Biblical Separation Defended - Far Eastern Bible College

Matthew 10:11, the verse just quoted, with the command, “Inquire,”being in the Aorist Imperative, placed upon the disciples theresponsibility of determining as much as possible the reasons whichprompted their host to invite them. If this be applied to today’s situation,as Dr. Ferm applies the passage, then if language has any meaning at all,Dr. Ferm’s statement, “It cannot be his [any evangelist’s] responsibilityto determine the motives that prompted their [the liberal sponsors’]invitation,” 11 is the exact opposite of what Matthew 10:11 teaches. Inany event, since motives of the liberals are often known, it is at least theevangelist’s responsibility not to disregard them.Dr. Ferm’s quotation of Dean Alford in the context of the Lord’swords to the Seventy, “Into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receiveyou, eat such things as are set before you” (Luke 10:8), is remarkable.He quotes and comments:Dean Alford commented on the word “receiveth” andinsisted that it had a broader meaning than merely offering roomand board. He said, “It implies a receiving into the heart and lifethe messenger and his message. The implication of the words ofJesus is that any one who is aware of the beliefs and convictionsof the messenger of the Lord, and receives him as such amessenger, is actually receiving the Lord though not in the senseof personal salvation. 12Certainly liberals who question the historicity of the bodily resurrectionof Christ and who question the substitutionary atonement are the verylast people who could be referred to as, “Receiving into the heart andlife the messenger and his message,” and these who have rejected thefoundations of the faith come closer to the category of merely giving theconservative evangelist “room and board” in exchange for a religiousemphasis and some new members to their unsound churches.Concerning Dr. Ferm’s words,. . . On the contrary, he [the evangelist] is more closelyconforming to the scriptural pattern by going to those who havethe greater spiritual need, as long as he declares to them thewhole counsel of God. 13it must be noted that the “scriptural pattern” of “going to those who havethe greater spiritual need,” is a pattern of taking the message of God17