Why I am no longer in the Church of Scotland (4)

Why I am no longer in the Church of Scotland (4)

In 1995 I produced a small booklet on biblical separation. This is the third extract from that booklet:

Matthew 7:15 -23

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons vin your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

Jesus here warns of false prophets, whose teaching and conduct will evidence their falsehood.  They are a danger to the flock.  They do not belong to his kingdom, despite their pretentious claims. Is it conceivable that Christ wishes the Church today to recognise and embrace the present descendants of these false prophets? Is it possible that he wishes the Church to tolerate them in her midst? Is not the warning given in order that the Church might recognise, discipline and remove these dangerous men?

Matthew 13:24 -30, 36 – 42

24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, 25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. 26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. 27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’” Then he left the crowds and went into the house. And his disciples came to him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the weeds of the field.” 37 He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

This passage is invariably appealed to by those who embrace a broad church or mixed church philosophy.  It is claimed that the parable shows that it is both impossible and undesirable to seek to remove the tares, (the sons of the evil one); we must leave that to the final judgement.

However, as Jesus himself makes clear, the field in question is not the church but the world. The parable does not teach that discipline cannot or should not be exercised by the church, but that evil cannot be eradicated from the world until the day of judgement. Those who interpret it of the Church, in clear and direct opposition to Christ’s statement, would logically have to accept that “no separation” must mean no discipline ever leading to the removal of individuals from the Church.  However, the New Testament clearly evidences instructions from both Christ and his apostles concerning the exclusion of unrepentant sinners from the fellowship of the visible Church.

Are we to accept Christ’s interpretation of his own parable, or are we to impose an interpretation that contradicts what Christ himself says and cannot be reconciled with clear New Testament evidence of the removal of the grossly immoral or doctrinally unsound who refuse to repent?

Matthew 16:6, 12

6 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”… 12 Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Jesus warns his people against false teaching, which like yeast will spread and corrupt his Church.  There is a two-fold duty enjoined – “watch”, which implies diligent awareness of a possible danger, and “beware”, which shows that such teaching is recognised to be harmful and destructive. By implication Jesus does not mean recognise false teaching and accommodate it; he means recognise it and deal with it.

Matthew 24:4, 5, 23 – 25

4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray… 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.

Again, a warning is given to test the assertions of those who claim to speak in Christ’s name or exercise his authority.  Does Christ merely intend the Church to note these individuals, or does he intend that she refuses to give formal recognition to them and withholds fellowship from them?  It is not an adequate response to say that progressive liberal false teachers do not claim to be christs – they do claim to speak for Christ and have pretentions to a higher insight than Christ who, they say, was restricted by a primitive worldview and outmoded morality. Such teachers “lead astray” the visible Church, and Christ forewarns against them.  The general principle is that teachers of falsehood are to be recognised and rejected.

Note 2015: It is interesting that some evangelicals will make a false appeal to Matthew 16, but will not interact with the other passages in Mathew on false teachers.  Remember that by remaining in denominational fellowship with those who teach false doctrine and embrace sexual immorality, they are recognising the legitimacy of their status and authority within the denomination.  All of Christ’s warnings are either ignored, or reduced to the sphere of the local fellowship where, one would hope, evangelicals might exercise some biblical discipline.  However, experience has shown that even within the local sphere some professed evangelicals exercise no biblical discipline.

(To be continued)