Putting the person's profession of faith to the test

Another principle for receiving someone is that there is a need to put the person's profession of faith to the test. If someone says they are a Christian, it is necessary that they prove it by setting aside every known sin. In 2 Timothy 2:19 it says that "whoever names the name of Christ must depart from iniquity." See also Revelation 2:2 and 1 John 4:1. If that person does not depart from iniquity, their manner of acting does not match their profession of faith. This is even more important in a time of ruin and abandonment of the Christian testimony, when what is not lacking are pernicious doctrines and practices of all kinds. An example of this can be seen in figure in 1 Chronicles 12:16-18. At that time David was the rejected king of Israel, and as people from various tribes of Israel understood the error that had been made in rejecting him, they went to him and acknowledged him as the true king of Israel. When those of the tribe of Benjamin (the tribe of King Saul) went to David, he put their profession of faith to the test. Once it was proven that their confession was genuine, and they truly demonstrated that they were on David's side, the Word of God tells us that "David received them."

If a person professes bad doctrine, it is clear that the assembly must not receive them, for if it does so it will be in fellowship with the evil that they bring in their teaching. (Compare 2 John 9-11 and Romans 16:17-18). We are not speaking here of differences of opinion that people may have regarding matters such as baptism, for example, but of things that concern the foundations of the Christian faith. The Scriptures say: "Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God" (Romans 15:5-7). If someone who professed bad doctrine were received, how could it be said that the assembly would be in agreement and "with one mouth" glorifying God? The brothers and sisters in the assembly would be saying one thing and that person saying another. The result would be confusion. Paul said to the Corinthians: "Now I plead with you, brothers and sisters, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10).

When the question involves ecclesiastical sin, patience and discernment are needed to identify it in someone. There is a difference between someone being associated with clerical error through ignorance and a person actively involved in and promoting such error. A believer who perhaps ignores the biblical order for Christian worship and ministry may wish to break bread at the Lord's table while coming from a denomination created by men and where a clerical order is adopted. Even though that person is associated with ecclesiastical error, they are not involved with ecclesiastical evil. And if such a person is known for their godliness in walk and professes sound doctrine, there should be no impediment to their breaking bread, even if they have not formally disassociated themselves from their association with that denomination.

The question is: when does an unconscious association with ecclesiastical error become ecclesiastical evil? We believe the answer is simply when the person's will is involved in it. To detect that will the assembly needs priestly discernment. In such cases the assembly needs to depend greatly on the Lord to know the opinion He has regarding the matter. Under normal conditions the brothers and sisters should allow that person to break bread, hoping and trusting that God would be working in their heart and that they would abandon the place from which they came after having participated in the Lord's supper, continuing from then on gathered with those gathered to the name of the Lord.

This is illustrated in figure in 2 Chronicles 30-31. Hezekiah allowed the people of Judah, and also some from the ten separated tribes, to participate in the Passover and worship the Lord at the divine center in Jerusalem. After doing this, they returned home and destroyed their idols and images. (We are not insinuating that denominations created by men are condoning idolatry; we are speaking only of the principle found there). What is interesting to note in this case is that Hezekiah did not tell them to act this way! That was a response coming from their hearts simply because they had been in the presence of the Lord in Jerusalem. However, if someone wishes to continue going to both places regularly, this should not be accepted. As J. N. Darby pointed out, such a person would not be being honest with either party. He also stated that degradation and corruption increase more and more in the Christian testimony, making it increasingly difficult to put this principle into practice. As the days become darker, ever greater discernment will be necessary. At present something like this has only happened sporadically.

Another Old Testament figure illustrates the care in receiving into fellowship. When the city of Jerusalem, the divine center in this world where the Lord had placed His Name, was rebuilt in the days of Nehemiah, there was a great danger represented by the enemies round about. Consequently, they did not open the gates to allow people to enter the city "until the sun is hot" [literally 'until midday'] (Nehemiah 7:1-3). They made sure there was no trace of shadows around before allowing people to enter the city. Until that hour came, they made the people who wished to enter the city wait. As the darkness in Christendom increases in these last days, this kind of care must be taken in receiving people into fellowship. You find the same principle in 1 Chronicles 9:17-27 ("the gatekeepers").