Apologetics - Handmaiden to the Gospel

This is a repost of one of my very early articles from over three years ago.  I think it’s a good time to dust it off!

I have had some people complain that the apologetics ministry is “counter-productive” to the mission of the church. Comments have ranged from the ridiculous (“Doctrine doesn’t matter - only love matters”) to the misguided (“Go build the church. Show us how its done. Anyone can sit back and launch a spur of complaints, but that does not and never has accomplished anything”). But is this a true view of apologetics ministries?

What does the Bible say? Should we be warning the church against false teachings and false teachers? Should we expose false teachers and teachings? What about correcting error? I will let the Scripture speak for itself before I finish with a short summation of the purpose of apologetics, and why the apologetics ministry is a viable part of the Church.

Let’s first look at the Old Testament. God speaks against false prophets and gives warnings to bad leaders: Jer. 23:1-2, 16, 30-32; Ezek. 13:1-7; Ezek. 34:2-10. God also gives guidance on how to identify false teachers: Deut. 13:1-3; Deut. 18:22; Is. 8:20.

However, it is in the New Testament where we find a lot of Scripture that condemns false teachers and false teachings, and often in not very kind words. We will find commands to not teach falsely, commands to watch personal doctrine, and condemnation of false teachers. Almost every book has teaching of this nature.

THE GOSPELS: 

When Jesus taught the Sermon on the Mount, one thing he did was correct all the false teaching promoted by the Pharisees (“You have heard it said…but I say to you”). Jesus called the scribes and Pharisees “hypocrites” as he railed against them for teaching tradition as doctrine. Jesus even alerts us that we can tell false teachers by their fruits (Matt. 7:15-20), and He personally attacks the lawyers, scribes and Pharisees for their teachings, with condemnations of “woe to you.”

ACTS: Paul warns the Ephesians that false teachers will come in with their false teachings (20:29-30)

ROMANS: “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” (16:17-18)

1 CORINTHIANS: Paul rebukes the Corinthians for their divisions, and he condemns them for tolerating sexual immorality. He specifically states Christians are to judge those who claim to be part of the Church. Paul also warns them to flee from idolatry. And, finally, Paul challenges them to check their doctrinal standards.

2 CORINTHIANS: Paul says for the Corinthians to be holy in every thing they do, and he also says not to be joined with unbelievers in their practices, that they cannot have fellowship with darkness. Paul warns them that they are fighting a spiritual war of the mind, and our weapons are spiritual in nature. He then says, “But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” (11:3-4). As Paul progresses in chapter 11 he warns them of false teachers and apostles and that even Satan can transform himself into an angel of light.

GALATIANS: “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” (1:6-9) This is an excellent summation of Paul’s attitude towards false teachers. Notice that he is not soft-spoken - “let him be accursed.” In 2:11ff Paul tells how he challenged Peter to his face for his hypocrisy. Galatians is all about the false works-oriented salvation message which was coming into their assembly. And Paul calls the Galatians “foolish” for listening to such false teachings.

EPHESIANS: Paul warns the Ephesians to “have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.” (5:11-12). He later tells them they need the whole armor of God to protect themselves against the devil - that it is truly spiritual warfare (6:10-18).

COLOSSIANS: Paul warns the Colossians about people trying to persuade them against the gospel, and that they are to avoid worldly philosophies and traditions, and to let no one judge them by legalistic standards.

1 THESSALONIANS: Towards the end of this letter Paul tells them not to despise prophecies or quench the Holy Spirit, but rather to test all things so as to hold onto what is good and reject what is evil.

2 THESSALONIANS: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” (9-12)

1 TIMOTHY: Paul commands Timothy to “charge some that they teach no other doctrine…” A couple chapters later Paul has this to say: “The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly. . . . Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” Just a bit farther Paul says, “If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.”

2 TIMOTHY: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (4:2-4)

TITUS: Paul tells Titus that he is to “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition.” In other words, the man must first be warned twice that he is teaching falsely.

2 PETER: “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute. In their greed these teachers will exploit you with stories they have made up. Their condemnation has long been hanging over them, and their destruction has not been sleeping.” (2:1-3)

This listing is by no means exhaustive, but it demonstrates that false teachings are not to be tolerated, that the Church is to be warned against false teachers and their teachings, and that strong words may be directed at them.

Okay, so here is the point. Apologetics ministries aren’t there to evangelize or to build churches. Those are totally different ministries which work to spread the gospel and enlarge the flock. Apologetics ministries are there to protect the flock once they have been brought in. As apologists, we ensure the teaching is true to the Bible, and that the flock isn’t led astray by wolves or led into confusion by false teachings which can do anything from burdening them with legalism to leading them into apostasy.

Junk food theology can be spiritually poisonous and must be protected against. Discernment is the immune system of the church, and apologetics ministries teach discernment.   

Apologetics is the handmaiden to the Gospel.

Amazing Love of God

Yesterday at our church we sang one of my favorite songs, Charles Wesley’s And Can It Be?  I never heard this song until we began going to Bible churches instead of Lutheran churches.  I think it has some powerful words to meditate on.

And can it be that I should gain

An int’rest in the Savior’s blood?

Died He for me, who caused His pain?

For Me, who Him to death pursued?

Amazing Love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

Refrain:

Amazing Love! How can it be

That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above;

So free, so infinite His grace.

Emptied Himself of all but love,

And bled for Adam’s helpless race.

‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,

For, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay

Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;

Thine eye diffused a quick’ning ray,

I woke, the dungeon flamed with light.

My chains fell off; my heart was free.

I rose, went forth and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;

Jesus, and all in Him is mine!

Alive in Him, my living Head,

And clothed in righteousness divine;

Behold I approach th’ eternal throne

And claim the crown, thro’ Christ, my own.

I have found texts with more stanzas, but these four are what I usually find in hymnals.

"Doctrine" in the Pastoral Epistles

by Ron Merryman, and published in The Berean Call, July 2011
"Till I come, give attention to the reading, to the exhortation, to the doctrine.... Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you"--1 Timothy 4:13, 15-16. (I have highlighted the definite articles each from the Greek text, because they affirm the focus of public ministry, the Word of God.) [Paul to Timothy, ca. A.D. 65]

Paul's admonition here is directed to three emphases in Timothy's public ministry. When believers met in assembly, Timothy was to: 1) attend to the reading aloud of the Scriptures; 2) attend to exhortation-encouragement flowing from the Scriptures; and 3) attend to the doctrine, the organized or systematized teaching of God's Word.

Timothy was to meditate on these [literally, keep giving meticulous care to these(meletao in the present tense, active voice, imperative mood)], to give himself entirely to them ("be in these things,"... "be absorbed in them"), and to continue orpersevere in them...for in so doing, he and his listeners would be delivered from the evils of the age. Strong imperatives for young pastors from the aged Apostle! It is evident that Paul's confidence in accomplishing God's purposes was solely in the Word of God.

What was to be normative to Timothy has become dreaded in evangelical churches today! Doctrine has become the dreaded "D" word! Some see it as divisive; as though truth and error admit to little difference (need I say that doctrinal truth by nature is quite intolerant of error!). Others see it as dry and boring, as though God's truth is unrelated to human experience. Still others avoid doctrine like the plague, fearful that it minimizes love, as though love can be sentimentally divorced from truth.

Not so with the Apostle Paul! And in his Pastoral Epistles, 1Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus, he communicates the importance of sound doctrine. Did you notice--PastoralEpistles--letters to those who would be responsible for emphases in assembly gatherings! Pastors, elders, seminarians: Take note! As kindly as possible [and] with empathy, having pastored for 14 years, I ask, "Are the believers in your assembly well grounded doctrinally or not? If not, why not?" Believers: Are you well oriented to biblical truth so that you can propagate and defend doctrinal truth? Or are you leaving such to the "pros"?  

Going Against the Flow

Is it ever wrong to just “go with the flow” and fail to act?  Do we sometimes have a moral obligation to take action, even if it means swimming against the prevailing current?

Yes. Otherwise, we may be guilty of what is known as “culpable passivity,” because in certain circumstances the failure to act is inexcusably wrong, both legally and morally.  In legal matters, culpable passivity mostly involves wronging the rights of others.  But for Christians, in matters involving the character and revelation of God, culpable passivity can involve directly wronging the rights of God Himself.

Biblical apologetics is all about swimming upstream, challenging the status quo that routinely denigrates God and His Word.  Unbiblical teachings about God’s relationship to His creation are both aggressive and ubiquitous.  Christians around the world who resolutely honor the Word of God are frequently put on trial for their unwavering faith.  How their courage shames those who would prefer to simply “go with the flow” and listen to the voices of “experts” who boisterously brag of their “science” (falsely so-called) as they refuse to honor God as Creator.

James J.S. Johnson, J.D., Th.D., Culpable Passivity: The Failure of Going with the Flow.  Acts & Facts 40/7, p.8

A Catholic Wedding

Today I played for a wedding, which makes it the 33rd for which I have played my pipes.   (I have also played for eight receptions where the couple did not have me at the ceremony).   And this was the 14th wedding I’ve done in a Roman Catholic church.

Catholic weddings always make me sad because of the idolatry and other legalistic practices.  There is always the prayers to Mary, and there is always the Mass.  I have been canceled from a couple because the priest said the bagpipes were a secular instrument and not allowed in God’s house, while others have had the music desires of the bride and groom over-turned because it was considered “secular” by the priest.  However, today had just a wee bit of a difference, which led me to write about it.

After the Mass was celebrated, and after the final blessings were given, before the couple could rise from their kneeling position the priest made the following announcement:

“For those here who are Catholic, this Mass does not replace the weekly Mass - you still must be at mass tomorrow.”  

And then he spoke directly to the groom and then to the bride in turn:  “This includes you, so get up tomorrow morning.” (This was said loud so the whole congregation could hear, which probably mortified the couple.)

Can you imagine the legalistic burden this places on the individual?  And how about the bride and groom - they can’t even sleep in after their first night together for fear of missing Mass!!!  

While I have known couples who have attended church the morning after their wedding, most couples tend to start their honeymoon trip the evening of their wedding or the morning after.  Somehow I don’t see Christ punishing them in any manner for not attending church the next morning!

Listening to the priest’s invocations at Mass, watching his holding up the host for worship, and his statements about this Mass not counting for their weekly requirement, all made me pray that the deception of this false system would be apparent to those who were there.

Did They Really Say That?

?!?

“God cannot take to heaven the slave who has been kept in ignorance and degradation, knowing nothing of God or the Bible, fearing nothing but his master’s lash, and holding a lower position than the brutes.  But He does the best thing for him that a compassionate God can do.  He permits him to be as if he had not been.”

Ellen G. White, Early Writings, p. 276.

According to E.G. White, God couldn’t take the slaves to heaven, and so annihilated them.  And how did she know that slaves knew nothing of God and the Bible?

More United Methodists Settle Into Satan’s Web

An article in yesterday’s Cedar Rapids Gazette declared that “a growing number of pastors in the United Methodist Church say they're no longer willing to obey a church rule that prohibits them from officiating at same-sex marriages, despite the potential threat of being disciplined or dismissed from the church.”

Is that “potential threat” of discipline really an actual threat?  Well, as I’ve reported before about these goatherds, the Gazette tells us that, “In some parts of the United States, Methodist pastors have been marrying same-sex couples or conducting blessing ceremonies for same-sex unions for years with little fanfare and no backlash from the denomination.”

When denominational leaders fail to do their duty, all they will get from it is more apostasy.  The UMC denomination is pretty liberal as it is, focussing on the “social gospel” rather than on Biblical teachings, so they really don’t have much of a leg to stand on anyway when it comes to enforcing a ban on conducting same-sex unions.  Yet the Gazette also reports that “Rev.” [read “goatherd”] Amy DeLong of Osceola, WI is facing a 3-day trial beginning today; it seems she has ordained homophiles and has “married” a lesbian couple.  She is also in a homosexual relationship and claims to have told her superiors this fact long ago, yet the UMC has done nothing to discipline her before.  So now they a trying her for practicing her known worldview!

Goatherd DeLong officiated at this “wedding” of lesbians two years ago and yet the UMC is just NOW taking action - or at least giving the impression that they are doing so.  DeLong claims that the UMC official stance on homosexual are “unjust laws.”  Interesting that she would say God is unjust for saying homosexual behavior is a sin.  Who gave her this moral authority over God?

The Gazette article reports that there are “hundreds of pastors from areas including Illinois, Minnesota, New York and New England have signed statements recently asserting their willingness to defy the rule.”  The reason given is that, “A number of Methodist clergy say it violates the church's social-justice teachings, and they say they're stepping up their efforts in part because national attitudes toward discrimination against gays and lesbians are becoming more enlightened.”

There you have it: God’s law has not changed but the false social gospel taught by the UMC opens the door to these claims of “social justice.”  And, after all, secular attitudes about homosexuality are more important that God’s attitude towards it.  Then there is the bogus claim about “discrimination,” as if discrimination is somehow always wrong.  With their logic, we should quit discriminating against adulterers and fornicators and no longer call what they do “sin.”  And don’t you love how they frame the acceptance of homosexual behavior by society as being “enlightened”?  Yes, us Bible-believing Christians are in such darkness!

The Gazette’s article ended with this bit of information:

One retired pastor in Massachusetts has been defying the same-sex wedding ban for more than 10 years without drawing any complaints and has no plans to stop. 

The Rev. Richard Harding, 85, said the church is only hurting itself by driving away both talented clergy and younger members who think the policy is out of touch. 

'I'm getting on in years and I may not see the change but there's definitely an uprising taking place,' he said. 'There are signs that the pole of justice is beginning to lean the proper way. I think we'll see even more of this. We aren't going to go away.' 

Proof positive that the UMC’s threat of disciple is harmless.  And to Goatherd Harding, the Church isn’t here to cater to those who want to deny God’s laws so as to be “in touch,” rather it is here to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If that drives people away, so be it.  It has nothing to do with secular justice, but it has everything to do with God’s justice.  I’ll take God over society any day.

If you are a member of a UMC body, why is your assembly still part of that denomination?  Do you like being tangled in Satan’s web?


UPDATE, 6/23/11
Goat herd DeLong got a hand-slap.  Check out Neil's report at Eternity Matters.

Holy God, We Praise Thy Name

We sang one of my favorite hymns today.  I first heard it sung by Shirley Temple in the movie, Heidi, then it was a song we sang in the Lutheran churches we attended for eight years.  During that time, I transcribed the tune to play on my bagpipes.

It is an old hymn but not a dirge hymn; and it has some good theology as well.

Holy God, we praise Thy name;

Lord of all, we bow before Thee;

All on earth They scepter claim;

All in heav’n above adore Thee.

Infinite Thy vast domain;

Everlasting is Thy reign.

Hark, the glad celestial hymn

Angel choirs above are raising;

Cherubim and seraphim

In unceasing chorus praising;

Fill the heav’ns with sweet accord:

Holy, holy, holy Lord.

Holy Father, Holy Son,

Holy Spirit: Three we name Thee

While in essence only one;

Undivided God we claim Thee,

And adoring, bend the knee

While we sing our praise to Thee.

How to Destroy the Church

Three years ago, and only three months after I started this blog, I posted this citation from Don Veinot of Midwest Christian Outreach apologetics ministry.  I decided this was a citation which needed reposting, with my short thought at the end:

“How to Destroy the Church: Turn Christianity into one of many equal religious options no more or less true than any other. We could incorporate the 'rich heritage' of these various religious traditions into a non-judgmental spiritually affirming setting of contemplative thought and conversation. We can be on a journey in the land of not knowingness and mutually embrace our ignorance while we sneer and jeer those lesser humans who think they can know things. We can de-emphasize sound doctrine and biblical teaching in order to not make those who don't know anything about the Bible feel bad about not knowing anything. Since nothing is really true anyway we can all feel really good that no one feels bad, except of course, those who believe the Bible."

This is exactly what we see happening in today's church, especially with the Emergent Church movement.  Again, I have to cite 2 Timothy 4:3-4: "For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (NIV).

Did They Really Say That?

?!?

Audible prayer can never do the works of spiritual understanding, which regenerates; but silent prayer, watchfulness, and devout obedience enable us to follow Jesus’ example. ... Audible prayer is impressive; it gives momentary solemnity and elevation to thought.  But does it produce any lasting benefit?  Looking deeply into these things, we find that “a zeal...not according to knowledge” gives occasion for reaction unfavorable to spiritual grown, sober resolve, and wholesome perception of God’s requirements.  The motives for verbal prayer may embrace too much love of applause to induce or encourage Christian sentiment.

Mary Baker Eddy, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, pp.4, 7

Mary Baker Eddy obviously had a problem with audible prayer.  However, how does this teaching compare with the myriads of examples, even by Jesus, of audible prayer!?!  This teaching is unbiblical.