The
NITPICKER'S GUIDE to COG Doctrinal Debates:
Flea Powder
for
Itching Ears
Does Your
Group Have Resident Heretics?
When many
people hear the word heretic, they think it means someone
who believes something that is not approved by the
leadership of their own religious group. And when they hear
the word heresy, they think it means a belief that is
contrary to one of the official doctrines of the group.
But that is
not really an accurate perspective on the Greek words
underlying these English terms, as they are used in the New
Testament.
Just what is
a heretic, and what is the heresy he may try to promote?
Here's what the Strong's Concordance Greek Lexicon
says:
G139
hairesis hah'ee-res-is
From
G138; properly a choice, that is, (specifically) a party
or (abstractly) disunion. (“heresy” is the Greek word
itself.): - heresy [which is the Greek word itself],
sect.
The word
"heretic" (spelled "heretick" in 1611 English) is actually
only used once in the KJV Bible:
A man that is an
heretick after the first and second admonition
reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and
sinneth, being condemned of himself.
(Titus 1:10-11)
It may not be
clear what is implied by this archaic English. See how the
same passage is translated in the NIV:
Warn a
divisive person once, and then warn him a second
time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may
be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is
self-condemned.
In other
words … a person is not a heretic just because he
believes something different. He is a heretic because he
is using that belief to cause division among those
with whom he is fellowshipping.
And heresy
isn't just a belief different from those that show up in an
official statement of beliefs of an organization. It is a
belief that someone insists on using to stir up contention
among those with whom he is fellowshipping.
Prov
6:16-19
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are
detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands
that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked
schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false
witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up
dissension among brothers. (NIV)
I have many
friends who believe things I may not agree are soundly
proven by scripture. And there are certain things that I
believe that I've not been able to persuade others to accept
yet. But as long as neither of us feels a compulsion to
shove our own convictions down each other's throats, we can
get along just fine!
It is when
people are not comfortable with just sharing what they
understand, and then allowing others to come to their own
conclusions, that trouble arises. It is when new people
arrive at a local fellowship group with an agenda to push
that they feel compelled to force down the throats of others
at all cost that heresy enters the picture.
This article
covers suggestions for dealing with some of the topic areas
that have been the source of considerable upheaval and
division and dissension in independent Sabbatarian Church of
God congregations for many years. This would include the
"Sacred Names" doctrine, the nature of Jesus, calendar
timing arguments, prophetic speculations, conspiracy
theories and more. There is, in general, nothing wrong with
studying, discussing, and even debating these issues. What
becomes of concern is when they are used as a wedge to
divide brethren who have been dwelling together in peace.
Differences
in understanding do not have to become heresies.
It is how they are handled that is the deciding factor.
Wind and
Waves
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and
puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his
house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose,
and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it
did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
(Matt.7:24-25 NIV)
What rock is
Jesus is speaking about here? In one analogy it is Jesus
Himself. But in this parable, He implies that building on
the rock is building on what He has said. And what He
has said in this context isn't unusual speculation about
prophecy, complex reasoning about how to construct a Holy
Calendar, or admonition on how to pronounce Hebrew words. It
is the very simple, basic precepts of the Sermon on the
Mount!
We each
individually need to "build our house upon the Rock" of
Jesus Christ and the things He has taught us through the
Scriptures. But this concept also applies to the "household
of faith," the local congregation. It needs to be built on
the Rock too.
There is
another Biblical analogy that describes what happens to us
individually and to all of us in congregations when we are
not grounded on solid rock.
Then we
will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the
waves, and blown here and there by every wind of
teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in
their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in
love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the
Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined
and held together by every supporting ligament, grows
and builds itself up in love, as each part does its
work. (Eph 4:14-16)
There have
been winds and waves of doctrine blowing and tossing people
around in the Church of God movement for decades. If this
hasn’t happened yet in your own local congregation, get
ready—it surely will in the coming months and years.
As mentioned
above, just because an idea is unfamiliar to us doesn’t mean
someone proposing it is a deceitful, scheming heretic. It
is those ideas that divide loving brethren that are truly
heresies. Some ideas we have not considered before may
actually build even more strength into our foundation, by
helping us to understand the teachings of Jesus more
clearly. But others may be mere wind and waves that will
attempt to tear down rather than build up.
There is a
lot of enthusiasm for Local Evangelism now in Church of God
circles. If your congregation is not equipped to discern the
difference between solid building materials and destructive
wind and waves, it is not really ready to reach out and
attempt to bring new people. The next section provides a
checklist of things you can do to make sure you are on the
solid Rock, ready for your congregation to grow.
Rock-Solid
Checklist
A group that
is being tossed to and fro on every wind of doctrine and
battered by waves of new ideas is not ready to reach out
with evangelism to bring more people into such an
environment. What can you do to calm the storms and make
sure your group is building on the solid Rock?
Step One
If you have
had the assumption that everyone in your group thinks alike
on all doctrinal matters, just because they have the same
“church roots,” think again. In an authoritarian church
organization that makes its own definition of “doctrinal
purity” a pre-requisite to membership, it is reasonable to
assume all members agree on the basics. But once people have
been set free from such restraints, it doesn’t take long for
many to start thinking for themselves for the first time,
looking at many topics from a fresh perspective.
This is not
necessarily bad, of course! Just because a perspective on a
certain topic has been around for a long time in Sabbatarian
Church of God settings doesn’t mean it is the Gospel Truth.
Then again, "fresh" doesn’t necessarily mean "better," either!
The reality
is that there are going to be differences of opinion on many
matters even in the smallest of independent fellowship
groups. Complete, permanent doctrinal unity in independent
Church of God settings, where there is no external force to
impose conformity, is an unattainable goal. This should not
be surprising—even Paul didn’t attempt to enforce conformity
in the congregations in the first century.
Accept
him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on
disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat
everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats
only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not
look down on him who does not, and the man who does not
eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for
God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone
else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls.
And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him
stand. (Romans 14:1-4 NIV)
The issue
isn’t that everyone must “all speak the same thing” on every
topic. What is important is that there is some minimum
doctrinal agreement on some very basic foundational
principles, or the group has no reason to exist.
What if some
Sabbatarian comes to your group and attempts to persuade
everyone that the New Testament is a fraud, and that Jesus
never existed? This “wind of doctrine” has been blowing
around the fringes of the Churches of God for years! Any
group which has not decided as a group that the inspiration
of the New Testament, and the reality of Jesus, are
non-negotiable Truths will find it difficult to present a
united front in rejecting such attempts.
What can you
do to avoid such an impasse? Step #1:
Don’t wait
for a crisis. Stop everything, sit down together, and
discuss what doctrinal areas are non-negotiable … and why.
Step Two
If you have
been meeting with the same small group of people for years,
you may have settled into a certain level of tolerance for
doctrinal confusion and bickering. But you need to realize
that the stakes get higher when you bring in new babes in
Christ … you do not want to cause little ones to stumble!
You need to
admit that without a central denominational headquarters,
there is no longer any real doctrinal authority that can
impose doctrinal uniformity on the conscience of
individuals. It is thus possible that some
or all of those in your group consider themselves to now be
their own doctrinal authority. And don’t be surprised if you
find that some of those self-appointed doctrinal authorities
also feel an obligation to press their own doctrinal agendas
on others.
Thus, even if
you have agreed upon some minimal points of doctrinal
agreement under step one, you may find that there are people
who are going to want to introduce “doctrinal novelties” at
every turn that aren’t covered under that agreement. If
allowed free rein, this sort of situation can turn into
almost a circus, and leave the heads of new spiritual babes
in Christ spinning. What they need most is a solid
foundation in the very basics of the Faith. If they are
introduced Sabbath after Sabbath to the contortions of some
doctrinal (or prophetic theory) twig, they are going to grow
up very stunted indeed.
How do you
address this problem? If you have the sort of local
organizational setup that allows just about anybody (or at
least any male) to get up and give a talk, preach a sermon,
or lead a Bible study, you need to do Step # 2:
Seriously consider
setting up some sort of "screening committee" of people you
really believe are "full of the Holy Spirit" and have "gifts
of discernment." Untried speakers would need to present a
general overview of what they plan to speak about to such a
committee. Then if a proposed speaker indicates he plans to
present material ranting on and on regarding some wild-eyed
theory, he can be headed off at the pass—gently but firmly.
The purpose is not to squelch anyone from sharing a “new
perspective” on some matter. It is, rather, to avoid giving
a platform to a heretic—someone who has no qualms about
dividing a family of believers over non-essentials.
If you aren’t
sure you have any individuals spiritually and emotionally
mature enough to handle such potentially contentious
situations, it would be good to start praying that God send
some to you, or reveal to you who among you may really have
these abilities.
But don’t
make the mistake of giving responsibility to people without
also granting them authority to actually act upon their
discernment. If you agree among yourselves to develop such a
committee, and agree on who should bear the responsibility,
then agree to empower them to DO something about random
doctrinal snipers.
Step Three
Once you have
a committee in place, you are ready for the final step.
The number of
widely-spread doctrinal novelties, even those prevalent just
in Sabbatarian Church of God circles, has become almost
limitless since the introduction of the Internet. I have
spent many thousands of hours in the past decade and a half
researching unusual and controversial doctrines and teachers
and groups, such as those I profile on my
Field Guide to the
Wild World of Religion Website—and I have barely scratched the surface of even
the most influential and notorious! No one can possibly take
it all in and sort it all through. Be sure that all those in
your group realize that your fellowship group is under no
obligation from the Bible to provide an "open pulpit," where
anyone is free to spread any agenda they wish with no
restraints. Nor is your group under any biblical obligation
to sort through the reasoning offered for every doctrinal
novelty that comes along. You will need to pray and ask for
guidance, both individually and as a group, for just what
topics you should investigate and which ones are a
distraction rather than a necessity.
If you do so,
you may find that some time, perhaps even in the near
future, you will be subjected to what may be referred to as
“spiritual blackmail” by someone wanting to push their own
“idea baby” within your fellowship setting. They may try to
tell your group, or the committee with the responsibility
for making decisions on topics open for promotion, that any
attempt at all to restrict anyone from pushing a doctrinal
agenda (or prophetic theory or the like) makes you all evil
“hierarchialists.” The history of the Sabbatarian Church of
God movement of the past century and more has, indeed, been
dominated at times by dictatorial leaders who imposed their
own idiosyncratic doctrinal system on all those under their
influence. Some have ruled with an iron fist, and squelched
all attempts to even calmly discuss possible honest
differences of opinion over debatable biblical topics. Some
of the people in your group may actually have been involved
with groups that had this sort of environment. Therefore
they may be particularly emotionally sensitive to
accusations that they are becoming “just like” those whose
dictatorship they have rejected.
If you know
for a fact that all those who are active, committed members
in your group have carefully and cooperatively worked
through setting the standards by which you have agreed to
gather, don’t give in to this type of spiritual blackmail!
Just because you don't provide a platform for every would-be
preacher or prophetic speculator doesn’t mean you are
establishing an unhealthy dictatorship. No one is obligated
to submit his own conscience to your group’s standards. If
he can fellowship peacefully within the parameters your
group has agreed upon, even if he disagrees with some of
your doctrines or customs, then he will no doubt be welcome
at your gatherings. If he cannot, and insists on
aggressively pushing his own agenda, you are perfectly
within your rights according to the guidance of scripture to
suggest that he find somewhere else to fellowship. Someone
who belligerently insists you must listen to his continued
badgering on some topic, even after you have explained why
his personal agenda is not welcome, is not being just a
"brother in Christ" but is setting himself up as a teacher.
Without direct, divine validation from God that He has,
indeed, sent this person to “set you straight,” you are
under no obligation to give in to such spiritual bullies.
And thus Step #3 is:
“Just say
no” to spiritual blackmail!
Astounding
New Truth?
One of the
steps to a healthy, stable fellowship environment for new
babes in Christ discussed above is to establish a committee
of spiritually mature people to deal with doctrinal
novelties. The purpose of this is not to squelch anyone from
sharing a “new perspective” on some matter. It is, rather,
to avoid giving a platform to a heretic—someone who has no
qualms about dividing a family of believers over
non-essentials.
But what if
you are the one with a “new idea” that you have discovered,
and which you believe it is vital for you to share with
others? You may have previously thought that a conservative
approach within your group to the introduction of doctrinal
novelties was wise—but now that you are the one with what
you may even believe is “astounding new truth,” you may be
tempted to insist all caution be tossed to the winds. You
may feel that you have come to understand this new
information through the direct leading of the Holy
Spirit—and isn’t the New Testament very clear that we
shouldn’t “quench the Holy Spirit”?!
Well, yes it
is. But that doesn’t mean that being cautious about jumping
on the bandwagon of some idea that is new to you, and being
circumspect about how urgently you press the information
upon others, is the equivalent of the idea of quenching the
Spirit.
Personal
Rock-Solid Checklist
If you have a
new “idea baby” that you feel just bursting to push on
others, you may find it prudent to consider the following
checklist first.
-
Don’t
assume that just because some concept is new to you that
it is new to the whole Sabbatarian Church of God world.
Many may have been studying for decades the topic that
you may have just come upon for the first time on some
website or in some book or booklet a few weeks ago. For
instance, I was first exposed to the topic of the
exclusive use of the Hebrew names for the Father clear
back in the late 1960s. I first heard about the
contention over “Passover timing” in the early 1980s,
and over the “Hebrew calendar” in the late 1980s. I’ve
read widely on these topics ever since. It is thus
almost humorous to me to read the breathless hype shared
by someone who has just recently heard one tiny bit of
the reasoning on one of these topics for the first time.
They are just so sure that they have stumbled on a truth
hidden from almost everyone else for 2,000 years, and
that they are obligated to shout it from the rooftops. I
may admire their zeal and respect their sincerity—but I
still do not believe that they need a platform in a
local congregation to push their agenda.
-
Don't try
to use exaggerated hype to make your new point … it
doesn't work with those who were exposed to the topic
long before you.
-
Don't
talk down to people with whom you've never discussed the
topic. You may find that they know a lot more than you
about this “new” idea, and you'll only be embarrassed.
-
If you
are really a newbie to the whole topic, consider not
trying to set yourself up as a "teacher" about it.
-
A
plausible explanation is not the same thing as "truth."
Just because you have bought into the arguments of a
particular article or website doesn't make it so.
Consider perhaps studying more about the qualities of
effective reasoning before you try to persuade others
about the logic underlying your new-found idea.
The first to present his case seems right, till
another comes forward and questions him. (Pro 18:17)
-
If the
topic is new to you, you may make the mistake of
thinking that it is the "most important" topic one could
possibly care about. But if you read through the New
Testament, you may find your topic isn't even addressed,
let alone put in a position of importance of any kind.
Get a clue from this!
-
Get your
priorities straight. If you study the whole New
Testament, you may conclude that "doctrine" is the most
important reality of all. I haven't found that to be
true, but if you have, you may have to "stand your
ground" and be willing to be rejected and have to "stand
alone" for that tiny tidbit of doctrine that has caught
your attention. But maybe, just maybe, God's priorities
are different from that. Try lining up the passages in
the New Testament about your new-found doctrine with the
passages about "unity in the body” and "not forsaking
the assembling of yourselves together”… with your
non-negotiable doctrine that may threaten to separate
you from everyone. You may conclude in the end that you
must make your stand for the doctrine. But be sure to
count the cost first.
There is a
right division coming in the world and the Church some
day. But the divider/separator will be Jesus Himself! And
what is His criteria for such division/separation? It is
found Matthew 25:
"When the Son of Man comes
in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit
on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be
gathered before him, and he will separate the people one
from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the
goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats
on his left.
"Then the King will say
to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my
Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for
you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry
and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I
was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and
you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will
answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When
did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing
clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in
prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I
tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
"Then he will say to
those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed,
into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat,
I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a
stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes
and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and
you did not look after me.'
"They also will answer,
'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and
did not help you?'
"He will reply, 'I tell
you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the
least of these, you did not do for me.'
"Then they will go away
to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal
life." (Mat 25:31-46)
Humans who choose to
divide the flock
over some debatable doctrine
may find themselves some day
on the wrong side
when Jesus gets around
to the really important division!
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