Less than a week after the 2022 Olympics concluded to historically dismal ratings, reports indicate the CCP is literally rewriting the Bible. That’s right, communists are editing and erasing anything that gives Jesus glory over their government.
First, if you rewrite the Bible, it’s no longer the Bible! You no longer have God’s true, Holy Word. The gospel then changes and you’re creating a god in man’s image. Someone else or something else – such as the State – has to be the savior. It’s another Jesus.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God that saves people. The Bible says Jesus is the only way to the Father and to be saved. That’s pretty exclusive. Since the CCP wants to be god, they cannot tolerate any other God that would not bow down to them.
God warns against anyone who would add to His Word or take away from it. The Apostle Paul warned believers about people who were throwing them into confusion and “trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.” He continues:
But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! Galatians 1:8-9
Reports suggest a few of the rewrites by the CCP include Jesus saying He is a sinner and apparently have Him stoning a woman.
I interviewed author Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs on Monday, and he said what China is doing is all about control. He further explained:
“This is a project that the Chinese Communist Party announced in 2019. At the time, they said it would be about a 10-year process … to release a new translation of the Bible that would support the Communist Party.”
“In one sense, it’s just like so arrogant to think, ‘I’m going to rewrite the story of Jesus’… but then you think about denying the deity of Christ; If Jesus is a sinner, then he’s not God.”
Not too surprising. It’s part of our sinful, fallen nature; man wants to be god. And some think that power, wealth, and control will help them achieve this delusion.
But the CCP isn’t stopping there. Not only are the communist leaders suffocating churches and persecuting pastors in China, a new report says the government is going to be cracking down severely on line.
In order to survive both Covid measures and persecution, unregistered house churches in China that have been online will have that option taken away beginning March 1. All religious information on the internet will be forbidden unless organizations obtain government permission.
The new measures require churches to apply for a new license to access the internet, then officially recognized organizations are subject to surveillance and limitations. The content of the lessons and sermons would be checked by CCP authorities to ensure they promote socialist government values – not the values of the Bible or Christianity.
Got it.
The report also spelled out a warning for religious universities and colleges, that they may disseminate content via the internet only to their students; and any attempt to share further or “induce minors to believe in religion” will lead to the termination of the license.
Isn’t that a basic fact of our mission as Christ-followers around the world? Share the good news of the only saving gospel with everyone, minors included!
According to the state-run Global Times, the measures pertain to all religious groups, temples and churches and religious colleges. With the permit, they can only preach lawful religious doctrines online that are conducive to social harmony and guide people to be patriotic to the Chinese government.
So, put these disturbing stories together and it makes sense that the CCP will eventually require all Bibles be removed and replaced with their state-approved version.
This may shock you, but there is at least one similarity with what China is doing and what some liberal, progressive, compromising churches in America are doing. An excuse given by the CCP to reimagine the Bible is to ‘keep pace with the times.’ In other words, conform to the world’s ways rather than to God’s eternal Word.
Be careful of people-pleasing words such as: relevant, affirming, welcoming, inclusive, diverse, non-judgmental. Sounds more like a social club than a church, doesn’t it? There is an epidemic of churches wanting to please man and be attractive to the world.
But before we wrap this up, it’s necessary to point out that after the 2020 Olympics, China seemed to escape any harsh scrutiny and came out looking like the winner after hosting the games. This despite the fact some of us reported on the horrific human rights violations including the forced harvesting of body organs from religious minorities.
Reports have documented human organs being excised: hearts, livers, kidneys, corneas, and sold for a profit. And it’s been going on for 20 years.
I’m sad for the athletes who either had no clue or felt caught in the middle, but I’m thrilled the Beijing Olympic ratings tanked, in some cases a near 50% drop in viewership from the previous Olympic Games. Well deserved, NBC.
This world is under God’s judgment and we better decide what God we will worship, personally and as a nation, and whose approval we seek. Writing to Christians in Galatia, Paul states:
For am I now seeking the favor of people, or of God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. Galatians 1:10
Government is not God; the state is not God. So, chose this day whom you will serve.
