HWA Condemns "Prophet" Bob Thiel's Usurping of Authority

Recently Banned by HWA analysed a post by Bob Thiel, How can a Christian discern a true Prophet?, which strives to convince people that Bob Thiel is a Prophet from God.

In this article Thiel quotes HWA in an attempt to back up his claim of prophethood.

Thiel fails to mention that HWA taught that New Testament Prophets had no administrative authority but merely revealed the will of God to the church because the Bible was not yet fully written.

I discussed this topic in a previous post.

In Mystery of the Ages, Chapter 6, under the heading, 'One Church with One Government', HWA wrote:

No prophets are mentioned as having either administrative, executive or preaching functions in the New Testament Church.

(Note: In PCG's edition of Mystery of the Ages these words are deleted because PCG teaches that their leader, Gerald Flurry, is "That Prophet.")

This was the consistent teaching of HWA's WCG on this topic as early as 1952, as may be seen in Herman Hoeh's article in the August 1953 Good News, 'Government in our Church', pp. 3-4, 7-8. 

Even though evangelists were next in authority under the apostles, next in spiritual order and above the evangelists are listed the prophets (I Cor. 12:28). Often in the Bible, prophet means preacher or poet. But in the New Testament history there are several instances mentioned in which prophets-both men and women-were used to foretell by special and personal revelation from God (Acts 11: 27-30; 21: 9-10). They spoke and exhorted the brethren and, if men, sometimes preached, although not usually evangelistic for the purpose of raising up churches. 

Those who evangelized had authority over local churches, whereas the prophets had no government office or authority. Even in the Old Testament, where both men and women were used as prophets, none of the prophets had government authority unless they were also judges. In the New Testament, the only prophets with government authority were also apostles, evangelists, or elders (Acts 15:32; I Tim. 4:14).' (p.4).

Thiel claims to have been ordained a Prophet. According to HWA then, even if he was a Prophet, he has no right to start his own church.

Thiel signs himself off as a Pastor. But being ordained a Prophet gives him no right to be a Pastor.

HWA said so.

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So now we know what HWA would think about Thiel's attempt to claim prophethood and to be pastor there are other matters about his article that needs to be stated.

Why is he citing Leroy Neff, who is now affiliated with UCG? Thiel condemned UCG for electing their leaders among themselves, contradicting HWA's doctrine of one man rule. Why is he relying on a man who accepted what Thiel appears to regard as heresy?

Thiel condemned UCG for (he says) lacking zeal in spreading 'the truth'. But UCG no doubt spreads Armstrongism far more widely and effectively than Thiel can hope to do with his own group.

Why hasn't Gaylyn Bonjour, the LCG minister who anointed him, not joined with Thiel?

A major reason he got as far as he did with his blog was that he supported one of the major COGs, namely Meredith's LCG. Now that he is on his own how is he any different from any other COG blogger out there claiming to continue the work of HWA? There are all too many of them and now Thiel is just as unimportant as them.

When I read his post announcing that he was starting his own COG personality cult I was offended that he complained that he had received a factually incorrect letter from Meredith.

People close to Meredith have often noted that he lies wherever necessary. He once lied about Raymond McNair's ex-wife and caused WCG to be sued by her and in 1992 it was forced to pay about $850,000 to her. Also in his telecasts Meredith often says 'you will get this information nowhere else' or words to that effect. How is that not lying?

I wish Thiel had learned that earlier. It would have saved me a lot of trouble. Or at least he would bear no responsibility for luring me into the legalistic abyss of Meredith's LCG.

But reading about Thiel's breaking away it appears what really offended Thiel was that LCG Headquarters refused to agree with Thiel's belief that he had been ordained by God as a Prophet and that they refused to listen to a mere lay member when he disagreed with at least one charge in doctrine.

What self serving, pompous madness.

What a loser he is.

(BTW, who is William H. Ellis and where is he affiliated now?)