Ruckmanism
No.2 REFUTED. [By Pat Benner]
His
Unscriptural Divorce
Now the
followers of Dr. Ruckman will agree that the New Testament
did not start until the Death of Jesus.
Heb 9:16-17 For where a testament is, there must also of necessity
be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force
after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all
while the testator liveth.
The only
New Testament book dealing with Divorce is 1st Corinthians.
If order
to understand the problems Paul found at Corinth, I will briefly
cover 1st Corinthians.
This appears
to be the motto of Corinth "eat drink and be merry for
tomorrow we die"
In Chapter
3 we find envy, strife and divisions
1 Cor 3:3 For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among
you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal,
and walk as men?
In Chapter
4 Paul defends his Apostolic Authority
In Chapter
5 we find a Man sleeping with Mother-in-law!!
1 Cor 5:1 It is reported commonly that there is fornication
among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named
among the Gentiles, that one should have his father's wife.
Here Paul
is rebuking them to not associate with fornicators, covetores,
extortioners, and idolaters.
1 Cor 5:9-10 I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company
with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators
of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with
idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world.
Here Paul
is rebuking them for taking their brothers to court.
1 Cor 6:5-6 I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is
not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to
judge between his brethren? But brother goeth to law with
brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Again
he is warning against fornication. Corinth was a center for
worship of the Greek Goddess of Love, Aphrodite, this the
reason for the sexual morality.
1 Cor 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth
against his own body.
I will
deal with Chapter 7 in detail later.
They were
eating meat offered to Idols.
1 Cor 8:4 As concerning therefore the eating of those things
that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an
idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other
God but one.
Once again
Paul is stating his authority as an Apostle.
1 Cor 9:1-2 Am I not an apostle? am I not free? have I not
seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?
If I be not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to
you: for the seal of mine apostleship are ye in the Lord.
In Chapter
10 Paul is again warning against Idolatry
1 Cor 10:19-20 What say I then? that the idol is any thing,
or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing?
But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they
sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that
ye should have fellowship with devils.
Chapter
11 Paul is warning of disorderly meeting, women not being
veiled, and abuses at the Lord's Supper. Warning men against
long hair, and the Women against Short Hair.
1 Cor 11:14-15 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that,
if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? But if a
woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is
given her for a covering.
In Chapter
12 Paul has to rebuke them for their abuses of the Gifts and
correct them.
In Chapter
13 Paul teaches that Love is better than any other gift.
In Chapter
14 That Prophecy is better than Tongues.
And in
Chapter 15 he gives the directions for Giving.
I will
take Chapter 7 verse by verse.
1 Cor 7:1 Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto
me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman.
First
Paul says it is best to remain SINGLE. This way you can devote
more time to God.
1 Cor 7:2 Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man
have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.
But if
you can't contain yourself then go ahead and find your OWN
wife or your OWN husband.
1 Cor 7:3 Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence:
and likewise also the wife unto the husband.
Do not
withhold 'favors' from your Spouse.
1 Cor 7:4 The wife hath not power of her own body, but the
husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his
own body, but the wife.
This marriage
is a union, two flesh become one.
1 Cor 7:5 Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with
consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting
and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you
not for your incontinency.
If you
must refrain from 'favors' do so only with the consent of
your spouse, and then only with PRAYER and FASTING. This only
makes the relationship stronger. After being away from the
union and then returning the love is much greater.
1 Cor 7:8 I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It
is good for them if they abide even as I.
Once again
Paul is talking about remaining Single.
1 Cor 7:9 But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for
it is better to marry than to burn.
Once again
he is talking about if you can't contain yourself then go
ahead and find your OWN wife or your OWN husband.
1 Cor 7:10 And unto the married I command, yet not I, but
the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband:
Here Paul
is telling us do NOT let the wife depart, and he makes this
VERY clear, this is not his WORDS but the Lord's.
1 Cor 7:11 But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried,
or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put
away his wife.
Here is
the major point of this passage, if she does depart she is
NOT to Marry, but she is to return to her husband. Also her
Husband is not to remarry, for if he remarries how can she
be reconciled to him?
1 Cor 7:12 But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother
hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell
with him, let him not put her away.
1 Cor 7:13 And the woman which hath an husband that believeth
not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave
him.
These
2 verses he is talking to the people that had already married
UNBELIEVERS.
It was
never God's plan for his children to marry the Heathen;
2 Cor 6:14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers:
for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness?
and what communion hath light with darkness?
2 Cor 6:15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what
part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
Paul is
telling us here to Marry ONLY Christians, and to not marry
NON-Christians.
Look at
the problems the Nation of Israel had when they married Heathens.
This lead to downfall of Israel. Remember verse 11? Israel
WILL BE reconciled back to GOD. At the End of the Tribulation
Israel will return to God. God DID NOT marry another people,
Israel is still his 'wife'.
1 Cor 7:14 For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the
wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband:
else were your children unclean; but now are they holy.
1 Cor 7:15 But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart.
A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases:
but God hath called us to peace.
Even tho
these People married Heathen the marriage is still Sanctified
in God's eye. And if the UNBELIEVER departs the BELIEVER is
not bound to the marriage.
1 Cor 7:16 For what knowest thou, O wife, whether thou shalt
save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O man, whether thou
shalt save thy wife?
This is
talking about a Saved Man or Women wining their lost Spouse
to the saving Grace of Jesus. How many times have you seen
this Happen? My Mother won my Father this way. We have at
least 2 couples in my church that this has happened too.
This is
God's plan for Marriage in the Churches, but did you notice
there is one thing missing? NOT ONE TIME is the Pastor mentioned,
NOT ONCE. Paul deals with that in the "Pastoral Epistles".
God holds
the Position of Pastor to a MUCH higher standard. Do we not
hold the President to a higher Standard? Do we not look up
to the leader that we placed over us? Do we not look up to
own Pastor to guide and lead us? Would you seek Marital Counsel
from a Pastor that has had 2 wives leave him? He has shown
that he himself cannot rule well his own house, let alone
the House of God!!
1 Tim 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children
in subjection with all gravity;
1 Tim 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house,
how shall he take care of the church of God?)
The Church
at Corinth is the MOST Apostate Church in the NT. Paul had
to write this letter as well as least 2 more (1st Cor 5:9)
to correct their Apostate teachings. This is the same church
that the Pentecostals base their teaching of Tongues on. When
you base your Doctrine on an Apostate Church then you have
apostate Doctrine. This letter was necessary because of the
high Divorce rate in Corinth, if your going to base your Doctrine
on Corinth, then be like Corinth, there was even One man sleeping
with his Step-Mother!!
Now God's
plan for remarriage,
1 Cor 7:39 The wife is bound by the law as long as her husband
liveth; but if her husband be dead, she is at liberty to be
married to whom she will; only in the Lord.
1 Cor 7:40 But she is happier if she so abide, after my judgment:
and I think also that I have the Spirit of God.
The wife
is free to remarry, ONLY ON THE DEATH OF HER HUSBAND, and
then ONLY to a BELIEVER. UNTIL DEATH DO WE PART!!! My Pastor
has been the Husband of one Wife for 24 years. My Father has
been the Husband of one Wife for 45 years.
Now here
are Paul's Qualifications for 'The Pastor'.
1 Tim 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office
of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
Paul first
says is a 'good work'.
1 Tim 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of
one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality,
apt to teach;
Here Paul
is very clear HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE, he does not say ONE AT
A TIME, OR THE ONE YOU ARE MARRIED TO AT THE TIME, He says
ONE WIFE. Nowhere in this passage is divorce even mentioned.
1 Tim 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy
lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
A Pastor
MUST meet these Qualities to be a Pastor. As you examine the
writings of Dr. Ruckman you will notice his arrogant style.
Does this sound the Man Paul is describing here?
1 Tim 3:4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children
in subjection with all gravity;
1 Tim 3:5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house,
how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Now I
will let Dr. Ruckman speak for himself:
"I
have had two wives desert me after fifteen years of marriage
... I have been in court custody cases, where seven children's
futures were held in the balance; in situations where Gospel
articles were being torn out of typewriters, Biblical artwork
torn off the easels, women trying to throw themselves out
of cars at fifty m.p.h., mailing wedding rings back in the
middle of revival services, cutting their wrists, threatening
to leave if I did not give my church to their kinfolk; deacons
threatening to burn down my house and beat me up; children
in split custody between two domiciles two hundred miles apart,
and knock-down, drag-out arguments in the home sometimes running
as long as three days" (The Last Grenade, p. 339).
Does man
sound as if he can 'rule well his own house'? Does these sound
like a Man that can 'Rule well the House of God'? If you are
in need of Marital Counseling would you go to a Man that has
had 2 wives leave him? He can tell you the wrong ways to run
a marriage, and can recommend a good Divorce Attorney. But
can he tell you the right way to run marriage? If you want
a Man that can tell you how to Love your Wife and, tell you
how to keep your Wife happy go to a Man with 50 or 60 years
of marriage to back it up. For a man with this many years
of Marriage, has learned how to 'rule well his own house'.
1 Tim 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he
fall into the condemnation of the devil.
1 Tim 3:7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which
are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the
devil.
A Pastor
is not to be lifted up with pride, once again I will quote
from the man himself:
"If
you are able to obtain a copy [of Ruckman's proposed new book]
you will have, in your hands, a minimum of 200 advanced revelations
that came from the inerrant English text, that were completely
overlooked (or ignored) by every major Christian scholar since
90 A.D. This would include all of the modern Bible revisors
(1800-1999), all of the faculty members and staffs of every
major "Fundamental" (Conservative and Evangelical)
seminary, university, and college in Europe and America since
1500, and every Greek and Hebrew scholar (or teacher) since
1611. ... Actually, if a BIble believer has this work he will
have the accumulated knowledge of Cornelius Stam and Ethelbert
Bullinger ... Clarence Larkin and C.I. Scofield ... Hickey,
Gorman, Swaggart, Dake, Roberts, Terrill, Hagin, Allen, Ewing,
Osborne, Tilton, and PTL ... Pember, Peters, Gaebelein, Pentecost,
Lindsey, Kirban, Rockwood, Webber, and Van Impe ... plus the
Puritans, Reformers, major evangelists (Moody, Sunday, Finney,
Torrey, Wesley, etc.) and all that ANY Greek and Hebrew scholar
... ever found out--that was SO--in the last 200 years"
(Bible Believers' Bulletin, Jan. 1994, pp. 2,4).
