Would you allow contrary teaching in your church?

[The Rogue Tomato]

I already told a story where I was given permission to teach pre-wrath to a church where the pastor was pre-trib.  The issue then wasn't that it was contrary teaching, but that I ended up having to cancel the class because the biggest financial backer of the church was against pre-wrath.  This was about personalities and money, not theology or doctrine. 

But I'd like to raise the bigger issue here: Would you, as a pastor or elder, permit someone to teach a class that is contrary to what you happen to believe if the subject was not essential doctrine?  I consider pre-wrath vs. pre-trib is non-essential doctrine.  Nobody's salvation is at risk because they believe in one or the other.  And it's up to the pre-trib students of the class to decide if the teaching is correct and change their minds, or if they had it right all along. 

In case I haven't made it clear enough, I'm not asking if you'd permit someone to teach heresy.  I would not permit that, if I were a pastor or elder. 

So what would you do, as pastor or elder?  Permit or forbid the class? 

 

[ItchyUranium]

Forbid. You're in my house you play by my rules. If you want to discuss this with me or others away from the pulpit, fine. Otherwise no thanks. That's just my opinion though.

 

[rsc2a]

I would allow someone to do a survey of various positions with the strengths and weaknesses of their arguments. I would also allow two people to teach on the same topic knowing they have contrasting views as long as I thought their teaching was focused on Jesus. In fact, I would find that kind of thing very interesting with perhaps a Q&A or more discussion-based sermon/class after they both taught.

Probably the worst I've ever heard was where I heard a pastor say, "Other people say that this passage means ________, but I disagree and have no idea why they would even think that." What made it so terrible in my mind is the fact that thousands of pages worth of ink have been written explaining exactly why the other side thought as they did, and this guy didn't even bother to look at their arguments, much less consider them. (And, for the record, I actually agreed with the pastor's interpretation of the passage in question.)

 

[ItchyUranium]

I think that would be really good for a Sunday school type setting but I don't think I'd allow it during Sunday service.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

I think that would be really good for a Sunday school type setting but I don't think I'd allow it during Sunday service.

That's what I'm talking about - a Sunday school class. 

 

[ALAYMAN]

I'd expose "contrary teaching"/error, like infant baptism, by showing what the Scriptures actually say, rather than what paedobaptists wished they said.

 

[rsc2a]

I'd expose "contrary teaching"/error, like infant baptism, by showing what the Scriptures actually say, rather than what paedobaptists wished they said.

You mean the fact that both paedo- and creedo-baptists are arguing largely from a position of silence and/or eisegesis?

 

[ALAYMAN]

I'd expose "contrary teaching"/error, like infant baptism, by showing what the Scriptures actually say, rather than what paedobaptists wished they said.

You mean the fact that both paedo- and creedo-baptists are arguing largely from a position of silence and/or eisegesis?

No, you're confused, again.

 

[Bob H]

There'd be pretty much no problem at our church. Concerning pre wrath & pre trib, there's not a whole lot of difference.

 

[The Rogue Tomato]

There'd be pretty much no problem at our church. Concerning pre wrath & pre trib, there's not a whole lot of difference.

There's quite a big difference.  But the difference is not an essential doctrine, IMO. 

I'll point out why there's a big difference if a pre-tribber steps up to the plate and debates me on it.

http://www.fundamentalforums.org/end-time-events/any-pre-tribbers-here/

 

[Tarheel Baptist]

I'd expose "contrary teaching"/error, like infant baptism, by showing what the Scriptures actually say, rather than what paedobaptists wished they said.

You mean the fact that both paedo- and creedo-baptists are arguing largely from a position of silence and/or eisegesis?

No, you're confused, again.

In the Greek, he's confused in the Imperfect Tense....a continuing action!