Sullivan church of Christ – Sullivan, MO
Date: November 19, 2006
GOOD PEOPLE IN BAD CHURCHES
Dub McClish
Introduction
Numerous brethren have asked me what they can/should do about the liberal
congregation of which they are members. When God announced the coming
destruction of “Babylon,” He warned His people: “Come forth, my people, out of her,
that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Rev.
18:4). This warning applies to God’s people in the “Babylons” of every age and
species, including the many apostate congregations of our time that have
rebelled against Heaven. What can/should they do? The answer from Scripture is
clear: “Come forth, my people….” Many good brethren have obeyed this warning
and have left such corrupt bodies in recent years, but I believe thousands of
unhappy saints yet remain in them.
“Come forth”—The Fellowship Factor
The Heavenly voice warned God’s faithful people to “come forth” because they
must “have no fellowship” with Babylon’s sins. Fellowship refers to sharing in
common or jointly participating with others. Those who stay in a liberal
congregation are in fellowship with its errors. God has never approved of His
children’s having fellowship with His enemies.
Zero fellowship permitted: “Some” fellowship with sin and error is not an
option. The consistent rule of Scripture is “no fellowship”: “Have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness” (Eph. 5:11; cf. 2 Cor. 6:14–18; emph. DM).
In these passages, both the Lord and Paul addressed fellowship with
unbelievers, but the teaching is the same concerning apostate brethren:
Receive him not into your house, and give him no greeting: for he that giveth
him greeting partaketh in his evil works (2 John 10–11; cf. 1 Cor. 5:9–11; 2 The. 3:
6; emph. DM).
God’s Word knows nothing of the Rubel Shelly scheme of “Big F” and “Little f”
“levels of fellowship”—the doctrine of “limited fellowship” (which apes the
heretical Ketcherside/Garrett “Gospel/doctrine” dichotomy). Those who remain
in a church bent on error violate the Lord’s “no fellowship” prohibition.
Contributing money on the Lord’s day is one means of fellowship with a
congregation. Contributors in a bad church help support false teaching from its
pulpit, liberal missionaries, and all of the erroneous doctrines and practices of
that church, even if they object to them. Liberal elders and preachers (and most
Christian university administrators) pay little attention to verbal opposition. The
one language they understand is M-O-N-E-Y. We cannot eradicate the current
digression so many congregations now manifest, but it might be significantly
slowed if thousands of objecting brethren would “come forth” from them and
cease supporting them financially.
Besides their financial fellowship, good brethren who remain in a bad church
also implicitly endorse the congregation’s errors. All of the objections one might
offer to digressive elders and preachers begin to sound hollow and insincere after
awhile when one stays in spite of the doctrinal departures. Merely registering
objections is insufficient. Verily, as long as one is a member of an apostate
church he is endorsing its apostasy. For this reason John forbade extending
any indication of encouragement or endorsement to false teachers; to do so is to
have fellowship with their evil works (2 John 10–11).
“Come Forth”—The Danger Factor
The Lord stated a second significant reason His people must exit “Babylon”: He
was going to bring plagues upon her, which those—good and evil alike—who
remained in her would also suffer. One dare not assume that God will hold only
the leaders in today’s “Babylons” responsible. While their responsibility is
greater, their supporters are likewise culpable, and will suffer the same
judgment rendered against their leaders. Even the apostles would have been
“rooted up” or would “fall into the pit” (i.e., be lost) had they followed or
supported erroneous leaders (Mat. 15:13–14).
Had Lot, his wife, and his daughters not fled Sodom, God would have destroyed
them with that wicked city. The Lord urged their hasty departure to escape God’
s judgment (Gen. 19:12–17; cf. 2 Pet. 2:7). Likewise, the Lord would have His
faithful ones to “come forth” from corrupt congregations to escape the “plagues”
that God will surely visit upon them (Rev. 2:20–23; 22:18–19).
One who remains in an unfaithful congregation also runs the risk of becoming
“desensitized” to error. Though at first he might strongly object to the departures
he sees, by staying in such a church one may be lulled into complacency toward
them—the “boiled frog” syndrome. He may begin to rationalize the errors and to
exalt sincerity over Truth. [WILL CONTINUE NEXT WEEK]
“NOT GIVEN TO MUCH WINE”
Does I Timothy 3:8 Sanction Social Drinking?
Ben Justice
One of the qualifications given for deacons is “not given to much wine” (I Tim. 3:
8). In reference to elders, the qualification is “not given to wine” (I Tim. 3:3).
The word “much” is added with reference to deacons, but not elders. Some have
surmised that elders are to totally abstain from alcohol, while deacons can drink
intoxicants in moderation. Of course, those who espouse such teaching,
assumes as well that all Christians can drink socially. If deacons can, then
certainly all Christians can, with the exception of elders. However, a little study
will reveal that such is not taught in the expression “not given to much wine.”
In the original language, it is referring to the addiction which wine has on one
who drinks alcohol. In fact, a literal translation would be “not addicted to much
wine.” To hold the position that a deacon (or any Christian) can imbibe a little,
one must affirm that a deacon can be “a little” addicted to wine. Therefore, what
proves too much proves nothing! Does the statement “be not over much wicked”
in Ecc. 7:17 grant permission to be a little or somewhat wicked? Last, but not
least, any interpretation of a passage that would cause it to contradict other
clear statements in the Bible is a wrong interpretation. To say that I Tim. 3:8
authorizes social drinking would contradict such passages as Pro. 20:1; I Pet. 4:
3; Eph. 5:18; Hab. 2:15-16. The Bible nowhere sanctions the use of beverage
alcohol in any amount.