Monday, October 09, 2006

Should Christians Allow Cultists Into Their Homes?

Should Christians allow cultists into their homes? Whenever I teach on Mormonism or the Jehovah's Witnesses, someone always comes up to my table afterwards and says, "What about 2 John, verse 10? It seems to say that we shouldn't let cultists into our homes." I am in wholehearted agreement with Ron Rhodes when he says, "I do not believe this verse prohibits Christians from allowing cultists into their homes in order to witness to them. Rather it is a prohibition against giving cultists a platform from which to teach false doctrine. The backdrop to this is that in the early days of Christianity, there was no centralized church building where believers could congregate. Rather, there were many small house-churches scattered throughout the city. As we examine the New Testament, the early Christians are seen "breaking bread from house to house" (Acts 2:46; cf. 5:42) and gathering to pray in the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12). Churches often met in houses (see Col. 4:15; Rom. 6:15; 1 Cor. 16:19; Phil. 2). The use of specific church buildings did not appear before the end of the second century. So, apparently, John is here warning against (1) allowing a false teacher into the church, and (2) giving this false teacher a platform from which to teach. Seen in this way, this prohibition guards the purity of the church. To extend hospitality to a false teacher would imply that the church accepted or approved of their teaching. If the church were to extend hospitality to a false teacher, he would be encouraged in his position and take this action as an acceptance of his doctrine. This should never be." Click here to read the rest of Ron Rhodes answer, and if you have the chance, you might visit his bookstore. His books are all great.