We need to be clear regarding the difference between teaching apostasy and being wrong in doctrine. Someone may not be correct in his teaching about a certain doctrine, but this does not mean that he is apostate. For example, suppose a brother in the Lord, a genuine believer in Christ, is somewhat mistaken in his teaching regarding the rapture. We may say that he is wrong in doctrine, but we should not say that he is heretical or that he teaches apostasy, for he believes in the divine person of Christ and in His redemptive work. He believes that Jesus Christ is the very God, that He was incarnated to become a man, that He died on the cross for our sins, that He resurrected from among the dead, and that He ascended to the heavens. According to the New Testament, someone becomes apostate, not by teaching incorrectly about the rapture but by giving up the faith that Jesus Christ is God and that He came in the flesh to be a man. Those who do not believe this are apostate.

I believe that John and Paul learned a great deal from Moses' writings, including the definite word in chapters twelve and thirteen of Deuteronomy. Whereas John was definite concerning apostasy, Paul was definite concerning division.

The book of Romans presents a complete picture of God's salvation, a picture that comprises both the Christian and the church life. The last three chapters of Romans, chapters fourteen through sixteen, are on the local church life. In chapters fourteen and fifteen Paul speaks concerning receiving the believers. "Now him who is weak in faith receive, not with a view to passing judgment on reasonings" (14:1). For a believer to be weak in faith does not mean that he has no faith; it means that, although he has faith, he is weak in faith. Those who are weak in faith we should receive without passing judgment on reasonings. We should receive them without reasoning with them. The one who is weak in faith may eat only vegetables and may judge one day above another (vv. 2-3, 5), whereas the one who is strong in faith may believe that he may eat all things and may judge every day alike. Instead of judging the believers with respect to such matters, we should receive them in love, for God has received them (v. 3). Furthermore, Paul says, "We who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those who are weak, and not to please ourselves" (15:1). Then Paul goes on to say, "Wherefore receive one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God" (v. 7). We should receive the believers not according to the way of eating or the keeping of days but according to Christ, who is the unique center and the all-embracing One. We must receive all kinds of genuine believers, whether they eat herbs or eat meat, whether they keep certain days or consider every day alike. Moreover, we must receive all genuine believers according to Christ.

In Romans 14 and 15 Paul is generous, broad-minded, and all-embracing, but in Romans 16:17 he is very narrow and strict. "I beg you, brothers, keep a watchful eye on those who make divisions and causes of falling contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and turn away from them." On the one hand, we need to receive all kinds of genuine believers; on the other hand, we need to be narrow and strict in dealing with divisive ones. In 16:17 Paul does not say, "These divisive ones are brothers. We need to receive them and love them." No, he tells us to keep a watchful eye on them and to turn away from them. To turn away from those who make divisions and causes of falling is to quarantine them.

In Romans 16:20a Paul says, "Now the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." It is significant that this word comes after the word concerning the strict dealing with the divisive ones. If we do not have any discernment but instead love blindly, and if we do not quarantine those who make divisions and causes of falling, Satan will be above us, not under us. But if we quarantine the divisive ones, Satan will be crushed under our feet.