To Maria and Peter

My name is Chris. I was a member of the Family for about twenty years, until I left a couple of years ago. I worked in many countries, had a number of ministries and put my all into what I perceived as God’s work. I am now writing to you as one of the authors of Make Straight Paths to explain the rationale behind this website. This letter is not a personal attack on you, although it does address some rather pointed issues.

Firstly, I want to explain why Make Straight Paths exists. As you are no doubt aware, this site does not attack any individual family member, past or present, but rather looks at specific Family doctrines in comparison to the Bible. You are welcome to read those studies for yourself, if you wish.

I am not writing as an onlooker or an academic apologist or as an outsider. I lived as a 110% dedicated disciple for over twenty years. I never cruised along in the back seat, but always jumped in whole-heartedly to pull my weight in order to spread (as I thought) the kingdom of God. My ultimate motivation was always the belief that what I was doing was right. I believed that what you wrote me was true. On the basis of that faith, I gave my all.

I was repeatedly told, first by Dad, then by you, that the Family was indeed following the Bible, and that you were sending me the fresh words of the living God. Dad, and then you, also told me repeatedly not to study the Bible for myself, that I could trust you. So I did. I trusted that your words were true to the Bible and on the basis of that trust I tried to do my best.

You told me that you loved me and that I was important to you. Am I less important to you now that I am no longer reading your writings? Does your love for me continue past the borders of the Family? If so, then I ask you to listen to what I want to say. I really don’t think I’m asking too much. I listened to you and Dad for twenty years; can you not listen to me this one time? In fact, I would say that on the basis of how much I’ve given to you, you are more or less morally obliged to hear me out.

This website (Make Straight Paths) addresses many topics, but there’s only one that I want to bring up now, and that is the matter of divine authority.

I am not interested right now in debating whether each of the Family writings are in accordance with the Bible or whether they contain Bible verses. This website goes into a lot of that detail. My question to you is of a more fundamental nature.

Right from the beginning Dad told us that the Bible was the standard of measurement by which we should judge all truth and error. Is that still true today? Are Family members free today to stand on the Bible, to look at the latest GN, and say, “Well, that doesn’t go along with the Bible, so I don’t have to believe it”? Have full-time DO/CM members ever had that freedom?

Put it this way. When Family members come across a hard saying in the Bible, what do they do? They do a pubs search to see what Dad said about it, right? That usually straightens things out. What about when there is a hard saying in a GN? Do they check out the Bible to see if the GN is actually right? No, Family members are expected to trust and obey. Trust, meaning believe that this ‘hard saying’ is still of God even if they don’t understand it yet. Trust that they’ll understand later on. Obey, meaning regardless of whether they ‘get it’ or not, God still expects them to do it.

Which do Family members spend more time studying, GNs or the Bible? Which was it that Family members were told to not to bother with in ‘Forget the Past’ – was it the Bible or the GNs?

The only possible conclusion can be that the Bible is no longer the final authority of the Family. The final authority now lies in Dad’s writings, and with you. Family members look to you (for so they have been taught) for the mind of God. They look to you, not the Bible, for the will and plan of God. They look to you for what is true and what is not.

Whether or not this was the original intention is irrelevant. It is simple fact that this is the way it is, and the way it has been for many years. I know, because I was a member for a long time. Not only was I taught to look to you for the mind of God, I saw this same conviction in each of my brothers and sisters as well as in every leader. It is true.

The gravity of this situation can hardly be overstated. The Bible simply does not allow for this state of affairs at all. There is absolutely no leeway in the Bible for any human to give words that take precedence over the Bible itself. Not even if that person says that he or she is ‘hearing from God’. It is the Bible that will never pass away, it is the Bible that is the light to our paths, it is the Bible that is the hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, it is the Bible that is the sharp sword, it is always the Bible, not the writings of the Family!

Unfortunately, this means that you have placed yourself in competition with the Bible as the final authority, and this no man dare do. It inevitably means that you have placed yourself in competition with the Author of the Bible for the hearts of Family members. I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and say that you probably did not intend this to happen. Nonetheless this is how it is today, and this is the situation that must be addressed for your own sakes, and for the sake of each Family member.

For your own sakes, Maria and Peter, because the Bible has some very strong things to say about leaders who supplant God’s place. You could try 2 Peter 2. For the sake of each Family member because their own lives can only bring forth the fruit of the Holy Spirit as they are yielded to God alone as the final authority. As you care for them, let them see the truth of God in the Bible, let them restore the Bible to its rightful place.

Maria and Peter, I believe you have placed yourself (perhaps unwittingly) in an extremely precarious position spiritually. There can be only one remedy. Believe me, adding a few extra Bible verses into the GNs will make no difference whatsoever. Talking a little more about Bible stories won’t matter at all. Maria and Peter, unless and until you are willing to repent before God of your sins, you remain in extreme danger. Your actions after your repentance will be determined by whether your repentance was genuine or not. In other words, what you decide to do with the Family depends largely on the sincerity of your repentance.

Now I said at the beginning that this letter was not a personal attack on you. It isn’t. You know that explaining to someone exactly how they have gone astray does not constitute a personal attack. Rather I am trying to show you what you have done that you may repent before God, which, given the gravity of the offence, is absolutely necessary for your own entrance into the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is indeed upon you, as it is upon us all, and each one of us must get his or her own heart right with God. Each Family member has much to seek God about. You as their leaders have even greater responsibility.

In saying the above I have done you no disservice. There is much for you to do and little time for you to do it. Jesus once told his brothers that their time was always ready (John 7:6). Please repent and make things right while you still can.

Finally, I want to make a point about the continuity of the Bible. The Bible was written over a period of thousands of years, by many different people, of many different social backgrounds, in many different countries. Throughout all, God determined that there would be one unified, tremendous theme from Genesis through to Revelation. He made sure that His message was consistent. It developed over the years, but it did not contradict itself. This is because His word does not change substantially. The essence of who God is does not change. He still hates the things He hated in Bible times, and He gave us the Bible so we could know what they are. Therefore, when some ‘prophecies’ in the GNs actually contradict portions of the Bible, it is reasonable to say that the prophecies are mistaken, not that the Bible is suddenly outdated. ‘Prophecies’ in the GNs that go against what the Bible says are therefore false prophecies. In other words, getting a prophecy is no guarantee that you are actually hearing from God. And when it turns out that what you have heard contradicts the Bible, the inexorable conclusion is that the prophecy did not originate from God. So, it is still the Bible that is the final authority. As far as the details of exactly how some prophecies in the GNs contradict the Bible, this website abounds with examples.

Maria and Peter, I pray that you will heed the voice of God calling you to forsake your sins and return to Him. I pray that each of my brothers and sisters will likewise come to know Him in truth. I pray that each one will throw him or herself upon the mercy of God in repentance, that no one will have to be removed from the wedding feast, not having a wedding garment. The consequences are eternal. The seriousness of these issues cannot be exaggerated. They cannot be dismissed; they will not go away, for these concerns do not originate from me. Indeed they are the message of the Bible, which is, after all, the eternal, unchangeable Word of God cutting to the depths of the heart.

Sincerely, in Christ the Lord,

Chris.

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