Proposal of a biblical debate based solely on the scriptures

November, 2009

To:
Head pastors of churches in Gwacheon, South Korea

From:
Kim Oh Su, Pastor at Shinchonji Church of Jesus
Jeil Shopping, 4th floor
Byeolyang-dong 1-11, Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of Korea
Phone: +82-02-502-6424

We are writing to propose a biblical debate. Please kindly accept our suggestion.

Proposal of a biblical debate based solely on the scriptures:

1. Thank you for carrying out the task of spreading God's gospel all around the world. May God’s grace, peace, and blessing be upon you at all times.

2. Shinchonji Church of Jesus—The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony—has been built by God and has appeared in accordance with the Bible. In spite of this, Shinchonji is being baselessly persecuted as a cult by several Christian denominations and churches, including your own.

3. We, in Shinchonji, can only wonder what biblical reason you could possibly give for calling us a cult. This is why we would like to suggest that we hold a public debate about the Bible with the head pastor of your church. If your pastor is able to defeat in the debate Shinchonji using only the words of the Bible, then we will send all of our congregation members to attend your church. If, on the other hand, your church is defeated, you should publicize the results of the debate to the entire world. Then, you and your entire congregation should come to Shinchonji to learn the Bible.

4. Pastors should not make rash judgments about what is and what is not heresy. They must have God and the word (i.e. the Bible). We believe that you will accept our suggestion if you are confident that God is with you and that you understand the word. You will surely create excuses and reject our proposal if you lack such confidence. I, however, believe you are passionate toward God and are eager to guide your congregation members down the right path. This is why I am certain you will agree to participate in this biblical debate.

5. Since you condemn Shinchonji as a cult, won’t this Bible debate provide you with a great opportunity to boost the morale of your congregation members and to improve your pastoral status?

6. Please be sure to make an announcement to your congregation members regarding our proposal. Listen attentively to their opinions. I sincerely hope that event will allow us to understand each other clearly.

7. Regarding the structure of the debate we are proposing, we have included a list of suggestions below. Briefly, each party should answer the 21 suggested questions and preach a 40-minute sermon from Mt 13. The answers to the questions and the sermon must be based solely on the Bible. If you would also like provide suggested questions or sermon topics, we would be happy to arrange a time to discuss the details and agree on a final debate structure. I look forward to receiving your reply within one week. If you fail to respond, we will consider it a forfeit based on your lack of confidence in participating in a biblical debate with Shinchonji Church of Jesus. If that happens, I will not hesitate to inform your congregation members myself about the outcome.

Please find our suggestions for the debate questions below.

Pastor Kim Oh Su

Gwacheon Church
Shinchonji Church of Jesus
Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony

Questions for the biblical debate

Participants should answer the following questions during the debate using only the scriptures.

1. What must take place prior to Jesus coming like a thief? Where does Jesus go to harvest? (Mt 13; Mt 24; Rv 14)

2. Who are the physical fulfillment of the children of light and the children of darkness? (1 Thes 5)

3. What is the maddening wine of adulteries that has destroyed all nations? What is the wineskin that holds it? (Rv18; Lk 5:37-39)

4. Who is the prostitute? Who are the kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth that have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries? (Rv 17)

5. Who are the sea captains, those who travel by ship, and the sailors? Who are their merchants? (Rv 18)

6. What do the following phrases mean: the sound of a millstone, the light of a lamp, the voice of bridegrooms and brides, the sound of trumpets, and the sound of harps and flutes? (Rv 18)

7. What is the abomination that causes desolation? Where is the holy place the destroyer is standing? To what mountain must we flee when this destruction takes place? (Mt 24)

8. What are the sun, moon, and stars that go dark and fall from the sky? When and where does this happen? (Mt 24; Rv 6)

9. Who is the beast that comes out of the sea, enters the tabernacle of heaven, and conquers its congregation members? When and where does this beast appear? (Rv 13)

10. What is Babylon, from which Jesus calls out and chooses his congregation members? When does the figurative nation of Babylon appear? (Rv 17-18)

11. Who is the angel (i.e. the messenger) whom Jesus sends for the churches in the time of Revelation? (Rv 22)

12. Those who add to or subtract anything from the prophecies in Revelation receive the plagues of Revelation and are forbidden from entering heaven. What does this mean? (Rv 22)

13. What is the new song that the 144,000 of the twelve tribes (i.e. the firstfruits) learn to sing? Where do they learn the new song? (Rv 14)

14. What are the robes we must wash to enter the holy city? What is the water used to wash these robes? (Rv 22)

15. Who are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murders, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practice falsehood? When do they appear? (Rv 22)

16. What is the tree of life that bears twelve crops of fruit every month? What are the leaves the nations they heal? (Rv 22)

17. What are the two kinds of seeds? Who are harvested? Who are tied in bundles in the field? Who bundles them? What is the field? (Mt 13)

18. When and where will God’s kingdom, his priests, and the great multitude dressed in white appear? Who are they? (Rv 5; Rv 7)

19. Which of the following groups is orthodox and which is a heretical: those who are harvested and those who remain in the field? (Mt 13; Rv 14)

20. Are the weeds false testimonies or not? (Mt 13)

21. What are the weeds? Who sowed the weeds? (Mt 13)

Suggested sermon topic: Each debate participant should present a 40-minute sermon on Mt 13.

We are making the above demands on Korean Presbyterian churches in the city of Gwacheon, South Korea. We would like this proposal to be made public. Since you are so proud in your claims of orthodoxy, I am sure that you will confidently agree to participate in this biblical debate. I am sure you do not want to allow your congregation members to see you fearfully shrinking away from our proposal.