Imagined Characteristics of Reactionaries (Bereans)
Let us now look at the characteristics "reactionaries:" are supposed to have, according to this article.
1. Lovers of Themselves, not Lovers of God
Its first conclusion is this:
"While reactionary conservatives claim to love God, they in fact love themselves more than God or the rest of mankind.."
The writer does not explain how this position was reached, and offers no Scriptures for its support. The Scriptures do, however, give us the test of true love.
2 John 6-7 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.
John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.
Matt 6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
You see, this is where the question of love is Scripturally defined. The test of true love, is a question of whether or not you are willing to do the will of God. It is a question of whether or not you are willing to learn, believe, and commit to the principles of righteousness as elaborated in the pages of Scriptures. It is whether you are willing to embrace them, to confine yourselves to these things understanding that in these things alone are the paths of righteousness.
Bro. John Ullman, a Central brother from Perth Australia once wrote in regard to the confinement the truth requires:
"The way of the truth, operating upon those who believe it and accept it, confines men and women within severely restricted limits, and that is the beginning of the doctrine of fellowship. The truth confines us within severely restricted limits, and it is because of that that the Lord Jesus Christ in crystal clear terms set out his teachings. Straight is the gait, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life. But on the other hand, the way to destruction is wide and broad.
"And among professing Christadelphians, there has always been those who would to like to reverse the application of those two ways. To rephrase the Lord's words and make them read wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth unto life. But it is not that way at all. The Lord has spoken. The Lord has set down the terms. And we alter those terms at our own eternal peril.
"The way that leadeth unto life is the Truth. The Truth. Ye shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall make you free. Nothing else will do that. It would be facetious in the extreme to imagine the Lord saying, ye shall know error, and error shall make you free. Thus it is that the way to life is straight and narrow. Or as Rotherham translates that verse, from Mat. 7 "Narrow is the gate and confined the way, the way that leadeth unto life". And in that brief phrasing are the fundamental evidence of the saving power of God at work. We have the main reason why the world today is not filled with Christadelphians. The world today is not filled with Christadelphians because men and women of Adamic nature are not willing to be confined and restricted in what they may believe, or in what they may do."
Jesus said, if ye love me, keep my commandments. Men and women of Adamic nature are not willing to be so restrained. And therefore the love of Christ is only established among those who will be so constrained. Well, what is the command concerning fellowship that a person who loves God will keep. It is defined very clearly by Paul in these simple verses.
2 Thess. 2:13-15 "But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle."
Here is the first and basic command. Believe the Truth. Hold fast the traditions (really "precepts" from the Gk. paradosis) you have been taught, whether by Paul's word, (which we have no access to,) or by epistle, (which we do have.) That seems simple enough. We have to believe and abide in the Truth. Berean Christadelphians believe that the Truth is correctly and fully defined in the BASF.
2 Thess. 3:6 "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us."
There is the command for fellowship. It is plain and simple. No complicated list of verses strung together in an unrelated manner, but one simple verse. Withdraw from every brother that will not abide in the traditions (really "precepts" from the Gk. paradosis) which we have received of Paul.
2 Thess 3:14 "And if any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed."
So here is another command. If any man refuses to obey Paul's epistle, which commanded the withdrawal from any who refused Paul's precepts, then have no company with that man. That, in its simplest form, is the doctrine of fellowship as practiced by the "reactionary" brethren or Berean Christadelphians.
We withdraw ourselves from errorists. Why? Out of self love? No, because Jesus, who said "if ye love me, keep my commandments" commanded us to. We withdraw from those who refuse Paul's command to withdraw from errorists, without respect to whether or not they are errorists themselves. Why? Out of self love? No because Jesus, who said "if ye love me, keep my commandments" commanded us to.
Bro. Roberts makes identically this same point, using identically the same verses in an article he called "Whom I Love in the Truth:
"No man loves after the Spirit's fashion who disobeys. Apostolic 'love' is that state of enlightenment and appreciation in relation to the things of God that impels a man to be a 'doer of the Word.' John gives this an application that was special to his day; and yet is at all times appropriate wherever the same need and the same danger manifest themselves. He says--
"'This is the commandment that as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.' (2 John 6). We wonder what he means, then presently the light dawns--
"'For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus is come in the flesh' (v. 7). He means that they should hold fast to the doctrine of Christ as originally delivered; because many were drawing the disciples away therefrom. The obedience of the commandment is the evidence of New Testament 'love,' and it is also necessary for our acceptable standing before the presence of the Lord's glory at his coming. This is John's view, as evident from the words immediately following:
"''Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought; but that we receive a full reward' (v. 8).
"There would have been no need for these words if the things that had been 'wrought' were not imperilled by the doctrine of the deceivers of which he is speaking. He indicates, in strong language, the consequences to the individual thus ensnared-- 'Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God' (v. 9).
Here bro. Roberts has laid out what love in Christ truly is. It is obedience to Jesus. Then bro. Roberts goes on to explain how it works out in our day. Note that it is exactly opposite what our Central "conservative" brethren claim. Our Central "conservative" brethren argue that we mustn't stand aside from such "excellent people" that exist in the "liberal" meetings. Bro. Roberts point is exactly to the opposite:
"In our own day, as recent painful experience has made us aware, a class of believers are treading the same dangerous ground, in teaching that the flesh of Jesus was destitute of that which, in the flesh of his brethren, constitutes the cause or source of mortality. In relation to all of them, John's declaration reveals the mind of the Spirit:
'''Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son' (v. 9).
"The 'doctrine of Christ' is that he is God made and manifested in the mortal flesh of Abraham's race for the deliverance thereof--on His own principles--from 'that having the power of death.' Those who hold fast to this have both the Father and the Son; for in Jesus they have the Son, and the Father manifest in Him. As to those who 'bring not this doctrine,' John's commandment is (v. 10): 'Receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed'!
"This command we can no more evade than any other commandment delivered unto us. The obedience of it may cost us something. It is crucifying to the flesh to refuse friends--some of them excellent people as human nature goes---who in one way or other have been seduced from their allegiance to the doctrine of Christ; but there is no alternative. Friends are but for a moment; the Truth is for ever; and if we sacrifice our duty to the latter from regard to the former, the latter will sacrifice us in the day of its glory, and hand us over to the destiny of the flesh, which, as the grass, will pass away. 'He that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.'
"This applies to all without distinction, and erects a barrier to fellowship with even some who hold the Truth; for though they may hold the doctrine of Christ themselves, yet, if they keep up a 'God speed' connection with those who do not, by John's rule, they make themselves partakers with them, and, therefore, cut themselves off from those who stand for the doctrine of Christ.
"The epistle, as a whole, is singularly applicable to the situation in which we find ourselves this morning. We have been obliged to stand aside for the doctrine of Christ from some we love. The Epistle of John justifies us in our course, both as regards those who have departed from the doctrine of Christ, and those, who, while holding on to it themselves, see not their way to break connection with those who have departed."
This is the proper test of true love. Do we walk in obedience to Jesus' commands. It is inconvenient for the time present. It will be the reverse at the judgment seat of Christ.
