Does the Word of God teach the Church of Acts to be joined with "brethren" who have false doctrine? What does the Word of God say?
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. (18) For they that are such serve not our lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. Romans 16:17-18.
The question to be considered, is Paul saying that anyone
who causes divisions is to be avoided. Yes! But the question then is, who
causes division between brethren? Read it again and then please note that;
Those who teach contrary to the doctrines which ye have learned are
the original cause of divisions, and then when those who oppose false doctrine
rise up in opposition against the false teachers, they are accused of being
schismatic and the cause of division. According to this Charismatic
philosophy (certainly not the pure doctrine taught by the apostles
in Scripture), it is pure doctrine that is the cause of the division.
Taking it one step further, God is the cause of division according to the
Charismatic accusing those who defend pure doctrine, because if God did
not Himself have pure doctrine (John 7:16)
and command us to preserve that doctrine, then there would be nothing
to defend and contend for. If we were not commanded to preserve and keep
pure doctrine then there would be no cause to correct those who violate
it. It is false teaching (such as Evangelical Ecumenism)
that is the cause behind division. To teach a false doctrine and
depart from Biblical truth will be severely punished by God.
Let us make it clear that it is not they who cite
false teaching and expose it, but those who warp and twist the Word of
God that are the cause of division among the brethren.
The one thing that must be preserved for the church to remain on this earth is the inerrant, verbally inspired and providentially preserved Word of God. When the Bible goes, the church will pass into antiquity like the Roman Empire and the Attila's Mongol hordes. To all of you brethren out there defending it, More of God's power to you!
Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us. 2 Thessalonians 3:6. Notice the word brethren.
If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; (4) he is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, (5) perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 1 Timothy 6:3-5.
The Pentecostals in The Church of Acts did not teach that we fraternize with believers who teach false doctrine. They taught us to avoid them . . . mark them . . . and withdraw from them!
Many Charismatic avoid holiness Christians openly and viciously attack them and then embrace Catholics. They reject their brothers who have kept the faith remaining true to Biblical Pentecost and then embrace priests and liberals who believe in the throne of Rome, Maryology and the priestly succession being the only ministry acceptable to God by which man's sins can be remitted. This is a classic sham making the perpetrator equal to the heretic he fraternizes with.
Here is another big difference between Pentecostals and Charismatic; Pentecostals regard the commandments of the apostles to withdraw from those who do not comply with the apostle's doctrine. This is a very big and important differences between Pentecostals and Charismatic.
The Charismatic use of the term Evangelical Ecumenism is an incorrect term. The Catholic church is not an evangelical church body and never has been. The Catholic church, according to government documents possessed by this writer is a political entity and has been recognized as such in Protestant America by having an ambassador from Vatican City in Washington D.C.. This ambassadorship was passed by president Reagan during his administration. So the term Evangelical Ecumenism is a misnomer. It would be correct only if all the churches in the ecumenical movement were evangelical in faith. Does speaking in tongues make someone evangelical? It is the rule of definition that the term evangelical speaks of all those church bodies who preach the message of the new birth and believe in transformation of character as the mark of true conversion. To take a catechism and pass an interview to become a member of the church is far from what Jesus meant when He said, Ye must be born again. Pentecostals have always said that becoming a Christian is not by joining the church. But the Catholic doctrine teaches that you must belong to the Catholic church to be saved and enter heaven. Here is yet another very serious contradiction taught by the Charismatic. They have joined themselves with the Catholic church which is not an evangelical body, and fraternize with priests who believe you must be a member of the Catholic church to be saved. The next step in this unholy relationship will be that Charismatic will appease the Catholic powers and continue to scrape to them until the Catholic church through some special dispensation (consideration) will receive Protestants and Charismatic into the Catholic church as an approved branch of the church. Millions will flock to take part in this historical development. It will be hailed as the uniting of all true believers in Christ! Those who will not unite will be shut out and treated as heretics. If that super church joins a world government system it could mean that true Christians could then come under horrible persecution by this new Universal Church Order.
The Evangelical dream of ecumenism has long been a philosophy with the Charismatic from their beginning. It is surely a fact that many of the early Charismatic did not realize where many of the things they concocted and taught would carry them in thirty years. Thirty years ago there was a popular idiom floating around often repeated from their pulpits that, "Doctrine separates, but the Spirit unites." This well describes the general attitude of the Charismatic regarding doctrine until this day. It is, of course, very cleverly true, but slanderous of the supreme authority of Biblical truth. Many modern Christians do not realize that the words Truth, doctrine, Bible, and teaching are synonymous. It is true that doctrine separates! As we have read above, those who did not abide in the apostle's doctrine were to be marked and withdrawn from that pure doctrine might be preserved and protected from them. Any slanderous talk against pure doctrine is to hold pure doctrine in contempt and immediately marks that man as an apostate. It is not doctrine that must be removed from the church but men who threaten it. Pentecostals are losing their love for pure doctrine. And how do we discern this? When we no longer will die and suffer any loss to defend it from those who twist it and make merchandise of it. There are many well dressed reverends among us now who will not speak out against heresy. When truth is trodden and falls in the streets, these march with the heretics stepping on the face of the fallen virtue. Inside of many men there is a cry to get out of the whole mess, but they are wimps, they have no guts and go on marching to the cadence of the carnal - marching onward looking downward, looking about but marching on closer and closer into the reach of the hands of an angry God.
God will abundantly bless that brother who leaps from the columns of the marching armies of apostate revival. Get out now, my brother! In a short time it will be too late. The Evangelical Ecumenical movement is a cheap and humanistic philosophy of pretentious "love for the brethren." Make a leap fro truth. Be delivered from your lust for prominence, position and pride! Make the leap of love proving to God and man that you love the truth more than we love anything false - and ourselves!
Pure doctrine is the only basis of unity God permits. The above Scriptures are ample to prove the point. Pure doctrine is the foundation of the church and the only absolutes man has to live and die by. Doctrine is essential to the perfecting of the saints and the survival of the church. Cast it aside or throw contempt on it for any reason is to commit spiritual suicide!
The church today does not need the cheap and manufactured
Pentecost popularized by many Charismatic churches to get the world's attention;
new sensations and celebrities on the stage of the church will never produce
in depth conversions to Jesus. Haven't we heard that Like-kind produce
like-kind. If we are going to be effectual as a church we have no alternatives!
We must return to the original Pentecost! That will only happen when we
first throw out all of the sham (and hams), renounce and repent of all
of our ungodliness and wait before God with a humble spirit stripped of
all our cheap philosophies about having a successful church and return
to loving obedience to everything mentioned in God's Word! I must come
to the place where I know I cannot do anything to bring people to God!
God brings people to Himself through yielded and anointed servants who
have been broken in the secret closets of prayer! Both Pentecostals and
Charismatic must return to the pattern set for the church by The Church
of Acts.
