Contending for the Faith

To contend for the faith, simply put, means to stand against all who seek to undermine it

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‘For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myth’. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 (ESV)

‘Beloved, although I was very eager to write to you about our common salvation, I found it necessary to write appealing to you to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints’. Jude 3 (ESV) 

To contend for the faith, simply put, means to stand against all who seek to undermine it. 

Recently I read a report that the Church of England approved the blessing of same-sex marriages in church, with the Bishops being the largest consenting group in the Synod. Along with this I also listened to the Oxford Union debate with the motion, ‘This House Supports Same-Sex Marriage in the Church’. In arguing for the motion, 2000 years of teaching and most importantly what the bible actually says about marriage that it is between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Ephesians 5:31) was laid aside on the altar of changing times, tolerance and  ‘inclusiveness’. I reflected on this, with both sadness but also admiration. Sadness for the ready acceptance and promotion of incorrect biblical doctrine by most Bishops, the supposed leaders and shepherds of the flock; but also admiration for those who have and continue to challenge and counter false, appeasing capitulation to the prevailing world view infiltrating the Church. Of course, the Church has got to welcome and love all people, but not at the expense of biblical truth. Sadly and increasingly in our churches the teaching on sin and repentance has and is being sidelined if not, in some areas, erased.

This caused me to think of the many scores and scores of bible believing Christians, who, for over 2000 years of church history have been faithful to the Christian faith and have been prepared to stand against the world and its authority and to be loyal and faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ – even, in many instances, to the point of death.

I love reading about Church History and Christian saints of yesteryear. Indeed I would even go so far as to say, after the bible it is beholden on all Christians  to have an understanding and appreciation of what has gone before us and how men and women have contended for the faith over the centuries. We can learn much and take heart from their stand, strength and sacrifices and again be in awe of the faithful, covenant keeping God that we serve.    

Challenges and distortions to the Christian faith have occurred throughout history.  We even see, within a few short years of the death of Jesus how quickly false teachers and doctrines raised their head. In the book of Galatians Paul vociferously argues against the false teaching of some men from Judea who began teaching that unless ‘you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved’ (Acts 15:1). Paul was astonished at the speed many of the Galatians were turning to ‘a different gospel’ (Galatians 1:6). Salvation itself and the atoning work of Jesus alone were being corrupted. Paul’s fierce rebuttal of such heresy can be seen throughout the whole of his letter. 

In the second and third centuries the false teaching of Gnosticism reared its head.  With its many extensive, skewed ideas it denied key Christian doctrines such as the incarnation, resurrection and the need for redemption. Gnosticism proclaimed that salvation comes from inside by finding your true identity within. This sort of thinking, although successfully challenged by early Church Fathers still permeates aspects of present day culture, not least in New Age thinking and the LGBTQ agenda.

One of the most illustrious defenders of the Christian faith, Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria in 328 contended for the faith against the heretic Arius who openly propagated that Christianity should not embrace the deity of Jesus Christ because it violated historical monotheism. Arius said there was only one God, God the Father, therefore challenging the Trinity. Was He (Jesus) to be regarded, by the Church, as divine or just an exceedingly, virtuous, exalted, created human being as purported by Arius?  Athanasius, emphatically and repeatedly challenged this false teaching at great personal cost, and repeatedly needed to flee into exile for safety.  The resulting Nicene Creed incorporated many of Athanasius’ teachings and ideas and overwhelmingly refuted Arius’ views.   

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Martin Luther challenged the Roman Church in the 16th century with its many corruptions and scriptural distortions, the most significant being that of Salvation and its attainment. Rome held the view that it was chiefly through ministrations of the church, priesthood and particularly through the administration of the sacraments. Luther, along with others, disputed these practices resulting in the Protestant Reformation. For Luther, Salvation was by faith alone, in Christ alone, through grace alone, by scripture (the word of God) alone, to the glory of God alone. This unleashed the fury of Rome. Excommunicated, condemned as a heretic because he refused to recant his views Luther had to flee for his life. 

Interestingly a hundred or so years previously, a Czech theologian, Jan Hus had preached similar beliefs as Luther. He had published works that the Holy Scriptures alone contained the inspired word of God and could not be equalled by the edicts and teachings of the Church. Refusing to recant these views he was arrested, tried and executed by burning at the stake in 1415.

William Tyndale, English biblical scholar and translator and a leading Protestant reformer was convicted of heresy for giving the people their first English bible. He was executed by strangulation and then burning in 1536.

John Bunyan, an Anglican by birth was born in 1628. He was converted to Christ in the 1650’s. As freedom to pursue non-conformity intensified under Charles II, Bunyan was imprisoned for holding illegal religious services. His sentence was initially for three months, however, because he refused to promise not to preach the word of God his incarceration lasted 12 years!

In Oxford one can readily see the spot where Nicholas Ridley and Hugh Latimer were burned at the stake for standing by a truth that the real presence of Jesus’ body is not in the Eucharist but in heaven at the right hand of the Father.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) Lutheran pastor, theologian and martyr who worked against the ‘Nazification’ of the German churches was executed by Hitler’s state.

Richard Wurmbrand a Romanian Evangelical Lutheran priest was imprisoned for many years, three of which were in solitary confinement thirty feet underground.  Repeatedly beaten, tortured by the atheistic Communist State - all because of his Christian work and witness.  

The above is only a very small and superficial illustration of some people who have contended for the faith over the centuries. There have been hundreds and hundreds of people who have been faithful to the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this world all have paid a great price for their stand. Yet as Paul said, ‘... [he] considered that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.’ (Romans 8:18 ESV)

Today, in the UK there are ministers of the gospel and laity who are publicly making a stand for Christ. It is, however, sad that this has to increasingly occur because of serious issues from within the Church – let alone the world! There are people who are speaking out, who are contending for the faith and declaring that the bible remains the inspired, inherent, infallible Word of God, preaching the truth of Jesus Christ and calling out erroneous, false teachers and practices. These people are already being pilloried and ‘cancelled’ by our 21st century world culture. Accused of narrow minded bigotry, these are men and women who are putting their head ‘above the parapet’ and taking their stand for Jesus. 

The day will come, and certainly appears to be quickening, when all bible believing Christians will have to make their stand for Christ and in doing so persecution will surely follow. In the West, in the 20-21st centuries, for most, contending for the faith has been a minor consideration. We have enjoyed amazing religious freedoms; however, this is beginning to change. In the light of this we will need to consider our own stance and when is the ‘red line’ crossed for each one of us individually? The question for us, as bible believing Christians is not when but how are we going to contend for the faith and our Saviour the Lord Jesus Christ.

We have to be prepared and know how, best we can, to be ready to face the myriad of challenges, accusations and persecutions that, as bible believing Christians we will surely face.

“Remember the word that I said to you: ’A servant is not greater than his master.’  If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you...” John 15:20 (ESV)

‘We have learned that suffering is not the worst thing in the world – disobedience to God is the worst.’   A Vietnamese Christian pastor imprisoned for his faith.  (Taken from) The Voice of the Martyrs Extreme Devotion (2001). pp7

Author: Irene Cherrill

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