There’s Something Rotten in the Church

I don’t know the man, but what he says he makes me sick:

I believe three of the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit (one who has since dropped) are ARP ruling elders. Here is their sixth vow for ordination: "Do you promise to submit in the spirit of love to the authority of the session and to the higher courts of the Church?” That, of course, was not done. That they did not submit to the higher court (General Synod) is beyond dispute [because of the lawsuit].

- Rev. Tim Phillips, on Supporters of Synod group

That Rev. Phillips thinks elders (or members) in a church should be forced to do whatever their session, presbytery, Synod, &etc says on every issue is sickening. When your session, presbytery, Synod, &etc does something you find contrary to the Bible, you would pray carefully and if convinced they are wrong you would challenge them on it. This might culminate in leaving the church and/or denomination. If your session, presbytery, Synod, &etc did something illegal against the laws of the church or state, you should challenge them on it. If they refuse to consider the fact that, yes, they did something illegal, you seek recourse in the court to correct the wrong that has been done to you and your neighbor. What else is there to do?

Make no mistake about it – Synod broke the law, or at the very least came so close to breaking it that the court has put an injunction on the action until a proper trial can convene to determine whether they acted illegally. This means that, at the very least, they are walking a very fine line – and possibly crossed it into terrible behavior.

That Rev. Phillips would refuse a godly man from any way at all* of challenging the actions – Biblical or legal – of their church is outrageous and disgusting. Truly, should we all bow down to the almighty Synod? Is the Bible not the only inerrant word of God, or should professors at Erskine swear allegiance to inerrant Synod too? Is Synod incapable of making a mistake, misinterpreting scripture, acting unchristian, or breaking the law? Should we condemn the godly men of the past who challenged their churches? Martin Luther, anyone?

Or is the difference that Martin Luther was justified in his challenge of the church? Challenge the church when you are right to do so – is this Rev. Phillips belief? He’s right, of course – you should only challenge the court when it’s justified. Here, godly men believe it is justified. The legal system seems to agree. Or is Rev. Phillips so blind to his and his Synod’s actions that he refuses to accept that they might have wronged their neighbor and broken the law?

Truly, if men of Synod believe as Rev. Phillips does – that Synod can make no mistake and challenges of its decisions will face God’s wrath – then I perfectly understand how this sad Erskine debacle arose in the first place. If you care for nothing except what you, yourself, want to do, and if you believe that everybody else must and will submit to you, then nothing will stand in your way. And nothing did – until a few good men said “enough.”

I, for one, will challenge my church, to which I have sworn to submit for the peace and purity , when my church acts in a way that is contrary to Christ; this includes breaking the laws of the land that are not in conflict with the Christian faith. That is what Synod has done, and though Rev. Phillips speaks in the group of the necessary “repentance” of these men and “rebelling against the very authorities that God has placed over them” and “eternal consequences,” whatever that means. Are these men at risk for their very souls because they believe their church broke the law? Apparently. Sorry, Rev. Phillips. How ever could I be so silly as to challenge your God-given authority to break the law?

But all is not lost. Mary Lou Holmes wrote back:

Mr. Phillips, when a Synod acts on a report and recommendation of a commission that are done outside the authority of the Synod and the laws of the state and federal government, no one need submit.
We are a Church of God, not of men.

And that, my friends, is the truth.

 

*Yes, I know, they should have asked Synod to “redo” Synod’s own decision. And if Synod did not change its mind, as it surely would not have? What happens then? Let me guess: “Christians don’t sue the Church. Submit!”