Introduction
The purpose of this paper is to perform an in depth analysis of World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG) beliefs, teachings, and methodology as well as other aspects of this spiritual group in respect to the Bible (Christian). To start off, I want to establish certain primary assumptions that are addressed further in the appendix. The first assumption is that the Bible is authoritative, accurate, and God-breathed (divinely inspired). By saying this, I am saying that the Bible’s modern translations are trust worthy and valid to mankind on not just a spiritual (and eternal) basis, but that it is valid even on a day to day and pragmatic basis. In this paper the translations that will be used will include the Zondervan NIV, NASB, and the Recovery version. A more in depth discussion or guidance to other readings sources that deal with these assumptions can be found in the appendices. Arguments that deal with the Bible as a whole are addressed in the appendices also. One argument against the modern Bible is that it can be interpreted in a multiplicity of ways; in essence, the Bible is inherently subjective and has no ultimately true and valid meaning. This argument is further analyzed and discussed in the appendices.
In order to study the Bible, there has to be an organized method of study and interpretation. Otherwise, the Bible would be unable to function as a tool for discerning the truth. Just as a hammer, and other tools are used to shape fiery hot metal in to a blade, one must apply a similar tool when shaping an understanding about the message and developing interpretations of the Bible. This tool is hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is defined as “the science of interpretation, especially of the Scriptures”; the second definition is “the branch of theology that deals with the principles of Biblical exegesis.” (Dicionary.com)
By using hermeneutics, one can accurately interpret passages in the Bible. When looking at a passage, it is important to first understand the context. Context can be broken into two parts the historical context and the logical context. The historical context deals with the author, date written, the audience, purpose, and the themes. The logical context deals with using an inductive method of study to understand the thought development of the literature. Furthermore, one must also look at the language in which the passage was written. The Bible covers Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Although everyone is not a scholar, using the internet one can easily gain an understanding of the context or by looking at introductions of recently published commentaries on the New Testament, Old Testament, or specifically introductions on specific books of the Bible.
When dealing with different doctrines of WMSCOG, specifically one’s that use the Bible to back them, an abbreviated hermeneutical analysis will be performed. For further reading on hermeneutics, I suggest reading Hermeneutical Spiral, by Grant R. Osborne.
