Did You Contribute to the Sin of Dr. Steven Lawson?

The Church is grieving. Many, many of us who have been beneficiaries of Dr. Lawson’s preaching and teaching are still reeling from the latest news of his moral failure. Many, many have commented appropriately to this shockwave. Many, many have rightly reminded us to “take heed to self, lest we too fall.”   I said to a dear friend, we are all within a half an inch of such shipwreck.

A question that needs to be considered in this is: “Have I contributed to this sin?”  

Before I write the next several sentences many of you readers will already begin, “Ya but.”  I caution you not to do that. If you at once launch into your rebuttal, you will not take seriously this question. Wrestle with this personally, please. “Have you contributed to this sin?”  This is not to minimize or evade the responsibility that Dr. Lawson is and must be held to. My contention is that many of us must recognize our contribution to this sin of Lawson’s and others in a comparable way.

Dr. Lawson has been part of a cadre of Evangelical (often Reformed minded) men and women who spend a gargantuan amount of time and energy on the Conference tours. If not there, they are producing books and study material at a supernatural rate. The Christian books stores and media outlets are replete with video and digital bible studies and courses. The ground supporting my question is this: Local churches have often made the conference, teaching ministries of such men and women indispensable to their ministry.

To be honest, I have contributed to the sin of Dr. Lawson. As a retired pastor I look back on many, many solutions to the local church teaching ministry satisfied by “parachuting” a big-name speaker in, via video, to teach my Sunday School class, Bible Study, or other ministry need. In fact, I know local churches that have become total dependent on the ability to import video teaching from these celebrated teachers.

We have committed two evils. We have demoted the necessity of the local church to develop teachers and preachers from within (Thus devaluing the doctrine of ecclesiology); and we have exalted the celebrity speakers to an unattainable pedestal.

Why must the local church default to importing celebrity teachers to meet the needs of the Sunday School class, Bible study or such like? Why must the local church default to importing the books, these people write, to meet the need of the moment? Why are men and women not being trained to open God’s Word before other believers and teach them the Bible? Why are men and women that have served Christ for many years incapable of following a simple pattern of hermeneutics and prayerfully teach their peers? Why are men and women being conditioned to demote the faithful preaching of their pastor (and elders, presumably) and relish in the conference ministry, the radio, TV ministries, the books and video series of these illuminaries?

A short story. My father was a Sabbatarian. As a young man he helped a fledgling church near the city of Glasgow, Scotland. He had two routes to go to church. One was lengthy and he would ride his bicycle. One was short but needed a ferry ride. One Sunday morning while crossing the ferry he was constrained to witness to the driver. He chose to start the conversation with, “Do you go to church?”  The ferryman answered, “How can I with the likes of you who keep me on this ferry.”  Now remember: No ya buts. My father’s conscience was pricked, and he never took the ferry again on the Lord’s Day. My father, to his credit, was able to see how his choices had aggravated the ferry man’s situation. Can you?

Why are there hundreds of conferences, books, video lessons and the like? Answer: because you and I demand them. It is the law of supply and demand. We have created celebrity pastors and teachers. One astute commentator wrote, “Every pastor should be at home at night with his wife.”  (Remember. No ya but.)  I have lived through T4G attended by thousands, TGCW attended recently by 9,000 women, Shepherds conference, Desiring God, Ligonier etc. etc.  I have also lived through the moral shipwreck and indiscretion of several of the speakers at such events.

What if Churches just said, enough! No more conferences. No more video lessons. No more book studies. No more! As of today, the people of God will look to their own pastors and elders for biblical preaching. As for today the people of God will encourage one another through the carefully handled Word of God, cutting it straight. As of today Sunday School (adult in mind) will see groups of disciples gathered reverently around their Bibles with paper, pen, and hearts open to receive God’s Word.

I have contributed to the sin of Dr. Lawson. Have you?

The local Church needs to embrace a robust Doctrine of Ecclesiology that makes much of the grace found in the preaching/teaching ministries of His “local” people. We have forsaken the primary and Biblical call upon the local Church and become reliant on the celebrity speaker to feed our people. It is not a burden these men and women ought to bear. We need to stop demanding it of them.

If you have considered this carefully and personally, now give me your “ya buts.”

1 Clement Chapters XLVI - LIX

First Epistle to the Corinthians

 Clement of Rome

Chapters XLVI – LIX

 

As noted by Ross Amy, this Epistle of Clement is really an exhortation or a sermon.  His sermon is to confront the sedition in Corinth.  He shows the congregation the tragedy of envy and what it does to relationships. He points out the blessings that came to the saints of the past that sought to obey Christ and also mimic Christ in these areas of relationships. He reminds his listeners that Christ is returning; and there comes with that resurrection and judgment. True faith ought to be evidenced by peace and love.

Clement’s approach is to point out the true order that Christ has established for the church. Implied is his warning that those who rise up in rebellion and rebelling against Christ.

 

The sadness of this situation is that it seems to be more grievous than what Paul dealt with in his First Letter to Corinth.  (Clement surely believed that this letter of Paul was inspired: “Truly, under the inspiration of the Spirit.”[1]).  It was grievous because the dispute even reached the broader community.  Whenever the reputation of Christ is marred it is a indignity.  Clement then calls for a return to a state of brotherly love[2] and repentance[3].   He points to the love of Moses who was willing to intercede with God for the preservation of Israel (Exodus 32).  He appeals to us to live out this ethic:

 “If on my account sedition and disagreement and schisms have arisen, I will depart, I will go away whithersoever ye desire, and I will do whatever the majority commands; only let the flock of Christ live on terms of peace with the presbyters set over it.”[4]

 

He provides examples of such love both from an Apocryphal story of Judith; and of the Old Testament example of Esther  who was prepared to die to preserve her people.  He calls those who are acting in seditious ways to submit to correction and submit to the Church:

 

“Ye therefore, who laid the foundation of this sedition, submit yourselves to the presbyters, and receive correction so as to repent, bending the knees of your hearts. Learn to be subject, laying aside the proud and arrogant self-confidence of your tongue. For it is better for you that ye should occupy a humble but honourable place in the flock of Christ, than that, being highly exalted, ye should be cast out from the hope of His people.”[5]

 Clement concludes this exhortation with a blessing and a hope to hear that things have gone well.

 As to issues of authority, Clement rests heavily on Scripture which he readily acknowledges as inspired by the Holy Spirit.  He quotes from other sources including the Apocrypha but gives no evidence of its inspiration.  This is an argument from silence, I admit.  He clearly sees the authority of the church residing in presbyters of which I have shown elsewhere is synonymous with elders, bishops, and pastors.

 

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[1] Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 1289-1290). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[2] “Ye see, beloved, how great and wonderful a thing is love, and that there is no declaring its perfection.” -  Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Location 1344). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

[3] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1382-1383).

[4] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1423-1425).

[5] Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1496-1500).

1 Clement Chapters XXXI - XLV

First Epistle to the Corinthians

 

Clement of Rome

 

Chapters XXXI - XLV

 

Clement's approach to deal with the sedition in Corinth is to point out to the church the tragedy of envy and what it does to relationships. He points out the blessings that came to the saints of the past that sought to obey Christ and also mimic Christ in these areas of relationships. He reminds his readers that Christ is returning; and there comes with that resurrection and judgment..

Establishing a context for justification, Clement first of all affirms that salvation is by faith alone.  Citing the patricarchs he notes:

 

And we, too, being called by His will in Christ Jesus, are not justified by ourselves, nor by our own wisdom, or understanding, or godliness, or works which we have wrought in holiness of heart; but by that faith through which, from the beginning, Almighty God has justified all men; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.[1]

 

But even as the Scripture reflects a balance in this, Clement notes that saving justification produces fruit.  "Let us hasten with all energy and readiness of mind to perform every good work."  As with Paul in Romans 6 when approached as to the possibility of experiencing saving grace and suggesting that it doesn't produce holiness, Clement explains, "God forbid!"  The incentive is that this same Christ who is coming again to judge, is also coming to reward. "Let us therefore earnestly strive to be found in the number of those that wait for Him, in order that we may share in His promised gifts." [3]  We emphasize that these blessings are given to us through Christ.  He is the victor. He is our Head and King.

 

Under our Sovereign are various leadership roles.  Clement is still chipping away at this sedition.  He points out that we all serve in various and differenct capacities under Christ. "All are not prefects, nor commanders of a thousand, nor of a hundred, nor of fifty, nor the like, but each one in his own rank performs the things commanded by the king and the generals." [4]  The sovereign Christ has not only placed us in various positions to serve Him, but He has prepared our works even prior to creation. Clement writes, "having prepared His bountiful gifts for us before we were born." [5].  Reminiscent of Ephesians 2:10 (ESV) ¹⁰ "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
 

In Chapter XXXIX, Clement employs a massive argument that supposes if all this is true then there ought to be no room for conceit.  Drawing from God's response to Job, Clement imagines our futility of contesting with the greatness and might of God.  Clement employs a massive summary of Job (probably Job 4:16–18, Job 15:15, Job 4: 19–21, Job 5:1–5.).

 

It seems to me that Clement now shifts to the subject of order.  Importing God's regulations for order within the Old Covenant, he points out in Chapters XL &XLI, that the worship of God is systematic. "Those, therefore, who do anything beyond that which is agreeable to His will, are punished with death." [6].  The severity of breaking God's order is sobering.  He writes that "Both these [the calling of Christ and the Apostles]  appointments, then, were made in an orderly way, according to the will of God." [7] He then shows that the future leadership of the Church is also orderly and according to the will of God.  He illustrates God's choice of leadership with the story of  Aaron's budding rod in Numbers 12 and 17. What is that future leadership?  Clement see two offices that have been established by the Lord: bishops and deacons (Kindle Locations 1149-1150). I believe that Clement views (as does Paul) that bishops were synonimous with presbyters. For example he writes, "For our sin will not be small, if we eject from the episcopate those who have blamelessly and holily fulfilled its duties. Blessed are those presbyters who, having finished their course before now, have obtained a fruitful and perfect departure . . .." [8]  Clearly he views the episcopate and presbytery as the same.

 

Similarily Paul views these offices as synonimous.  In Acts 20:17 (ESV) we read that, Paul "sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him."   There the word for elders is in the Greek text πρεσβύτερος (presbuteros) or presbyter. When Paul speaks to this group he says, “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28, ESV).   The Greek word of overseer is the word ἐπίσκοπος (episkopo) where we get our English word episcopal or bishop. "The Ephesian church leaders are called elders (Gk. presbyteroi) and are in v. 28 addressed as "overseers" (Gk. episkopoi, sometimes translated "bishops") who are to "care for" (or "shepherd") "the flock" (the role of pastors). This overlap of terminology indicates that "elders," "overseers," and "pastors" likely refer to the same office."[10]  There seems no hint in Clement's theology (to this point) of apostolic succession, an office of Pope or priests.  It seems he would agree with Paul's call to Titus: “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—” (Titus 1:5, ESV).  And by implication when Paul wrote Philippi and addressed its leaders, he wrote, “Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:” (Philippians 1:1, ESV).

 

The righteous have this fate that they are oppressed by the wicked.  It is the wicked that subvert God's order and appointments in the Church.  That is a serious charge by our author.

 

In Chapter , Clement reveals again his view that Holy Scripture is inspired by the Holy Spirit. "Look carefully into the Scriptures, which are the true utterances of the Holy Spirit," [9], He implors the reader.  He doesn't allows quote exactly or sometimes he quotes the Septuigant which doesn't follow the Received Text exactly.  For example in Chapter XXXV we see this:

 

Clement’s Quotation from the Septuigant

Authorized Version

“But to the sinner God said, Wherefore dost thou declare my statutes, and take my covenant into thy mouth, seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee? When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him, and didst make thy portion with adulterers. Thy mouth has abounded with wickedness, and thy tongue contrived deceit. Thou sittest, and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.”   Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 993-1002). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

Psalm 50:16–20 (AV)   16 But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? 17 Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. 18 When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. 19 Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. 20 Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son.

 

Clement appears to have an New Testament view of Scripture and Church order. There appears nothing but the highest regard to Holy Scripture.  It is to this he appeals.  As to the gifts and blessings of the righteous, he affirms that they all come through Christ.  We see no veiled intercessors such as past saints or even the Mother of our Lord.  He visible leadership of the Church seems to be elders and deacons, with elders being synonimous with bishops.

 

 

 

 

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1. Schaff, Philip (2009-06-08). Ante-Nicene Fathers Volume 1 - Enhanced Version (Early Church Fathers) (Kindle Locations 914-916). Christian Classics Ethereal Library. Kindle Edition.

2. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 929-930).

3. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 986-987).

4. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1054-1055).

5. Ibid, (Kindle Location 1080).

6. Ibid, (Kindle Location 1135).

7. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1144-1145).

8. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1198-1202).

9. Ibid, (Kindle Locations 1216-1217).

10. Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (2129). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.