Separation

Are you still looking at your thread, hvnsaved? I've asked you how the term "ecclesiastical separation" is a contradiction in terms.

I would further like to know, if you are (or ever become) a pastor, what churches would you allow your church to fellowship with? Absolutely everyone? Liberal churches that deny the deity of Christ? Catholics? Seventh Day Adventist? Churches of Christ which believe in baptismal regeneration? Mormons? JWs?

If you would protect your church from any of these churches with false doctrines, you are practicing ecclesiastical separation. :type:

 

The most conservative thing I have seen on INSP is "The Way of the Master"

While it has its flaws, it's about 5,000 steps above anything else on there! :wavey:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8753698428983044536&q=way+of+the+master

 

Therein lies the problem. In order to play on the world's stage you must play by the worlds rules. And, as we all know, the world and the Bible are contradictory.

So where do you draw the line? Do you say "no" to all mass media? Lester Roloff had his own radio program (you can still hear replays on some AM stations around here). Was he wrong? I don't think so. I think that you can do "mass media" and still keep it local. For instance, the AM radio stations. Even the FM stations are not all owned by mega-corps. The problem comes whenever you start making compromises.

Curtis Hutson had a great anology about this. He said that we could go knock over a bank (no one would expect preachers) and use the money to print the Gospel in every major newspaper and show it on every major TV network. Would that be right?? No? Why not? We could get 100's of 1,000's saved by doing that, isn't that the purpose of the Great Commission??? Why, because that would be compromising our stand on Thou Shalt Not Steal. It's never right to do wrong to do right.

If a IFB preacher could get on a major network and preach the truth without compromise, then I say it's all good. But I don't see that happening. The god of this world isn't going to let the Eternal Truth be broadcast if he can at all help it.

 

Well said! :thumbs:

 

This is not the common definition of ecclesiastical separation, Hvnsaved. I've never heard of a Fundamentalist saying this or read a book by a Fundamentalist giving this definition. What a Fundamentalist means by this term is one church separating from another church, church body, denomination or ecclesiastical leader. This can clearly be discerned by the meaning of the term "ecclesiastical":

ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal​

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ec·cle·si·as·ti·cal ​

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î-klê´zê-às¹tî-kel) adjective
Abbr. eccl., eccles.
1. Of or relating to a church, especially as an organized institution. 2. Appropriate to a church or to use in a church: ecclesiastical architecture; ecclesiastical robes. (Microsoft Bookshelf 98)​

 

Charles Stanley does some solid preaching on national tv.

 

That's the point, Hvnsvd.

Writing off "individuals" is NOT ecclesiastical separation. Ecclesiastical separation as practiced in IFB churches is simply deciding which other CHURCHES your church will be fellowshipping with in organized activities.

That doesnt mean that we wouldn't speak to the individuals within those other churches, nor does it even mean we wouldn't have friendships and associations with them.

 

You don't know what ecclesiastical means? After I gave you a dictionary definition? And then you still insist on talking about "ecclesiastical separation as practiced by IFBaptists???" Forgive me for saying so, but you are just not making sense!

As bapmom said, ES among us IFB types is not the practice of refusing to fellowship with individuals. In fact, I know of no term for such a practice among us, and I don't think I'm being arrogant to say that if anyone on the BB would know, I am the one, having grown up in a prominent IFB family.

Now, if you want to back up and start again, if you will kindly stop using the wrong terminology and simply discuss the issue you want to, I'd be happy to discuss it with you. Your original OP was about there being no IFB preachers on the TV on the national level. Do you still want to discuss that? You have not yet interacted with anything I've written about your OP.

 

Alas, Charles Stanley is Southern Baptist rather that independent.

 

James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

enmity

EN'MITY, n.

1. The quality of being an enemy; the opposite of friendship; ill will; hatred; unfriendly dispositions; malevolence. It expresses more than aversion and less than malice,and differs from displeasure in denoting a fixed or rooted hatred, whereas displeasure is more transient.

I will put enmity between thee and the woman. Gen.3.

The carnal mind is enmity against God.Rom. 8.

2. A state of opposition.

The friendship of the world is enmity with God. James 4.