Quote:
Originally Posted by Kevin
Joel R. Beek:
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It is a 2 dimensional doctrine, so that only the Catholic church tolerates Jezebel, only Sardis is dead, only Laodicea is spewed out of the Lord's mouth.
So instead of having to deal with these stones in your heart (Matt 13) you can say "hey, not me, I'm not in the Catholic church" and that isn't me I left the protestant church, and I'm surely not Laodicea.
I would argue that all of these stones are present in everyone's heart. Yes, the Catholic church does reveal what it is to "tolerate Jezebel" but that doesn't mean the Local Church wasn't also guilty of making this compromise. Balaam is the example of a false prophet and his pernicious teachings infiltrating the church, doesn't mean that these are not an influence in every Christian gathering, just as Paul warned that wolves would come along.
The damage of this teaching, to me, is that it takes the Bible which is God's word of light and salt, and makes it good for nothing but the dung hill. The principle I thought we were taught was to take the word and apply it to ourselves, not others. Be strict with yourself and general with others.