Title Principle of Separation
Content "The Principle of Separation"
The Bible emphasizes the fellowship of love between saints, but it also teaches explicitly about the severance or separation of fellowship with some. Traditionally, the Reformed Church has taught 'the faithful practice of discipline' as a mark of the true Church (Scottish Confession of Faith 1560, No. 18; Belgic Confession 1561, No. 28, No. 29; Hermann Hoeksema, Reformed Dogmatics, pp. 617-621; Hein-rich Heppe, Reformed Dogmaics, pp. 668-671). The 'biblical separation' we are talking about here is a principle contained in the teaching of discipline taught in the Bible. By examining the principle of separation taught in the Bible, we can confirm that today's fundamentalist position is biblically correct and that the new evangelical or evangelical position is biblically wrong.
1. Objects of Separation
1-1. unbelievers
1-2. heretics
1-3. criminals
1-4. disobedient
2. Reasons for separation
2-1. because of the nature of the church
2-2. because of the purity of the church
2-3. Because of the contagiousness of evil
2-4. for the glory of God
3. Methods of Separation
3-1. errors should be pointed out
3-2. sever ecclesiastical communion
3-3. Watch out for personal relationships
3-4. Don't lose your Christian virtues
4. Justification for Separation
5. The mistake of compromise
1. Objects of Separation
From whom does the Bible teach believers to cut off fellowship? The objects of separation taught in the Bible fall into the following four categories:
1-1. unbelievers
First, the Bible teaches believers to cut off fellowship with unbelievers. The term 'fellowship' here refers to church fellowship, that is, spiritual fellowship shared as God's family. This fellowship as members of the one body of Christ is especially well expressed by sharing in the Lord's Supper.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18, "Do not yoke ye with unbelievers. How does righteousness and iniquity coexist, what does light and darkness have in common, how Christ and Belial harmonize; For we are the temple of the living God . . . therefore says the Lord, come out from among them and be separate [separate] and do not touch the unclean thing. I have received you, and I have given you the Father. and you will be my children, saith the Lord Almighty.”
There is a clear line between the world and the church, between the unbeliever and the believer. Since the church is a fellowship of saints, there is bound to be a certain limit to church fellowship. Anyone is invited to come to the Lord, but only believers can share spiritual fellowship as saints.
1-2. heretics
Second, the Bible teaches believers to cut off association with heretics. Romans 16:17, 18, "I urge you, brethren, to watch out for those who cause strife and stumbling blocks against your teaching [the doctrine or doctrine that you have been taught], and depart from them. Such are those who serve Christ our Lord. They are not timid, they serve only their own belly, and with their clever and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the naive."
Titus 3:10, "After admonishing a cult once or twice, shun [reject]." 2 John 7-11, "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, who deny that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh. This is the deceiver, the Antichrist. . . . whoever comes to you without this doctrine, let him Do not bring him into the house or greet him, for he who greets him is a partaker of his evil deeds." Jude 3, 4, “Beloved, while I was desperate to write to you about our salvation in general, I felt the need to exhort you with a letter to the saints to fight hard for the faith that was once given to you. , because there were a few who came in quietly."
Moreover, when considering the nature of the heresy, it can be clearly seen that the severance of fellowship between the saints and the heresy is necessary. First, heresy is an idea that will be cursed by God. Galatians 1:8, "Cursed be we, or even angels from heaven, if they preach any other gospel than the gospel we preached to you."
Second, heresy is a destructive ideology. 2 Peter 2:1, "There have also been false prophets among the people, so there will be false teachers among you, who secretly introduce destructive heresies, denying the Lord who bought them, and bringing upon themselves impending destruction. "
Third, heresy is like the decay of a poisonous spear. 2 Timothy 2:17, 18, "Their words are like the decay of poisonous spears, among which are Hymenaeus and Philetus. As to the truth, they are wrong. The faith of some, because the resurrection has already passed. destroy it."
Today's cults include, first of all, the Catholic Church, which the Protestant Church traditionally regarded as antichristian and idolatrous, and various cults that arose after the 19th century, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Adventists, Christian Science, Unification Church, Cheonbu Church, etc., especially modern liberal theology. (New evangelicals are not only tolerant of liberals, they are also sympathetic to the Catholic Church. But this is wrong. The Catholic Church has not fundamentally changed at all.)
In particular, modern liberal theology focuses on the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, such as the divine authority and inerrancy of the Bible, the personality and punitive justice of God, the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the virgin birth, It is a terrifying, unbelieving heresy that denies divinity, vicarious atonement, bodily resurrection, ascension, and second coming.
1-3. criminals
Third, the Bible teaches believers to cut off fellowship with those who commit ethically manifested sins and do not repent. The Bible teaches such people to be expelled from the church. 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, “Now I write to you, “Do not associate with anyone called a brother who is fornication, greedy, idolatry, slander, drunkenness, or extortion, and you shall not eat with such a person. "For the strangers are judged by God, but cast this evil man out of you." Even in light of this, the true churches today will have to cut ties with those that are deeply morally corrupt.
1-4. disobedient
This was a lesson for those who do not work in good faith at the time this letter was written, but the principle applies in other work as well. In particular, these words can be applied to today's so-called New Evangelicals, who deliberately disobey the biblical teaching of rejecting heresies and tolerate and associate with liberal heretics. Although the majority of New Evangelicals are not heretics with degenerative theological ideology and are true gospel believers and brothers like us, we should not tolerate or tolerate their willful disobedience and compromise behavior, but we should reprove them and If they do not change their behavior, they will have to cut off their fellowship with them.
Professor Theodor Schwkegel of Pace Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary, referring to New Evangelicalism as a 'deadly evil', said: "The fundamental question is ... how to deal with errors and false teachings within the church. . . . to reprove the erring man and correct him. If he persists in his erroneous teachings, we separate him from us or ourselves from him, until he repents and turns from the error of his way. …but the New Evangelicals have abandoned this policy of segregation and have instead adopted a policy of infiltration that embraces error” (Christian News, 31 May 1999; Calvary Contender, 1 July 1999). ).
2. Reasons for separation
Why does the Bible teach believers to cut off their associations with these four types of people?
2-1. because of the nature of the church
The first reason for biblical separation is the nature of the church. The church is basically a gathering of saved saints, and true believers are expected to believe in biblical doctrine and obey biblical teachings. Therefore, elements that are contrary to this essential character of the Church, such as unbelief, heresies, unrepentant sins, and willful disobedience, must be rejected and eliminated from the Church.
For example, today's united evangelism work with liberals and liberal churches seems to be bearing fruit on the surface, but since the Bible forbids such false associations, we should not tolerate any excuses and should oppose and reject such activities. do. Our primary concern is obedience to the Lord's commands. Christianity is not quantityism, numberism, or pragmatism, it is biblicalism and truthfulness that obeys only God.
2-2. because of the purity of the church
A second reason for biblical separation is the purity of the church. The church is holy and must be holy. This should be the case not only doctrinally, but also ethically. Ephesians 5:26, 27, "For by washing with water and making clean with the word, he sanctified and set before him the glorious church, that he might be holy and without blemish, without spot or wrinkle or such." Although there is no perfect church on earth ?/td>