Untitled article by John Harvey Waggoner

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · February 11, 1868

PERVERSION OF SCRIPTURE.

By John Harvey Waggoner

We are often astonished to see how readily some will pervert the word of God, while professing to believe and reverence it. Several times I have known instances like the following: A man or woman was disfellowshipped by the church when the wife or husband, as the case might be, would draw off, or murmur and complain at the exercise of discipline, and endeavor to justify their murmurings by the scripture.

“The Saviour said, Let the wheat and tares grow together until the harvest.”

True; but the Saviour did not say, “The field is the church.” We take no step to prevent the wicked from living where the Saviour spoke of—in the world. But if they are indeed to be retained in the church, what mean the many Scripture directions on discipline? Among which are the following.

In Matt. xviii, 17, the Saviour said, If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.” Is his place still in the church?

Paul said, 2 Thess. iii, 6: “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly.” In what does this withdrawing consist if he is to be retained in the fellowship of the church? See also verse 14; 2 Tim. iii, 5; and 1 Tim. vi, 5.

These directions are so plain that I have sometimes doubted whether the individuals were deceived in regard to them, or merely quoted the scripture as above in self-justification. If the latter, they are incurring a great responsibility in thus trifling with the sacred word of God.

A still more trifling objection (if possible) is urged, that, to disfellowship a husband or wife while the companion is a church-member is to separate husband and wife! The reader may smile, but I am not drawing on fancy at all; I have more than once heard it urged. “What God hath joined together,” they quote, “let not man put asunder.” First, I reply, the action of the church has no reference whatever to the marriage relation; and the objectors know it. Second, to justify the objection they should show that God had joined them together, which, in many instances, we should not admit. We respect marriage as a civil contract wherever it is found. But to say that God joins together those who unite in selfishness, and live in ill-will, strife, and contention, is more than I am prepared for. There is far too much of this practice in the world, of ascribing everything to God; making no distinction between his ordinances and their abuse; and making him blamable for all the confusion and wrong on the earth. Better far to humble one's self, and confess our departures from the order of God's wise and just government, than to justify self, and thereby endeavor to make him the author of confusion.

J. H. WAGGONER.