Written language can be difficult to understand. Take a look at the title of this article. I would imagine a few of you know exactly what those words mean. If not, forgive me if I leave you in suspense for a bit.
Have you ever stumbled upon someone with a different interpretation of a Bible text and been stunned at how much variation could exist between two people reading the same words? We had a member here who had been wrapped up in the International Churches of Christ (or Boston Movement). The ICOC is a plan for forced church growth that is false teaching at best and a cult at worst. Young people are given growth goals including weekly “discipling” lists that must produce visitors to an ICOC group or members are told they are failing to produce fruit.
At a meeting in our home with Wendy, myself, and this young lady stunned us with a completely different reading of Matthew 28:18-19. Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” The Great Commission as it is known, is clearly understood by all major Christian groups to be a command to preach the gospel, convert the lost, and baptize them for the forgiveness of sins (ref. Acts 2:28; 22:16).
To our great surprise, Wendy and I listened to how those simple words were taken completely out of context and used against converts to the ICOC in a sinister way. Our friend was told, they had to “make disciples” before they could be baptized. You heard that correctly. Instead of preaching the gospel and baptizing those who come to faith in Christ Jesus as the resurrected Son of God and Lord. The ICOC adds, “must convert others to Jesus (in reality the ICOC itself), before you can be saved.
Just in case you think I am misrepresenting their doctrine, here is a quote from an article produced by REVEAL (a group of former ICOC members). The ICOC, “believes in a system of discipling, which means that every member is assigned another member as a mentor, to whom he/she reports, confesses sin, and is expected to obey and emulate1.”
That sentence raises several red flags. Young people are told to turn in sheets full of potential disciples to their mentors so they can set up Bible studies. The pressure increases as time goes on to come up with more names. If they fail, they must confess their “sin” to their mentor. These mentors are often the same age or just older than the college students who are the group’s regular targets. The idea that young Christians are to obey and emulate other young people as mentors, is not found in Scripture. Confessing sin to a mentor (often a young person of the opposite sex) as a requirement for forgiveness is dangerous, and clearly false, teaching.
This all starts with reading a Scripture out of context. Where, in the Bible, is the example of Christians instructing believers to make other disciples before being baptized? Where can we find a verse that give mentors power to forgive confessed sin?
This is a good place to remind ourselves of some rules of interpreting the Bible.
- What the Bible teaches is true.
- Always take Scripture in the context it was written (Who, when, and where)
- The Bible is its own commentary.
- Interpret difficult Scripture in light of clear Scripture.
- Look at all the Bible teaching on a subject for clarity.
This all brings us back to “Three-eye John.” No, neither the apostle nor the Baptist had an extra eye. In Bibles produced 50-100 years ago, the table of contents for the New Testament would be written using Roman numerals (something I do to this day). If that didn’t confuse the reader, many times those titles for books of the Bible would be lowercase. Where you might clearly read, “III John” as “Third John.” What happens when you find, “iii john”? You guessed it! Many a young person would read that as “three-eye john” or even better “one, two, and three-eyed john.”
So, what is the point here? There will be times in our study of the Bible where we differ from one another. While we all need to rightly handle the word of truth (II Timothy 2:15). Remember the clear teaching of Romans 14:1-4. We must avoid, “quarrel(ing) over opinions.” And remember to give the same grace we hope to receive from God, “It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”
And yes, it is completely okay if you read that as “two-eye Timothy.”
1 http://www.reveal.org/abouticc/icctheology.html (slight change for grammar)
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