Presiding Bishop

The  Rev. Dominic Stockford.

  Bishop Emeritus

The  Rev. Arthur Bentley Taylor

General Secretary

The Rev. Michael John Smithson

The idea that being saved by grace (received through and as faith in Jesus Christ) means that we have no need to follow moral law, or indeed any law, is one of the oldest Christian heresies – dating right back to Biblical times. And its basic teaching, that we need not worry about our sin or pray for forgiveness any more, because Christ has freed us from it for all time, is clearly nonsensical. Yes, it is true that on the one hand Jesus’ death on the cross has freed true believers from the punishment due to us, but on the other hand it is just as true that it has not freed us from the judgement that is to come – “…each of us will give an account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12).

In its wider sense, in today’s world antinomianism can be seen all around us. It is one of the Devil’s greatest weapons – if he can ensure that people constantly react against and reject any authority then he helps to ensure that they also react against and reject the divine authority of God, especially as that authority is revealed in the person of Jesus Christ.

Therefore, those with ‘eyes to see’ can see clearly that those who were called ‘authority figures’ in the relatively recent past are becoming targets to aim at, people to undermine. The attitude towards the police in this country today is a perfect example of this. While I accept that they do not always ‘cover themselves with glory’, neither does any of us, so why expect more of them than any human can achieve?
The real dangers can be seen when the worldly antinomian attitude is allowed to pervade the thinking of church-goers. It can be seen in such ideologies as ‘anti-clericalism’, where congregations decide that they need no leader, no overseer (clearly contrary to the New Testament), and that they can lead themselves from within themselves. Scripture is clear, and in Acts we can see several occasions where overseers were specifically appointed for the good of the church (e.g. Acts 14:23). Their appointment is reasonable and biblical – the human laws they seek to follow are drawn from Scripture and have been accepted as being for the good order of that part of Christ’s Church. If antinomianism takes full hold this direction of Scripture is ignored by congregations.

There is also another form of antinomianism – in many ways much more undermining to the good order of the Christian church – and this is that overseers are appointed to congregations, or to groups of congregations, and then are not really allowed to oversee, are not allowed to lead – because every significant action they take is queried and challenged. There is considerable danger to the Christian community in this attitude.

Consider firstly, the overseer will have far more knowledge of any given situation and much of this may well be confidential. To challenge decisions then means that the overseer is unable, out of love for others as well as out of Christian charity, to ‘defend’ their actions – even though they (and others) know the full truth – because that truth frequently cannot be brought into the open.
Secondly, the overseer of a congregation or of churches grouped together should have, must have, specific training in Biblical theology and therefore will normally have a greater understanding of the doctrinal and spiritual issues involved in any matter about which they deal than the vast majority of those they oversee.
Thirdly, if an overseer is given a task and is then prevented from doing it to the best of their ability and under God’s judgement, because they are challenged and opposed every time a decision is made that others do not understand, then the overseer is likely to walk off seeking work with those who do desire God’s guidance – leaving the “fierce wolves” to make merry among the “flock” (Acts 20:29). And it was that very flock then being decimated by the devil that drove out the under-shepherd, given to them by God for their guidance and defence! “So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts.” (Ezekiel 34:5).
The issue is not ‘what would be the best action from the world’s point of view?’ – which often may appear to be contrary to an overseer’s actions – but ‘what does God desire and what is best for the church of Christ?’ Antinomianism, as given back by the world to so many church attenders, quickly undermines the leadership of the Christian church and this then results in making the church into the Devil’s playground.

As Paul said: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”(Romans 13:1).
This matter is then, one which we should all consider and pray about – just as with so many ideologies from the world which have crept into churches. Are we prepared to trust the overseers that God has given us?

Bishop Dominic Stockford