Bidding God Speed

In the Holy Scriptures we will find the expression "God speed" twice, and in both instances there is a negative instruction. Once, in II John 10, the admonition is to not bid certain ones God speed, and second, in II John 11, the dictum is, "For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." The entirety of the book of II John emphasizes the duty of the ecclesia to maintain the proper standards of the truth. John announces his love for the ecclesia, rejoices that they were walking in the truth, and encourages them to love one another which he defines as walking after God's commandments. He warns them of the many deceivers around them who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, which deceivers he labels as antichrist. One who believes that Jesus Christ was not of the Adamic flesh believes in another Jesus than the one preached by the apostles. The religious world around us believes in an entirely different Jesus than that presented in the Bible. It is imperative that Jesus be seen as having come in the flesh if we are to perceive him correctly.

John further urges the ecclesia, the elect lady and her children of verse 1, to "look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward." Any warning given by inspired writers of the Bible are in effect commandments of God. John was not offering a casual suggestion that the ecclesia should feel comfortable about its status, but he was commanding them to take stock of their spiritual and doctrinal values. The seriousness of his counsel is seen in the words that follow: "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." It appears from this verse that this is one wrongful act or position, that of transgressing and abiding not in the doctrine of Christ. The verbs do not appear to be inferring two separate and distinct positions.

Then we come to the warning and course of action required in the text, "If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds." To receive one into your house is fellowship – reciprocity of kind feelings. The ecclesia was warned that, in the particular instance of transgressing and abiding not in the doctrine of Jesus Christ, fellowship should not continue with such an one. To continue in fellowship is equal to agreeing with such transgression and false concept of Christ’s nature.

This illustration in the inspired Word is one example of an individual believer's walk and belief which cannot be countenanced by an ecclesia. If one came into our midst, and this does not mean they have to migrate from other cities or states—they can arise in our midst—who transgresses and believes the kingdom has already been set up, then he would be unacceptable for our fellowship or good wishes. We would not want to bid him God speed in such belief. The same could be said if a bigamist came into our midst; we could not bid him God speed in such position. The ecclesia who fails to act against such transgression is guilty of the doctrine of toleration or implied consent. Recognizing that the ecclesia is not a place for militants to constantly search for matters of minor importance, we nevertheless must be vigilant, each one of us, to see that our standards are maintained as we have received them. Without maintenance they are sure to decline in effectiveness. Soon we would be just another church of the multitudinous denominations of Christendom. What keeps us a separate and distinct people is our perseverance for truth in all important matters. In connection with this we suggest that the section of the Statement of Faith on "The Commandments of Christ" be reviewed by each of us.

In regard to the maintenance above referred to, many times the onus has been placed on the arranging or managing brethren of the ecclesia. Some will ask, "What are the arranging brothers going to do about this?" True, the arranging brethren do have a responsibility of maintenance of correct standards, but they do not have it all. We cannot depend on the arranging brethren to save us; we must have definite convictions and be able to stand up for those convictions as individuals. At the judgment seat Christ is not going to say to us, "You were in an ecclesia where the arranging brethren allowed regrettable practices and doctrines, so you are free from any guilt or responsibility, therefore you will be allowed to enter the kingdom."

On the other hand, the arranging brethren cannot wash their hands by saying, "We told him not to do it, but he went ahead anyway, so that's about all we can do." The dictum in II John is to "receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed." Even though the word "God speed" is given in the Authorized Version as two words, it is from the single Greek word, chairo, meaning "be glad" or "rejoice." It is easy to see what the apostle means here — Do not rejoice in wrong actions or beliefs, do not agree and sympathize with the wrong-doer, do not express gladness at what has been done, but rather reprove it so its cancer does not spread. Love for our brother, from Paul's analysis in I Corinthians 13, "rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." From a dictionary definition, Godspeed (a single word) means "good fortune; success; a wish for the welfare of a person starting on a journey or venture." We often use this expression to well-wish someone leaving our midst to travel home. We want to see them protected from harm and granted the blessing of continuing in their race for life. To such an one who can be described as antichrist, of which the illustration in II John is only one, we cannot bid them God speed, or else we partake of their evil deeds.

An ecclesia is a group of people called out of the Gentile world by the good news and glad tidings of the gospel. It is not merely a social group who agrees to get along with one another. The Truth has to come first and the social amenities are subsidiary. An ecclesia, of which most of us are a part, is designed to help and strengthen poor, weak, mortals to become better in their spiritual aptitude. It is made up of weak, imperfect people who are capable of erring in judgment, so judgment should not be hasty and without mercy. But we must remember the ecclesia is founded upon a covenant made by each individual member that "all that the Lord hath said, that will we do." An ecclesia is not an institution where each member does as he pleases, and disregards the well-being of the whole.

The illustration of Romans 14 involving the eating of meats serves as a good example. Paul made it clear that eating of meats or observing of a certain day were not wrong in themselves. But, there was a greater responsibility than merely participating in such practices, and that was the conscience of others in the ecclesia. "But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died" (vs. 15). We can have our way and disregard the conscience of others, or we can yield to our brother's weak conscience and help him. Mind you, this is in things which are not specifically forbidden by the Word, such as the option of eating meat or whatever its parallel might be. Later Paul says, " It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak" (vs. 21).

I have had a reasonable amount of experience with situations such as the bidding of God speed teaching of II John. In a great majority of the instances the party who opposes the wrong-doing comes under more criticism than the wrong-doer. The wrong-doer is made a martyr while his critic is often treated as a heathen and a publican for expressing views which he genuinely believes to be consistent with the teachings of the Word. He is often viewed as a trouble-maker and a factionist. Rarely is he called aside and kindly asked to review the Bible principles upon which he bases his claims. And even more rarely is he given the kindness of the statement, "Well, I have respect for your viewpoint, and feel that you are sincere in it, but I cannot quite see it the same way."

Let us recognize that there are instances where the ecclesia must act to not receive some into our house, or to put it another way, to disassociate ourselves from fellowship from those who depart from the doctrines of Christ. Paul says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own body; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rom. 16:17). Some mistake this for witch-hunting—looking for an excuse to cast out someone for a minor infraction. May the Lord spare all of us from such an attitude. On the other hand, if the ecclesia is unwilling to preserve its stand on principles, there is no good reason why the Pope of Rome should be excluded from our services.

Paul further writes, "But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person" (I Cor. 5:11-13). Here the ecclesia is instructed to put away from their company certain brethren whose walk is contrary to Christ's commandments. The ecclesia has a duty to maintain its integrity, not to cater to the special interests of those socially acceptable to them.

Again Paul writes, "Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us" (II Thess. 3:6). There is but one avenue to follow here: the ecclesia is not to countenance disorderly walk. Experienced brethren recognize that the apostle is not here talking about mistakes or weaknesses, for we are all guilty of these. Disorderly walk is habitual and locked-in practices which are the lifestyle and continued indulgence by a brother. Certainly there is no pleasure in withdrawing from a brother. Every effort should be made to recover the offender. Counsel should be given as to the dangers of his losing his crown of life, and the secondary danger of causing discord in the ecclesia. These are perilous times in which we live, ones which present ominous threats to our individual and ecclesial spiritual prosperity.

James Stanton

The Santuary-Keeper. June 1988, pgs. 219-222.