The Apostasy Of The Episcopal Church

Apostasy is a strong word. It is a word with a direct correlation with the Anti-Christ. Hence, it should not be used lightly in connection with a person, church, or denomination. 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 says: “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come (the second coming of Christ) unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God” (NASU). The ESV translates “apostasy” as “rebellion”. Apostasy is an active rebellion against the true God (and thus, the truth) which leads to the ascension of false gods and false teachings within the heart of the Believer and within the doctrines of a church or denomination.

Therefore, to say a person or organization is guilty of apostasy is a serious accusation. But to remain silent and turn a blind eye to the truth when doing so has the potential to damage, if not destroy the spiritual life of others is even more serious. Thus, I am compelled by my conscience to speak words that may offend and anger some. That is not my intent, but I cannot remain silent when so much is at stake.

I was gonna ask, "He just now noticed?" but in the article he points out the very deep roots of the current problems in ECUSA.

He says they began with Spong, I'm inclined to think they began earlier and Spong was just a symptom. But he is absolutely correct when he says the current heresy began as little tiny compromises with the World.

As C.S. Lewis said (putting words in the mouth of Screwtape), "Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one – the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts."

I highly, highly recommend them. I first encountered him at age 6, with the Narnia books. They are beautifully realized fantasy, with the Christian element very deeply embedded. You can read them simply as adventure stories, and most kids do until it dawns on them that something more important is going on under the surface.

You could start with The Screwtape Letters, or with Mere Christianity, which is his argument for basic nondenominational Christian faith. My favorite of the adult novels is still The Great Divorce, but That Hideous Strength, an apocalyptic science-fiction story that's third in a trilogy, is running neck and neck.

The level and depth of Lewis's scholarship is simply astounding. In his day job, he was a professor of Renaissance and Medieval Literature at Cambridge, a late life appointment as he spent most of his scholarly career at Oxford. His fantasy stories and his Christian apologetics were in addition to a lengthy (and well-published) academic career.

I am constantly being reminded of just how at home he was in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries -- just one example: the title of That Hideous Strength is from an early 16th century poem by the Scots poet Sir David Lindsay on the Tower of Babel, but it took me 30 years (and reading Lewis's volume of the Oxford History of English Literature) to realise this.

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