What is The Remedy by Timothy R. Jennings?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Timothy R. Jennings, M.D. has written his own paraphrase of the New Testament, plus Genesis and the Psalms, with his educational background as a psychiatrist called The Remedy. He is a Seventh Day Adventist and follows the teaching of its founder, Ellen G. White. He approaches Scripture through the eyes of only love and not justice, teaching that God cannot be both loving and vengeful. Dr. Jennings is not writing as a Bible scholar, and therefore writes from an eisegetical perspective, making the Scripture fit into his way of thinking. He distorts God’s plan of salvation, as well as the biblical view of eternal punishment. The Remedy downplays God’s dealing with sin and describes a sentimental God who loves you too much, and in spite of your sin, everything will be okay.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Key Old Testament passages like Isaiah 33:14 and Daniel 12:2 allude to perpetual destruction or "everlasting contempt" for the wicked, which some interpretations understand as an unending, conscious state of suffering or being cut off from God.
• The Remedy does not have the Old Testament books paraphrased at this time.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Concerning eternal punishment, Jesus had quite a bit to say about eternal punishment in Luke 16:22–24, Mark 9:43–47, and Matthew 25:46.
• ESV: Matthew 25:41: “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’" 46: "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
• The Remedy: Matthew 25:41: "Then the King will say to the unhealed—those on his left, whose hearts remain embittered with fear and selfishness: ‘You have what you’ve chosen: Depart from me, you who are terminal, doomed by your own condition; your end is eternal fire prepared to consume evil.'” 46: "Then they will pass away for all eternity, but the healed—those whose hearts are in harmony with God's kingdom of love—will receive eternal life." (Emphasis added)
• ESV: Revelation 14:11 describes the fate of those who worship the Beast. "And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”
• The Remedy: Revelation 14:11: “The memory of their suffering and the lesson of their self-destructive choice will never be forgotten throughout all eternity. There will be no peace of mind—day or night—for those who prefer the methods of the beast and model after him, or for any who choose to mark themselves as followers of the beast."
• The Remedy twists the plan of salvation by making it a matter of healing, rather than forgiveness; it’s a matter of being out of harmony with God. Compare these verses:
• ESV: John 3:16–18: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God."
• The Remedy: John 3:16–18: "For God loved the world so much that he gave me, his One and only Son, so that all who open their hearts and trust me will be healed, and therefore not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send me, his Son, into the world to condemn the world, but to provide healing from sin in order to restore the world to unity with God through me. Whoever genuinely trusts me experiences renewal of mind and re-creation of heart, and therefore is no longer out of harmony with God: such a one will not be lost. But whoever does not trust me and does not experience renewal of mind and heart is hopelessly lost because they have not trusted in God’s One and only Son—the only healing solution.”
• ESV: Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”
• The Remedy: Ephesians 2:8: “It is only because of God’s grace that you have been healed through trust—and you did not create this trust yourself, but it was established through the evidence of God’s character revealed in the gift of Jesus Christ.”

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

We should be cautious when using a Bible paraphrase to understand Scripture. Valid translations use the ancient manuscript copies to accurately interpret the meaning of the text. Dr. Jennings has paraphrased the Word of God to fit his medical perspective of healing, rather than all-encompassing salvation from sin. It appears his emphasis is on minds, not on the work of Christ on the cross. He has taken it upon himself to interject his opinions into the text, rather than to exegetically translate it from its original intention. The Remedy downplays eternal punishment for sin and emphasizes God’s loving character, while downplaying His justice. Dr. Jennings’s background in the SDA church plays a large role in his distorted thinking. Any paraphrase written by one person should be viewed with caution. While some versions approach Scripture with the intention of making it easier to read and understand, Dr. Jennings has approached the Word with the intention of twisting it to fit his ideas, and this is very dangerous. This paraphrase should be avoided.

UNDERSTAND

• Dr. Jennings is a medical doctor who paraphrased the New Testament into his perspective of God being a loving God, but not a God of justice.
• The Remedy reflects Jennings’s idea of healing, rather than Jesus’s sacrificial atonement for sin.
• The Remedy twists the text of Scripture to minimize God’s wrath upon unbelievers.

REFLECT

• How do you view paraphrases of the Bible?
• Why do you think Dr. Jennings emphasizes God’s love and not His justice and wrath?
• How does emphasizing healing, rather than salvation from sin, minimize Christ’s death on the cross?

ENGAGE

• Why should we be cautious when using a Bible paraphrase?
• How can we show people that God is able to balance His love and justice at the same time?
• How should we direct others to use a valid Bible translation, rather than rely on a paraphrase?