The spirit of the heresy hunter

March 31, 2009 at 3:48 pm · Filed under The Hunters

I’ve been having a conversation these last few weeks on another blog regarding Todd Bentley’s current situation.

Most people know Todd as the leader of the controversial Lakeland Revival, who subsequently divorced his wife, married another woman, and has repented. He recently entered into a restoration program through Morningstar church.

The response of the heresy hunters, right from the beginning of the revival, has been over the top.

First, let me distinguish between two types of people.

• THOSE WHO DISAGREE – There’s plenty of folks out there who disagreed with one aspect or another of the revival and the subsequent events. Those who disagreed stated their concerns in a loving manner, often cited Scripture, and left it at that. Some sent letters or emails to Todd Bentley, to Pastor Strader, and to others who were involved. (It might shock the heresy hunters to know that I was one who did that – and got a very gracious response back, with my concern addressed!) Disagreers understand that there is a time, a place, and a way to confront others when they are wrong. They also understand that it’s not always their place to do so. It is not our responsibility, real or imagined, to confront every sin in every one.  Those who disagree understand that God’s grace is bigger than we can even begin to imagine.
• HERESY HUNTERS – HH’s don’t just disagree. They shout from the rooftops about those they hate. “Investigating” other Christians is their sole passion in life. They spend days, weeks, months combing the internet for the juiciest tidbits of gossip. They investigate everyone for everything. When they find an anthill, they pile rubble on it until it’s Mount Everest. They believe that people are guilty simply through association with others, and that everyone must be warned about these evil people. Heresy Hunters have no concept of biblical authority. Further, they are rude and thorougly malicious. Although the person they are investigating IS sometimes in error, their manner of handling it is ALSO in error. The ends do not in any way justify the means (and the ends don’t benefit anyone).  Grace is misdefined in the Heresy Hunters’ vocabulary; to them it only applies to those already perfect. In rare cases it might apply to anyone willing to “repent” and become just like them (see Matthew 23:15)

There is a tremendous and fundamental difference between the two. As Christians, we can hold differing opinions and disagree – but  Jesus Himself commanded us to love one another (and show it. And MEAN it!) and to maintain unity. When we feel we must correct a specific person, we must follow biblical guidelines. We’d best be about His business building the Church, not tearing people down, chewing them up, and spitting them out.

We should take care ONLY to exclude those from fellowship who are clearly in error, unrepentant/continuing in their sin, and who show a shallow, casual attitude toward sin. We should also take care to note that those who presently must be excluded from the Body should be welcomed back with open arms immediately upon their repentance.

Yes. I do consider some of the heresy hunters to have crossed that line. That is my personal belief and I’ve taken some heat for it. I don’t stand in the place of God. But I do take Romans 16:17, Jude 19, and Titus 3:10 to heart.

Which brings me back around to this blog I was interacting on. Great blog, great guy who loves Jesus. Currently attacked by heresy hunters because he  accepts that Todd Bentley has repented and believes we should give him and the restoration team room to work. Of course, this makes him a heretic supreme. I’d posted a few comments, including the text of 1 Corinthians 13, especially the passage on “does not behave rudely”.

Of course, the responses were rude

As I went to reply, there was a very unusual word on the Captcha (you have to type a word to prove you’re a human, not an auto-spam program): “abaddon”. I recognized it immediately as the destroyer from Revelation 9. Given that the Captcha system has always generated simple dictionary words (like bicycle or moose) or nonsense (64TjM), my response was, “Lord, what is this?” His reply: That’s the spirit of the one you’re responding to.

Now, whether He meant that the person is actually demon-possessed, or whether He meant that as destroyers of unity and attackers they have the same mind-set, I’m not sure. I’m not particularly sure that it matters. Regardless of whether they’re demonically influenced or simply operating from their own hearts, they are doing satan’s work.

What does God’s Word say about it?

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another… Therefore, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another, even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts… Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. (Colossians 3:8,9,12-15, 4:6 NKJV)

It’s often not what you say… it’s the spirit in which you say it. Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34) – Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. (James 3:10).

[note: any comments regarding Todd Bentley/Lakeland will be deleted as they are off-topic. ]

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