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Question: Is this film unbiblical? Answer: We receive much input on a daily basis and David Cloud, one of the best discerners of the truth has sent a report which also delineates why we need to stay away from this movie. MEL GIBSON'S FILM "THE PASSION OF CHRIST" February 6, 2004 David Cloud, fbns@wayoflife.org Hollywood actor-director Mel Gibson's controversial film on the death of Christ is proving popular among Christians even before its February 25 release date. The graphic, $25 million film "The Passion of the Christ" depicts Christ's life from the Garden of Gethsemane to the resurrection. After a private showing, Billy Graham praised it. Mission America Coalition plans to use the movie for evangelism. Campus Crusade is promoting it. Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in southern California purchased 18,000 tickets. The Evangelical Free Church of Naperville, Illinois, purchased more than 1,000. Two members of Wheaton Bible Church in Wheaton, Illinois, have offered to buy out two screenings of the movie at a local theater. After Gibson showed part of the movie to a convention of the Full Gospel Business Men's Fellowship, he received a standing ovation. Afterward, the daughter of the organization's president laid hands on Gibson and asked Jesus to "bind Satan, bind the press, we ask you, Lord" (Peter Boyer, "The Jesus War," The New Yorker, Sept. 15. 2003). Worship Leader magazine for Feb. 2004 offers a free guide to Gibson's movie and says, "There has never been a film like it! Powerful, life changing, an unprecedented opportunity for evangelism & discipleship." Robert Schuller of the Crystal Cathedral was given a private showing and afterward proclaimed, "It's not your dream, this is God's dream. He gave it to you, because He knew you wouldn't throw it away. Trust Him." The movie has been recommended by psychologist James Dobson and by Don Hodel, the current president of Focus on the Family. Ted Haggard, president of the National Evangelical Association, called Gibson "the Michelangelo of this generation." The Catholic League purchased 1,200 tickets at $9.75 apiece and will make them available to members for $5. The film was shown to members of the Vatican Secretariat of State, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and all of them expressed unanimous appreciation and approval. A positive review of the movie is making the rounds via e-mail under the name "Paul Harvey's Comments on The Passion," but it was actually written by Roman Catholic apologist Keith Fournier. Gibson belongs to a Traditionalist Catholic group that performs the mass in Latin, abstains from meat on Fridays, eschews ecumenism, and other such things that were changed at the Vatican II Council in the 1960s. Gibson built his own Catholic chapel, called Holy Family, near his California home. During the filming, Gibson attended a Catholic mass every morning with the misguided desire "to be squeaky clean." The script was translated into Aramaic and Latin by Jesuit priest William Fulco. When asked by a Protestant interviewer if someone can be saved apart from the Roman Catholic Church, Gibson replied, "There is no salvation for those outside the Church" (The New Yorker, Sept. 15. 2003). This was the official teaching of Rome prior to Vatican II. The movie is not based solely on the Bible but also on the visions of Roman Catholic nun-mystics St. Anne Catherine Emmerich and Mary of Agreda. Of the visions of Emmerich, Gibson said, "She supplied me with stuff I never would have thought of" (The New Yorker, Sept. 15, 2003). Anne Catherine Emmerich (1774-1824) was a German nun who allegedly had the stigmata or wounds of Christ in her body. Emmerich supposedly "had the use of reason from her birth and could understand liturgical Latin from her first time at Mass." During the last 12 years of her life, she allegedly ate no food except the wafer of the Catholic mass. Her visions on the life of Christ were published in 1824 under the title "The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." They are still in print and were consulted by Gibson. An advertisement for Emmerich's Life of the Virgin Mary says, "This book is filled with unusual, saintly descriptions that are not recorded in the Gospel story -- descriptions that supplement and illustrate the Biblical narrative in a way that makes the actual Scripture passages truly come alive." Thus these alleged visions go beyond the Bible. According to Emmerich's visions, Protestants also go to purgatory but they suffer more than Catholics because no one prays for them or offers masses for them. She taught that it is more holy to pray for souls in purgatory than for sinners who are still alive. Her deceptive visions on the suffering of Christ describe His scourging and crucifixion in great detail, giving many "facts" which do not appear in Scripture. For example, she claimed that Christ "quivered and writhed like a poor worm" and that He "cried in a suppressed voice, and a clear, sweet-sounding wailing" as He was being beaten. She even claimed that Christ "glanced at His torturers, and sued for mercy." She also claimed that Jesus suffered from a wound on his shoulder more than any other. Mary of Agreda (1602-1665) was also a Catholic nun and visionary mystic. Her entire family entered monasteries and convents in 1618, which means that her mother and father disobeyed 1 Corinthians 7 and separated for the sake of the Catholic church. She was given to trances and even claimed that she could leave her body and teach people in foreign lands. Her book The Mystical City of God is about Mary. Like the visions of Anne Catherine Emmerich, those of Mary of Agreda go far beyond the Bible. For example, she claimed that though Joseph ate meat, Jesus and Mary seldom did. Not surprisingly, therefore, Gibson's film contains errors when judged by the biblical account. For example, after Christ's arrest and as He is being escorted to the high priest's residence, He is beaten, knocked down, and thrown off a bridge. After Christ is whipped, Mary gets down on her knees and wipes up the blood. Mary is shown assisting Jesus on the way to the cross, with Jesus telling her, "Behold I make all things new." Jim Caviezel, who plays Jesus in the Gibson film, is also a staunch Roman Catholic. He prayed to St. Genesius of Arles and St. Anthony of Padua for help in his acting career. He has visited Medjugorje to witness the site where Mary allegedly appeared to six young people. One of the things that Mary allegedly told them is that the pope "should consider himself as the father of all people and not only the Christians." Caviezel said, "This film is something that I believe was made by Mary for her Son" (Interview with Jim and Kerri Caviezel by Catholic priest Mario Knezovic, Radio "Mir" Medjugorje, December 2003; www.medjugorje.hr/int%20Caviezel%20ENG.htm). Caviezel also said that his goal with the movie is to "bring mankind back together." Caviezel said that he was given "a piece of the true cross, which he kept with him all of the time during the filming of the movie. He also had relics of "Padre Pio, St. Anthony of Padoua, Ste Maria Goretti, and saint Denisius, the Patron saint of Actors." He prayed the Rosary to Mary every day. We believe that it is idolatrous to depict the Lord Jesus Christ in pictures and films. The Jesus in Mel Gibson's movie is depicted in the typical fashion with long hair, whereas the Bible is clear that Jesus would not have worn long hair (1 Cor. 11:14). Gibson got his inspiration for the long-haired Jesus from the Shroud of Turin. He attempted to re-create the face depicted on the Shroud. Mel Gibson is famous for his roles in R-rated films such as Braveheart and Lethal Weapon. Question: I shared this information with others which has caused people to become defensive. When I told them I was not going to see the movie they were shocked. I do not believe that I should watch such extreme violence on my Savior Christ who is alive today. People I talked to think that it would make fall into deeper love with Him. A woman died and I will always wonder if the brutality pushed her over the edge. Answer: You made a most interesting comment "but I will always wonder if the brutality pushed her over the edge." I personally heard Mel say that he planned to put people over the edge!?? Whatever you are feeling is the separation God is doing at this point. He is separating the wheat from chaff. Matthew 3:12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." You know in your heart what is going on, because the Bible says so. We know the truth. You know that many others don't believe it the way you do and that is why you are depressed and sad. We are close to midnight when Jesus plans to come back and fetch His bride and you are part of the Bride because you cared and worried about what Jesus would have you do and wanted to be sure that you would make the correct decision while the rest followed their personal will which separates you from them. I have been wondering what effect this film will have on the world as a whole and you made it very clear and it fits perfectly into today's sceneria. God is bundling the tares and this film is another tool which will clearly do the separating. Why would any lover of Jesus Christ want to see Him, God, be mutilated again and again unless they hated Him. I could never participate in that. Do you get what is going on. Here is what Jesus had to say about the world: Matthew 13:36-40 Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world." The way to understand the concept "the end of this world" is that it is an all inclusive expression. The end of the world is the third day. Jesus was born somewhere around the year of our Lord which is 0 and He was expected to return in the year two thousand in other words two days later in God's time line of 1000 years for one day. If you take a 1000 years for one day, the Lord's Day, which relates to the seven year Tribulation, is also 1000 years. We can deduce from this that the 1000 year Millennium includes the Tribulation. Jesus stated that the wheat is going to be separated from tares at the end of the world, that he is talking about the third day which is the last day. Reason for this reasoning is that the Rapture takes place before the Antichrist is exposed and the separation begins to take place prior to that event and it again takes place at the end of the Millennium at the Great White Throne Judgment. The reason that is the last day is that God plans to bring down the New Jerusalem to a cleansed planet which will not have oceans. Since Pope Paul II replaced Vatican I with Vatican II in the early 1960s we have witnessed a major change going on within the whole religious community. There has been a movement toward ecumenism, bringing denominations together which is a form a bundling and something God did not have in mind for His Church because of the heretical teachings that are running around in many denominations. Looking at Matthew 13:30 you can see Jesus brought this up
a number of times: We are in that time right now that the tares are being gathered into the ecumenical movement and the true believers feel left out because they cannot participate in heresy. Praise God for your situation because He will bless you to no end and you will get opportunities to witness to them and try to save them from the fire. See Jude Jude 1:7-14 "Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints." Question: I have never ever doubted that my 3 sisters are
truly saved. Are you saying that all the people who are going
to the movie and raving about it are NOT saved? This is very,
very disturbing to me. I know people who absolutely profess Christ
and have devoted their lives to His cause who are promoting the
movie. So this is all very confusing to me. Answer: The Bible states that Satan has the power to deceive all of us if it were not for those who have the Holy Spirit. What is going on is that many Christians think they are saved as I did for many years and are walking around not understanding the times and the danger they are in from the enemy. Today it is imperative to study the Scriptures personally day by day to stay out of the traps. Satan is rampant. I have some videos that will make your hair stand on end revealing what some mainstream televangelists are involved in. There is much Freemasonry going on in mainstream which is causing evil within because they are Satan worshipers and don't even know it. We are former Mormons who participated for twenty years and found out they were liars and from there we found out that many other preachers are as well. Today we can only rely on the Holy Spirit Himself who tells us in the Scriptures that He wants to teach us personally. They don't teach that in churches because people would leave. Hollywood is no place to receive the Gospel. It represents idolatry. The Roman Catholic Church is what Mel represents, and it teaches idol worship and heresy. People who do not discern are quasi Christians who need to get into the WORD to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We are not saying that your family is not saved or anyone going to the movie is not saved. We are saying that those who discriminate have a job to do. They need to warn the sheep who are heading in the wrong direction that they need to get into the WORD OF GOD to get their act together to get their lamps filled with oil and wait for the Rapture to occur. The Bible calls for overcoming the world. That means what it says. It means to separate from the worldly thinking and doing. Check Revelation 3 what Jesus had to say to the seven churches. The last church of Laodicea did not make it because it was lukewarm. Does that line up with what is going on today. People are tossed here and there. The Bible warns about all that. We have thousands of pages of information on the web about what is going on. We are called Watchmen on the Wall. We are not affiliated to anyone but the KJV Bible representing God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit who are ONE GOD. We have a statement of Faith on our website at http://www.cephasministry.com/statement_of_faith.html Ephesians 5:1-16 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear
children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and
hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God
for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness,
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh
saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting,
which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Be not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children
of light: (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;) I hope this Scripture will help you understand where we are coming from. We are simply sinners saved by grace and are shining the light whereever the Holy Spirit leads us. When I personally studied the Bible, the true Jesus Christ began to emerge and the Holy Spirit began to reside in my heart after two years of repentance of what I had done to participate in the stripes and the crucifixion. Human beings are not reliable because we are Adam's children and Adam was cursed because he betrayed God and we all became sinners from that day forward automatically no matter how good we are, we are filthy rags to God because we live here on this planet. God only sees His Son because He was completely innocent, being God Himself in flesh. He was begotten of the Holy Spirit in Mary. Mary provided the physical body and God is Himself the Spirit of Jesus Christ. God Himself had to come among us to defeat Satan once and for all and set free those who are in the Book of Life to live forever with Him. After the resurrection Jesus went back to the Father and left us the Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts and help us maintain and comfort us till Jesus returns and raptures His Bride, believers from all nations and walks of life. May the Lord prompt you to follow suit and help teach the Gospel to your friends and family and especially pray for them to get others involved in getting the message to them. In Christ Jesus, "I love the LORD, because he hath heard my voice and
my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore
will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death
compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found
trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the LORD;
O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the LORD,
and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth
the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto
thy rest, O my soul; for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with
thee. Psalms 116:1-7 |