Grace-FellowshipHeresy

New Unity MovementGrace-Unity Movement

Grace-Fellowship Heresy“This is one of the doctrines of the

New Unity Movement. It is the theory that grace is extended to cover sins of weakness and ignorance, especially doctrinal ignorance, even though such sins are persisted in.”

Wayne Partain“The Grace-Fellowship Theory (1)”

Guardian of TruthXXX: 14, pp. 433-434, July 17, 1986

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RedefinRedefineses

Grace-Fellowship Heresy

•GraceGrace•FellowshiFellowshipp•GospelGospel•DoctrineDoctrine•BrethrenBrethren•SinSin

If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. (1 Peter 4:11)

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ONEONE

WORWORDD

FATHFATHER & ER & SONSON

Not the Not the unity of unity of Eph 4:1-Eph 4:1-

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Grace-Fellowship Heresy:A Plea for Unity

Not the Not the unity of unity of Jno 17:20-Jno 17:20-

2323

Not the Not the unity of unity of Jno 17:8, Jno 17:8,

1414

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History of Grace-Unity Movement

Original Original IntentIntentFellowship

all segments of the Restoration Movement(Panel discussion, Tampa, FL, 1972)[Ketcherside, Turner, Pickup, Jenkins, Owen]

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Disciples of Disciples of ChristChrist

Christian Christian ChurchesChurches

PremillennialPremillennialNo Class / One CupNo Class / One Cup

No Located PreacherNo Located Preacher

InstitutionalInstitutionalNon-Non-

institutionalinstitutional

Movement of the Movement

Fellowship Fellowship with with

DenominationsDenominationsCarl

KetchersideLeroy Garrett

F. LaGard Smith

Rubel ShellyMax Lucado

“Brothers in

Prospect”

“Anytime I find someone calling God

his Father, I’ve found a brother.”

“Good people in all churches”

Not Bible Unity and Fellowship! 2 Cor 6:14-17

FUNDAMENTAL ERRORSGrace-Fellowship Heresy

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Principle DefenseGospel – Doctrine Distinction

• Gospel: The Christ event, 1 Cor 15:1-4–Acceptance assures salvation–Fellowship should be extended to all

who accept the “core gospel”

• Doctrine: Made to mean all other New Testament teachings–Do not affect salvation and do not

determine fellowship8

Bible AnswerGospel – Doctrine Distinction

• What we obey is one and the same:–The faith, Rom 1:5–The truth, Rom 2:8–Doctrine, Rom 6:17–Gospel, Rom 10:16–The faith, Rom 16:26

• Sound doctrine is according to the gospel, 1 Tim 1:10-11 9

Bible AnswerGospel – Doctrine Distinction

• Sound doctrine is:–The faith, Rom 1:5–The truth, Rom 2:8–Pattern of doctrine, Rom 6:17–Gospel, Rom 10:16–The faith, Rom 16:26

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Principle AssaultAttack Confidence in Knowing and Conforming to the Truth

(Eph 3:3-5)• No Bible patterns (minimizes Bible

examples and eliminates necessary inferences)

• You must have perfect knowledge or you are arrogant and a hypocrite to be definitive about doctrine

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Principle AssaultAttack Confidence in Knowing and Conforming to the Truth

(Eph 3:3-5)• Be alert to:– “Do you have perfect knowledge?”– “You demand 100% doctrinal

conformity to your way of thinking.”– “You do not know everything!”• All these minimize doctrinal

accuracy, 2 Tim 3:10; 4:2; Jno 8:32; Eph 4:15 12

Bible AnswerAttack Confidence in Knowing and Conforming to the Truth

(Eph 3:3-5)• We can understand Paul’s knowledge• We can make applications like he did– Identify and rebuke hypocrisy, Gal 2:11-

14– Judge fornication in the church,

1 Cor 5:1-3 (4-5)–Avoid those who stray from the truth,

2 Tim 2:17-18 (Rom 16:17)13

Practical ResultUnity in Diversity

• Ongoing fellowship in spite of ongoing immorality and error, Gal 1:6-9 (2 Jno 9-11)– “We can disagree and still be in

fellowship,” he (Stender) said. “There’s a whole lot more that holds us in common than separates us.” (Jim Stender, Pastor, Our Saviour’s Lutheran

Church, Bellingham, WA)14

Practical ResultUnity in Diversity

• Why not apply the same rationale to:–The circumcision binders? Gal 2:4-5–The resurrection deniers? 1 Cor

15:12–The adultery condoners? Matt 19:9;

1 Cor 5:11 (2 Ths 3:6)

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Bible: No Fellowship with Sin (Error)

Eph 5:11; 2 Cor 6:14-17

Grace-Fellowship Heresy

• A “destructive heresy”, 2 Pet 2:1-2–Deceives souls–Disrupts the “unity of the Spirit”–Destroys fellowship with God and His people

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