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Discussion of George Gillespie's Wholesome Severity Reconciled with Christian Liberty
Re: WF: Questions for thought, section 1 
Subject: Re: WF: Questions for thought, section 1
From: "Rev. Paul Armes" 
Date: Wed, 23 Apr 1997 15:32:00 -0500

Greetings brethren,

I am happy to be involved in such a good discussion.  In my posting my
comments I certainly expose myself in my ignorance but also hope to offer
some good insight (more or less ) by the grace of God.  I know this will be
a good sharpening experience for myself and hope amidst my duties (which get
pressing at times )to be able to follow this discussion through.


In comment to the below posted I am drawn to think of Paul the Apostle's
command to Titus to reject a heretic after the second admonition.  This
sounds to me like excommunication from the church.  Therefore the sanction
would be refusal of the table along with the judgment of being put outside
the visible church which means exclusion from heaven!  Paul is not appealing
to the civil magistrate in this instance.  Why not?

Off the cuff here....

Paul rebuked Elymas in the book of Acts and the Lord made him blind.  
What was the Lord's part in doing this?  Should it really have been the
magistrate's if he were a believer to penalize Elymas?

Does not the church have a publishing arm for its courts to pronounce a
judgment against a heretic?  What did Paul mean when he delivered Hymenaeus
and Alexander over to Satan?  Here he is publishing a judgment that was made
against these men.  I do not see the magistrate interferring here.


Yours in Christ,

Paul

Rev. Paul Armes
Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church
West Plains, MO

Heresy is a meaningless term without the ability to authoritatively pronounce 
>such.  Truth is *objective*, and doctrinal positions *can* be measured
against a 
>standard guide of faith and practice.  We in the North American church have
lost 
>the ability to objectively declare Schuller and Tilton to be heretical, and to 
>have any authority in doing so.  I'm not sure that this lost authority can be 
>regained with the current governmental system.
>