Scripture Reading: Deut. 12:1-32; 13:1-18
In previous messages we have covered the general advices and warnings. Before we turn in the next message to the section of Deuteronomy dealing with the rehearsing of the general statutes and judgments (14:1—26:19), I would like to give a further word concerning division and apostasy.
The general advices and warnings in Deuteronomy 5:32—11:32 are rather general, but in chapters twelve and thirteen they are very specific and definite. According to Moses' word in Deuteronomy 12 and 13, we must avoid division and reject apostasy. In chapter twelve he charges us to keep the ground of oneness among God's people, and in chapter thirteen he is very definite in the condemnation of apostasy. The children of Israel were not allowed to tolerate apostasy even in someone as close as a brother, son, daughter, or wife (13:6-9). Instead of loving the apostates, they were to deal with them severely. God does not tolerate apostasy, and they likewise were not to tolerate it. God hates apostasy and He condemns division.
Regarding apostasy and division, the Old Testament and the New Testament are the same. The New Testament term for apostasy is heresy. Apostasy and heresy are an insult to the person of God. In the Old Testament the apostates turned away from God and followed idols. That was an insult to God, and He could not tolerate it. In the New Testament the heretics denied that Jesus Christ is God incarnated to become a man. Such a denial is heresy, New Testament apostasy. This heresy damages the person of Christ. In both the Old Testament and the New Testament, God does not tolerate apostasy or heresy.
The Lord also will not tolerate division. The Lord hates division because it destroys His people as His expression. In the Old Testament the children of Israel were God's people for His corporate expression. In the New Testament the corporate expression of the Lord is the Body of Christ. Whereas heresy insults and damages the person of Christ, division damages the Body of Christ. Division kills the Body of Christ and cuts it into pieces. Because heresy damages the Head and because division kills the Body, the Lord, in both the New Testament and the Old Testament, will never tolerate heresy and division.
Some saints may feel that instead of rejecting the divisive ones, we should receive them and love them. Being kindhearted, these saints may say, "Yes, this brother is wrong, and he is divisive. But why should we reject him? Should we not cover him with love?" However, the crucial matter here is that we should not tolerate what the Lord does not tolerate.
Concerning the divisive ones, we need to consider Paul's word in Romans 16:17. "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." Romans 14 and 15 indicate that in the matter of receiving the believers Paul is generous, broad-minded, and all-embracing. But after greeting so many saints in chapter sixteen, he suddenly gives a word of warning about divisive ones, telling us to keep a watchful eye on them and turn away from them. Paul does not tell us to love these ones or to sympathize with them. Instead of sympathizing with those who make divisions and causes of falling, we are charged by Paul to turn away from them. The reason we must turn away from those who cause divisions is that division is extremely serious — it destroys the Body of Christ.
If we get into the depth of the Word, we will understand why Moses speaks a word concerning apostasy immediately after he gives a charge concerning division. It is very significant that Moses deals with division in Deuteronomy 12 and with apostasy in Deuteronomy 13. These two matters — division and apostasy — go together. Apostasy, or heresy, insults God Himself and damages the person of Christ, and division damages God's people as His corporate expression. This means that apostasy and division damage the entire economy of God. Because the apostasy and division are so damaging, they must be dealt with.
We ourselves may not have anything to do with either division or apostasy, but this does not mean there will not be any problem among the saints regarding these matters. There may be a problem, especially with division. The ones who make divisions are very aggressive in contacting the saints. Furthermore, they may put on a "mask" and try to entice you by appearing to be nice, humble, and loving. Certain divisive ones have been practicing this among us. Suppose someone comes to you in a "humble" manner, saying, "I would like to have some fellowship with you. I have not seen you for a long time, and I miss you very much. How have you been doing?" If someone approaches you in this way, you need to be careful. The apparent kindness, love, and humility of such a person may actually be a mask to hide his divisive intent. We need to beware of the masks of the divisive ones.
When some hear this word, they may say, "How can we tell who is divisive and who is not divisive? How can we discern who is wearing a mask and who is not wearing one? Besides, among the divisive ones are there not some who are innocent? Perhaps the one contacting us is innocent." The person contacting you may be innocent, but, even though he is not knowledgeable, he may nevertheless be carrying the "germs" of division. You may then be infected with these germs, which can multiply very quickly. An innocent one may be full of germs, and, through his contact with you, these germs can be transferred to you and cause you to be infected unconsciously.
How can you discern whether or not the person contacting you is transmitting to you the germs of division? You need to be very careful in your listening. If the one speaking with you is living and full of life, without any germs of death, the more you talk with him, the more living you will become. The divine life within you will rise higher and higher. However, if the one contacting you is spreading the germs of death, the more you talk with him, the more you will be deadened. The life within you will go down. As long as your contact with this person causes you to be deadened, this is an indication that this one is spreading the germs of death. Such a brother or sister may speak to you in a nice, intimate, loving, and humble way, but as you listen, you inwardly sense that you are going down. By this you can discern whether or not the one contacting you is spreading the germs of death and division.
Furthermore, if you continue to listen to the speaking of such a divisive one, you may find that questions are rising up within you. Questions are often Satan's way of tempting us. In tempting Eve the serpent said to her, "Hath God said?" (Gen. 3:1). As I pointed out in the Life-study of Genesis, a question mark is shaped like a serpent standing up and asking, "Hath God said?" After talking with a divisive one, you may be filled with questions — questions about the church and about the Lord's recovery. These questions may cause you to become cold toward the church life. First, you may stop coming to the meetings of the church. Eventually you may stop praying and reading the Word. Instead of being revived by the Lord each morning, you are killed.
One of the best ways for germs to spread is through eating things that are unclean. This indicates that in order to be kept away from the germs of death and division, we need to have a proper spiritual diet. Therefore, as we will see in the next message, in Deuteronomy 14 Moses turns from the matters of division and apostasy to the matter of the holy diet.
