Somebody asked me, “Should Christians, like the members of the Church of God International, still attend the gatherings of other religious denominations?”
To answer his question, let me first explain how a person becomes a Christian. A person does not become a Christian overnight. Before becoming a Christian, a person needs to conduct the necessary investigation first just like what the first century Christians did. The Apostle Paul, for instance, was originally an enemy of the Christian faith but, after some period of investigation, from being a member of the Jewish faith, he was converted to Christianity.
To investigate is a requisite to becoming a real Christian. As written in 1 JOHN 4:1,
Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
Christians are not really prohibited from attending gatherings of other faiths, neither are they prohibited from communicating with people from different religions. But the thing is, they need to be cautious and they should always consider the word of God, “believe not every spirit.”
God commanded us to believe in Him, to believe in His words, to believe in His Son, to believe in His prophets. But He also commanded us to “believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God.” To try is to prove, to investigate, to test. Why is there a need to do that? “. . . because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”
If, after investigating spirits, the prophets, the teachings, etc., you discovered that a particular religious group is being led by a false prophet, then, it is no longer wise, nor logical, nor biblical to continue mingling with those people. That is why you shouldn’t expect me to tell our brethren, “mingle with those people; listen to their false prophets; attend their religious gathering” when I know for a fact that their preacher is a false prophet. I would be absurd if I do that.
Let me prove further that the first century Christians became Christians only after a diligent investigation.
ACTS 11:26 says,
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
It was after a year of associating with each other and with the disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, and after learning the teachings of the Church that the people from Antioch were called Christians. So, it took them awhile, one year to be specific, before they became Christians.
Aside from them, there was also another group which, before embracing the Christian faith, conducted first a meticulous investigation.
ACTS 17:10-11 says,
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
The apostles considered the Bereans nobler than the Thessalonians because “. . . they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” This proves that they really made an effort to investigate first.
Do we prohibit our brethren to listen to other preachers? No! But they are reminded to be cautious because there are preachers whom the Bible calls as false prophets.
2 THESSALONIANS 2:2 says,
That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.
During the time of the first century Christians, there were people who wrote letters and they made it appear that those letters came from the apostles. Obviously, their intention was to deceive and mislead the brethren. As the Apostle Paul was fully aware of the danger that such may pose, he warned the brethren, “nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand.”
On our end, we are likewise taking a precautionary measure to safeguard our brethren by advising them to use their discernment before believing anything because there are lots of false prophets around. And inasmuch as the Scriptures has warned us of the dangers that false prophets may bring, I don’t think it would be wise for a religious leader like me to just allow my brothers and sisters in faith to attend any other religious gatherings.
If you are shepherding a flock of sheep, surely, you would not let them go where the wolves are. That is exactly what I am doing. I see to it that the “sheep” I oversee wouldn’t be victimized by “wolves.”
I repeat, our brethren in faith are not prohibited from listening to other preachers but they are advised to be keen and wise for them not to be deceived and misled. They have to be sure that the doctrines that those preachers are teaching are not contrary to the doctrines of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:3-4 tells us,
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.
This is a warning of the Apostle because subtlety is common in many religions. They are preaching another Jesus and another gospel.
GALATIANS 1:8 says,
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
That being the case, I don’t see any reason why our brethren should be allowed to take part in the gatherings of other religions whose pastors teach another gospel. The Bible did not say, “Join them!” Instead, the word of God said, “Let him be accursed.”
It is not true, biblically and logically, that every religion is of God, and that every religion teaches the same God (as believed by others). We must not believe also that every religion, every pastor, or every preacher is telling the truth. If that were true, the Bible would not have warned us to be wary of false prophets that are gone out into the world preaching another Gospel.
2 CORINTHIANS 11:13-15 says,
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
Pastors can also pretend to be apostles of Christ. So, I have to teach our brethren the warnings given by the Bible about the pretense and deception of many preachers.
But although our brethren are not outrightly prohibited from attending other religions, they, themselves, opt not to do so because they are fully guided by God’s warning in PROVERBS 19:27 which says,
Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge.
That is God’s admonition to His children, and it is to our benefit if we will abide by it, especially so today when many religions were established only to make money, and not to faithfully teach the word of God.
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