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A. The term 'ECUMENICAL' means - under one roof, one family, holding all things together in religion, or a religion; dispensing with or dismissing differences, or regarding them as of minor importance. On a Biblical basis, there is much scope here: but it must as always, be the Bible in deed, not merely in word: that is - it is a question of reality, not spouting.

In mainstream, current world-wide ecumenism, no substantial agreement is found in practice about the Bible; for there is no requirement on any in this body, actually to DO what it SAYS. It is enough that they SAY. Nor is there substantial agreement even about Jesus Christ indeed, as to basic questions of authority relative to sinners; so that this ecumenical body represents an attitude rather than coherent thought. The World Council of Churches position is quite illusory. Indeed it formalises illusion; as people simply make up their own minds whether they want to join it and accept a formula undefined in its terms; and are free to say what they will.

That of course has less than nothing to do with Christianity, except perhaps as an example of playing with it, using words evacuated of significance (cf. I Timothy 6:3-6, where the principles of non-consent to the clear words of Christ is traced out, in a particular case).
 
 

As a matter of fact, the term `ecumenical' could be applied more carefully to all who hold to the supreme standard of scripture (Bible) as infallible because divinely inspired, and to all it teaches and commands, without suffering the violation of any part of it; and indeed, who yield submission to Christ as rightful ruler over all: presiding over all men and institutions who are His. How ? as practical Lord, and life-changing Saviour through faith by grace, without works as a ground - though assuredly with works as a result. The church however is not built on results, but on faith. You do not plant a tree with fruit; but with soil, and then fruit simply comes. What hinders it, you cut away.

There has been a significant degree of evangelical co-operation of this kind, but current (twentieth century) rapid change in many church institutions makes review and revision necessary for such alliances... (The predicted `falling away' of which Paul speaks in II Thessalonians 2, and which Christ clearly characterises in Matthew 24, means that much that stood by the Lord and His word, is now in the dust, and this tends... to rise.)
 
 

The World Council of Churches itself started (appropriately - see The Shadow of a Mighty Rock - SMR - Ch. 9) in Europe in 1948, with what seemed a good idea - the fulfilment of a unifying missionary strategy, such as the Edinburgh Conference of 1910 had envisaged. However, in successive world Conferences lost the early pan-evangelical sense of co-operation.
 
 

It evidenced

1) obstructive support for Russian totalitarian atheism and

2) a sponsoring sympathy towards the revisionism of Liberation Theology (a secular social parody of Christianity)...

3) that with the prospect of a manipulable means of verbal subversion for those seeking a world audience, it has proved attractive to many, and is a massive verification of the predicted great `falling away'. See SMR, Extension C, Chapter 8, pp. 699 ff.; with 750B-D, 867, 948-949, 1031C and 1060. Russian atheists used it, with KGB representatives during the Cold War, to act as a transmission/subversion centre for Communistic propaganda, which came forth often as if (as was indeed the case) it was the Kremlin, not Christ, who dictated the policy. The Russian, State-controlled church had its place, and they ensured that a concerted effort was made to use the W.C.C. for anti-christian purposes.

4) a desire to transmit its own funds to help racial uprisings, even if they led to violence, and even if the violence led -as in fact happened - to the murder of missionaries. It specifically refused to ensure that such funds would not be so used.

It lost the Salvation Army on that issue; does not have the support of the Presbyterian Church of Australia, or the PC in America; nor are the major Baptist churches in this country in it, nor is the Lutheran.

5) a willingness for spiritism, animism, dialogue in which each party "learns" valuable insights from the other, and there is no proselytising! This occurs with other religions as a peace and prosperity issue.

6) a readiness to feature other religions, such as aboriginal dances or rituals, totem poles and the like, in a spirit of acceptance and mutuality.

7) forbidden coalitions. It blends massive groups of unbiblical churches, including unitarian which do not accept the deity of Jesus Christ, with professing Biblical Christians, who are forbidden to participate in such alliances (see Ch.7, The Kingdom of Heaven - and refer II Corinthians 6, I Corinthians 5, Romans 16;17, Titus 3:10).

As the prophet Jehu said to King Jehoshaphat, after the folly of his joining wicked King Ahab in battle:

It blends massive groups of unbiblical churches, including unitarian which do not accept the deity of Jesus Christ, with professing Biblical Christians, who are forbidden to participate in such alliances (see Ch.7, The Kingdom of Heaven - and refer II Corinthians 6, I Corinthians 5, Romans 16;17, Titus 3:10).

The W.C.C. is zealous, with synthetic zest and co-ordinating passion, for religious events ... and groups. Indeed, it is a most useful funnel or channel for the gathering alliance with the `harlotry' of Romanism (see SMR - pp. 1032-1072, 867 ff., 946 infra, 656 ff., and index).

It is moreover allied in nature with the lamb-like `dragon' - that is, the `second beast' or chaplain to the beast as it were (Revelation 13:11 ff., cf. SMR pp. 721 ff.). As such, this World Council is a perfect prototype for the belligerence and bloom of that beastly prodigy, there described, in its calamitous deceptiveness over many.

The W.C.C. is now closely collaborating with the current regime of Romanism (cf. p. 867 infra) which is predicted as a longstanding but soon-to-be-dumped ally for the beast, one providing the antique religious structure of Rome for the beast's pleasure (or anon displeasure, at the end - Revelation 17:16-17).

The World Council, for its part, exhibitsthe breadth of the religious deception that is predicted to climax towards the end of our Age; while Rome shows its historic length.
 
 

BOTH of these bodies, Rome and the WCC, show the mesmerising force of the dynamic delusion so effectively practised to the detriment and downfall of so much of the human race (cf. SMR Ch.10, and pp. 867; 721-732A, 750B-E, 973A *23, 1060, 1031C). Thus both the point location of ROME (Revelation 17:9, 18:1-21) and the dynamic dissemination (Revelation 16:13-14, 13:11-18) to be practised, are fulfilling prophecies regarding the end of this Age with horrendous verisimilitude... They also exhibit jointly the predicted `falling away', that religious decline from the truth: an end-of-the-Age symptom, alerting to the fell face of its distinctive final syndrome - cf. pp. SMR 685-706. From this our instruction is: evacuate! (Revelation 18:4-5, Romans 16:17-18, Numbers 16:20-24 - refer Separation, Ch.7, The Kingdom of Heaven, for more Biblical exposition here.)

The Beast may not feel obliged to the growth, or to the hormones of his servitors - Rome and this tame-seeming W.C.C.. Long have these two bodies accustomed the world to this sort of slipperiness with words, contradiction between the clear teaching of the Bible and what they actually stand for and clearly forward. It may expect more of the same, and so help it to come.

The Beast in general, and the antichrist to come in particular, may not feel gratitude for this sort of centralising or clotting work being done (cf. SMR pp. 956-957); but they should. It is of inestimable value to them. The button for any `beast' is easier to press when it is mounted efficiently on a console: and Rome and the W.C.C. are building a mighty one, ready for the hand to come.

Thus millenia ahead of events, prophecy has cast its sad but decisive shadow. In that shadow, the events themselves, however fierce from man's evils, follow with their mute testimony to the glory, the wonder and the marvel of the work of that one God who, without negating freedom, has all things, even these seemingly autonomous events with all their severity, under the direction and authority of His word. To show it, as He often declares, the prophecies will always occur precisely, in their time. They do. They follow, in this instance, just like a lamb... albeit with dragon's teeth. (Cf. SMR pp. 950, 1064)
 
 

What the Christian must ensure is that he for his part, she for hers, does not follow what follows THAT! Thus churches which see fit to be enmembered in the World Council of Churches should by no means be the place of one's church membership; one should warn as occasion arises concerning it, and realise that just as in the cold war, former allies became enemies, so here: the name of Jesus Christ is now a plaything. Keep to the Bible, and do not participate in this (II Corinthians 4:1-4, 11:1-13, Acts 20:26-31).