Will This Make Me a Partaker in Another's Sin?
Posted: Wed Aug 14, 2013 11:05 pm
After staying up late the other night to seek advice, I didn't copy my post before trying to submit it and my entire post was subsequently eradicated when my login time expired. So, I will try to remember to copy it tonight after giving this another shot.
My dilemma is whether I'm partaking in another's sin if I listen to teaching which I believe to be heretical. I explained in another post about a doctrine that's being taught by certain members of the congregation I attend.
The other night, I found a post in which someone asked whether they were being a partaker in the sins of others by remaining in a congregation where some of it's members were engaging in sinful behavior. A member of this forum gave an excellent answer. However, it doesn't completely apply in my case.
When I was first added to the church, several men taught from the pulpit in rotation. I explained in my other post why one teacher ceased attending. Now two men teach, but one is teaching what I believe to be false doctrine. Unfortunately, he may be doing so to spite an older, original member of the congregation. It appears to me that the older man is trying desperately to maintain the integrity of church doctrine, while others are involved in a power play.
I am anguished because of this. On one hand, I'm inclined to stop attending the congregation because I don't believe God is being glorified. On the other hand, I want to support the gentleman who teaches a faithful doctrine despite facing a lot of opposition. Several congregations with dwindling numbers have melded into one, and all have brought their own views although they agree on some major issues.
Most of these people don't seem to have a healthy fear of God but, rather, seem to view God only as a concept and not as a Father and Judge. Like people in the congregation I previously attended, they seem to base their hope of salvation on belonging to a congregation with the "right" name and the fact they can find scriptures that "their" church alone adheres to.
The quick answer, I know, would be to find another faithful congregation. But, when I searched a few years ago, this congregation was the most faithful to scripture that I could find locally. While it may not matter if some members of a congregation uphold heretical views, what does one do when there is a teacher who promotes heretical views from the pulpit? Do I become a partaker of his sin when I listen to him teach?
Ironically, when I left the church I formerly attended, I decided it didn't matter what views I listened to as long as I study my Bible carefully and discern right from wrong. It was members of the current congregation who convinced me that God doesn't even acknowledge our worship if we have fellowship with the unfaithful.
My dilemma is whether I'm partaking in another's sin if I listen to teaching which I believe to be heretical. I explained in another post about a doctrine that's being taught by certain members of the congregation I attend.
The other night, I found a post in which someone asked whether they were being a partaker in the sins of others by remaining in a congregation where some of it's members were engaging in sinful behavior. A member of this forum gave an excellent answer. However, it doesn't completely apply in my case.
When I was first added to the church, several men taught from the pulpit in rotation. I explained in my other post why one teacher ceased attending. Now two men teach, but one is teaching what I believe to be false doctrine. Unfortunately, he may be doing so to spite an older, original member of the congregation. It appears to me that the older man is trying desperately to maintain the integrity of church doctrine, while others are involved in a power play.
I am anguished because of this. On one hand, I'm inclined to stop attending the congregation because I don't believe God is being glorified. On the other hand, I want to support the gentleman who teaches a faithful doctrine despite facing a lot of opposition. Several congregations with dwindling numbers have melded into one, and all have brought their own views although they agree on some major issues.
Most of these people don't seem to have a healthy fear of God but, rather, seem to view God only as a concept and not as a Father and Judge. Like people in the congregation I previously attended, they seem to base their hope of salvation on belonging to a congregation with the "right" name and the fact they can find scriptures that "their" church alone adheres to.
The quick answer, I know, would be to find another faithful congregation. But, when I searched a few years ago, this congregation was the most faithful to scripture that I could find locally. While it may not matter if some members of a congregation uphold heretical views, what does one do when there is a teacher who promotes heretical views from the pulpit? Do I become a partaker of his sin when I listen to him teach?
Ironically, when I left the church I formerly attended, I decided it didn't matter what views I listened to as long as I study my Bible carefully and discern right from wrong. It was members of the current congregation who convinced me that God doesn't even acknowledge our worship if we have fellowship with the unfaithful.