Jerry C Brewer
After reading Garland Robinson’s editorial in the Oct., 2017 issue of Seek The Old Paths (S.T.O.P.), the prophet Nathan’s pointed words to David (2 Sam. 12:7) came to mind. In his editorial, entitled, “Who Is Causing Division?” Robinson wrote,
“The same old and tired and misused expressions keep surfacing from digressives against the faithful: ‘You are sowing discord,’ ‘you’re causing division,’ ‘why won’t you fellowship everybody?’ ‘you’ve gotten yourself out on a limb,’ ‘you’re in a dilemma,’ etc., etc. Such expressions are no better now than they have ever been. They are insults aimed at sound brethren. They are inspired of the devil intended to cause the faithful to ‘back off’ and let up on their pressure against error.” (end of quote)
From that initial statement, he cites Ahab’s accusation against Elijah of being, “he that troubleth Israel” (1 Kings 18:17), and makes the following application:
“Elijah was not the trouble maker! He simply proclaimed the ‘whole counsel of God’ as all faithful preachers and church members do. …A preacher’s job is condemn error in public and private. ‘Preach the word’ (2 Tim. 4:2). ‘Mark…and avoid’ (Rom. 16:17). ‘Have no fellowship with’ (Eph. 5:11). Those who won’t heed and obey these passages are the ones causing trouble in the kingdom of our dear Lord. Those who turn aside to the right hand or the left are the troublers in spiritual Israel today. They wish to fellowship everyone and turn a blind eye to the many errors in which they and others are involved! They are the ones who cry, ‘let us all go along in order to get along,’ which is just as false as false can be. There can be no Biblical unity where there is doctrinal error! Those who have ‘lockjaw’ (when it comes to the truth) are the ones who have gotten themselves out on a limb. They are the ones who are in a dilemma. Dear faithful brethren, don’t let the compromisers ‘turn the tables’ on you and make you feel like you are the one in the wrong. …’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).” [Emph. his]. (end of quote)
While brother Robinson writes the absolute truth in his article, his application does not include opposition to Dave Miller’s false doctrines, of which he has never repented. Miller’s apologists have accused opponents of his false doctrines of “sowing discord” and among those with a serious case of “lockjaw” is Robinson himself, who has not uttered a word, or printed a line in his paper, against Miller’s errors.
In 2005, and prior to that year, faithful brethren had opposed Miller’s advocacy of “elder reevaluation/reconfirmation” (elder R/R) at Brown Trail in Fort Worth. Among those were Dub McClish, editor of The Gospel Journal, who published an article opposing elder R/R, by Marvin Weir, in the October, 2002 issue. Miller’s doctrine was also examined at the Bellview Lectureship by brother McClish in 1996. Other voices dealt with that unscriptural practice in numerous articles printed in Contending For The Faith, edited by David P. Brown.
Those included the transcript of Miller’s sermon at Brown Trail in 1996, in which he advocated and explained the process of reevaluating and reconfirming elders. Consequently, brethren who opposed Miller’s false doctrine were demonized by his defenders, among whom were the late Curtis Cates, then Director of the Memphis School of Preaching (MSOP), and Keith Mosher, also of MSOP. As did Ahab, Cates and Mosher spewed accusations of “troubling Israel” against faithful brethren. In an Open Forum at the Sunny Slope church’s Lectureship in Paducah, Kentucky, on July 15, 2006, Mosher said of those who oppose Miller’s doctrines:
“But these people are as vile a group—and I do mean vile—as I have ever read after in my life. I have never seen the kind of attitude they have. They want to destroy about nine good works in the brotherhood just to prove a point. And I want to tell all of you in public. This isn’t about Dave Miller. This is not about Dave Miller. I went to school with Dave Miller. I sat in the classes in the graduate school as he and I fought those liberal professors together. He’s the only one that stood with me. … Just call him and see where he stands. But if you’re going to believe some of these publications, you’re going to have a problem, because those brethren are lying to you.” (end of quote)
For many years, I had sent brother Robinson articles for publication in S.T.O.P. And he published them. I sent them by email and always got an acknowledgment from him that they had been received. Shortly after Dave Miller took the reins of Apologetics Press (AP) in 2005, I sent Robinson an article pointing out the error of endorsing AP with a false teacher at its head. From that day to this—almost 13 years later—I am still waiting for an acknowledgment that he received it. Garland Robinson wrote,
“…Those who turn aside to the right hand or the left are the troublers in spiritual Israel today. They wish to fellowship everyone and turn a blind eye to the many errors in which they and others are involved! They are the ones who cry, ‘let us all go along in order to get along,’ which is just as false as false can be. There can be no Biblical unity where there is doctrinal error! Those who have ‘lockjaw’ (when it comes to the truth) are the ones who have gotten themselves out on a limb.” (end of quote)
“Lockjaw?” Garland Robinson, “Thou art the man!”
Source of article: Sound Doctrine. Volume 13, No. 4 . April 1, 2018. Jerry Brewer.
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