Mark and Turn Away

By Bertrand Smith

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     I have been re-studying Romans 16:17-20, and taking note of the apostolic instruction to mark certain people and turn from them. This passage has often been used as a prooftext by those who favor disfellowshipping anyone who expresses an opinion contrary to that held by the leaders of the group to which he belongs. To them the text means that they should mark and turn away from anyone who says or does anything contrary to the set of opinions and interpretations of scripture which they have received. "The doctrine which ye learned" is equated with the teaching which these self-appointed judges learned from somewhere or other. Apparently it has never occurred to them that the two things might not be identical.

     The doctrine which the Roman Christians had received was that which the apostle Paul taught. A bit of study on some of the things Paul taught should indeed give pause to those who would dismember the body of Christ on account of a difference of opinion.

     He taught the Ephesians, "I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

     He taught the Galatians, "Brethren, even if a man be overtaken in any trespass, ye who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, looking to

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thyself, lest thou also be tempted." Since Paul was sincere and righteous, I cannot think of him as teaching the Romans anything contrary to this.

     Let me raise the question, "Who are those to whom Paul refers in Romans 16:17, 18?" The answer will be, those who are causing divisions and occasions of stumbling contrary to the doctrine the Roman Christians learned. The apostle does not say these people were teaching a strange doctrine, or that they held opinions contrary to those held by the majority of the church or by its leaders. That which is here spoken of as contrary to the doctrine which the Christians had learned, was simply the causing of division and occasions of stumbling. It may or may not have had anything to do with certain interpretations or concepts of church polity. The causing of division is in itself one of the gravest violations of apostolic doctrine. Such procedure may stem from a personal quarrel, or from some selfish ambition or lust for power.

     A simple difference of opinion is never the cause of division. It is the spirit with which such a difference of opinion is dealt that becomes the cause. It makes no difference which side of a disputed question may have been expressed first. Division arises when one party to a disagreement (or sometimes both) allows the spirit of bigotry and sectarianism to so move him that he tries to take the place of God in judging others.

     Often this sectarian spirit parades under the guise of defending the faith. Many a poor deluded preacher has spent valuable time flailing away at some teaching or practice, satisfied that he was defending the faith, when he was only asserting his self-declared right to define the faith for someone else; in other words, his right to occupy the throne of God in the universe.

     Those to whom Paul refers in Romans 16:17, 18 had some selfish motive. He does not say how they went about to produce the divisions and occasions of stumbling, except that they used smooth and fair speech. That they had a selfish motive is evident in that they were not serving Christ, but their own belly. There are many devious methods which a sectarian can employ to produce a division to his own advantage. Most divisions work to the advantage of their promoters. They are a lot like the visions and revelations of the so-called prophet, Joseph Smith, they have a way of working out to the interests of the parties involved.

     A simple exegesis of Romans 16:17, 18 does not back up those who try to make their own opinions and interpretations of the scriptures the boundary lines of the kingdom of God. Quite the contrary, this text teaches us that those very ones who are laboring to divide the flock of God, whatever excuse they offer, are those to be marked and avoided. It is the division caused by them and not their supposed false doctrine, which was contrary to what the Roman Christians had learned.

     So it is today! It is not so much the views of some "brethren in error" which is causing division, or is contrary to the doctrine of the apostles. It is the spirit of those who would rather divide the flock of God than to permit God to judge his own people. This is just as contrary to that same apostolic doctrine which has been communicated unto us.

     (Editor's Note: You may address Brother Smith at Casilla 1161, Valparaiso, Chile. He will be pleased to hear from you).