As an exercise in discernment, this series critiques the teaching associated with the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), Advanced Training Institute International (ATI), and specifically their founder, Bill Gothard. His teaching includes a myriad of distortions and this post addresses examples under the fourth of six main areas (listed at the end of Part 1): A misuse of “the weaker brother principle” and a distortion of the believer’s freedom in Christ.
According to Paul, the weaker brother is a new believer with a weak conscience who needs many rules and regulations (Rom 14). As the late John Stott wisely said, “A weak conscience is an over-scrupulous conscience. And although, even when mistaken, it is not to be violated, it does need to be educated.”[1] The “strong” believers do have the responsibility to not “destroy” this new believer by the use of their freedom (Rom 14:15). This is very different, however, from the legalist—the supposedly “strong” Christian who insists on many rules and regulations. Paul’s words to legalists are far from tolerant (see Col 2:16–23). These distinctions are, unfortunately, not taken into account in Mr. Gothard’s teaching. He lumps all the legalists of Colossians 2:16–23 in with the weaker brothers of Romans 14. The result is a misunderstanding, and a toleration—yes—even a protection of legalism.
What then is Gothard’s perspective on questionable issues like drinking alcohol, or listening to secular or “rock-n-roll” music? “When in doubt don’t” is a favorite phrase used by Mr. Gothard. Whatever the issue in question is . . . well, just don’t do it. It seems to make difficult decisions regarding God’s will on certain practices (drinking, smoking, dating, etc.) so easy! And yet when the “when in doubt, don’t” philosophy is given free reign in the church, an interesting phenomenon occurs: the weaker brothers and legalists are given the power to set the standards of spirituality. Leith Anderson explains how this happens in his book, Dying for Change, and calls this phenomenon “minority rule”:
The Bible teaches Christians to be concerned for others, to love one’s enemies, and not to be a ‘stumbling block’ to weaker believers. In many churches these are given an interesting application: that is, they allow a few dissenters to kill good ideas for change. For example, needed changes are permanently tabled in order to placate a single dissenter. By the time the dissenter dies, it’s too late. Or what happens more often is that people who recognize the need for change give up in frustration and go elsewhere. This effectively freezes the status quo in place.
Leith Anderson, Dying for Change (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House, 1990).
Over and over again, I’ve experienced what Mr. Anderson calls “minority rule.” During my first stint as a youth pastor in a rural church, I finally gave up in frustration and left because of the “when in doubt, don’t” folks. Shortly after and determined to have more pastoral grit, I spent another season at a church where I was eventually ordained. Not long into my time there, the chairman of the deacon board threatened to leave over the issue of my use of Christian rock in discipling the youth. A deacon’s meeting was called. I was not asked to attend, only to write out my position on the use of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). I spent considerable time putting together a position paper that addressed some of the questions raised by critics. In the end, all of the deacons with the exception of this one chairman voted to accept what I had written as biblically accurate and as the official position of the church. The chairman resigned and left the church.
Yet from Bill Gothard’s perspective, the legalists (like the deacon chairman above) bundled together with the weaker brothers are the spiritual elite. And Gothardites are those who have no TV, homeschool, “court” rather than date, don’t go to the movies, don’t drink alcohol, eat wheat bread, abstain from pork, don’t listen to Christian rock, etc. It is these individuals—legalists, weaker brothers, or a specific blend of the two as are many Gothardites—who are often seen as those who are serious about their faith. Yet God says we are to judge our commitment based on internal attitudes of the heart (Prov 4:23), standing firm in the freedom we have in Christ rather than giving our allegiance to a man-made yoke of slavery (Gal 5:1). The Apostle Paul provides clear instructions about rules that appear spiritual:
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: ‘Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!’? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2:20-23, NIV
Next week, we’ll look at examples under the last two of six headings (again, these are listed at the end of Part 1): Elevating the culture the Bible was written in over others, and misrepresenting his ministry in relation to that of others.
[1] John R. W. Stott, Between Two Worlds: The Challenge of Preaching Today (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1982), 194.[