Church Politics

The following transcript and audio is taken from Elijah’s sermon on Deuteronomy 32. The sermon was explosive and highly controversial, because he used the pulpit to attack certain brethren. Because no names were mentioned, some rather naive individuals assumed Elijah was speaking generally. For those who knew the context, the sermon was replete with personal attacks upon Joel Chia, as well as a number of the Hohhot brethren. This is why Elijah chose Zipporah and not Joel to interpret that day. 

[00:38:24 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:00:00] So when He speaks about, in v35 about Him taking vengeance, being a God of recompense, He’s speaking about His revenge against His own people, not outsiders, not heathen – not those who attack us from outside with a sword, but those who are rebellious and disobedient and think they are very smart inside the camp … [shouting] ‘IF I WHET MY GLITTERING SWORD, AND MINE HAND TAKES HOLD ON JUDGMENT; I WILL RENDER VENGEANCE TO MINE ENEMIES, AND WILL REWARD THEM THAT HATE ME.’ [shouting at full volume] ‘I WILL MAKE MINE ARROWS DRUNK WITH BLOOD, AND MY SWORD SHALL DEVOUR FLESH; AND THAT WITH THE BLOOD OF THE SLAIN AND OF THE CAPTIVES, FROM THE BEGINNING OF REVENGES UPON THE ENEMY.’ God will take revenge upon His own people …

[00:44:19 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:00:56] You see here Christ, holding up a sword and the sword is dripping with blood. It’s a two-edged sword dripping with blood. But the blood is not the blood of His enemies or adversaries, or the heathen. It’s the blood of His own people! The people who THINK THEY ARE VERY SMART, AND DECEITFUL! … So I felt we have problems. Do you know what I mean? We can give the doctrines. Most of the doctrines I give to you is doctrines concerning your salvation. It is for most of you to go back and consider whether you are converted or not – whether you are justified by grace … 

[00:46:31 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:01:36] A lot of people likes to play politics. Everyone wants to be a pastor when they are hardly converted, when they are very rebellious and disobedient, they want to be pastors, leaders … 

[00:48:07 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:01:49] The Bible tells us and warns us, generation after generation, even against Moses you find Korah and Dathan and Abiram rising up against him and rebellious. Even Aaron and Miriam do rise up against Moses. You know, I have problems. Churches in Britain, in Australia, in the Philippines, everywhere I have problem – even in Malaysia I have problems. Everybody wants to be a leader. Everybody wants to be involved with the politics of the church. When hardly their soul is saved. They don’t manifest the virtues and the marks of a converted man,

[00:49:26 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:02:34] but THESE BASTARDS WANT TO BE PASTORS [shouting]! I told you that Christ is our only ruler. He sits at the right hand of the Majesty on high and rules from Jerusalem above, which is the mother of us all.

[00:50:10 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:02:49] DON’T LET ANY OTHER… DON’T LET ANY OTHER BASTARD RULE YOU! BE CAREFUL OF ABSALOMS! AHITHOPHELS! ADONIJAHS! AND ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO COME IN. Even if you go in the way of Barnabas, you go in the wrong way. [shouting] YOU DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! I’M THE ONE WHO GIVE YOU THE DOCTRINES. YOU DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO! PERSONALLY AS I LOOK AT YOUR PROBLEM, I THINK IT’S quite complex. It’s just very complicated. The best thing is to keep quiet. Wait, until God judges you. 

[00:52:25 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:03:22] During this conference, I have my leaders, my missionary pastors and elder sisters come and tell me. It seems that there is another conference going on DURING THIS CONFERENCE! AND IT’S NOT A CONFERENCE – IT’S A CONFEDERACY! [shouting] THEY MEETS IN THE NIGHT SEASONS! The accommodations of love which been given you, you have used it for a confederacy and a conspiracy! You go to the car parks and then you do your meetings in the night seasons … And during the time of the feedback sessions, the brothers say these people who are supposed to come here first, they don’t, they sit in the corner, they hardly can speak, they hardly can respond – THIS IS NOT THE SPIRIT I GIVE TO YOU! And the young people are more contrite than you. The next generation is more, more ready to receive than you. You hardly have settled down to know the doctrines of grace and you want now to play politics. I can say this: don’t be indulged in church politics, but seek diligently for the salvation of your soul. Because many of you are not justified yet. And you try to show me your wisdom, but IT IS NOT A WISDOM AT ALL! BECAUSE YOU HARDLY KNOW my doctrine … I’M VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH YOU, MANY OF YOU. I CAN SAY BY NAME, BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SHAME YOU PUBLICLY! I SAY THIS PERSUASION COME NOT FROM ME THAT CALL YOU! A LITTLE LEAVEN LEAVENETH THE WHOLE LUMP! WHOEVER IS BEHIND IT, LET HIM BE CUT OFF! I SENSE, YOU KNOW, THIS SPIRIT – I LOOK AT YOUR BLOODY FACES – I THINK ALL OF YOU, SOME OF YOU, I LOOK AT YOUR BLOODY FACES – I SEE THAT YOU ARE CRESTFALLEN LIKE CAIN! THE SPIRIT OF CAIN IS INSIDE YOU! If you are following a good cause, you wouldn’t have like that, you would be able to receive my doctrine and my spirit. And my spirit is not in you! SOMEBODY ELSE’S SPIRIT – ANOTHER SPIRIT IS IN YOU! SOME BLOODY SERPENT, SOME BLOODY SNAKE HAS COME INTO YOUR LIFE! HOW CAN THERE BE ANOTHER CONFERENCE WHEN I AM HAVING A CONFERENCE IN NAIGAON? HOW CAN THERE BE ANOTHER CONFERENCE IN SHANDONG WHICH I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT? AND HOW CAN, HOW CAN THERE BE… I FEEL THAT HOW CAN THERE BE A LOT OF THINGS THAT I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT? YOU SAY YOU HAVE RECEIVED MY DOCTRINE BUT YOU DO NOT PROVE IT! A SNAKE IS COMING AND HE SAYS, “HAS GOD SAID SO?” BECAUSE THIS BLOODY SNAKE, THIS BLOODY SNAKE SAY, “HAS GOD SAID SO?” Our chairman prayed wisely. He said, “Let us learn to take the law.” 

[00:57:29 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:06:14] You all have received your doctrine from me. Then don’t YOU BASTARD BECAUSE YOU WANT TO CONTRIVE US FOR ANOTHER DEFECTIVE MESSENGER, OR THIS UNFAITHFUL MESSENGER. [shouting vehemently] DON’T LIE TO ME YOU BASTARD, I WILL TELL YOU! CUT UP LIKE SOME BLOODY SERPENT! … I said, “Where’s the blessedness that you had before?” When I look at some of you, even staying in my own room, I see they look at me with fear instead of looking at me with joy and happiness. So I said, “What happened? What spirit? This is not my spirit. This is the spirit of Antichrist!”

[01:14:30 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:06:50] [shouting] YOUR COUNTENANCE IS FALLEN! WHICH BLOODY SNAKE HAS DONE THIS TO YOU? LET THIS BLOODY SNAKE BE CUT OFF IN HIS HEAD, MAN!

During the conference, Elijah preached twice on the book of Joshua. He didn’t restrict himself to this book, but also introduced into his sermons allegorical deductions taken from the book of Judges. He draws his ecclesiology straight from these books. On The Westminster Tradition website point (11) on ‘Church’, Elijah departs from the historic creeds to reference Judges 8:23. To uninformed outsiders,  it’s just an obscure reference. But those within are persuaded that Elijah himself is the judge raised up by God over all the churches of the ‘127 provinces’ (i.e. world) – a judge who transcends all divisions of nationality, gender and tribe. He warns any doubters who ‘cannot see it‘, that God’s judgment will fall upon them: ‘This is why God punished many of the tribes during the time of Judges … we gotta be careful because later on the Jews did not appreciate the rule of Samuel and the rule of the judges.‘ Isn’t it ironic that the man who claims to be the great, universal, end-times judge, refuses to give clear direction to the associated China churches?

All this raises the distinct possibility that Elijah’s professed ‘holding back’ was a hypocrisy, a sleight, a device by which he could publicly distance himself from the coming rupture. But this article proves that Elijah did anything but hold back. He made numerous rulings from the pulpit and in private diligently sought the downfall of his two missionaries and the majority of the locally appointed elders in Hohhot.

The next application of his Joshua sermons is to instruct the brethren in China to be content and mind their own business! Be content with your tribal allocation! This follows Elijah’s usual methodology of divide and conquer. The last thing Elijah wants is a confederacy of churches awakened to the fact that he himself is the one who has all the time been playing ‘church politics’. The best way to prevent the eyes of the congregations from being opened to the antichrist ruling over them is to isolate the congregations and quash communication between them.

How exactly are modern day ‘judges’ raised up? Apparently, God comes and calls a person and says, “Lead my people.” This neatly sidesteps the issue of ordination.  Elijah used to believe in ordination (click here), but in more recent years has propagated the mantra that ‘titles [and  consequently offices] mean nothing‘. It suits Elijah that the only person whose calling cannot be called into question is his own. He allows leaders to surface (and is usually the one to appoint them), but if their faithfulness to himself is ever in doubt, they are slapped back down and denounced as power-hungry bastards and usurpers: Abimelechs (‘brambles’), Absaloms,  Ahithophels and Adonijahs.

[00:54:47] [00:00:00] Then when we come to the book of Judges, God allowed them to abide in their tribes. Every tribe by itself. Every church by itself. They was autonomous. They looked after their own affairs – ’til God raised up a judge. And it’s for them every tribe must recognise that this judge is raised up of God. Like He raised Jephthah, He raised Gideon, He raised Samson. They had to recognise it. It is not meant for one tribe – but it was meant for all 12 tribes. It is not meant for one person. It was meant for 12×7 – 127 provinces. So it had transnational and transgender and transtribal implications and significance. So this is God is teaching them these things. But unfortunately this was the problem at the time. They cannot see it. So, this is why God punished many of the tribes during the time of Judges.

[01:07:22] [00:01:08] God in His wisdom and in His foreknowledge has put you where He wanted to put you. Even though you say it’s cast by lot, God has put you there. You should be content, happy. Ask yourself why God put me? Why am I here? What is God’s reason for me? You should not ask, “Why God made me a Mongolian? Why God made me a Han?” Because he want you to ‘hant’ for souls. So I feel that God is trying to say that when, when, especially when, God is trying to say that every tribe: stay where you are, mind your own business and unless God come and call you and say, “Lead my people.” And then you must lead God’s people. Otherwise God say in ordinary times, God is their Ruler. Everyone mind their own business. But when one tribe need help, all the other tribes will come and help. And see whether they need help. Especially the neighbouring tribes. So you see the wisdom of God. The way of God in ruling and giving self-governance and peace to all men. This demarcation is not made by man – it’s not made by political men – if it happens we just submit to it – we just live peacefully … Moses was special. There was not a leader like that until the New Testament – ah, the Old Testament dispensation expired. Joshua was something like Moses, but he did not have the same power as… he did not have the same power as Moses. The judges who came in, alright, here and there – not all the time, not all the time. Only when there was a necessity, God raised them up. Alright? The only exception is Abimelech. God did not call him. As far as God is concerned, he was a bramble. So God brought an evil spirit between him and the Shechemites and they fought each other until all them perished. Likewise I said, we gotta be very careful because later on the Jews did not appreciate the rule of Samuel and the rule of the judges.

[01:41:20] [00:03:44] And also, God has given you the doctrines that I’ve given. Don’t use it to make merchandise for your comfort and for your power – for a show of your talent. YOU ARE NOTHING! IT’S THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD. IT IS I WHO LABOURED! IT’S THROUGH THE GRACE OF GOD THAT YOU RECEIVED IT! And many of you can’t even think properly – think originally. And you’re not philosophical in your thinking – most of you are shallow. 

It’s very clear from point 1 that Elijah wishes to exert absolute authority over the churches in China. He sees himself as a modern day Moses and likens any who do not revere him to Korah, Dathan, Abiram, Aaron and Miriam – seditious and rebellious. He also sees himself as having an equivalent calling to the Old Testament judges.

Paul the Apostle said, “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.” This ‘presiding pastor’, this self-appointed pope,  announces that ‘these bastards want to be pastors’. Empty words when he asserts that Christ is our only ruler. Is this your church polity, oh wicked man? “Christ is our only ruler. I am His anointed. Don’t let any other bastard rule you!” There is no need to say anymore.

In the following audioclip, we hear the tyrant pretend that he does not want to rule:

[00:13:27 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:00:00] Moses is nothing but a servant of God and the best of men are altogether vanity… No one is worth being worshipped. Put no man on a pedestal! [cp Zephaniah’s prayer made six days earlier] We worship God and God alone. [Amen!] We worship God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit through our Lord and Saviour Yeshua Christ. The only Mediator between God and man is Christ Yeshua. Christ will rule us. Right? We don’t need anyone else to rule us. Don’t be worried – we are emancipated, we are liberated to be ruled by Christ alone. 

[00:59:41 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:00:36] Even myself – I cannot solve your problems even if I know everything. I don’t think I can solve it because some of these problems are very complex and complicated. 

[01:00:25 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:00:45] And God, Christ is our Judge. My calling is to dispense the doctrine of God faithfully everywhere I go – to India, to Nepal, to the Himalayas, to far off places, to dispense it faithfully as possible. We do not want to rule over the churches. We come back after that. We do not want to rule over the churches. We are not there to oppress the people. We just give them. It’s between them and Christ.

[01:07:47 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:01:14] Even I dare not conclude about certain things. Because it’s not easy. Only God knows. Only God is omniscient. You can’t expect me to solve your problems! Because I do not know the ground situation! So I’d rather hold back.

[01:13:18 – Deut 32 Audiofile] [00:01:30] But at the moment, I don’t think I can give you a clear direction, because I am not omniscient. I can’t play the judge.

[00:45:04 – Joshua Part 1 Audiofile] [00:01:38] Be wary of saying that you do not have men to rule over us. I said, it’s Christ that rules over us.

[00:49:37 – Joshua Part 1 Audiofile] [00:01:47] When they asked Gideon whether he should rule over them and his sons and his sons’ sons rule over them, Gideon said, “I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: Jehovah shall rule over you.”

[00:51:07 – Joshua Part 1 Audiofile] [00:01:59] Like Gideon, we should say, “Christ shall rule over us. We are set free from the bondage of Pharaoh and Egypt and all men so that no man shall rule over us, but Christ shall rule over us.”

[00:51:21 – Joshua Part 2 Audiofile] [00:02:12] You are not the leader. You are not the ruler. Christ is the Ruler [Amen]. What are you? The servant of the Lord! You’re all servants of the Lord. We’re not rulers; we’re not leaders. We’re servants of our Lord Yeshua Christ, Who is the Captain of the host. 

Having repeatedly said that he doesn’t intend to rule, Elijah’s first instruction is to limit the numbers attending the conference. He reduces it to one representative per family. It’s not like anybody attended without prior permission. The conference was held during the Chinese New Year period when flight costs were vastly inflated. Therefore those who attended also paid dearly – some even took out loans in order to finance their travel. How cruel to tell the majority that they’re shallow and can’t think properly – they shouldn’t have bothered coming. 

Immediately preceding this clip, Elijah had let fly with a furious tirade against the ‘bastard’, the ‘bloody serpent’ in their midst. There are people present who Elijah views as threats. He now wants those who “can’t receive doctrine” to stay back. In The Westminster Tradition, a person who doesn’t unquestioningly accept Elijah’s teachings is deemed as being “unable to receive doctrine.” The words yelled before this clip are, “YOU WANT DOCTRINES, YOU RECEIVE DOCTRINES.” Meaning: If you want me to teach you, you’d better accept my teachings. It’s better if only those who accept my doctrine come to future conferences.

[00:58:02 – Deut 32 Audiofile] I also feel that you all shouldn’t come in a big group. Especially those who can’t receive doctrine, you better not come. Because as I hear it, a lot of you are in debt – BIG DEBT. You shouldn’t come here as though this is a superstitious thing… as though if you do not come here in person you will not be blessed. God can still bless you. I feel that at least, at least one representative from a family is enough. But if you can’t receive doctrine, it’s best for you not to come. You wait. Your leaders will come. They receive the doctrines from me. They go back. They bring it back.

‘I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them. And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable‘ (Isaiah 3:4-5).

‘A bishop then must be… the husband of one wife… one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity… NOT A NOVICE, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil‘ (1 Tim 3:2-6).

Shortly after advising those who “can’t receive doctrine” not to attend in future, Elijah praises their children. He exclaims that even though some have just come to the conference for the first time, they can catch the spirit [Elijah’s spirit] – they can receive the doctrine [Elijah’s doctrine]. He then attacks the officer-bearers in the China churches directly, calling them ‘institutional’. This is Elijah’s term for any person who is unwilling to act unconventionally. He elevates the children above their parents and intimates that in India the young people sometimes have to “run away.” They are not running away from persecution! Most of these individuals have been encouraged to leave so that Elijah can personally supervise them without having to bother liaising with the local church. He looks for opportunities to separate children from their parents. This makes is easier for him to indoctrinate them, unhindered by parental interference.

What is even more disturbing is that Elijah would have pastors to ask their daughters and their sons to teach them ‘the doctrines’.  This instruction is a direct attack on the right government of both church and family. What’s more, Elijah makes this statement in the presence of the children. The effect is to puff up these novices with pride, setting them up for a fall. Paul is very clear that children should be subject to their parents with all gravity: they should not undermine their parents (or behave proudly against the ancient).

[01:04:27 – Deut 32 Audiofile] I was very surprised when some of our young people have just come for the first time but they can catch the spirit. They come from all the places – Shandong, Rongcheng, they come from Jiangsu, right – and they come from all over China. Thank God! They all can catch the spirit! Although first time, at the prayer meeting they have full liberty! They have very strong conviction! And thank God for their very utterly lowly spirit of contrition at the place of prayer. Right, Zephaniah? [‘Amen! Right pastor.’] Right, Zechariah? [‘Yes pastor!’] And also the sisters told me the same thing. But some of the old people are trying to be institutional. Break down your institutional spirit! Ask yourself whether you can receive the doctrine or not. I have this kind of problem in India and in Tripura and you know, because some people think that leadership is something belonging to them and don’t allow Christ to rule in their midst. So sometimes the young people have to run away from Tripura or certain places in India. So if you’re not careful, something will happen to your family members.

[01:10:16 – Deut 32 Audiofile] If you’re not sure of the doctrines, go ask your daughters and your sons – they can catch the doctrine better. Humble yourself and learn from them. Then try to bring it to others as far as you can. Don’t say, “I’m a pastor, I’m a pastor.” SAVE YOURSELF! Say you’re a sinner first. Don’t say you’re a pastor first.

It’s extraordinary that a man who two minutes earlier said, “I cannot solve your problems even if I know everything,” and five minutes later said, “Because I do not know the ground situation… I’d rather hold back,” feels at liberty to recommend the churches disband – split into smaller groups and move out of China to Mongolia and even Russia. He cites providence as though the burning of one church in China is a divine instruction to scatter.

Elijah’s instructions are treated by some within his ministry as being virtually inspired. Therefore, by endorsing that the church in Hohhot splits, he is directly endorsing schism. The authors of the Church of Judah separation letter are entirely correct to cite The Cambridge Platform (Chapter 3, Article 1):

Church-members may not remove or depart from the Church, and so one from another as they please, nor without just and weighty cause, but ought to live and dwell together, for as much as they are commanded not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. Such departure tends to the dissolution and ruin of the body: as the pulling of stones and pieces of timber from the building, and of members from the natural body, tend to the destruction of the whole. [Heb 10:25]

If ever anyone was playing church politics, it was Elijah Chacko! He was dismembering the body and his advice led directly to the dissolution and ruin of the church. The fragile unity in Hohhot was destroyed by the February 2018 conference preaching. When, in an August 2018 newsletter, Elijah wrote of Haziel, ‘Let the obtuse follow the Nabals but let those who are intelligent follow the upright, discerning and sharp,‘ it was a clear instruction to all Elijah’s faithful in Inner Mongolia to join Haziel’s splinter group.

[01:01:57 – Deut 32 Audiofile] Don’t play church politics. But now, God in His providence is speaking – especially in China. It’s very hard for you to have big group. If your church is big, I endorse you splitting up into smaller groups. It’s providence. The policy in China is changing and they are very angry over Christians. Recently the president burn up a church and displayed it to everybody. That’s what he’s going to do with Christianity. So I says, maybe some of us have to go to other places – to Ulan Bator, to other parts of Mongolia, to the northern part, even to Russia! And don’t just dwell in Shandong, Binzhou or Rongcheng, or even go down to Wenzhou  – but go to other places too!

‘Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican‘ (Matt 18:15-17). 

If there was any doubt about whether or not Elijah Chacko was endorsing schism, the following audioclip establishes the matter. Jesus taught His disciples that if their brother trespass against them, they are to go and tell him his fault privately, escalating the issue before the church if the brother should continue unrepentant. In contrast, Elijah Chacko teaches his disciples that if their brother trespass against them, they are to break fellowship and worship elsewhere. Not only does he encourage the China brethren to forsake the assembling of themselves together, but he multiplies his wicked advice by suggesting very strongly that they don’t play the judge. O thou enemy to the Church’s welfare, ‘Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?’ (1 Cor 6:2a) And if the world shall be judged by them, are they unworthy to judge the smallest matters? (1 Cor 6:2)‘ If the churches in China neglect to judge internal matters – if they neglect to judge righteous judgment, then there can be no remedy to their predicament.

[01:12:29 Deut 32 – Audiofile] If you’re not happy with somebody else, if you don’t trust somebody else, go to another group. If you are sincere about it, then if you can’t find another group, you can stay at home and worship God, until God will answer your prayer. Because, if you are sincere I think God will answer your prayer… I’m not asking you – not to decide, but it’s up to you. But, use your conscience, and if you’re not sure, hold back. Ponder. Wait for the timing of God, until God [i.e. Elijah Chacko] gives you a clear direction. But at the moment, I don’t think I can give you a clear direction, because I am not omniscient. I can’t play the judge. And I suggest – I suggest very strongly that you don’t play the judge. Although we pray that God will give you the wisdom.

[A Note On Elijah Chacko’s Use Of Allegory: One of the features that marked the Reformation preachers was their abhorrence and rejection of medieval hermeneutical practices which so strained at allegory that the literal meaning of the Scripture passages were lost. Calvin and other Reformed interpreters allowed for and approved of allegorical interpretations, but only if they were simple, useful for instruction, and consistent with the New Testament. Below is Calvin’s view specifically:

Elijah Chacko’s preaching is wide of this mark. Allegory forms the mainstay of his Old Testament preaching. If, for example, he is preaching from Exodus, Numbers or Deuteronomy, he assigns roles to the different characters: Pharaoh is personified by Satan; Moses by Elijah; the mixed multitude answers to those who are hearing the sermon; Korah, Dathan and Abiram’s shoes are filled by any who are construed to be attacking Elijah. When he moves on to the book of Joshua, Elijah’s allegory shifts slightly. He leaves Moses dead on Mount Nebo and takes possession of Joshua instead. The scenery is rearranged. Elijah is Joshua and the congregation are those he is leading into the Promised Land. In the closing chapter of this book, Joshua the servant of the LORD dies and they bury him on the north side of the hill of Gaash. There is a brief pause in Elijah’s narcistical allegory – a hiatus to allow the elders who overlived Joshua a brief moment alone, before…  Elijah reincarnates himself in the persona of the judges – Gideon, Jephthah, Samuel etc.   Bottom line: Elijah is the judge whom God has raised up and any who ignore him invite Deborah’s curse upon their heads (Judg 5). In the book of Ruth, Elijah becomes Naomi and his hearers are either Ruths or Orpahs. Only Orpahs would depart from his ministry. In the books of Samuel, Elijah is alternately Samuel, then David. His hearers can become any of a number of protagonists depending upon the nature of their relationship with Elijah: Saul, Jonathan, Joab, Absalom, Ahithophel, Adonijah etc. After a short time hearing such sermons, this type of allegory becomes familiar and the willing hearer lets down their guard. They don’t listen critically and fail to discern that these allegories are full of contradictions and inconsistencies. The audioclip below demonstrates how Elijah misapplies historical passages to achieve his purposes. In this case, Elijah has fashioned himself as Joshua. He makes it very plain, saying: ‘Not only is it that Joshua sent them away, but he … pronounced a benediction … Okay, tonight is the point of departure. So I say …‘]

Elijah Chacko presents the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes as allegorical of the Great Commission [Usually he frames it in the context of his ‘Great Mandate’, but on this occasion he says, “All those who are the most intelligent and strongest, they should go and preach the Gospel first…“]. Then he focusses in on Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh i.e. those who had procured land East of the River Jordan. The elders from these tribes had vowed before Moses that they would leave their wives, children and cattle and go ahead of their brethren to drive out the Canaanites until their brethren were likewise settled. Elijah now forces his own  ministry into this allegorical mould. As in the days of Joshua, so now must all the men  leave their families and help their brethren ‘conquer and spread this word‘. If they take thought for their families, then they are assured that God will confound everything that they do. But a couple of simple questions:

1. What basis is there for likening those in Elijah’s ministry to the minority 2.5 tribes and not to the majority 9.5 tribes who were to settle in Canaan? The men in the majority of the tribes remained with their wives, remained with their children and remained with their cattle. Even when conquering new territory, they didn’t necessarily leave their families behind (Judg 18:21). Is there any New Testament mandate indicating that all men, regardless of circumstance, should (in ‘faith’) abandon their families in order to serve God? Quite the contrary! Whilst dying on the cross, Jesus was careful to instruct His disciple John to look after His mother, Mary. John writes that ‘from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home‘ (John 19:27). Paul and Barnabas were unusual in being  unmarried. The twelve Apostles (including Cephas) as well as Jesus’ brethren took their wives with them when they travelled: they led about their wives – they didn’t leave them behind (1 Cor 9:5). Moreover, Paul was abundantly clear that he expected children or nephews to ‘first shew piety at home’, and to requite their widowed relatives. He is talking specifically about the family responsibilities that male offspring should shoulder, because he says still further that ‘if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel‘ (1 Tim 5:8). In Elijah Chacko’s perverse ministry, the wives are expected to provide for their husbands! It is an abhorrent and infidel practice – a rejection of the Christian faith. It has the aroma of a doctrine of devils (1 Tim 4:3). Paul was very clear that to forbid marriage is to depart from the faith. Not marrying is not forbidden, but forbidding to marry is. Elijah Chacko’s apostasy is arguably worse. For he allows marriage, then forbids contact (for long periods of time). Not only does this leave both husband and wife vulnerable to sexual temptation, but it also renders their children fatherless. Instead of forbidding marriage to the unmarried, Elijah forbids marriage to the married. The former leads to fornication, the latter to adultery.

2. How long are the men within The Westminster Tradition supposed to leave their families for? Whether it be the Great Commission or Elijah’s spurious ‘Great Mandate’, neither are going to be completed quickly! Elijah likes to borrow the phrase, ‘the world is my parish’. So – a big mission field. He also said in his Joshua sermon, ‘You can’t come back to this side of Jordan until the whole mission is accomplished … this is a very important lesson you learn not only in Joshua, but also in the book of Judges.‘ But the Great Commission will not be completed until Christ returns! Not so for the 2.5 tribes. They finished their task and returned to their families. Their historical circumstances were exceptional and should not be wrested by Elijah as some sort of New Testament precedent. How can any marriage survive years of neglect? Paul states clearly, that ‘to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband.‘ And let them render due benevolence! ‘Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time [obviously a short time], that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency‘ (1 Cor 7:2,3,5). It is a marvel that there have not been more scandals within The Westminster Tradition. Elijah, leading by bad example, spends considerably more time with the wives of other men than he does with his own wife! Has Satan tempted him for his incontinency?

For every article I publish on this website, I think to myself, “Just this alone is serious enough to call into question Elijah Chacko’s entire ministry.” Here is another: ‘Husbands, leave your wives!‘ 

[00:08:09 Joshua Part 2 – Audiofile] [00:00:00] And what’s the message to this people? Because this two and a half tribes, they already got their land. They’re secured and can start their business straight away. But God wanted them, firstly the men – the wives can stay behind; their cattle can stay behind; their children can stay behind; but the men have to go across Jordan to help the others conquer all the other lands. And the commandment of God is until they are all conquered – the rest of the land, you cannot come back to your wives and to your places and to your farms and to your cattle and to your children. When we fight the enemy, God want us all to combine together. In the meantime, what about the cattle, what about the places in Bashan and these place in the eastern part? Well, your wives will look after them. Because somebody got to look after the cattle, right? Somebody got to kiss the children. Somebody got to run the ACE right [Accelerated Christian Education]? They had the ACE. So, you catch the point? See how relevant the Bible is? And you couldn’t really enjoy these things because you overlook it. See how applicatory the Word of God is. Because you thought, ‘Oh, God is encouraging them – God is blessing them.’ But it’s only to the two and a half tribes. So when you go to Ulaanbaatar and when you start building the building, and when everything is being done, you don’t take your binoculars and look at it every day. Okay, even you ask Obed Edom to arrange his mummy to be the project manager. And then you don’t wait and say, ‘I’ve got to see my dream come true’ and sit under the apple tree. But you go out! God said, “I want all the men to go out and preach the Gospel.” To the rest of Mongolia! By the time you come back all the house is built.  You say, “Thanks to Mrs Obed Edom and all the construction workers.” Let the construction workers construct. But all the valiant soldiers of Christ must go and preach the Gospel. You don’t stay at home, play the wife’s role. And you don’t say, “I’ll stay at home because my children are so small!” You see, God is very jealous about this. You can’t come back to this side of Jordan until the whole mission is accomplished! Because if you come back before then, God will confound everything that you do. This is a very important lesson you learn not only in Joshua, but also in the book of Judges.

[00:19:27 Joshua Part 2 – Audiofile] [00:03:49] And see God’s love and God’s care (especially for the way they carried out their duty, for what they did), God’s concern for them and here in v5 we see God’s special love and Joshua’s special love even for these people. It says, ‘take diligent heed’ – not just ‘take heed’, but ‘take diligent heed‘ (v5) to follow the commandments of God. Keep everything that is said – everything that He charged you, keep it properly so that you will not lose any of this blessing and inheritance and legacy that God wants to give. Give all to God! Serve Him with all your heart and all your soul. You see the way that he says it in the last part of this verse. And not only is it that Joshua sent them away, but he blessed them before he sent them away and pronounced a benediction. They called him up and said, “Oh, okay, we are waiting for your benediction.” At the terminal – before they crossed the Jordan River. At the ferry point. You see, there was no airport. Alright, whatever it was, at the terminal. You can call it what you want, but it was at the point of departure. Okay, tonight is the point of departure. So I say you go help all the brethren conquer and spread this word – all the men. Don’t stay at home and say, “I look after my children. I take the binoculars. I see what things are going on. Every day, one step, one step, one step. The bricks are going up. Until it’s finished – I go and preach after that.”

[00:32:23 Joshua Part 2 – Audiofile] [00:05:44] But I think today I have to expound 22 to you, because 22 is a forgotten chapter. Because you don’t see the significance. You don’t see that there is a real undercurrent meaning between that and chapter 1, the first message which I given to you later. God wants us to work first. All men – all those who are the best. All those who are the most intelligent and strongest – they should go and preach the Gospel first and then come back and rest. I hope you can say that to those who are not here. Go back and tell this to the brethren.