Israel was oppressed by
armies of idolaters again and again because God gave them up to be
punished after they rebelled against His law and copied the idolatrous
world about them. The Lord would deliver them when they repented and
prayed for help. The apostasy did not begin the day the invading and
conquering army marched across the land killing and enslaving. Attitudes
that led to their downfall no doubt developed gradually over a period of
time.
In a private conversation
in the late 1930s in the Gospel Advocate office, R.L. Whiteside told me
that institutionalism would be the occasion of the next great apostasy.
I did not know him very well and did not recognize the wisdom in his
remark. I thought our fathers before us had gone through that and had
put that behind us. In my ignorance I overlooked the fact that the devil
uses the same tricks over and over again with only a little change in
names and points of attack. Hundreds of thousands of my brethren were as
blind as I was so there was not the proper teaching to immunize against
the central agencies' taking money from churches and exercising control
over them.
We were too ignorant of
the devil's devices (2 Cor.
2: 11).
Further ignorance was there, too. Far too many were not so well informed
of the divine pattern for the Lord's church at work so we could be led
to change the plan without even realizing that we were missing the mark.
Our senses were not exercised to properly discern between good and evil
(Heb.
5:12-14). Is
there not still that lack of knowledge on the part of many who should
know the difference between "clover and sneeze weed"?
It is human for the
teenage boy, his father, and his grandfather to want to be accepted by
their neighbors. This requires conformity. The world will love its own
and speak well of those who copy its ways (Jn.
15:19; Lk. 6:26).
The Lord forbids our conforming to please the world, but this failure to
conform brings persecution which we do not like. We like the praise of
men (Rom. 12:2; 2 Tim.
3:12; Gal. 1:10).
Our brethren did not
invent the family life building or the idea of a central agency with
money to have a national "Church
of Christ Hour"
similar to "The Lutheran Hour" or "The Catholic Hour." We are more
effective at following the (denominations about us than we are at
leading our neighbors to the Bible pattern (1 Sam. 8:5).
During the depression
years and the war years we were preaching to get people out of the world
and out of human denominations, but we did not preach enough about
getting the world and denominationalism out of the men. I remember. I
enjoyed hearing men make the good confession and seeing them baptized. I
did not realize that the devil was planning such an all out attack on
these new recruits to the army of the Lord. The devil was willing for
these people to be members of the church and still enjoy the social
gospel dainties of food, fun, and frolic and enjoy the social drink, the
social dance, and the immodest styles with a certain bit of freedom to
use blasphemy and vulgarity with the crowd. That way they could seek to
serve God and mammon (Matt.
6:24).
The love of the world leads to apostasy (1 Jn.
2:15-17).
Shrewd and prosperous
socialites can exert influence over elders and many quiet people who
live by a higher moral code. These fluent worldly people can talk of
"caring for poor little orphans" or whatever they need to talk about to
lead the majority away from a "narrow-minded preacher." They might even
use "good words and fair speeches to deceive the hearts of the simple"
(Rom.
16:17,18).
With feigned words they might make merchandise of the brethren, privily
bringing in pernicious ways and damnable heresies (2 Pet. 2:1-3).
When the people who are
so eager to be "accepted" by their worldly friends become a large number
in the church, the lump by that time is leavened and will no longer
endure sound doctrine. That church will find teachers who will say what
they want to hear (2 Tim. 4:1-5). Such lovers of a perverted
gospel will, for a price, be able to get preachers who fulfill their
wishes (Tit.
1:11).
They can "heap to themselves teachers" of their own liking. It is very,
very important to do the proper preaching, reproving, rebuking, and
exhorting before the leaven of wickedness has spread through the
congregation. (Carefully read 1 Corinthians 5.) One wicked person
can be marked, avoided, and rejected (Rom.
16:17,18; Tit. 3: 10,11).
A Diotrephes with his company can reject the sound brethren (3 Jn.
9,10).
A distaste for
controversy over foolish and unlearned questions which gender strife is
in order. Please read the letters to the preachers in the New Testament
watching for words like "shun," "avoid," "refuse," and "reject." (See
1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.) It is a flashing red danger signal when
good brethren begin to object to any and all controversy. Error can
freely enter the flock if there is opposition to opposing it. False
teachers like to introduce heresy privily (2 Pet. 1:1).
If a certain false
doctrine is being taught, brethren may be found who promote the error,
others may oppose it, and others may insist on giving it the silent
treatment. An ill wind of doctrine takes over where it is promoted and
where it is not opposed. It stays out only where it is vigorously
opposed. The line of least resistance is the "on the fence" position,
but the popular false doctrine or practice ultimately takes over
congregations that take such a position. Read your church history or
observe the churches in your area if apostasy has brought division to
some if you would be convinced of the need for fighting a good fight.
Jesus the Christ was one
of the greatest controversialists this world has ever known. He was like
a lamb in suffering the brutal treatments from the hypocrites and false
teachers. He was the lion of the tribe of Judah in fighting their pride,
hypocrisy, traditions, and love of the world. Have you carefully read
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? No careful reader could overlook the fact
that He was constantly in open word battles with those who opposed His
message. He loved the souls of those with whom He did battle. Those who
crucified Him were asked in His name to repent and be baptized for the
remission of sins. He prayed for them while on the cross, but He did not
fail to try every possible way to turn them from error. See Matthew
23 for an example of His sharp rebukes.
A church is not destroyed
every time a brave and effective battle is fought against error. "There
rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, saying,
that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the
law of Moses. And the apostles and elders came together for to consider
of this matter. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up,
and said unto them. . . . Then all the audience kept silence, and gave
audience to Barnabas and Paul ... and after they held their peace, James
answered, saying . . . Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the
whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with
Paul and Barnabas" (Acts 15). Error was corrected and truth was
advanced by this earnest contention for the faith as commanded through
Jude (Jude 3).
This matter of binding
Jewish ordinances on Gentiles came up again and again at different
places. Much of the book of Galatians deals with this danger. Even Peter
and Barnabas were influenced by the pressure. "When Peter came to
Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed. For
before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but
when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which
were of the circumcision. . . " (Gal. 2:1,12). Our Lord demands
that we war a good warfare (1 Tim. 1:8; Tit. 1:9,13;
2:15; 3:9-11).
Too many, even good
people, are mentioning their dislike for controversy in religious
journals, etc. It is by means such as papers that we can study and
prepare before we are faced "head" on by the heresy. Unless brethren
generally strengthen their knowledge and conviction on the marriage law
very many churches are going to be harmed seriously as some have been.
This is one example of what I am writing about. Heresy is pleased to
enter "privily," but truth is to be proclaimed boldly by people who are
equipped with the whole armor (Eph. 6:10-20). Please do not say, "Peace,
peace," when there is no peace.
The "afflictions of the
gospel" and the persecution that godly people suffer grow out of the
fact that true disciples stand fast against heresy (2 Tim. 1:8;
3:12).
Paul the prisoner was thankful for one who was not ashamed of his chain
(2 Tim.
1:16-18).
Shall we raise the white flag of surrender or shall we fight a good
fight? There is no concord between Christ and Belial (2 Cor.
6:14-17).
Politicians and unsound brethren wonder "What will people think?" when
brethren shun not to proclaim the whole counsel in season and out of
season.
I began trying to preach
when I was young, timid, and cowardly. Several expressed their pleasure
and hope by saying: "Irven, I am glad you have decided to preach, and I
hope you won't be a fighter!" That sentiment was rather common in my
home area. Do you have any idea how these churches of that area went
during the turmoil of the 1950s?
The egotistical,
arrogant, and bitter attitude expressed by B.C. Goodpasture in the
Gospel Advocate guaranteed division. This attitude was expressed in the
simple and easy to be understood words: "Quarantine the antis." This
carried the idea of: Do not listen to these that question the social
gospel and church support of central agencies in public or private
lessons. There were sincere but uninformed people who went along with
this official decree who did not know what was happening. They thought
there was something about some who did not believe in caring for poor
little orphans. The problem of the social gospel and denominational
machinery never entered their minds. They obediently followed the
promoters of the big machines. Those who asked for book, chapter, and
verse were crushed, if at all possible. - Guardian of Truth, Jan 2,
1986
Other Articles by Irven Lee
Glutton -- Is It a Sin?
Effects of no Church Discipline
Discipline in the Home