Letters From Our Readers: January/February 2025

The Ten Commandments: A Law for the Future

In our September-October issue, we examined the ongoing relevance of the Ten Commandments today and in the future when they will be universally applied in God's Kingdom.

I just read your Q&A on how Jesus and the apostles made clear that we must obey the Ten Commandments. The greatest mistake churches are making now is not helping people understand what we must do to get close to God. His rules are not suggestions. They are the key to drawing close to Him, living in His light, and becoming more like Him in our thoughts and spirit (as opposed to living in the flesh). I'm reading the Bible in its entirety now, paragraph by paragraph, as a former law professor and scholar, to get clear on what it says and what it does not say. We cannot depend on what others say about the Bible sometimes. That being said, I'm grateful for the wonderful help you give people online as they study the Bible. Your citations of the biblical text are very helpful. -- From the Internet

A response to a letter to the editor about our teaching about the Trinity

I saw the email from Colorado and would like to tell you that you may have lost that reader, but I am here because you are the only people who reject the Trinity. I will be enrolling in the 12-lesson Bible study course. Thanks for all you do. -- Reader in New Mexico

More responses to our media and free resources

I found the article "Persecuted for Righteousness" (July-August issue) more than just interesting. I spent my whole life as an agnostic because my parents and grandparents tried to teach me religion using Christmas and Santa Claus as the starting base. I was born in England in 1946 right after the war. I realized Santa was not real because I saw him in all the shops and street corners ringing his bell. Later in life after I got out of the Navy, I got involved with [a church I've since left that] didn't celebrate Christmas, which was to my liking. I also found out they didn't believe the Trinity doctrine, the concept of an immortal soul and Easter. I never believed any of those doctrines, having never been brainwashed by any church. Your article confirmed that we both think the same. I would like to talk to any of your people because I have been looking for similar beliefs. -- Reader in Texas

Do you know of a church or denomination that teaches/preaches/practices only the Word of God, from the whole counsel of God, according to what the Scriptures actually say, without any taint of Catholicism or man-invented theologies/doctrines/practices? I'm longing for teaching and study in an assembly/church of the unadulterated truth of the whole of Scriptures without the man-invented "isms." Thank you. -- From the Internet

The United Church of God strives to derive all its teachings from the Bible, rejecting doctrines and practices that were introduced into mainstream Christianity in the centuries following the New Testament period. Those teachings that don't have solid biblical support-such as the replacement of Passover with Easter, the replacement of worshiping on God's weekly Sabbath with Sunday worship, the introduction of Christmas, or the formulation of the Trinity doctrine-we reject. So we would encourage you to visit ucg.org/congregations and reach out to the pastor of the congregation closest to you! He could answer any questions you might have. We hope to hear from you again soon!

I am 25 years old, and I live in Cuba. I just found out about this church while surfing the Internet, and I would like to know more about it: How are your meetings? Do the members all believe the same doctrine worldwide, or are there differences from one place to another? How are they organized worldwide and at the congregational level? Is there a magazine in Spanish that I can subscribe to? Is there a Bible course I can subscribe to? Do you have or use a specific version of the Bible? If so what is it and where can I get it? -- Reader in Cuba

We're so glad you discovered us and find our resources helpful! We do have a Spanish language magazine, as well as a Bible study course, and our congregations all teach the same doctrines. While we default to the New King James Version as a good all-around English translation, we don't espouse it or any other Bible translation as being the only "true" version, since any translation from one language to another by very nature has to make choices to balance understandable clarity for the end reader and absolute accuracy to the original source text. However, we do give an overview of how to choose a Bible translation on our website. For anybody looking for a congregation, visit ucg.org/congregations to find the closest one.

Thank you so kindly for sending me some of your free Bible study guides. I really appreciate it. I am writing to you today to ask if it's no trouble to please send me the new Bible study guides, the ones shown on TV or any others you recommend. Thank you so kindly and God bless you all. -- Reader in Queensland, Australia

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Letters From Our Readers: January/February 2025

Readers of Beyond Today magazine share their thoughts in the January/February 2025 issue.

The Ten Commandments: A Law for the Future

A response to a letter to the editor about our teaching about the Trinity

More responses to our media and free resources