Hi Dean. As I understand it, your position is that continued letter writing to false teachers and sinners is sinful. From my perspective, it is not much different than preaching daily at the street corner. If this is not the point of difference between us, please outline exactly what you think it is that is sinful in what I do by providing a place for Christians and non-Christians to write letters to each other.
Dean wrote: > You asked for one-Here are three from the same passages > -in the above-take your pick. Ugh. I wanted you to take your best shot. I don't have time to thoroughly deal with a whole bunch of passages and make you stick with them. I already answered you before, but you just ignore what I say. I asked for one passage, but you don't want to hear me. You give me three. I will assume that your first passage is your best and deal with that one. If you want to bring up others later, that is fine. But for now, I want to focus on ONE passage, YOUR BEST PASSAGE, that would reprove me for setting up TruthTalk in a way that would allow non-Christians here. Dean wrote: > Eph.6:7,11 > v7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. > v.11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful > works of darkness,but rather reprove them. I think you mean Ephesians 5 instead of 6. Following is the passage: Eph 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. Eph 5:3 But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Eph 5:4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. Eph 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Eph 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Eph 5:7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. Eph 5:8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) Eph 5:10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. Eph 5:12 For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret. Eph 5:13 But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Following is what I wrote to you before about this passage: > We are to reprove SIN, and we are to correct errant teaching. This > passage deals with SIN in the church. Sin is not false teaching. Sin > is an action, not a philosophy or viewpoint. Let me go into more detail, but first, let me plainly tell you how this passage speaks to me. This passage tells me not to go into bars and drink with the sinners and have a good time with them, all in the name of missionary fellowship. It warns us to keep separate from them in terms of fellowship, not in terms of writing letters to each other. For example, when I have preached at Mardi Gras, I am separate from them. I don't go into the strip club and sit down with a guy and talk about how beautiful the naked women are, drinking with him, and then saying, "oh, by the way, did you know that we can have eternal life just by believing on Jesus Christ?" I have heard some Christians try exactly this kind of approach, but Ephesians 5 clearly warns us NOT to do that. No, what I do is carry my banner that says, "GOD HATES SIN" and I stand out in front of the strip club and warn those entering that they are walking down the sidewalk to hell. I tell them that God commands them to repent NOW! When the guys on the street are bartering with beads for the girl to pull off her top and expose her nakedness, I'm right there yelling, "no, girl, don't do it! God is watching you right now and he commands you to repent. These boys here are lusty whoremongers. They are serving the DEVIL! Don't listen to them. Walk in holiness and modesty. Save yourself." This is what Ephesians means when it says to have no fellowship with them, but rather rebuke them. Please notice the specific sins listed in this passage of Ephesians. Not even one mentions or hints at false teachers. I will list them now for you: 1. fornication 2. uncleanness 3. covetousness 4. filthiness 5. foolish talking 6. jesting In other words, if you know those who are fornicating, unclean, covetous, filthy, or who engage in foolish talk and jesting, do not partake with them, but rather reprove them. You can be sure that if somebody writes a letter to this list boasting in these things, they will be reproved. I will not write them and say, "hey buddy, we need to get together and do some of this fornication stuff together. That sounds like fun." No, I will say, "excuse me sir, but you need to repent of this fornication stuff. Do you know what the bible says about this?" Now you somehow think that this passage in Ephesians says that we should not write or receive letters from false teachers. I don't see it. I agree that I should not fellowship in his false ways, but I don't see where I am prohibited from regularly bearing a true witness before them. Jesus and the apostles regularly attended synagogue and the Jewish Temple. They studied the Bible, worshipped, and prayed together regularly with people who taught that there was no resurrection, that Jesus was not the Christ, that there was no such thing as angels, and you object because I exchange letters with Mormons? That simply does not compute. If you think I am overlooking something here, then offer your commentary. Peace be with you. David Miller, Beverly Hills, Florida. ---------- "Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." (Colossians 4:6) http://www.InnGlory.org If you do not want to receive posts from this list, send an email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and you will be unsubscribed. If you have a friend who wants to join, tell him to send an e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] and he will be subscribed.
