Another Open Response Letter
The Base Institute is an organization committed to honest research of Biblical history. Like any public ministry, there are critics, and BASE Institute is no exception.
AN OPEN LETTER TO Mr. Gordon Franz from Swede (Norm) Carlson :
Gordon Franz
25 September 2006
Dear Mr Franz,
The concern, that prompts this “broadside” is that you, in your public correspondence, referred to a friend of mine and co-worker in the Great Commission, Bob Cornuke, as an archaeological treasure hunter. To my knowledge, Bob has not taken anything of an archaeological nature (except photos and pieces of rock that were examined later by lab scientists, from close to the top of Jabel El-Lawz) from any site he has investigated. Moreover, having first translated and exegeted the book of Galatians 1 in 1978, I as did Bob, somewhat later, come to the conclusion, as did Col. James Irwin another friend of mine who is in Glory (and Josephus), that Mt. Horeb is in Arabia 2 (remember that the Sinai Peninsula was an Egyptian territory in the period 1500-1440 B.C., so that leaving Egypt meant going beyond that peninsula bearing the name of Sinai).
As a Christian teacher, retired Pastor and Aerospace Scientist, I request that you publicly apologize to our brother Bob for speaking so harshly and contemptuously of him in your articles, and that you refrain from interrupting his speaking engagements around the country.
With what local Church are you in fellowship? This is a charge that should be handled by the elders of your Church in accordance with Matthew 18:15-22. 3 Mr. Franz, I am only one of a host of Christian workers who know Bob and will vouch for his integrity before your elder board.
In a vain attempt to get ahold of you by telephone because in your letter you didn’t include your telephone number, and having no luck trying to find your address from the envelope of your request for CD’s, via Web mapping features, I decided not to send you the books you requested. 4
I have an aversion to making monetary (postage) and spiritual outlays to individuals who don’t show me the courtesy of something as simple as giving me their phone number (I usually need to explain how to use the several CDs contained in the shipment). I requested your phone number by an email to your publisher (Bible and Spade), but have received no response from you or your publisher.
As has happened to many co-workers with Christ, because of the money 5 received running tours to and throughout the East, I suppose, and rightly so, you can’t throw the baby out with the bathwater: to accept every wild idea about where is the Mt. of Moses, The Arc of the Covenant, Noah’s Ark, etc.? I understand that many tours are made each year for ‘big bucks’ to show off these archaeological artifacts.
This is the converse of what you erroneously accuse Bob Cornuke of: instead, you are “bringing Mohammed to the mountain” - for money! You and those in the tour business have laid your reputations on the line that such-and-such was the place that this-or-that event happened at a particular location.
You do, I think, protest against a possible Saudi site for Horeb, as Mark Twain said, “a little too loudly”. You seem to be actually protesting that Bob, like another (heteros or allos? Gal 1:6-7) famous archaeologist, Nelson Glueck, takes the Bible in a literal fashion in order to locate Biblical places and objects. Your recent article concerning the Reed Sea crossing was interestingly written but exists in other writings, especially those of unbelieving 6 liberal scholars. Alas, there is probably too little actual archaeological work being done these days because of funding. Please stop harassing Bob: an individual who is self supporting and one who is attempting to solve certain archaeological problems. (You can’t get 2.5 million people, plus animals and equipment in the small area below St. Katharine’s Monastery that you think is described in Exodus.)
Your technique in harassing Bob Cornuke, unfortunately, reminds me of the Judaizers and heretics that harassed the Apostles and especially the Apostle Paul, as described in the book of the “Praxeis”, and as described in and by the rest of the N.T. epistles. 7
These folks (like you) actually followed Paul (Bob)and his entourage, from town to town, raising discord in many cities.
I trust Mr. Franz that you will accept this letter and repent of your un-Christian behavior toward our brother Bob.
A servant of Jesus, the Son of God, the Lord of Glory,
Colorado Free Bible College
Swede (Norm) Carlson
185 N. Murray Blvd. #807
Colorado Springs, Co 80916
719-591-6042
alaskacarlson@yahoo.com
1 Ga 1:17 neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that were apostles before me: but I went away into Arabia; and again I returned unto Damascus.
Ga 4:25 {1} Now this Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia and answereth to the Jerusalem that now is: for she is in bondage with her children. {1) Many ancient authorities read For Sinai is a mountain in Arabia}
2 Ex 3:10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Ex 3:11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt.
Ex 3:12 And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. (i.e., Horeb)
3 Mt 18:15 ¶ Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.
17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
21 ¶ Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
4 I was at that time, unwilling to send you my (free) books4 you requested, that are used in my (free) classes at home and now via (free) webcam courses, to train men and women for the work of the ministry.
5 1Ti 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. {erred: or, been seduced}
2Ti 4:10 For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.
1Jo 2:15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love for the Father is not in him.
16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
6 1 Co 15:1 ¶ Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, since ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {keep…: or, hold fast} {what: Gr. by what speech}
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. {one…: or, an abortive}
7 1Th 2:14 For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which in Judaea are in Christ Jesus: for ye also have suffered like things of your own countrymen, even as they have of the Jews:
Acts 15:24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26 Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
3 John 4 I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.
5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers;
6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a godly sort, thou shalt do well: {after…: Gr. worthy of God}
7 Because that for his name’s sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles.
8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we might be fellowhelpers to the truth. {fellowhelpers: or, joint–labourers}
9 ¶ I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.
10 Wherefore, if I come, I will remember his deeds which he doeth, prating against us with malicious words: and not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church.
11 Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that practices doing evil hath not seen God.
