of the new Christian sect, I am aware of the fact that this same doctrine is espoused by the Jews, that only the spilling of blood can influence God. As such, I can only wonder if the Christian New Testament might not have been written by, or at least inspired by, an ex-Jew, or a group of former Jews.” And indeed it was in that case.

>Let me state clearly that I have no evidence to prove this; it is just a hunch on my part.

What candor!

>While there is definitely a connection between Jesus Christ and the priestly order of Melchizedek in the Bible, as I have clearly demonstrated in my article 'Jesus Christ: Son Of God, High Priest Of Melchizedek', that I am aware of, there is no clear Scriptural connection to support the idea of Jesus and Michael being one and the same person.

So what (that there is no clear Scriptural connection to support the idea of Jesus and Michael being one and the same person), if true? It doesn’t matter. (Although apparently the Jehovah’s Witnesses and perhaps the Seventh Day Adventists and others would be able to show a “Scriptural connection.”) The new revelation, The Urantia Book, is now here to clear up all that confusion and ignorance about the divine nature and name of Jesus.

>Because of this lack of evidence in my view, I can only assume that the Jehovah's Witnesses and the writers of the Urantia Book come to this conclusion based on a few verses which show similarities between Michael's and Jesus's activities warring against Satan and his demonic forces.

Hard to say, really. And any “lack of evidence” might simply be a Christian failure to understand what’s written in the Jewish Scriptures or the New Testament, the very same way the Christians deny Jesus’ teaching that “the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21) That true teaching of the Master has been "made of no effect through tradition." (Mark 7:13) But now we have The Urantia Book to clear up such matters. Jesus’ name is Michael when he’s not here. He’s a prince, the son of a king as noted in the book of Daniel, -the Son of God. This Michael is not an archangel. And this Son of God is not the Eternal Son, not part of the Trinity. And yes, the kingdom of God really is within you, a fragment of the Universal Father within every human being of normal mind.

>For a more detailed look at some of these verses, I suggest you read my article 'Who Is Hindering The Antichrist From Arriving?' which deals primarily with the role of the Archangel Michael in the Heavenly Realm. Some of the Scriptures contained in that article are the following:

>"And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. [some snipped] (Revelation 12:7-12)

The Urantia Book says much the same about the war in Heaven, but I wouldn’t waste anymore of your time worrying about the Antichrist. That’s nonsense. Melchizedek will probably return soon, and Christians will reject him as “the Antichrist.” They’ve already set themselves up to reject him.

>Rather than outright state that Jesus and Michael are definitely one and the same, I feel that it would be better for these people to state that it is just their opinion that they MIGHT be one and the same.

Fair enough for the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventists, et al. But The Urantia Book makes it perfectly clear that Jesus and Michael are definitely one and the same. That’s what revelation does. And I feel that it would be better for Mr. Christian to state that it’s just his opinion that the Bible might be the inerrant Word of God.

>In my view, to make such adamant statements regarding any topic which is not clearly defined in the Bible, is foolishness.

I feel much the same way, -that to make adamant statements regarding the Bible as the inerrant Word of God is sheer foolishness. There is no basis for such statements except belief. You can hardly prove the Bible is the inerrant Word of God by quoting the Bible saying it’s the inerrant Word of God. It’s simply one’s belief, basically, one’s opinion, and it’s hard to think that such opinions lead fundamentalists to call other views lies and to trash other’s religious beliefs. What in the world are they afraid of?

>It is for this very reason that in my writings, I try to maintain a very cautious and open attitude about what I say.

“A very cautious and open attitude?” Absolute NONSENSE. Excuse me, but please read your own material above where you refer to the new revelation to our planet as “lies and inaccuracies,” “grave errors,” and “false claims.” And this from someone who admits he has not even read The Urantia Book. Unbelievable. How do closed minded people ever manage to think and say out loud that they have an “open attitude?” Outrageous!

>I make every endeavor to let it be known when I am firmly convinced of something due to the Scriptural evidence, and when I am merely speculating.

Really, there is little or no “Scriptural evidence.” Evidence for what? You can’t prove the Bible using the Bible. It’s faulty circular reasoning as has already been pointed out. And the Bible is fraught with error, as everyone who wants to know already knows, -except for the fundamentalists.

>I leave myself open in case I am wrong.

Then read The Urantia Book from cover to cover and “leave [yourself] open” as you say you can do. And find out what other, thoughtful Christians who are outside your fundamentalist box think about the Bible.

>In the case of this Jesus and Michael comparison, I still remain convinced that it is in direct contradiction to what we are told in the Bible.

It’s really not that big of a deal. Not big enough to waste anymore time on it. Your salvation does not depend on whether you believe Jesus is Michael or not.

>Unfortunately, as I have already shown, the Urantians have shielded themselves from The Truth by claiming that the Bible is adulterated truth full of many errors and inaccuracies.

Unfortunately, fundamentalists have shielded themselves from The Truth by claiming that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. The Real Truth is now available. Shield yourself no more. Put down your shield and let the truth of the new revelation from God’s government shine in your heart. Don’t be like the Pharisees.

>How subtle of Satan to neutralize the very Book which could free these people from the deception they are under!

Satan didn’t neutralize the Bible with The Urantia Book, God did. God thought it was about time to shed some light on this confused planet, especially after two thousand years of Christian twisting of Jesus’ teachings, and of substituting Paul’s teachings for those of Jesus.

>This reminds me of a verse from the Old Testament:

The Old Testament is mostly irrelevant unless you’re a Jew. You may as well quote a verse from the Koran or the Bhagavad-Gita, it’d make as much sense.

>For those who do accept the validity and inspiration of the Bible, allow me to quote a few verses which clearly show that absolutely NO ONE knows Jesus' Heavenly Name except for Jesus Himself:

You CANNOT quote the Bible to prove the Bible. Why don’t people get that? I’ve snipped your quote and some other related material, but Jesus’ Heavenly Name is already in the Bible. It’s Michael, and other religionists who use the Bible, such as the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Seventh Day Adventists know that. And now, that knowledge has been validated by The Urantia Book. It’s a settled issue.

>For a person to deny The Truth stated in the above verses is to say that they have some special hotline to God, and that He has revealed some secret knowledge to them which no one else knows.

The “secret knowledge” is not secret at all, and in fact it’s freely available in the new revelation from God’s government, The Urantia Book. Get one, read it, and then you’ll be up to speed. Don’t you want to be up to speed? Why wouldn’t you want to be up to speed? God has revealed new information to us, and if you love God you have a duty to Him and to yourself to get current. Otherwise, basically, it’s a slap in God’s face, the same way the Pharisees slapped God in the face when they denied Jesus.

>BEWARE! This is another one of Satan's favorite tactics! He loves to lift people up in their own pride; just as he is also lifted up in his own pride and vanity. 'Oh yes!' he will say, 'You are called, and you are chosen, and you are special above everyone else on the face of the Earth! Therefore, I have been sent to enlighten you, and to give you some esoteric wisdom; but you must not share it just yet! It is for you alone!'

The Urantia Book is not for anyone alone, no one has been “called” or “chosen,” it’s not secret, and it’s not esoteric wisdom. It’s for everyone and it’s freely and widely available. There are no issues of pride or vanity here, that’s just dishonest spin to say something like that. Get yourself a copy and read it. What are you afraid of? I can send you a copy, free. Then I can hold your hand while you go through it or you can read it in complete isolation. God wants you to open your heart and your mind to this new truth from His government. Will you refuse Him?

>If some spiritual being comes to you claiming to want to enlighten you, you better really test that spirit and remember this verse:

>"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." (2 Corinthians 11:14)

It’s too bad, again, that you prefer the teachings of everyone else but Jesus, such as the above Corinthians verse by Paul shows. Here’s what Jesus, the Son of God says:

“Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32

Don’t be afraid. Don’t cower and cringe in the corner in terror at examining new truth. Set yourself free! And if some human (like Paul) came to you claiming to speak for Jesus, would you believe him? Of course not.

>God can certainly send an angelic messenger if He so chooses; I am not saying that He can't;

And God can certainly send us a new revelation of truth in the form of a book if He so chooses. And this He has done. It’s here. It’s real. And it’s from God’s government.

>I am merely advising extreme caution should such an event ever occur in your life.

Well of course. Always be careful, but don’t cringe in fear.

>Most of us would be so totally awed by such a magnificent apparition, that we would probably be dumbstruck and paralyzed with fear, just like the accounts we read about in the Bible.

Agreed.

>It is also quite possible that we would let our spiritual guards down in such a situation.

Anything is possible.

>One thing we need to remember is that the use of the word 'secret' draws people like flies. It is our human nature to be drawn to such things. (snip)

Probably true, but it has nothing to do with The Urantia Book or Jesus’ name when he’s not here on Earth. There’s nothing “secret” about any of it. The Urantia Book is available for all and to all, and Michael is Jesus’ celestial name. No secrets there.

>(snip) I don't honestly understand why we need secret names, but I am sure that God will reveal the reason to us in His good time.

We don’t need secret names as you surmise, and God has already revealed these things to us in His good time in the form of a new revelation from His government to our planet, The Urantia Book.

>At any rate, here again we see another example which seems to indicate that this 'revelation' of Jesus Christ being Michael the Archangel, or at least being called Michael, is a lie and a deception.

No, it’s not a lie or a deception, it’s the “gospel” truth, and you are in the process of rejecting this new truth the same way the Pharisees rejected Jesus and his teachings.

>Whatever His Heavenly Name is, absolutely NO ONE knows it except for God the Father who gave it to Him.

Not true. His Heavenly Name is Michael, and it’s been revealed to us in God’s new revelation to our planet. There is and never was any need for such secrets. More so, there never were secrets, just ignorance. People have names. Jesus’ name is Michael, and he is not an archangel.

>As far as the remaining comments quoted in the beginning of this article, there is absolutely no indication in my Bible that I am aware of, that Melchizedek is the son of Jesus; or that Lucifer is the son of Jesus;

Absent a quote, I don’t believe that The Urantia Book says that Melchizedek or Lucifer are sons of Jesus. But I am willing to stand corrected. If Byron said it, I need a quote from the book. The book does say that both Melchizedek and Lucifer were created by Jesus (Michael) as the Creator Son. Perhaps that’s the same, that they are then his “sons.” But the fact that there’s “absolutely no indication in [your] Bible” is irrelevant. Lots of things aren’t in your Bible. It’s a finite book.

>…or that Lucifer and Satan are two different entities; or that Satan is a subordinate of Lucifer.

Those things ARE true, and the fact that Christians think that Satan and Lucifer and Beelzebub, et al, are all the same character simply points out the paucity of information we’ve had heretofore, prior to the new revelation becoming available.

>Again, allow me to suggest…(snip)

WHO ARE YOU? Why are your articles unsigned? Are you ashamed of them? The Christian Eric Pement signs his material.

>Regarding a Spiritual Hierarchy in the Celestial Realm, this is a much more provable issue; and one which I have dealt with in other articles. From a variety of Scriptures in the Bible, we do know that the Heavenly Kingdom is in fact governed by a Celestial Government which has order and rank. A simple example of this can be found in the God to Jesus to the Angel to John chain-of-command found at the beginning of the Book of Revelation:

You can find out all about it in The Urantia Book. It’s an amazing story.

>snip
>"Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them." (Job 1:6)

“The sons of God!” Imagine that. Who were they? Here’s more:

“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding. Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched the line upon it? Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? or who laid the corner stone thereof; “When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” Job 38:4-7

Jesus, as Michael, is just one such of those “sons of God” who shouted for joy. It’s been in the Bible all the time.

>We also know that we will each have to appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ:

>"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10)

The above is irrelevant for more than one reason, but the primary reason is that it’s not the teachings of Jesus. And if you believe that Jesus has already paid for your sins through the blood atonement scheme, what would be the point of appearing before “the judgment seat of Christ?” Either you’re “born again” and saved or you’re not, according to what you believe. How many complex layers can you pile upon Jesus’ clear and simple teachings about salvation? "Thou shall love God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbor as thyself." And Jesus said to him, "Thou has answered right: this do, and thou shall live." (See Luke 10:25-28) That’s the real gospel, above, everything you need to get to Heaven, right from the Master’s lips, and look at the complicated, incomprehensible mess Christians have made of it with their blood atonement doctrines, etc. If “fundamentalists” were true to their label, they’d get back to Jesus, and back to basics.

>From reading the Scriptures, we also know that Jesus Christ can be compared to our Defense Attorney who pleads our cause before His Father's Throne:

We don’t need a defense attorney. (And YOU don’t need one, you’re already saved by the blood, remember?) JESUS teaches us that if we forgive others we will be forgiven, and that if we love God and love our neighbor we will have eternal life. Follow Jesus and you can’t go wrong.

>"Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." (Romans 8:34)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them." (Hebrews 7:25)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>snip (More irrelevant material about prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys as gleaned from the Bible, the New Testament, apparently.)

>We also have a basic idea of what the Heavenly Throne looks like with the Twenty-Four Elders, the Four Beasts, and other ministering Spirits around it:

If you read The Urantia Book you can have an exact idea. It’s all there.

>snip- Quote from the Book of Revelation, about which The Urantia Book says:

“When in temporary exile on Patmos, John wrote the Book of Revelation, which you now have in greatly abridged and distorted form. This Book of Revelation contains the surviving fragments of a great revelation, large portions of which were lost, other portions of which were removed, subsequent to John's writing. It is preserved in only fragmentary and adulterated form.”

>In the Old Testament we discover that some of these Spiritual Beings act as Counselors to God:

You can read all about it in The Urantia Book.

>While I can't prove it through Scriptures,

Indeed, you cannot prove ANYTHING through Scriptures. Once you realize that you’ll be on your way to free yourself as Jesus said.

>I suspect that the physical location of this Head of Government might be at The Summit, The Apex, of the pyramid-shaped Heavenly City, New Jerusalem, the spiritual Mount Zion:

You can find the answers you’re looking for in The Urantia Book. It’s all there, fresh from God’s government and just waiting for you.

>snip (Bible quotes and discussions of same.)

>Aside from the above descriptions, other points such as exactly who is who, or what their names are, or what positions they hold, or what their different responsibilities are, etc., are simply a matter of pure speculation and imagination, because the Bible simply does not amplify enough on these matters.

This is exactly right, 100% correct, the Bible is deficient. But The Urantia Book contains that information and it’s no longer speculation.

>We can only hope that in God's appointed time, we will all come to fully understand and experience the realities of the Spiritual World; for this is indeed the Blessed Hope which lies within the heart of every Christian:

Most of the information is available NOW in The Urantia Book, a new revelation of religious truth to our planet from God’s government.

>"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Not the teachings of JESUS, but now we do know the things which God has prepared for those who love him. You can read all about it in God’s new revelation, The Urantia Book.

>"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith." (Galatians 5:5)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>"The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints," (Ephesians 1:18)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>"We give thanks to God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel;" (Colossians 1:3-5)

Interesting, but not the teachings of JESUS.

>"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: (1 Peter 3:15)

Not the teachings of JESUS. For God’s sake, why do you follow Paul and everyone else instead of Jesus? God sent his Son here to “preach the kingdom of God" (Luke 4:43), and to “bear witness unto the truth” (John 18:37), and yet Christians follow Paul (and others), someone who was not one of Jesus’ personally trained apostles and who never met Jesus. It’s unimaginable, and it’s a slap in Jesus’ face.

>"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3)

Finally, a quote from Jesus. They’re few and far between from Christians. But The Urantia Book says exactly the same thing, and you can find out all about the Mansion Worlds in The Urantia Book.

>Regarding the Urantian claims of a 'local universe' which is a part of a greater multi-universe system;

That’s essentially correct, but “local universes” are actually geographic and political subdivisions of the larger universe as we use the term today and which we see through the Hubble Telescope. And each local universe of ten million inhabitable planets is headed by a Creator Son such as Michael (Jesus). You can read all about it in God’s new revelation to our planet, The Urantia Book.

>I have my doubts about such talk.

Fair enough. Nothing wrong with having honest doubts.

>In one of his sermons in the Book of Acts, the Apostle Peter spoke of the restitution of all things through Jesus Christ. My current feelings are that the scope of the restitution Peter was referring to is limited to humanity living on this Earth. After all, this is the very reason Jesus came to this planet:

Here are the very reasons Jesus came to this planet, according to JESUS:

And he said unto them, "I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also: for therefore was I sent." (Luke 4:43) Even more telling is this statement by Jesus: “To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth.” (John 18:37) Regardless of what others say, Jesus does not talk of restitution, and clearly teaches us how we can have our sins forgiven and attain eternal life. See Luke 10:25-28, Matthew 7:21, and Matthew 6:14.

>"Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began." (Acts 3:21)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>The Apostle Paul also spoke on this matter and likewise seemed to indicate that he wasn't referring to some kind of a universal reconciliation, but rather to reconciliation with those dwelling on this planet:

It hardly matters what the “Apostle Paul” said, and no “reconciliation” was necessary. Please review the Master’s teachings again at Luke 10:25-28. If you follow Jesus only your religious life will become a lot less complicated.

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." (2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Not the teachings of JESUS.

>Of course, none of us really know the Mind of God, or the full scope of His Power and the Excellency of His Will. As such, I think the following verses are very appropriate for this topic:

>"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

Nice quote from Isaiah 55:8-9. No argument there.

>In spite of our current state of science and modern technology, we still don't know the extent of our physical Universe. Based on the Genesis account of Creation, I have a lot of doubts regarding the facts, figures and photos presented to us by modern-day scientists and astronomers. I feel that they know a lot more than they wish to reveal to us. I suspect that they might be aware of some profound truths which, for whatever their reasons, they have felt it is in their and/or our best interest to withhold from us. I myself have considered the possibility that the account in Genesis was written from an Earthly perspective to simply help us to understand the process of Creation in our part of the galaxy. It is indeed wonderful and awe-inspiring to imagine that we might just be one small part of a greater story of the Creation of Life, but is there any truth to this view?

Yes, there is. And it is a wonderful and awe-inspiring story whether or not science has all its “facts” right. And it’s yours for the taking.

>If there are other planets in this galaxy, or in some other galaxy, or even in some other universe, populated by intelligent beings like ourselves, then the Lord must have His reasons for keeping us isolated from each other by such great distances.

Indeed. Perhaps if we just take a look around at what happens on our planet we’ll be able to figure out why God keeps his worlds separated.

>In addition, if Planet Earth is but one of many life-inhabited planets, then we should indeed feel greatly honoured that the Almighty God, El Shaddai, and His Son Jesus Christ have chosen Planet Earth to be the future home of their Supreme Headquarters as is born out in the Book of Revelation.

Well, that’s close enough. Yes, we should be honored, or “honoured” as you have it. Are you from Canada, Australia, or the UK? Here’s a quote from The Urantia Book about our honored status:

“The public announcement that Michael had selected Urantia as the theater for his final bestowal was made shortly after we learned about the default of Adam and Eve. And thus, for more than thirty-five thousand years, your world occupied a very conspicuous place in the councils of the entire universe. There was no secrecy (aside from the incarnation mystery) connected with any step in the Urantia bestowal. From first to last, up to the final and triumphant return of Michael to Salvington as supreme Universe Sovereign, there was the fullest universe publicity of all that transpired on your small but highly honored world.” The Urantia Book

>Just proposing these kinds of ideas brings to mind a lot of tough questions which certainly challenge our Earth-centered existence. However, I must again state that, based on the above Scriptures concerning restitution and reconciliation, I suspect that this talk of other universes might possibly be just another lie and delusion of Satan to exalt his demonic work, the Urantia Book.

Jesus does not teach restitution or reconciliation, those are not teachings of JESUS, and yes, you can imagine anything with regard to Satan in your fear of new truth. Let Satan and your fears keep you cowering and cringing in the corner, and let Satan make you the instrument of his persecution of God’s new revelation as the Pharisees were the instrument of persecution of Jesus. The Urantia Book is from God’s government, not from Satan. But you haven’t even read it yet, so what do you know?

>In summarizing my feelings on the Urantia Book, taken as a whole, I strongly feel that it is an absolute lie!

You’re entitled to “feel” any way you like, but you have no logical or rational basis for this particular feeling except that you have been sold, and have swallowed whole, the goofy idea that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God and that your interpretations of it are true, and you’ve said you haven’t even read The Urantia Book. I wonder how many rejected Jesus without knowing him, or on the say-so of others? That’s what you’re doing. Why don’t you enlighten yourself and find out what Bible scholars around the world believe about the Bible? Don’t be afraid. The truth is out there. Start with Bishop Spong’s “Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism.” He’s talking about people like you and what you’ve done to the Bible, and he knows more than you do. He’s a bishop. What are your qualifications? Bishop Spong says that Paul was probably a gay man Did you know that? It doesn’t matter to me of course if he was or if he wasn’t, but it looks suspicious.

>It may contain some Truth, as most of Satan's propaganda does, but it is just enough to catch you off guard.

That’s the way I see the Bible, some truth, along with a lot of blasphemy against God. Satan surely had a hand writing some of that.

>Any person who claims that the Bible is inaccurate, or a myth, or who denies that the only way to Salvation is through the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross, is a liar and a tool of Satan! Don't spend one minute listening to such people! As I have clearly explained in other articles, these people are false brethren!

You are an ignorant (no offense), fundamentalist Christian. You’re all ignorant, all fundamentalist Christians. Find out what people who know about the Bible believe. Get out of your fundamentalist box and expose yourself to other Christian points of view about the Bible. The truth will make you free. You won’t be able to think until you get that blinkered fundamentalist monkey off your back.

>These so-called 'New Christians' of the Urantia Book can talk about God and Jesus all they want, but by criticizing the Bible, and denying the Sacrifice of Christ, they are clearly showing their true colors!

Yes, they certainly are, and their true colors are pure white. Also, as noted far above, no one I know in the Urantia movement calls themselves “New Christians.” I don’t know where you’re getting that from. Christians, new or old, believe in the atonement doctrine. Urantians do not believe such error.

>They are just like the false brethren of the First Century who tried to bring the Early Disciples back under the bondage of circumcision:

And you are just like the Pharisees who rejected Jesus because you think you know it all and have all the answers.

>"But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised: And that because of false brethren unawares brought in, who came in privily to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage: To whom we gave place by subjection, no, not for an hour; that the truth of the gospel might continue with you." (Galatians 2:3-5)

Not the teachings of JESUS, and completely irrelevant and unrelated to The Urantia Book.

>The Apostle John admonished us to shun those who come preaching another Gospel other than the True Gospel of Salvation:

"If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." (2 John 1:10-11)

Not the teachings of JESUS, and actually it’s SHAMEFUL. What a vile quote and philosophy! Here’s what JESUS the Son of God says to such mean spirited ideas:

"For if you only love those who love you, what reward have you? do not even the publicans do the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you do more than others? do not even the publicans do so?" (Matthew 5:46-47, Luke 6:32-33) And “…I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matthew 5:44-45

>In conclusion, we should all pray, as I have done, that Dr. Weeks and other followers of the Urantia Book will come around to accepting the knowledge of The Truth as it is revealed in God's Holy Word, the Bible.

And “we” should all pray that you and your fundamentalist crowd will come around to accepting the knowledge of The Truth as it is revealed in God's new revelation to our planet, The Urantia Book.

>This does not mean closing our eyes to other possibilities,

Your eyes and your mind could not be any more tightly closed.

>…but it does mean first accepting the Inspired Standard given to us thousands of years ago by the holy Prophets and Disciples, and then using that Standard as the Ruler by which we measure and compare all things.

There is no rational basis for “first accepting the Inspired Standard,” or for accepting the PREMISE that the Bible is the “Inspired Standard” or for suggesting that prophets and disciples of old were holy. There is NO BASIS for any of it, and to suggest that people do it anyway just because YOU say so is crazy. You’ve simply CHOSEN to believe it or you were born into it and have stayed with it, but it’s not based on fact or logic or reason.

>Instead of comparing the Bible with the Urantia Book, and then erroneously claiming that the Bible is false or inaccurate, the Urantians should compare the Urantia Book with the Bible instead.

That’s exactly what YOU do, but in reverse, and it makes no more sense. And you haven’t even read The Urantia Book. A better way would be for both sides to read both books with a heart open to truth and without any preconceived ideas about which book is right. But I know that’s not easy for someone like you who has been brought up in the Christian religion or who has been sold a bill of goods. You must deprogram yourself somehow.

>If they do this with open hearts, they will quickly see that the Urantia Book strongly contradicts the Bible on major points.

We already KNOW there are strong disagreements between the books. That doesn’t make The Urantia Book wrong. It just means at the least that there are strong disagreements between the books. There are strong disagreements because much if not all of the Bible was written by men, and many of them were not very holy men. The Urantia Book, on the other hand, while not written by God directly, was written and compiled by God’s government, angels and such, from the universe records, using human sources when appropriate. So it’s naturally going to correct our faulty and ignorant record which is largely contained in “the Bible.” Furthermore, it isn’t even the Bible that is the real problem, it’s the myriad and varied interpretations of the Bible by all manner of Christians groups who can’t even agree among themselves about what this verse means or what that verse means. And as JESUS so clearly said, “If a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25 Christianity could hardly be more divided. Imagine what Christianity looks like to a Muslim or a Hindu, broken into several large groups, and then a multitude of subgroups, all shouting their own interpretations of dozens of different versions of the Bible, and each having nothing to do with each other. Not to mention preaching the false blood atonement gospel of Paul for 2,000 years, not the gospel that Jesus and his apostles taught. (See Matthew 9:35, Luke 8:1, Matthew 4:23, Mark 1:14, Luke 4:43.)

>Anyone who continues reading and believing in the Urantia Book after becoming aware of its demonic origin and its deceptive doctrines, has consciously and willfully chosen their own delusion; and God will hold them accountable for it.

The Urantia Book has no “demonic origin and its deceptive doctrines” just because YOU say it does. For crying out loud, where do you get off? Every ignorant statement you make along these lines simply reflects the belief PREMISE you hold that the Bible is the inerrant Word of God, but such beliefs have no basis in fact or reality or reason. It’s just what you choose to believe. And here you are, like the Pharisees of old, attacking God’s new revelation simply because you think you already know it all.

>Furthermore, if these people induce others to believe in the false doctrines of the Urantia Book as well, according to the Words of Jesus, they are going to face dire consequences:

There are no false doctrines in The Urantia Book, there can’t be because it’s a new revelation from God’s government. And if you were a follower of Jesus you’d know that you should be extremely careful in making such threatening judgmental pronouncements about others facing “dire consequences” and about God holding people accountable if they don’t agree with your religious ideas. He’s going to hold YOU accountable, that’s for sure. You’d be better off worrying more about YOUR judgment prospects and less about the judgment of others. He said:

“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.” Matthew 7:1-2

And referring to Pharisees, Hypocrites, and Fundamentalists, he said,

“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

>"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

>In the above verse, the word 'offend' is actually derived from the Greek word 'skandalizo' from which we get our English words scandal and scandalize. While it is translated as 'offend' in the New Testament, the Greek lexicon defines 'skandalizo' as 'putting a stumbling block or impediment in the way, upon which another may trip and fall'.

It’s all irrelevant since The Urantia Book doesn’t put any stumbling blocks in the way, but rather removes them.

>This idea of tripping or falling relates to what Paul stated about the conditions which would exist in the Endtime:

>"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;" (2 Thessalonians 2:3)

It hardly matters what Paul said, it’s not the teachings of JESUS, the subject is irrelevant, and has nothing to do with The Urantia Book. And Christians have been deceiving the world about the nature of Jesus’ mission to this planet for 2,000 years, teaching a false gospel that Jesus never taught.

>Those words 'falling away' are derived from the Greek word 'apostasia' which means 'a falling away, defection or apostasy'. This is the same thing Jesus is talking about in the above verse from the Gospel of Matthew where the word 'offend' is used. One of the primary reasons many people are falling away, or stumbling, from the True Faith and doctrines of the Bible, is because they are being deceived and led astray by these Endtime false prophets and New Age babblers who are confusing them with all kinds of powerful lies and strange tales of aliens and UFO's, Space Brothers, new 'revelations', 'heavenly' visions and voices, etc. Jesus continues to warn against these offenders and deceivers by saying:

Even if we overlook such childish and baseless terms as the “True Faith and doctrines of the Bible.” none of the above has anything to do with The Urantia Book, the new religious revelation from God’s government to our darkened planet. Nor does The Urantia Book have anything to do with “Endtime false prophets and New Age babblers,” “powerful lies and strange tales of aliens and UFO's, Space Brothers, new 'revelations', 'heavenly' visions and voices, etc.” It’s one thing to say that The Urantia Book disagrees with your pet Biblical ideas, but you shouldn’t simply resort to lying and smearing by false association. At least try to be honest. That’s what we expect from Christians, or should be able to expect.

>"Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!" (Matthew 18:7)

This has nothing to do with The Urantia Book.

>Again, these 'offences', or stumbling blocks, (from 'skandalon'), are the lies and deceits and false doctrines which are causing many to be led astray from their faith in the Saving Grace of God through the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ; and this is precisely what the Urantia Book does!

Not at all. In fact, it’s The Urantia Book that is setting the record straight and correcting 2,000 years of Christian error, incompetence, and blasphemy. And that’s exactly what one would expect from a new revelation from God’s government.

>It causes folks to fall and stumble!

Not at all. It causes folks who are open minded to the truth to see the light and to see the errors of Christianity and to throw off the chains of fear, to stop cringing and cowering in the corner waiting for God’s wrath to fall upon them or upon someone they know if they step out of line or don’t agree with the other fundamentalists. Contrary to what fundamentalists might think, God is not the Father Christian and Jesus is not the author of their faith.

>God help those who spread the lies contained in this abominable book;

(And YOU haven’t even read The Urantia Book!) God help those who spread the lies contained in the Bible and the lies about Jesus’ real mission to Earth! Lies that say that God ordered the slaughter of innocents, etc. Satan himself could not have dreamed up such vile and blasphemous material to be incorporated into a book that some believe is “God’s Word.”

>…and He will if they cry out to Him for forgiveness!

Time will tell who will cry out to Him for forgiveness.

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Matthew 7:21-23

Norm Du Val
Urantian, a follower of Jesus only.
March, 2004

Food for thought: Some Biblical contradictions:

God is satisfied / dissatisfied with his works.
Gen 1:31 / Gen 6:6

God dwells / dwells not in chosen temples.
2 Chron 7:12,16 / Acts 7:48

God dwells in light / darkness.
1 Tim 6:16 / 1 Kings 8:12; Ps 18:11; Ps 97:2

God is seen and heard / invisible and cannot be heard.
Ex 33:23,11; Gen 3:9,10; Gen 32:30; Is 6:1; Ex 24:9-11 / John 1:18; John 5:37; Ex 33:20; 1 Tim 6:16

God is tired and rests / never tired and never rests.
Ex 31:17; Jer 15:6 / Is 40:28

God is everywhere present, sees and knows all things / not everywhere, neither sees nor knows all things.
Prov 15:3; Ps 139:7-10; Job 34:22,21 / Gen 11:5; Gen 18:20,21; Gen 3:8

God knows the hearts of men / tries men to find out.
Acts 1:24; Ps 139:2,3 / Deut 13:3, 8:2; Gen 22:12

God is / is not all powerful.
Jer 32:27; Mt 19:26 / Judg 1:19

God is unchangeable / changeable.
James 1:17; Mal 3:6; Ezek 24:14; Num 23:19 / Gen 6:6; Jonah 3:10; 1 Sam 2:30,31; 2 Kings 20:1,4-6; Ex 33:1,3,17,14

God is just and impartial / unjust and partial.
Ps 92:15; Gen 18:25; Deut 32:4; Rom 2:11; Ezek 18:25 / Gen 9:25; Ex 20:5; Rom 9:11-13; Mt 13:12

God is / is not the author of evil.
Lam 3:38; Jer 18:11; Is 45:7; Amos 3:6; Ezek 20:25 / 1 Cor 14:33; Deut 32:4; James 1:13

God gives freely to those who ask / withholds blessings.
James 1:5; Luke 11:10 / John 12:40; Josh 11:20; Is 63:17

God can / cannot be found by seekers.
Mt 7:8; Prov 8:17 / Prov 1:28

God is warlike / peaceful.
Ex 15:3; Is 51:15 / Rom 15:33; 1 Cor 14:33

God is cruel, unmerciful, destructive and ferocious / kind, merciful and good.
Jer 13:14; Deut 7:16; 1 Sam 15:2,3; 1 Sam 6:19; Deut 4:24 / James 5:11; Lam 3:33; 1 Chron 16;34; Ezek 18:32; Ps 145:9; 1 Tim 2:4; 1 John 4:16; Ps 25:8

God's anger is fierce, endures long / is slow and ends quickly.
Num 32:13; Num 25:4; Jer 17:4 / Ps 103:8; Ps 30:5

God commands, approves of and delights in burnt offerings, sacrifices and holy days / disapproves of and has no pleasure in burnt offerings, sacrifices and holy days.
Ex 29:36; Lev 23:27; Ex 29:18; Lev 1:9 / Jer 7:22; Jer 6:20; Ps 50:13,14; Is 1:11-13

God accepts / forbids human sacrifices.
2 Sam 21:8,9,14; Gen 22:2; Judg 11:30-32,34,38,39 / Deut 12:30,31

God tempts man / tempts no man.
Gen 22:1; 2 Sam 24:1; Jer 20:7; Mt 6:13 / James 1:13

God cannot lie / God lies by proxy, sends lying spirits.
Heb 6:18 / 2 Thes 2:11; 1 Kings 22:23; Ezek 14:9

God destroys / will not destroy man because of wickedness.
Gen 6:5,7 / Gen 8:21

God's attributes are revealed in his works / attributes cannot be discovered.
Rom 1:20 / Job 11:7; Is 40:28

There is but one God / there is a plurality of gods.
Deut 6:4 / Gen 1:26; Gen 3:22; Gen 18:1-3; 1 John 5:7

Robbery commanded / forbidden.
Ex 3:21,22; Ex 12:35,36 / Lev 19:13; Ex 20:15

Lying approved and sanctioned / forbidden.
Josh 2:4-6; James 2:25; Ex 1:18-20; 1 Kings 22:21,22 / Ex 20:16; Prov 12:22; Rev 21:8

Hatred of the Edomite sanctioned / forbidden.
2 Kings 14:7,3 / Deut 23:7

Killing commanded / forbidden.
Ex 32:27 / Ex 20:13

Blood shedder must die / must not die.
Gen 9:5,6 / Gen 4:15

Making of images forbidden / commanded.
Ex 20:4 / Ex 25:18,20

Slavery and oppression ordained / forbidden.
Gen 9:25; Lev 25:45,46; Joel 3:8 / Is 58:6; Ex 22:21; Ex 21:16; Mt 23:10

Improvidence enjoined / condemned.
Mt 6:28,31,34; Luke 6:30,35; Luke 12:3 / 1 Tim 5:8; Prov 13:22

Anger approved / disapproved.
Eph 4:26 / Eccl 7:9; Prov 22:24; James 1:20

Good works to be seen of men / not to be seen.
Mt 5:16 / Mt 6:1

Judging of others forbidden / approved.
Mt 7:1,2 / 1 Cor 6:2-4, 5:12

Jesus taught non-resistance / taught and practiced physical resistance.
Mt 5:39; Mt 26:52 / Luke 22:36; John 2:15

Jesus warned followers not to fear being killed / Jesus himself avoided being killed.
Luke 12:4 / John 7:1

Public prayer sanctioned / disapproved.
1 Kings 8:22,54; Kings 9:3 / Mt 6:5,6

Importunity in prayer commended / condemned.
Luke 18:5,7; Luke 11:8 / Mt 6:7,8

Wearing of long hair by men sanctioned / condemned.
Judg 13:5; Num 6:5 / 1 Cor 11:14

Circumcision instituted / condemned.
Gen 17:10 / Gal 5:2

The Sabbath instituted / repudiated.
Ex 20:8 / Is 1:13; Rom 14:5; Col 2:16

Creation / escape from Egypt reason for Sabbath.
Ex 20:11 / Deut 5:15

No work to be done on Sabbath under penalty of death / Jesus broke the Sabbath and justified disciples to do same.
Ex 31:15; Num 15:32,36 / John 5:16; Mt 12:1-3,5

Baptism commanded / not commanded.
Mt 28:19 / 1 Cor 1:17,14

Every animal allowed for food / some animals prohibited.
Gen 9:3; 1 Cor 10:25; Rom 14:14 / Deut 14:7,8

Taking of oaths sanctioned / forbidden.
Num 30:2; Gen 21:23,24,31; Gen 31:53; Heb 6:13 / Mt 5:34

Marriage approved / disapproved.
Gen 2:18; Gen 1:28; Mt 19:5; Heb 13:4 / 1 Cor 7:1, 1 Cor 7:7,8

Freedom of divorce permitted / restricted.
Deut 24:1; Deut 21:10,11,14 / Mt 5:32

Adultery forbidden / allowed.
Ex 20:14; Heb 13:4 / Num 31:18; Hos 1:2; Hos 2:1-3

Marriage or cohabitation with a sister denounced / God blessed Abraham's marriage to sister.
Deut 27:22; Lev 20:17 / Gen 20:11,12; Gen 17:16

A man may / may not marry his brother's widow.
Deut 25:5 / Lev 20:21

Hatred to kindred enjoined / condemned.
Luke 14:26 / Eph 6:2; Eph 5:25,29; 1 John 3:15

Intoxicating beverages recommended / discountenanced.
Prov 31:6,7; 1 Tim 5:23; Ps 104:15 / Prov 20:1; Prov 23:31,32

It is our duty to obey our rulers, who are God's ministers and punish evil doers only / it is not our duty to always obey rulers who sometimes punish the good and receive unto themselves damnation therefor.
Rom 13:1-3,6; Mt 23:2,3; 1 Pet 2:13,14; Eccl 8:2,5 / Ex 1:17,20; Dan 3:16,18; Dan 6:9,7,10; Acts 4:26,27; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 23:11,24,33,35

Women's rights denied / affirmed.
Gen 3:16; 1 Tim 2:12; 1 Cor 14:34; 1 Pet 3:6 / Judg 4:4,14,15; Judg 5:7; Acts 2:18; Acts 21:9

Obedience to masters enjoined / obedience to God only.
Col 3:22,23; 1 Pet 2:18 / Mt 4:10; Mt 23:10; 1 Cor 7:23

There is / is no unpardonable sin.
Mark 3:29 / Acts 13:39

Man created before / after animals.
Gen 2:18,19 / Gen 1:25-27

Planting and harvest always / ceased for seven years.
Gen 8:22 / Gen 41:54,56

Pharaoh's heart hardened by God / pharaoh.
Ex 4:21; Ex 9:12 / Ex 8:15

All / not all cattle, horses died.
Ex 9:3,6 / Ex 14:9

Moses feared / did not fear pharaoh.
Ex 2:14,15,23; Ex 4:19 / Heb 11:27

24,000 / 23,000 died in plague.
Num 25:9 / 1 Cor 10:8

John the Baptist was / was not Elijah.
Mt 11:14 / John 1:21

Joseph's father was Jacob / Heli.
Mt 1:16 / Luke 3:23

Salah's father was Arphaxad / Cainan.
Gen 11:12 / Luke 3:35,36

14 / 13 generations from Abraham to David.
Mt 1:17 / Mt 1:2-6

14 / 13 generations from captivity to Jesus.
Mt 1:17 / Mt 1:12-16

Infant Jesus taken / not taken to Egypt.
Mt 2:14,15,19,21,23 / Luke 2:22,39

Jesus was tempted / not tempted in the wilderness.
Mark 1:12,13 / John 2:1,2

Two different genealogies of Jesus.
Mt 1:1-17 / Luke 3:23-38

Jesus is / is not son of David.
Mt 1:1; Luke 1:32; Rom 1:3 / Mt 22:43-46; Mark 12:36,37

Risen Jesus says touch me / touch me not.
John 20:27 / John 20:17

Jesus preached first sermon on the mount / plain.
Mt 5:1,2 / Luke 6:17,20

John in / not in prison when Jesus went into Galilee.
Mark 1:14 / John 1:43; John 3:22-24

Disciples to go forth with / without staff and sandals.
Mark 6:8,9 / Mt 10:9,10

Woman of Canaan / Greece besought Jesus.
Mt 15:22 / Mark 7:26

Two / one blind men besought Jesus.
Mt 20:30 / Luke 18:35,38

Jesus was crucified at the third / sixth hour.
Mark 15:25 / John 19:14,15

Two / one thieves reviled Jesus.
Mt 27:44; Mark 15:32 / Luke 23:39,40

Satan entered Judas at / before last supper.
John 13:27 / Luke 22:3,4,7

Judas hanged himself / died another way.
Mt 27:5 / Acts 1:18

Potter's field purchased by Judas / chief priests.
Acts 1:18 / Mt 27:6,7

One / two / three / more, women came to sepulchre.
John 20:1; Mt 28:1 / Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10

It was sunrise / before sunrise when they came to the sepulchre.
Mark 16:2 / John 20:1

Two angels standing / one angel sitting, at the sepulchre.
Luke 24:4 / Mt 28:2,5

Two / one angels in the sepulchre.
John 20:11,12 / Mark 16:5

Jesus was to be three / two days, nights in the grave.
Mt 12:40 / Mk 15:25,42,44-46; Mk 16:19

Holy ghost bestowed at / before Pentecost.
Acts 1:8,5; Acts 2:1,4 / John 20:22

Disciples to tarry in Jerusalem / go immediately to Galilee.
Mt 28:10 / Luke 24:49

Jesus first appeared to apostles in room / on a mountain.
Luke 24:33,36,37; John 20:19 / Mt 28:16,17

Jesus ascended from Mount Olivet / Bethany.
Acts 1:9,12 / Luke 24:50,51

Paul's attendants heard miraculous voice and stood / didn't hear and were prostrate.
Acts 9:7 / Acts 22:9; Acts 26:14

Abraham departed for Canaan / unknown destination.
Gen 12:5 / Heb 11:8

Abraham had two / one sons.
Gal 4:22 / Heb 11:17

Keturah was Abraham's wife / concubine.
Gen 25:1 / 1 Chron 1:32

Abraham had one / six sons at 100, with / without providence.
Gen 21:2; Rom 4:19; Heb 11:12 / Gen 25:1,2

Jacob / Abraham bought a sepulchre from Hamor.
Josh 24:32 / Acts 7:16

God promised Canaan to Abraham and seed forever / Abraham and seed never received promised land.
Gen 13:14,15,17; Gen 17:8 / Acts 7:5; Heb 11:9,13

Goliath / Goliath's brother was slain by Elhanan.
2 Sam 21:19 / 1 Chron 20:5

Ahaziah began reign in 12th / 11th year of Joram.
2 Kings 8:25 / 2 Kings 9:29

Michal had no / five children.
2 Sam 6:23 / 2 Sam 21:8

David was tempted by the Lord / by Satan, to number Israel.
2 Sam 24:1 / 1 Chron 21:1

Fighting men of Israel 800,000 / 1,100,000, Judah 500,000 / 470,000.
2 Sam 24:9 / 1 Chron 21:5

David sinned numbering Israel / never sinned except concerning Uriah.
2 Sam 24:10 / 1 Kings 15:5

Penalty for David's sin was seven / three years famine.
2 Sam 24:13 / 1 Chron 21:11,12

David took 700 / 7000 horsemen.
2 Sam 8:4 / 1 Chron 18:4

David bought threshing floor for 50 silver / 600 gold shekels.
2 Sam 24:24 / 1 Chron 21:25

David's throne to last forever / was cast down.
Ps 89:35-37 / Ps 89:44

Jesus is / is not equal to God.
John 10:30; Phil 2:5 / John 14:28; Mt 24:36

Jesus is / is not all-powerful.
Mt 28:18; John 3:35 / Mark 6:5

Law was / was not ended by Christian dispensation.
Luke 16:16; Eph 2:15; Rom 7:6 / Mt 5:17-19

Jesus' mission was / was not peace.
Luke 2:13,14 / Mt 10:34

Jesus did / did not receive testimony from man.
John 15:27 / John 5:33,34

Jesus' witness of himself is true / not true.
John 8:18,14 / John 5:31