Why does God
Allow Evil? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
Should God’s
existence be proven? /Apologeticshtml/Should the Bible and God Be Proven
Fideism vs WCG.htm
Should Christians Accept the Leadership of Heretical or Apostate Pastors and Ministers?
Perhaps you have this serious spiritual problem: You believe that your local minister,
pastor, priest, or deacon has departed from the faith. What should be done? Should Christians accept the spiritual
leadership of apostate church leaders, even if they are perfectly nice and
faithful to their wives? If so, you
have a very uncomfortable position if a majority of the members of your local
church knowingly voted in favor of putting a known apostate into a position of
authority in your local church. Or, it
could be the denominational authorities moved around ministers and pastors, and
dropped an apostate who (say) denies the miracles of Jesus and Moses, thinks
homosexual sex is fine, and affirms the theory of evolution into your local
pulpit. Such a member should be
disfellowshiped instead of being put into a position of authority if that is
possible. A bigger problem arises when the
leadership of your church is being is taken over than when some laymembers are
doctrinally corrupt. Your local group
may well be apostate, even when a minority of laymembers still disagree with the
direction of the majority and/or the leadership.
Now,
if your group is part of a larger denomination, you should be able to
appeal up the chain of command. Can the
local pastor or a board of pastors or a bishop be appealed to in order to
remove this man from your local church?
However, I would only recommend going over the head of this deacon to
higher authorities (as per Matt. 18:15-16) after in private telling
this deacon that you intend to do this.
Give him a warning that you plan to do this. Even bring in one or two others who agree with you about this on
another occasion, if he'll accept another meeting about the situation.
But
suppose your pastor is the final authority humanly in your (independent)
group continues to accept this man and the Matt. 18:15+ process yields no
changes concerning removing this deacon.
Then you're faced directly with the unpleasant issues raised in Ernest
Pickering's "Biblical Separation: The Struggle for a Pure
Church." Although this book is largely a traditional Christian
church history, and focuses on the problems on large Protestant denominations,
like the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist Churches, its principles still
are applicable elsewhere, such as in much smaller groups. We should
separate ourselves from apostasy when it's clear that the apostasy can't be
evicted from or silenced in the group we're with, and form a new
group. I'm well aware that this message may be very unpleasant for many
to hear, for you may have many longstanding friends and family members in
the group you're attending.
There can be good reasons for church
splits and divisions that one side or the other has good reasons for
causing. Consider this: Should true Christians stay unified with
other "Christians" who are in fact apostates, who deny fundamental
doctrines of the faith? Can there be real spiritual unity between such
people even when they are housed under the same denominational label or local
church? The apparent physical and organizational unity covers up the
spiritual reality of division. Paul states a key principle that allows
for schisms by Christians seeking to protect the teaching of true doctrines
that would be obscured or even censored by staying in a group that has many
others in positions of power (as missionaries, pastors, bishops, seminary
professors, etc.) who deny them in I Cor. 6:14-17: "Do not be bound
together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and
lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony
has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an
unbeliever? Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For
we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, 'I will dwell in them
and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My
people. Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate,' says the
Lord, and do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you."
Just because someone says he is a
"Christian," and uses that label to describe himself, doesn't mean he
is. Instead, doctrinal tests may be imposed that reveal someone is
actually an unbeliever, an apostate, an infidel. For example, should
those who deny Jesus is God be in the same organization as those who
aren't? What about those who deny His Virgin Birth and the miracles of
the Old and New Testaments: Should those who affirm these miracles stay
in the same house as those who deny them? What about those who deny
Jesus' sacrifice provided a blood atonement that's necessary to be accepted by
faith to be saved? If they still call themselves "Christians,"
should true believers deceive themselves into thinking such liberal theological
types are really "Christians"? The theological/doctrinal
conservatives should be willing to pack their bags and leave if the liberals
can't be evicted from positions of power and influence within their
organization.
Similarly, notice Babylon the Great,
which represents a great apostate church. (I believe it represents Roman
Catholicism, since the woman, who represents a church in prophecy, rides the
Beast, which is the Roman Empire, both anciently and during its periodical
resurrections). The faithful are told to leave her: "And I
heard another voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, my people, that you
may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her
plagues.'" (Rev. 18:4) It can be a spiritual duty to leave a
false church, and thus cause a schism, when it concerns key doctrines, not
minor issues.
For more on this general subject,
inquirers may want to research Charles H. Spurgeon and the famous
"Down-grade" controversy. Ernest Pickering's "Biblical
Separation: The Struggle for a Pure Church" heavily influences what
is written here. He does go through a good amount of church history,
going back to Augustine, on this general issue.
Eric Snow
Click here to access essays that defend Christianity: /apologetics.html
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teachings: /doctrinal.html
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Why does God
Allow Evil? Click here: /Apologeticshtml/Why
Does God Allow Evil 0908.htm
May Christians
work on Saturdays? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Protestant
Rhetoric vs Sabbath Refuted.htm
Should
Christians obey the Old Testament law? /doctrinalhtml/Does the
New Covenant Abolish the OT Law.htm
Do you have an
immortal soul? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Here and
Hereafter.htm
Does the
ministry have authority? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is There
an Ordained Ministry vs Edwards.html
Is the United
States the Beast? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Are We
the Beast vs Collins.htm
Should you give
10% of your income to your church? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Does the
Argument from Silence Abolish the Old Testament Law of Tithing 0205 Mokarow rebuttal.htm
Is Jesus God?
Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Is Jesus
God.htm
Will there be a
third resurrection? Click here: /doctrinalhtml/Will
There Be a Third Resurrection.htm
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