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Scripture Reading: Deut. 13:1-18
In Deuteronomy 12 we have a definite word on keeping the oneness of God's people. In chapter thirteen, which we will consider in this message, we have an even more definite word — a word concerning apostasy.
What does the word apostasy denote? In the Old Testament, apostasy denotes the giving up of God and the turning away from God to idols. In the New Testament, apostasy denotes the denial of Christ's deity; it refers to not believing that Christ is God incarnated to be a man.
The existence of God is a mystery, and the incarnation of God to become a man named Jesus is an even greater mystery. For this reason it is more difficult for people to believe that God became a man than it is for them to believe that there is a God. As we contact people in our preaching of the gospel, we must first make it clear to them that there is a God. We may use the book of Romans to show them that there is a God. Then we need to tell them that this very God was incarnated to become a man.
Certain so-called Christians — the Modernists — do not believe that Jesus Christ is God. Instead, they believe that the Lord Jesus was merely a man, that He was a teacher, and that He died as a martyr, not to accomplish redemption. They do not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (1 John 4:2-3). Their belief regarding Christ is heretical, and, by denying that Jesus Christ is both the complete God and a perfect man, they have taken the way of apostasy.
The New Testament deals very strictly with division and with the denial of the teaching that Christ is God incarnated to become a man. "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not say to him, Rejoice! For he who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works" (2 John 10-11). The teaching which the Apostle John refers to here is the teaching that God came through incarnation to be a man. In his gospel this same John says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God....And the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us...full of grace and reality" (John 1:1, 14). In his second epistle John shows us that, even at his time, some so-called believers did not confess that Jesus Christ the Lord had come in the flesh. John goes on to tell us that we should not receive nor even greet those who do not bring the teaching that Jesus Christ is God incarnated to be a man. Instead of speaking to those who do not bring this teaching, we should turn away from them.
We need to be clear regarding the difference between teaching apostasy and being wrong in doctrine. Someone may not be correct in his teaching about a certain doctrine, but this does not mean that he is apostate. For example, suppose a brother in the Lord, a genuine believer in Christ, is somewhat mistaken in his teaching regarding the rapture. We may say that he is wrong in doctrine, but we should not say that he is heretical or that he teaches apostasy, for he believes in the divine person of Christ and in His redemptive work. He believes that Jesus Christ is the very God, that He was incarnated to become a man, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He resurrected from among the dead, and that He ascended to the heavens. According to the New Testament, someone becomes apostate, not by teaching incorrectly about the rapture but by giving up the faith that Jesus Christ is God and that He came in the flesh to be a man. Those who do not believe this are apostate.
I believe that John and Paul learned a great deal from Moses' writings, including the definite word in chapters twelve and thirteen of Deuteronomy. Whereas John was definite concerning apostasy, Paul was definite concerning division.
The book of Romans presents a complete picture of God's salvation, a picture that comprises both the Christian and the church life. The last three chapters of Romans, chapters fourteen through sixteen, are on the local church life. In chapters fourteen and fifteen Paul speaks concerning receiving the believers. "Now him who is weak in faith receive, not with a view to passing judgment on reasonings" (14:1). For a believer to be weak in faith does not mean that he has no faith; it means that, although he has faith, he is weak in faith. Those who are weak in faith we should receive without passing judgment on reasonings. We should receive them without reasoning with them. The one who is weak in faith may eat only vegetables and may judge one day above another (vv. 2-3, 5), whereas the one who is strong in faith may believe that he may eat all things and may judge every day alike. Instead of judging the believers with respect to such matters, we should receive them in love, for God has received them (v. 3). Furthermore, Paul says, "We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are weak, and not to please ourselves" (15:1). Then Paul goes on to say, "Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (v. 7). We should receive the believers not according to the way of eating or the keeping of days but according to Christ, who is the unique center and the all-embracing One. We must receive all kinds of genuine believers, whether they eat herbs or eat meat, whether they keep certain days or consider every day alike. Moreover, we must receive all genuine believers according to Christ.
In Romans 14 and 15 Paul is generous, broad-minded, and all-embracing, but in Romans 16:17 he is very narrow and strict. "I beg you, brothers, keep a watchful eye on those who make divisions and causes of falling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them." On the one hand, we need to receive all kinds of genuine believers; on the other hand, we need to be narrow and strict in dealing with divisive ones. In 16:17 Paul does not say, "These divisive ones are brothers. We need to receive them and love them." No, he tells us to keep a watchful eye on them and to turn away from them. To turn away from those who make divisions and causes of falling is to quarantine them.
In Romans 16:20a Paul says, "Now the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." It is significant that this word comes after the word concerning the strict dealing with the divisive ones. If we do not have any discernment but instead love blindly, and if we do not quarantine those who make divisions and causes of falling, Satan will be above us, not under us. But if we quarantine the divisive ones, Satan will be crushed under our feet.
In Deuteronomy 13:1 and 2 Moses spoke about a prophet or dreamer of dreams who stands up and gives a sign or wonder and that sign or wonder occurs, about which he spoke, saying, "Let us go after other gods whom you have not known, and let us serve them." Moses went on to tell the people not to listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams, "for Jehovah your God is testing you in order to know whether you love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your soul" (v. 3).
In verse 4 Moses continued, "You shall follow Jehovah your God; and you shall fear Him, keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and hold fast to Him." Instead of using the expression "hold fast to Him," we today may speak of laying hold on Christ. We all need to lay hold of, to hold on to, Christ.
In verse 5 Moses said, "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has advocated apostasy from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and ransomed you from the house of slavery, in order to force you out of the way in which Jehovah your God has commanded you to walk. Thus you shall utterly remove the evil from your midst." The Hebrew word rendered "advocated" literally means "spoken." The word translated "apostasy" can also be translated "a turning away against." Literally the Hebrew word for "utterly remove" means "burn out" or "consume."
In verses 6 through 11 Moses spoke about what to do with the brother, son, daughter, wife, or friend who entices the children of Israel secretly to serve other gods, which neither they nor their fathers had known. They were not to yield to such a one nor listen to him, nor was their eye to pity him, nor were they to spare him nor conceal him (v. 8). Rather, Moses said, "You must slay him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones so that he dies, because he sought to force you away from Jehovah your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery" (vv. 9-10).
In verses 12 through 18 Moses told the people what to do if they should hear in one of their cities that "some worthless men" have gone out from their midst and "have forced the inhabitants of their city, saying, Let us go and serve other gods (which you have not known)." Concerning such a case, the children of Israel were to investigate and examine carefully and inquire thoroughly. If the thing were true and certain that that abomination had been done in their midst, they were to slay the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying it and all that was in it and its cattle. They were to gather all its spoil at the middle of its open square and burn the city and all its spoil with fire wholly to Jehovah their God, and it would be a mound only forever and would not be built again. Nothing of what had been cursed was to cling to their hand. When they did in this way what was right in the sight of Jehovah their God, He would turn from His burning anger, show them tenderness, be compassionate to them, and multiply them as He had promised their fathers.
In Deuteronomy 12 Moses was strict in the matter of division, and in Deuteronomy 13 he was strict in the matter of apostasy. When he came to these matters, he was no longer general but very definite. Like the apostles in the New Testament, we need to learn of Moses concerning these two crucial things. We also must be very strict concerning division and apostasy. This means that we must keep the unique oneness of God's people and the unique faith in the person and redemptive work of Christ.
