Yet
the deacon who made that statement about apostolic teaching was not
in LCG. He was technically outside his group's rules – but
was he still right? Is the Bible a believer's ultimate standard? Is
it what an apostle or minister says? Could it be something else
completely?
Starting
the Search
Hard-line
supporters of the apostolic view may be forgetting a famous
challenge of Herbert Armstrong: “Don't believe me –
believe your Bible!” In other words, follow the example
of the Berean church.
“Now
the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians,
for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the
Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (Acts
17:11). The apostle Paul went on to write, “All scripture is
given by inspiration of God....” (II Timothy 3:16, KJV)
It
was Jesus who declared, “The Scripture cannot be broken”
(John 10:35). He apparently was referring at that point to the Old
Testament, and He quoted from it several times (e.g. Mark
12:10-11). Jesus even went to the Old Testament after His
resurrection to teach puzzled disciples. “And beginning with
the Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said
in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Luke 24:27; see
also Romans 16:25-26).
Some
COG ministers and members might conclude that means everything in
the Old Testament remains valid and binding for God's people today
– but is that true?
Game-Changing
Moments
Two
decades after “the changes” in WCG, many COG ministers
still seem to have trouble discussing Acts 15. It's the chapter
critics of the changes reportedly tried to use to call a
church-wide conference on them – only to have WCG leaders
invoke that same chapter, to declare the changes were settled more
than 1,900 years ago.
The
chapter is based on some people insisting Gentile converts “be
circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses” (verse 5).
Yet at the Jerusalem conference, the apostle Peter declared
circumcision “a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have
been able to bear.... It is through the grace of our Lord Jesus
that we are saved, just as they are” (vs. 10-11). So a part
of Old Testament scripture (rooted in Leviticus 12) was overruled!
The
apostles went on to invoke four standards for Gentile believers.
“You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from
blood, from meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality”
(vs. 23, 28-29). Standards 2 and 4 are clearly mentioned in the Old
Testament. We can infer the “food sacrificed to idols”
part through mentions in Revelation 2:14, 20 – and Paul
clarified the church's thinking about that issue in I Corinthians 8
and 10.
But
where did the strangled animal rule come from? That's not
specifically in the Old Testament at all. The Acts 15 conference in
effect added that! Didn't those leaders realize they were
not supposed to add or subtract from the commands God gives, based
on Deuteronomy 4:2 and 12:32?
Well,
here's where we need to realize another key point: God's
appointed leaders sometimes have changed God's rules – and
God blessed it. It wasn't only the New Testament apostles who
did it. Jesus introduced bread and wine instructions at the Lord's
Supper service (Luke 22:19-20), and set the example of foot-washing
(John 13:14) – rules never mentioned regarding “the
Passover” in Exodus 12. Paul went on to direct church
set-asides of money occur on the first day of the week (I
Corinthians 16:1-2). Your own Bible study might lead to other
examples.
As
I prepared this article, I heard a
self-proclaimed “theologian” on Christian radio
offer this tip for Bible study: “Look for events which change
all the rules.” Many COG groups argue God's original rules
have not
changed
through time. Yet some things clearly have – else COG's would
have a lot of blood to clean up every week from animal sacrifices.
Rules
or Rule Book?
These
cases should show us that occasionally, God's leaders declared
rules that did not specifically have Biblical backing. But
what happens when a leader makes a rule that seems to contradict
the Scripture?
When
Jesus walked the earth, He had some tough words for religious
teachers of that day. They're words many COG believers know well.
“You
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These
people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by
men'” (Matthew 15:7-9; see also Mark 7:6-8).
The
fact that Jesus quoted Isaiah 29:13 indicates this was a
long-standing problem among the Israelites. And it continued in the
early church, as Paul had to correct rules which said, “'Do
not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!'... all destined to perish
with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings”
(Colossians 2:20-22).
Yet
the apostle also wrote statements which he said were “a
command that comes not from me, but from the Lord” (I
Corinthians 7:10, NLT). One study Bible explains that “is an
indication that this particular counsel is grounded in known
sayings of Jesus” (NLT Study Bible, 2008 ed., p.
1936). But another speculates, “Paul probably heard such
commands from other disciples.... or from Jesus himself by a
special revelation” (NIV Study Bible, 1995 ed., p.
1744).
Only
two verses later, Paul gives marital guidance in which he admits,
“I do not have a direct command from the Lord”
(verse 12, NLT). Yet I wonder how many COG's consider this a
“direct command” now, since it wound up as part of the
New Testament – and as we've already mentioned, Paul wrote
“all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.”
The
Commands of Christ
This
leads us back to a main question: when is a minister's declaration
a command from God, and when is it not? Perhaps we can help clarify
that by going back to the quote at the top of this article. Was
every word spoken by Jesus Christ (called in Hebrews 3:1 “the
apostle and high priest”) a command – and valid for
believers today?
That
statement was made by the late WCG Pastor-General Joseph Tkach in a
1995 video sermon. But after meditating about it and reviewing what
Jesus said in the Bible, I decided it was not
completely true. In fact, I dared to give a sermonette saying so –
and was not
corrected for it by a minister!
Why
did I say that? Because of some of Jesus's last instructions:
“...teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”
(Matthew 28:20). Who is that “you”? Jesus was speaking
here to His disciples (vs. 16, 18) – and not every word Jesus
spoke was to those disciples. Consider some examples:
Jesus
told a man healed of leprosy, “But go, show yourself to the
priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to
them” (Matthew 8:4/Mark 1:44). I don't think healed church
members do this now – especially since this healing event
includes sacrificing doves and pigeons (Leviticus 14).
The
instruction, “sell everything you have and give to the
poor” was given to a rich young ruler – not
Jesus's disciples (Mark 10:17, 21), although Peter suggested
moments later the disciples had done exactly that (verse 28). Was
Joseph the “rich man from Arimathea” who claimed the
body of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-58) only a quasi-disciple?
Jesus
cried in prayer shortly before His death, “Take this cup
from me” (Mark 14:36) – yet God the Father said no to
His “Apostle-in-Chief” and allowed Him to face a
torturous death.
Even
some things Jesus said to His disciples were short-term and
temporary. At one point the Lord warned, “Do not go among
the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans” (Matthew
10:5). Yet events from the book of Acts and beyond indicate that
changed once Jesus ascended to heaven, as He said the apostles
would be witnesses even in Samaria (Acts 1:8; note Galatians 2:9).
And imagine going to a Feast of Tabernacles with “no money in
your belts” and wearing sandals (Mark 6:8-9)!
Getting
spiritualized
So
while lessons can be learned from what preachers say and what the
Bible states, the words of Jesus show we have to discern carefully
how we apply them. Are those words actually for a different
situation, time and place? Could they be for another group of
people entirely?
For instance, could an Old Testament
command such as, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading
out the grain” (Deuteronomy 25:4) be used to justify money
for ministers? The apostle Paul thought so: “Is it about oxen
that God is concerned? Surely he says this for us, doesn't he? Yes,
this was written for us, because when the plowman plows and the
thresher threshes, they ought to do so in the hope of sharing in
the harvest” (I Corinthians 9:9-10).
This
is known in church-speak as “spiritualizing” a verse
or physical issue. This is also where questions and disputes
about Bible interpretation can develop. The apostle Peter warned
about such things when he wrote “....ignorant and unstable
people distort.... the other Scriptures, to their own destruction”
(II Peter 3:16). Remember those words “the other” next
time a minister tries to tell you Peter is simply writing about
Paul.
Matters
of interpretation have divided the COG movement many times over the
years. In an earlier era, one issue was whether to celebrate
Pentecost on Sunday or Monday. As I write this, one issue is
whether God sends messages to ministers today through dreams.
Daniel 10:1 shows that prophet was
given amazing accurate details about the future through a vision.
The apostle Peter applied a message of Joel to “the last
days” in Acts, that “your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams” (Acts 2:17). Paul acted on
one such vision, to move his ministry to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10;
see also 18:9-10).
Continuing Church of God founder and
online “COG Writer” Robert Thiel uses dreams to justify
his ministry and leadership position. This has been challenged by a
leading elder of UCG, who declared in a sermon that God is not
working through dreams now. But if that view is based on the Bible,
the elder never offered scriptural verification; he simply warned
against “seducing spirits” and false teachers.
`We must note “dream” and
“vision” are two different Greek words. But consider
the precedent the UCG elder is setting. If God stopped using those
methods after the New Testament Bible was written, what else from
that time has ended today? Isn't that how mainstream churches
justify Sunday worship? What about the dream Loma Armstrong had
about ministry in 1917, detailed in chapter 10 of Mr. Armstrong's
autobiography?
(But does that automatically mean Dr.
Thiel's dreams are understood correctly? Not necessarily – as
Genesis 40:8 notes ultimately “interpretations belong to
God....” Bible characters tended to get them right. Recent
history has shown top COG leaders can get them very wrong.)
The
Spirit's Real Role
The Bible shows Jesus spoke “just
what the Father has taught me” (John 8:28). The Lord told the
disciples after His departure, “the Counselor, the Holy
Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name.... will teach you all
things and remind you of everything I have said to you” (John
14:26). Jesus actually started that process before the departure,
“giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles
he had chosen” (Acts 1:2; see also Ephesians 3:5, Amos 3:7).
The apostle Paul later wrote that's
how God revealed things, and how he was taught (I Corinthians 2:10,
13). John seems to refer to that Spirit as “the anointing”
in I John 2:20, 27. And the apostle Peter somewhat defined prophecy
as how “men spoke from God as they were carried along by the
Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:21).
Yet as the UCG elder pointed out in
his anti-dream comments, this world has “seducing spirits,
and doctrines of devils” (I Timothy 4:1, KJV). So how do we
discern the Holy Spirit's lead from deceptive teaching?
There
are times when it's good to go up to a minister after a message to
seek clarification on some of the points he's made –
especially points which sound “over the top” compared
with the Bible. Even modern-day COG ministers make “pronouncements”
and “admonitions” which may sound inspired and
authoritative, but really are cases of loose lips.
I
took this approach after a veteran minister declared during a Bible
discussion that Satan inspired baseball's World Series to be held
in October, to distract believers from focusing on God's fall holy
days. Weeks later, when my home-area Kansas City Royals reached the
World Series during the Feast of Tabernacles, I asked the minister
if I should avoid the games on TV and radio – and he admitted
he never remembered making such a statement!
Yet
there are also times when ministers of God make commands which
members should follow. The section about “seducing spirits”
also includes Paul's instructions to Timothy to “command and
teach these things” (I Timothy 4:11). Paul gave several other
commands to individual churches; see II Thessalonians 3:6, 12 for
examples. And the book of Lamentations provokes us a bit by asking,
“Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed
it?” (3:37)
Guidelines
for Discerning
The
apostle Paul offered guidance (which we're highlighting) for
considering such statements. We start in Titus 1:14: “....pay
no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those
who reject the truth.” In another letter, he expanded his
areas of concern: “....command certain men not to teach
false doctrines any longer nor to devote themselves to myths
and endless genealogies” (I Timothy 1:3-4; see also
4:2-7).
God
gave another tip to Moses in Deuteronomy 18:20: “But a
prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not
commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of
other gods, must be put to death.” And Micah warned
against national leaders who have “priests teach for a price,
and her prophets tell fortunes for money.... Therefore
because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will
become a heap of rubble....” (Micah 3:9-12)
So
what things should God's ministers teach – and perhaps
ordinary members as well? Here's a summary of points I found in a
Bible survey:
God's
law and commandments (Exodus 24:12; Matthew 5:17, 19; II John 6).
All
of God's “decrees” in NIV, or “statutes”
in KJV (Leviticus 10:11)
That
“Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 5:42) who was resurrected
(4:2) – “to believe in the name....” (I John
3:23)
Obeying
all Jesus commanded His disciples (Matthew 28:19-20) –
obedience that “comes from faith” (Romans 1:5)
That
“everything God created is good” (I Timothy 4:4-6) –
as opposed to “godless myths and old wives' tales”
(verses 7, 11)
Respect
for masters (I Timothy 6:1,2; Titus 2:9-10)
Loving
one another (John 15:12, 14, 17; I Thessalonians 4:9-10)
The
“true faith” (I Timothy 2:7)
Conclusions
Making
sense of which “source authority” should take priority
and precedence – the written Bible or the commands and
pronouncements of human God-inspired leaders – turned out to
be one of the most challenging studies I've ever done. It brought
out several Bible passages which seemed to contradict each other.
For
instance, Jesus said He obeyed the commands of His Father (John
15:10), and warned in Matthew 5:19 against teaching people to break
them. But then He turned that around by “abolishing in his
flesh the law with its commandments....” (Ephesians 2:13-15)
– and became a priest outside the commanded rules (Hebrews
7:14-16)!
Yet
Proverbs 13:13 tells us, “He
who respects a command is rewarded.” Nehemiah 1:5 and Daniel
9:4 show obeying God's commands opens the way for God to keep “his
covenant of love....” (NIV/NLT – yes, a love covenant
is mentioned in the Old Testament.)
In
the New Testament, Paul added, “Keeping God's commands is
what counts” (I Corinthians 7:19). The apostle Peter also
urged believers to “recall the words spoken in the past by
the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior
through your apostles” - including himself (II Peter 3:2).
I'm
concluding it's vital for believers to pray for God's wisdom in
such matters. King Solomon advised, apparently to his subjects,
“Since a king's word is supreme.... Whoever obeys his command
will come to no harm, and the wise heart will know the proper
time and procedure” (Ecclesiastes 8:4-5).
Daniel
10:21 says there is a “scripture of truth” (KJV). And
amazingly, that scripture was written well in advance of events –
because that verse refers to detailed prophecies of chapter 11!
Perhaps the amazing King James claim of Psalm 119:89, “For
ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven,” is more
detailed than we ever thought!
May
you keep that scripture in mind when you hear humans make
statements or pronouncements about God and Christian living which
seem a bit off the wall. Prayerfully consider them in light of the
guidelines we've offered. And may the result be unity in the faith,
along with a clearer understanding of how God wants
all of us to live.
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