An Open Letter To T.A. McMahon Of The Berean Call Ministry

FMH Children’s Club International
–– A Company Of Prophets ––
P.O. Box 640109
El Paso, TX 79904

T.A. McMahon
The Berean Call Ministry
PO Box 7019
Bend, Oregon 97708

28 February, 2010

Brother Tom,

We sincerely appreciate the effort you and Dave Hunt have put into your “Search The Scriptures Daily” radio program. What a wealth of information the two of you have shared over the years!

However, it wasn’t too many days ago that the Lord directed me to listen to your radio interview with Tim Berends – "T.A. McMahon Discusses 'The Emerging Church' with Tim Berends on KKVV Las Vegas 10-16-07" (ftp://www.thebereancall.org/radiospecials/10-16-07.mp3) – and it was the following portion of that program that sent shock waves through my soul:

- McMahon And Berends -
(Download MP3)

Tim Berends: What do you say to young people who say, “You know I’ve tried reading the King James and it’s so difficult” – of course they don’t criticize Shakespeare – but, ah, they’ll criticize the King James. What about these different translations? I know the ‘Nearly Inspired’, I mean the NIV has like seventeen verses missing. Ah, what, what should people do when it comes to different translations?

Tom McMahon: Well, you know, you can set up a, ah, what’s called a, a grade here. Let’s, see, what I recommend is, if a person’s going to read the Bible, the, you know, first choice in my view is get something that is a ‘literal translation’. Because with a literal translation even though a pastor is, ah, you know paraphrasing when he’s preaching, you can check it out. You can check him out because you’re looking for, the you know, whether, you don’t have to know Greek or Hebrew, but there are enough kinds of materials out there that, that you can check a person out. But nevertheless, the words, if it’s a literal translation, you better stay pretty close to that even in it’s interpretation and so on. Then you move out to, the, you know it’s kind of a subjective trail, you move out to the NIV or to a ‘dynamic equivalence’ in which it’s kind of interpretation by a committee, then you move out to a ‘paraphrase’, ah, you know like, ah, The Message which is the worst, ah, example I could possibly think of. Eugene Peterson has just trashed the Word of God…

Now, to be perfectly honest with you, I have a very hard time believing that you actually said what you said. And of course, that’s the reason God is having me to write you this letter

So where do we start? Well how about “in the beginning” with your very own statement of purpose:

“The ministry name, The Berean Call, is taken from Acts 17:11 where the writer of Acts commended those in the synagogue of the Greek city of Berea for being more fair minded than those in Thessalonica, because while they were eager to receive the Word, they also checked it against what the Apostle Paul taught them in order to see if his teaching was according to the Scriptures or not.”

And adding to that, we have the introduction you give at the start of every radio program:

“Thanks, Gary. You’re tuned in to Search the Scriptures Daily, a program in which we encourage everyone who desires to know God’s truth to look to God’s Word for all that is essential for salvation and living one’s life in a way that is pleasing to Him.”

And of course this all ties back in with the Scripture your ministry is founded on:

“And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” (Acts 17:10-11 KJV)

So, we as Believers in Christ must continually search the Scriptures for the proof that what we’re being taught is really God’s Word. That’s what your ministry teaches, right? I mean, after all, it’s only His Truth that’s going to set us free from the bondage of “sin and death”:

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32 KJV)

And with that in mind, let’s get back to your radio interview with Tim Berends. Because it was in your response to his question concerning the King James Bible – “what should people do when it comes to different translations?” – that you spoke the following words (abbreviated for clarity):

“Well, you can set up a grade… first choice in my view is get something that is a ‘literal translation’… Then you move out… to a ‘dynamic equivalence’ in which it’s kind of interpretation by a committee, then you move out to a ‘paraphrase’…”

That was your response, and the following will help us understand these three different translation categories that you spoke of “grading”:

Literal Translation: Attempts to keep the exact words and phrases of the original. It is faithful to the original text, but sometimes hard to understand. Keeps a constant historical distance. Examples: King James Version (KJV), New American Standard Bible (NASB).

Dynamic Equivalent Translation: Attempts to keep a constant historical distance with regard to history and facts, but updates the writing style and grammar. Examples: New International Version (NIV), New English Bible (NEB).

Paraphrase Translation (Free Translation): Translates the ideas from the original text but without being constrained by the original words or language. Seeks to eliminate historical distance. Readable, but not always exact because interpretation depends upon the translators. Examples: Contemporary English Version (CEV), The Message (MSG).

Now, I think it would be safe to say that your “first choice” recommendation in selecting the proper translation for “searching the Scriptures” would be in the “literal translation” category. Isn’t that what you said, Brother Tom? And seeing how there are more than fifty (50) of these so-called bibles in the “literal translation” category alone, I can honestly say that your recommendation will entail lots of money and lots of time in order for the individual to “grade” them all.

May the Lord help those who have taken your advice, Brother Tom!!!

In fact it’s time to expose the utter depravity of your foolish advice… and we’re going to do it very expediently by “grading” only two (2) of these “literal translations” – the King James Version (KJV) and the New American Standard Bible (NASB):

John 16:16

King James Version: A little while, and ye shall not see me: and again, a little while, and ye shall see me, because I go to the Father.

New American Standard Bible: "A little while, and you will no longer see Me; and again a little while, and you will see Me."

Ephesians 3:9

King James Version: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:

New American Standard Bible: and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things;

1 John 5:6-8

King James Version: This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one.

New American Standard Bible: This is the One who came by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not with the water only, but with the water and with the blood. It is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.

Now, what I have just shown by comparison is only three (3) Scriptures from two (2) of the “literal translations” (KJV and NASB), and they’re not even close to being the same. The Words of God in red have been totally omitted in the NASB translation. In fact what I have just shown through these three Scriptures is that the NASB denies the Triune Godhead – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And of course the reason for such blasphemous alterations to God’s Holy Word is so that the Roman Catholic Church can prepare the way for their One World Religion of the Antichrist.

So, Brother Tom, how many places do you have to change the Word of God before it ceases to be the Word of God?

Do you give up, Brother Tom? The answer is “ONE!”

It only takes the addition or removal of ONE Word from God’s Word – the Holy Bible – to make the Scriptures a lie… and God doesn’t like being made a liar!!!

“For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” (Revelation 22:18-19 KJV)

In fact now that you’ve been shown a small sample of “the lie” in this “literal translation” called the NASB, please allow me to share a true confession from one of the men who helped make it all possible:

“I must under God denounce every attachment to the New American Standard Version. I’m afraid I’m in trouble with the Lord... We laid the groundwork; I wrote the format; I helped interview some of the translators; I sat with the translator; I wrote the preface. When you see the preface to the New American Standard, those are my words...it’s wrong, it’s terribly wrong; it’s frightfully wrong... I’m in trouble;... I can no longer ignore these criticisms I am hearing and I can’t refute them. The deletions are absolutely frightening... there are so many. The finest leaders that we have today haven’t gone into it [new versions of Wescott and Hort’s corrupted Greek text] just as I hadn’t gone into it... that’s how easily one can be deceived... Are we so naive that we do not suspect Satanic deception in all of this?” – Frank Logsdon

You see, Brother Tom, Frank Logsdon was a major player in the development of the NASB. He was a friend of Dewey Lockman (the benefactor through which the NASB was published), and likewise took part in both the feasibility study and purchase of the American Standard Version (ASV) copyright that allowed them to eventually produce the NASB.

Frank Logsdon helped make the “antichrist” NASB possible, but then he saw the error of his ways and openly spoke God’s Truth to expose it:

“You can say that the Authorized Version (KJV) is absolutely correct. How correct? 100% correct… we've had the AV for 362 years. It's been tested as no other piece of literature has ever been tested. Word by word; syllable by syllable. And think even until this moment no one has ever found any wrong doctrine in it, and that's the main thing. He that wills to do the will of God shall KNOW the doctrine.” – Frank Logsdon

Frank Logsdon got the “fear of God” in his bones! In fact he eventually became a major defector for the “New Age Version” crowd by rejecting the NASB, and endorsing the KJV as God’s Holy Word.

So what about you, Brother Tom? Are you one of those “New Age Version” folks who’re preparing the Church to receive the Antichrist? I mean, why are you so unwilling to stand up for God’s Truth concerning the King James Version?

If you truly want your listeners to “search God’s Scriptures daily”, Brother Tom, then quite beating around the bush. Tell them, in no uncertain terms, the King James Version Bible is “THE ONE” that God Almighty approves of … that is unless you want to continue promoting the same Roman Catholic Religious System you used to (?) adore.

I hope you’ve gotten the message, Brother Tom. For you to keep telling folks to “search the Scriptures daily” without telling them which Bible version they should be searching is “hypocritical” to say the least… and Roman Catholic to the core! (See “New Age Bible Versions” for more on this subject.)

In the Lord Jesus Christ,

Bruce Hallman

PS: I’ve attached a copy of Frank Logsdon’s testimony for your review.

(See Frank Logsdon’s testimony.)

“ALL FOR THE LOVE OF JESUS”