Shocked by “Shocked by the Bible!” p.1

When one come along with a best-selling book and is interviewed on radio (Christian) claiming he is teaching what the church does not understand or is missing, I pay attention.

Joe Kovacs may need an addendum to his book title “Shocked by the Bible”, such as “shocked by his interpretation.” I certainly am as I read and hear his explanations.

Why? His explanations, his answers go against core bible teaching. Furthermore I’m shocked that some people actually believe his answers. And I’m even further shocked that WND.com would promote this book.  Kovacs is currently the executive news editor at WND.com which explains their promotion of his books and interviews. Apparently this best seller of Shocked by the Bible no.1 and 2, and his other book, “the Divine Secret” is distributed through WND.  This tells me that they have very little discernment, which means I would also have to bring into question their accuracy in reporting the news.

Kovacs says he is a Bible reader and believes the bible, and that he is a man faith. In one of the posts it describes him as, a Bible-believing Christian, unaffiliated with any church or denomination.

But is he a born again of the Spirit believer? I have met many who are bible believers in various aberrant groups who are not born again.

THE JOURNAL: Are you a member of a particular denomination or congregation?

Mr. Kovacs: I’m a Bible-believing Christian. I don’t have any denomination. The people of the Bible didn’t have any denomination. They worshiped Jesus Christ, Yeshua. That’s what I do.” (Journal Issue No. 150 (July 27, 2012)

Well he’s wrong, they did have a church to attend with elders to be under. Furthermore, to be not affiliated with any church and on his own is not being obedient to the bible. The Bible emphasizes going to a Bible teaching church under elders, and be with the assembly of the Saints, unless one has a very good reason not too.

Kovacs has some things right. Such as “Three Wise Men” are never mentioned in the story of Jesus’ birth, and no wise men at all are shown present at the manger scene the night Jesus was born. (They showed up later at a house when Jesus was a young child). Or that Noah brought more than two of every kind of animal on the ark. Or that God sought to kill Moses after he commissioned him to free Israel from Pharaoh. These topics are nothing that someone else has not written on, or cannot be heard from decent bible teachers. That does not mean he is included in their company.

Kovacs says, “and I personally got fed up with people talking wrongly about the information that’s contained in the Bible. …”

Well Mr. Kovacs, let the people judge how you talk about the information contained in your books about the Bible.

What Kovaks theme is focused on is our divine future, as if everyone in mankind is included. “There is very good news coming.” “What the apostle Paul called, The secret that was been hidden from everyone since the beginning of time. But is now revealed to Gods holy people.”

He says he wants people to open up their Bible and look at these quotes because the Bible always tells you everything you need to know. I agree, we should read the words but also understand them with the correct interpretation. And here is where there are multiple problems. He is not always interpreting correctly what’s written, i.e. letting the Bible speak; not even close. Because Kovac is not just giving the words, he is missing the correct meaning on key doctrines that can mislead you. The nature of God and man.

Kovacs speaks of misinformation of God that we have been fed, well I see him being a purveyor of misinformation as well.

In a newspaper article in the WWG publication, “Mr. Kovacs said the words high day, meaning an annual Sabbath, in John 19:31 explain the timeline as having a full three days between the crucifixion and resurrection. This places the crucifixion on Wednesday, with the resurrection at some unspecified time on Saturday night.” (The Journal News of the Churches of God Vol. XIV, No.4)

This a typical mistake of those who do not know Judaism or its Biblical culture.

Let me refer to someone who knows what they are talking about. According to Dr. Fruchtenbaum, a Messianic Hebrew scholar: “That Sabbath day, that Saturday, was also the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, making it a High Sabbath. (The Sabbath booklet)

“Whenever a Sabbath fell on a holy day or feast day, that Sabbath was a “High Sabbath.”  “A Sabbath is called a High Sabbath when it falls on a Jewish holiday.” (Death and Burial of Messiah booklet)

Kovacs says, “The Bible never says Jesus died on a Friday or rose from the grave Sunday morning” http://www.wnd.com/2009/12/118220/#vbVkdSzAf7pxojvV.99

Actually it does say this. Jesus’ body was in the tomb on Friday and rose on the first day of the week, which in the Jewish calendar is Sunday (not Monday as in the Roman calendar). Friday evening to Saturday evening is called the 7^th day, the Sabbath. (Mk.16:9) John 19:31-33: “Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day). This means it was Friday afternoon (preparation day is before the Sabbath) since the Sabbath day begins at sundown on Friday eve. The Bible is absolutely clear that Jesus was crucified on Passover, Friday, then buried later that (Friday) afternoon, before the Sabbath at evening (Saturday) began, he then rose from the dead the first day of the week (Sunday Luke 24:1; John 20:1). 

As we will see Kovacs has problems with a physical resurrection among other doctrines.

Let’s begin our journey looking into his alternate Bible interpretations on the most crucial of doctrines man and God.

Kovac’s teaches God is an actual family and is also having offspring, children.

The bible does not say, nor describe God as a family and God does not change. Mal.3:6 " I the Lord do not change." The God of the Scriptures is presented as eternal in His nature, unchanging. Only what is created is subject to change. God is uncreated.

In his book he writes that Jesus Christ and God the Father “are spirit composed beings who have related to each other dating eons back long before the universe was created… what God actually is—and that my friends is a family.”

First: God is not spirit composed beings. To be composed means formed of, or made up of parts which is an unbiblical way of describing the creator of all things. His infinite eternal being is one, his personhood, identities are plural, three to be exact. Something you will not hear from Kovac.

There is no dating of time with God, eons is an insufficient word because that involves time. Before time God was, as eternal, a concept we can barely grasp. God always is eternally existent, and he does not change. He is completely self - existent and has all knowledge all power and is omni in all His attributes.

In his book The Divine Secret, Kovacs writes, “Yes, God is indeed a family. Jesus is the Word and He’s one member of the God family, and God the Father is yet another member of that same God family. It may sound strange to your ears to hear about the God family, but the bible itself, using the exact phrase, states that God is a family in heaven.”  (Kovacs, The Divine Secret, p.24).

Not since Mormonism and other similar cultic teachings have we heard such unbiblical language to describe God and man. Kovacs says people have been misinformed and lied to, that we should tell the truth. I agree so exactly where does God say that he is family? An eternal family?

This is Kovacs proof in Eph. 3:14-16 “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named” NKJV

He has taken this one and only text mentioning the family completely out of context. The word “family” is mentioned only once in the New Testament, and it is not referring to God’s nature but his spiritual children. Its meaning is about those who believe in Christ who are in heaven and those still living on earth. In this way we the church are adopted, formed into a spiritual family under the headship of Jesus Christ, one family on earth and in heaven. Whether we are Jews or Gentiles or from whatever nationality, all who are adopted are Christians and in this family.

His teaching of the Father and the Son as a family of deity is completely unbiblical. A family is something created by creatures. God is NOT a family. He made us into a human spiritual family in Christ, by him who is God that became a human.

What is a family?

To understand how wrong this is we must first define what a family is.

Humanly speaking (which is the criteria Kovacs is using to define Gods nature) A family consists of a Father and a mother and an offspring.   “A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of a man and woman and their offspring. (American Heritage Dictionary).

A man and a woman fall in love, the two commit their lives to each. Families are formed (Biblically) by an agreement in marriage. Two adults that love commit themselves to each other share goals and values, and reside in the same dwelling place. They become husband and wife and when they produce offspring, then they are a family. The basic definition of a family is applied to humans.  All the members of a household are under one roof.

They rear the child up as he grows. This cannot be applied to God the Father with Jesus his Son. He did not grow in the way we do. As God both the Father and Son are complete and do not add to their knowledge.

A person's relatives collectively: family, ancestry, bloodline, blood-relations, one's own flesh and blood, relations, stock. (American Heritage dictionary).  In other words, a family can extend out from the parents and children, to grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who are related.

In this way humanity is considered a family but not God. In a family for one to be a Father they must have an offspring. Does this mean Christ was a literal offspring as we also make children? Because that is what the word family is used for. This is why it does not, cannot apply to God

If God is always called the Father and the Son is there beside him, they are not a family, So no, God is not a family. On so many levels it can be proven God is NOT a family.

some examples:

Angels are called sons of God collectively (not children or daughters). They are not an offspring of God. James 1:17 God is called the Father of lights, meaning he the source of the stars in the heavens, they are not his offspring. He is called the Father of spirits, (Heb. 12:9) but he did have them as an offspring either.

Exod. 4:22-23 "Israel is My son , My firstborn.” God calls Israel his son, but they are not his offspring. Israel was God’s son collectively (as the national son) he formed them as a nation. so God was their Father in relationship to the nation, but not as individuals.

Rom 4:17 speaking to Abraham "I have made you a father of many nations"

concerning Israels pursuit of other gods, called spiritual fornication:

Jeremiah 3:8: When I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.”  God says “Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married  unto you:” (Jeremiah 3:14

Are we to think God actually married a nation or is this a metaphor.

Isa 54:5 For your Maker is your husband

The lord covenanted with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them," declares the LORD Jeremiah 31:32; other scriptures to consider Ezekiel 16:32-34; Hosea 2:2; Isaiah 50:1)

God speaks numerous times in figurative, symbolic metaphorical language

Jesus when describing the Devil “when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.” (John 8:44-45)

When it says He is the father of lies, it is not saying he had lies as his offspring. It means he is the source of lies. This is a shortened presentation to make it clear that we should not take Father or Son or children in a solid literal sense. grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who are related:  grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who are related:a social group of parents, children, and sometimes grandparents, uncles, aunts, and others who are related:

There are relationships in the triune God of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The application of relationships existing as family members is flawed because they are separate persons, each have their own being.  God persons are not separate beings. The three “persons” of the Triune God constitute the one being of God in a way that cannot be compared to a human family.

Listen to Kovacs response to a letter written to him asking about the Trinity (letter given to me by permission of recipient)

Monday, March 20, 2017

Hi again James,

If I could find the word "Trinity" in Scripture, maybe I'd write about it. But, as you probably well know, it's not there. 

I'm not interested in the false religions of men. I'm interested in the God of the Bible and His glorious truth.

And anyone who reads and believes Scripture itself without adding a lot of pagan lies and nonsense will be on the path to eternal life.

By the way, you'll really be shocked by my new book coming out this summer, Shocked by the Bible 2. It even shocked me as God opened my mind to even more stunning truth that I have never written about previously. I hope it opens the eyes of more people, irrespective of whatever personal religious history they have.

Keep the faith!

 Joe Kovacs

Apparently he can find the word family for God which is not there, but the word Trinity can’t be used to describe what is there. Furthermore, he calls it pagan. We will see that what he teaches is far worse.

“Even Jesus calls himself the Son of God, those are family terms.” (Remnant call Audio interview with Joe Kovacs “The Devil doesn’t want you to know the truth” http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theremnantcall/2017/10/20/the-devil-doesnt-want-you-to-know-the-truth-with-joe-kovacs)

No, those are relationship terms, because God did not have Jesus as an offspring.

The premise that God as family is not from the Bible. Look it up. God does not once refer to himself as family, this is presumption on Kovacs part.  Kovacs goes further as he makes the body of Christ become part of his “literal” family 

Exactly how many members are there? According to Kovacs just two, Father and Son. But according to Kovac you too can become a member of the Godhead “family.” Why does this sound identical to the Worldwide Church of God? Or Mormonism?  Because it is what they teach, that human beings can become gods.

World Wide Church of God “There are only two members in the God Family or Kingdom at the present time – God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. But God is increasing His Family! And YOU can be ‘born’ into it!” (Ambassador College Correspondence Course, Lesson 8, p. 10 WWCG).

Why is his definition the same?

“When you understand that Jesus has existed forever, along with God the Father, and that Jesus is the God of the Old Testament, the Bible opens up to you. At creation there was more than one person in the heavenly realm, this divine family.” (Journal Issue No. 150 (July 27, 2012) http://www.thejournal.org/issues/issue150/thejournal_150_072712_32pgs.pdf)

Well I have to give him some credit for recognizing there are two persons, but the third who is also called God and is eternal is missing. The person of the Holy Spirit who is our helper that was sent from heaven. John 14:26 the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name” clearly he is not Jesus nor the Father, yet we read 1 Cor. 3:16 “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (God in us 2 Cor.6:16) Believers bodies are now a spiritual temple individually and collectively because the Holy Spirit is within them (1 Cor.3:17). And he becomes the proof we are adopted.

Now we come to the second main tier in his theology which coincides with the first.

Kovac’s speaks of this great secret of God. What is that secret? It has to do with our divine destiny as God’s children.

“There’s a reason why the Bible calls us the children of God, because God is reproducing, having many children to enlarge the Family of God!”
http://www.wnd.com/2009/10/112253/#fJxzQXiAJ9xTJOQb.99

“The bible means exactly what it says folks” The great secret is that “God is having children” And ask yourselves what is the children of cats, aren’t they cats? What are the children of dogs? Aren’t they dogs?... what are the children of God. I mean we are actually members of God’s family if we get our act together and stop sinning and be obedient to the truths of, of our creator.” (Divine secret Interview Paranormal Palace radio:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wGBJPoHm_IA)

“This what he is doing, he is creating offspring, just like children of cats, the children of dongs. Therefore the children of God is gods” (Remnant call Audio interview with Joe Kovacs “The Devil doesn’t want you to know the truth” http://www.blogtalkradio.com/theremnantcall/2017/10/20/the-devil-doesnt-want-you-to-know-the-truth-with-joe-kovacs)

“God is having children. God is reproducing Himself after the God kind.” http://www.wnd.com/2009/12/118220/

The God of the Bible tells all, “that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” (Isa. 43:10).

Kovacs makes it sound like this is all through the bible of God being a family and we are gods. None of this is conducive to Bible teaching. Not a bible teacher worth their salt would teach this new age lie.

“Think for a minute: What are the sons of a giraffe? They’re giraffes. What are the children of cats? They’re cats. What are the children of God? They’re Gods. They’re going to be in the God family. (Kovacs, “Children of a giraffe are giraffes, so what are the children of God,” (The Journal, Issue No. 150, 7/27/12)

He repeats this in many different ways. Let me first point out that he is using as an example creatures that God created, that produce after their kind. But God is not a creature, he is the creator of creatures. God is an uncreated being, he does not produce children as offspring. And God cannot make other gods like himself. Even spirits called angels do not reproduce after themselves (unless Joe Kovacs found some obscure scripture to be shocked by that he will let us know).

This is an amateurish interpretation that is not led by the Holy Spirit into truth but by the spirit of error.

God is holy, separate from his creation, self existent. He is not like any creature he created. If you cannot get the nature of man and God correct you will not have other doctrines correct. God has always been separate from His creation. He is not making anything of creation into himself.

The Old Testament is clear in its teaching that there is only one God, it does not portray God as a family of two separate Gods which is ditheism, Nor is he adding to himself as a family. That would mean a change occurs in his nature, it expands. The unity and plurality in God is unique and does not allow for separate beings which would be three gods (tritheism). These “divine “persons who are called Father, Son and Holy Spirit (the comforter) live in a perfect loving,  relationship eternally.

“God is actually having divine children” (What you never thought is actually in the Bible interview with Joe Kovacs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZgMlrOfB50)

“We are actual members of the God family” (Paranormal Palace radio)

Divine is about as close a word to deity that can be used, especially when it is meant to say you are joined in God’s family.

Since Kovacs teaches God is a family, to become part of his family means we would no longer be human. We have a change in our species (not just our nature). That means if you are a child of him you are now divine. What does divine mean? You are gods in his family, in other words you are not human, but are divine like God.

If God is making people into gods to be in his family then He is changing, He is expanding. This is not the God of the Bible. What kind of God is this that expands himself by adding creatures that he himself made, as if God can make another like himself! This is what most would label as heresy.

2 Peter 1:4 says we are partakers of HIS divine nature, but we do not become his divine nature. We are partake of the divine nature by the Holy Spirit indwelling us but we do not become the Holy Spirit, neither does the Holy Spirit become human. The Holy Spirit dwells in us to restore the moral nature God put in man. We are human beings redeemed that become a family in Christ. We stay human. God does not make us gods, He can’t. The very first principle definition of the creator is that he always existed, before time commenced before anything was created, before both the angels and the universe or heaven he was there. Living in perfect harmony amongst the godhead.

Shocked by the bible p.2 -  Mankind being made gods