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May 2005
2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.
I'm not one who typically condones Pavlovian responses, but in the case of Pantelism, I am forced to make an exception. If you have never encountered this resurrected Hymaenian heresy, be warned: as the scripture above says, it will eat you alive from the inside out, just like a canker (cancer), and if anyone approaches you, intent on "sharing the light" of Pantelism, RUN, run as fast and as far from them as you can.
This stuff is a deadly poison that is slowly, subtly, and insidiously making inroads into the hearts and minds of the church collective. When or if you encounter someone who wants to teach you about the truth of Pantelism, full-Preterism, or Realized Eschatology, like Pavlov's dog, respond automatically to this peril, by running for your very life.
I honestly and in good faith tried with every fiber of my being to follow the trail of Pantelism, giving it the benefit of the doubt, to find a common origin, or a nerve center to put my finger on, and each time I thought I had it figured out, the muck only got deeper, the maze ever longer, and the web more tangled. It reminds me of the AIDS virus, operating in a constant state of mutation, making it impossible to pin it down, and nearly impossible to cure.
My journey left me agitated, spiritually exhausted, weak, confused, and spiritually sick. This doctrine churned inside of me, tearing at the cords of my faith, demanding ever-so-sweetly, as cultic sirens always do, that I completely abandon the foundation of my faith, and open up my heart and mind to another. It demanded that I prostitute my faith, and give up the future Hope and Promise that is my first Love.
Pantelism embraced me in brotherly love, and tenderness. My Pantelist friends were kind and gentle, displaying a kind, loving face to me, but what really lies under the pristine surface? What spirit drives this doctrine?
Have you ever had someone attempt to tear you down with a personal attack, using the subtly and stealth of the serpent, leaving you feeling naked, raw, vulnerable, and exposed? I have never been exposed to a true cult "brain-washing" technique, but if I had to guess what it feels like, this would be my guess.
My time spent studying with a small, kind group of Pantelists ended a few months back, when I could no longer bear the turmoil and tension constantly churning within me. I kept contact with one of them, who I thought was my friend, who recently publicly attacked me, ever-so-sweetly, by taking my own words and twisting them out of context. I trusted her, and gave her my confidence, which she promptly betrayed and used against me.
This technique was employed against me in an effort to humiliate and intimidate me into a state of confused silence, to leave me doubting whether or not I am truly anchored to the Rock of ages and the Apostolic foundations of the ancient Christian faith, to make me wonder if I am actually a hypocrite, while at the same time, it was designed to make me lash out with wounded pride, shooting myself in the foot which, thankfully, I did not do. Instead, the Faithful One gave me peace of mind and heart, and put the words to speak in my mouth.
In all fairness, I must say that her attack came after I sent her an e-mail openly expressing my views and concerns regarding Pantelism, to which she never replied. Instead, she showed up on my discussion list one day, lurked around for a week or two until she had gathered sufficient evidence to attempt to ensnare me, and out of the blue the attack came.
For my part in this, I was a foolish, naive child in thinking that I could maintain a relationship with someone whose faith is antithetical to my own. I know my words hurt her deeply, as hers did me. However, the truth is, one of us is a heretic, there is no other way around it.
This attack was launched against me not long after I began to openly criticize Pantelism, employing the word anti-Christ, which, at the time I used it, I was still not 100% sure if that was perhaps too strong a conclusion. Now, however, I am completely convinced that anti-Christ is the most appropriate description that we can employ against Pantelism.
As is ever the case when the devil's doctrines are exposed for the dark lies that they are, the people caught up in them, who cannot honorably defend their heresy, will always launch a personal character attack against their accusers, using everything in their arsenal to slander and malign those who dare to oppose them. So be it. The Lord shall judge between me and thee, as the saying goes.
It saddens me deeply to see people that I have grown to love embracing lies from the pit, to see their minds twisted and their conscience seared beyond remedy, but at some point, a choice must be made, conclusions drawn, a stand taken, and wolves exposed and disposed of.
I will add one thing here, and that is that in my experience, many moderate Pantelists are woefully unaware of the insidious nature of this belief system, and how it undermines the gospel itself. They seem blissfully unaware, as they pretend the world around them is irrelevant in the great scheme of things, that what they are doing is opening up a Pandora's box of unforeseen, domino-effect, devastatingly evil consequences yet to be revealed. Lord willing, some of them will come to understand, and repent.
Let's get down to the bare bones of Pantelism: they believe that all prophecy was fulfilled in the past, meaning, they deny a future, bodily coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, they deny a future and final corporate, bodily resurrection and judgment of the wicked and the just; they believe that we are currently living in the new heavens and the new earth, because they believe that all end-time prophecies had a spiritual-only fulfillment that culminated in the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70.
What orthodox Christianity sees as the beginning of the new creation, the Pantelist, who is well beyond the established borders of church orthodoxy, sees as the beginning, middle, and end of the new creation. According to Pantelism, this wicked world we live in is now the best that God can do. Sin will reign forever on planet Earth.
I've read differing opinions from various members of the church who have written against Pantelism about whether or not Pantelists should be cast from the church as heretics, or allowed to fellowship with the sheep so long as they agree to keep their mouths shut about their bizarre beliefs. Whether or not these people lie beyond salvation, only God knows; that they lie well beyond the boundary of orthodoxy, is indisputable.
My personal opinion? Knowingly allowing a rabid Pantelist to mingle with the sheep in the pasture is akin to allowing a Pedophile unfettered access to a room full of children so long as he promises not to touch them. Right.
Harsh words? Yes. False words? A resounding NO. I encourage all saints to familiarize themselves with this poison, using sources not tainted by an unorthodox full-Preteist/Pantelist world view, and stand fast in the faith once delivered to the saints, wearing the whole armor of God.
Continuing Reflections on Pantelism ~ 5/14/05-Words of encouragement for the timid, confused, and faint of heart.
Another Brother Nearly Consumed by Pantelism Speaks Out
(Please note: We do not believe that the Amillenial or Historic Preterist positions are heretical, as the author of the web site that we are linking to believes. We use the creeds to set our boundaries. Although all of us hold some erroneous beliefs about "the end," so long as we all agree on "the end" as a future event, we're OK with that)
Following are resources that will help you to arm yourself against this insidious heresy:
Tektonics (Dee Dee Warren, J. P. Holding, and other saints with foreheads of flint take on many issues affecting the Christian)
The (orthodox) Preterist Site (Dee Dee Warren takes on the world of Pantelism)
A great place to start your study is with the following two books:
"When Shall These Things Be?" compiled and edited by Keith Mathison
"The End Of All Things," by C. Jonathan Seraiah
Dear friends and foes alike: With the possible exception of sincere souls asking honest questions, I do not plan to respond to any mail I receive on this subject, but I will post it here for your consideration.-SB
"St. Paul surrendered his reputation to God who penetrates the bottom of hearts; he employed against the people who slandered him only humility and patience." - Madame Jeanne Guyon in her "Justifications," literally translated out of the original French and into English by Peter-John Parisis, completed in the year of our Lord, 2005.
From: John McPherson [mailto:rocker@cablerocket.com] Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2005 10:09 PM To: natesse@verizon.net Subject: Congratulations! Sharon, you have just made a grievous mistake, grossly over-stating and exaggerating the "danger" Panetelists and Full Preterists pose to Christians. Characterizing us as "pedophiles" is both disgusting and disingenuous (not to mention farcical). Get a grip on reality, and be prepared to be exposed (and humiliated) publicly for the utterly unScriptural, ungodly stand you've taken. Shame on you, any so-called "ministry" you're associated with, and everyone else in any way connected with you and your nonsense. You haven't a shred of credibility left after your little rant against Pantelism, and I will make it my personal little project to publicly expose the utterly fraudulent, baseless, nonsensical idiocy forming the foundation and framework of YOUR paradigm. John McPherson Planet Preterist
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Dear Writer, your entire attack contained no relevant discussion of scripture, no explanation of how it attacks 'the faith once delivered' which you so obviously know contrary to the motto 'always reforming'. If you wish to merely heap abuse on something while claiming to know about the subject you abuse, then you have done marvellously. However, if you could provide actual content that would be even better, it might create the impression you were at the least biblically informed, rather than a person so obviously lacking in Christian peace. The spirit manifested was that of John before his receipt of holy spirit, a desire to bring down fire and destroy those who preach Christ but are of a different group, to such Christ's words still apply 'Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are'. May the peace of Christ alight upon you and his perfect love cast out your fear. Enjoy the cycle of life Phillip
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