The Highway Forums General Discussion Open Forum The Bible

Sinclair Ferguson addressed the condition of the natural man, i.e., those who are totally depraved, dead in sin, unregenerate and thus by nature are God-haters. The passages he references, Eph 4:17-19 and Rom 1:18-32 evidence this clearly. His point, it seems to me, is that we are to be patient with unbelievers in our witness to them knowing that without the supernatural and sovereign regeneration power of the Holy Spirit they are helpless to change.

However, you have taken what Ferguson was addressing and applied it to those who profess to be Christians; changed by the power of the Spirit and thus are no longer enemies of God and have the indwelling Spirit. You further want to apply this "patience" we are to have with unbelievers to professing believers in the matter of heretical doctrine and life [implied]. I would have to disagree with your application. To delve a bit deeper into this matter I would like to put forth the following questions:

1) IF you thus believe, as your application would seem to apply, that we are to allow professing Christians to hold to heretical doctrine until such time as God through His Spirit reveals their error and changes their heart and mind, is discipline of such individuals justified? And if so, what kind of disciple would you prescribe?... a) for communicate members of a church, and b) for those ordained to office; Elder or Deacon?

2) How would you evaluate the manner which Jesus, Paul and the other authors of the Epistles of the NT dealt with those who held to heretical doctrine and/or practiced sinful behavior? Cf. the following for evaluation:

1. Matthew 12:34 (ASV) "Ye offspring of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh."
2. Matthew 23:29-33 (ASV) "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye build the sepulchres of the prophets, and garnish the tombs of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we should not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye witness to yourselves, that ye are sons of them that slew the prophets. Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents, ye offspring of vipers, how shall ye escape the judgment of hell?"
3. 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (ASV) "It is actually reported that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not even among the Gentiles, that one [of you] hath his father's wife. And ye are puffed up, and did not rather mourn, that he that had done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, being absent in body but present in spirit, have already as though I were present judged him that hath so wrought this thing, in the name of our Lord Jesus, ye being gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, to deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."
4. 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (ASV) "This charge I commit unto thee, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which led the way to thee, that by them thou mayest war the good warfare; holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust from them made shipwreck concerning the faith: of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered unto Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme."
5. Titus 3:9-11 (KJV) "But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself."
6. 2 Peter 3:16-17 (KJV) "As also in all [his] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as [they do] also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction. Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know [these things] before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness."
7. Acts 20:29-30 (ASV) "I know that after my departing grievous wolves shall enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them."
8. Romans 16:17-18 (ASV) "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them that are causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine which ye learned: and turn away from them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent."
9. 2 Corinthians 11:12-14 (ASV) "But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them that desire an occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we. For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, fashioning themselves into apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for even Satan fashioneth himself into an angel of light."
10. Titus 1:10-16 (ASV) "For there are many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, idle gluttons. This testimony is true. For which cause reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure all things are pure: but to them that are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess that they know God; but by their works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
11. Galatians 5:10-12 (ASV) "I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away. I would that they that unsettle you would even go beyond circumcision [Grk: castrate themselves]."

Thanks in advance for your thoughtful reply.