Degrees of Separation

Hello, in this video I just want to cover the subject of separation and also degrees of separation. First of all, it is very clear that the Bible teaches God's people are to be separate. Israel was commanded by God to live differently and to be set apart from the Gentiles.

The Church as a Called-Out People

The word church in Greek, ekklesia, refers to a called-out assembly. The church is to be holy. That admonition given to Israel is reaffirmed to the church. 1 Peter 1 .16, be holy for I am holy. Paul in 2 Corinthians 6 .17 tells the church, come out from among them and be separate.

Back in verse 14, he says, do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. And then in 2 Thessalonians 3, for those who say they are Christians, yet they walk disorderly, the command is to not keep company with them.

So based on these verses and many others, it's clear a Christian should live differently from everyone else, the way we talk, the way we dress, the way we behave. A believer should not marry an unbeliever.

Do not be unequally yoked. Which also means your local church should not be promoting or working together, yoking together with unbelievers. And that includes apostates and heretics. These are a few things that just about every Christian would agree with.

Degrees of Separation and Supporting a Heretical Event

Certainly throughout history, this was understood. But can we promote or work together with someone who promotes or works together with unbelievers or apostates and heretics? See, this gets into the question of degrees of separation.

And that's where many people are unclear about what to do about that. So let me try to help. To give one example, there was a concert that our church was called upon to promote, a Christian concert, yet I knew that some of the people involved who would be on stage, they were apostates.

They believed heretical teachings. So I refused to support that. Now, one pastor I talked to, he got a little upset about that. And he said, I don't agree with not supporting things because of all these degrees of separation.

And I told him, I said, there's no degree of separation. Like the heretic or the apostate is on stage. And I'm not supporting that. There's no separation or degree of separation in between us. So a situation like that, I am not going to support nor will my church support unbelievers work together with apostates or heretics.

That's a basic form of separation, very clear in the Bible. No fellowship with unbelievers, heretics, or apostates. Now, it gets a little more complicated when there is a degree of separation. So would I support a church that supported that concert?

There's a degree of separation there. Now, if a church knowingly supported it, they knew of the heresy and they showed or expressed that they didn't care, even though there would be one degree of separation there, I wouldn't support that church either.

I wouldn't support the concert and I wouldn't support the church that supported the concert. That's one degree of separation. I'm not as convinced about that, but to me, that's still pretty clear. They're supporting evil.

They are a partaker of their evil deeds. 2 John says this. We'll look at that passage in a moment. Now, when you get into, would you support someone who supported someone who supported someone, then it gets murky.

Once you get into that, you know, would I support someone who supported someone who supported this heretical event, that's another story. I would tell someone in that case, if there's two or three degrees of separation, I would say, be informed by the word of God, follow your conscience and what you believe the Lord would have you to do.

But once you get into multiple degrees of separation, I definitely think that gets muddy. And I definitely don't think we should impose our position on others when there's two or three degrees or more of separation.

So just to recap, let's just take a hypothetical situation. Let's say televangelist Benny Hinn was coming to town and putting on a crusade. I believe Benny Hinn is a false teacher. I would not support his crusade.

I would practice separation. I'm not supporting Benny Hinn. Clear biblical issue, not going to do it. But what if a church that we fellowshiped with, what if they supported the Benny Hinn crusade? Well, I would talk to them and I would try to help them to understand the issue.

But if they continued and supported the Benny Hinn crusade, I would separate from that church, even though there is one degree of separation. Now, let's say, would I support a church who supported a church who supported Benny Hinn?

Again, then you're getting into multiple degrees of separation and everyone needs to do what they feel is right in those circumstances. But it's less clear. So practice separation. In conclusion, practice separation.

That is a clear biblical commandment. One degree of separation, I think, is close enough to where it's still a big problem. It should be evident. I would say, try to talk to people and try to resolve the issue.

2 John and Partaking in Evil Deeds

But let's look at 2 John before we end. 2 John 9 -11, the apostle writes, Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son.

If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, nor greet him or bid him Godspeed, as the King James puts it. For he who greets him or he who puts his blessing upon that false teacher or that false brother, the person who does that, he becomes a partaker of his evil deeds.

So if someone is a partaker of evil deeds, it makes sense to not only separate from the false teacher or the false brother. It also makes sense to separate from the one who is defending or aiding and abetting the false teacher.

Beyond that, do as the Lord leads. Thanks for listening. Until next time, may the Lord be with you. Have a great day.