Open Letter Regarding Recent Events
The Sapphire Review Vol. 2 | No. 17 • April 21, 2025
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Ephesians 4:3, KJV
RECENT EVENTS
This writing is an open letter to all our brothers and sisters in Christ. It is with a heavy heart that this letter is written. Heaviness following the message and tone of a recent broadcast, heaviness regarding what has transpired on communication channels following this broadcast, and heaviness as I consider what is coming on the road ahead if all do not choose the road of humility.
If you are going to read this letter, please read it in its entirety and pray for us, as we are for you, that we would all move forward from here under the banner of Christ.
Personal Reflection
As I reflect upon what has happened, I will start with myself. We have only just begun to present our interpretation of Genesis 1:1-2. Only just begun… A series has already been written that we planned to release in an orderly fashion each week. The hope was that this content would be delivered in bite size pieces so all our brothers and sisters could study along with us. Following each piece, we hoped that this would prompt further discussion and study amongst ourselves as we considered and searched if these things were so.1
We had one such study following our own meeting last Sabbath, which was great. We hope to continue these meetings, and that more will join, so that iron can sharpen iron, error will be filtered out, and nothing but truth will stand in the end. There was no motivation for lurking in the shadows or deliberately doing any works in darkness. We were very prayerful and considerate on how best to bring this information forward. Our current Substack series is where we ended up, and so we moved forward with the best of intentions.
What has followed is anything but order and decency.2 First, I will confess that what I initially thought was the best way to bring this information forward could have been handled in a different way. For that, I apologize for any decision that I have made that has resulted in any discord among the brethren.
Nevertheless, we find ourselves here now and it is my hope that we will unite in truth from here. Even if the initial delivery did not play out as I had hoped, I trust fully that JEHOVAH will work through all of this for our good, IF we ALL allow Him.3
The last sermon which was delivered against the interpretation that I hold regarding Genesis 1:1 did not persuade me to move away from my interpretation, but rather it strengthened the position that I hold. I then see this to mean that ALL of us brothers and sisters need to continue to study our scriptures and meet in brotherly love to discuss this matter more fully, until unity of truth is reached.
Lastly, regarding why I did not respond when the message was presented, I have the following to say: It is easy to stand from one’s own vantage point and make accusations as to why someone did or didn’t do something. It is entirely different when things are considered from the other person’s vantage point. We should all strive to consider all perspectives before we make assumptions in haste. I pray that JEHOVAH will help me in this endeavor as well.
From my standpoint, what was opened up after the sermon was an extremely hostile environment. I did not see a situation where, in general, there was a ready willingness to work through the scriptures together for the consideration of truth. Through grief and sorrow of heart, I saw only war drums being beaten. At that time it seemed appropriate not to speak, but rather to wait and pray for JEHOVAH’S leading and a more appropriate opportunity.
Shameful Responses
During the past couple of days, although it was encouraging to see some brothers earnestly striving together to come to a knowledge of truth, what I witnessed in others was appalling and shameful. I will say it again, what I witnessed in some was SHAMEFUL. If everyone were to judge themselves, how they responded, and how they spoke of others, the ones who were operating in error should know who they are and should hang their heads in shame.
I witnessed backbiting, false accusations, slander, misrepresentations of certain events, and scriptures being leveraged with too much haste and too little consideration. SHAMEFUL.
But let us all be encouraged that from here, all wrongs can be made right, and the blood of Christ cleanses us from all sin. Let us all fall upon the rock4 and proceed in brotherly love, searching for truth, and endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.5
A MESSAGE OF WOUNDS
“Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Proverbs 27:6, KJV)
Appeal
I pray that all of this is received with humility, a desire for truth, a desire for unity, and above all else, a desire for honoring our God and our Savior, Jesus Christ. I have heaviness with regards to the knowledge of what will come, as expressed by others, if the “traditional interpretation” is not upheld.
It is not division that we seek, but that we would all search the scriptures to know what is truth, and work together to that end.
What we believe was not accurately represented in the sermon that was given. As I write this, it currently feels all too familiar with history and what has happened with other men and women in the past when they stood for truth. We all profess that we have a love for the truth, but are we all employing that profession in practice when something has been presented as truth for consideration? Is it only the past traditions that must fall before an earnest and diligent study of the scriptures? Are remaining traditions to be immune from scrutiny and careful evaluation? Brothers and sisters, let it not be.
We are all part of one body, and we must all work together in striving for truth whenever the opportunity presents itself. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into a trap of believing something simply because any man has said that it is so. All things must be proved by scripture alone.
What has happened to Sola Scriptura? What has happened to this position and cry of the reformers? Has the spirit of JEHOVAH become so weak over the centuries that it alone can no longer impress truth upon the consciences of men as they diligently search the scriptures? Or, has the faith of men become so weak that they are now required to lean upon commentaries and theologians to help them understand doctrines? (please take this with the right intentions and not at the extremes)
“When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8, KJV)
If our interpretation is in error, it must be shown to be in error from scripture alone and not intermingled in a cloud of quotations from men, no matter how respected they may have been in their time. Truth becomes shrouded when too many sources of men are used. Scripture is sufficient for all doctrine. The word of man need not be used for defending it:
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:” (2 Timothy 3:16, KJV)
It is also important to note that our entire position has yet to be seen, and it is already being spoken of as incorrect. Would it not be better to hear an entire matter out from those who have exhibited a love for God, a love for truth, and to be diligent students of scripture prior to speaking out and calling it error?6
Let us not give place to the enemy for division, or to the upholding of error in any way. Let us use this circumstance as a catalyst for us all to search the scriptures more deeply.
Quotes of Men
We acknowledge that the “traditional interpretation” of Genesis 1:1 as being the first creative act of JEHOVAH is indeed upheld by many famous preachers, commentators, theologians, and even past respected men within our religion.
However, we must also acknowledge that these men upheld a heliocentric view of creation. Even if all these men had all light, and all doctrine correct on every matter except for the matter of cosmology, but we knew them to be in error only on the topic of cosmology, does their correctness on all of the other areas of doctrine then make it acceptable for us also to look to them for their opinions on cosmology (when we know them to be in error regarding this particular point)?
Genesis 1:1 as the first creative act is essential for the heliocentric model of creation. We acknowledge this. It is essential because otherwise Genesis 1:2 presents waters before there is an earth, which is an absolute impossibility in a space/globe model of the universe.
Therefore, we cannot accept the quotes of any past men, on the matter of Genesis 1:1, when those men are upholding a false view of cosmology that is in conflict with what we have all read and believe to be true from the Bible. Their opinions on this verse will be shaped by their erroneous view of the entire model of creation.
Proposed Proof Texts
It was implied that we have used or would intend to use scriptures that only suit our purposes while ignoring others. Brothers and sisters, this is not the case. We desire, as we hope that each one of you do, to consider all scriptures in their proper contexts and light. If there is any error in any position or belief that we hold to, we desire to know and correct such things, and hope that all of you will do the same.
PSALM 33:6
In response to our position that all things were created by the word of God and that Genesis 1:1, as the first creative act, would be the only creative act in the entire narrative of Genesis 1 where something was done without there first being an “And God said,” the verse in Psalm 33:6 was given:
“By the word of the LORD [JEHOVAH] were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.” (Psalm 33:6, KJV)
It is true that this associates the word of God with being the creative force behind the heaven(s) (shamayim), yet this verse is also fittingly applied to Genesis 1:6-8 when God spoke the firmament, which he called “heaven” (shamayim), into existence.
PSALM 104:5-6
Psalm 104:5-6 was presented as being a conclusive scripture for supporting Genesis 1:1 as the first creative act and also for dispelling any possibility of this verse being an introductory statement, as we believe.
“Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever. Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.” (Psalm 104:5–6, KJV)
Yet these two verses were taken without including the following three verses which are necessary to show the full context and which event is being described:
“At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.” (Psalm 104:7–9, KJV)
These verses in Psalm 104 are describing the flood of Noah’s day and not the creation of the earth in a formless state. Verse 9 states that when these waters, which covered the earth, were rebuked that they would not cover the earth AGAIN. If this were referring to the creation account, the flood would then cause this verse to be contradictory, as all the tops of the mountains were indeed covered during this time.7
Additionally, mountains being in existence is not in alignment with a formless mass of earth. If the earth is then taken to have been created in Genesis 1:1 with the mountains, then it could only be stated that it is void in Genesis 1:2 and not “without form and, void”.
JOB 26:7
Job 26:7 was presented as a proof text against our position, stating that the word “beliymah (בְּלִי־מָֽה),” which is classified in Strong’s as H1099 (and which is really just a hyphenated combination of two words), means “nothing, whatever.” The counter position is that if God had really wanted to describe the earth of Genesis 1:2, which is “without form [tohu - תֹ֙הוּ], and void [bohu - בֹ֔הוּ],” that He would have used the same word that is translated as “nothing” in this verse from Job:
“He stretcheth out the north over the empty place [tohu - תֹ֙הוּ], and hangeth the earth upon nothing [beliymah - בְּלִי־מָֽה].” (Job 26:7, KJV)
Yet, it should be noted that the Bible is using synonyms between the words “nothing” and the “empty place” in this verse in Job. The Hebrew word for “empty place” is the word “tohu (תֹ֙הוּ),” which does show us that in certain contexts, the word “tohu” is synonymous (having the same or nearly the same meaning) with “nothing.”8 (Tohu is also translated as “nothing” in Job 6:18).
“Tohu” is the same word used in Genesis 1:2 when it describes the earth as “without form.” We then see that “without form (tohu)” is synonymous with “nothing” from Job 26:7.
JEREMIAH 4:23-27
Lastly, Jeremiah 4:23-27 was referenced as showing how “without form, and void” means that something had to be in existence.
“I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; And the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, And all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, And all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, And all the cities thereof were broken down At the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; Yet will I not make a full end.” (Jeremiah 4:23–27, KJV)
Jeremiah is indeed employing the same Hebrew words of “tohu” and “bohu” that we see in Genesis 1:2. They are also translated as “without form, and void”, as in Genesis 1:2. Yet the narrative and the context of the scene is entirely different.
Genesis 1:2 is a clarifying statement about what has not yet happened with the earth as the author then steps away from the introductory statement of Genesis 1:1. (This same reasoning applies if chapter and verse markers are not in place). It is describing the scene of an earth that has not yet been formed, made, created; brought into existence. It is “nothing.”
Jeremiah is now looking at things, not from the view of the beginning of the creation (of our world), but rather the earth in a desolate and uninhabitable condition. He is hearkening back to the language used in Genesis 1:1 to express the severity of the destruction that he beheld. He was describing the earth as “without form and void,” just as Moses described it in Genesis 1:2. Yet, Jeremiah is not referring to the substance of the earth (as Moses was), but rather the inhabitable plain of the earth. Jeremiah still saw mountains (which have form) and broken down cities (which have form), but yet he saw “nothing” in the sense of the inhabitable plain.
There was no man, no birds, no plants, no life, no light. Nothing.
CLOSING
This letter is not intended to serve as an exhaustive study on this subject, for how could it be in a single letter when we are in the midst of sharing information on this topic in an orderly fashion with our weekly newsletters? Rather, this letter is meant to serve as an earnest appeal to our brothers and sisters, following the wounds that were recently struck upon our backs.
Let us hear the matter in full before making conclusions, and then each prayerfully and diligently consider these matters for ourselves, to see whether they be so. Let us then come together in brotherly love, with a desire for unity in truth, as defined and described in scripture, and study these matters out together in a bond of peace, not with the whips of hostility.
We are called to keep peace with one another so much as it is within our abilities.9 It is peace that we desire and unity with our brothers and sisters. Proverbs 27:6 was referenced, and wounding has certainly taken place. We also trust and believe that the wounds were delivered with the best of intentions. Yet, the delivery of wounds themselves, even if done with the best of intentions, do not in themselves make the message one is delivering through the wounds the fulness of truth. It is our great prayer and hope that, in the end, there will be unity and peace in brotherly love, and agreement in truth.
Unless we can be shown to be in error by scripture alone, without the words and traditions of learned men, we cannot recant our position nor deny the convictions of our hearts. We must continue to present what we believe to be truth, as we have seen it.
This is not said with stubbornness, but simply that we have not shared all that there is to share. Neither have we been able to properly study this out with our brothers and sisters, which we cannot do until all has been shared.
If what we are sharing is error, then through humility, submission, and study together, it will be brought into the light, and we will all stand united in the end.
If what we are sharing is truth, then through humility, submission, and study together, it will be brought into the light, and we will all stand united in the end.
If truth is what we are presenting, then it must be considered and it must be presented, lest JEHOVAH remove this torch from our grasp and raise up another to present it, leaving us only to hang our heads when we are called to answer for that which was entrusted to us in this life.
We will then continue, with fear and trembling, with our series this Friday. Our prayer will continue to be for peace and unity in truth, and that this series will bring us all closer together as we each study the scriptures more thoroughly.
May JEHOVAH help us all.
God Bless,
Charles
