On the sixth of July I received a letter informing me that a Gospel Meeting that I was scheduled to hold was now canceled.  It was not a surprise to receive that letter as one of the men of that congregation (Charlie Isinghood) had made it clear to me in the past that I was never welcome at that congregation because I opposed his hobbies (the artificial covering, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and his Ohio Valley false teacher friends).  Below I will share the letter, my written response, and another email from me to not only show the ignorance of these brethren, but also to expose their errors (Romans 16:17-18).  It is sad how brethren will stand with men and not with God (John 12:43).

Their letter as it was sent to me:

Wellsburg Church of Christ
112 Sunset Avenue
Wellsburg, WV   26070
304.737.1288
July 6, 2005

Brother Yeager:

     After considering diligently the articles that you have forwarded to us to examine and after consideration of our own understanding of the scriptures involved, we do not believe that we wish to maintain to Gospel Meeting arrangement that we had with you for this Fall (2005).
     A simple desire to provide for things honest in the sight of all men (Romans 12:17) requires that we give you the reasons for this decision in plain, straightforward language.  They are as follows:

 1. For some the sheer distance and expense of travel was a consideration although it was NOT the major concern in the ultimate decision.  We were certainly willing to bring you back from El Paso, TX to the Ohio Valley to hear you preach the Gospel of Christ.  Our major concern, and the reason for the decision, is:

 2. You have publicly labeled men with whom we maintain close ties and/or financially support in the work as ‘false teachers’.  We do not maintain close ties or give financial support lightly.  Also, if the New Testament Scriptures mean anything at all they teach us that the truth is to be upheld over even the closest of earthly ties, Galatians 2:11.  However we do not believe these men, Paul Blake and David Brewer, are false teachers.  Our differences with them we consider to be in the realm of opinion and personal judgment.  If this changes in the future then we will have no hesitation about changing our relationship with these men, as we would with any mere man.  This being said, it would surely be confusing to the brethren here to ask them to contribute to the Lord’s treasury from which support is given to a brother they know while at the same time having another brother in who has labeled him a false teacher.  We do not believe this is what God would want us to do, 1 Corinthians 14:33.

 3. We are concerned that you seem to be willing to label any man who differs with you as a ‘false teacher’ even though the difference does not lead to sin.  We do not believe that to be the path of scriptural unity.

Yours in Christ,
Cleveland R. Reddinger Jr.
For the brethren of the Wellsburg Church of Christ.

My response was as follows:

From: Brian A. Yeager [mailto:brianyeager@wordsoftruth.net]
Sent: Wednesday, July 06, 2005 3:29 PM
To: 'CLEVELAND REDDINGER'
Subject: RE: Brian Yeagar Cancellation.doc

Dear Cleveland:

I am going to have to be quick as I need to leave soon.  However, much needs to be said about what you have written me.  I hope you will read this and respond in a timely manner.  I have included your letter to me as a point of reference below.  Since we just got off the phone because you had to go, I thought I would write with our discussion fresh in my mind.  Let’s recall a few things.  First, I had concluded our meeting was canceled and was last year (merely a point of confusion).  I could not make it there this fall regardless, so my response has nothing to do with the Gospel Meeting, but everything to do with our differences on the subject matter of fellowship.  My goal in our communications is simply to study our differences and help you to see the truth on the matter of fellowship.  Since we talked about the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit within the body of faithful saints, I will use this as a springboard of sorts in our discussion.

You acknowledged that if David Brewer came and preached the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit view at Wellsburg, you would then oppose that as “false” as opposing false teaching is an official position of the church at Wellsburg.  With that in mind, I continued to ask how you could call that position false, but still maintain fellowship with the one teaching it.  I showed the following: “For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God” (I Corinthians 2:11).  I then made the point that one would have to maintain, in light of what Paul wrote, that the spirit that is in man is his own.  If the spirit in man is God, then man would maintain a level of knowledge that no man has.  I then established that even by your stand, the indwelling would thus have to lead to further sin.  You were silent.  We agreed that the Father, Son, and Spirit all indwell man, but such is through faith (I John 4:16; cf. Ephesians 3:17).  Thus, based on what we do agree upon, the teaching of the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit in man is false (your own word was “false”).

You then maintained that for fellowship to be severed this teaching would have to lead to further sin.  I continued to ask for the Scripture(s) that teaches that.  Since you have not provided those Scriptures, I ask again that you do so.  I believe teaching something false is sin in itself.  Furthermore, when one teaches something false and does not repent, is that not further sin?  I maintain the following of which if I am wrong I ask you to biblically prove such:

The church assembling in Corinth had many faults.  One of those faults is that they were divided (I Corinthians 1:11ff.) because of their carnal mindsets (I Corinthians 3:1-5).  Paul, through the movement of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 2:1-13), wrote the brethren in Corinth to solve these issues.  Paul did not write them and tell them to agree to disagree.  Paul did not write these brethren with a list of what issues were issues that are not “tests of fellowship”.  Paul wrote these brethren saying: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (I Corinthians 1:10).  Paul’s writing that they speak the same thing, have no divisions, be completely joined together in the same mind and judgment, was not of Paul, but by the authority of Christ.  Paul’s teaching was consistent with the Lord’s prayer for unity, but the teaching of our brethren on fellowship today is a far cry from what we are reading in the New Testament.

Paul did not just write to the brethren in Corinth teaching what clearly opposes unity in diversity.  Paul also wrote the brethren in Philippi saying: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.  Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.  Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing” (Philippians 1:27; 2:2; 3:16).  How do we arrive at true unity, we walk by the same rule.  That is the teaching of our Lord through the pen of the Apostle Paul.

Paul was confident that other faithful preachers, like Timothy, would preach the same thing that he himself taught in every congregation (I Corinthians 4:17).  That is unity.  In light of our agreement that David Brewer, I, and even yourself (different from what David teaches) teach something different on the Holy Spirit, how can you say you are following the pattern of teaching truth we see in the New Testament?  When preachers were trained in the first century, they were trained to teach the same things (II Timothy 2:2).  Truth is not adjustable.  When we change truth either to the left or the right, it is no longer the truth (Deuteronomy 4:2; 5:32; 12:32, Joshua 1:7, Proverbs 30:5-6, Matthew 15:1-9, Galatians 1:6-12, and Revelation 22:18-19).  If something is not the truth, it is therefore error.  If a man is teaching something false, how does that not make him a false teacher?  If brethren would simply teach what God has spoken and remove their own ideas we would not have these issues to deal with (I Peter 4:11).  We need to walk by the same rule and teach the same things.  Fellowship really is not a hard subject to grasp.  God has made it simple.  Like all other errors, it is men who have complicated this simple Bible Subject.

1. Is teaching something that is false a sin?

2. Is teaching something more than what is revealed in the word of God truth?

3. Can one be a known sinner and still be held in fellowship with God and the faithful?

4. What Scripture(s) teach that only false doctrines which lead to further sin are reasons to end fellowship?

5. If a person said that Satan literally embodies sinners would you mark and withdraw from that person?

6. To what extent can we add to God’s word without becoming false teachers?

7. What Scripture(s) lists for us the doctrines over which we are to consider “tests of fellowship”?

8. You said that you have taught that the literal indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not the truth publicly in Wellsburg.  You then wrote to me: “This being said, it would surely be confusing to the brethren here to ask them to contribute to the Lord’s treasury from which support is given to a brother they know while at the same time having another brother in who has labeled him a false teacher.”  I know that you have not labeled David as a false teacher.  But, you have labeled what he teaches as false (a debate in semantics).  My question: How come you are allowed to preach at Wellsburg since you consider what David teaches to be false?

9. The brethren in Wellsburg have decided I am not to come and preach there because they disagree with my labeling a man as a false teacher.  Yet, they also disagree with some of what David teaches while they still financially support him.  How is that consistent?

10.  Paul said: “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8)?  How are you and David teaching two different things and yet still one Gospel?  Why not follow what Paul said about teaching another Gospel?

11. Since the truth makes on free (John 8:32), how does something false do the same?

12. When one teaches something false and does not repent, is that not further sin?

13. The commandment of the Lord is that we all speak the same thing (I Corinthians 1:10).  When we do not, how is that not sin?

Brotherly,

Brian A. Yeager

From: Brian A. Yeager [mailto:brianyeager@wordsoftruth.net]
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 7:36 AM
To: 'CLEVELAND REDDINGER'
Subject: From Brian Yeager

Dear Cleveland:

It has been eight days since I have written you.  I am still awaiting your response.  Since I have not heard from you, I figured I would resend below what I sent to you last Wednesday, in the event that you did not receive it.  Since you and the brethren in Wellsburg view me as erring, enough to cancel a Gospel Meeting, I hope you are at least capable to attempt a scriptural defense of your position.  I would hope that you had studied these things out before taking action against me.  Thus, your biblical reasons for your actions should be somewhat fresh in your mind.  I hope to hear from you soon.

Brotherly,

Brian A. Yeager