The Standard of Conduct in the Dispensation of Grace

QUESTION:

Why are Christians upset about protesters disrupting a church service in Minnesota when Jesus Christ itself went into a temple (a house of worship) and overturned tables and drove people out (Mathew 21:12)?

NOTE:

This response focuses strictly on sound doctrine and the conduct derived from it. We do not engage in political commentary or civil disputes. While I will not address the specifics of any secular event, the Word of God provides a definitive answer regarding the conduct of believers and why the actions of Jesus Christ in the Temple cannot be compared to the disruptions of the world today. I add this question to our space solely due to educating in sound doctrine and to promote the value of our Grace doctrine.

REPLY:

The Standard of Conduct in the Dispensation of Grace

Under the Mystery Doctrine revealed to the Apostle Paul, the believer is called to a standard of conduct that transcends personal grievances or social disagreements. Whether one agrees or disagrees with the actions of a fellow believer or a leader, our conduct must remain anchored in faith and the "right division" of the Word of Truth. In the current Dispensation of Grace, we are not moved by the world’s revolts, nor should we adopt their methods. Sound doctrine produces a maturity that allows a believer to remain stable even when the world—or other believers—fall into disorder.

What is Prohibited Under the Doctrine of Grace

When individuals use disruption or "clout" to voice grievances within an assembly of saints, they depart from sound doctrine. God is not the author of confusion, and any action that intentionally breaks the peace of a service violates the apostolic command that "all things be done decently and in order" (1 Corinthians 14:40). Paul instructs the mature believer to put away all "bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour" (Ephesians 4:31). Such public outbursts are often the "tantrum tendencies" of those who are yet "babes in Christ," lacking the strength of grace. Furthermore, we are cautioned in Romans 14:4 against acting as the ultimate judge of another man’s servant; to forcibly interfere with a brother's life or assembly based on personal disagreement is a violation of the very liberty we claim to possess.

The Acceptable Path for the Mature Believer

Regardless of how aggrieved a believer may feel, sound doctrine dictates a path of peace. We are told to be "patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12), rather than resorting to carnal tactics of revolt. Our instructions are clear: "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18). A mature saint understands that we have the liberty to choose our conduct, but that liberty must be used wisely, in love, so as not to destroy the faith of those who may be weaker. Our primary calling is the ministry of reconciliation and the preaching of the Cross, which is never accomplished through the spirit of insurrection or the violation of a house of worship.

Justifying Christ’s Actions in the Temple

A common error among those lacking doctrinal maturity is to use the account of Jesus overturning tables in Matthew 21:12 as a license for modern-day disruption. However, Christ’s actions were holy, just, and entirely unique to His purpose as the Messiah of Israel. Jesus was a "minister of the circumcision for the truth of God" (Romans 15:8), entering His own Father’s House. Under the Law, the Temple was the literal dwelling place of God’s glory. Christ was not "protesting"; He was executing judicial judgment as the Sovereign Owner of the house to fulfill the prophecy: "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up" (Psalm 69:9). He was purging a religious system that had corrupted the specific ordinances given to Israel.

The Distinction Between the Circumcision and the Body

Today, we must rightly divide the Word to see that we operate under the Dispensation of Grace, not the Law of the Temple. Christ’s actions were a specific sign to a specific people (Israel) under a specific covenant. In contrast, our "temple" today is the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19), and our instructions for warfare are not carnal but spiritual. We do not have the divine mandate of the King of Israel to "cleanse" buildings or disrupt peaceful assemblies. To attempt to replicate Christ’s judicial zeal is to ignore the Mystery revealed to Paul and fall back into a carnal, earthly way of thinking. True stability comes from knowing that we do not need to "flip tables" to be heard; we hold forth the Word of Life through a quiet and peaceable walk that glorifies God.