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Purpose, Intent & Content

Victoria Knight ICG (Individual of a Church of God) is dedicated to teaching the truths of God through proper research, study, and discernment of the Bible. By sharing the sources of study that make this learning possible, I desire others to learn of God's scriptural truth from the Bible that is NOT properly taught in most mainstream churches and groups today. Though I am not an ordained minister, it is my wholehearted mission to share with others the knowledge that I have received.

I, the author of VKICG, am a part of the congregation of the Church of God High Plains (COGHP). COGHP supports the leadership and teachings of Fred R. Coulter and the Christian Biblical Church of God (CBCG) (as well as other affiliated COG's) who teach and observe the same doctrines and beliefs. It is in my opinion that the most trusted and encouraged source of study offered here is that of the Christian Biblical Church of God because of their attention to detail and strong faith towards God's truth from the Scriptures.

All content contained within VKICG is designed to help lead others to the scriptural truth of the Bible as taught by Jesus Christ. Each study is aimed to achieve one goal: to prevent mischievous deceptions, false interpretations, and pagan beliefs from entering into the proper understanding of what true Christianity is from the Bible. A vast array of additional content is made available for further study and research from the ministers and teachers of the congregations listed herein.

The truth taught by Jesus Christ is often watered down by powerful deceptions, all of which brought on by Satan the devil. Throughout our era of knowledge and technology with people everywhere voicing their own opinions, the deceptions are more profound and complicated. The diminishing of this problem is impeded by the teachings and practices of mainstream Christian churches and ministries through their widespread inculcation of pagan traditions and beliefs. Centuries of this practice have corrupted the Bible message to the point of teaching a false grace and gospel in place of the True grace and gospel of God. This problem is not isolated to mainstream Christianity alone. Similarly, some of the Churches of God have also incorporated a number of these same errors and beliefs because of the lack of proper Bible study, clinging to false traditions, and having a stubborn refusal to allow in God's correction.

Little do people realize the truth of the origins of their Christian practices, nor do they consider what God has established as proper worship of Him. Customs and traditions are often passed down from generation to generation with little thought as to why such practices exist or if it is Godly worship from the Scriptures. Often these issues are not considered by the Churches as a whole. If any are, how often:

• Are all arguments weighed in on the matter from every direction?
• Are they looked at with bias towards keeping the tradition instead of what the Bible says?
• How often is documented history on the subject ignored in favor of modern practices?

The more people are unaware of the truth of the Scriptures as a whole, the more they are blissfully ignorant in their worship of God.

To summarize,

I Thessalonians 5:21 - AFV

21.   Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good.

It is God the Father's choice to open the eyes, ears, and the mind of each individual to lead him/her to Jesus Christ (John 6:44). Jesus, in turn, will reveal to that individual the Father. It is not enough to know God but to worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24).

As Jesus Christ prayed...

John 17:17 - AFV

17.   Sanctify them in Your truth; Your Word is the truth.

God's Church

Jesus Christ is the foundational cornerstone (Isaiah 28:16) that men have rejected since the fall of Adam (Psalms 118:22). To Peter (Gr. petros = a stone (loose and movable)), Jesus stated that upon this rock (Gr. petra = a rock (immovable)) will the church be built, meaning Himself (Matthew 16:18). Since God is faithful and true to His word, that Church still exists on earth today.

Though Christianity is claimed by millions, there is more to the term than just a mere profession of the faith. God's True Church is composed of specific individuals that God has called out of this world no matter where they may be on the earth. Each one has been baptized, had the laying on of hands for the receiving of His Holy Spirit, and seek out His truth daily while living according to God's laws and commands as stated in the entirety of the Bible.

The Church of God congregations mentioned here are just a small part of that church.

An Ongoing Struggle

Every Christian in his or her life should uphold the noble value of correcting oneself in accordance with the Scriptures if proven wrong on a matter. In order to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord our God, self-correction is highly needed. To be a mature Christian is one of our goals, which is why vanity and self-pride have no place in a Christian's character.

The last time I checked myself in the mirror, I was still human. Even today, I still make mistakes and I strive always to commit to personal correction. I will strive to seek out the truth if contradictions or errors are identified in my studies or beliefs here at VKICG. Any mistakes or misjudgments that may exist on my behalf will be corrected. My commitment is to always stand firm in the Word of God and uphold His truth over that of the world.

Prove from the Bible

It should never be under-emphasized:

I Thessalonians 5:21 - AFV

21.   Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is good.

A vast amount of knowledge, such as doctrine, prophecy, creation, history, etc., can be learned from the Bible, but each student must differentiate what information is knowledge unto salvation and what is not. Some biblical knowledge will not affect your salvation if not known or understood in context. Other biblical knowledge, on the other hand, is key to salvation. Visitors to VKICG are highly encouraged to prove all things and recommended not to take anyone's word for face value without proving it is so. Does that include what is taught here? Yes, it does!

When explaining what was to befall the church in the latter days, Jesus Christ's first warning to His Disciples was to not fall for deception.

Matthew 24:4 - AFV

4.   Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Be on guard, so that no one deceives you."

In light of that warning, the information we do learn pertaining to salvation must be carefully understood and thoroughly proven. This lesson is gleaned by what Christ also stated.

Matthew 7:21-27 - AFV

21.   "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but the one who is doing the will of My Father, Who is in heaven.
22.   Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name? And did we not cast out demons through Your name? And did we not perform many works of power through Your name?'
23.   And then I will confess to them, 'I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who work lawlessness.'
24.   Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and practices them, I will compare him to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock;
25.   And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; but it did not fall, for it was founded upon the rock.
26.   And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not practice them shall be compared to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand;
27.   And the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

The wise individual will diligently prove what is being taught and consider it carefully, whereas a foolish individual will accept anything readily or poorly proove it out to its conclusion. A mere profession of faith, if not done in truth and aptly applied, means nothing to God. So also, one's worship means nothing if done against God's prescribed methods in the Bible. Therefore, diligently prove all your beliefs and practices through the Scriptures, for in them you will find godly doctrine that leads to life through Jesus Christ.

Presumptions

God states to man:

Isaiah 55:8-9 - AFV

8.   "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor your ways My ways," says the LORD.
9.   "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

God also states:

Deuteronomy 8:3 - AFV

3.   "And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the LORD does man live."

The Words that God gave to us are recorded in the collection of Scriptural books known as the Bible. God describes how this knowledge is given and taught.

Isaiah 28:9-13 - AFV

9.   "Whom shall He teach knowledge? And whom shall He make to understand doctrine? Those who are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts,
10.   For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little;"
11.   For with stammering lips and foreign tongue He will speak to this people.
12.   To whom He said, "This is the rest He gives to the weary;" and "This is the refreshing," yet they were not willing to hear.
13.   So then the Word of the LORD was to them precept upon precept, precept upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, there a little; that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.

One important aspect of the Bible rings true: the Bible interprets itself. Even in the Churches of God, some verses may not have full clarity of context or application. God, in the past, has always revealed His truth to His church when deemed appropriate. In like faith, the full understanding of these difficult Scriptures will be imparted to His Church at the appointed time according to His good will.

When full knowledge or understanding is not present concerning a piece of Scripture or topic, one must be aware of speculations or presumptions made that could affect the outcome of biblical comprehension. Consequently, this makes the "Fourteen Rules For Bible Study" all the more important. To draw attention to such presumptions during his sermons, Fred R. Coulter of the Christian Biblical Church of God rings a cowbell. In like manner, all presumptions made here will be marked explicitly in the following way.

This sentence is an example of a flagged presumption made by me.

Never should any man's presumptions be taken as biblical fact, but instead should be taken with caution until further evidence proves it one way or another.

Now, do not confuse presumptions with factual (or probable) conclusions drawn from accumulated Scripture facts. There is a difference between the two. Take, for instance, the following examples:

Situation #1:

The nation of Israel was delivered out of the bonds of slavery in Egypt by God through Moses (Exodus 12).

Presumption:

More and more Christian churches and minsters are beginning to say that the people who came out of Egypt (i.e. Israel) were "the Jews" or "Jewish".

Factual Conclusion:

The above presumption is wrong because the nation of Israel consists of twelve tribes, all of which are Hebrew (not counting the mixed multitude that came along with them out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38)). Only one tribe (Judah) is "Jewish". Whether it is in reference to their geneology or belief system, to call ALL of Israel Jewish at any time is a bad presumption.

Situation #2:

The promise from Jesus to one of the robbers while both were crucified (Luke 23:43).

Presumption:

From this verse, many Christians believe that Jesus promised the malefactor that he will be with Him in Heaven on that very day. Looking up Luke 23:43 at Blue Letter Bible (next to verse 43, click on the "TOOLS" button and click on the "BIBLES" tab), you will see listed all the Bible translations that put a comma BEFORE the word today conveying that promise. In this verse, paradise is often equated to Heaven as nearly all Christian denominations universally believe that going to Heaven is part of the reward for the saved (along with eternal life).

Factual Conclusion:

The above presumption is wrong because this verse is not translated correctly via punctuation. The following points rectify this:

1. Heaven is not the reward for the saved. Living in the Kingdom of God on the earth when Christ returns is (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 5:10).
2. There are no verses in the Bible that call Heaven paradise. It is assumptive to believe Jesus was referencing Heaven when speaking of paradise to the thief. Jesus constantly talked of the Kingdom of God, not Heaven.
3. Jesus, Who died that day with the malefactor, did not go to Heaven till shortly after three days and three nights afterward. How can the malefactor go to Heaven to be with Jesus that very day when Jesus was not there till several days later (John 20:17)?
4. Peter's own words on Pentecost spoken over 50 days after the crucifixion prove NO MAN has ascended into Heaven...that includes David (Acts 2:29, 34).
5. When Christ returns, the saints are resurrected. The rest of the dead are resurrected a thousand years after that. The Bible does not reveal any resurrection(s) unto salvation apart from Jesus Christ prior to His appointed time of return (Revelation 20).
6. The reality of the state of the dead disproves the notion that the malefactor will be with Jesus that very day in Heaven. (See Biblical Proofs: V. Man's Ways (ii) The State Of The Dead.)

In the original Greek, there are no punctuation marks as we have in English today. The comma in the KJV, as well as nearly every other Bible translation, is placed BEFORE the word today, thus making the verse convey the thief will be with Christ that very day in paradise, presuming Heaven. Two common beliefs form the basis for this punctuation error:

• Going to Heaven upon death.
• The immortality of the soul.

What the Bible teaches about the state of the dead and the two resurrections contradict this verse if the punctuation remains as such. The comma should appropriately be placed AFTER the word today to emphasize when the statement was given and not where the malefactor will be. Paradise is not Heaven as most presume, but is the Kingdom of God on the earth after Christ's return. Now whether the thief will be a part of the first resurrection of the Saints at Christ's return or the second resurrection after the one thousand year rule of Christ is not fully known, but probability points toward the latter.

Scripture References

Nearly all Scripture references are taken from the following two sources:

KJV

The study Bible presented here is the King James Version Bible, with the notable exception of the books placed in their original order as by Ezra and the apostle John.

AFV

The Holy Bible In Its Original Order: A New English Translation: A Faithful Version With Commentary - Second Edition is a modern English Bible translation by Fred R. Coulter at the Christian Biblical Church of God that translates the original Hebrew and Koine Greek into modern-day English faithfully. This translation is the only full study Bible that places all of the books in their proper canonization order.

All Scripture passages quoted will be marked with one of these labels showing their origin. Any other translations used will be noted accordingly.

So why the King James Version here?

First, the KJV is a "word-for-word" (formal equivalence) translation instead of an interpretation of the texts, or a "meaning-for-meaning" (functional equivalence) translation. To determine proper Christian doctrine, one should use a good, in-depth study Bible translation utilizing the formal technique. The KJV, though hard to read at first, allows the student to research the original words of the manuscripts for such studies. Second, the Textus Receptus (Received Text), which contains the fewest manuscript errors, was used in the translation of the KJV. Most other Bible translations, using the Westcott-Hort text, have omissions and incorporated errors in their translations that may not be apparent to most Bible students. And finally, the KJV is public domain.

There is no denying the fact that in the KJV, there are numerous errors and sections poorly translated. All of these areas must be acknowledged and corrected if one is to achieve a full, proper understanding of the Scriptures from the original manuscripts. At the top of all pages under the STUDY AIDS tab, a list of known KJV errors is provided. The KJV has been the Bible translation for many years to the people since its introduction. In turn, this translation has given a vast number of individuals open access to the Scriptures (as well as the knowledge for salvation through Jesus Christ) that had been very difficult prior.

With proper instruction of the inherent translation errors of the KJV Bible, it can be a good, effective translation to learn God's truths. Though the KJV translation is not entirely the "best" because of its errors in translation and difficulty in reading, it is better than most. Also, when sharing a Bible translation with others at little cost, it becomes more affordable with the fact of it being public domain.

A highly recommend KJV Bible is The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger. This study Bible is the Authorized Version of 1611 (KJV) complete with notes and appendixes by E. W. Bullinger.

According to the Preface,

"The human element is excluded, as far a possible, so that the reader may realize that the pervading object of the book is not merely to enable him to interpret the Bible, but to make the Bible the interpreter of God's Word, and Will, to him."

-- The Companion Bible, Preface, pg. vii.

The detailed notes Bullinger has documented are packed throughout every page and will become a source of treasure to any serious student. Though overwhelming in the beginning, the feeling will subside with appreciation over time. The vast majority of his work is quite detailed and trustworthy, but Bullinger's notes and appendixes are not 100% perfect on understanding and doctrine. Bullinger does make a mistake or two in judgment. Personally, I have three of these Bibles in my home library. I have used this KJV study Bible extensively in my early years of study and currently still do from time to time.

Since The Companion Bible is public domain, I have found several sites that host the entire book online for viewing if one desires not to purchase a hard copy of their own. Some sites even allow for you to freely download PDF copies. Though I do not endorse the following sites, I will link to them if you desire to view, or download, this Bible for your own use.

Companionbible.Bullinger.1901-Haywood.2005.
https://archive.org
View or download in a variety of formats (including PDF) the O.T. and N.T. (along with the "Appendixes"). There are 2 files to download.
(If a "404 Error" occurs, goto https://archive.org website and search with the key words "companion bible bullinger". In the results, select "Companion Bible OT".)

The Complete Companion Bible on PDF
http://www.heavendwellers.com
View The Companion Bible (PDF) by each book individually.

The Complete Companion Bible on PDF
https://www.companionbiblecondensed.com
View The Companion Bible (PDF) by each book individually in a re-typed format for a cleaner look and feel.

Appendixes To The Companion Bible
http://www.heavendwellers.com
View The Companion Bible "Appendixes" (PDF) individually along with "Other Notes Found In The Companion Bible."

Appendixes To The Companion Bible
http://www.therain.org
View The Companion Bible "Appendixes" (HTML) individually along with "Other Notes Found In The Companion Bible."

A highly recommended Bible instead of the KJV is The Holy Bible In Its Original Order: A New English Translation: A Faithful Version With Commentary- Second Edition. This modern English Bible is a faithful translation of the Textus Receptus (Latin: "received text") with no common errors associated with the KJV or other modern English Bible translations. In addition to all the books of the Bible placed in their proper canonical order, a detailed history of the modern Bible and study appendixes are added for further study and understanding. Altogether this study Bible provides a deeper foundational understanding of the Scriptures without compromising on the truth of God.

The Holy Bible In Its Original Order: A Faithful Version is the main study Bible I use. Most Scriptures are referenced from this translation on this site.

Though The Holy Bible In Its Original Order: A Faithful Version may be purchased for your library and personal study, it is also available to read online for free. A Bible app for your iOS or Android device is also freely available. Overall, there is ample opportunity to utilize this Bible personally and share it with others.

To learn more about this particular Bible or read it for yourself, visit the following links.

A Faithful Version - The Original Bible Restored
https://afaithfulversion.org
Read this Bible, its commentaries, and appendixes.

The Original Bible Restored
https://theoriginalbiblerestored.com
To learn more about this Bible as well as to purchase one for yourself.
(Note: I do NOT benefit from any sales or recommendations.)

In Conclusion

Out of all the existing websites on the Internet about the Bible and Christianity, why this site? What makes Victoria Knight ICG (Individual of a Church of God) so important?

The work and effort of this website is an attempt to share with others the wonderful truths of God freely given to me. For these reasons, the information given is presented:

Share With Others My Understanding.

My biblical understanding from various teachers and resources of study contribute to the majority of the information presented here. This is my attempt to reiterate that knowledge and competence through short, direct, and informative articles.

Provide Resources for Others to Learn the truth.

If I desire to share and teach the knowledge and truth of the Bible with others, it is only proper for me to share the necessary resources. By doing so, I hope to provide an opportunity for others to research the information out for themselves, prove it so, and draw upon the same conclusions.

Acknowledging My Faith in God and Living My Beliefs.

The world around us is growing more and more anti-God and aggressive towards the Christian faith. Personally, my faith must remain vigilant and grounded in the truths of God taught by His word to withstand that aggression. This website allows me to acknowledge my faith and show the beliefs that drive my life.