Is It Schism or the Gift of Discernment?

I wrote this comment yesterday on this post: The Sin of Schism, Tom Buck, and Why Repentance is Necessary. I had no idea how timely it would be the next day. You’ll see why I say that when I put up my next post this morning.

The post I’m linking to is very inside baseball for those in the Reformed camp. If you are short on time, it’s definitely not a must-read post.

However, here is my point which I do believe is important.

I heard someone use the phrase “guardrails become guillotines” when discussing one of the many Reformed splits over the past few years. I think it’s accurate.

So what is the difference between schism and practicing the gift of discernment?

I was one of the first people to warn my readers that something was off with Vision Forum way back in December 2006. I paid dearly for it in terms of readership and being ostracized in the online conservative Christian world. I knew something was off with Vision Forum and warned my readers specifically of where I thought their teachings were going too far and were destructive. The Vision Forum teachings and fallout ruined so many individual lives, families, and even churches. That’s not schism. That’s being discerning and not wanting to see my brothers and sisters in Christ (and especially their children) suffer needlessly. It is being discerning and articulating what other Christians without the gift of discernment can sense but not clearly articulate.

I’ve also been on the receiving end of the guillotine system because I refuse to land squarely in one of the patriarchy, complementarian, or egalitarian camps. I think they are all wrong for different reasons. So I know what it’s like to be a leper among pretty much everyone. I don’t call that schism. I call it suffering for the sake of telling the truth and trying to move the needle.

My observation as a non-Reformed Baptist outsider to these Reformed/Calvinist fights is that a lot of this is about empire building, egos, pride, and sheep stealing more than it is about advancing the Kingdom of God. And given the warnings we have in the Bible about wolves, it’s probably safe to assume their presence as well. In fact, the presence of wolves could help explain much of the public mess we’ve witnessed in recent years.

So what is the difference between schism and practicing the gift of discernment? If a Christian discerns an impending trainwreck or a wolf and doesn’t call it out, he/she is failing the body of Christ.

I’ve been calling out impending trouble online for 20 years.

Sometimes you are vindicated right away.

Sometimes it takes 20 years.

This morning I woke up to vindication: The Botkin Sisters Offer Apology for “So Much More”.