Quote:
Originally Posted by aron
One example [of erroneous teaching] is on the "ekklesia"... another example: "oikonomia" ...
|
Another erroneous teaching is Lee's assertion that "the gates of Hades" attack the ekklesia in Matthew 16. Anyone with a rudimentary understanding of human affairs, especially military affairs, realizes gates are for keeping things in. Gates do not attack.
But Lee taught that the gates of Hades would assault the fortress church, but would not prevail against it. Completely backward. The gates of Hades were the entrance to the underworld, and no one who went in (i.e. died) ever came out. These gates were supposedly built on adamantine pillars, which was the strongest substance in the universe. Jesus was saying that when you gather in My name and agree, even the gates of Hades cannot withstand you. You can go into death itself and pluck out the prisoners.
Satan was on the offensive in Genesis 3... "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned--" Romans 5:12. ... and from then on his posture was essentially defensive. Satan had his realm, his kingdom. He was, truly, at Jesus' time, the "ruler of this world" (see John 12).
Then One man, Jesus, came to set us all free. This is the gospel, the good news, and when we gather (this is the ekklesia, or assembly) to affirm, acknowledge, announce, and celebrate this revelation, Satan's kingdom falls. The gates of Hades are broken.
Lee had it backward. I mentioned this on a website populated by a number of Lee-ites, and they said I was speaking nonsense. Then I posted a long article from their allies Bob and Gretchen Passantino, who essentially said the exact same thing as I did. The Lee-ites then quickly lost appetite for the discussion.
See
http://www.answers.org/bible/gatesofhell.html
Now, my point is not merely to discuss Lee's errors interpreting the gates of Hades, per se, nor for that matter his take on "ekklesia" or "oikonomia". We all err occasionally in thought and deed; I probably more than most. My point is that presuming to be absent of error is perhaps the worst error of all. The Bible says "We all like sheep have gone astray"; notice it says ''we ... sheep'', not ''we ... goats''. All of the sheep, all of the people of God, err occasionally.
But these Lee-ite posters would not entertain the notion that the teachings of their "oracle" could be imperfect or incomplete. That, to me, is the real tragedy of Mr. Lee's ministry, beyond any single point of doctrine. The real error is not the occasional error, but the refusal to admit the possibility of error.
When that happens, as Jesus put it so well, "your blindness remains". (John 9)