Scripture, False Teachers, and Lambeth Invitations

I was tempted to title this post “The Bible Says Don’t Invite Those Lib’ruls to Lambeth.” But I’m Anglican now you know.

So I’ll follow Matt+ Kennedy’s excellent lead and point out that clear and emphatic teaching of scripture is being overlooked in the discussion and deliberation about Lambeth invitations – you don’t coddle or aid false teachers; you anathemize them and don’t invite them into the councils of the church or even into your home, even if it is Lambeth.

This isn’t an obscure teaching, but is even the focus of an entire epistle, 2nd John:

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, for whoever greets him takes part in his wicked works.
2 John 9-11

Paul had some, um, strong words about this matter:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel — not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed [anathema]. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.
Galatians 1:6-9

And you thought I was hardboiled.

These emphatic scriptures are being overlooked in Anglican discussions even though P. B. Schori and at least many of her allies have proven themselves time and again to be false teachers, often brazenly so.

But there’s no getting around it. Inviting Schori et al to Lambeth is flat not compatible with scripture. Instead it violates it.

And after all the meetings and statements concerning the Episcopal Church, this violation is particularly inexcusable.