| Editor: David E Marlett Th.D. | |
| February 26, 2001 | Vol II #16 |
TCCN Editorial
Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences 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.
There are two different interpretations of Romans 16:17-18 today. One understands it to be a warning about the sin of divisiveness. The other understands it to be a warning about those who teach false doctrine. Which is correct?
The thoughts of a few commentators:
"There were probably two evils in the apostle's mind when he wrote this passage; THE DIVISIONS OCCASIONED BY ERRONEOUS DOCTRINES, and the offences or scandals occasioned by evil conduct of the false teachers. ... THE DESCRIPTION HERE GIVEN IS APPLICABLE, IN A GREAT DEGREE, TO ERRORISTS IN ALL AGES" (Charles Hodge, A Commentary on Romans, 1864, p. 450).
"You have been instructed in the true doctrine of Christ; and THERE ARE SOME THAT WOULD INNOVATE AND TEACH ANOTHER DOCTRINE, THAT BROACH OPINIONS THAT ARE CONTRARY, OR, AT LEAST, BESIDE THE DOCTRINE WHICH IS PURE AND APOSTOLICAL, and so make divisions and factions amongst you" (Matthew Poole).
"They profess to be apostles, but they are not apostles of Christ; they neither do His will NOR PREACH HIS DOCTRINE" (Adam Clarke, 1826).
"These men to be avoided cause divisions contrary to the doctrines which Paul has set forth in this epistle. REJECTORS OF THE DOCTRINES OF THE GOSPEL WE ARE TO REJECT" (Ian Paisley, An Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans, Belfast: Martyrs Memorial Free Presbyterian Church, 1968, p. 189).
"MEN ARE DISTRACTED FROM THE UNITY OF THE TRUTH WHEN THE TRUTH OF GOD IS DESTROYED BY DOCTRINES OF HUMAN INVENTION. ... Note, too, that Paul is speaking to those who had been taught the pure truth of God. It is a blasphemy and sacrilege to divide those who agree in the truth of Christ. But IT IS A SHAMELESS PIECE OF TRICKERY TO DEFEND A CONSPIRACY OF LYING AND GODLESS DOCTRINES UNDER THE PRETEXT OF PEACE AND UNITY. THE PAPISTS, THEREFORE, HAVE NO GROUNDS FOR USING THIS PASSAGE TO STIR UP ILL-WILL AGAINST US, FOR WE DO NOT ATTACK OR DESTROY THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, BUT THE FALSEHOODS OF THE DEVIL BY WHICH IT HAS HITHERTO BEEN OBSCURED. INDEED, PAUL CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THAT HE DOES NOT CONDEMN EVERY KIND OF DISAGREEMENT WITHOUT EXCEPTION, BUT ONLY THOSE WHICH DESTROY AGREEMENT OF THE ORTHODOX FAITH. The force of the passage lies in the words, which ye learned, for the Romans had to forsake the customs of their forefathers and the institutions of their ancestors before they were properly instructed in the Gospel" (John Calvin, The Epistles of Paul the Apostle, Translated by Ross Mackenzie, Edinburgh: The Saint Andrew Press, p. 324).
The Scriptures are clear. When a person teaches error the believers is to mark them and avoid them. It is not the one being obedient to the clear instruction of this verse that is being divisive. That dishonor lies squarely on the errant teacher that is leaving the place of truth.
Modernists that like to twist the teaching of Rom 16: 17-18 into a condemnation of divisiveness, often refer to Rom 14:4 "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand." Errant teachers like Jack VanImpe and Billy Graham use this verse out of context to say that it is wrong to judge another man's doctrine. A quick look at the context however shows that the topic under discussion in Rom 14 is eating meats and keeping the holy days. These topics are not dealt with in the New Testament at all and the instruction in this passage is that we should not speak where the Bible is silent. Rom 16:17-18 on the other hand is teaching that where the Bible does speak we should not remain silent.
Separation from those who teach false doctrines is not an option. We must point out Biblical error and those that teach it. We must also separate our selves from them and have no fellowship with them.
Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:
9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)
10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
By Joseph Farah, Editor, WorldNetDaily
I've been pilloried by Christians for the last week for opposing the federal seizure of a church in Indianapolis.
Most of the criticism boils down to two scriptural references, which, these folks apparently believe, mean Christians should never resist evil perpetrated by government. The first reference is one found in the Gospel accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke in which Jesus said "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's."
The second reference cited by readers is Romans 13, in which the Apostle Paul advocates submission to earthly rulers.
A great many Christians -- including many pastors -- wrote to me explaining that it is the duty of good citizens and churches to "render unto Caesar."
I hardly know where to begin in addressing such a fundamental issue. But let me start by asking all Americans who subscribe to this principle as an absolute how our founding fathers, many of them devout Christians, justified breaking the bonds with their rulers in Great Britain? Were they not under a scriptural obligation to render unto King George? Have you read the Declaration of Independence?
I strongly suggest that my dear misguided Christian friends spend a little time reading the great debates that precipitated the War for Independence -- all of which took place among men far more learned in the Scriptures than the average modern Christian.
It's important to consider the circumstances and the audience behind Jesus' instructions to "render unto Caesar." The Sadducees were attempting to trap Jesus into advocating open contempt for Caesar. He recognized their wicked and hypocritical little game and answered them with a totally truthful response that astonished everyone.
But think about it. There are two components to Jesus' words. We are to "render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's," but we are also to "render unto God the things that are God's." Well, everything ultimately belongs to God. But, most of all, this injunction by Jesus instructs us that government laws cannot trump God's laws -- ever.
If government commands you to do evil, as a Christian you must resist. There is no alternative. Citing the "render unto Caesar" line is an excuse for accountability to God -- nothing more, nothing less.
Furthermore, it needs to be pointed out to my critics that in America we don't have a Caesar. Never have, never will. You see, our system of government is called a free republic and it is based on the concept of constitutional self-government. We have no "rulers" in America -- except ourselves and our God. We believe in the rule of law, not the rule of men.
This is an important distinction, not a semantic one.
Nowhere in the Bible does it teach us to obey evil rulers. Nowhere. Quite the contrary. In fact, the Bible has inspired more non-violent civil disobedience movements than any other religious document. The example of Jesus and the apostles was to submit to arrest, submit to being jailed, even submit to execution. But, in no way, can one derive from biblical example that we are to do evil because we are told to do so by government.
I believe it is evil -- pure and simple -- for the Internal Revenue Service to force a church to serve as its unpaid tax collection agency. That is the issue in Indianapolis. Armed federal agents seized the Indianapolis Baptist Church because it refused to collect withholding taxes from employees.
This is an act of conscience that demands respect -- not only for churches but for independent, privately held, tax-paying businesses as well. The IRS cannot at once pretend the income tax is voluntary and at the same time demand that employers collect it from employees before they ever see it.
It is stealing. And stealing is forbidden in the Ten Commandments. Christians are not to countenance stealing, because stealing is evil. Christians are to resist evil -- even at a cost of life itself.
I for one am not accountable to any Caesar, thank God. I am accountable to my Creator. My rights and responsibilities as a free man descend not from government, but from God Almighty.
I would love to ask my Christian critics how they feel about those heroes who risked death in Nazi Germany because they refused to render Jews unto Hitler?
The greatest acts of moral courage in the last 2,000 years have been the countless examples of individuals standing up to tyrants against all odds. Sadly, it seems many modern American Christians are content to sit on their duffs and condone evil because of their own scriptural illiteracy and moral blindness.
[ WorldNetDaily.com ]
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