Shincheonji lesson 52: figurative breath and death

Where SCJ’s reading conflicts with the Bible

The board in this lesson reads “Breath = The Word of life” and “Death = A state of not having the Word of life.” It says the spirit and the word “are one and the same,” reads Ezekiel’s “Son of man” as Jesus, and says of life, “It spreads through interactions with those who already have life,” so one-on-one meetings matter more than the lecture. It says, “Revelation 10:11 states they will need to come out, cross over from death to life, and gather on the mountain,” and reads “let the dead bury their own dead” as “Do not spend time with those who are dead until you are mature enough to help them come to life.” SCJ’s The Explanation of Parables (p. 89) says “The promised shepherd (one who overcomes) gives the breath of life” to believers “held captive in a grave called ‘Babylon’ as they were killed spiritually by Satan’s false shepherds.” Scripture says whose breath gives life, and Jesus’ own words in John 5 show where it comes from.

1. 1. God’s breath is his Spirit

   The lesson says breath is the word, and the spirit and the word “are one and the same.”

   • God’s breath gave Adam life: “The Lord God … breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).
   • After the resurrection, Jesus “breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit’” (John 20:22).
   • In Ezekiel 37, God explains: “I will place my breath [or Spirit] in you and you will live” (37:14).
   • The word and the Spirit work together. Jesus says, “The Spirit is the one who gives life … The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life” (John 6:63). But the Spirit is a person who teaches and speaks (John 14:26; Acts 13:2), and the word is “the sword of the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:17). (See Lesson 23.)

2. 2. Ezekiel 37: “Son of man” is Ezekiel, and the bones are Israel

   The notes say God calls the prophet “Son of man,” ask who that is, and answer “Jesus,” so “someone else later lived it out.”

   • “Son of man” is God’s name for Ezekiel throughout his book, about ninety times, beginning with his call: “Son of man, stand on your feet and I will speak with you” (Ezekiel 2:1). It means a human being.
   • In the vision, Ezekiel himself prophesied, and the bones came together and breath entered them (37:7, 10).
   • God explains the vision: “Son of man, these bones are all the house of Israel. Look, they are saying, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope has perished’” (37:11). It’s a promise to bring Israel back from exile: “I will bring you to the land of Israel” (37:12).

3. 3. John 5: Life through Jesus’ word, now and at the resurrection

   The lesson rightly uses John 5:24-25 for people who were alive physically but dead spiritually.

   • “the one who hears my message and believes the one who sent me has eternal life … has crossed over from death to life” (5:24). The voice that gives life is “the voice of the Son of God” (5:25).
   • Jesus goes on: “a time is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and will come out” (5:28-29). There’s a present spiritual life through believing Jesus, and a future bodily resurrection.
   • The life-giving word is Jesus’ own, received by believing. It isn’t given through a promised shepherd.

4. 4. Life spreading through interactions: Philip preached Jesus

   The lesson uses Acts 8 to say of life, “It spreads through interactions with those who already have life,” and that meetings matter more than the lecture.

   • Philip “proclaimed the good news about Jesus” to the Ethiopian (8:35). The man was baptized that same day and “went on his way rejoicing” (8:38-39). He didn’t need ongoing private meetings. (See Lesson 13.)
   • Life comes from Jesus himself through his word and Spirit. People share it, but they aren’t its source.

5. 5. 2 Corinthians 13:5: The test is whether Christ is in you

   The lesson uses Paul’s “test yourselves” to explain an upcoming parables test of “How much of the content have you retained.”

   • Paul’s test: “Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you” (2 Corinthians 13:5).
   • The question is whether Christ lives in you, not how much course material you remember.

6. 6. Jesus does the work, “not any person or organization”

   The notes rightly say: “It is Jesus who opens the scroll. It is Jesus who fulfills. It is Him doing the work, not any person or organization.”

   • That’s correct. Revelation 5:5-9 says only the Lamb is worthy to open the scroll.
   • But SCJ’s book says “The promised shepherd (one who overcomes) gives the breath of life.” The notes and the book contradict each other. If Jesus does the work and not any person or organization, then no promised shepherd gives the breath of life.

7. 7. Revelation 10:11 is John’s commission

   The notes say “Revelation 10:11 states they will need to come out, cross over from death to life, and gather on the mountain.”

   • The verse says: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings” (Revelation 10:11). It’s a command to John to keep prophesying, which he does in the rest of Revelation.
   • Coming out, crossing over and gathering on a mountain aren’t in the verse. (See Lesson 39; its new section isn’t live yet, so the link goes to the lesson page.)

8. 8. 30,000 ways, and the claim that fulfillment ends arguments

   The lesson cites 1 Corinthians 1:10 and, with “around 30,000 different ways people are explaining the Bible today,” says unity comes from fulfillment, “because fulfillment ends arguments.”

   • Paul’s appeal for unity in 1 Corinthians 1 is aimed at factions loyal to particular leaders: “I am with Paul,” “I am with Apollos,” “I am with Cephas” (1:12). His answer: “Is Christ divided? Paul wasn’t crucified for you, was he?” (1:13).
   • Christian unity rests on “one body and one Spirit … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
   • Claims of fulfillment don’t end arguments. Several groups claim to be the fulfillment, and they contradict each other. (See Lesson 5.)

9. 9. Ezekiel 18: God calls people to turn and live

   The lesson uses Ezekiel 18:4 (“The one who sins will die”) for spiritual death.

   • The same chapter shows God’s heart: “Do I actually delight in the death of the wicked, declares the Sovereign Lord? Do I not prefer that he turn from his wicked conduct and live?” (18:23).
   • “Repent and live!” (18:32). The chapter calls people to repent, not to measure who has enough of the word.

10. 10. “Let the dead bury their own dead” doesn’t mean avoid people

    The notes say a “spiritual infant” who visited people without the word “would also die spiritually,” describe friends of whom “all they talk about is this worldly stuff,” add “It’s exhausting,” and conclude, “Do not spend time with those who are dead until you are mature enough to help them come to life.”

    • Luke records the rest of Jesus’ words: “Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60). He sent the man out, not into isolation.
    • Jesus spent so much time with people far from God that critics called him “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Luke 7:34). He said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do” (Mark 2:17).
    • New believers shared their faith right away: Andrew told Peter (John 1:41), the Samaritan woman told her town the same day (John 4:28-29), and Jesus sent a healed man home to his family (Mark 5:19).
    • Teaching students that friends and family are dead and draining makes withdrawal from them feel spiritual. (See Lesson 46; its new section isn’t live yet, so the link goes to the lesson page.)

11. 11. Believers in “a grave called ‘Babylon’”

    SCJ’s book says believers are “held captive in a grave called ‘Babylon’ as they were killed spiritually by Satan’s false shepherds.”

    • This calls every church outside SCJ a grave, and every pastor outside it a false shepherd who killed his people. (See Lesson 47, where the board equates Babylon with “Christian churches outside SCJ”; its new section isn’t live yet, so the link goes to the lesson page.)
    • Jesus says those who hear and believe him have already “crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24). Believers in Christ aren’t in a grave, whatever church they attend.

12. 12. “Satan will always place obstacles”

    The lesson tells students to expect trouble: “Satan will always place obstacles in our path.”

    • If every difficulty is Satan’s opposition, nothing can ever count as a reason to stop and reconsider. (See Lesson 12 and Lesson 49; Lesson 49’s new section isn’t live yet, so that link goes to the lesson page.)