Separation Continues
Next Part A Different Captivity.
Recall again that other books to the splinters have explained God’s “two-step” process during the apostasy. First, remember that all those with the Holy Spirit were forced to flee the Worldwide Church of God to survive. Second, all who desire both the unabridged truth and to do God’s true Work must take the more difficult second step of leaving behind all forms of compromise found in the splinters as they return to the one true Church and Body of Christ under God’s government. While this description of the process is brief, it suffices for the point here.
Let’s comprehend what is at work. It was relatively easy to leave the WCG with hundreds or thousands at one’s side. (While not the case with everyone, this scenario was true of most.) When seen in its full light, this was very little test at all compared to the next one—THE SECOND STEP!—being unwilling to compromise anything once taught and proven, and to locate the organization that does not. Special, awesome understanding was restored to Philadelphia (Matt. 17:11). God had to be sure that His people loved EVERYTHING they had once understood to be the “hid treasure” of which Christ spoke. This meant that a very rigorous test had to be devised by God.
Only this would separate the truly serious from the mere interested!
Return to 2 Timothy 3 ALL. The very next verse in the context tells you how to RESIST the evil leaders of today: “Butcontinue you in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them” (2 Timothy 3:14).
This is a plain statement about DOCTRINES and TRADITIONS taught in the past. It also tells you—think carefully about the context here!—in what way God sees these men as evil. 2 Timothy 3:14 is the solution to the “evil men” problem. These do not teach “the things which you have learned and have been assured of.”
I did not write this passage, and neither did you or any other man. God did. These verses are juxtaposed in context as they are because that is exactly what God intended. Get this straight before continuing!
Why does God give such a strong admonition if He is not serious about what God’s people face? Now think again. The leaders whom Paul describes are “evil men,” plain and simple! Establish in your mind that it is GOD, not Paul or I, who calls those who are now prowling—stalking!—through the splinters today “EVIL MEN.”
This is God’s term presented TO YOU. Will you receive it?
The word that God chose to describe these false leaders—“evil”—is poneros. Its unusually descriptive meaning should hit with the force and shock of a lightning bolt. Here it is: “Hurtful, calamitous, culpable, derelict, degenerate, vicious, malicious, wicked, grievous, of the devil.”
Could God have chosen a stronger, more potent word? If so, what would it be? (And yet you will learn that there is another crucial element of God’s description of them to be examined later.)
These wolves are not circling outside the big organizations—the worst ones are leading them! The same is true of the slivers. Led by a different spirit, these men have brought a different Jesus who comes as part of a different gospel and with many other different doctrines—and a very DIFFERENT WORK, falsely labeled the Work of God!
Again, why are these men permitted to exist? God foresaw that there had to be impediments that His people would have to be willing to overcome in their pursuit of His doctrines and His Work! Such men provide plenty of impediment—plenty of test. But let’s see more.
Hindering the Work
We can add another frame of reference about these men before continuing. Near the end of his second letter to the Thessalonians, Paul wrote about “wicked men.” Notice: “Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word [or work] of the Lord may have free course [Grk: run or speed on]…and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith” ('2 Thessalonians 3:1-2).
This is an extraordinary passage. It contains more than meets the eye. The word translated “wicked” here is alsoponeros. But this time, those it is used to describe were able to hinder the Work being carried out by Paul. How serious was this? These servants of Satan were so harassing God’s servant, and therefore His Work, that Paul had to ask the brethren to pray for his deliverance.
Think! Men so evil that God must supernaturally intervene and deliver His Church, His Work and His chosen leader at that time. Because there is nothing new under the sun, it is the same today. I ask God’s people to do the same for me as I, and God’s Church and Work today, are harassed by men more evil and cunning than most could imagine.
But more remains to be understood.
Also Coming “One by One”
Realize that wrong BELIEFS have not been the only problem in the lives of many today. Wrong CONDUCT—compromising how Christians are to live—is at least an equal problem. Today, thousands of lives have come to be in almost complete spiritual disarray—doctrines and conduct are both being compromised. As Mr. Armstrong stated, many have become “careless, lukewarm, indifferent.” And few are hearing sermons about this, certainly not strong ones.
(“Anoint Your Eyes” – Christ’s Warning to His People explains this spiritual breakdown in most brethren’s lives in much greater detail. Also, Should Accusers Be Answered? – Do You Believe Obvious Lies? and The Government of God – Understanding Offices and Duties cover other parts of it.)
Christ is today knocking on individual doors and gathering all those of His flock willing to receive and listen to Him. Similar to Israel later, the Church is now—before the time of Jacob’s trouble—also being gathered “one by one.” Christ, the Great Shepherd, is the ultimate “hunter” and “fisher” seeking out His people no matter the group or organization in which they reside.
But time is waning.
Christ’s goal: One after another among God’s Spirit-led Israel being willing to break off all compromise NOW—in doctrine and conduct—and to come out of captivity within the splinters. Today, many of God’s people are being held in very real SPIRITUAL CAPTIVITY. This is because false leaders have been able to effectively confuse and spiritually bind thousands through means of relentless—virtually non-stop!—deceit and outright lies against God’s Truth, Church, Work and Plan today. This includes endless falsehoods about me. Those who visit our Headquarters are eyewitnesses otherwise.
Next Part A Different Captivity.