Titus;
[10] A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject;
[11] Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.
subverted, subverting, subverts
To destroy completely; ruin:
To undermine the character, morals, or allegiance of; corrupt.
To overthrow completely:
"Hereticks are the ones who start denominations over doctrines!"
Christians today, especially Protestants, act as if "Denominations" must be one of the Books of the Bible. They act as if a hair trigger for spotting "false doctrines", which require separation of entire groups of believers from one another, is one of the Fruits of the Spirit. But perpetuating denominations is what a "heretick" does, according to the Greek definition of the word. This age, by contrast, defines "heretic" as someone with really, really unacceptable doctrines, whom we must speedily excommunicate.
At least the present age changed the spelling, too, along with the definition. To reduce confusion, we will use the modern spelling, "heretic", when thinking of the modern definition, (someone with excessively imperfect doctrines), and the KJV spelling, "heretick", to refer to God's definition (someone who divides Christians).
The "hereticks" we are supposed to "separate" from are the "hereticks" who separate from "heretics" because of their "heresies".
"ONE WHO PERPETUATES DENOMINATIONS" IS GOD'S DEFINITION OF "HERETICK"
Nowhere in the Bible will you find words like "Methodist", "Episcopalian", "Catholic",Jehovahs Witnesses or even the word "Denomination". There is another Bible word which is defined the same as "denomination": "divisions". But the Bible doesn't praise people who start them. In fact, the Bible says that anyone who causes them should be "avoided"!
Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid [Gr: "shun"] them.
Isn't a church split a pretty serious division? And isn't a denomination the grandaddy of all divisions? Doesn't this verse tell us to shun those who cause such divisions?
And yet, this verse is popularly quoted to justify causing new denominations! To justify splitting churches and keeping them split! The founders of entire denominations are hardly shunned! They are modern day heroes!
[Not that many founders of denominations shouldn't be regarded as heroes of the faith. Many of them had no more intent to start a denomination than Paul did, 1 Corinthians 1-4 (See chapter 8). But they are venerated, today, for "founding" the very divisions which grew despite their best efforts. (See Appendix, "Example: Luther Was Not Divisive")]
Preachers today even claim support for their praise of founders of denominations in this very verse which condemns denominations!
How is this possible?
By making a case that a "false doctrine" is an "offense", which causes "divisions". Thus "false doctrines" is substituted for "divisions and offenses", giving us the translation, in effect, "mark them which PREACH FALSE DOCTRINES contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." Thus we conclude that Paul meant to split a church, rather than remain in communication and fellowship with those who teach the Fundamentals of Faith imperfectly. We must not worship with people who teach "false doctrines".
Such interpretation is actually fairly sound logic, until we notice that divisions of Christians within a city are absolutely contrary to the doctrine which the Romans had learned! And until we notice that Romans 14 lists some of the greatest doctrinal disputes that divide Christians to this day, and yet Paul said the only thing to worry about was that we not use doctrinal differences to put "offenses" in the way of our brothers! (Romans 14 is analyzed verse by verse in Chapter 13.)
With this context, we must read Romans 16:17 as:
Mark them which cause divisions [church splits] and offenses [obstacles on the path to Heaven] contrary to the doctrine [Romans 14 portrays judging others, for honest theological disagreements, as a burden to those "weak in the faith"] which ye have learned; and avoid them.
Edited by - Crystal on 26 September 2002 10:34:46
