- James MacDonald Sues Harvest Bible Chapel Critics for Libel – “Pastor James MacDonald and Harvest Bible Chapel filed a lawsuit this month against two ex-members and former Moody Radio host Julie Roys, accusing them of spreading false information about the Chicago-area megachurch’s financial health and leadership.”
- James MacDonald: Why Suing Is Sometimes the Biblical Choice – “1 Corinthians 6:1-9 does not apply to every situation.”
Throughout church history, cultural happenings have forced a more carefully nuanced consideration of biblical application.
Many of us remember the near unanimous evangelical stance on divorce prior to the 1970s, when most churches held strictly to “no divorce, no remarriage.” Then with the rise in divorce rates and a few high visibility Christian leaders getting divorced, all were pushed back into the Scripture for a view that considered all biblical teaching on the subject.
In the meantime, by assuming the right to influence our church while refusing to listen to the authority of our church leaders, they forfeit the protection given to brothers in 1 Corinthians 6. According to Matthew 18:17 their refusing to “hear the church” requires that they be related to as non-believers, as “gentiles and tax collectors.”
We should constantly study the Word of God as God
guides us into it and reveals it unto it. We should be doubly cautious when
culture or conditions change and we suddenly find the Bible does not apply –
whether it be divorce & remarriage, same sex marriage, lawsuits, or a dozen
other things that are not convenient in the current circumstances.
[i] This is the same James
MacDonald who a few years ago told us Congregational
Government is from Satan, but has since joined the Southern
Baptist Convention, whose Baptist Faith and
Message tells us “Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes.” It appears MacDonald may have quietly removed this diatribe from his blog. Perhaps his desire to join the Convention created a reason it also does not apply.
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