Truth Magazine

By Vance E. Trefethen

Introduction

As before, my articles represent my own views and not those of any church, eldership, or other saints. Quotes from Tom’s material are italicized, as are Greek words.

The Problem

Many are stuck between the false choice that elders either privately decide all matters of judgment, or else they have no authority or function at all. Since the latter is wrong, many are driven to the former. But there is a third way  the Bible way. In the Bible, elders perform authoritative spiritual leadership by calling and presiding over assemblies, teaching the flock, rebuking sinners, convicting false teachers, correcting the erring, counseling, visiting and lifting up the weak, leading in prayer, admonishing (warning) and showing less mature saints how to get to heaven. Both of the extremes described above have bad consequences. The first (“elders privately decide every-thing”) led to many of the disastrous consequences of the Boston Movement. The latter (“elders are just older saints with no leadership authority”) is associated with a break-down of the meaning and purpose of the local church. The Affirmative position accepts the first extreme in its zeal to avoid the second. The Negative denies both extremes in favor of the Bible pattern.

Definitions

I challenge the Affirmative definition of “assemble” because (1) It’s not in any dictionary; and (2) It assumes something under debate; what “eldership capacity” means. I agree that elders (and teenagers, preachers, women, etc.) may meet privately. The question is, can private groups decide things for the church without ever including the whole congregation?

More Definitions

“Lord”  katakurieuo (1 Pet. 5:3; Matt. 20:25), “control, subjugate  exercise dominion over” (Strong, p. 40). “Lord”  katexousiazo (Matt. 20:25), “to have (wield) full privilege over” (Strong, p.41). “Leader”  hegeomai (Heb. 13:7,17, NASV), “chief” (Lk. 22:26; Acts 15:22). “Necessary”  “resulting from necessity; inevitable” (Webster Collegiate Dictionary 5th ed., p. 664).

What the Debate Is Not About

“Excluding the congregation from the decision-making process.” Really? But the proposition says “before and without” the congregation. Exclude means “to shut out” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, p. 250). This debate is already over and conceded to the Negative if we agree the congregation cannot be shut out of the decision-making process.

What the Debate Is About

My book? No, it’s about the proposition Tom agreed to affirm. The key to this debate is whether “privately deciding all collective judgments” is the necessary inference from words describing the work of elders, or whether there are other inferences required by Greek grammar, context, and the use of these words in other passages.

Word Study

(1) Elder, presbyter (presbuteros). I agree with Tom’s quote of Vine on this word more so than Tom does. Vine says “spiritual care of’ the church is the oversight they carry out. That’s exactly what I believe. But affirmative wants “spiritual care” to be changed into privately deciding all matters of judgment.

(2) Bishop, overseer (episkopos). Tom should have quoted Vine on “oversight” (episkopeo) to show what overseers do: “to look upon (epi, upon, skopeo, to look at, contemplate) . . .” The rest of Vine’s comments do not pertain to the definition until he reaches Hebrews 12:15, where it means “looking carefully” (Vine 152). Secret decision-making is conspicuously absent from Vine’s definition of “oversight.”

I hope Tom doesn’t believe his quote defining a bishop as head of any Christian church. Bishops who see that things done by others are done “rightly” (as opposed to “wrongly”) are leading people in matters of faith, not privately deciding matters of judgment. When something is a matter of “right” and “wrong” it is not a collective judgment. Thayer’s definition shows the work of elders in matters of faith and says nothing about deciding matters of judgment.

(3) Pastor, shepherd (poimenas). The definition of “pastor” as a “shepherd” is fine. God (not commentators like Trench) decides the work of shepherds, since he owns the flock. Ephesians 4:11-13 defines the work; “He gave some … pastors … for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith. . .” Pastors are for the unity of the faith. The definition of “matters of judgment” (“distinct from matters of faith”) means the word “pastor” has no application to this proposition.

(4) Feed (poimaino). Vine’s definition of poimaino is “to act as a shepherd.” Ezekiel 34:2-3 is an inspired commentary on shepherds’ work; feed the sheep, strengthen the weak, bind up the sick, heal the injured, bring back the strays, search for the lost. Pastors make the difference between sheep being “lost,” “injured,” or “weak” and being saved, healthy and strong. This is leadership in matters of faith, not secret decisions in matters of judgment. No one is “lost” over matters of judgment, and the feeding done by shepherds is in matters of faith (Eph. 4:11-13).

(5) Appoint (kathistemi). This word pertains only to how leaders are placed “in office,” and does not explain what kind of authority they have thereafter.

(6) Rule (proistemi). (1) I’m disappointed at the incomplete quote from Vine on this word. Here’s the full quote; “Proistemi, lit `to stand before,’ hence, to lead, attend to (indicating care and diligence), is translated to rule (Middle Voice), with reference to a local church, in Rom. 12:8; perfect active in 1 Tim. 5:17; with reference to a family, 1 Tim. 3:4 and 12 (Middle Voice); ver. 5 (2nd aorist, Active). See MAINTAIN” (Vine 307). “Lead” “attend to,” and “care and diligence” explain what “rule” means, and also contradict the Affirmative position, which is why they were omitted. These are consistent with the work of elders being to lead, help and “maintain” others in “the faith” (Eph. 4:11-13). (2) If proistemi means “privately decide all matters of judgment,” then all saints should privately decide everything because proistemi applies to all Christians in Tutus 3:14. “Privately decide everything for the church” cannot be necessarily inferred from proistemi. Since it’s not in the lexicon, it shouldn’t be inferred at all.

Fathers and Elders

No, elders do not rule (attend to, care for, lead) a church exactly as fathers do a family. There is a similarity in some aspects (proistemi), but there are two other words that sharply distinguish them; “head” and “lord.” The husband is “head” over his family (Eph. 5:23). Elders aren’t “head” of the church, and I call on Tom to retract this doctrine. The word “lord” applies to the husband’s relationship to his wife (1 Pet. 3:6, Do you still believe I’m a radical feminist?). Heads and lords can privately decide things and bind them on others. Both are granted to fathers and forbidden to elders.

Submit and Obey, Hebrews 13:7,17

(1) Elders are not the “only scripturally qualified men” who are “leaders” (hegeomai). In Luke 22:26 it refers to the Apostles and any others who might be considered “chief’ among brethren. In Acts 15:22 hegeomai distinguishes Judas and Silas from the “apostles and elders.” In Acts 14:12 it refers to a man disqualified from the eldership. (2) God’s definition of hegeomai in the church is “those who spoke the word of God to you” (Heb 13:7), “leading in speech” (Acts 14:12, New Englishman’s Greek Concordance and Lexicon, 379). Hegeomai in the church are those who publicly teach and admonish from the word. Elders are among hegeomai since they must teach the Word, butepiskopeo and presbuteros are not synonyms for hegeomai, and not all hegeomai are elders. Elders are not mentioned anywhere in Hebrews 13. Assuming elders are the sole hegeomai of Hebrews 13 is an unnecessary inference. Judas, Barsabbas, Silas, and Paul are overlooked in this erroneous assumption. (3) Even if this were about elders only, it defeats the proposition. His definition of obey is yielding to persuasion, but the proposition says “before and without” the congregation. There is no persuasion when things are done privately without the congregation.

(4) The only matters mentioned in context are “the word of God,” “imitate their faith,” and “strange teachings” (Heb. 13:7-9). The Word, faith, and strange teachings are not matters of judgment.

Woman’s subjection (hupotage), 1 Tim. 2:11. This passage says nothing about anyone deciding things before and without the assembly. In singing, Bible class, and the Lord’s supper, women participate under male leadership. If women might attempt leadership in these things, the solution isn’t to ban women from participating. Why is that the only solution Tom has for reaching “one accord” (Acts 15:25) in matters of judgment? Violating NT examples (Acts 6:5; 15:22) is never the solution to anything.

Circular reasoning. How do we know episkopeo means privately decide everything? Because it’s used of elders. How do we know elders should privately decide everything? Because episkopeo applies to them. The pre-conceived idea proves the preconceived definition, which proves the preconceived idea. But notice: (1) Episkopeo is used on non-elders (Acts 1:20: Heb 12:15) and therefore gives others private decision-making authority, if that’s what it infers; (2) No lexicon defines it as “privately decide all matters of judgment.”

Confusion on authority. Affirmative wrongly assumes two things are equal because they have something in common. Example: Elders and fathers have something in common (proistemi), so all their authority is the same. Here’s the flaw: A policeman can rebuke and punish my daughter if he finds her speeding. As her father, I have similar authority. Do I therefore have all the same authority as a policeman? No. I can’t arrest people, drive a police car, etc. We have one type of authority in common, but many others are forbidden. So, with bishops and fathers.

Answers. (1) Episkopeo (oversight) isn’t in the pas-sages cited. Rephrase the question using Bible words in Bible ways and I’ll answer it.(2) Do you mean elders have the same authority as fathers and governments? Headship? Using the sword? How far will this go? Episkopeo doesn’t necessarily infer deciding matters of judgment for others (Heb 12:14-15). If you affirm it does, you must prove it. (3) Only if they do so in matters of collective judgment before and without including the congregation. (4) Because she isn’t overruling or leading the males, nor is she deciding things “for” the church. The whole group together reaches “general approbation” (2 Cor. 8:19), as your scholar said. (5) No. Nor should a preacher quit if he learns he was wrong about something he taught. He should just do things differently in the future.

Questions. (1) Do episkopeo and proistemi inevitably infer private decision-making? (2) Do elders wield full privilege (have total control) over decision-making? (3) Give a lexicon and a Scripture defining hegeomai as “elders-only.” (4) Does obeying the hegeomai of Hebrews 13 apply to individual or collective action, matters of faith or judgment, or what combination of the above? (5) Do the kings in Matthew 20:25 and Luke 22:26 rule by privately deciding things for the people?

Summary: Please join me in ejecting the proposition because:

1. It gives elders headship and lordship over the church.

2. It demands unnecessary and contradictory inferences from the Scriptures.

3. It changes the lexical definitions of Bible words.

4. It ignores Apostolic examples of congregational decision-making (Acts 15:22)

5. It confuses matters of faith with matters of judgment.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII, No. 22, p. 13-14
November 17, 1994

By Mike Willis

The October 1994 issue of The Spiritual Sword featured an article by editor Alan E. Highers entitled “Who Are We?” The article introduced the issue, which was devoted to that theme. It was designed to show that the church of Christ is not a denomination, but is a Christ-centered, peculiar, Bible-believing people. This is a good issue of the journal. Brother Highers lamented that a significant change had occurred because members were “leaving the church” to become members of various denominations. In a former time, members rarely “left the church” to join a denomination.

Why? It was because members of the church at the time were nearly all grounded in the faith. They knew what was wrong with denominations, even if they did not always live up to what they knew was right. They might become unfaithful, but they could not bring themselves to join some religious institution they could not find in the Bible. A large percentage of the members never fell away at all. They were faithful members of the body of Christ all of their lives.

In this day, of course, it is not uncommon to hear about members leaving the church and uniting with a denomination. The change may be because of business interest, social advantage, marital harmony, or life style. In any case, their action represents a lack of understanding about the nature and identity of the church. We are reaping the harvest of twenty-five years of non-distinctive preaching. Many of our young people no longer know the difference between the church of the New Testament and the ecclesiastical kingdoms built by men (1).

From what I can read in the journals and books circulating among our liberal brethren, I conclude that the “winds of change” are blowing. These destructive winds have swept the larger churches and nearly all of the institutions supported by our liberal brethren into the “new hermeneutic” movement. A movement away from “legalism” to more grace oriented preaching is advocated. The new hermeneutic brethren are calling for “cruciform” preaching which is defined as preaching Christ rather than the distinctive features of the New Testament church.

Brother Highers attributes these problems to 25 years of non-distinctive preaching. That would mean that non-distinctive preaching began in the 1960s. Our readers may recall brother Dick Blackford’s October 21, 1993 article in Guardian of Truth which laid the blame for liberalism at the feet of those who introduced the sponsoring church, church support of human institutions (colleges, orphan homes, hospitals, old folks homes, etc.), and church sponsored recreational activities. Brother Highers protested brother Blackford’s assessment and wrote “A Response” which was published in the November 4, 1993 issue. Despite his protest, the fact remains that institutionalism, the sponsoring church, and church sponsored recreation were all part of the same movement as non-distinctive preaching.

The Herald of Truth shows were one of the chief examples of non-distinctive preaching (see Memphis Meeting With Representatives of the Herald of Truth, September 10, 1973, p. ii).

I remember contrasting the bulletins which I received from liberal churches with those published among us in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Liberal church bulletins were usually filled with positive, feel good articles. What they wrote was not contrary to the word of God, but they just did not teach the fundamentals to show men the difference between divinely revealed and humanly devised religion. This seed has been planted for twenty-five years and now the harvest is coming. Our more conservative liberal brethren refer to their more liberal children as “the new hermeneutic” brethren.

Brother Highers related a conversation he had with one of these brethren:

Some time ago a preacher/editor said to me: “Our young people are not buying the old arguments against instrumental music.” I replied: “No, our young people are not hearing the old arguments against instrumental mu-sic.” Some of them are soft on the issue of instrumental music  not because they have rejected what they have been taught, but because they have never been taught at all. They do not understand the principles involved. They have never heard the old arguments relating to Bible authority, speaking where the Bible speaks, and remaining silent where the Bible is silent. They have grown up in “socialized” churches where the youth program was strong, but the teaching program was weak. They have majored on minors and minored on majors. They studied Bible school literature that never dealt with distinctive differences with denominationalism because the literature was produced by denominational publishers in the first place and merely adapted for brotherhood use. They were never exposed to “book, chapter, and verse” preaching. Some of them grew up on a style of preaching in which the favorite text was “what is wrong with the church.” The old preachers, the old ways, and the old message, so dear to many of us, became to them an object of scorn and laughter, as they were incited to mirth by a new breed of preachers and youth specialists. It is little wonder that some have abandoned the church in our day!

The liberalism that brother Highers helped to defend in debate has progressed to its logical conclusion. He does not like its product, but he is unwilling to renounce what gave it birth.

Must The Lesson Be Repeated For Us?

Non-distinctive preaching has caught the attention of a new generation of preachers among us. They are enamored with the writings of Swindoll, Lucado, Dobson, Smalling, and other popular Evangelical writers who have little Bible exegesis in their lessons. They too have quit preaching sermons that contrast the organization, names, work, conditions for membership, etc. of the Lord’s church with that of the denominations of men. The believe that such preaching is caustic and will drive away the good, honest and sincere visitors to the services. Church bulletins are full of “feel good” articles but contain little to distinguish the Lord’s church from denominationalism. Preachers use less and less Scripture in their lessons; sermons are preached that are full of stories that make you feel warm inside. And the members love to have it so (cf. Jer. 5:31).

Do you think that the same kind of preaching will produce a different fruit among us? If so, why? If there is not a significant change in the soft preaching that is afraid to call the names of denominations and false teachers among us from the pulpit, young people will grow up not being able to distinguish revealed religion from unrevealed religion. Soft preaching prepares the soil for apostasy. When something is introduced into local churches that needs to be rooted out and exposed, those who have welcomed soft preaching in their pulpits are not willing to tolerate the kind of preaching that is necessary to root out the error and withdraw from the men who are teaching it. Instead, those influenced by soft preaching coddle the false teachers who are traitors to the gospel and castigate and belittle as “guardians of the orthodoxy,” “watchdogs,” and “shoot first and check later sheriffs” those Bible preachers who are calling for the false teacher to repent. The reception the false teacher receives will make him feel comfortable to stay and continue to spread his heresy among the churches.

We take no pleasure in witnessing the movement away from the truth among our liberal brethren. We fear that its influence has and is spreading among us. Let us not bury our heads in the sand, pretending that this can never happen among us. Rather, let us demand “book, chapter, and verse” preaching from the pulpits. Let us demand that revealed and unrevealed religion be contrasted. Let us encourage godly brethren who are willing to bear the blunt of criticism for exposing the false teachers among us and not take pot shots at them. Some brethren shoot their soldiers  those who sacrificially defend the truth against the onslaught of error. Men who say they “agree with what you say” proceed to take pot shots at the soldiers wielding the sword to defend the truth, but these same men coddle the traitors to truth. Yes, we wound and kill our heroes!

Some Distinctives of the Gospel

Let me suggest some distinctives of the gospel:

1. God’s people are distinctive in their love, which serves others while stressing obedience to God (John 13:35; 14:15; 15:14; 1 John 5:1-3).

2. God’s people are distinctive in insisting on the inspiration of the Bible and on the authority of the Bible pattern of teaching (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 1:13).

3. God’s people are distinctive in proclaiming the grace of God as to the provision of salvation and the necessity of obedient faith as to the reception of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 1:5,16).

4. God’s people are distinctive in living in the world without living like the world (Rom. 12:1-2; Gal. 5:19-23).

5. God’s people are distinctive in preaching Christ and him crucified in all of its fulness, including all the facts, commands, and promises of the gospel; including the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ; including faith, repentance, and baptism; and including the work, worship and organization of the local church (1 Cor. 2:2; Acts 20:20,24-27).

6. God’s people are distinctive in pleading for unity in religion on the basis of the restoration of New Testament Christianity (John 17:17-21; 1 Cor. 1:10).

7. God’s people are distinctive in upholding the same principles of morality which were originally taught in apostolic doctrine (Tit. 2:11-14). They will avoid the tendency to become conformed to this world in such matters as abortion, drinking, drugs, easy divorce and remarriage, and such like things.

Each of these distinctives of the gospel, and all others, require standing for what is revealed and standing against any departure from divine revelation. Distinctive preaching involves upholding truth by exposing error at times, including specific false doctrines and false teachers (2 Tim. 2:16-18).

Can we fare any better than our liberal brethren if we depart from distinctive preaching?

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII, No. 22, p. 2
November 17, 1994

By Connie W. Adams

It does not appear to me that as many are obeying the gospel in this nation as was the case a few years ago. This is not because there is less preaching and teaching. In some cases there may be a shortage of personal evangelism. But I do not believe this is the primary reason. Many are not even saving their own children. In place after place we go for gospel meetings, we meet parents who are concerned for the salvation of their own teenagers. They may come to every service, sit quietly, act friendly and remain unsaved.

Why is this? They are like the wayside soil the Lord described. “Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil, and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved” (Lk. 8:12). They do not believe! That is it, pure and simple. If they believe they would obey the Lord. Now, there may be varied reasons as to why they do not believe and there may be several ways the devil takes away the word before they can believe and be saved.

1. The devil may take away the word by Godless education. Can any sane observer deny that strong efforts have been made, with measured success, to keep the concept of God and his word out of our public schools? Reverence for the true God has been replaced by the worship of man himself. That is what humanism does. “Man is the measure of himself” we are told. God is left out of the study -of origins. Text books written by unbelievers sing the praises of evolution. Social sciences deal with human relations in terms of secular values. Sex education must not “moralize.” One fifteenyear-old in Oregon told me that he regarded his sex education course as a study in how to commit fornication without getting someone pregnant or contracting AIDS. There is a deadly combination between Planned Parenthood and the public schools. Marriage is presented as an alternative lifestyle, no better, or worse, than just living together, or than homosexuality. Moral judgments are based on respect for divine law.

Children who spend several years in a climate of education away from God and his word, surrounded by peers whose home training is vastly different, and where there are fears for basic safety, have to be affected by all of this. A constant diet of dealing with issues ranging from pre-marital sex to ecology (the new religion) to abortion to capital punishment, without any guidelines except what feels, or seems right, is calculated to generate unbelief. There may be other factors, but folks, I firmly believe this is a big part of why your teenager does not believe in the Lord or his word. They are being educated away from it, not toward it.

2. The devil takes away the word by Godless entertainment. The standard fare on nightly television, not to mention MTV, videos which feature gore, sex, vulgarity and profanity are not calculated to make your children virtuous. What kind of music are they listening to by the hour? What does it say? Who are their heroes? Are they movie stars, TV stars, rock or country musicians, sports figures? “As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.” Our young people, nor the older as well, will never be better than what they (or we) think about. What is programmed into the heart has a direct bearing on character. The devil understands well that there is a certain appeal, a titillation in the very nature of the things we have been describing here. The stronger the interest in these becomes, the weaker spiritual interests will be.

3. The devil takes away the word by family destruction. The devil has never found a more useful tool for his work than the destruction of families. Roles and relationships are disrupted. Trust is destroyed. There is a relationship in a child’s respect for his or her father and respect for the Heavenly Father. When earthly fathers abuse that role, they are helping the devil take away the word from the hearts of the young lest they should believe and be saved. And what of those instances where children have never even known who their father is? Divorce unsettles the lives of children for the rest of their days. Where parental trust is weakened, lack of trust in God will not be far behind.

4. The devil takes away the word by hypocrisy in the lives of those who claim to follow the Lord. Children who grow up in an atmosphere where there is constant turmoil, malice, scheming and backbiting in the church will attend as long as they have to but when the time comes that they can make a choice, they will be gone. They know a hypocrite when they see one. In some congregations, whole generations of young people have been lost for this very reason. Not only do they have poor choices of heroes in their secular world, often they look in vain for them in the spiritual realm. They come to see religion as a front for people who don’t believe what they profess any more than they do.

As a preacher of the gospel, I am delighted when I see a young person obey the gospel. I don’t see that happen much any more. It is so refreshing when that does occur. The problem of wayside soil is not limited to the young. There are older people whose hearts are hard and unreceptive. The devil is adept at snatching away the word from their hearts as well, lest they should believe and be saved.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him” (Heb. 11:6). When we scatter the seed of the gospel on wayside soil, it will not produce a harvest. It just seems to me that I am finding more of that kind of ground than ever before.

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII, No. 22, p. 3-4
November 17, 1994

By Larry Ray Hafley

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. . . . We are of God: he that knoweth God heareth us; he that is not of God heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error” (1 Jn. 4:1, 6).

The “spirit of error” is the teacher of error; the “spirit of truth” is the teacher of truth. There is a “mystery of iniquity,” a spirit of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:7). There is a “spirit of fear,” and a spirit of love and power (2 Tim. 1:7). In John’s day, “the spirit of error” occupied a body of false doctrine, a system of error. The body that the spirit of error occupied was the body or system which said that Jesus Christ has not come in the flesh (1 Jn. 4:2, 3). In essence, the spirit found a form, a body, to inhabit.

Paul referred to “seducing spirits” who led “some” to “depart from the faith” (1 Tim. 4:1). These spirits found a body, a system of error. That body was in the form of “forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats” (1 Tim. 4:3). Again, the spirit had a body. It had an agent through which it could act. The spirit of error will speak “perverse things” (Acts 20:30). The “perverse things” represent the body, the agent of the spirit of error.

The Lord Jesus “loved righteousness, and hated iniquity” (Heb. 1:9). A man may hate righteousness and love iniquity (2 Thess. 2:10). That spirit will find a body to indwell. It will take a form, a substance. It will not remain a bodiless spirit  “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways” (Prov. 14:14). The “heart” represents the spirit; the “ways” represents the body. If the heart is overwhelmed, it will find a body of dissipation (Prov. 4:23; Lk. 21:34).

Have you ever seen a mischievous child? While you observe him, he is doing nothing objectionable, but you can see the mischief in his eyes. His little, daring spirit of rebellion will find an activity, a body, through which he can carry out his mischievous spirit’s designs.

Spirits of the Past

In 1 Samuel 8, the spirit of error rejected God as King (cf. I Sam. 10:19). The bodily form this spirit took was, “Make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” Rebellious spirits will find their bodies.

When Uzziah’s “heart was lifted up,” the spirit of errorwas present. It, too, needed a body, a form of expression. It was not long in coming. He “went into the temple of the Lord to burn incense” which only the sons of Aaron were consecrated to do. Arrogantly, he rebuffed the protests of eighty-one “valiant men” who protested his usurpation of divine authority. As a result, this once mighty king died the despised death of a discarded leper (2 Chron. 26:16-21).

In the first century, the spirit of the error of Judaism inhabited and enlivened the body of circumcision. Obviously, other bodies of error were encompassed, but circumcision was the most prominent agent of this spirit of error (Gal. 2:3; 4:10; 5:1-4).

In the nineteenth century, a spirit of lawlessness found a body of error. The spirit lost respect for and trust in the authority of Scripture. It craved the acceptance of religious society at large and sought the inventions of human wisdom and the glory of human institutions and organizations. That spirit’s body was in the form of mechanical instruments of music in worship and missionary societies in work. The spirit found its body, its agent. Typically, unclean spirits find others more wicked than themselves. Thus, the last state of the body of digression is worse than the first (cf. Matt. 12:43-45; 21:33-43). Truly, “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse” (2 Tim. 3:13). Their ravenous “word will eat as doth a” cancerous gangrene; “a little leaven” will leaven the whole lump.

In the twentieth century, the spirit of speculation found the body of premillennialism. The spirit of mysticism adopted the body of Pentecostalism. The spirit of the religio-social gospel found the body of denominational-ism, complete with reliance on and alliance with sponsoring church arrangements and other benevolent and missionary organizations. Every high thing that exalts itself against the word of God, every spirit of human imagination, finds its body, its particular shape and form of expression. When the spirit of lust conceives, it brings forth its baby, sin. The infant of evil then truly can say to lust, “a body halt thou prepared me.”

The Spirit’s Search For A Body

As history and Scripture shows, there is no such thing as a benign spirit. They are all insidious, sinister, and nefarious. Further, these spirits will not remain bodiless; they will find a body to advance their agenda. It is better to slay the spirit of error before it fashions a body. However, it is also more difficult to identify and locate the spirit until it finds a body. It is like trying to pick up a piece of mercury. So, what are the warning signs that alert us to the fact that a spirit of error is seeking a body?

Signs That A Spirit Of Error Is Seeking A Body:

1. Cordiality is equated with spirituality. “Good words and fair speeches” are often the tools of those who are devoid of truth. When we assume that broad smiles and a lovely, winsome personality, oozing with wit and charm, are the marks of strong faith in Christ, we may easily be led into error (Rom. 16:17, 18). Have we forgotten what Jesus said? How do wolves appear? Do they present their teeth and fangs with snarling growls? No, they come as meek and timid sheep (Matt. 7:15). “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness” (2 Cor. 11:14, 15). The spirit of error is seeking a body when we equate a man’s warm and friendly ways with spiritual maturity. When we defend a man’s compromise of the truth because we are blinded by his gracious manner, an evil spirit is looking for a body! We must “learn . . . not to think of men above that which is written” (1 Cor. 4:6).

2. Loss of militance . A loss of militance in prosecuting sin and error is a sure sign that a spirit of error is searching for a body. The language of Scripture is full of military metaphors  “endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ”; “fight”; “war”; “wrestle”; “weapons of our war-fare”; “pulling down of strong holds” (Eph. 6:12; 1 Tim. 6:12; 2 Tim. 2:3; 2 Cor. 10:3-5). When earnest, sincere and honest discussion is criticized and condemned, when open Bible studies on controversial issues are disdained and dismissed as “dog fights,” a spirit of error is afoot. Brother Roy Cogdill told me that in the 1930’s and 40’s, there were some churches that were uncomfortable when he cracked down on denominational error by specifically naming and identifying it. He said that some who did not accept the premillennial errors of the day nonetheless did not appreciate it when he directly indicted and convicted both the advocates and the doctrines of premillennialism. Of those churches possessed by this lack of militance, brother Cogdill said he could not think of one that did not go with the liberal, institutional movement of the 1950’s and 60’s. In other words, the passive spirit of error was hunting for a body, and it found it!

3. Little emphasis on Bible authority. The terms, “mote hunter,” “legalist,” “Pharisee,” and “brotherhood watch-dog” are generally used as slurs by those who de-emphasize the need for scriptural authority. The disembodied spirit of error does not overtly deny the need for divine authority. Rather, he points to it as a cause of trouble, while maintaining his allegiance to the “principles” of the word of God.

I have received two reports that it has been argued that Cain’s problem was not that he offered an unauthorized sacrifice, but that he “had a `bad’ attitude.” It has beenargued that his sacrifice would have been accepted if his heart had been right, but Cain’s “works were evil,” not his attitude (1 In. 3:12). “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice (not a more excellent attitude) than Cain” (Heb. 11:4). Since “faith cometh by hearing,” Abel’s offering came from what God authorized (Rom. 10:17). Cain’s offering was not “by faith”; it did not come from hearing what God said. For that reason, it was rejected. When the spirit of error begins to excuse departures from the authority of the word of God, it is looking for a body!

4. Preaching without specific application. When Nathan confronted David with a story about a rich man who killed a poor man’s lamb, “David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man” (2 Sam. 12:5). However, David’s guilt was not brought home until “Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.”

Observe the specific, personal application of apostolic preaching: (a) “God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36; cf. 3:13-15); (b) “Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you” (Acts 17:23); “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?” (1 Cor. 3:3) (c) “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ. . . . 0 foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you. . . Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?” (Gal. 1:6; 3:1; 5:7)

Since we are to imitate the apostles in our preaching, should it not also be direct and specific (Phil. 4:9; 1 Pet. 4:11)? Friendships and personal relationships often stifle and silence a preacher from doing his duty. When this is done, the spirit of error will soon find a body.

5. The language of Ashdod. When brethren use the speech of denominational religion, the spirit of error is shopping for a body. “Receive Christ as your personal Savior” is an example. What does it mean? Yes, we do “receive Christ Jesus” (Jn. 1:11, 12; Col. 2:6). But, we do not receive him until we have “received the word of God” (1 Thess. 2:13). Still, some say that the first century disciples “surrendered, not to a plan of salvation, but to a Savior.” The truth is that they did not “surrender” to the Savior until they “surrendered” to the plan of salvation (Heb. 5:8, 9; Rom. 6:17, 18). They did not “receive” Christ until they believed and obeyed the gospel (Jn. 6:44, 45, 63, 68; 8:30-32, 47, 51). “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41; 8:12-14; 10:48; 11:1).

What is the purpose of using denominational language to describe the process of conversion and spiritual relation-ships? It is “trendy”; it gives off an air of modern sophistication; it promotes the spirit of error’s search for a body.

6. Soft on worldliness. The spirit of error criticizes those who boldly preach against specific forms of worldliness. The spirit of error will not confront and condemn social drinking, gambling, and immodest dress. Why? Too many members are drinking and dancing, “playing the lotto,”and going to picnics in shorts and halter tops, that is why! Rather than risk being fired, the preacher pulls back and condones worldliness by his silence. Watch for a body of error to appear where this is the case (2 Tim. 3:1-13).

Sadly, those who refuse to stand against worldliness are the very ones who extol the virtues of “loving God” and of being “tolerant” rather than “judgmental.” They say they are preachers, not “policemen.” The Holy Spirit says that “the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 2:16). No matter how much we protest, if the spirit of worldliness has invaded our hearts and lives, the love of God is not in us.

Conclusion

Do you recognize one or more of these signs among God’s people today? If so, it ought to tell you something. Shortly, the spirit of error will engulf a body of false doctrine. Presently, it is an intangible element that creates doubt of the truth. The spirit of error is not sure; it is not certain; its preaching is not clear and distinct. It leaves room for vacillation and compromise with worldly living and denominational doctrines. It parades under the guise of love and fellowship and denounces nothing except that which calls attention to its masquerade. The spirits of error cited above are spots in your spiritual feasts of genuine, Bible love. They feast with you without fear, for they have not yet been completely unmasked and ex-posed. In time, in bodily form, they will be known. Pray that you will not be one of their unwitting victims. With feigned words of emotional piety, with the pleasing tones of sectarian scholarship, they will seek to make merchandise of you. “And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch” (Matt. 13:37).

Guardian of Truth XXXVIII, No. 22, p. 5-7
November 17, 1994