A 21^ST CENTURY PROTESTANT REFORMATION

Rev Dr Timothy Tow

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.” (Jude 3)

Every year our B-P Churches in Singapore and Malaysia remember the 16^th Century Reformation on the Sunday nearest to October 31^st, 1517, the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses on the Church door of Wittenberg, Germany. The 95 theses were 95 statements, and these were a refutation of the Roman Catholic practice of selling indulgences, “forgiveness” tickets, to her members. These indulgences from the Pope could cut short the time that one’s relative has to spend in the fires of Purgatory to be cleansed before he can go to heaven. As the Pope needed money to renovate the Vatican where he stayed, he held a cheap sale of his “forgiveness” tickets. Tetzel, the Pope’s representative, coined a clever couplet, “As soon as your coin into the coffer clinks, out of the fires of Purgatory the soul springs.” The 16^th Century Reformation was the greatest revival that the Church experienced since the days of the Apostles, as declared by a famous Church historian, Philip Schaff.

Alas! History repeats itself! After 400 years, when the Protestant Church began to backslide and came under the sway of modernism and liberalism, a new movement called the Ecumenical movement has arisen to rally all Protestant Churches, modernist, evangelical, charismatic, fundamental, under one roof (that is what ecumenical means) to return to Rome. These would unite as the World Council of Churches (WCC).

This was 1948 when I arrived in the States to study at Faith Seminary. No sooner had I stepped into Faith Seminary, one wintry morning in January, then there came a distinguished looking gentleman in his early forties to speak at our chapel. He was Dr Carl McIntire, pastor of Collingswood Bible-Presbyterian Church and President of the Board of Directors of Faith Seminary itself. His topic was “The Need of a 20^th Century Reformation.” He spoke impassionately for nearly an hour. He revealed how the modernist Protestant Churches were rallying Churches of all denominations, liberal or evangelical, charismatic or fundamental, in an Ecumenical drive whose final objective was to reunite with Rome. They were organised as the WCC.

He stressed the importance of withstanding this anti-Reformation movement and so the need of a separatist council to preserve all fundamental churches in a 20^th Century Reformation. He would form an International Council of Christian Churches (ICCC) to uphold the 16^th Century Reformation. When I heard that the modernist churchmen, by their action, would betray the Cause of Jesus Christ, my heart was gripped. I would stand with Dr McIntire to fight the WCC. My heart was knit with his heart as Jonathan’s was to David’s.

When I returned to Singapore I got Quek Kiok Chiang and Hsu Chiang Tai, elder and deacon respectively of Life Church, Prinsep Street to join the 20^th Century Reformation. We became known as the Three Musketeers.

We exposed leaders of the Malayan Christian Council, local representatives of the WCC. We exposed their leaders for their liberalism in denying the Virgin Birth of Christ, and for denying hell as well. During the last 50 years I have stood with Dr McIntire and the ICCC. I have gone with him to all continents to witness against the WCC. Dr McIntire was taken to glory, March 2002, age 95. Praise the Lord he has fought a good fight, and finished his course and kept the faith. He has revived many churches by the 20^th Century Reformation Cause around the world.

When I am assigned to speak on the subject, “Does the Church need a 21^st Century Protestant Reformation?” Jude 3 immediately came to my mind. I am constrained earnestly to contend for the faith by the Holy Spirit stirring my heart.

By God’s grace we have battled the ecumenism of the WCC for half a century. By God’s grace the WCC has come to the end of its tether. They are now heavily in debt. But the Neo-Evangelicals connected with the WCC have signed two documents, one in 1994 and the other in 1997, called “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (ECT). This is their self-delusion for the Catholics still cling to the doctrine of salvation by faith plus works, whereas Protestants believe, “The just shall live by faith.” Period.

Like the monkey-god who can change his identity 72 times the battle with Satan is now shifted to the Bible, God’s Holy Word. And he is using his old tactic from the Garden of Eden, “Yea, hath God said?”

Do you know insofar as the English-speaking world is concerned, for 400 years till now, we have been using the King James Bible, the Authorised Version? In 1952, exactly 50 years ago the WCC made a new translation based on the corrupt text of Westcott and Hort. The new translation is the Revised Standard Version (RSV). It attacks the Virgin Birth of Christ, changing the word “Virgin” to “young woman”. What young woman cannot conceive? Dr McIntire, president of ICCC, immediately went to battle with the RSV. By his quick action their sales were curtailed. From 1952 to this day over 100 new versions have flooded the market. The NIV (New International Version), 1978 also based on Westcott and Hort as most of the others, has now practically captured the market insofar as Singapore is concerned.

All these years the leadership of BPism in Singapore has been duped by Westcott and Hort until Dr D A Waite, ThD, PhD came to speak to our B-P Churches in 1992. Our eyes were opened to who the Deadly Duo were. Though eminent Greek scholars, they manoeuvred to supplant the Textus Receptus (the Traditional Greek Text) on which the KJV is based, with their new corrupt text. But Westcott and Hort, while giving lip service to our Lord, are exposed today as modernists and liberals. They deny every fundamental doctrine of our Faith including Jesus’ Virgin Birth, Blood Atonement, and Bodily Resurrection. They call Genesis 3 a myth, being friends of Darwin and Freud. They were secret worshippers of Mary. “Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD? or who shall stand in his holy place? He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully” (Ps 24:3-4). To warn those who are using the NIV of the authors of their corrupt text is the special need as we enter the 21^st Century. Those who say we can use any version of modern Bibles to help us from the old English of the KJV are succumbing to their deadly design.

Lately, in USA, death to unknowing innocents has come from a concealed sniper. Both Government and public are trying to catch the culprit. When I exposed the deadly sniping of 9,900 words in the Bible by Westcott and Hort a couple of months ago a poisonous writer in the Church challenged me to “love your enemies” instead. This is a misapplication of Jesus’ teaching. For He refers to private enemies. Westcott and Hort are not one’s private enemies but public enemies, like the present hidden sniper wanted by everybody. Praise the Lord, he is caught. People can now move freely. But Westcott and Hort are still entrenched in the Church.

Yes, we have need of a 21^st Century Protestant Reformation. It is a return to the good old Bible God has given us the last 400 years. May all my faithful hearers also spread this message not only about the corrupt NIV but also the 100 “perversions of new Bibles.” Let us “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3). (Preached at Life BPC, 8am service, October 27, 2002.)

SOME REFORMATION WEBSITES

(Compiled and commented by Eileen Chee)

(1) http://lutheranreformation.org/history/

Done by The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Focus on Luther and how the Lutherans have progressed (or regressed) from then till now. Brief, pictorial, maps of Old Wittenberg and 16^th Century Europe. Look out for downloadable article on Reformation Remembered under “Theology”. 

(2) http://protestantism.co.uk/

Although founded on the ecumenical objective of uniting all church denominations through the study of church history, its contents are surprisingly and ironically sound and accurate. User-friendly, attractive design. On this website, you can find a beautiful Timeline, and sufficient information about the Reformers, the Five Solas and distinctions between the various Christian denominations. Clear, and simple. It is almost like the sketches found in The Sketches of Church History. Engaging read. Good internet resource. The “95 Theses” can be downloaded from here.

(3) https://answersingenesis.org/christianity/church/the-reformation-of-the-16th-century/

An article entitled “The Reformation of the 16^th Century”, all in one page; comprehensive.

(4) http://www.apuritansmind.com/the-reformation/a-history-of-the-reformation-in-the-16th-century-by-dr-c-matthew-mcmahon/

Free ebook entitled Reformation Made Easy. It is “A historical sketch of the key and principal characters and events of the Reformation in the 16^th century. This is a summary of the immense work done by d’Aubigne. The whole summary runs about 240 pages. It is divided into ‘books’ following d’Aubigne’s outline of the Reformation.”

(5) http://www.reformation21.org/articles/the-importance-of-the-printing.php

A detailed article on “The Importance of the Printing Press–Part 1”. This first part focuses on the technology of the printing press, in order to help us understand how instrumental it was in advancing the work of the Reformation.

(6) http://www.reformation21.org/articles/the-importance-of-the-printing-press-for-the-protestant-reformation-part-two.php

A well-researched follow-up article, this one highlighting Luther’s skilfulness in using the printing press and how Germany was geared up for the full development of the printing press.

(7) http://www.gutenberg-bible.com/

Simple short information on the man behind the press. 

(8) http://www.reformationsa.org/index.php/reformation

Done by The Reformation Society (South Africa). Many articles on the Reformation. So many that it is impossible to list here but worth a visit. Each article is easy to read.  Excellent resource.

(9) http://www.modernreformation.org/default.php?page=articledisplay&var2=750

Entitled “The State of the Church before the Reformation”, the author draws out the failures of the medieval church and interestingly, finds similarities between the backslidden church then and today’s church.  As similar mistakes are being repeated today, he suggests lessons from the Reformation that could help the church today.

(10) http://www.history.com/topics/reformation

Secular website by the History Channel but contains nice yet basic video clips on Martin Luther and the English Reformation.