Acts 20:28-30 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
In case you were not aware, Prime Video released a docuseries on the Duggar family in June. Shiny Happy People (Duggar Family Secrets) is a four part documentary on the beliefs of the Duggar family and the IBLP at large with an emphasis on people who were abused by the system and have escaped.
There has been a fair amount of controversy around it, partly due to the fact that many of the former IBLP members who were interviewed are no longer professing Christians, or they have embraced a much more progressive version of Christianity. I watched the docuseries starting the day it was released, but I want to watch it a second time to write down my observations and thoughts without the first impressions dominating.
In the mean time, I thought I'd share this post from Lighthouse Trails Research Project for your consideration. The editors made a few clear observations and then linked to an article by Don Veinot at the Midwest Christian Outreach. Mr. Veinot has quite a considerable knowledge of Gothardism and its errors as he has been exposing it for years and made the effort and point of confronting Bill Gothard in person with his false teachings. Mr. Veinot and another man wrote a book on the subject, in fact, as you will see in the linked articles.
As always, I encourage you to look up the scriptures used in the KJV where other translations are used. I observed that, as usual, the KJV translation was much more useful and powerful in its language.
1 Peter 3:14-17 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
Sadly, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and Bill Gothard and many others have given the adversary a weapon to use against the true faith, once delivered to the saints. They are suffering for their evil deeds, but as they have put themselves themselves forward to the world as representatives of Christianity at its alleged finest (especially the Duggars on their reality show), they have given the unsaved and unbelieving space to blaspheme the name of God as David did when he committed adultery. (2 Samuel 12:13-14. Romans 2:24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.) It is little wonder that the world misinterprets Christianity because of their behavior. But, it is tragic that the Bible teaching churches have allowed the errors of Gothard to pollute their beliefs so widely - a subject for another day.
Here is the post from Lighthouse Trails:
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