Quote:
Originally Posted by Cassidy
"The enemy planted tares with the wheat, he sent many false apostles and dressed many wolves in sheep's clothing. The Lord warned us of this repeatedly for a reason... just as he told us we would know them by their fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, Cassidy. "
However, the tares are not born again Christians. You are making a colossal interpretative leap and misapplication of scripture when you say that the brothers in the local churches, including those in leadership, are not born again believers. It is the same error that some have made here when referring to genuine believers in the local churches "Pharisees".
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First of all, when LC leaders behave like the Pharisees, being caught up in the same hypocrisy as the Pharisees, and damaging the Lord's children in much the same way as the Pharisees,
is it not a fair conclusion to call them Pharisees?!?
Cassidy, there is no "error" here in this post. The apostle Paul called these same ones as "dogs" and "false brothers," and I think that calling them Pharisees, because of their hypocrisy in damaging others, is completely appropriate. Whether they are "genuine believers" or not is coincidental, since I am not addressing their past salvation, but their present behaviors.
Secondly,
Ray's mention of
wolves is indeed fitting here, even though you prefer to split hairs over the identity of tares. This is what the Apostle told the elders in Ephesus --
Quote:
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I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. -- Acts 20.29-30
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These are perhaps the most suitable verses of all the Bible to describe what WL did to the LC's. Paul wept with tears knowing that men, like Witness Lee, would one day rise up speaking perverted things, and drawing away all the disciples after themselves. Here the Apostle called them fierce wolves who would come in. The GLA LC's have just witnessed some of these wolves sent by LSM's DCP branch coming in and not sparing the flock. In numerous places like Toronto, Columbus, and Mansfield, LSM operatives cared nothing for the well-being of the sheep, rather cared only for the sheep's undying allegiance to a now dead minister and his publisher.