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[Orthodox and Heresy] A Hot Issue in Korean Churches
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Manmin News
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 20166 |
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March 01, 2005 |
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"Orthodox and Heresy" Published by the Union of Korean Presbyterian Churches
"We have confirmed that Rev. Jaerock Lee's ministry has laid its foundation on sound and orthodox doctrine oriented toward the evangelical mission."
 A corporate juridical organization, the Korean Presbyterian Churches Union, has recently published a book named "Orthodoxy and Heresy". The KPCU, which is the Union of the Korean Presbyterian Churches, is the largest church union in terms of the number of members in Korea; it has 120 different denominations and 9 organizations. Officers of KPCU and members of Heresy Investigation Committee conducted a thorough examination of the subject of heresy. This book resulted from that investigation and has been appointed as the official guide on the subject of heresy. It will be used as the official textbook in 84 theological seminaries belonging to KPCU.
There was a lot of confusion and division among Korean churches due to condemnation brought against some churches by a small
group of people who did not have the proper theological background or knowledge to make such accusations. It is comparable to the witch-hunts and the way people were judged and convicted as witches by the Middle Age Catholic Church.
Therefore, the KPCU took steps to properly standardize beliefs about the Bible, God, Christ, Holy Spirit, human beings, salvation, the church, and the end of the time according to the orthodox doctrine to distinguish and define that which is and that which is not considered to be heresy. They have been studying heresy in depth under the supervision of many theologians. They visited the churches they were studying both openly and covertly. They studied and re-studied the doctrines and ways those churches were run. As a result of the studies they documented, verified, and concluded that Manmin Joong-ang Church has no doctrine that can be classified as heretic, and no doctrine or practice that violates the orthodox doctrines as determined and set forth by the KPCU. One such conclusion they made says, "Our union has found that Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee himself was healed by God just before death. He has been emphasizing divine healing for the sick and this has caused some misunderstandings. However, we have clarified that Rev. Dr. Jaerock Lee is ministering with faithful doctrines based on the gospel."
This book also contains the theological responses of Manmin Joong-Ang Church to the questions of the KPCU and our standpoint about the previous misunderstandings.
KPCU's Statement
on Rev. Jaerock Lee and Manmin Joong-ang Church
Rev. Jaerock Lee was healed of various diseases just before death and became a new person. He graduated from The Sungkyul Theological Seminary (President: Pastor Taekgu Son) run by The Jesus Holiness Church in Korea. He started a church on July 25, 1982, as an evangelist.
The first scandal involving him and heresy happened because of improper expressions written in his testimonial memoir s Tasting Eternal Life before Death : 'God explained to me the last hour.' At that time The Jesus' Sungkyul Church located around and in Ahnyang-city and The Radical Sungkyul Church mutually cooperated permitting some of them to call Rev. Jaerock Lee into the church court on assertions that he had taught his church members the day and the hour when Jesus will come again. The Assembly of the church considered only the hearsay concerning the matter and dealt with his case at the court and concluded his church was heretical. That was because in those days the Manmin Joong-ang church was the largest among the churches of the Jesus' Holiness Church in Korea and it was considered as an object that needed to be held back and in check.
The book Tasting Eternal Life before Death was edited by a woman church worker. She was Chief Editor and gathered data of Rev. Jaerock Lee's testimonies and edited the book. She had no theological knowledge and thought such a testimonial book did not have to be examined theologically. In that way the book was published without theological examination. Later some church workers were rebellious toward the church and they gave erroneous data and unsubstantiated rumors to the Korea Christian Council. The rumors and falsehoods were sent to MBC (Munhwa Broadcasting Center) and MBC was scheduled to broadcast the information. The church learned about the broadcasting time-table concerning the rumors that were to be announced by MBC. Many members forcefully entered MBC and occupied the station to stop its broadcasting. The incident gave rise to even greater scandal. Again, the Korea Christian Council rushed to condemn Rev. Jaerock Lee and his church and label the pastor and church as heretical.
However, Rev. Jaerock Lee and his church let it be known that the Korea Christian Council and MBC wrongfully disregarded the replies of the church and acted without giving them the chance to defend their position.
We have investigated this scandal in detail, and now we conclude that the scandal of the Manmin Joong-ang Church came not from the doctrine or church creed but simply from financial and ethical matters, and it was severely abused in a one-sided manner.
We gave Rev. Jaerock Lee a chance to defend himself and his church and thoroughly examined the church's doctrines sent by him as the reply to our questions. His doctrine was found to have no heretical aspects and to have nothing contrary to orthodox Christian doctrine as we know and present it. So, we proclaim the Manmin Joong-ang Church is not heretical.
It appears that some churches and Christian institutes in Korea have considered the church as heretical because of un-orthodox doctrine, but actually they condemned it as heretical with the focus on practices interpreted as a kind of mysticism.
According to our investigation on the church history and his ministry, Rev. Jaerock Lee was misunderstood and considered as a mystical heretic because he had been healed of his diseases just before death and had placed an emphasis on miracle healing. But we have proven that his ministry has laid its foundation on sound and orthodox doctrine oriented toward the evangelical mission.
We recommend, however, that he and his church abstain from some expressions that might be considered as radical mysticism that they use in association with the gift of healing they do in their ministry through laying on hands, prayer for the sick, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and experiencing miracles.
From P 388 to 339 of "Orthodox and Heresy"
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