My
Vision on SDA’s Consulting the Witch of Endor
Part
2
The
Anatomy of Corporate Responsibility
“The angel with the writer's ink horn is to place a
mark upon the foreheads of all who are separated from sin and sinners, and the
destroying angel follows this angel (Letter 12, 1886).” {4BC 1161.5}
“Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken
than the fat of rams. For
rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and
idolatry.” {1T 322.2}
1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king.
2Ch 33:6 And he caused his children to pass
through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also
he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and
with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to
anger.
Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred,
variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Since
God’s people seem to have an aversion for the Bible principle of Corporate
Responsibility, while in vision, I asked the Angel of the Lord to explain why
corporate responsibility is applied by God to His people. The basic
principle(s) associated with the reasons I was given are found in this
manuscript which depicts the concepts of my vision. First, I will give two
definitions:
1.
Corporate
2.
Theocracy
borrowed from Latin corporātus, past participle of corporāre "to form into a body, form (an organized social group)," verbal derivative of corpor-, corpus "body, organized group of people"
[thee-ok-ruh-see]
Origin
See more synonyms for theocracy on Thesaurus.com
1. a form of government in which God or a deity is recognized
as the supreme civil ruler, the God's or deity's laws being interpreted by the
ecclesiastical authorities. [God is
supposed to be the supreme ruler in His church, not man].
2. a system of government by priests claiming a divine commission.
[Like the divine commission to give the three angel’s messages, and to be God’s
commandment-KEEPING people.]
3. a commonwealth or state under such
a form or system of government. Some errantly believe that corporate
responsibility applies only to ancient Israel because they were a theocracy.
This error is proven such by Ellen White, because she says we are to be a
theocracy, to wit:
Ellen White on a Theocracy -- "God's people
have been called out of the world, that they may be separated from the world.
It is not safe for them to take sides in politics, whatever preference they may
have. They are ever to remember that they are one in Christ. God calls upon them to enter their
names as under His THEOCRACY. He cannot approve of those who link up
with worldlings [and churches which cannot be
distinguished from the world, Early Writings, 273]. We are entirely out
of our place when we identify ourselves with party interests....
God
has chosen a people who are to proclaim the third angel's message to the world.
They are to be a separate and
peculiar people in this world of churches who are transgressing His
commandments." E.G. White Manuscript Releases Volume 3, 40, 41.
God
is the supreme ruler of His church. The new movement (1SM 204-205) has removed
God, so it cannot be a church ruled by God, and the only other master is Satan,
so the new movement formed “among”
God’s once church militant, is the Synagogue of Satan. The new movement
cannot rightly be considered as a church, for the reason that
only Christ’s PRESENCE can constitute a church—thus, it is indeed the Synagogue
of Satan on these two counts, just as Christ referred to His first chosen
people who apostatized as the Synagogue of Satan and of their father the devil.
“God has a church. It is
not the great cathedrals, neither is it the national establishment, neither is
it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His
commandments. ‘Where two or three are gathered together in My name,
there am I in the midst of them’. Matthew
18:20. Where Christ is even among the humble few, this is
Christ’s church, for the presence of the High and Holy One who
inhabiteth eternity can alone constitute a church.” Upward Look, 315.
Concepts of
the Anatomy of Corporate Responsibility that I was shown in vision:
1.
The Biblical teaching that ALL MEN have sinned in
Adam (because of Adam’s sin) is a classic example of the biblical principle of
corporate responsibility: Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man
sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men,
for that all have sinned
“If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored,
all rejoice together. 27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually
members of it. 1 Cor. 12:26, 27. (ESV) 1Co 12:26 And whether one member suffer, all the
members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with
it.
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. (KJV). The church is ONE BODY—Christ being
the Head and the bride as His body: 1Co 12:12
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of
that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.1Co 12:13 For by one Spirit are we all baptized into
one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have
been all made to drink into one Spirit.
1Co 12:14 For the body is not
one member, but many. The 144,000 make up Christ’s
body. They teach all others during the Millennium, at the end of which ALL are
grown-up in Christ, and become part of the bride, His body. In the new heaven
and the new earth, there is no temple building because Christ is the Temple
thereof: Rev 21:22 And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord
God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. There is a Temple in heaven
wherein Christ is the High Priest and the 144,000 enter as the lesser
priesthood. Only the 144,000 enter that Temple, EW p. 19.
2.
Christ cannot be the HEAD of a body that is in apostasy, lest He be in
apostasy. God’s presence cannot dwell in the presence of open apostasy sin. Habakkuk 1:13 is a commentary on God’s moral
perfection and holiness. The
full rendering is, “Your eyes are too pure to look on evil.” Christ cannot be
the head on a body that is sinful, lest He be CORPORATE (BODILY) part of sin
Himself.
3.
Christ does not co-dwell in or with those who are practicing known,
open sin:
Jhn 15:7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye
shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
Psa 15:1 [A Psalm
of David.] LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy
hill?
Psa 15:2 He that
walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his
heart.
4.
Sin is so pernicious in that it can affect the third and fourth
generation, and in Adam and Eve’s case ALL MEN, this is the prime reason God applies
the Bible principle of corporate responsibility in His retributive judgments so as to arouse His people to the malignancy of sin and its
contagious nature.
5.
By beholding we become changed, and when mankind beholds open sin in
the church, he is affected by corruption to the point that it is impossible to
unite with the corrupt and remain/become pure.
6.
Open sin is likened to seed sown among THORNS in Luke 8:7 And some fell
among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it, and choked it. Luk 8:14 And
that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth,
and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no
fruit to perfection. Heb 6:8 But that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be
burned.
7.
Open sin corruption makes it impossible for wheat to mature. Wheat can
mature amongst tares (insincere members whose motives we would have to judge in
order to uproot them), but it cannot mature amongst thorns because the thorns
are so pernicious that they choke the wheat and kill it before it matures.
8.
"Thorns sprung up.--The thorns made it impossible for the wheat to
mature (see Luke 8:14). In the same way secular interests prevent the
fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22, 23) from reaching maturity. Religion is
relegated to the subordinate position of being only one interest among many.
For lack of cultivation it withers and eventually dies. That which the
thorny-ground hearers lack is a moral transformation [E.G. White, Christ's
Object Lessons, p. 50] To them, justification is the sum and
substance of religion, and they fail to realize that the Christian life
consists essentially in the process known as sanctification--the process by
which evil traits and tendencies are replaced by the perfect life-pattern of
Jesus Christ." Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 405.
9.
When God says it is IMPOSSIBLE to unite with corrupt (apostates) and
remain/become pure, many don’t believe Him. Because of their unbelief, they
will never be able to mature as wheat, and they will be destroyed with the
tares and open sinning thorns.
"It is IMPOSSIBLE for you to unite with
those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted).
God and Christ and the heavenly host would have men know that if he unites with
the corrupt he will become corrupt." E. G. White,
Review and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137.
10.
In 2 Samuel 24, because David sinned in numbering the people of Israel
rather than having faith in God’s providence to fight his battles, 70,000 men
died. 2Sa 24:15 “So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel
from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from
Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.” Why did 70,000 men have to die for
David’s sin? Because the presence of the Lord had to be withdrawn because of
sin in the camp.
11.
Gal 6:2 “Bear ye one another's
burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.”
In the church community, we have the responsibility of sharing one
another’s burdens to give counsel, help (relief in cases of genuine need), and
advice. This includes spiritual needs involving temptations or sin: Gal 6:1
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual,
restore such an one in the spirit of meekness;
considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Heb 12:14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no
man shall see the Lord: Heb 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the
grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby
many be defiled; Heb 12:16 Lest there be any
fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his
birthright. This is preventive of the indifference Cain had toward Abel: Gen 4:9
And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I
know not: Am I my
brother's keeper? By the
principle of Corporate Responsibility, YES, we are our brother’s keeper.
12.
Jas 5:19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the
truth, and one convert him; Jas 5:20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save
a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of
sins.
13.
Duty of the church in matters
involved with making amends and forgiveness: The body of the True Church is the
final arbiter: Whomever the bride binds upon earth is bound in heaven. The
disciples were the bride of Christ. DA 179.
Mat 18:15 Moreover if thy brother shall trespass
against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall
hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.
Mat 18:16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with
thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word
may be established.
Mat 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell
it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the
church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.
Mat 18:18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall
bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth
shall be loosed in heaven.
Mat 18:19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you
shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be
done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together
in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
Mat 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how
oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus
saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy
times seven.
14.
The messages to the seven churches AS A BODY, in Revelation chapters 2
and 3. Any indictments or commendations apply to the ENTIRE CHURCH addressed.
For example, the entire Laodicean church is instructed by God to REPENT, but
she thinks she has nothing to repent of; she won’t admit to any apostacy
abominations for which God instructs us to sigh and cry, Ezekiel 9, and the
SOP.
15.
Philadelphia AS A BODY (CORPORATELY) is the only church not faulted.
Thus, they are the 144,000 of Revelation 14:1-4.
16.
Individual responsibility to building up the collective (AS A
BODY—CORPORATE) Temple of God.
1Co 3:15 If
any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be
saved; yet so as by fire.
1Co 3:16 Know ye not that ye are
the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17 If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the
temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
17.
The sinful concept of the majority of the new
movement that justification is the sum and substance of religion, is precisely
what New Movement Seventh-day Adventism (Selected Messages, vol.
1, 204-205), teaches. Though there be a few who believe in sanctification
and overcoming of all known sin this side of glorification, the corporate sin
of those who believe that justification is all that matters is transferred even
to those who may differ.
“The Lord will not write
as wise those who cannot distinguish between a tree that bears thorn-berries
and a tree that bears olives.” {EGW, RH, September 7, 1897 par. 15}
"It is IMPOSSIBLE
for you to unite with those who are corrupt, and still remain pure. (II
Corinthians 6:14-15 quoted). God and Christ and the heavenly host would have
men know that if he unites with the corrupt he will
become corrupt." E. G. White, Review
and Herald, Vol. 4, p. 137.
18.
If God blessed His people while they are in sin, He would be blessing
their apostasy. This cannot be. So those who are in open sin apostasy cannot
receive the blessing of God, and His Spirit is not found among open sinning
apostates. His Spirit is among those WHO KEEP His commandments:
"God has a
church. It is not the great cathedral, (or the super mega church), neither is
it the national establishment, neither is it the various denominations; it is the people who love God and keep His
commandments. 'Where
two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in
the midst of them.' Where Christ is even among the humble few, THIS IS
CHRIST'S CHURCH, for the presence of the High and Holy One who inhabiteth
eternity can alone constitute a church." Upward Look, p.
315.
19.
The direct inference in the above statement is that God’s presence is
ONLY with those who love God, and prove it by keeping
His commandments. When His commandments are not being kept, His presence is not
there. If His presence is not there, His protection and aid is not there. Thus,
Achan’s sin precluded the presence and aid of Christ,
in giving Joshua victory in war with his enemies, and all for the sin of ONE
MAN, Achan.
20.
God is not a partial God. If He gave aid to His people when they are
openly sinning, He would have to give aid to all open sinners. He is a just
God, and that would only be just.
21.
God’s law is so
contingent that if we break one commandment, we are individually corporately
responsible, in principle, for breaking them all. If the church leadership is
openly breaking the commandments, then the entire church is corporately
responsible.
Jas 2:10
For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he
is guilty of all.
Jas 2:11
For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if
thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of
the law.
Jas 2:12
So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of
liberty.
Jas 2:13
For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and
mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Jas 2:14
What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man
say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?
The Implications of Corporate Responsibility—Why it is
Hated
Like the
apostate Jewish leaders of Christ’s day, His truth collided with the traditions
and apostasy of the Jews. They hated the prospect of coming to the light
because they feared that the people would lose respect for them and that their
power was threatened by Christ and His followers. The very same attitude
accrues today on the part of apostate leaders of all apostate churches. They
feel it is demeaning to their intellectual attainments to be called-out on any
aspect of their apostasy.
For
example, Donald K. Short and Robert J. Wieland challenged the leaders in the
early 1950’s to corporately repent for rejecting the correct teaching on
Righteousness by Faith, which had become turned on its head by an infiltration
of Jesuits, to agree with the gospel of the other churches. The Jesuits had
long-laid plans to agree with the Evangelicals and forge their plans for a one
world church, and do away with the Protestant Reformation, so SDA leaders,
highly infiltrated with Jesuits like Froom, Anderson and Bacchioocchi.
Bacchiocchi was trained at a Jesuit University, and
as they are a secret society, only Jesuits are permitted to go to the Gregorian
University, in Rome.
As the
Jesuits feel that they are the superiors and teachers, they are not open to
being instructed by non-Jesuits. Thus, they rejected the plea by Short and
Wieland that the church corporately repent for
rejecting Righteousness by Faith as it was taught in 1888. I was shown that the
new movement, new organization prophesied in 1 SM 204-205, is presided over by
Jesuits, and that is why “they allow nothing to stand in their way.” 1SM
204-205. They adamantly claim that the church now teaches Righteousness by
Faith, but it is the rendition of the other fallen churches, which involves the
Doctrine of the Nicolaitans, only believe, no need of the law, just verbal
assent of belief in Christ.
“The
Pontifical Gregorian University is a higher education ecclesiastical school
located in Rome, Italy. It was originally a part of the Roman College founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyola,
and included all grades of schooling.” Wikipedia
See The Jesuit
trained Samuele Bacchiocchi.
By Abel Struksnes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwMOrIKTrCA
When Corporate Responsibility Accrues, What is the Only
Correct Response in Order to Avert it?
"Christ
has plainly taught that those who persist in open sin must be separated from
the church..." Christ's Object Lessons, 71.
The instruction we are given is
to try to reform the culprits, and if they won’t change, they are to be
separated from the church. But what should we do when those in high places are
the ring-leaders in the apostasy, and they determine to allow nothing to stand
in their way (1SM 204-205), as was the case in Christ’s day? Then, the only way
to escape corporate responsibility for all the abominations is to separate as
did Christ and His followers, to wit:
Christ Separated
"Christ was a protestant...The Reformers date
back to Christ and the apostles. They came out and separated themselves from a
religion of forms and ceremonies. Luther and his followers did not invent the
reformed religion. They simply accepted it as presented by Christ and the
apostles." E.G. White, Review and Herald, vol. 2, 48, col. 2.
Paul Separated
“And he
went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months,
disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. 9But when divers were hardened, and believed
not, but spake evil of that way before the multitude, he departed from them,
and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.”
Acts 19:8, 9.
“Fearing that the faith of the believers would be
endangered by continued association with these opposers of the truth, Paul
separated from them, and gathered the disciples into a distinct body.” E.G.
White, Acts of the Apostles, p. 285, 286.
A Most Serious Implication of
Corporate Responsibility That is Most Often Missed
The angel of the Lord has repeated this most
serious implication in a number of different visions
because it is so serious and because it is so commonly overlooked and NOT
looked upon as important. It involves the man in the PREFIGURE TYPE of Ezekiel
9, that roamed the earth for seven years sighing and crying for all the
abomination woes of the apostate Jews and what was to come upon them. But he
died in the very debacle he prophesied.
I asked the Angel of the Lord why he died? I asked
why Ellen White mentions him in Chapter 1 of The Great Controversy. I
was told that the reason he died was that he did not teach a correct response
to the apostasy he exposed. He did not separate from the apostate structure and
follow the true Christians who did separate. Because he united with the
corrupt, He was corporately responsible for the same abominations he sighed and
cried for. He did not follow the example of Jesus and His followers.
I was shown that a person can teach all other truth
EXCEPT Corporate Responsibility and Separation, and he and his followers will
be lost because they don’t make a correct response to the apostasy by
separating from it. The Mark of the Man in Linen in Ezekiel 9, will be put ONLY
on those who are separated from sin and sinners:
“The
angel with the writer's ink horn is to place a mark upon the foreheads of all
who are separated from sin and sinners, and the destroying angel follows this
angel (Letter 12, 1886).” {4BC 1161.5}
There
are some, like Vance Ferrell and Andrew Henriques, who are following the same
course of the man who cried the woes of Jerusalem for seven years; who sigh and
cry for all the abominations, but they don’t teach corporate responsibility and
the serious implications of it. Walter Veith does neither. I use these men only
as examples, but all who will not follow Christ’s response to apostasy are
guilty.
We
are instructed that if we don’t come up to the truth on ALL POINTS, that we
will be lost. Corporate responsibility is a major FACTOR OF TRUTH that is being
totally ignored by 99 percent of God’s people, even among some independent
ministries.
The Huge Corporate Responsibility
Factor in the New Testament
Some
believe that corporate responsibility accrued only to the ancient theocracy of
Israel, but Ellen White applied it to us and also said
that God’s church is a theocracy. It should be a theocracy led by God, but the
new movement REMOVED GOD, 1SM 204-205. The New Testament teaches a colossal
example of applied Corporate Responsibility, which was applied by Christ
Himself, to wit:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood
shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of
Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple
and the altar.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent
sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God
testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet
speaketh.
Who is God speaking to in the above verses? Who is He
holding corporately responsible for all the sins from righteous Abel on down to
their generation? Though Christ mentions the Scribes and Pharisees much, in
verses 35 and 36, He includes JERUSALEM AND THE ENTIRE GENERATION.
The Corporate BODY of Satan
I
was shown that just as Christians will ultimately ALL be part of the corporate
BODY of Christ, with He as the HEAD and they the body, so Satan is the HEAD and
his followers are his BODY.
By
all Christians ultimately being part of the bride of Christ, I was shown that
at His coming, only the 144,000 comprise the bride, but that the 144,000 will
act as priests in the Temple in Heaven for 1,000 years, instructing all those
who are mere babes in Christ, who also qualify as His bride at the end of the
Millennium, for then John the Revelator sees NO TEMPLE, for Christ is the
TEMPLE thereof, and all His faithful saved will make up His bride at that time.
This accounts for the many EGW statements that make it seem that the bride is all of the church that is saved. Ultimately, that is true,
but she also gives many distinguishing features of the 144,000 from the martyrs
and the great multitude during the Millennium in heaven. For example, only the
144,000 go into the Temple on Mt. Zion. EW 19.
I
questioned the Angel of the Lord as to Christ’s reasoning about the justice of
this act of holding Israel responsible for all the blood spilled from righteous
Able’s on down to the generation He was addressing. I
was told that the justice of it all was due to the fact that
the Jews had chosen to worship Satan in lieu of God, and that such sins are
inspired by and are placed upon Satan, so that they also fall upon those who
worship him. I replied: AMEN, MY LORD! What perfect JUSTICE to let Satan bear
the sins he has inspired. The Jews killed Christ and
the prophets. They chose Satan, and thereby became a generation of vipers. They
reap what they have sown—damnation and hell. Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation
of hell?
Jer 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith
the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall
reign and prosper, and shall
execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Dear
Reader, if Christ pronounced such a sentence upon His first chosen people who
apostatized, what would He pronounce upon His second chosen people who had His
first chosen as an example? Corporate Responsibility accrues according to the
CHOICE of every individual. If you CHOOSE Satan, he is the HEAD of your
corporate body. If you choose Christ, He is the HEAD of your corporate body. He
is the HEAD of His collective BRIDE.
WHO
DO YOU CHOOSE TO IDENTIFY WITH—the Arch-deceiver or Christ? You will be
corporately identified with whom you CHOOSE to be identified, and with WHOM you
obey. This is the anatomy of
Corporate Responsibility. Is it REAL? Is it corpoREAL?
Yes it is. It is as REAL as salvation or damnation.
The choice is ours to make:
“The Lord will not write as wise those who cannot
distinguish between a tree that bears thorn-berries and a tree that bears
olives.
Individually,
we are deciding our eternal destiny, deciding whether we shall enjoy the
highest honor that can be given to man, even an eternal weight of glory, or be
ranked with Satan by possessing his character, by dishonoring God because we
profess to be Christians while misrepresenting Christ. Those who choose to reveal the character of the
arch-deceiver identify themselves with him beyond the possibility of a change,
because they choose not
to see themselves as wrong. This was the course that Satan pursued.” {RH
September 7, 1897, par. 16}
Back
to Whom Christ Addresses as Corporately Responsible for all the sins from
righteous Abel on down to the Jews of His generation:
Mat 23:1 Then
spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
Mat 23:3 All
therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye
after their works: for they say, and do not.
Mat 23:4 For they
bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay
them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of
their fingers.
Mat 23:5 But all
their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries,
and enlarge the borders of their garments,
Mat 23:6 And love
the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues,
Mat 23:7 And
greetings in the markets, and to be called of men, Rabbi, Rabbi.
Mat 23:8 But be
not ye called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are
brethren.
Mat 23:9 And call
no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in
heaven.
Mat 23:10 Neither
be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.
Mat 23:11 But he
that is greatest among you shall be your servant.
Mat 23:12 And
whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself
shall be exalted.
Mat 23:13 But woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of
heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them
that are entering to go in.
Mat 23:14 Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and
for a pretence make long prayer: therefore
ye shall receive the greater damnation.
Mat 23:15 Woe unto
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than
yourselves.
Mat 23:16 Woe
unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall
swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of
the temple, he is a debtor!
Mat 23:17 Ye
fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or
the temple that sanctifieth the gold?
Mat 23:18 And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but
whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is
guilty.
Mat 23:19 Ye
fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or
the altar that sanctifieth the gift?
Mat 23:20 Whoso
therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it,
and by all things thereon.
Mat 23:21 And
whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and
by him that dwelleth therein.
Mat 23:22 And he
that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of
God, and by him that sitteth thereon.
Mat 23:23 Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise
and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of
the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to
leave the other undone.
Mat 23:24 Ye
blind guides, which strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel.
Mat 23:25 Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of
the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and
excess.
Mat 23:26 Thou
blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that
the outside of them may be clean also.
Mat 23:27 Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are
within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.
Mat 23:28 Even so
ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of
hypocrisy and iniquity.
Mat 23:29 Woe
unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the
prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the
righteous,
Mat 23:30 And
say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we
would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.
Mat 23:31
Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of
them which killed the prophets.
Mat 23:32 Fill ye
up then the measure of your fathers.
Mat 23:33 Ye serpents, ye generation of
vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?
Mat 23:34 Wherefore,
behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them
ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:
Mat 23:35 That upon you may come all the
righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the
blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew
between the temple and the altar.
Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All
these things shall come upon this generation.
Mat 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou
that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often
would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her
chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
Mat 23:38 Behold,
your house is left unto you desolate.
Mat 23:39 For I
say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.
The New Movement, New Organization and its
Members CHOOSE NOT TO SEE THEMSELVES AS WRONG
The new movement Satan formed “AMONG”, within, CHOOSES not to see itself as wrong. It will not admit to one abomination of apostasy.
“The Lord will not write as wise those who cannot
distinguish between a tree that bears thorn-berries and a tree that bears
olives.
Individually,
we are deciding our eternal destiny, deciding whether we shall enjoy the
highest honor that can be given to man, even an eternal weight of glory, or be
ranked with Satan by possessing his character, by dishonoring God because we
profess to be Christians while misrepresenting Christ. Those who choose to reveal the character of the
arch-deceiver identify themselves with him beyond the possibility of a change,
because they choose not
to see themselves as wrong. This was the course that Satan pursued.” {RH
September 7, 1897, par. 16}
Some are
Erroneously Teaching That The Bride is Sealed Before the Decree—Before
Legislation of the Sunday Law
As a qualification to what follows, I will first
make it clear that we are responsible for truth when we hear it. In accordance with that truth, all who hear of the
Sabbath truth are responsible WHEN THEY HEAR IT. But there is still a GREAT
TEST that the people of God who live at the end-time must have before they
receive the final seal of God, and that is a no-buy/sell law that will finally
be accompanied with a DEATH DECREE, for all who choose to keep the seventh day
Sabbath rather than Sunday. This will be the final test to all who are alive at
that time, including professing Seventh-day Adventist, for
the reason that their leaders will instruct them to keep Sunday sacred.
Though the bride will have made herself READY before
the Sunday Law, the STAMP, the MARK of the Man in Linen is not IMPRESSED upon
them until the DEATH DECREE goes forth. That is the decisive TEST of the Sunday
Law—no buy and sell, and finally, THE DEATH DECREE. I specifically asked the
Angel of the Lord, what DECREE the following statement refers to; Sunday
Legislation or the final DEATH DECREE, and was told it
means the latter for that is the GREAT TEST, when many martyrs will give their
lives as a testament of their belief in the truth.
“When the decree goes forth, and the
stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for
eternity.”
“What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of
preparation? Those who are uniting with the world [and fallen churches that cannot be
distinguished from the world, EW 273’] are receiving the worldly mold, and preparing for the mark of the
beast. Those who are distrustful of
self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by
obeying the truth,--these are receiving the heavenly mold, and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When
the decree goes forth, and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure
and spotless for eternity.” {CET 191.1}
“In our service for the Master,
let not the little things be overlooked. Every human being has a life web to
weave, and if the pattern is complete and perfected at last, every thread of
the pattern must be carefully and faithfully worked. The grace of Christ will
enable us to weave skillfully and well. Day by day we are to put forth personal
diligent effort to improve. Every day we are to use our Christian intelligence
in the work of strengthening the weak, and encouraging
the desponding. A great test
is coming to every
soul. Shall we
not then work and watch and pray and praise the Lord? This will give us a most
precious experience. Very much has been lost to many believers because they
have neglected to seek the Lord with earnestness and with a faith that will not
be denied.” {TDG 75.4}
SDA Leaders Say God is Glad for us to go to Church BOTH DAYS—Saturday
and Sunday
The Signs of the
Times in 1990 states:
"God is glad for us to go to church BOTH days [Saturday and Sunday]. He wants
us to worship Him BOTH days." (Signs
of the Times, March 1990, p. 22-23).
By the principle of corporate
responsibility for open sin in the camp, if you are a MEMBER of the new
movement you were NEVER TO JOIN, EVEN THOUGH IT FORMED “AMONG” WITHIN THE ONCE
CHURCH MILITANT, you are corporately responsible for this abomination committed
by the leaders who are teaching that we can sanctify Sunday as a day of rest,
when God sanctified and made Holy only the seventh day.
Already, SDA new movement
leaders are priming their MEMBERS that they can keep BOTH DAYS. That is a lie,
because enforced Sunday worship will be the MARK of the Beast, THE GREAT TEST
that the people of God must have before they get the final seal.
A More Decided Effort to Exalt Sunday—“After the
truth has been proclaimed as a witness to all nations, at a time when
every conceivable power of evil is set in operation, when minds are confused by
the many voices crying, “Lo, here is Christ,” “Lo, He is there,” “This is
truth,” “I have a message from God,” “He has sent me with great light,” and
there is a removing of the landmarks,
and an attempt to tear down the pillars
of our faith—then a more decided effort is made to exalt the false sabbath,
and to cast contempt upon God Himself by supplanting the day He has blessed and
sanctified.” {3SM 406.2}
“The enemy knows that if the
church can be controlled by political enactments, if she can be led to unite
with the world, she virtually acknowledges him as her head. Then the authority
of man-made commandments will work to oppose the rule of the government of
heaven. Under the leadership of Satan
men will dispense with the righteous, holy enactments of God concerning the
Sabbath, the observance of which is to be a sign between God and His people
forever. {ST, November 22, 1899 par. 1}
True Reformers Have Separated
in Every Succeeding Generation
"The Sanhedrin had rejected Christ's
message and was bent upon His death therefore Jesus departed
from Jerusalem, from the priests, the temple, the religious leaders, the people
who had been instructed in the law, and turned to another class to proclaim His
message, and to gather out those who should carry the gospel to all nations. As the light and life of men
was rejected by the ecclesiastical authorities in the days of Christ, so it has
been rejected in every
succeeding generation. Again and again the history of Christ's withdrawal from Judea
has been repeated. When
the Reformers preached the word of God, they had no thought of separating
themselves from the established church but the
religious leaders would not tolerate the light, and those that bore it were
forced to seek another class, who were longing for the truth. In our day few of the professed followers of the Reformers are actuated
by their spirit.
Few are listening for the voice of God, and ready to accept truth in whatever
guise it may be presented. Often those who follow in the steps of the Reformers
are forced to turn away from the churches they love, in order to declare the
plain teaching of the word of God. And many times
those who are seeking for light are by the same teaching obliged to leave the
church of their fathers, that they may render obedience." E.G. White, Desire of Ages, 232.
Ancient Shilohians Separated
"The recreant priests added licentiousness to
the dark catalogue of their crimes yet they still
polluted by their presence the tabernacle of the Lord, and, laden with sin,
dared to come into the presence of a holy God. As the men of Israel witnessed
the corrupt course of the priests, they thought it safer for their families not to come up to the appointed
place of worship. Many went from Shiloh with their peace disturbed, their
indignation aroused, until they at last determined to offer their sacrifices
themselves, concluding that this would be fully as acceptable to God, as to
sanction in any manner the abominations practiced in the Sanctuary."
E.G. White, The Signs of the Times, vol. 1, p. 264, col. 3, December 1,
1881.
God Told Jeremiah to Separate
His Beloved (Bride)
Walter Veith makes light of the fact that the
Israelites (Israel and Judah) were in apostasy much of the time. He does not
tell you that God told Jeremiah not to even pray for them because He would not
hear his prayer if he did pray. Then he asked: What has my beloved to do in
mine house (church), seeing she has wrought lewdness with many? Notice:
Jeremiah 11
Jer 11:1 The word
that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
Jer 11:2 Hear ye the
words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants
of Jerusalem;
Jer 11:3 And say
thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,
Jer 11:4 Which I
commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of
Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to
all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and
I will be your God:
Jer 11:5 That I may
perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land
flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So
be it, O LORD.
Jer 11:6 Then the
LORD said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the
streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do
them.
Jer 11:7 For I
earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of
the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying,
Obey my voice.
Jer 11:8 Yet they obeyed
not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in
the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the
words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them
not.
Jer 11:9 And the
LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the
inhabitants of Jerusalem.
Jer 11:10 They are
turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my
words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and
the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their
fathers.
Jer 11:11 Therefore
thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not
be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto
them.
Jer 11:12 Then shall
the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto
whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of
their trouble.
Jer 11:13 For
according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to
the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful
thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.
Jer 11:14 Therefore pray not thou for this
people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them: for
I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto me for their trouble.
Jer 11:15 What hath my beloved to do in
mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is
passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest. [After they committed apostasy from 1955 and on, they
CELEBRATED with the Celebration Movement that had its origin in Vatican II.]
Jer 11:16 The LORD
called thy name, A green olive tree, fair, and of goodly fruit: with the noise
of a great tumult he hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are
broken.
Jer 11:17 For the
LORD of hosts, that planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee, for the
evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against
themselves to provoke me to anger in offering incense unto Baal.
Jer 11:18 And the
LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it: then thou shewedst me their doings.
Jer 11:19 But I was
like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they
had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit
thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may
be no more remembered.
Jer 11:20 But, O
LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on
them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.
Jer 11:21 Therefore
thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, that seek
thy life, saying, Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by
our hand:
Jer 11:22 Therefore
thus saith the LORD of hosts, Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall
die by the sword; their sons and their daughters shall die by famine:
Jer 11:23 And there shall
be no remnant of them: for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.
Ellen White Instructed us When
to Separate
One often hears the pining that Ellen White never
said to separate. That is one of the cherished errors advanced by the Jesuits
who had a part in “cherry picking” Ellen White statements for the sheeple
laity. The following statement is clear as crystal to some of us who are not
brainwashed nor hypnotized by the Jesuit-led new movement:
"Even though you may not be able to speak a
word to those who are
working on wrong principles, leave them. Your
withdrawal and silence may do more than words. Nehemiah refused to associate with those who
were untrue to principle, and he would not permit his workmen to associate with
them. The love and fear of God were his safeguard-Dare to be a Daniel, Dare to stand alone. Thus as did Moses, you will endure the seeing of Him who is
invisible. But a cowardly
and silent reserve before evil associates, while you listen to their devices
makes you one with them. Come out from among them and be separate, saith
the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be
a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord
Almighty." Review & Herald Vol. 4, p. 42.
The above statement is CLASSIC CORPORATE
RESPONSIBILITY in the saying that: a cowardly and silent reserve before evil
associates, who are working on wrong principles, totally contrary to the
example of Nehemiah, while you listen and are hypnotized by their devices, MAKES YOU ONE WITH THEM. “Come
out from among them and be SEPARATE, saith the Lord.”
Could such important instruction be any plainer?
And the Jesuit infiltrators continue to maintain that Ellen White never said
SEPARATE UNDER ANY CONDITIONS. She gave the CONDITIONS TO SEPARATE in the above
statement. But most of the sheeple are hypnotized into interpreting it
according to the twisting of the Jesuits, who hate Christians and will do all
they can to see that they remain for the next literal fulfillment of the
Ezekiel 9 slaughter of men, maidens and little children.
1.
I was shown that the
only way man can avert corporate responsibility for the abominations of the
church leaders, is to separate, just as Christ and His followers did. As well,
this has been the case of true reformers in every succeeding generation. Desire of Ages, 232. Isaiah 37:31, and
32, was the call out of “APOSTATE JERUSALEM” IN CHRIST’S DAY, AT THE FIRST
LITERAL FULFILLMENT OF EZEKIEL 9, and it also applies at the next and final
literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, or it would not be literally fulfilled as
Ellen White prophesied.
2.
Corporate
responsibility and its contingent principles, are the reason for calling folk out of Babylon to escape
corporate responsibility for its abominations.
3.
Many erringly
conclude that one can remain amongst apostates, but not mingle with them. If
that were the case, they should go back to Babylon and apostate spiritual
Jerusalem. For example, Walter Veith jokes about the apostasy, saying that
Israel was always in apostasy, as if to say: SO WHAT!
He admits the apostasy stinks, and says: “so did the ark, so just put a
clothespin on your nose and SUPER GLUE yourself to a pew,” and stay for the
next slay. What does animal waste have to do with human apostasy? Does God
equate the two? Of course not! By this foolish musing, he should be consistent
and instruct his patrons to put earplugs in their ears and blindfolders on
their eyes.
4.
Vance Ferrell says
to go to church and read your Bible. If you could avoid corporate
responsibility that way, you could go back to Babylon and do the same thing.
Were Jesus and His disciples remiss in not following a similar response to Veith’s and Ferrell’s response to the abominations for
which we are commanded to sigh and cry aloud? Ezekiel 9 and Isaiah 58:1.
The Biblical principle of Corporate Responsibility
defends the character of God and His justice. It defends the reasons why Christ
made an atonement for sin; that fallen man might repent if he so CHOOSES, to
admit to wrong and even apostasy. Without the
Atonement, there would be no corporate responsibility to repent, for repentance
would be impossible. Thus, corporate responsibility is directly related to the
Atonement around which all other truths cluster.
“The sacrifice of Christ as an
atonement for sin is the great truth around which all other truths cluster. In order to be rightly understood and appreciated, every
truth in the word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, must be studied in the
light that streams from the cross of Calvary. I present before you the great,
grand monument of mercy and regeneration, salvation and redemption,--the Son of
God uplifted on the cross. This is to be the foundation of every discourse given by
our ministers.” Gospel Workers, 315.
The
intent in publishing the following article by G. L. Williamson, a Presbyterian,
is to demonstrate that even some of other religions recognize, believe, and
teach the Biblical principle of corporate responsibility, while NEW MOVEMENT
Adventists DO NOT, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE A PROPHETESS WHO TEACHES CORPORATE
RESPONSIBILITY! I have added notes to the article which I designate with the
words: Note by Ron.
https://www.opc.org/OS/html/V5/1c.html
By “corporate responsibility” we mean the biblical teaching that
there is no such thing as a merely private, personal or individual faith.
According to the Scriptures (1 Cor. 12:12-16), the people of God are like a
body. The members of the body are related one to another. They are affected by
the condition of the body (the church). And we do not think in a biblical way
about ourselves, or others, if we do not take our corporate unity seriously.
But, sad to say, this is a very common error. There is in American evangelical
thought, for example, the idea that one can belong to the invisible church
regardless of what one’s visible affiliation may be. I want to demonstrate,
from the bible, that this really is not true.
To begin with, then, please read 1 Kings 11:9-13. It tells of a
very important period in the history of ancient Israel. This nation came to its
greatest outward glory in the days of Solomon. But it was also in the days of
Solomon that the outward glory was undermined from within. We know, for instance,
that Solomon installed pagan temples for his wives right there in Jerusalem. So there was—before the death of Solomon—already a marked
decline in zeal for the things of God. Solomon just did not have it to the same
degree that David did. I point this out because we need to recognize that a
period of decline always precedes great spiritual catastrophes. So the underlying cause of what came later was this decline
in faithfulness. It characterized the entire body of the nation of Israel, but was especially seen in the acts of its leaders.
If you will now turn to 1 Kings 12:1-19, you will see what
happened after Solomon died. The old united kingdom was now divided. It is also
clear that both sides contributed to this tragic division. Certainly
Solomon himself laid the groundwork for it, and Rehoboam’s folly greatly
advanced it. But we also need to see that there was a complete disregard for
the Messianic promise, pronounced by God upon the House of David, on the part
of the ten tribes that rebelled to form the Northern Kingdom. So the division became a fact, and God said through His
servant that—in the ultimate sense—even this was of Him. We must realize, in
other words, that divisions of this kind are ultimately a manifestation of the
sovereign will and control of God.
Had it stopped there it would not have been such a serious
matter. But now the realities of the situation began to come out, 1 Kings
12:25-33 tells us what happened. Then a man of God—a prophet—was sent from
Judah to denounce the altar set up for worship in this new kingdom. What you
had then—in the Northern Kingdom at this time—was a
very serious act of apostasy. It was a deliberate and willful rejection of the
divinely instituted house of worship—and plan of worship—revealed by the one
true God. It was an official act of rejection of the divinely instituted
sacrifices, Levitical priesthood and temple (concerning which the Lord had said
that He would cause His name to dwell there).
As a consequence of this, there
were some who—having before perhaps rashly followed Jeroboam—now thought better
of it. If you consult 2 Chronicles 11:13-17, you will see what happened. It became clear that the
Northern Kingdom—by the official acts of its leaders—had become apostate!
They had, in other words, rejected God’s way in order to institute their own.
[Just as new movement Adventism has done the very same thing—“GOD BEING
REMOVED.” 1SM 204-205.
And so godly people saw this as an inescapable time of decision.
They had to make the
decision not to remain involved in the apostasy, but to cleave and adhere to
Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Even though I’m sure some of them objected
to his high-handed ways, yet they did see a vital difference between the
kingdom that only had a man-made religion and the one that had a God-ordained
religion. That was the difference between these two realms at
this time in history. The religion of the Northern Kingdom in many ways
aped and imitated the religion of Judah, but it was not the same because God
had only ordained one place at which men could bring acceptable sacrifices, and
it was in Jerusalem.
By the way, we should not imagine that Jeroboam—when he set up
calf worship—said, “Folks, I want you to worship a different god.” That is not
what the Hebrew tells us. What he said was, “Here, folks, here is Elohim. Here
is your God.” In other words, he employed the same religious terms—the same God
words—but he filled it with an entirely different meaning. You need to see
that. He didn’t use a different word for God, but he did completely change the
definition, or content of the word. So, if you worshipped Elohim up there in
the Northern Kingdom, you were worshipping with a different concept of God than
you would if you went down to the Southern Kingdom and worshipped the true God
under that name of Jehovah the covenant keeping one.
As a consequence of this, God
declared His judgment and it came about in this manner (read 1 Kings 14:1-17a). In the sixteenth verse we
find one of the momentous statements of the bible on the
subject of corporate responsibility: “And He will give Israel up because
of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and made Israel to sin.” Look again
at 1 Kings 15:30, which gives the reason why this marked the beginning of the
end for the house of Jeroboam. What it says is this: everyone who continued to adhere to Jeroboam was
unavoidably involved in the guilt, sin, and punishment of Jeroboam. Now that is what we have in mind
when we talk of corporate responsibility. Everyone
who remains in a church after it becomes apostate shares in its guilt and
judgment.
Turn now to 2 Chron. 13. Here we read that the King of Judah,
Abijah, came up and that there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam. The king of Israel—and the people
who still followed him—vainly imagined that they could defeat God’s people.
Abijah, on the other hand, was conscious of the difference between a true and a
false kingdom. He knew the difference between those who really are God’s people
and those who are not God’s people. And he was vindicated that day in a most
remarkable way when, in spite of this clever
entrapment scheme of Jeroboam, the Lord delivered His people. So the
calamities that came over the Northern Kingdom did indeed involve all of those
who adhered to Jeroboam. And if you know your bible, and the rest of the
Old Testament story, you will know that the Northern Kingdom was carried into captivity at a much
earlier time than the Southern Kingdom. It was carried away into Assyria, never to return again. But the Southern Kingdom of Judah, though it was carried
into Babylonian captivity, yet had a remnant which was spared according to
God’s unbreakable covenant promise.
Note by Ron: It should be noted that later on
both Israel and Judah were given a bill of divorce by God:
Jer 3:8 And I saw, when for all the causes
whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had
put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah
feared not, but went and played the harlot also. End note.
The principle is this:
the bible says Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, sinned and
made the people of Israel sin. And the only
way any Israelite could escape involvement was to do what certain Levites and
other godly people of the Northern Kingdom did! When they realized what had happened they left the
Northern Kingdom and went down and became part of the Southern Kingdom, Judah.
And—in principle—the
very same thing happened again in the first century when the Jewish church
rejected Jesus as the Messiah. There is no need to go into great detail for I have covered that PREFIGURE wherein Jesus
and His followers SEPARATED. But, in the first century, you had the people who
claimed to be the people of the Messiah. If you went anywhere in the Roman
Empire and asked, “Do you know anything about a people who believe in a
Messiah?” they would have said, “Oh, sure, there’s a synagogue of the Jews up
the street and they are always talking about a Messiah who’s supposed to come.”
So there were two religious
organizations at that time, both claiming to be people of the Messiah. But only
one of them really was the people of the true Messiah. The other one had
rejected Him.
Note by Ron: This
situation represents TWO JERUSALEMS—THE TRUE ONE AND THE APOSTATE JERUSALEM.
From which a remnant went out of—Isaiah 37:31, 32.
In Matthew 23 we read of the judgment of God on the people of
Israel in the first century. It was even more severe than the one that came in
the time of Jeroboam (note, especially, Mt. 23:37-38). So, in the first century,
because the Jews redefined the meaning of the word “Messiah” so
as to eliminate a humiliated, suffering, dying Christ, in favor of one
who would only be victorious, powerful, and king-like, they became an apostate
people. The words of the apostles about them are really quite
strong. In Revelation 2:9 and 3:9 we see that Jesus himself called them
Synagogues of Satan. Now just imagine that! Some of the members of the early
Christian churches were related to people in those Synagogues. But Jesus says,
“Those people are not members of a Synagogue of God, but of a synagogue of
Satan.” So you can see, again, it was no
use to imagine that all was well with these people who stayed in the old church
of the Scribes and Pharisees, instead of joining the Christians. It was no use
pretending that they would still be acknowledged as God’s people.
Can you imagine the people of
the churches at Smyrna or Philadelphia gathering together for ecumenical bible
study or worship with members of the synagogue of Satan? “But,” you might say,
“couldn’t there have been some real believers there in the old Jewish
organization?” Yes, of course. But they were in mortal danger. That is why God said “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her
sins, and lest you receive of her plagues” (Rev. 18:4). And, if you
look at John 12:42, 43, you can see the proof that there were such people. In
their heart of hearts they knew they were in the wrong
assembly, but they had too much to lose in terms of this world so they decided
to stay there.
Printing of verses below added by Ron:
Jhn 12:42
Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out
of the synagogue:
Jhn 12:43
For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
But you can’t do that without
consequences, because God says in His Word, “Do not be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers.” And He
also says we had better leave or share in the plagues that are coming.
One of the difficult things the Reformers had to deal with was precisely this
problem: members of Reformed churches, at the time of the Reformation, would
still foolishly gather for fellowship and worship with Roman Catholics. Well, it wasn’t right, and
Calvin wrote a very powerful tract against it. So did
John Knox in Scotland.
The situation for us was much the same because the thing that
led to the formation of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church was a terrible denial
of the truth about Jesus. Did you ever hear of the Auburn Affirmation? It was
signed in 1924 by almost 1,400 ministers of the Presbyterian Church. Do you
know what the doctrines were that were called into question in that document?
Well, here they are: (1) the inerrancy of the bible, (2) the virgin birth of Christ,
(3) his substitutionary atonement, (4) his miracles and (5) his physical,
bodily resurrection. The modernists said, in effect, “You don’t have to believe
these things to be a Christian.” And the people who led in the formation of the
OPC said, “Oh yes you do. You don’t have the real Christ unless you have the
One who was born of the virgin Mary, worked mighty miracles, died to pay the
terrible price of sin for his people, and rose on the third day in the selfsame
body in which he was crucified.” Dr. Machen rightly said that the Modernists redefined Christian
words and that this had resulted in a different religion. The result was that the
Presbyterian Church, at that time, was experiencing a clash between two
religions that could not coexist in peace. So our
church came into existence.
It would be nice to be able
to say the Presbyterian Church in the USA has improved in the fifty years since
the OPC came out of it, but it has not. As a matter of fact
it has become even worse. It has reached the place where a young man, who wants to be
ordained in the Presbyterian Church, will not be ordained if he is not willing
to ordain women to the ministry (even if he is convinced that the Bible forbids
it). Yet a man who denies the
deity of Christ can obtain ordination. That is the kind of thing that separates
us, and what I am troubled about is the fact that some of our people do not see
that people who are involved in this apostasy are not “good Christians”
according to the bible. It is wrong to call them “good Christians” for the same
reason that it was wrong to call those people who stayed in the Northern
Kingdom “good Israelites.” You wouldn’t call those Jews who stayed under the Scribes and
Pharisees—instead of joining the Apostolic Church—good Israelites, would you?
We do not deny that such could be people who have conviction in their heart of
hearts about Jesus. But
the Bible says we have to act in a manner consistent
with what we believe to have the biblical right to be acknowledged as
Christians. It follows, therefore, that we should not recognize those who
remain yoked with unbelievers as “good Christians.” Should we witness to them?
Yes. Call them out? Yes. Say to them, “Don’t go on supporting unbelief. Don’t
go on paying for it. Come out from among them?” By all means. But recognize
them as they are in their complacency as good Christians? No. That just is not
biblical.
We should be glad, at any time, to meet with other people in the
community in a forum in which these issues are brought up, so that they can be
challenged, and so that we can talk about the unbelief in which they are
involved. But to act as if all
is well dishonors our God, and it doesn’t help these
people. How would you like it if you were paying money to support enemies of
the Gospel, putting yourself under God’s judgment, and nobody warned you? Yet
that is exactly what people are doing. People who live right up the
street from us are putting money in the plate that goes to false churches and
dangerous ecumenical organizations. Perhaps in ignorance, but nevertheless in fact, they have financed
enemies of the Gospel. And the fact that members of Liberal churches don’t know, and don’t
want to know, doesn’t get them off the hook. And we are not at liberty to pretend that all is
well just because we live in a nice peaceful neighborhood and want to get
along. No, the issue is too big, too serious.
Think about it.
Jeroboam the son of Nebat not only sinned himself,
but also made Israel sin. No one who remained under his authority could escape
involvement in that sin. So, in this account, we see the reality of “corporate
responsibility.” May the Lord use this to inform our consciences so that we
might learn to act with greater consistency with this important biblical
doctrine.
End of Article by a Presbyterian
Corporate Responsibility as
Taught by Ellen G. White
“God regards as his enemies those who will by any act of
negligence shield the guilty. They are in his sight partakers in the evil deeds
of the sinner.{ST January 20, 1881, par. 15}
Here are lessons which God’s people at the present day
should take to heart. There are grievous sins indulged by individual members of
the church,—covetousness, over-reaching, deception, fraud, falsehood, and many
others. If these sins are neglected by those who have been placed in authority
in the church, the blessing of the Lord is withheld from his people, and the innocent suffer with the guilty. The officers
in the church should be earnest, energetic men, having a zeal for God, and they
should take the most prompt and thorough measures to condemn and correct these
wrongs. In this work they should act, not from selfishness, jealousy, or
personal prejudice, but in all meekness and lowliness of mind, with a sincere
desire that God may be glorified. Inhumanity, false dealing,
prevarication, licentiousness, and other sins, are not to be
palliated or excused; for they will speedily demoralize the church. Sin may be
called by false names, and glossed over by plausible
excuses and pretended good motives, but this does not lessen its guilt in the
sight of God. Wherever it may be found, sin is offensive to God, and will
surely meet its punishment.” {ST January 20, 1881, par. 16}
Ted N. C. Wilson on Corporate
Responsibility
·
Corporate
responsibility for praying for the Holy Spirit:
Elder Ted Wilson CORRECTLY stated in his General Conference Sabbath
Sermon – July 3, 2010, that the church is corporately responsible for praying
for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. You may hear and/or read the entire
sermon at this link. Search the text for the word CORPORATELY. http://www.steps.org.au/page/go-forward-Ted-NC-Wilson.html
·
Ted Wilson’s
Statement: “It depends on whether or not we are ready to humbly ask for
revival and reformation in our lives personally and corporately as a church which will lead to the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the latter rain.”
·
If the church is corporately responsible for the Holy
Spirit’s outpouring of the Latter Rain upon the SDA church, then the church is
corporately responsible for the apostasy that precludes that outpouring.
·
Ted has never taught
that the MEMBERS and the LEADERS are corporately responsible for the abominable
apostasy, because he won’t admit that the church is in apostasy.
·
God indicts Laodicea
as thinking it is rich, increased with goods, in need of nothing, as well as blind, naked etc.,
but it is now cold apostate. For a Laodicean to become a cold apostate, REMOING
GOD, (1SM 205) is to become the Synagogue of Satan.
·
In the last typical literal fulfillment of Ezekiel 9, no
“holy spirit rain” fell upon apostate Israel, Ezekiel 22:24. So it won’t fall
in the literal antitypical
fulfillment of Ezekiel 9 upon the apostate SDA church militant (wheat and tare
co-ed church).
·
Ted Wilson believes
in corporate responsibility when he wants to transfer the blame for the lack of
the Holy Spirit to the laity, but not when God indicts the leaders as the
ring-leaders of the apostasy for which we are to sigh and cry AS A CONDITION to
being sealed by the Mark of the Man in Linen.
Corporate responsibility is stressed by the Holy Spirit gift through Ellen White:
"The names of those who sin and refuse to repent
should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held accountable for their evil
deeds. Those who pursue a course of transgression should be visited
and labored with, and if they then refuse to repent, they should be
separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the rules laid down in the
Word of God." {11MR 208.3}
"We should never give sanction to sin by our words,
our deeds, our silence or our
presence." Desire of Ages,
152.
The above statement infers, as well, our financial
support, as does the following:
“Achan’s sin brought disaster
upon the whole nation. For one man’s sin the displeasure of God will rest upon
His church till the transgression is searched out and put away. The influence
most to be feared by the church is not that of open opposers, infidels, and
blasphemers, but of inconsistent professors of Christ. These are the ones that
keep back the blessing of the God of Israel and bring weakness upon His
people.” {PP 497.2}
“When the church is in difficulty, when coldness and spiritual declension exist, giving occasion for the enemies of God to triumph, then, instead of folding their hands and lamenting their unhappy state, let its members inquire if there is not an Achan in the camp. With humiliation and searching of heart, let each seek to discover the hidden sins that shut out God’s presence.” {PP 497.3}
Corporate
Responsibility for Warning the Wicked
"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die
and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his
wicked way, to save his life the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if
thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked
way, he shall die in his iniquity but thou hast delivered thy soul."
Ezekiel 3:18-19.
"The names of those who sin and refuse to repent
should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held
accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of
transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to
repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the
rules laid down in the Word of God." {11MR 208.3}
In the church that is the real bride of Christ, “no soul can be made independent of the rest,” because Christ
is the head and the bride is His body. Thus there is
corporate responsibility in the true church, amongst the true body of Christ.
“It is of the highest
importance that the youth understand that Christ’s people are to be united in
one; for this unity binds men to God by the golden cords of love,
and lays each one under obligation to work for his fellow men. The
Captain of our salvation died for the human race that
men might be made one with Him and with each other. As members of the human
family we are individual parts of one mighty whole. No soul can be made
independent of the rest. There is to be no party
strife in the family of God; for the well-being of each is the happiness of the
whole. No partition walls are to be built up between man and man. Christ as the
great center must unite all in one. {FE 479.1}
"The names of those who sin and refuse to repent
should not be retained on the church books, lest the saints be held
accountable for their evil deeds. Those who pursue a course of
transgression should be visited and labored with, and if they then refuse to
repent, they should be separated from church fellowship, in accordance with the
rules laid down in the Word of God." {11MR 208.3}
Ellen
White never mentioned the words “corporate responsibility,” but she surely
taught its principles in relating the story of Achan, and in making the
following statements that involved the church AS A BODY:
To be
Continued in Part 3
In
the Name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
R.
William Beaulieu