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The Bible Presbyterian Position on Ecclesiastical Separation
Introduction • The Historic Background of the 20th Century Reformation
• The BP Stance on Biblical Separation
By: Gary G. Cohen, Th.D. (Professor of Bible - Cohen University)
The Bible Presbyterian Stance on Biblical Separation
As we attempt to teach the principles of biblical separation to our congregations and students today, over a century after the Briggs trial, we find that many American churchgoers are totally unaware of theological liberalism, past or present. Others are concerned with personal happiness and life fulfillment. The Bible, however, from end to end, demands that in every generation we also practice ecclesiastical separation, and the penalty for not doing so is the gradual lowering of the cross of Christ and melting into a general religiosity which is neither biblical nor has the power to save (Rom 1:16).
Ecclesiastical Separation Defined
Ecclesiastical Separation is simply that believers are not to join or help an apostate church, or if in one, they are to come out of it. This also implies that faithful churches and organizations will not join nor remain in denominations or groups that are not true to the Christ of the Bible, nor will they assist them. They are to “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).
While the Scriptures encourage unity among believers in Christ, they also declare that there is a distinction, and has been a distinction in every age, between God’s people and those who are not. Thus in the Old Testament there is a difference made between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the unholy, the true Israel and those outside. Likewise the New Testament clearly delineates a line between the true church of Christ and unbelievers. Although the exact membership of the invisible church is known only to God, the earthly visible Church has been given the duty of having a visibly pure testimony by not permitting open heretics, apostates, and those openly living contrary to Scripture to share its fellowship and membership (1 Cor 5:1-13).
In light of this, ecclesiastical separation can be defined as the purposeful action of an individual Christian, a local church, or an entire denomination to seek the purity and holiness of testimony and membership commanded by Scripture, and in pursuing this holiness to not give any visibly apostate person or group approval, fellowship, cooperation, or membership.
This means that we do not take those that are known to be outside of the covenant of Christ into our churches as members or participants, and that we also ourselves depart from and come out of churches and organizations that are apostate, i.e., heretical or unbelieving, or who advocate or participate in that which is contrary to Scriptural teaching. This is done for the purposes of both upholding true righteousness and giving an external testimony to those within and without. Such a testimony of separation is made for these reasons:
- It is biblically commanded (1 Cor 5:1-13; 2 Cor 6:14-7:1; Jude 3; Rev 18:4).
- It is demanded by righteousness.
- It gives a testimony to both those within and without the Church.
- It is part of the biblical instrumentality to call erring ones to repentance.
- It provides a lifeline for those within an erring body to “come out from among them” (2 Cor 6:17).
In the performance of ecclesiastical separation, the question of secondary separation has caused much debate. Let it here be said, as part of the definition of separation, that it is often necessary for testimony’s sake for a church body not only to separate from a group which is involved in some type of heresy or evil, but also to distance itself from other parties who, while not holding the heresy or evil itself, nevertheless countenance, support, and fellowship with the erring group. That is, we separate ourselves from evil doers and their friends. For example, Samson needed to stay away from not only the Philistines, but also from the friends of the Philistines.
Old Testament Testimony to Ecclesiastical Separation
Scripture makes it clear, going back to the Old Testament, that Moses withdrew his approval and cooperation from the Egyptian government and state church in a courageous testimony (a) against idolatry; (b) to the existence of the true God; and (c) against the slavery system of that government and state church. Thus the writer of Hebrews declares that Moses chose
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. (Heb 11:24-27)
Likewise, during the period of the Divided Kingdom, when the generally righteous King Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, in 850 B.C. united with wicked King Ahab of Israel, to fight against the wicked King of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, the prophet Jehu declared in a stinging rebuke, “Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love them that hate the LORD? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD” (2 Chr 19:2). The point was that God’s people must not unite with the wicked, even in a seemingly good cause.
New Testament Testimony to Ecclesiastical Separation
The Apostle Paul sums it up with the resounding and clear three commands in 2 Corinthians 6:14,17,
- “Be not unequally yoked!” (If you are not already joined, don’t go in.)
- “Come out from among them!” (If you are already in, then come out now.)
- “Touch not the unclean thing!” (Then once you are out, stay completely away.)
Then God adds the beautiful promise for those who will obey, namely, “And I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor 6:17,18). So however great is the loss suffered by coming out in obedience—be it friendships, career, or finance—God promises to receive us when we obey and to take care of us as our Heavenly Father. There are many more NT passages that teach this, such as Jude 3; Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 2:6, 14-15; 18:4.
Church History’s Testimony to Ecclesiastical Separation
The history of the historic Christian church over two thousand years is replete with examples of those who “came out from among them,” that is, who left errant ecclesiastical groups at great personal sacrifice to be true to Christ. They practiced biblically commanded ecclesiastical separation, i.e., “with such a one, no not to eat” (1 Cor 5:11). Of these faithful heroes for Christ in church history, who for obedience sake refused to remain in nor to give allegiance to apostate church systems and leaders, we cite the Book of Hebrews, as it did of the Old Testament worthies, and declares that this world was not worthy of them (Hebrews 11:35-38).
Thus Luther in 1517, when he publicly nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Church at Wittenberg, was practicing ecclesiastical separation. He put a clear line between himself and the open error of a visible church that taught heresy. The church and its Pope Leo X taught that the giving of a contribution to the building fund of St. Peter’s (masked as buying an indulgence) could secure pardon for sin. Luther could have gone along with this error and had a comfortable life, but he chose to obey the scriptural command to, “Come out from among them,” and then in 1521 at the Diet of Worms, before Charles V and the Holy Roman Empire, he declared, “Here I stand, I can do no other; God help me.”
The Billy Graham Issue
It must also be noted that the leaders and ministers of the Bible Presbyterian Church have throughout the last half of the 20th Century uniformly spoken out against the inclusivism seen in the Billy Graham Evangelistic Crusades, which disappointingly often asked known and outspoken liberal apostate ministers to lead in prayer at the rallies. This was especially trying because Rev. Graham comes forth as one who loves God and who loves the Bible. But, however, just as a beautiful David could sin, so also when Rev. Graham errs, we must still be true to God’s Word. In line with this, these meetings also regularly not only failed to warn newly professed converts to begin to attend only biblically sound churches, but in many cases even directed “decision cards” to apostate churches. This issue caused a rift in the evangelical community, and soon Bible Presbyterians, who believed firmly that “the Lord’s work should be done the Lord’s way,” found themselves forced by the dictates of Scripture and conscience to also testify against those seemingly sound and orthodox churches and groups which did in fact support the Graham rallies, knowing that apostates participated by invitation and often on the platform. This secondary separation issue was again basically saying that, “We cannot support doing the Lord’s work in a disobedient manner, and we cannot fellowship either with those who do this nor with those otherwise sound churches who support or befriend them.
Let us be ever mindful that when the cause is the Lord’s and the issue is clear, let us first pray and testify, and then when necessary, courageously obey the biblical commands for ecclesiastical separation, and “Come out from among them, and be ye separate . . . ” (2 Cor 6:17), and let us testify of this scriptural obligation to others.
Thus to every generation comes the cry in the book of Revelation, speaking of God’s people coming out of the end-time Babylon system and it applies today to all who are members of or supporting or encouraging false systems, apostate liberal denominations, or ecclesiastical groups that deny the Lord.
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. (Rev 18:4)
Thus ecclesiastical separation, which is truly a biblically commanded separation, has been part of the heritage of the Bible Presbyterian Church.
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