Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Christ Covenant Reformed (PCA)
No doubt many of you remember being vaccinated for small pox when you were young? Did you know that that vaccination is no longer absolutely necessary? The reason is that the small pox virus has virtually been eradicated outside of two laboratory sites in Russia and the United States. The last known cases of small pox occurred in the area of Mongolia well over ten years ago. Since then, it has been declared extinct in the wild; thank goodness for that achievement, since so many many millions of people died from that dreaded disease over the centuries. The Americas and the Polynesian islands suffered most severely. At least until the early years of the nineteenth century, the disease spread widely. Then Dr Edward Jenner developed a vaccine to protect people from the ravages of the dreaded disease. So in our time it is a well known fact that very many other diseases can be avoided with the appropriate.
When I went into the Army, the medics made all of us new recruits virtual pin cushions with complete sets of vaccines. I jokingly asked one medic if he had one to prevent lead poisoning and he wisely admonished that God's providence was the best antidote for that "particular disease"!
If you will bear with me as we explore a larger, even spiritual and social definition of vaccination, I will get to the content of the text in Romans before us. I think it was the Ralph Cramden character of the fifties, played by Jackie Gleason, who showed me the ridiculous aspirations of the private lodge organizations in this country. Many years later, in a late night interview, he demonstrated the tragedy of a life lived apart from our Creator God. One night, some commentator asked the great one about his personal life and in the context of discussing his core values, Jackie Gleason broke down and cried before a national audience because we wished he could believe in the God we worship and his Son Jesus Christ.
I wish I could remember more of the details, but the life of one actor demonstrates two types of inoculation. For my benefit, I learned two lessons. The first is not to take any private clubs seriously, because there is almost always a body of knowledge and ritual that as absolutely foolish. Second, a person can live a full life so apart from our God and His eternal Son, that when they most need Him, they apparently cannot find Him? When I was in High School, it was fashionable for the young men to be part of the Key Club of the Kiwanis International. I applied and was distraught to learn that one person in the executive club had black balled me to keep me out! That happened again in Seminary when persons unknown to me, went out of their way to keep me out of the ministry in the United Presbyterian Church of the sixties. In the second case, I could have easily been emotionally overwhelmed were it not for a greater commitment to our Confession than to the particular organization. That earlier disappointment in the context of Ralph Cramdon's comedy was much easier to handle. Yet, in a similar way that inoculation prepared me for the greater disappointment where my proposed career was swept away for fifteen long years.
Now, we really have to appreciate like Paul points out here in Romans 16: 17-20 that false teachers can get into Christ's Church and they can devilishly lead many people astray. We see that very many of Paul's letters are aimed at warning people away from heresies that all too quickly became popular. An inoculation in the true doctrine must be carefully accomplished to protect the saints in all ages. And that inoculation of correct doctrine is what Paul has been carefully doing throughout this whole letter to the Romans. Finally, before he closes his gospel polemic, he warns the Roman Christians that there are false teachers loose within the Church and that forewarned is to be forearmed.
The speculation of who these trouble-makers could be includes both antinomian libertines, and zealous Judaizing Christians. In either case the cause of Christ would suffer at the hands of people who would put their pagan practices, specialized knowledge, emotional feelings, traditional beliefs or spiritual habits ahead of the revealed Word of God. Especially are the innocent warned here by Paul. John Murray tells us that these innocents in verse eighteen are naive to the unsuspected deceptions of the unscrupulous teachers of falsehood. At one time, I was naive to the worldly ways of manipulation and the popular allegiance to organizations ahead of every other commitment. A few years ago, when our Presbytery was discussing Masonic organizations, one of the elder delegates took great exception to the church's concern. After all, his organization was a simple fraternal organization dedicated to the betterment of society. Yes, that too, but first last and always that particular lodge will work against anyone who does not have the right opinion about themselves! I experienced that problem first hand when I tried to start a church in the eighties.
Because of the oath taking practices of the many lodges, some denominations and congregations are very careful in electing to office, those whose utmost loyalties are bound by oaths which cannot be discussed in the courts of Christ's Church. Whose agenda do such people serve, Christ's or the Lodge's? In the same way, Paul would have the Roman Christians to be immune to the solicitations of those whose allegiance is not to Christ above everything else in life. Unfortunately, the Church for many generations has not guarded these doctrinal and theological allegiances with the fortitude that is necessary. Correct doctrine is getting almost impossible to defend in a day when everything is up for negotiation.
The media was recently concerned that within the United States Army there might be racist bigots on active duty. Unfortunately it appears that there are a few. It remains to be seen if such individuals can be as easily discharged as those with connections to sodomite groups. Certainly, I am convinced that both character types should have no standing within a modern military force, but we well know the biases of the media in such a matter! If the Army is to function well, it and all the other services must be allowed to shut the gate against certain people whose ideas are dangerous when we consider the disruption and disorder that they can make with access to military leadership, knowledge and weaponry.
If the Army is better if certain personalities are kept out of an access loop, how much more important is it for these certain heretics who troubled the early Church to be kept from doing damage? I know, it is exceedingly difficult for Christ's Church to maintain the integrity of revealed doctrine unless a majority of the membership is committed to correct doctrine above everything else. So let us be wise in these matters and therefore innocent of any worldly accommodation until Satan is finally crushed and our Lord Jesus Christ returns. May the grace of our Lord Jesus be with us and protect us.
Resources Used: The Holy Bible, New International Version
Places Preached:Murray, John. New International Commentary: Epistle to Romans.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Post Office Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213-7926
Rom16b.htm 17 March 96
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