CHURCH HISTORY II
LECTURE 43
ECUMENISM - PROTESTANTISM
Introduction
The Ecumenical mandate is this: Church is the body of Christ. Body of Christ is all the saved. There should be no schisms in the body. God wants His body one. We will never have God’s blessings, or will never see the return of Jesus Christ until this perfect oneness has occurred. It must be sought after at all cost. Oh so much war and tribulation because of differences in religious beliefs. All these differences must be put aside for the sake of mankind. Anyone causing ‘schisms’ needs to be dealt with so that unity can be maintained. So-called “divisive Fundamental-ists” need to be marked and scorned (and maybe someday killed).
There are a lot of divisions in Protestantism; many Protestant leaders want to heal these divisions; there is a concerted effort to bring Protestantism into one ‘sheepfold’. All who resist this are labeled ‘divisive’ and ‘unloving’.
[The following 4 paragraphs are excerpts from Jeffrey Ambrose’s: The Ecumenical Movement - A Family Reunion? (
“The first major split in “Christendom” was the Great Schism of 1054, in which the Eastern Orthodox Church broke away from the Roman Catholic Church. This was followed in the sixteenth century by the Protestant Reformation, which further eroded the Catholic sheepfold. Since then, the Protestant world has continued to splinter and divide, with the Roman and Eastern churches remaining separate, but reaching states of relative stability.
Today, Christian denominations are divided internally along many of the same “red-blue/conservative-liberal” ideological lines found in the political arena.
A range of opinion on certain controversial moral and social issues exists among members of each major division of traditional Christianity—but the spectrum of varying beliefs is especially broad among Protestants. These topics include abortion, euthanasia and the death penalty (sometimes referred to as “sanctity of life” issues), homosexuality (including homosexual marriage and openly “gay” clergy), and the ordination of women. Mainline (moderate) and liberal Protestants usually take a permissive stance on these issues, while evangelical, charismatic and Pentecostal Protestants hold more conservative views.
To confuse the matter further, many historically liberal denominations now have conservative caucuses growing within their ranks, and doctrines are being liberalized by the leaders of certain “old guard” traditionalist groups.
In this climate, members of the many “fellowships” can no longer expect to find a consensus of belief within their local congregation—or even among the clergy and top officials of their corporate church. Many professing Christians feel compelled to find others of like mind and are being forced to look beyond denominational boundaries to do so.
The term “ecumenical” derives from the Greek word oikoumene, meaning “the inhabited world.” The current ecumenical movement consists of organizations, initiatives, programs and forums that promote unity among the various “Christian” factions. The movement first gained widespread attention in 1910 with the Edinburgh Missionary Conference, an all-Protestant gathering. This led to the formation of other groups, which soon began to include Eastern Orthodox adherents.
Alongside the long-established World Council of Churches (WCC), a number of ecumenical organizations have arisen in recent years: The Association for Church Renewal (ACR); the Foundation for a Conference on Faith and Order in North America (FCFONA); Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A. (CCT); Global Christian Forum (GCF); the World Evangelical Alliance (WEA), and others.” (end of quote)
Almost all Protestant churches are commiting ‘Ecumenicide’! It is popular, pervasive, powerful and pleasing!
Everybody’s doing it; Catholics are on board; Protestants are on board; nondenom’s are on board; Charismatics are on board; even some of the cults are on board! As Global Warming is the theme for politics, Global Worshipping is the theme for Christianity. If you don’t join up with the flow, then you are paddling upstream, and it feels like a losing battle. All the ecumenical churches seem to be growing leaps and bounds and yours is struggling to stay alive. Pressure is put on anti-ecumenicals to conform or be ostracized by the community.
Protestants & Catholics
The Roman Catholic Church system is wooing her departed, rebellious daughters back to big Mama! And it is all being done under the theme of Ecumenism.
Rev 17:3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
While the [Ecumenical Movement] is not new, two recent developments are noteworthy: increased inclusion among these groups of Roman Catholic representatives alongside Protestant and Orthodox officials, and an increased acceptance of Catholic doctrine among Protestants. This is striking, as it was dissent with Catholic doctrine that ignited the Protestant Reformation. In spite of a history of disagreement that often led to persecution, martyrdom and war, these differences are now being minimized. (Jeffrey Ambrose, ibid)
In 1987 the National Council of Churches welcomed John Paul II to America with these words: "We join Pope John Paul's conviction that Christian divisions are “an intolerable scandal which hinders the proclamation of the Good News in Jesus Christ." (David Cloud)
The advent of the Protestant reformation sought not to dismantle the Catholic system, but to reform it. When men such as Luther, Calvin and Zwingli were expelled from the Roman church, they sought to revise the old system according to certain areas they deemed important from scriptures. Many things from the “mother church” remained completely intact - especially the universal church doctrine. While Rome claims itself to be the one true visible church, the Protestants claim the “true church” is invisible, and composed of all that know Christ as Saviour. Protestants are universalists but don’t want to be under the RCC hierarchy.
In the so-called “apostles creed,” which is a basic Protestant catechism, it states that ... “I believe in . . the holy catholic church…” The little “c” of course denotes the universal “church,” but is not referring to the Roman Catholic religious system. While Rome claims itself to be the one true visible church, the Protestants claim the “true church” is invisible, and composed of all that know Christ as Saviour. Protestants are universalists but don’t want to be under the RCC hierarchy.
Protestantism is basically Catholicism with more Bible and less tradition. In the so-called “apostles creed,” which is a basic Protestant catechism, it states that ... “I believe in . . .the holy catholic church…” The little “c” of course denotes the universal “church,” Protestants are universalists but don’t want to be under the RCC hierarchy. (David Cloud)
"ILWF Council Unanimously Approves Joint Declaration with Roman Catholics; Document Ends 400-year Dispute on Doctrine of Justification". This was the headline of a press release issued on June 16, 1998, by the Lutheran World Federation. The statement went on to say: ‘By a unanimous vote, the Lutheran World Federation Council has approved the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" with the Roman Catholic Church. The "Joint Declaration" ends 400 years of condemnations on the principal doctrinal dispute of the Reformation, that salvation is a gift from God through grace, not something humans earned through good works.’ The "Joint Declaration" was circulated among the 124 member churches of the Lutheran World Federation. The Council acted after a "significant majority" of churches approved the "Joint Declaration." (Dennis Costello, Foundation Magazine)
In June 1984 World Council of Churches leaders received Pope John Paul II to the WCC headquarters in Geneva. They conducted an "act of penitence,” seeking pardon for “our divisions and for our failure to overcome them" (Evangelical Press Service, June 16-20, 1984). WCC General Secretary Philip Potter initiated the meeting with a prayer that it "be for all of us a step forward in our search for the unity of the church." (David Cloud)
Evangelicals and Catholics comprise more than half of all churchgoers in the United States. It seems there is now more common ground between these two groups than between evangelicals and liberal Protestants. The common enemy that has helped unite these factions is secularism. Evangelicals, despite a historic animosity toward Catholicism and the papacy, appear to believe that any form of traditional Christianity is preferable to the hedonism, materialism and moral relativism overtaking the West.
The incentive for Protestants is strength in numbers. They see that in order to “fix” the culture around them, it is expedient to join those who share their most pressing concerns. Religious activist Gary Bauer put this new phenomenon in context: “When John F. Kennedy made his famous speech that the Vatican would not tell him what to do, evangelicals and Southern Baptists breathed a sigh of relief. But today evangelicals and Southern Baptists are hoping that the Vatican will tell Catholic politicians what to do” (USA Today).
We can expect the current drift toward the Catholic Church to continue and intensify in the years ahead, resulting in a final “family reunion” for professing Christianity! (Jeffrey Ambrose, ibid)
PK Founder Bill McCartney said, "Promise Keepers is going to have to understand that more and more Catholics are going to participate. And what every guy needs to do is, stop looking at people’s labels, and ask this question: 'Does this guy know Jesus? Does he love Jesus with all his heart? Has he been born of the Spirit of God?' And if you see that fruit, then quit making judgments. ... So let’s not start categorizing people. Let's just allow God to be God and he can bless who He chooses to bless. And that's how Promise Keepers is going to grow." (David Cloud)
Combine this dangerously powerful Catholic religious system with her sneaky, more subtle illegitimate offspring, the Protestants, and you have a very dangerous, sneaky universal church teaching that is drawing almost all into its lure. If you sympathize with the Catholics, then your caught in it….if you sympathize with the Protestants, you’re still caught.
You must totally remove yourself from these two huge, nasty, illegitimate religious systems in order to be save from the antichrist’s ecumenical, one world religious system!
Rev 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.
2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
Mainline Protestants
The liberal ecumenical denominations (such as United Church of Christ, Episcopal Church, United Methodist, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., United Church of Canada, The Church of England, the UnitingChurch in Australia, and others associated with the World Council of Churches) boast of their broadminded attitude. They can smile at practically any attack upon the Word of God or the Lord Jesus Christ. If a "clergyman" or clergywoman" denies or questions the virgin birth or the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is tolerated. If he or she claims the Bible is filled with myths, that is tolerated. If he or she is an adulterer or a homosexual, that is tolerated. There is one "heresy," though, which is not tolerated, and that is the "heresy" of a dogmatic fundamentalist faith in the Word of God and the "heresy" of biblical separation.
In his interview on Larry King Live on December 2, 2006, Rick Warren of Purpose Driven Life fame likened biblical fundamentalists to Muslim extremists and atheistic secularists. He said: "There are all kinds of fundamentalists, Larry, and they're all based on fear. There are Christian fundamentalists. There are Muslim fundamentalists. I've met some Jewish fundamentalists. You know that there are secular fundamentalists. They're all based on fear.” (David Cloud)
“On October 4 (1998) a formal service will be held in Chicago to mark the full communion of four liberal Protestant denominations. This will culminate a 30-year process between the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Church of Christ (UCC), the EvangelicalLutheranChurch in America (ELCA), and the Reformed Church in America (RCA).
The four denominations will not form into a new organization. The agreement means, rather, that the denominations will exchange members and ministers, and they will work more closely together in missions and education.
ELCA bishop Guy Edmiston summarized the thinking which supports the merger: "Out of our shared commitment to the Gospel, we've come together after 450 years to say, 'There is nothing that should divide us. We can be in full communion. This is a united witness we make to the world'" (Chris Herlinger, Ecumenical News International). (David Cloud)
Edmiston is correct in saying there is nothing which should divide these denominations. They are at one in apostasy. They are like-minded in contradicting the Word of God. The part about faithfulness to the Gospel, though, is liberal doublespeak. These liberal denominations are not faithful to the Gospel. They are filled with preachers who deny the infallible inspiration of Holy Scripture, who question and reinterpret the virgin birth, miracles, vicarious atonement, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The gospel preached commonly in these denominations is a sacramental faith plus works gospel or a humanistic self-esteem gospel or a socio-political gospel.
Eugene Turner, head of ecumenical relations for the Presbyterian Church USA, said that that the agreement opened the way for closer cooperation and Protestant unity within the United States and is a sign that denominational barriers between the traditional US Protestant churches are continuing to erode. (David Cloud)
Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (2 John 9-11).
"But a community must not be seen as the local community alone. a community of peoples and nations, as well as a community of different churches and religions, has to emerge if humankind is to survive. Therefore, one aim of our work is the breaking down of all kinds of barriers which prevent the development of communities with rights and justice for all--particularly such barriers as race, sex, class, nation, power and wealth. Genuine communication cannot take place in a climate of division, alienation, isolation and barriers which disturb, prevent or distort social interaction...
(Central Committee of the London-based World Association for Christian Communication at its meeting in May, 1986) (David Cloud)
New Evangelical Protestants
The NAE(National Association of Evangelicals) extended a greeting to Pope John Paul II during his September 1987 visit to America, saying they applauded his stand on moral issues and his vocal opposition to abortion, euthanasia, and homosexual activity, as well as his concern for the poor, and his efforts to promote political and religious freedom. The statement went on to say, "While we cannot accept Pope John Paul's claim to be the vicar of Christ on earth and the head of the one true church, we do believe in the spiritual unity of all true believers in Jesus Christ." In an interview with the ecumenical magazine Touchstone (Spring 1992), Jack White, former president of the NAE, said there is growing cooperation between the NAE and Roman Catholics. "There has been a broadening of our perspective. Many historic definitions no longer work in the reality of contemporary culture. We are in a culture war about the very essence of Christianity, and some of the old areas of battle [between Catholic and Protestant] or distinctives are no longer relevant." (David Cloud)