The army that shoots its own wounded

kw: religion, spiritual practices, apologetics

I am not reviewing this document, merely commenting on its existence. It represents the current phase of an interaction that I have followed with interest for 36 years.

It is a huge risk for CRI (Christian Research Institute) to publicly release this "We Were Wrong" issue of their Journal. A brief survey of the Web shows that they have now become a target of most of the "apologetical" organizations that they are credited with leading and sometimes helping to establish.

In absolute terms, the number of Christians who even know of Witness Lee or of CRI, or of their disputes since 1973, is quite small. But in that small community of those who are doctrinally driven to fight over the Bible, this is huge.

It has been observed before that the Christian church "is the only army that shoots its own wounded". Whether it is a congregation turning on an erring member or a whole denomination turning on an "aberrant" congregation, or as in this case, a large number of organizations targeting a movement they understand very poorly, the principle is the same. Where Jesus advised an attempt to "win" another, they instead excommunicate, expunge, and sometimes physically harm those considered "contaminated" by some kind of amorphous demonic influence.

All such activities expose the deep insecurities of their proponents. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in The Autocrat at the Breakfast-Table, wrote, "I never saw Truth going around with a scarf wrapped around an aching tooth…she is able to take care of herself." (this is a rather approximate quote) So what is apologetics, anyway?

Jesus warned that his followers would be called before governors and kings to answer for their faith. He commanded them not to take forethought, but to let the Holy Spirit speak through them, when they gave their defense (apologia in Greek). Nonetheless, several large documents in early church history record well-crafted "apologies", addressed to Caesar or to a provincial governor. They dwell not at all on doctrine, which would be of little interest to a political leader. Instead, they write of the upright life of Christians, how they are typically the best of a leader's citizens.

Also, of course, the apostle Paul made his defense (apologia) before Felix, Festus, Agrippa and Caesar. These biblical and early-church examples show the principle of apologetics: when someone powerful is going to punish you for following your faith, you then defend yourself. The non-Three-Self Christians in China are in just this position today, and some have suffered long imprisonments as a result.

What kind of apologetics do we see today? Dozens of groups, some stand-alone organizations such as CRI, and some as a "ministry" within various denominations, practice "apologetics" by finding out all the things with which they disagree in the teachings or practices of other groups, then attacking them. Such activities are deeply, desperately sinful. Though there may be genuinely heretical groups "out there", the people of God are not called to attack or damage them. I include in this indictment the "Defense and Confirmation Project" carried on by some who follow Witness Lee.

I had a long conversation about these things with J. Vernon McGee a few years before he passed away. He said, "It isn't worth attacking anybody. I preach the truth as I see it." While it may be hard to teach certain things without naming names, it is necessary to try. The followers of Jesus need to examine ourselves and our motives.

Where is the Gospel to a lost humanity? Where is the rich truth preached to young believers? Where the solid meat of the Word of God to feed His people? While risky, it is a noble thing the CRI folks have done. But they need to realize, they have no biblical reason to exist. Let Christian Research be done into the best ways to gain people for Christ!