François du Toit’s Mirror Bible is neither a translation nor even a paraphrase of the New Testament. Instead, it presents a deeply altered interpretation that distorts core gospel doctrines. This work redefines redemption, dismisses the necessity of Christ’s atoning sacrifice, and outright rejects the Hebrew Scriptures as irrelevant—yet paradoxically quotes them when convenient. While some may be drawn to its mystical language, the Mirror Bible systematically removes critical biblical truths, making it an unreliable source for understanding the message of the cross.
The Mirror Bible is Neither a Translation nor a Paraphrase
A true translation seeks to convey the meaning of the original Greek and Hebrew texts into another language as accurately as possible. A paraphrase, though less precise, still aims to restate the same message in more contemporary terms. However, the Mirror Bible does neither. Instead, it introduces ideas that are absent from the Greek text while deliberately omitting key gospel concepts.
For example, consider John 1:12 in the English Standard Version (ESV):
“But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”
Yet, in the Mirror Bible, this same verse is rewritten as:
“Everyone who realizes their association in him, convinced that he is their original life and that his name defines them, God gives the assurance that they are indeed his offspring, begotten of him; he sanctions the legitimacy of their sonship.”
This rendering removes the necessity of the cross as the condition for becoming sons of God. Instead, it implies that all people are already God’s children and merely need to “realize” their pre-existing identity NOT in Christ but in Adam.
This is not a translation. This is not a paraphrase. This is a deliberate rewriting of the New Testament to fit François du Toit’s personal theology.
The Deification of Adam: A Departure from the Gospel
The Mirror Bible teaches that Adam was created already righteous, holy, and perfect—just as humanity definitivly is in Christ today. By making this claim, du Toit strips away the necessity of Jesus Christ as the Second Adam, who came to redeem humanity from the fall. Instead, his theology reduces salvation to merely remembering one’s “true identity.”In Adam!
Furthermore, du Toit denies that humanity inherited a sin condition from Adam. Instead, he asserts that the only thing Adam lost was his awareness of his perfection—not his standing with God. However, Romans 5:12 makes it explicitly clear that sin entered the world through Adam, bringing death to all people:
“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”
Du Toit’s reinterpretation directly contradicts the gospel, which proclaims that Jesus came to undo the curse of Adam’s sin—not merely to “remind” humanity of their supposed perfection in Adam.
Denunciation of Jesus Christ
The Mirror Bible departs from the gospel in several foundational areas regarding Christ’s identity and purpose:
• Virgin Birth: Du Toit downplays the necessity of Jesus’ virgin birth, despite the Bible affirming it as essential to Christ’s divine nature (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23).
• The Blood of Christ: He claims that Christ’s blood could have been the blood of any man, denying its unique atoning significance (Hebrews 9:20).
• The Cross as God’s Plan: He rejects the idea that the cross was God’s preordained plan for redemption, directly contradicting Acts 2:23, which states that Jesus was “delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God.”
By stripping Christ’s life, death, and resurrection of their atoning significance, du Toit reduces Jesus to merely an example, rather than a Savior.
Universalism: A Redeemed Mindset, Not Redemption from Sin
François du Toit’s teachings promote a form of universalism—but not in the sense that all people are saved through Christ’s sacrifice. Rather, he teaches that humanity was “redeemed” only in the sense of a renewed awareness—not from sin itself.
Du Toit states:
“Jesus died humanity’s death and when the stone was rolled away, we were raised together with him! Every human life is fully represented in him!” (mirrorword.net).
However, he clarifies that this does not mean humanity was saved from sin but rather that Jesus’ resurrection restored mankind’s awareness of their “original identity”—going back to Adam.
This view denies the need for redemption through the blood of Christ and teaches that the cross changed nothing except humanity’s mindset. However, exactly who’s mindset did it change? If this was the goal of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, he is obviously the most unmitigated failure that ever came to the planet. Yet the gospel proclaims that Christ’s death and resurrection were the means of salvation:
“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” (Ephesians 1:7)
Du Toit’s teachings eliminate the need for repentance, salvation, and faith in Christ, replacing them with the idea that people simply need to “wake up” to a truth that was always there. Here in Mike Williams ministries and The Gospel Revolution, we teach that it indeed required repentance, salvation, and faith to be redeemed! However, with reliance partially on Paul’s declaration, “I am redeemed by the faith of the son of God” we hold to the solid truth. That It was Christ who met the requirements of repentance, salvation, and faith for the redemption of the world . While some disagree with this position, at least it is in the Bible. Paul declares:
“I am redeemed by the faith of the Son of God.”
Dismissal of Hebrew Scriptures
The Mirror Bible not only distorts the New Testament but also dismisses the Hebrew Scriptures as irrelevant. Du Toit refers to them as “those old Jewish writings,” despite Jesus Himself declaring that the Old Testament testifies of Him:
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” (John 5:39)
By disregarding the Hebrew Scriptures, the Mirror Bible ignores the foundation of biblical understanding rejecting the very texts that Jesus and the apostle Paul affirmed.
Caution for Readers
Because the Mirror Bible significantly alters, distorts, and removes critical gospel truths, readers should exercise extreme caution when engaging with its teachings. The words found in the Mirror Bible are not found in the original Greek text, nor do they accurately reflect the meaning of the New Testament.
Rather than being a translation or even a paraphrase, it is a theological reinterpretation that leads readers away from the gospel.
For those seeking an accurate understanding of the New Testament, it is essential to study any Bible that is a word for word translation or at least paraphrased!
Final Thoughts
The Mirror Bible presents a dangerous departure from the gospel, denying:
✔️ The inherited sin condition of humanity in Adam.
✔️ The necessity of Jesus’ atoning blood
✔️ The purpose of Christ’s death on the cross
✔️ The validity of the Hebrew Scriptures
Instead, it replaces the gospel of redemption with a philosophy of self-awareness—teaching that people do not need salvation as taught by Christ an Paul, indeed, every New Testament writer. But simply and only need to recognize their own divinity in Adam.Not in Jesus Christ.
Readers should be warned that the Mirror Bible is not a faithful representation of the New Testement, but a distortion that leads away from the Gospet truths. Every single one of them. That being said, let me close with this: I consider François du Toit and his wife, Lydia, to be friends. They have visited me at my home in Houston and graciously ate my burnt ribs without complaint. They are two of the most wonderful people I have ever had the chance to meet. Their passion and compassion are unparalleled.
At the Gospel Revolution, we do not tell anyone what to read or not to read. In fact, despite the cautions above, I encourage you to read the Mirror Bible! If you are of a mystical persuasion, you will love every word of it. However, if you love the truth of the gospel? You will find absolutely no gospel in my friend’s Mirror Bible.
— Michael Lilborn Williams