The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum I'm so confused!

It seems to take only about 40 years for a well-founded denomination to abandon the faith and become apostate.

In just one generation, even the Puritans failed to prevent it. New England, once a bastion of orthodoxy, became a home for Unitarianism and other completely non-Christian "churches" in spite of their parents' Puritan faith.

I often wonder why it seems that it's always the "good guys" who end up having to separate themselves from a denomination gone astray and start over, rather than the other way around.

-R

When I first got to WTS (Philly) to begin my seminary training in 1979 (stop that giggling) R.C. Sproul, Sr. gave the commencement address. He mentioned that no seminary had lasted more than 50 years before it began the slide into liberalism (general term = away from orthodoxy). Looking back, I have to conclude that Sproul's words were more of a warning and perhaps mixed with lament because in that year, WTS was celebrating its 50th "Jubilee Year"; WTS was founded in 1929. And, already the effects of Norman Shepherd's heretical teaching on covenant and justification had taken root as well as John Frame's heresy of "multi-perspectivalism", who was one of my profs. Things continued to 'slide' and hundreds, perhaps thousands of prideful students who thought they were God's gift to the Church left there, infected with serious error(s) taught by various lauded professors who taught them.

But it isn't just the errors these men embraced and spread it like wildfire to the biblically illiterate sheep who willingly bowed before the "expert"; that seminary-trained 'man of God'. Underlying the teaching is most always a deep-seating pride (Prov 16:18; 29:23; 1Tim 3:6). These men covet the 'places of honor' and the praise of others. They see themselves as much better than those whom they are given authority, rather than possessing the virtue of humility and the heart and mind of a servant. I once had a "spiritual adviser" (what a cruel joke that was) who counseled me with these words, "Beware of the bleating of the sheep", i.e., don't listen to anything the common member says... just smile and pretend you are interested in what they are saying. If the average person who actually reads and studies his/her Bible should question anything the typical 'pastor' preaches/teaches, it doesn't take long before wrath comes down upon them and their question(s) are summarily dismissed. Press the issue further and you will be branded as a schismatic, etc. etc., ad nauseam.

be prepared to do some reading buddy... it seems that churches split every 20 years