What's New
Equal and Opposite Errors: “I don’t Need the Father” and “I don’t Need the Son” Part 3
Barbara L. Klika, MSW, Undershepherd, Life Coach
September 2023
Authority Rebellion and Stubbornness
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!
Isaiah 5:20-21
Claiming to be wise, they became fools, Romans 1:21
The dilemma created when one chooses to honor only the Father or only the Son is like those who turn His Word around and become fools. The story of Creation and the Fall with the promise of restoration to the Creator is repeated and embellished through all Scripture. It waxes and wanes in intensity through the ages but continues to gear up as we approach the final culmination.
That is where we live now as we anticipate the return of our Messiah and King. The Book of Daniel carries prophecies that have had interim fulfillment and yet to be final fulfillment. Daniel spoke of this rebellion toward the Covenant, which is a reference to the Torah-God’s Covenantal instructions for His people, and how it would be accomplished. He then spoke of those who will turn people to righteousness. May it be so in our day!
And by smooth words he will turn to godlessness those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but the people who know their God will be strong and take action.
Daniel 11:32 NASB
And those who have insight will shine like the glow of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Daniel 12:3 NASB
In Part 1, I addressed the premise that those without Faith in the God of Creation are easy pickings for confusion. Yet there is also confusion, compromise and rebellion within the church. It has distanced us from the “faith given once” as expressed in the “Acts 2” assembly. In Part 2 I examined the roots of the confusion within the church about whether we honor both the Father AND the Son. The First/Second century alternate church of Marcion, that essentially separated the God of the OT from Jesus of the NT, was refuted by Latin and Roman theologians including Polycarp, a disciple of John, and by Tertullian. Yet, much of what is called Christianity today seems closer to Marcion’s heresy than it is to the faith once given to the saints.
There appears to have been great unity among all Roman and Latin First/Second century theologians that Marcion was dangerous, ‘the firstborn of satan” according to Polycarp. That unity extended to agreeing that the Torah/OT is the Foundation of our Faith and should not be discarded. They validated Paul as coming from within the context of Israel as God’s people. They validated all the apostles and confirmed the letters circulating that taught of Messiah and His ways which confirmed the Torah/OT, declaring them to be “authoritative” though not necessarily calling them “inspired.”
You might say that the serious students of the Word took their stand and tried to stop the false teaching they identified with Marcion. Yet, as Janell Schroeder observed on this point, “The man was excommunicated but the ideology remained and spread.”
As I have written, we hear from people who believe it is correct to omit one or the other. I have identified that as being a type of rebellion and challenge to the authority of His Whole Word. A linear Greek way of seeing things leads to “either/or thinking” while the Hebraic worldview, chosen by our God as the context of The Son’s work on our behalf, involves a “both/and” block logic perspective.
There is also a third position we hear of where people have concluded that Jesus/Yeshua was the Messiah but not God. In our opinion, study on what it means to deny the Son’s deity is pretty straightforward. One example:
For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:7 KJV
Most Christian believers today likely have no idea that their very way of viewing the Bible was influenced by ancient heresy. Unfortunately, it also concerns me that the leaders within the institutional church ARE educated and most likely SHOULD be aware of the battles that went on in the first and second centuries. As I have described in earlier writings, our seminaries of about the last fifty years heavily promote the textual criticism view of the Word. Knowingly or unknowingly, they follow the example of Marcion in their studies and then in what they teach to their congregations. The authorities of his day put Marcion out of the house! What should we do?
The man was removed but the ideology remained. Those involved teach against God’s call to obedience to His ways. They have created a division between the OT and NT that doesn’t in fact exist. They pit law against grace when in truth, grace couldn’t exist without the framework of law and teachings on what it means to be righteous in God’s eyes. We wouldn’t know what sin is if it wasn’t identified in His Word…and being excused from the consequences of sin through grace would have no significant meaning if there never was a standard.
Viewing Jesus as different from the Father, they teach an easier, softer way, love without expectations except what we ourselves deem appropriate. We understand this as a challenge to the authority of the Father, which is rebellion.
For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
1 Sam 15: 23a
Strong’s #H4805, meri is the word translated as rebellion.. Taking it to the primitive root, H4784, mara, we find to be (causatively, make) bitter (or unpleasant); (figuratively) to rebel (or resist; causatively, to provoke):—bitter, change, be disobedient, disobey, grievously, provocation, provoke(-ing), (be) rebel (against, -lious).
per www.BlueLetterBible.org. The Outline of Biblical Usage connects rebellion with disobedience, particularly towards father and to God.
Witchcraft (H7081) is identified in Strong’s as being the use of divination or false prophets. Such prophets would direct people away from following God.
I really didn’t see at first what stubbornness might have to do with idolatry or iniquity, since our common understanding of it now has to do with a strong opinion that a person will not “budge” from. However, stubbornness (H6484) has the meaning “to press or push, to be insolent… to display pushing (arrogance)” Taking it back to Paleo Hebrew, it has to do with “the sharpening of a metal tool by pressing and moving a file or stone over the point.” (Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible: Benner)
In effect, stubbornness refers to acting upon another to lead in a different direction. It is iniquity and idolatry when it involves acting upon another to mis lead them away from God’s Truth.
Please Refer to “Shepherds Need to Know” series at our website for more details.
Leading away from the truth of God’s Whole Word then represents rebellion against His authority, for example, separating the Father from the Son when He stated repeatedly that they were One. Moving away from His authority would then mean coming under someone or something else’s authority. Witchcraft adds in the concept of unholy divination or false prophets pushing, pressing, arrogantly applying pressure to lead in another direction. Iniquity is H205 per Strong’s meaning trouble, wickedness: “to pant, to exert oneself usually in vain, for naught.” (Per BlueLetterBible.org) Idolatry (H8655) refers to images, idols which involve divination. It is also possible to point to an inappropriate elevation of self as idolatry.
All of this appears to apply to this division that has come from within the Body of Believers…an element of unholy spiritual warfare and witchcraft that has enabled this “suddenly” mad, mad world. We must return to the Words of our Messiah if we are to stand through the trials to come.
I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father Who sent Me. John 5:30 NKJV
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. “ John 14:6 NKJV
If you say you only need the Son, you are denying that He Himself said that He only did what the Father did… you are essentially renouncing 2/3 of the Word, the Foundation without which we could not even know Who Messiah would be. We affirm that the Father and Son are “echad,” in unity and one in purpose. We do not believe that this God who says that He doesn’t lie and He doesn’t change would have changed His directions. The faith was given once for the saints says Jude!
For I am the Lord, I do not change. Malachi 3:6 NKJV
So we have our “infighting” as we struggle to walk after Messiah in the best way we can understand and may not even know we are under the influence of leaders who really don’t think it is necessary to believe in the supernatural resurrection. This is an effect of an internal subversion of the faith…what can be called a “fifth column” kind of warfare: current terminology which refers to “any group of people who undermine a larger group or nation from within, usually in favor of an enemy group or another nation” in a very basic definition found on Wikipedia.
Among several others who have similar conclusions there is quite an interesting audio and written document by The Rev. Doctor Robert S. Reyburn, from October 29, 2000 found here: https://www.faithtacoma.org/johnsermons/the-churchs-fifth-column-john-101-10
An additional similar comment by Rev. Mark H. Creech, Christian Post Columnist, May 29, 2014:
Scripture warns the church to beware of a similar "fifth column." The apostle Peter warned, "But there were false teachers among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privly shall bring in damnable heresies…" (2 Peter 2:1). Jude 4 reads, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our Lord into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ."
https://www.christianpost.com/news/the-fifth-column-threatens-the-church-from-within.html
I have been writing about how being poor, blind and naked has been of concern from the garden of Eden right through until today… I have observed that leaders who have a lack of spiritual vision and been more focused on material wealth end up being uncovered which leads to inappropriate use of their authority, which leaves the people vulnerable to our physical and spiritual enemies.
False shepherds or people who undermine the supernatural realities and omnipotence of our YHWH and His Son, our Messiah Yeshua are fifth column people. Denying the relevance of EITHER the Father OR the Son undermines the fullness of His Word and plans for us.
Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rise against their parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved.
Matthew 10:21-22 NKJV
Judgement begins in the House of God as we all know. I believe our God has allowed this confusion to remain for His purposes and His timing. But we are nearing Messiah’s return and it’s time to become solid in His Whole Word as we walk out our faith through spiritual battles.
Which army do YOU know that can successfully fight an enemy when the fifth column enemy has infiltrated the ranks?
Equal_and_Opposite_Errors_Part_3_WCN_Sept_2023.pdf