From Justyn M., The Bereans Coordinator, Philippines (note the date is incorrect, but should be August 26, 2002):
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Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:36:03 +091800
From: bereans@edsamail.com.ph
To: "Jose J. Ventilacion" <jjv03723@hotmail.com>
Cc: "Patrick Kelly" <selfsoft@pipeline.com>
Subject: A Letter to Mr. Jose J. Ventilacion and the INC (1914)
Dear Mr. Ventilacion,
I have read your letter addressed to Mr. Patrick Kelly regarding your claim to have studied "hard" on biblical language at Harvard since you stated,
"I believe that God inspired me to study hard on these biblical languages so I could use to defend the true faith."
http://www.pipeline.com/~selfsoft/incresp1.htm
If your claim is true then why don't you go ahead and put your learning to test so we will know who has more evidences. I can compare every Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) to "a dog that only tends to bark at their opponents but has no tendency to bite." Please do not be offended for this is just an illustration so you will know what I mean.
In reality, INC (1914) ministers are poor in exegeting the Scripture in its entirety inspite of the fact that they parasitically use many resources produced by many evangelical Trinitarian scholars like Strong, Vine, Zhodiates, etc. If only they would be as honest as the scholar Joseph Thayer, who inspite of his unitarian faith, still manage aknowledge that the Scripture truly teaches Jesus is God in the flesh which he denies by virtue of his personal conviction.
If only the Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) will be honest...
Justyn M.
The Bereans Coordinator
Philippines
http://thebereans.net
__________________________________
www.edsamail.com.ph
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From Justyn M., The Bereans Coordinator, Philippines (note the date is incorrect, but should be August 27, 2002) (JJV = Jose Ventilacion, JM = Justyn M.):
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Date: Sat, 30 Mar 2002 04:46:18 +091800
From: bereans@edsamail.com.ph
To: "Jose J. Ventilacion" <jjv03723@hotmail.com>
Cc: "Patrick Kelly" <selfsoft@pipeline.com>,
"Abugian" <abugian@thebereans.net>,
"Arnold" <arnold@php4us.com>
Subject: My Response to the Letter of Jose J. Ventilacion and the INC (1914)
Jose Ventilacion wrote:
From: bereans@edsamail.com.ph
To: "Jose J. Ventilacion" <JJV03723@HOTMAIL.COM>
cc: "Patrick Kelly" <SELFSOFT@PIPELINE.COM>
Subject: A Letter to Mr. Jose J. Ventilacion and the INC (1914)
Date: Fri, 29 Mar 2002 17:36:03 +091800
Dear Mr. Ventilacion,
I have read your letter addressed to Mr. Patrick Kelly regarding your claim to have studied "hard" on biblical language at Harvard since you stated,
"I believe that God inspired me to study hard on these biblical languages so I could use to defend the true faith."
http://www.pipeline.com/~selfsoft/incresp1.htm
If your claim is true then why don't you go ahead and put your learning to test so we will know who has more evidences. I can compare every Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) to "a dog that only tends to bark at their opponents but has no tendency to bite." Please do not be offended for this is just an illustration so you will know what I mean.
JJV: In what capacity would you put my learning to the test?
Are you challenging me officially to a debate?
JM: I think you have to prove that first with Mr. Patrick Kelly since both of you are in the US. Yes, your learning will be put to test if you accept the challenge of Mr. Patrick Kelly. Why not respond FIRST to his invitation and then accept other offers again in the future? W
JJV: I am not offended with your statement since I don't know you and you don't know me. If ministers of the Iglesia ni Cristo to you are dogs that only tends to bark at their opponents but has no tendency to bite, may I ask if you have engaged with any minister of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in a public debate?
JM: Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) ministers has the tendency to become arrogant and physical whenever they know that they loss a spiritual debate. This is already attested by many documented experiences written surprisingly by foreign Christian missionary who have studied Manalo's cult group. If only I am in the US then I will not have any second thoughts of debating you in public. Why don't you yourself accept Mr. Patrick Kelly's invitation?
JJV: Have you contacted the Iglesia Ni Cristo in the Philippines for a debate on the alleged deity of Jesus Christ so you could see for yourself how ministers of the INC exegetically defend the faith. I will be waiting for your challenge since the INC is centralized, wherever we are in the world, we could hear about your challenge.
JM: Why don't you refute our article that exposes Mr. Bienvenido Samtiago's article on John 1:1. You mentioned "exegetically defend the faith?" How can you defend something when you yourself cannot even produced people that are widely respected by other reputable and respected scholars and theologians around the world. In fact, you only learned the word "exegesis" from the Trinitarian scholars and that word is very foreign to your cult movement. You also mentioned the world "challenge." I think it iyou have to accept first that challenge forwarded to you by Mr. Patrick Kelly before you go and find another one.
JM: In reality, INC (1914) ministers are poor in exegeting the Scripture in its entirety inspite of the fact that they parasitically use many resources produced by many evangelical Trinitarian scholars like Strong, Vine, Zhodiates, etc. If only they would be as honest as the scholar Joseph Thayer, who inspite of his unitarian faith, still manage aknowledge that the Scripture truly teaches Jesus is God in the flesh which he denies by virtue of his personal conviction.
JJV: Does it make us poor exegetes because we do not comform to your heretical teaching on the Trinity and the alleged deity of Christ? If only Greek scholars would be honest, they will admit publicly that there is nothing in the Scriptures that could prove the alleged deity of Jesus.
JM: I think you should try to study the New Testament Lexicon of Joseph Thayer since he himself is NOT a Trinitarian and yet he can honestly say that the Greek Scripture truly reveals and teaches the deity of God. INC (1914) who are very much ignorant of the Hebrew and Greek language cannot in reality produce even one good Bible lexicon because they are afraid that they will be face by reality head-on that Jesus is God who became man.
JM: If only the Iglesia ni Cristo (1914) will be honest...
JJV: Yes, we are honest in teaching people like you that there is only one true God.
JM: Are you sure of that? Then why don't you study your homework regarding the previous teachings of the INC (1914) that Jesus is God but not the true God according to Isa. 9:6, Heb. 1:8, etc. in their Pasugo 1939 issue. and all of a sudden change their interpretation to say that Jesus is no longer God but man. I think you were not informed about this fact. Now, who is teaching honestly?
JJV: That honesty is based on the teaching of Christ (John 17:1, 3). That teaching is also predicated on the teaching of the apostles ... that there is only one God, the Father (I Cor. 8:6). I think that dishonest preachers are people like you who would continue to teach people the validity of the Trinity doctrine without a biblical support.
JM: The burden of proof to refute the Trinity doctrine is on you. This doctrine has already withstand numerous attacks but the Lord continous to reveal Himself as the one Triune God of the Scripture.
JJV: I will be waiting for your group to challenge the INC publicly in the Philippines. Probably, one of our Biblical Greek experts will put to test his knowledge against yours.
JM: The challenge is not ours to do since we did not attack the INC (1914) in the first place. Felix Y. Manalo vehemently attack orthodox Christianity and we are here to defend and contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3).
JJV: By the way, why did you hide your last name? Are you hiding something?
JM: I am not hiding my last name. That is just how I tell others about my name.
The Bereans Coordinator
Philippines
http://thebereans.net
__________________________________
www.edsamail.com.ph
CHEAPER than free email!
From Arnold Gamboa, August 27, 2002:
From: "Arnold Gamboa" <arnold@php4us.com>
To: "'Jose J. Ventilacion'" <jjv03723@hotmail.com>
Cc: "'Patrick Kelly'" <selfsoft@pipeline.com>
Subject: Debate with Mr. Kelly
Date: Tue, 27 Aug 2002 23:31:04 +0800
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Good day, Mr. Ventilacion,
I hope you don't mind if I'm sending you this email. This is just to
clear the minds of those who have read your converstion with Mr. Kelly
and his invitation for a spiritual debate.
From reading the 'bereans' email to you, it seems that you are just
"passing the responsibility" to other Iglesia ni Cristo ministers. You
have notedly claimed "wisdom" and asked the 'berean' to debate with INC
ministers here in the Philippines and yet you yourself have not accepted
Mr. Kelly's invitation for a debate up until now.
For the sake of those who have been following the website of Mr. Kelly,
may I know why until now, you have not responded to his invitation? I
learned from Mr. Kelly's website that you received the papers June 6,
2002. It was eventually "returned" to sender, but amazingly, the side of
the package was already opened, indicating that you have really read the
papers.
Do yourself a favor. Redeem yourself and the Iglesia ni Cristo from huge
humilation by accepting the invitation to a debate. We're waiting for
your response.
Arnold