The Prophet's Voice

Where is the voice of the prophet in ABCUSA? Our denomination has always prided itself on having a prophetic voice, of speaking truth to power. Our current GS was selected, among other things, of course, to be a prophetic voice.

So what is a prophetic voice? Some in ABC think it’s a voice that criticizes the U.S. government, or other forms of what it calls power in the U.S., with challenges to the status quo, traditional policy, or historic morality. And, yes, sometimes that voice is a prophetic voice, if the status quo or other object of attack is sinful. But the prophetic voice, if it is modeled on the prophetic voices of the Bible, also includes speaking about the unrighteous personal sin that an individual may have in his/her life, or the sin of the people of God corporately.

Example: Jeremiah 7:8-10

8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit.

9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not;

10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations?

Jeremiah brought this prophetic voice to the nation Judah. I guess no ABC person would argue that the list of sins God excoriates in this message are things that are O.K. for believers to engage in today, that a new historical understanding of the situation in Judah in those days actually allows us to declare, as the Judahites did, that they were allowed to do those things. At least, I hope no ABC persons would make such an argument. I guess no ABC person would start a W&A group for those sins (at least I hope not). But those who did those sins said “We are delivered to do all these abominations.” Somehow this does sound familiar doesn’t it?

Christ died for the sins of others. He did not approve them. Could it be the prophetic voice is telling us that it might be that the ABCUSA, as a body, must die for the sins of those who endorse and do things defined as sin by scripture? Though tears would be shed, it would be a proper funeral for “we sorrow not as others who have no hope,” and Bible believing and obeying Christians would find resurrection in other churches that survive the late ABCUSA.