One of Elijah Chacko’s favourite themes was that of Paul’s superiority to the other Apostles. He rarely preached from the book of Acts without dwelling upon the sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas recorded by Luke in Acts 15:36-40 (see links below to sermons preached in 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 & 2018). I have heard his missionaries preach entire sermons on the passage. It’s importance can best be appreciated in the context of Elijah’s teachings that:
1) Paul was the greatest Apostle with the greatest measure of anointing (TJT 15th Jun 2016).
2) He was raised up by God to define the doctrine of Justification by Faith (TJT 25 Jan 2017, TJT 30th Jan 2017).
3) The other Apostles (especially James) had legalistic tendencies; their gospel was a legalistic (Arminian) gospel; they were actuated by millions of evil spirits (notably the Antichrist spirit) to battle against Paul (TJT 27th Aug 2014).
4) The 12 Apostles became Paul’s greatest enemies. They were jealous and suspicious of Paul, being unwilling to acknowledge that his anointing surpassed their own. Therefore they neglected him for 17 years. Peter came to repent of this only in his latter years (TJT 27th Aug 2014).
5) Barnabas’ contention with Paul and his departing asunder was evidence of inward apostasy and ultimately led to his perdition (TJT 30th Nov 2010, TJT 4th Dec 2010, TJT 7th Dec 2010, TJT 31st May 2011, TJT 28th Jan 2017). History affirms that Barnabas became a heretic. Mark was spared this end because he subsequently abandoned his uncle Barnabas in order to follow Paul (TJT 8th Jun 2016).
6) In contrast to ‘conceited’ Barnabas (NJT 19th Aug 2018), Luke’s wisdom was to follow Paul to the very end (TJT 15th Jun 2016, TJT 26th Jan 2017, TJT 1st Feb 2017).
7) Elijah Chacko is the ‘Paul of our time’. Failure to acknowledge his anointing (or worse, contending with him and departing from his ministry), will result in the same awful fate (NJT 19th Aug 2018, NJT 30th Aug 2018). We must be submissive and obedient to the anointed servant of God (TJT 28th Nov 2013, TJT 26th Jan 2017).
The following comments briefly highlight the absurdity and unsoundness of these teachings as relates specifically to Barnabas. Elijah’s teachings that (a) Paul’s greatest enemies were the 12 Apostles (b) Paul was the only Apostle who could properly formulate the doctrine of Justification by Faith (c) were it down to the other Apostles, we would ‘all be queuing up to be circumcised’ are not discussed here.
Summary
1: Barnabas’ departure from Paul not apostasy 2: First proof: their separation mutual 3: Second proof: Paul’s later epistles only ever commend Barnabas 4: Third proof: Documents suggesting Barnabas apostate are discredited 5: Fourth proof: Marcus, Barnabas’ close nephew commended by both Peter and Paul 6: So why slander Barnabas?
1. Nowhere does Scripture indicate that Barnabas’ departure from Paul was an act of apostasy and prelude to perdition.
2. Firstly, their departure was mutual: ‘they departed asunder one from the other’ (Acts 15:39). Barnabas no more departed from Paul than did Paul from Barnabas.
3. Secondly, Paul later owned Barnabas to be a good example to the church in Corinth: ‘Or I only and Barnabas, have not we power to forbear working?‘ (1 Cor 9:6). This endorsement of Barnabas’ diligent labour to support himself in the ministry was made years after his contention with Paul and implies that Barnabas continued his Gospel labours and was known to the Corinthians. Far from dissociating himself from Barnabas, if we read the following verse in the context of ‘I only and Barnabas‘, we can deduce that Paul considered Barnabas to be a true soldier, gardener and shepherd of Christ: ‘Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? or who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock?‘ Again, Barnabas is mentioned in Col 4:10 as being Marcus’ uncle: ‘Aristarchus my fellowprisoner saluteth you, and Marcus, sister’s son to Barnabas, (touching whom ye received commandments: if he come unto you, receive him;)‘. Marcus’ relationship to Barnabas added credit to his favour and was a further encourage the Colossian believers to receive him. It was not done to sully Marcus’ reputation by reminding them that he was the nephew of a notorious apostate!
4. Thirdly, though the ‘Gospel of Barnabas’ has been cited as evidence of Barnabas’ perdition, this is widely recognised to be a muslim fabrication. It is lengthy, reads like the Koran and references ‘Mohammed’ by name 15 times. Another supposed writing of Barnabas, the ‘Epistle of Barnabas’ is ‘preserved’ complete in the Codex Sinaiticus, a corrupt manuscript we utterly reject. The epistle does not bear a name, though Origen (AD 184-253) is supposed to have attributed it to Barnabas.
5. Fourthly, it should be allowed that Marcus himself is further testament to Barnabas’ character. Had Barnabas been embittered against Paul to the extent of departing from the faith, it is plausible he would have evil affected his nephew and companion Marcus. We find no such thing. Mark is mentioned four times in the epistles (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; Phm 1:24; 1 Pet 5:13). Each mention is an honourable mention. We find Peter owning Marcus to be his son in the faith (1 Pet 5:13) and Paul himself twice bearing testimony to Mark’s faithfulness and profitability (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11). The Holy Spirit Himself attested to John Mark’s holiness when He moved him to pen his Gospel.
6. Elijah Chacko’s teaching that Barnabas’ contention with Paul set him on the road to reprobation is therefore slanderous and without merit. Why then did it form such a key place in Elijah’s theology? And why is it still taught within The Westminster Tradition? Was it not to warn every ‘Barnabas’ that to contend with the ‘Paul of our times’ (Elijah Chacko) was to make shipwreck of our faith? Elijah’s insatiable desire for power led him to pit one Apostle against another and rank them in order of ‘anointing’. Elijah’s life was no different. Elijah was vigilant – not to defend the truth (from which he had long since departed) but to defend his supposed office (TWT 27th Aug 2014). He claimed spiritual succession from Paul and pretended to be raised up by God to protect the Gospel from the Reformed pastors of our day. How different to the Paul of the Scriptures who honoured his fellow labourers and considered himself to be the least among them (1 Cor 15:9).
‘For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal? Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase (1 Cor 3:4-7).’
You see the way David behaved wisely before Joab and Saul. Every night I am on the lookout and every twitch from anyone of you scares me. Can you blame me for that? Christ says to be watchful and be vigilant... When people come in with their wonderful resume and background, I put them down. No man should be glorified nor his flesh; only Christ and the Gospel [only Elijah Chacko?] must be magnified. Sometimes I play stupid to see how far a man will go. When you appear vigilant, everyone else is careful. However, when you pretend to sleep and be unguarded, the enemies will come out and take a peek; that is when you can take the machine gun and fire them down. Don’t play holy games in front of me. I will surely expose your false piety. Just be yourself and enjoy Christ Yeshua [and don’t question my authority]. Don’t forget that the Antichrist and the False Prophet are hovering around looking for landing spaces and launching pads just like these darned mosquitoes... If something is amiss, I sniff it out like a hound dog… We have to be jittery… You will think that David is a man who looks at all his enemies wisely. You read the Psalms and you see the way he speaks about his enemies as belching dogs. He seems to be one filled with paranoia and madness. However, Christ says watch with vigilance lest the things we have received be taken away and they plunder us [see article on how Elijah plundered the church finances].
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