We Honour God When We Honour Christ, Not Men

We Honour God When We Honour Christ, Not Men

A Biblical Response to the Misuse of the Fifth Commandment

The article entitled “We Honour God When We Honour Our Forebears” seeks to justify the veneration of a human leader, Timothy Tow, by appealing to the Fifth Commandment and various New Testament passages. While the desire to show gratitude for those who have faithfully ministered the Word is understandable, the reasoning presented is deeply flawed and reflects the errors of Verbal Plenary Preservation (VPP) and KJV-Onlyism, where human tradition is exalted alongside, or even above, God’s Word.

This response will show why the Fifth Commandment does not authorise the institutionalised honouring of church founders, why Scripture warns against glorying in men, and why true honour belongs only to Christ and His infallible Word.

1. False teaching disqualifies someone as a faithful “spiritual father”

Hebrews 13:7 says to remember leaders who taught the true word of God. But Tow promoted VPP/KJV-Onlyism—doctrines that add to Scripture what God never promised, binding consciences where God left freedom.

To present him as a faithful servant is misleading. A teacher is measured not by zeal or founding institutions, but by fidelity to God’s word (2 Tim 2:15). False doctrines disqualify, not honor.

2. The Fifth Commandment Concerns God’s Created Order, Not Man-Made Institutions

Exodus 20:12 commands: “Honour thy father and thy mother.” This commandment belongs to the “second table” of the Law, not the first. It deals with human relationships, specifically the God-given authority of parents in the family unit. Paul’s citation in Ephesians 6 makes this plain—it addresses children and parents, not congregations and church leaders.

To extend “father and mother” to include pastors, politicians, or denominational founders is to go beyond Scripture. The Westminster Larger Catechism’s broad application must be tested against the Bible itself. Nowhere does God command us to institutionalise celebrations of forefathers in the name of obedience to the Fifth Commandment. Rather, Christ warns against nullifying the commandments of God by man-made traditions (Mark 7:6–13).

3. Scripture Forbids Glorying in Men

The article claims that hosting a cantata to remember a church founder is an act of obedience to God. But Paul sharply rebukes this very spirit in 1 Corinthians 1:12–13: “Every one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided?” To elevate human leaders—even faithful ones—is to rob Christ of His unique glory as the Head of the Church (Col 1:18).

Yes, Hebrews 13:7 tells us to “remember them which have the rule over you.” But the point is not to sing their praises, hold annual celebrations, or build spiritual cults of personality. It is to consider the outcome of their life and imitate their faith—only insofar as they point us to Christ. The very next verse declares: “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Our gaze must end on Him, not on the man.

4. The Danger of Teaching Tradition as Doctrine

The article makes a dangerous leap: by “teaching backwards,” it claims to transmit doctrine to the next generation. This is the same error of Roman Catholicism, which preserves its traditions by exalting church fathers and saints above Scripture. Paul never said to preserve traditions about men. He commanded Timothy: “Preach the word” (2 Tim 4:2). The inspired Word alone is sufficient (2 Tim 3:16–17).

When human history, denominational founders, or extra-biblical doctrines like VPP are put on the same pedestal as the Word of God, the church inevitably shifts its loyalty from Christ to men. This is precisely how sectarianism arises.

5. True Honour Is Christ-Centred

To honour those who labour in the Word (1 Thess 5:12–13) does not mean holding cantatas in their memory. It means receiving their faithful teaching as long as it aligns with Scripture. The highest way to honour spiritual forebears is not by looking backwards in nostalgia but by pressing forward in obedience to Christ and His truth.

Paul himself said: “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1). The focus was never on Paul—it was always on Christ. Anything else is idolatry.

6. Conclusion: Honour God Alone

The article “We Honour God When We Honour Our Forebears” confuses biblical honour with human veneration. By appealing to the Fifth Commandment and misusing texts like Hebrews 13:7, it creates space for a tradition of man that Scripture does not command.

We do not honour God by institutionalising celebrations of men, however faithful they may have been. We honour God by exalting Christ, obeying His Word, and refusing to glory in men. The church is not built on Timothy Tow, or Calvin, or Luther, or any other forebear—it is built on Christ the Rock (Matt 16:18).

Let us then heed the warning of Jeremiah 17:5: “Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.” True life is found not in remembering men but in remembering Christ alone.