An Analytical Study on the Continuous Controversies Stirred Up by David Jang 张大卫

http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=An_Analytical_Study_on_the_Continuous_Controversies_Stirred_Up_by_David_Jang

An Analytical Study on the Continuous Controversies Stirred Up by David Jang

(Original article published in Chinese,^[1] written by K.Y.Cheung Teng, translated by Kitty Lau and Elaine Yip, edited by Jenny Wong)

Whether in Asia or in North America, David Jang (Jang Jae-Hyung, 1949- )'s group stirs up controversies wherever it goes. ^[2]Even though David Jang’s public views are not in any way different from orthodox belief and he has never publicly proclaimed himself to be “The Second Coming Christ”, over the years, the number of his ex-followers in different places has presented a powerful negative testimony to his belief. Has there been a “misunderstanding” among his followers by mere coincidental consensus? Or is it because through a clever disguise of his intention, David Jang’s approach is so different from the traditional, easy identified cults? What lies behind Jang’s deliberate scheming through obscurity?

I have reasons to believe that Jang’s obscurity is both the survival and operational tactics he has learned as a follower of Sun-Myung Moon’s Unification Church for over 30 years. David Jang joined Moon's church, which has a similar Korean background, in 1967. He was married among 1,800 couples in a mass wedding presided over by Moon in February 1975. According to an article “Church and Faith” published in a Korean Christian periodical News’n’Joy, to qualify for a mass wedding at that time, one must believe that Sun-Myung Moon (1920-2012)was the Second Coming Christ, in addition to having joined the Unification Church for more than three years and having gone through an investigation process. On page 134 of “30 Years of Sun Moon University Chronicles”, published in April 2002, “Jang Jae-Hyung (David Jang) sold his own home in order to raise fund for the establishment of the Sun Moon University. He has indeed made a significant contribution to the university.” Whether as an itinerant evangelical group leader, or planting churches for the Unification Church, or as head of the Student Affairs Bureau and of the Development Committee of Shung Hwa Theological Seminary (which was later turned into Sun Moon University) until he resigned in 1998; ^[3] and from the time when he was a young man till the time when he turned into a middle-ager, in his career as well as married life, Jang spent 31 years in the Unification Church and was deeply influenced by it. However, after leaving the Unification Church, Jang has never once publicly pointed out the heretical fallacies of Sun-Myung Moon or his Unification Church. Although he personally manages his group in a very cautious, low-profile and inconspicuous way, it is clear to the more observant that he carries Moon's influence with him but in a “cleverer” way. ^[4] Here I would like to list some crucial points:

Moon's influence

1. Both Jang's group and the Unification Church aim mainly at converting university students, but Jang concentrates more on the first year students, trying to recruit those innocent souls who are away from home for the first time with their “love bombardment” as soon as possible.
2. Both establish centers where their followers live together in an austere, commune-like way.
3. Both use an intensive mode for their training and evangelism. (Forty Days pioneering missions, preaching the Forty Chapters of Tao.) Every day, followers of Jang are required to listen sermons for three hours, preach for three hours and evangelize for three hours, making up a total of nine hours. One wonders how these followers can have time for university studies or do their assignments. And since they do not have enough sleep every day, in time, these students’ reflective and discerning power are completely weakened, making it easier for them to accept Jang's dubious exegetical methods and problematic way to calculate the days for proving Jang or Moon as the Second Coming Christ.^[5]
4. While Sun-Myung Moon's public self-proclamation as the Second Coming Christ involves obvious heretical dogma, David Jang “cleverly” misleads his followers into proclaiming him as the Second Coming Christ through more devious and indirect ways so that he can unashamedly deny everything in public.
5. Soon after founding the Unification Church in 1954, Sun-Myung Moon boldly presented to the world the dogma of his church with the publication of his Exposition of the Divine Principles or Divine Principles in 1957. In contrast, David Jang chose to hide himself in a “double conspiracy,” which means that on the one hand, he tried with the greatest effort to invite renowned leaders from the evangelical churches to be his advisors or partners, and by publishing their interviews or writings in the webpage of his group, he indirectly made these leaders “spokesmen” for him. On the other hand, he tried every means to prevent his own teachings from leaking out. In this way, if any mistakes are identified, it's the misunderstanding of his followers.
6. Both rationalize the act of lying. The Unification Church makes it clear that they have to take from Satan's hands things of the world with dishonesty and craftiness so that they could be “returned” to the Unification Church. In contrast, Jang teaches his followers that “lying” is a justifiable means to achieve their goal of expanding the Kingdom of God and protecting their group. Under such circumstances, how can followers ever tell the whole truth unless they completely break away from this kind of group?
7. While Sun-Myung Moon organizes mass weddings in a public and high-profile manner, Jang does the same in a more cautious and low-profile way. He also combines the marriage ceremony with sending the couples out as apostolic missionaries to start their lifelong mission works.^[6]
8. Both followers are required to make donations far beyond their means. While Moon mobilized his followers to collect donations by selling flowers and ginseng tea everywhere, Jang sends his followers out to work as cheap or wageless labor in his group or organization-owned enterprises.
9. Both not only stress the importance of “Redemption Mission” (i.e. converting non-believers), but are also adept at promoting their “Cultural Mission”. (For example, Moon published local newspapers in different countries. In 1982, he founded the Washington Times which has now become the propaganda machine for radical Rightist influences in USA, Japan and Korea.^[7] On the other hand, Jang is able to make better use of multi-media tools such as the Internet companies, e-presses to spread his belief all over the world. These include the Christian Post,^[8] Gospel Herald, ^[9]Gospel Times,^[10]Crossmap,^[11] Verecom,^[12] IB Spot,^[13] Deographics,^[14] Jubilee Mission,^[15] BREATHEcast,^[16] Goodnewsline,^[17] Bible Portal,^[18] etc.)
10. Both go beyond the emphasis which traditional churches place on spirituality and go into massive “Economic Mission”. (For example, in the 1980s, the Unification Church earned an annual income of US $20 millions in USA, US $122 millions from Japan and US $10 millions from Korea, mainly through profits made by the church-owned Tongil Enterprise.^[19] According to an investigative report in 1993, the total value of Moon-controlled commercial assets came up to 10 billion US dollars.^[20] On the other hand, the Olivet University founded by Jang in 1992 has already developed numerous subsidiary ministries and Internet enterprises. Now Jang is planning to buy in one of the biggest and most reputable Christian convention centers in USA, namely, the 2100-acre Glorieta Conference Center in New Mexico. From this, we can have a glimpse at Jang's financial power.)
11. Jang claims that “Redemption Mission + Cultural Mission+ Economic Mission” are the 3-in-1 representation of the spirit, soul and body, and through this, he is building the all-dimensional Kingdom of David on earth. On the other hand, Moon aimed more ambitiously at the globalization of his church and influencing US politics. By insisting on his claim as the Second Coming Christ, he attempted to unify the world as his lifelong mission under his propaganda of Peace. ^[21] At the age of 92, Moon recently died of pneumonia complications and must pass down his dream to his successor and son Hyung-Jin Moon.^[22]

Despite the magnitude of financial power and influence that the Unification Church possesses, it has been expelled and despised everywhere (UK, Singapore, Taiwan, Bulgaria etc.) on account of its cultic nature. To pursue a different approach from Moon's notorious path, Jang must go under cover and rely on beguiling tactics. This is fulfilling Jesus’ prophecies concerning the false Messiah and prophets who will come to confuse the whole world.

Young Disciples of Jesus in Beijing

What follows is a brief report on the activities of the Jang’s Young Disciples of Jesus in Beijing according to reliable sources from Beijing:

1. Several people responsible for collegiate fellowship claim that Jang’s Young Disciples of Jesus (YD) is spreading its pervasive influence in the colleges and universities in Beijing. Their young followers are always seen spreading their YD “gospel” in the campus.
2. In recent years, a so-called “Xin An Church” (新安教會) has rented an assembly hall under the name of “Wei Ren School” (偉仁學校Olivet School) to accommodate a 300 person gathering. This hall is quite well-facilitated.
3. On the same floor of this building is an organization called “Xin Jia Wang”(《信家網》) ,^[23] a network specializing in Christian marriage and family counseling. The operators are a couple called Huang Jin-Ming(黃金明)and Jin Ming-Wan(金明環). ^[24] The former is the specialized marriage and family counselor of “Xin Jia Wang”. He was actually Thomas Huang(多馬牧師)of the earlier “Apostolos Campus Ministry”(ACM使徒校園事工). His wife Jin Ming-Wan has also been the chief operator of the YD in China. On 30th May, 2008 while she was in Hong Kong, she also called herself the founder of the YD in China. While admitting that they were YD members, they avoided answering questions concerning heresies. They merely claimed to be redeemed Christians and were not concerned with disputes among Christian denominations. On several occasions, “Xin Jia Wang” has invited renowned speakers to host talks on marriage, family and cultural issues which were attended by mostly young audience.
4. Another ex-operator of the YDs called Zhang Nai-Wen(張乃文)^[25] is currently also studying marriage counseling. It is speculated that the need comes from serious marriage problems due to the matched marriages among YDs but this has been denied by Huang Jin-Ming. In today’s China, Christian ministries for marriage and family in different organizations have been relatively outstanding. This is why YDs make use of this popular ministry as their propaganda, thus building up for themselves an image similar to other evangelical organizations.
5. “Xin Jia Wang” has been investigated by Beijing Ministry of State Security but because its ministries in marriage, family and education are public activities and the “Wei Ren School”, registered a legal organization, it has not been hassled by the Chinese government.
6. It is observed that YD is currently using a public approach to prove itself not a cult with “good behavior”. It does not only have a website for marriage and family but bundle it with training school and church. Their young followers are eager in evangelism, which poses a sharp contrast to other weak churches which develop sluggishly. Because of this reason, many Christians accept YD and consider that the allegations concerning heresies are merely due to conflicts among different denominations.
7. Pastors in Beijing notice that YD has in recent years started to operate as an orthodox Christian church. Once a YD committee member by the name of Shi Yu-Ke(石宇科)even showed up in a core prayer meeting for pastors in Beijing. He admitted openly his identity as a YD member and told everyone that allegations concerning YD as a cult were simply caused by misunderstanding. During the prayers, he stood up several times to pray aloud, using all orthodox doctrinal terms such as Jesus Christ, his precious blood and redemption, etc. and caused considerable confusion among the attendees.
8. When churches and evangelical organizations in Beijing are holding meetings and activities, they are often approached by Gospel Times《福音時報》or Christian Times《基督時報》^[26](specialized in reporting public church ministries) or Gospel Herald《基督日報》(specialized in reporting home church ministries) for interviews. Whoever knew about YD truly is declined the interviews. However, seeing that the reporters were mainly young students, they rejected talking about their religions, and their common saying was “We are saved by our faith in Jesus Christ. We don’t understand what you talk about the heretic nature of YD”. Above all else, Gospel Times, Christian Times and Gospel Herald top the page view chart for Chinese Christian websites and therefore influence immensely.
9. In recent years, Young Disciples of Jesus (YD) has increasingly worked with the Three-Self Churches in China. Many of its grass-root followers are in fact meeting in the Three-Self churches. It is speculated that YD is taking advantage of China’s slowly open up religious policy to desalinate its mysterious background and replace it with public activities of a social, evangelical appearance. Its aim is to mislead the public into accepting its legitimacy and abandoning investigation into its cultic nature so that it can continue to captive people’s soul and realize Jang’s dream of establishing the Kingdom of David (Jang) on earth!

It is hoped that the above analysis and information can serve as your reference and also become the burden for your prayers.

[Author: K. Y. Cheung Teng, MA (Mission) & D.Min. (Missiology) at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Associate Professor, Intercultural Studies of Alliance Bible Seminary and Dean of its School of Pastoral and Professional Continuing Education.]

Notes

1. ↑ ‘An Analytical Study on the Continuous Controversies Stirred Up by David Jang’ original Chinese version, 2012.9.9http://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=74325&Pid=2&Version=1306&Cid=641&Charset=big5_hkscs
2. ↑ Christianity Today, The Second Coming Christ Controversy, September 2012；available from http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/september/david-jang-second-coming-christ.html?order=&start=1； Chinese version available from http://www.cgner.org/index.php/2012-02-10-06-26-17/139-the-second-coming-christ-controversy-tc
3. ↑ K. Y. Cheung Teng, ‘David Jang’s Life’ in Clear the Flog & Reveal the Truth. Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008, p. 68-71.http://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=49252&Pid=6&Version=0&Cid=150&Charset=big5_hkscs&p=1#seca1
4. ↑ K. Y. Cheung Teng, ‘The Similarity of David Jang & Sun-Myung Moon’ in Clear the Flog & Reveal the Truth. Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008, p. 72-73. http://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=49252&Pid=6&Version=0&Cid=150&Charset=big5_hkscs&p=1#seca1
5. ↑ ‘History Lessons’ in ‘Investigative Report：The Second Coming Christ Controversy’ Christianity Today, September 2012; available fromhttp://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/september/david-jang-second-coming-christ.html?order=&start=1
6. ↑ Pictures in Clear the Flog & Reveal the Truth. Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008, p. 19-20, 95-98, 120-121.
7. ↑ ‘Just Like Old Times at the Washington Times? The Unification Church is in charge again at D.C.'s other daily newspaper, and things are going back to normal. Maybe.’ Washington City Paper, November 5, 2010; available from http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/40004/just-like-old-times-at-the-washington-times/full/
8. ↑ Christian Post http://www.christianpost.com/aboutus/aboutus.html
9. ↑ Gospel Herald http://www.gospelherald.net/aboutus/index.htm
10. ↑ Gospel Times http://hi.baidu.com/new/fuyin7；http://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=62055&Pid=5&Version=0&Cid=220&Charset=big5_hkscs
11. ↑ Crossmap http://www.crossmap.com/about/about.htm
12. ↑ Verecom http://www.verecom.com/company/overview.php
13. ↑ IB Spot http://www.ibspot.com/
14. ↑ Deographics http://www.deographics.com/contents/services.htm
15. ↑ Jubilee Mission http://breathecast.christianpost.com/Christian.Music.Radio/donate.htm Jubilee College of Music, JCM in Olivet Universityhttp://jcm.olivetuniversity.edu/aboutjcm/mission.htm
16. ↑ BREATHEcast http://breathecast.christianpost.com/about/aboutus.htm
17. ↑ Goodnewsline http://gnli.christianpost.com/aboutus
18. ↑ Bible Portal http://bibleportal.christianpost.com/aboutus/
19. ↑ Steve Brouwer, Paul Gifford & Susan D. Rose, 'South Korea: Modernization with a Vengeance, Evangelization with the Modern Edge’ in Magic, Witchcraft, and Religion: An Anthropological Study of the Supernatural (McGraw Hill, 2005), p.104-130.
20. ↑ Chow Chi-Hou, ‘Unification Church: A Korean International Rich Cult.’ August 10, 2008; available fromhttp://christiantimes.org.hk/Common/Reader/News/ShowNews.jsp?Nid=48410&Pid=2&Version=1093&Cid=641&Charset=big5_hkscs
21. ↑ Official Website of Unification Church http://unificationnews.com/category/world; http://unificationnews.com/category/national
22. ↑ Unification Church News: ‘God Bless the Life of Rev. Sun Myung Moon’ (September 3, 2012); available from http://unificationnews.com ‘Rev. Moon, religious and political figure, dies in South Korea at 92’ CNN (September 2, 2012); available from http://articles.cnn.com/2012-09-02/asia/world_asia_south-korea-reverend-moon-dead_1_unification-church-sun-myung-moon-followers-regard-moon
23. ↑ Xin Jia Wang (《信家網》) http://t.88310942.net/index.php?m=ta&id=2090667310
24. ↑ Pictures in Clear the Flog & Reveal the Truth. Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008, p. 96.
25. ↑ Zhang Nai-Wen(張乃文). Ibid., p. 96.
26. ↑ Christian Times http://www.christiantimes.cn/aboutus.html

David Jang controversy investigated by Ken Smith

Friday, December 26, 2014

An Ironic Wrinkle in the David Jang Saga

So this was interesting. Earlier today, Ted Olsen forwarded this link to me:
http://blogs.christianpost.com/scriptural-truths/the-mystery-of-david-jang-jang-jae-hyung-24495/
It was a link to an article – published on a Christian Post blog, no less – examining the claims about and accusations against David Jang, and coming to some reasonably skeptical conclusions.
I immediately started to read the post on my cell phone, but in the five minutes it took me to get to a computer, the link started turning up a blank page, and indeed, it looks like the entire Scriptural Truths blog got deleted. Luckily, I was able to save the page from my cell phone to a PDF, and it’s now available here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-XDVS0sdeUEcl81Z0xnR3JjbHM/view?usp=sharing
I was previously aware of most of the material (indeed, it seems to quote from some of the documents I’ve previously made public), though I believe that some of the translations into English were new. It also appears that the author had access to independent sources within David Jang’s community, though what his own ties to the group may have been are not clear.
Given how sensitive Jang’s community is to criticism, I’m hardly surprised that it got taken down; I’m more surprised that it got published at all, and I’m sure there’s a fascinating story there. Before this, I had no idea who Aida andWilliam Spencer were (a quick Google search reveals that they’re theology professors at Gordon Conwell), nor do I know who “Martin Zhang” is. If anybody has more information along those lines, please reach out to me!
The full text of the original blog post follows.
-------------------------------------

The Mystery of David Jang (Jang Jae-Hyung)

By Aida and William Spencer
December 26, 2014 | 4:46 pm
Guest blog by Martin Zhang
Why A Mystery?
David (Jae-Hyung) Jang is an influential yet controversial figure especially in Eastern Christianity. On the one hand, he is the founder and international president of Olivet University (OU), a professor of theology at Olivet Theological College and Seminary (OTCS), the 88th president of Denomination General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in Korea, founder of Christian Today, Christian Daily Korea, Christianity Daily, founding team member and former senior advisor of the Christian Post, North American Council Member of the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), president of the Holy Bible Society (HBS) and president of the World Olivet Assembly (WOA).[1] He is a very distinguished and industrious religious leader.
On the other hand, sources show that David Jang was a follower of Sun-Myung Moon for 31 years, and was a major leader of the Unification Church (UC) until 1998, in which year he resigned as professor of Sun Moon University. Moreover, former members of his present group, the Young Disciples of Christ or the Davidian Community, have testified that they were given lectures and eventually led to confess David Jang is the “Second Coming Christ.”
No evidence shows that David Jang himself has claimed publicly to be the “Second Coming Christ,” and he himself has also denied that he has claimed to be the “Second Coming Christ.”[2] However, witnesses from Korea, Japan, China, Singapore and America are unanimously pointing to one thing: Some followers of David Jang induce people to confess that David Jang is the Second Coming Christ.
What’s the Possible Fact behind the Controversy?
What, then, is the fact lying behind the controversy? There are at least three possibilities: 1) All those former members are either telling the truth or lying; 2) David Jang is either telling the truth or skillfully lying (he did not explicitly claim publicly, but privately accepts his followers’ teaching); and 3) both the former members and David Jang are telling the truth and neither is lying (only some of David Jang’s followers are teaching heretical doctrines which are neither created by nor known to him).
Possibility One
First, let us examine the testimonies of the former members. These witnesses claim that they are usually approached by members of the Davidian Community (under the name “Young Disciples of Jesus” [YD]) who are called “guides” (author’s translation). They are invited to a free Bible study and taught forty lessons which are called “forty Taos.” Attendees usually receive at least one lesson per day. After finishing these lessons, attendees report they are asked questions that lead them to the conclusion that David Jang is the Second Coming Christ.
Brother EN, who joined YD in 2001, recalls, after the “Forty Taos” they had a celebration party for him. At the party, their leader, a Korean sister, asked him: “What differences do you feel in this place?” EN answered: “Genuine love. Very warm.” She replied, “Only those who have faith can understand the difference. At that time, by his faith, Peter recognized Jesus was the Christ, what do you think?” EN answered, “Jesus is with us.” She asked again, “Only those who have faith can see, do we have love?” EN answered, “Yes.” She then asked, “The one who has greater love is Msni (David Jang). If Christ has come, he must be very special. All these ‘Forty Taos’ you have listened to were written by him, which is the highest revelation. So, what do you think?” He finally understood what she expected him to answer, and said, “Msni is the Christ.” Then everyone applauded, and praised aloud, “Thank the Lord, thank the Lord.”[3]
Esther (Ma Li) and another girl were asked the same question after they had listened to the “Eschatology,” “Time and Date,” and “New Israel” lectures. Zhang Naiwen, Esther’s teacher, asked them: “Who is Rev. David?” Being completely convinced, Esther answered without hesitation, “The Second Coming Christ!”
Then, based on Matthew 7:6, she and other members were told not to tell anyone else. She reports both of them were told that they were reborn. They signed the member card and were declared members.[4] Former leaders of the Davidian Community from Korea and Singapore shared similar experiences. [5] Those who joined them were soon required to work for affiliated companies and to give money to the Community. EN finally left the Community, but was identified as the one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back, therefore not fit for the kingdom of God.[6]
Since those former members are from different countries yet are telling very similar if not the same stories, we may conclude that although it is possible that all of them are lying, it is unlikely. This writer would need more evidence to be convinced that all of those witnesses are lying.
Possibility Two
Now let us consider the second possibility. Is David Jang telling the truth or is he a skillful liar? Sources show that David Jang was a follower of Sun-Myung Moon for 31 years, and he was a core member of the Unification Church. He was charged with promoting Unification Theology. It was said that he first denied his long time experience in the Unification Church, then reinterpreted his years in the Unification Church (e.g., he was not teaching Unification Theology, but saving people from the Unification Church), and finally wrote a letter of repentance.[7] This writer cannot help but wonder what really happened to David Jang.
Was he actually a follower of Sun-Myung Moon? Sources show that David Jang was married among 1,800 couples in a mass wedding presided over by Moon in February 1975. One of the qualifications for participating in Moon’s mass wedding was to believe Sun-Myung Moon was the Second Coming Christ.[8] Did Mr. Jang believe that Sun-Myung Moon was the Second Coming Christ? If so, when did he change his mind? How did that change happen? David Jang definitely has a great testimony to tell. God may use his testimony to lead more Unification Church members back to God.
On the other hand, some participants in the “Forty Taos” series have reported that, based on Matthew 7:6, members were taught not to share the teaching with those who are biased, lest they may not believe what they say and turn back to accuse them.[9] These claim that David Jang was following the strategy in this teaching when he denied that he claimed to be the Second Coming Christ, perhaps following the example of Sun Myung Moon, who for a long time did not reveal himself to be the “Lord of the Second Advent.”
However, even if David Jang’s experience in the Unification Church is true, and even if he used to accept people believing him as the Second Coming Christ, if he has genuinely repented, all evangelical Christians would be more than willing to embrace him as a brother in Christ. We were all someone else before we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, just as the Apostle Paul says, “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more” (Rom 5:20). However, all of us would really want David Jang to share his spiritual journey openly before all could embrace him as our brother with complete confidence and without any concern.
Possibility Three
How about the third possibility? Is it possible that David Jang was a genuine orthodox Christian from thebeginning or has genuinely repented from the Unification Church, but his followers somehow came up with the teaching that David Jang is the Second Coming Christ which was unknown to him? Before discussing the possibility, let us first take a look at the teachings reported of David Jang’s followers.
What Are These Controversial Teachings?
According to a sermon preached by one of David Jang’s followers Pastor Paul, God restores the fallen world through three periods of time. He cites Mark 4:28, “first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain in the head.” These three images represent the Old Testament era, the New Testament era, and the era of (another) New Covenant respectively. The Old Testament era was an era of law; the New Testament era was an era of Gospel, and now we are entering a New Era, which is another Gospel era, oriented by the Second Coming Christ’s teaching, which is the eternal Gospel.[10] In the New Testament era, Jesus separates the era of “the stalk” and the era of “the head.” Jesus taught in parables. The one who separates the ear of “the head” and the era of “bearing fruit” will be this Second Coming Christ who preaches the Eternal Gospel crystal clearly.
David Jang’s sermon “Time and Date” divides the history of the world by millenniums. Genesis covers the first two thousand years. The last figure in Genesis is Joseph, who is the image of Jesus. Joseph was sold by Judah, but he finally forgave Judah. The rest of the Old Testament also covers two thousand years. Jesus Christ separates the Old Testament and the New Testament. Jesus was also sold by a Judah (Judas), but he also forgave him. Therefore, David Jang concludes, there is a great change every two thousand years. Now we are at another point of the two thousand year period. God chose Israel in the Old Testament era. He chose Christians in the New Testament era. God is going to choose a New Israel for the coming new era. These are the 144,000 people in Revelation 7.[11] They are not the only people who are saved, but they set a model for the Kingdom of God. We can become one of the 144,000. In Revelation 1:7, we read, “He is coming with the clouds”: “‘The clouds’ mean witnesses, not real clouds.” Being caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in 2 Thessalonians means experiencing an inner change in our lives. The sermon argues that the kingdom of heaven is not in heaven, but on earth.[12]
How can one become one of the 144,000? Another sermon teaches, if one signs the member card of this movement, that one will be counted.[13] Who, then, can sign the member card? Testimonies of former YD members report that, although they might be directed in different ways, all finally were convinced and confessed that David Jang was the Second Coming Christ. And then they were told that that day was their “re-born day.” Then they would sign the member card.
The testimonies of the former believers seem to accord with the sermons. What is the problem with these teachings?
What’s Wrong with Their Teachings?
According to the testimonies of former followers of David Jang, those who confessed David Jang to be the Second Coming Christ were called re-born.[14] It appears that the problem of the Davidian groups is in their soteriology (doctrine of salvation). However, this is probably not the main issue. As explained in the sermon “Eschatology,” adherents do not claim that only those who follow them or believe in David Jang are saved. Those who sign the member card are among the 144,000 who are “the first fruit.” Technically, “reborn” is not an accurate word, since it might suggest they do not rely on the cross for their salvation. This is not these former adherents’ complaint.
The major problems appear to be with the movement’s Christology[15] and Eschatology.[16] In the sermon “Time and Date,” Jesus is said to have used mainly parables to preach the gospel, thereby contrasting him with the Second Coming Christ who will proclaim the Eternal Gospel plainly. Human history has been divided into 2 millenniums (creation to Joseph) + 2 millenniums (Joseph to Jesus) + 2 millenniums (Jesus to the Second Coming Jesus). Therefore, their arguments seem to be that there is no question of the date of the Second Coming. It has to be the second millennia A.D. “The era of the fruit is right in front of us,” Pastor Borah Lin assures us.[17]
If the Second Coming Jesus has already come, then the logical question would be: Who is he? In “Time and Date,” Pastor Borah does not appear to ask, “when will Jesus come,” but “who brings the Eternal Gospel?” The assumption is that the Second Coming Jesus is not Jesus of Nazareth but another. Since the Second Coming Jesus is already on earth, the Rapture that Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 cannot be a literal rapture. One possibility would be that it is an internal change, as described in “Time and Date” and “Eschatology.”[18]
Once one accepts such teachings, if asked, “Who do you think Pastor David Jang is?” one is reported to be guided by questions to the conclusion that he is the Second Coming Jesus, because all the sermons studied are said to be have been written by him. Therefore, he is the one who explains this “Eternal Gospel” in such a plain way.
Such a teaching, of course, would contradict both the Bible and the Creeds of the early church. First, concerning the date of the Second Coming, Jesus Christ said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).[19] Therefore, any person or group declaring to know the date must be mistaken. Second, Jesus told his disciples, “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:3). Moreover, right after Jesus’ ascension, the angels said to the disciples, “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11). It is very clear that the same Jesus will come back. The Nicene Creed also confesses that “He (Jesus Christ) shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead.”[20] Anyone or any group who declares that the Second Coming Jesus is not the same Jesus must be heretical. The Nicene Creed confesses that Jesus Christ is “God of God…very God of very God.”[21] The Chalcedonian Creed also confesses that Jesus Christ is “consubstantial with the Father according to the Godhead.”[22] If we accept a conflicting teaching that the time of the Second Coming of Christ can be known, and the “Second Coming Christ” is not the same person as Jesus of Nazareth, we would have to admit at the same time that what is reported in the New Testament that Jesus and the angels told the disciples was not true. This would diminish Jesus to either an intentional liar or a mistaken person who honestly said something that was not true. In either case, Jesus could be anyone, but not fully God, since he was not perfect. But the Scriptures tell us he was the “unblemished” sacrifice for our sin (Heb 9:14). Last but not least, although the Davidian Community teachers are not reported to have specifically taught that salvation belongs only to them, by identifying those who have left their movement as not fit for the kingdom of God, they are implying such a theology, which apparently contradicts the biblical teaching that, through believing Jesus Christ, we are saved (John 3:16; Rom 4:24).
Back to the Third Possibility
Former believers testified that they were told that the “Forty Taos” and other sermons were written by David Jang, which was key in leading them to conclude that David Jang is the Second Coming Christ.[23] While they report that Davidian teachers did not directly teach that, witnesses testify, they were asked “two plus two equals?” questions to let these listeners themselves come up with the answer “four,” but “no one said ‘four’ directly.”[24] Did David Jang really write these sermons to declare himself the Second Coming Christ or are those teachers mistaken in their interpretation of his instructions?
If David Jang wrote these sermons with such an intention, it would be impossible for us to accept his teaching as orthodox. Therefore, it would be best once more for David Jang to explain what he really believes and intends to convey in his sermons, in his teaching, and in the interpretations of his instructors and their followers. If David Jang did not write any of the sermons, and he neither believes the above, then his followers may be promoting heretical teaching in his name. This is a very serious problem, because his followers would be making up sermons to lead people to confess that David Jang is the Second Coming Christ, and be claiming that the sermons were written by him with this intention.
Ben Dookey in his article in Mother Jones claims that David Jang knew his followers were spreading the message.[25] If this charge is not true and Rev. Jang is really opposed to such a monstrous interpretation, our plea is that he clearly forbid anyone in his movement to make such a blasphemous claim and even expel those who continue to do so.
Conclusion
We certainly do not want to see an innocent person wrongly charged. At the same time, we cannot call anyone who is heretical in his or her teaching our dear brother or sister in Christ. That is why we wrote this article, with a hope that David Jang would help us clear up the mystery by answering the questions raised in this article by sympathetic but puzzled and inquiring Christian people.
[1] David Jang, “Biography of David Jang,” accessed Sept. 22, 2014, http://www.davidjang.org/biography/profile.
[2] Michelle A. Vu, “Sources in ‘Second Coming Christ Controversy’ Face Scrutiny,” Christian Post, Aug. 19, 2012,http://www.christianpost.com/news/olivet-university-sources-in-second-coming-christ-controversyface-scrutiny-80176/pageall.html. Accessed Sept. 22, 2014.
[3] EN, “The Testimony of EN,” in Clear the Fog & Reveal the Truth, by K.Y. Cheung Teng (Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008), http://www.cgner.org/Books/TS001/TS001.pdf.
[4] Ma Li, “The Inerasable Memory,” in Clear the Fog & Reveal the Truth, by K.Y. Cheung Teng (Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008), http://www.cgner.org/Books/TS001/TS001.pdf.
[5] Davidian Watcher, “Important: Full Text of the Testimony of A Former Pastor of the Davidian Community,” Collections on the “Davidian Community,” Sept. 22, 2008, http://dqac.blogspot.com/2008/09/blog-post.html. Accessed Sep. 22, 2014. Ted Olsen and Ken Smith, “The Second Coming Christ Controversy: More Leaders Speak Out,” ChristianityToday.com, Sept. 12, 2012, http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/september-web-only/david-jang-second-coming-christ-singapore.html. Accessed Sept. 22, 2014.
[6] EN, “The Testimony of EN.”
[7] Davidian Watcher, “Discussion on Rev. Jang Jae-Hyung’s Ministry in the Unification Church (I),” Collections on the “Davidian Community,” Dec. 1, 2007, http://dqac.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-post.html; Davidian Watcher, “Discussion on Rev. Jang Jae-Hyung’s Ministry in the Unification Church (II),” Collections on the “Davidian Community,” December 1, 2007, http://dqac.blogspot.com/2007/12/blog-post_01.html; Davidian Watcher, “Discussion on Rev. Jang Jae-Hyung’s Ministry in the Unification Church (III),” Collections on the “Davidian Community,” Dec. 1, 2007, http://dqac.blogspot.com/2007/12/blogpost_9742.html.
[8] K.Y. Cheung Teng, An Analytical Study on the Continuous Controversies Stirred Up by David Jang, trans. Kitty Lau and Elaine Yip, Sept. 9, 2012, http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=An_Analytical_Study_on_the_Continuous_Controversies_Stirred_Up_by_David_Jang. Accessed Sept. 22, 2014.
[9] H. T., “I Will Never Forget Them,” Research on Young Disciples of Jesus, May 31, 2008,http://ydwatcher.blogspot.com/2008/05/ht.html. Accessed Oct. 7, 2014.
[10] Paul Zhao, “Time and Date,” accessed Sept. 22, 2014, http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=DJC01031. Pastor Borah preached the same sermon on July 20, 2002. See https://drive.google.com/drive/#folders/0B-XDVS0sdeUENUU2WWpzUG15Mnc/0BXDVS0sdeUEZXRCa1JHeFNJdU0. Accessed Sept. 23, 2014. We are not sure if they are the same person or not.
[11] Provided by Former YD Member, “New Israel,” accessed Sept. 22, 2014, http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=DJC01031. For similar sermons on “New Israel” preached by followers of David Jang in English and German, see Preachers of the Davidian Community, “New Israel,” 2002-2006, https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B-XDVS0sdeUENEtGaWo2eXUxZHc&usp=sharing. Accessed Sept. 22, 2014.
[12] Provided by Former YD Member, “Eschatology,” accessed Sept. 22, 2014, http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=DJC01005_B.
[13] Provided by Former YD Member, “Four Spiritual ‘Taos,’” accessed Sept. 22, 2014,http://wiki.cgner.org/index.php?title=DJC01006_B.
[14] Ma Li, “The Inerasable Memory.”
[15] “Christology” is doctrine concerned with revelation of God in Jesus Christ.
[16] “Eschatology” is doctrine of the last things or the final events of humanity.[17] Pastor Borah, “Time and Date,” July 20, 2002, https://drive.google.com/drive/#folders/0BXDVS0sdeUENUU2WWpzUG15Mnc/0B-XDVS0sdeUEZXRCa1JHeFNJdU0. Accessed Sept. 23, 2014.
[18] Provided by Former YD Member, “Eschatology.”
[19] See also Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books, 2007), 1194.
[20] “Nicene Creed,” accessed Sept. 23, 2014, https://www.ccel.org/creeds/nicene.creed.html.
[21] Ibid.
[22] “Chalcedonian Creed,” accessed Sept. 23, 2014, https://www.ccel.org/creeds/chalcedoniancreed.html.
[23] K.Y. Cheung Teng, Clear the Fog & Reveal the Truth (Hong Kong: Concern Group on Newly Emerged Religions, 2008), 16, 118, http://www.cgner.org/Books/TS001/TS001.pdf.
[24] Ben Dooley, “Who’s Behind Newsweek?,” Mother Jones, March 2014,http://www.motherjones.com/media/2014/03/newsweek-ibt-olivet-david-jang. Accessed Sept. 23, 2014.
[25] Ken Smith, “David Jang Summary,” Confessions of a Would-Be Theologian, Jan. 6, 2014,http://blog.wouldbetheologian.com/2014/01/david-jang-summary.html. Accessed Sept. 23, 2014.

Rosaria Butterfield, a person and work of whom you must read

From the link
http://www.crownandcovenant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=openness+unhindered

Would you like a digital version of this book?
Check out our Kindle edition and our e-book edition.

Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down-the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a "train wreck" at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could.

Rosaria’s story was unknown until she was featured in a January 2013 Christianity Today article, which has been read by more than 1.7 million people. That same month she was interviewed by WORLD magazine’s Marvin Olasky, and the video went viral.

Also available in a newly Expanded Edition, ISBN 978-1884527807.

Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ 

Openness Unhindered: Further Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert on Sexual Identity and Union with Christ  Our Price: $13.00

Before you can resolve the issues of our day, you must be able to clarify them. Terms like same-sex marriage, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gay Christian are part of daily discourse; yet enormous controversy surrounds them. They are the stuff of news headlines and vitriolic social media posts. But they also reflect stirrings of the heart in real people with real questions and concerns. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, once a leftist professor in a committed lesbian relationship and now a confessional Christian, but always the thoughtful and compassionate professor, has written a followup to The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert. This book answers many of the questions people pose when she speaks at universities and churches, questions not only about her unlikely conversion to Christ but about personal struggles that the ques­tioners only dare to ask someone else who has traveled a long and painful journey. Dr. Butterfield not only goes to great lengths to clarify some of today's key controversies, she also traces their history and defines the terms that have become second nature today-even going back to God's original design for marriage and sexuality as found in the Bible. She cuts to the heart of the problems and points the way to the solution, which includes a challenge to the church to be all that God intended it to be, and for each person to find the true freedom that is found in Christ. Chapters include: Conversion: the Spark of a New Identity Identity: the Flame of Our Union in Christ Repentance: the Threshold to God and the Answer to Shame, Temptation, and Sin Sexual Orientation: Freud’s 19th Century Category Mistake Self-Representation: What Does It Mean to Be “gay”? Conflict: When Sisters Disagree Community: Representing Christ to the World Also consider purchasing the Book of Psalms for Worship, which Rosaria and her family sing from, or the CD Refuge, recorded by her first church in Syracuse, NY. from Ligonier Ministries conference, Rosaria Butterfield address video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBX8_vhu4Xw or you can see Crownandcovenant publisher: http://www.crownandcovenant.com/SearchResults.asp?Search=openness+unhindered  The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert