Should You Invite Cult Members Into Your House?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call.  Here is this week’s question: Dear Dave and T. A., A couple of programs ago, you ran out of time for your Q & A and said you would answer the last part of someone’s questions on the following program.However, that program came and went without your answer.The person asked if we should invite cult members into our homes when they come around witnessing.What do you say?

Tom:

Where is there an objection to this Dave?

Dave:

Tom, we could quote from the scripture.This is 1 John 7, “For many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.”Now it doesn’t mean that they’re denying that there’s a person named Jesus Christ, it means they are denying that he came once and for all as a man.He didn’t reincarnate in other words.This is a deceiver and an antichrist.And then it goes on.Look to yourselves that you lose not those things which we have wrought.Verse 9, “Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.”Verse 10, “If there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house neither bid him God speed.So it seems to say, don’t let these people come into your house.

Tom:

Which was why there was a question about that a number of programs ago.

Dave:

Right.Mormons would certainly fall into this category.Mormons do not have the doctrine of Christ.That Jesus is God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.They are three persons in one God.One God, three persons.And the Jehovah Witnesses certainly do not have the doctrine of Christ.They deny that Jesus is God.They say Jehovah is God.Well all through the Old Testament Jehovah says that he is the only Savior.For example, Isaiah:43:11I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour.
See All..., “…beside me there is no Savior.”Well if Jesus is the Savior, then he must be God.The Jehovah Witnesses deny that.They don’t have either the Father or the Son, because they deny the Father/Son relationship between Jesus and his Father in heaven.

Tom:

But they say that Jesus is a god.So now you’ve got a problem.

Dave:

We have real problems.That would be from John’s gospel chapter one.Oh, they love to go there because in their New World translation they’ve got God spelled with a little “g,” that is the second god.Well let’s count the gods in the verse.How many gods are there?There’s only one God.In the beginning, was the Word.The Word was with God and the Word was God.In the King James it says G-o-d, capital G – o – d.But they say, “Was a god.”Now they say normal Greek grammatical rules would mean this should be spelled with a big G. So this is an exception.So now they do not abide in the doctrine of God.We better get to the point here.The point is, do we receive them into our house?Well he says you don’t bid them God speed.I think receiving them into your house means you receive them in with your blessing and so forth.

Tom:

Fellowship.It’s a fellowship thing.That you would with the family of course.

Dave:

Right, right.We do not receive them in that way, but if I can bring them in and sit them down and bring the gospel to them and perhaps straighten them out, I think that would be allowed even according to this epistle here.

Tom:

Dave, now correct me if I’m wrong here, but if we understood it the way this person is concerned about.That these people had not the doctrine of Christ.You just mentioned Jehovah Witnesses and Mormons, but we have loved ones who have different views on different things and I don’t believe that’s what the scripture is talking about.We have to minister wherever we can minister.We just can’t accept on the basis of God’s truth.We don’t accept the doctrine that they are bringing and we don’t have fellowship and assume to have fellowship in Christ with those who are unbelievers.

Dave:

Exactly, if you took this extreme view, then you couldn’t have a Bible study in your home for unsaved friends and neighbors.No, that’s not what it means.It means you do not fellowship with them.You do not condone their doctrine, but you can bring them into your home to straighten them out on their doctrine, but then you don’t when you say good-bye to them, you don’t say God bless you.That would be fellowshipping with them and commending them for their false doctrine.