Departure From The Faith - Introduction

by T.M. Hyland, Birkenhead | Category: Departure From The Faith | Jan 1972

During 1971 a series of monthly articles appeared in this magazine under the general title, Contending far the Faith. What was attempted in those articles was a restatement of various fundamental doctrines of the Faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints. The introductory article to the series emphasized that the general tenor of New Testament teaching indicated that conflict and struggle would be the norm in Christian testimony during the present age, and that our Lord warned His apostles that they would encounter relentless opposition during their lifetime, that the struggle would continue after their departure, and would reach its climax in the greatest apostasy at the end of the age.

The attack on the Christian Faith during the apostolic age and the centuries following was formidable. Those who stood on guard against the onslaught of the enemy had to face attack on several fronts. The first attack came from Judaism. Here the conflict was fierce and prolonged and had repercussions even in the apostolic circle itself. Then there were those known as Gnostics who claimed mystical spiritual insight and sought to combine Greek philosophy with the Christian Faith. This was a subtle and dangerous menace and more than one reference to it in the Epistles reveals the concern of the apostles lest it should gain a foothold (e.g. Col. 2:8). Later there were the great Trinitarian controversies, and heresies attacking the doctrine of our Lord's Person. On the one hand there were those who denied His full Deity and on the other those who detracted from His true Manhood. Then came the heresy of Pelagianism which denied the doctrines of original sin and salvation by grace.

These were some of the early doctrinal deviations from the Christian Faith. There were many others. In recent times new and more destructive heresies have entered the field and are being vigorously deployed by various schools of theologians. In total the assault on the fundamentals of our Faith today is on an unprecedented scale. In these circumstances editors of Needed Truth have decided to publish in succeeding months during the present year, if the Lord will, a series of articles tracing the rise of some of these heresies and the nature of their menace, and to explore the true doctrine of the Lord which they impugn.

It is sometimes contended that there is no profit in raking up the controversies of the early centuries because they have no relevance today. That is a shallow and mistaken conclusion. During the past one hundred years or so there has arisen a spate of heretical cults claiming the support of Holy Scripture yet denying many of its basic doctrines. It is not, perhaps, generally realized that much of the error underlying these movements is but a re-hash of the early heresies to which we have referred. The present phenomenal growth of cults and isms is a serious challenge to the Christian Faith and a major concern of those defending it. Sometimes the heresy is mixed with an element of truth. This is error in its most dangerous form and all the more difficult to refute. A subtle characteristic of many of the cults is the manipulation of texts ripped from their context, strung together, and camouflaged with orthodox terminology so as to trap the unwary. Hence their success with nominal "Christians" who have only a passing acquaintance with the Word of God. Take, as an example, so-called Jehovah's Witnesses (a pretentious misnomer if ever there was one) who grow in strength all over the world. Underlying their arrogant propaganda are very serious distortions of Holy Scripture. The methods employed and the objectives pursued are unchristian and illogical. Yet many simple souls, bewildered by passing events, succumb to their pernicious teaching.

These are some of the considerations which induce us to refer to these matters in 1972. It is not a pleasant task, but the only way to expose error is to drag it into the light. Under the guise of "love" - real love "rejoiceth not in unrighteousness, but rejoiceth with the truth" (1 Cor. 13:6)-some would tolerate error as the price of peace. This was not the apostolic method. "The Faith of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Jas. 2:1) was so precious to them that they dedicated their lives to its defence. Their example is on record for our encouragement. No cause is more worthy. Jude's stirring call to the faithful is agelong in its relevance: "I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the Faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3). This is our task today.

It may be well to stress here that there is no authoritative basis for Christian doctrine outside the Holy Scriptures. The New Testament is the sequel to Old Testament revelation. In its structure we observe the working of the Divine Mind. First there are the four Gospel narratives giving the record of the historical manifestation of the Son of God. These form the basis of New Testament revelation, as, similarly the book of Moses-the Pentateuch-forms the basis of Old Testament revelation. Then comes the Acts of the Apostles, the link between the Gospels and the Epistles. The Gospels begin with the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; the Acts begins with the historical Effusion of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Then the tremendous significance of these two great crises in the dealings of God with men is d6veloped and applied in the Epistles. Finally, in the book of Revelation we are given a panoramic view of the glorious future the summit of divine revelation. Within the compass of the completed Scriptures the Christian Faith in its entirety is enshrined.

Because of the rise of heretical teaching in the early centuries A.D., certain Creeds and Confessions of Faith were formulated by the early Fathers (a term applied by historians to Christian leaders in the sub-apostolic age). The three main Creeds are the Apostles' Creed, the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed. They are accepted as orthodox Christian doctrine by the Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England, and other sections of Christendom. Article 38 of the Thirty Nine Articles of the Church of England states: "The Three Creeds ... ought thoroughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture".

It is not our purpose to examine these Creeds here. Reference may be made to some of them later in this series of articles. Nor do we question their necessity or utility. The advantages of such formularies as summaries of belief are evident. The point we make here is the danger when they come to be regarded as of equal authority with Holy Scripture. We must not regard them as authoritative merely because they have the support of tradition. If "they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture" all well and good. But if phrases and ideas are introduced which are not warranted by Scripture, or if attempts are made to codify what Scripture leaves undefined, then we must exercise the utmost care lest we go beyond what is written.

At the time of the Reformation it became necessary for the Reformed Churches to re-define their doctrinal position in regard to certain fundamentals of the Faith. The formularies they produced are called Confessions. Excellent and weighty as these Confessions are as statements of belief the proviso outlined above with regard to the Creeds applies to them also. They are~ valid only where they are firmly based on Holy Scripture.

One further point. It is common among some Christians to decry doctrine as barren and divisive, and to exalt "love" as the panacea to secure Christian unity. We commented earlier on a spurious use of this much abused word. It is important, of course, that those who contend for the Faith take care to do so with meekness and forbearance. The proper balance is struck in Paul's injunction, "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong. Let all that ye do be done in love" (1 Cor. 16:13,14). Two extremes are to be avoided: a mere intellectual grasp of Scripture truth divorced from Christian graces, and a shallow devotionalism which disregards the plain teaching of the Word of God. There is a close bond between Christian doctrine and Christian living. Conduct is based on belief, and it was the method of the apostles, guided by the Spirit of God, to use the massive truths of divine revelation as a lever to move the saints along the path of holy living. Outstanding examples of this are found in the great Christological passages in the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians and Colossians, all of which have a high doctrinal content with a devotional aim. Paul, writing to his son in the Faith, Timothy, as from one man of God to another, emphasizes the very great importance of sound teaching. He desired that Timothy would be "a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished in the words of the Faith, and of the good doctrine" (1 Tim. 4:6), and that he should "hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 1:13). Let these words be heeded by reader and writer alike. The battle against error is no mere wrangle of words. "We are contending for our all".

T.M. Hyland, Birkenhead | Jan 1972
Departure From The Faith