A Free Pass

[TLFisher]

Considering what KSA had spoken on "minister of the age" along with the Deputy Authority teaching, there has been a behavior in the local churches of giving free passes. This applies to locally as well for extra-local situations. When did it all start?

The "ministry of the age" concept allowed the elders, saints, and churches to overlook serious problems that existed in the late 1980’s. As KSA has said, “This "ministry theology" underwent a certain development. First it was oneness with "the Office", then oneness with the "minister of the age", and now the oneness with the "ministry of the age" embodied in Blended Brothers and One Publication.”

For those that aren’t clear what a free pass is, allow me to provide an illustration. In the auto racing sport of NASCAR, the top 35 drivers in season points have automatic qualification and are exempt from qualifying for the following week’s race. Thus in the local churches there has been the same application. Call it what you will: deputy authority, the office, Minister of the Age, and Ministry of the Age. In each instance whoever fits the designation had a free pass and an exemption from accountability with fellow believers. It can be locally or extra-local. Some cases the free pass was unintentional and other cases intentional.

I believe when such cases of giving unintended free passes, it’s a result of high respect for a given brother. It could be locally or it could be aimed towards the work based in Anahiem or Cleveland. My point is brothers have such high respect for a certain brother that they dare not offer counterpoint or even correct a certain brother. What is the result? Directly, I believe genuine fellowship is lost. Why? Brothers properly positioned are unwilling to speak honestly and truthfully which results in a free pass.
I’ll go on to suggest even with practical matters, brothers and sisters lift up their elders more than they ought to. As to say elders have all the answers to any given situation. As one brother told me, he doesn’t have all the answers, he’s just a brother.

As for cases of intended free passes, that’s where the teaching of deputy authority, “the office, “Minister of the Age”, and “Ministry of the Age” come in. There’s clearly no room for correction or adjustment. A so-called deputy authority could be misinformed regarding a certain brother or a certain sister, but who’s going to correct him? As the deputy authority the mindset is he’s accountable only to the Lord. There’s no accountability towards their brothers and sisters in the Lord.

I do feel clear it’s okay to have sober respect for certain ministers, evangelists, teachers, etc. To go beyond that and rely and what brother or brothers say without checking against the Word is in serious error. I would equate this behavior as trusting in man. In recent decades we’ve read accounts when groups allow to be taken to the extreme by putting their trust in man; Heaven’s Gate, Branch Davidian, just to name a few. Please consider these versus from Jeremiah 17:

5 This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man,
who depends on flesh for his strength
and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands;
he will not see prosperity when it comes.
He will dwell in the parched places of the desert,
in a salt land where no one lives.
7 "But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,
whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit."

Terry

[aron]

I agree. This is a large part of my beef with the LSM. They promote two sets of rules. One for me, and one for everybody else. I get to criticise, rebuke, adjust, correct, etc.

If anyone tries to do it to me they are attackers, opposers, rebels, evil workers, concision, etc.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by aron

I agree. This is a large part of my beef with the LSM. They promote two sets of rules. One for me, and one for everybody else. I get to criticise, rebuke, adjust, correct, etc.

If anyone tries to do it to me they are attackers, opposers, rebels, evil workers, concision, etc.

True Aron. As a respected brother, you can have a free pass. For example you can be in a place like Seattle. As an elder you have a unique set of rules that doesn't apply to everyone.
You can tell brothers not to listen to a brother that may have an issue with you. That brother is effectively muted from defending his person. As an elder you may get a free pass that your word is believed without testing. This is favoritism and being partial.
There may be a reason you want the other brother muted. There may be things not profitable and perhaps exposing being such a respected brother. In some LC's there is a spiritual stronghold. Some of the symptoms you may find is pride and favoritism.
This excerpt from Collective Work of Watchman Nee says it all:

We tell others what we like and keep silent about what we do not like. We speak about what is profitable to us and keep silent about things that are not profitable to us. This is also a kind of lying. Many people purposely withhold half of a story. They withhold the things that are profitable to others, especially things that are profitable to their enemies, and remain silent about them. Instead, they talk about things that hurt, damage, or bring loss to others. This is lying. Many people do not speak according to truth and reality, but according to their own likes and dislikes. Many words are not based on facts but on sentiments. Such people speak certain things because they like to speak them, or they speak about certain persons because they like them. They change their tone when the conversation turns to people or things they do not like. This kind of speaking is totally according to one's likes and dislikes. It is speaking according to one's emotion, not according to truth and reality. Please keep in mind that this is lying. Inaccurate words are a serious sin. Willful deception is even more serious, and it is a greater sin before God. We must not speak according to our emotion but according to facts. Either we must not speak at all, or we must speak according to facts and the truth. We cannot speak according to our feeling. If we do, we are lying willfully before God.

[TLFisher]

Originally Posted by aron

I agree. This is a large part of my beef with the LSM. They promote two sets of rules. One for me, and one for everybody else. I get to criticise, rebuke, adjust, correct, etc.

If anyone tries to do it to me they are attackers, opposers, rebels, evil workers, concision, etc.

Another word Aron regarding the two sets of rules, these are double standards. If you react it's considered to be "bad-mouthing the brothers". Or at least that's what they call it.