Suffer the Fools

Proverbs 13:20, “He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.” Some declare that they see no problem remaining in fellowship with the ELCA and its’ diverse views of Scripture. There are those that maintain that differences in the varying beliefs and teaching in the ELCA are not so much of a dilemma for them as it may be for those that are not as tolerant of viewpoints that are different than their own. 2 Corinthians 11:4, “For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.” In this verse Paul is chastising the church in Corinth because they have been unquestionably tolerant of deceivers and false apostles in their midst and continue in fellowship with those deceivers nonetheless. As for those who continue to be unsure about breaking fellowship with the ELCA and its false teachings, are they as foolish as those Corinthians that Paul describes?

Some struggle with circumstances in their lives that cause anxiety and  undue fear, so they decide to abide by their own opinions and to not fully trust in the Lord. Know this; The ELCA is on a fool’s errand in an effort to increase their membership by being more welcoming, accepting and tolerant of everyone and everything by watering down or disregarding God’s Word. Some cast aspersions upon those that desire to obey God’s Word and advocate breaking fellowship with a church that no longer believes in the foundational principals of our faith. This only proves that those who claim to be more accepting are nothing of the sort. As their membership dwindles the leaders of the ELCA congratulate themselves and accuse their detractors of incivility, willful misunderstandings and bearing false witness. It is apparent that the position of the leadership of the ELCA is, to accuse those that adhere to Scripture and want to obey God’s Law, of spreading slanderous lies about the false gospel that they attempt to foist upon their membership. We are compelled to be faithful to God’s Will, not the bidding of those enlightened scholars and bishops that revel in revisionism.

Those that pretend to have the moral responsibility to maintain fellowship with this organization that casts doubt upon the very faith that they are charged to uphold, are engaged in much more that simple foolishness. Romans 16:17-18, “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery, they deceive the minds of naïve people.” Remaining in fellowship with a denomination that rejects, not only God’s Law, but questions the very truth of Jesus’ Resurrection, is a recipe for disaster. The heavy handedness of the leadership of the ELCA will eventually overtake and strangle any Scripturally based teaching. Remaining in the ELCA while this false teaching overtakes the pulpits of their churches and begins to indoctrinate our children, is too great a risk to not break fellowship.

As more and more of those that are true to Scripture leave, who will be left to impede the ELCA’s charge into the abyss? We are not to be so naïve that we will blindly accept the willful misinterpretation of Scripture that advances the leadership of the ELCA’s vision of a new Lutheranism. With no one left to question their head long rush to replace Scripture with their new modern and secular doctrine, the leadership of the ELCA will lead many of their membership away from God to follow their false gospel. Many more will wake up one day and find themselves nowhere near where the Lord wants them to go. Eventually, the ELCA will wither away, unable to meet its financial obligations to promote their secular aspirations. But, how many brothers and sisters will be lost to these false teachings in the mean time.

Then there are those that wish to remain because they claim that there is little in Scripture to guide them in the decision of breaking the fellowship of the church. This church promotes doctrine contrary to God’s Will. Our unity is not just with A church, our unity is IN Christ, first and foremost. If the church denies our Savior and rejects the Scriptures, for what purpose would we remain in fellowship, other than to save our brothers and sisters from these false teachings. Those that argue that they want to remain on the fence or not voice an opinion do nothing but bolster the line of reasoning that the leadership of the ELCA uses to support this false gospel. Those that feel that the doctrine of bound conscience will protect them from the greater ELCA’s new policies on ministry standards have another thing coming. ELCA pastors are already finding that the doctrine of bound conscience only goes one way. Those that preach the Gospel and question the ELCA’s new doctrine are facing disciplinary actions. As more scripturally bound congregations and pastoral candidates leave the ELCA, how long will it be before the social gospel of tolerance is preached from the pulpit of those faithful congregations that choose to remain?