Biblical Separation Defended - Far Eastern Bible College

The problem becomes exceedingly complex when one’sassociations are with nominal Christians, especially when theymanifest the Christian graces, yet cannot intellectually acceptevery tenet of Fundamentalism. By what standard must onedecide to separate from such persons? 10Unbelief according to a reasonable exegesis of Luke 10:1-16 removed aperson from the worthy class. When one realizes that the tenets offundamentalism, of which Dr. Ferm speaks, are the foundations of thefaith, and not the denominational distinctive frills, one understands thatthose who “cannot intellectually accept every tenet of fundamentalism”such as the Substitutionary Atonement, the Virgin Birth, and the BodilyResurrection, are the very unbelievers that the Lord addressed inChorazin, with only the time and setting changed.Who then is “worthy”? The righteous and pious believers can be theonly answer! This best accords with the usage of the word “worthy”(axios) in passages such as Revelation 3:4, “And they shall walk withme in white for they are worthy.” Did the disciples understand and theLord imply that this was to be one who already loved Christ or merely apious Jew who while looking for the Messiah had not yet heard of theNazarene called, “Jesus”? Perhaps this cannot be known, but in Matthew10:11 a pious or righteous man, who had a godly reputation, is the leastthat can be understood to be implied in the word “worthy.”In Matthew 7:15 Christ said, “Beware of false prophets, whichcome to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are raveningwolves.” These words would certainly eliminate “false prophets” fromthe list of worthy men; and the twelve could not consent to be“sponsored” by one who had the reputation of being a false prophetmerely on the grounds that the false prophet was willing to have themeven after being aware of the message which they were going toproclaim. If they did so, they would be directly violating Matthew 7:15,“Beware of false prophets”; Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you forthas sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore as wise as serpents, andharmless as doves”; and Matthew 10:11, “And into whatsoever city ortown ye shall enter, enquire who in it is worthy; and there abide until yego thence.”16