Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
How To Find A New Testament Church
In this series of lessons I have sought to propose that "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism" is possible today when we:
Appreciate why denominationalism is wrong, and therefore disdain sectarianism.
Imitate the example of Jesus by maintaining a nonsectarian relationship with God.
Properly respond to the call of the gospel, for that is how Christ is adding people to His church.
Allow "the apostles' doctrine" to be our standard of authority in religion, recognizing that is how Christ is directing His church today.
Develop those qualities of Christ-like character enjoined in the apostolic epistles, so that we can "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace".
What I have proposed is really nothing new, and has been a plea expressed by many others. I am personally convinced that throughout church history there have always been groups of Christians seeking to follow Jesus in this way. Even today, there are thousands of congregations composed of those who are "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism" -- Indeed, I believe there are many churches true to the example and pattern of the Lord's church as found in the New Testament. But suppose one wanted to find "a New Testament church" today? Where would they begin? What would they look for?
In this lesson, the final one in this series, I wish to offer some thoughts on "How To Find A New Testament Church". Not an exhaustive study, of course, but some simple suggestions that might help one get started. These are the sort of suggestions that I myself would follow if I were seeking to find such a congregation. First, I would. begin with the "name". The" name" of the congregation reveals much. It can quickly tell whether the church is concerned with "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism". For if the name is a denominational name, religious division must not be a major concern of those in the congregation.
The name should be a scriptural name. There is really no one scriptural name for the Lord's church in the New Testament. The expression "church of God" (1 Co 1:2), "churches of God" (1 Th 2:14), and "churches of Christ" (Ro 16:16) are commonly used. Other terms are used also, and they all reflect an association with God and Christ (body of Christ, kingdom of God, bride of Christ, temple of God, etc.). But the use of scriptural names instead of a humanly-conceived name reflects a desire to follow the Scriptures, and not human tradition. It certainly conveys a desire to honor God and Christ, and not some man, creed or particular doctrine.
Unfortunately, the "name" alone is not a sure guide, but just a good indicator, Just as the name "Mrs. Newsted" alone is not a sure guide if you were seeking to find my wife. For there are a lot of women who go by the name, "Mrs. Newsted". But only one who bears the name is properly my wife! So there may be many congregations that bear the name of Christ or God that may not be truly honoring them! For example, there are over 200 separate denominations that use the expression "Church of God". Likewise, there may be "Churches of Christ" that are no less denominational than any church with a denominational name!. Yet I would still recommend beginning with the name, and in particular those congregations that use the expression "church of Christ". Because so many denominations have chosen to use the expression "church of God", the likelihood of simply finding a denomination is much greater. Whereas most "churches of Christ" I have known are seeking to follow Jesus without denominationalism, therefore the possibilities of finding a church true to the New Testament are greater. But even when one has found a church that is nondenominational, that does not automatically mean the people are truly members of the Lord's body.
That is why I suggest the next step is to examine the "Gospel" being preached. Remember how Christ is building His church. Through the gospel, Christ calls us - 2 Th 2:14 "God used our preaching as his way of inviting you to share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." As we heed the gospel call, the Lord adds us to His body, the church - Ac 2:41 "On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptized.", 47 "while praising God. Everyone liked them, and each day the Lord added to their group others who were being saved." That is why it is so important that the gospel not be perverted in any way - Ga 1:6-9 "I am shocked that you have so quickly turned from God, who chose you because of his wonderful kindness. You have believed another message, when there is really only one true message. But some people are causing you trouble and want to make you turn away from the good news about Christ. I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed."
If the Gospel message is different by changing either the facts or commands of the gospel, then people are not being saved, and the Lord is not adding them to His church! A church with a perverted Gospel may have the nicest people, but they are still unregenerate people! They may wear the name of Christ, both as individuals and as a church, but are not truly the people of God! So while a group of people may identify themselves as a "church of God" or "church of Christ", it is only Christ who truly makes them such when they properly respond to the call of the gospel. That is why it is imperative a church teaches the pure and simple gospel of Christ!
A final suggestion, but one that might require very careful examination over a period of time, is to compare the "practice" with the New Testament pattern. In the New testament, we find a pattern. The N.T. describes the early church during its first 60 years. A careful study of Acts and the epistles reveal a picture of the church. From this picture, a pattern emerges in reference to:
The worship of the church; The work of the church; The organization of the church.
This pattern emerges as we see the early Christians continuing steadfastly in "the apostles' doctrine".
A church abiding in the "apostles’ doctrine" will reflect this pattern. Their worship will be like that described in the New Testament involving such elements as singing, prayer, Bible study, preaching, and the Lord's Supper - Co 3:16; 4:2; 2 Ti 2:2,15; 4:2; Ac 20:7; 1 Co 10:16-17; 11:23-29. Their assemblies Will be seeking to provoke one another to love and good works - He 10:24-25. Their work as a congregation will be similar to that found in the New Testament. They will be equipping the saints for ministry (edification) - Ep 4:11-16. They will be furthering the spread of the gospel by sending out evangelists (evangelism) - Ph 4:15-16; 3 Jn 5-8. They will be meeting the physical needs of the saints as problems arise (benevolence) - Ro 15:25-26; 1 Co 16:1-4; 2 Co 8:1-9:15. Their organization as a congregation will seek to be like that found in the New Testament - Ph 1:1 "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus that are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:" With elders (also known as bishops, pastors, presbyters, shepherds) qualified to oversee and tend to the local congregation - Ac 14:23; 20:28; 1 Ti 3:1-7; Ti 1:5-9; 1 Pe 5:1-4. They will also have deacons qualified to serve as they minister to the local congregation - 1 Ti 3:8-13. [The only exception to their organization will be a congregation of small size where there are men that are not qualified nor desire to be elders or deacons. Under these circumstances the male members will oversee the work and worship of the local congregation]. They will have saints (members) who sojourn in this world with conduct that is honorable and which gives glory to God - 1 Pe 2:9-12.
By carefully studying the "pattern" of the Lord's church as revealed in the New Testament, we can know when a congregation is faithfully observing "the apostles' doctrine". This places upon each of us the responsibility of carefully studying the Scriptures. For only then can we be able to distinguish between the "authentic" and a "counterfeit". I am confident that there are many "authentic" congregations all over the world. It is likely that one exists in your community already! Please feel free to contact me if you think I might be able to help you find one. But even if we live in an area where there is no church that "continues steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine", we can start one in our own home! - Ro 16:5; Phe 1-2. This can be done by proclaiming the simple gospel of Christ, and abiding in "the apostles' doctrine" as revealed in the New Testament. This will not be some new denomination, but simply a church of the Lord, a congregation of disciples that meet together to worship God and edify one another in their service to the Lord.
Are you "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism"? Don't you wish to? Remember the prayer of our Lord:
"I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;"
"that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me."
"And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:"
"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."
-- Jn 17:20-23
May all those who believe in Jesus strive to be one!
These outlines were developed in the course of my ministry as a preacher of the gospel. They are included in The Executable Outlines Series, a collection my sermon outlines and Bible study materials. Visit the EO web site (exeout.com) to browse or download more material. Feel free to use them as they are, or adapt them to suit your own personal style. To God be the glory!
The Executable Outlines Series, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2001
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Maintaining Unity In The Local Congregation
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Maintaining Unity In The Local Congregation
The challenge of "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism" to a great extent revolves around the problem of religious division that begins in the local church. Every denomination today began as a result of religious division. And religious division normally finds it origin with brethren in a local congregation unable to resolve their differences. While having the same standard of authority is essential to unity in religious matters, I also stated that it alone is insufficient, as suggested in this quote by Barton W. Stone:
"But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union." (As quoted by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement, 20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56).
It is essential that those who seek to allow the Bible, and in particular the New Testament, to be their standard of authority possess the proper Christian attitudes and to apply those attitudes when handling the Word of God -- Otherwise, the "sword of the Spirit" (Ep 6:17) will be abused to the detriment of all parties involved. To appreciate what I mean, in this lesson we shall examine how Paul dealt with the problem of division in the early church, and the solution he offered that we might "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We begin by first noticing what Paul described as a major cause of division by looking at the situation at Corinth.
Paul found it necessary to write "that there be no divisions among you" - 1 Co 1:10. There were contentions among them, manifested by breaking up into parties and calling themselves after different men - 1 Co 1:11-12 "Several people from Chloe's family have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other. They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ." -- Sounds a lot like religious division today, doesn't it?
Let’s look at Paul’s evaluation of the problem. As Paul wrote to them, he realized he was dealing with "babes in Christ", who instead of being "spiritual" were "carnal" - 1 Co 3:1-3a "My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, because you are not yet spiritual." Indeed, the root of their envy, strife, and divisions was their carnality - 1 Co 3:3b "You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world." -- Conditions today are not really all that much different; where division exists, carnality (or spiritual immaturity) is often a major cause of the problem! This is not to say that there are never any substantive issues at stake when division occurs. But any hope for resolving differences over such issues is stifled when the parties involved are filled with envy and strife. This may help us appreciate why Paul so frequently focused his attention on the development of attitudes which increase the likelihood of overcoming differences so that unity might prevail.
Let's take a look at these attitudes for maintaining unity. To the church at Ephesus, Paul taught the virtue of "Lowliness" - Ep 4:2 "Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other." This word means:
The having a humble opinion of one's self.
A deep sense of one's (moral) littleness.
Modesty, humility, lowliness of mind.
Without this virtue, members in the body begin trying to be the "head" of the body, a role reserved only for Christ.
"Gentleness" - Ep 4:2 (see above). This word can be translated as gentleness, mildness, meekness. It is not a quality of weakness, but of power under control. Moses was a meek man (Num 12:3), but capable of great strength and boldness. Jesus was "meek and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:29), but we see where He drove the money changers out of the temple. Thus it is being gentle, even when there is the potential for being harsh, but gentleness is more conducive for maintaining unity.
"Long-suffering" - Ep 4:2 (see above "Patiently"). The idea here is one of patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs. When the body consists of members who are not perfect, and often sin against each other, maintaining unity is not possible unless they are willing to endure each other's imperfections.
"Put up with one another in love" - Ep 4:2 (see above). Similar to longsuffering, "bearing" means to sustain, to bear, to endure. What makes such "longsuffering" and "forbearance" possible is another virtue: "love". As Paul wrote in his chapter on love: "love suffers long...is not provoked" - 1 Co 13:4-5 "Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.". Indeed, the virtue of love is the "tie" that binds all these virtues together - Co 3:12-14 "Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together."
"Endeavor" - Ep 4:3 "Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace." Displaying these virtues does not come naturally nor easy, nor does maintaining unity. Thus the need for much effort, as Paul uses a word which means "to exert one's self, endeavor, give diligence" -- Only by giving diligence to display ALL these virtues, can we hope to "keep (maintain) the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" - Ep 4:3
To the church at Philippi, Paul directed them to "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit" - Ph 2:3. It is necessary to point out those attitudes we should NOT have! For possessing these attitudes will destroy unity. Both involve a "self-centered" attitude rather than a "Christ-centered" attitude. Therefore, it is required that we rid ourselves of:
The desire for exalting self ("selfish ambition")
The improper estimation of self ("conceit")
In place of these, we should substitute "in lowliness of mind" - Ph 2:3. In other words, humility as in Ep 4:2. This will effectively replace the problem of "conceit". Humility should be easy to maintain if we remember our own faults and "let each esteem others better than himself" - Ph 2:3. This should be easy for us to do for we are aware of our own defects, but we do not have the same clear view of the defects of others. We can only see their outward conduct; in our own case, we can look within. We see our own hearts, with all its faults; we cannot so look into the hearts of others. In writing to the brethren at Rome, Paul exhorted them to outdo one another in this regard - "in honor giving preference to one another" - Ro 12:10b. "look out...for the interest of others" - Ph 2:4. This attitude eliminates the problem of "selfish ambition". It is the attitude of maturity, and was the attitude of Christ! - Ro 15:1-3 "If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ So it should be the attitude of every Christian! As strongly suggested by Ph 2:1-2, these qualities in verses 3-4 contribute to the unity that produces fullness of joy!
To the churches of Galatia, Paul cautioned against the improper use of our liberty in Christ. While it is true that we must stand fast in our liberty and not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage... - Ga 5:1 "Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again." ...we should use our liberty as an opportunity to serve one another in love - Ga 5:13-14 "My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself." Otherwise, abuse of our liberty gives the flesh opportunity to destroy one another! - Ga 5:15 "But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves."
To the church at Rome, Paul wrote that we should pursue things that lead to peace and edification - Ro 14:19 "We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith." That the strong should be willing to bear with the scruples of the weak - Ro 14:1 "Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours.", 13 "We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith."; 15:1-3 "If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ That the weak in faith must be careful not to judge (condemn) those whom God has received! - Ro 14:3-4 "But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right." -- Such attitudes are necessary, or we will not be able "with one mind and one mouth [to] glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" - Ro 15:5-7.
Finally, to the church at Corinth Paul made it clear that knowledge can puff one up, but it is love that edifies ("builds up", in contrast to knowledge which "puffs up") - 1 Co 8:1 "In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others." That we who have liberty in Christ should be careful that we don't use it to the destruction of our brethren who are weak - 1 Co 8:9-12 "Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ." That we should therefore be willing to forego our liberties if it can help keep a brother from stumbling - 1 Co 8:13 "So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live."; 10:31-11:1 "When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved. You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
From personal experience, I can attest that where members display these attitudes in addition to their devotion to "the apostles' doctrine"......there will be a congregation of Christians in which love and unity will prevail. That's not to say there will always be perfect understanding and agreement on every subject. When people from every conceivable background come to Christ, we should expect some differences. When there will always be brethren at various levels of spiritual growth, we can expect some challenges. But if we can agree that the teaching of Christ as expounded in "the apostles' doctrine" is our standard of authority in religious matters and inculcate the Christian attitudes described in this lesson into the heart of every member then we shall be able to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ep 4:3) as we all continue to "grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ" (2 Pe 3:18), to the glory of God!
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Maintaining Unity In The Local Congregation
The challenge of "Following Jesus Without Denominationalism" to a great extent revolves around the problem of religious division that begins in the local church. Every denomination today began as a result of religious division. And religious division normally finds it origin with brethren in a local congregation unable to resolve their differences. While having the same standard of authority is essential to unity in religious matters, I also stated that it alone is insufficient, as suggested in this quote by Barton W. Stone:
"But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union." (As quoted by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement, 20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56).
It is essential that those who seek to allow the Bible, and in particular the New Testament, to be their standard of authority possess the proper Christian attitudes and to apply those attitudes when handling the Word of God -- Otherwise, the "sword of the Spirit" (Ep 6:17) will be abused to the detriment of all parties involved. To appreciate what I mean, in this lesson we shall examine how Paul dealt with the problem of division in the early church, and the solution he offered that we might "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." We begin by first noticing what Paul described as a major cause of division by looking at the situation at Corinth.
Paul found it necessary to write "that there be no divisions among you" - 1 Co 1:10. There were contentions among them, manifested by breaking up into parties and calling themselves after different men - 1 Co 1:11-12 "Several people from Chloe's family have already reported to me that you keep arguing with each other. They have said that some of you claim to follow me, while others claim to follow Apollos or Peter or Christ." -- Sounds a lot like religious division today, doesn't it?
Let’s look at Paul’s evaluation of the problem. As Paul wrote to them, he realized he was dealing with "babes in Christ", who instead of being "spiritual" were "carnal" - 1 Co 3:1-3a "My friends, you are acting like the people of this world. That's why I could not speak to you as spiritual people. You are like babies as far as your faith in Christ is concerned. So I had to treat you like babies and feed you milk. You could not take solid food, and you still cannot, because you are not yet spiritual." Indeed, the root of their envy, strife, and divisions was their carnality - 1 Co 3:3b "You are jealous and argue with each other. This proves that you are not spiritual and that you are acting like the people of this world." -- Conditions today are not really all that much different; where division exists, carnality (or spiritual immaturity) is often a major cause of the problem! This is not to say that there are never any substantive issues at stake when division occurs. But any hope for resolving differences over such issues is stifled when the parties involved are filled with envy and strife. This may help us appreciate why Paul so frequently focused his attention on the development of attitudes which increase the likelihood of overcoming differences so that unity might prevail.
Let's take a look at these attitudes for maintaining unity. To the church at Ephesus, Paul taught the virtue of "Lowliness" - Ep 4:2 "Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other." This word means:
The having a humble opinion of one's self.
A deep sense of one's (moral) littleness.
Modesty, humility, lowliness of mind.
Without this virtue, members in the body begin trying to be the "head" of the body, a role reserved only for Christ.
"Gentleness" - Ep 4:2 (see above). This word can be translated as gentleness, mildness, meekness. It is not a quality of weakness, but of power under control. Moses was a meek man (Num 12:3), but capable of great strength and boldness. Jesus was "meek and lowly in heart" (Mt 11:29), but we see where He drove the money changers out of the temple. Thus it is being gentle, even when there is the potential for being harsh, but gentleness is more conducive for maintaining unity.
"Long-suffering" - Ep 4:2 (see above "Patiently"). The idea here is one of patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in avenging wrongs. When the body consists of members who are not perfect, and often sin against each other, maintaining unity is not possible unless they are willing to endure each other's imperfections.
"Put up with one another in love" - Ep 4:2 (see above). Similar to longsuffering, "bearing" means to sustain, to bear, to endure. What makes such "longsuffering" and "forbearance" possible is another virtue: "love". As Paul wrote in his chapter on love: "love suffers long...is not provoked" - 1 Co 13:4-5 "Love is kind and patient, never jealous, boastful, proud, or rude. Love isn't selfish or quick tempered. It doesn't keep a record of wrongs that others do.". Indeed, the virtue of love is the "tie" that binds all these virtues together - Co 3:12-14 "Put up with each other, and forgive anyone who does you wrong, just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important than anything else. It is what ties everything completely together."
"Endeavor" - Ep 4:3 "Try your best to let God's Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace." Displaying these virtues does not come naturally nor easy, nor does maintaining unity. Thus the need for much effort, as Paul uses a word which means "to exert one's self, endeavor, give diligence" -- Only by giving diligence to display ALL these virtues, can we hope to "keep (maintain) the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" - Ep 4:3
To the church at Philippi, Paul directed them to "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit" - Ph 2:3. It is necessary to point out those attitudes we should NOT have! For possessing these attitudes will destroy unity. Both involve a "self-centered" attitude rather than a "Christ-centered" attitude. Therefore, it is required that we rid ourselves of:
The desire for exalting self ("selfish ambition")
The improper estimation of self ("conceit")
In place of these, we should substitute "in lowliness of mind" - Ph 2:3. In other words, humility as in Ep 4:2. This will effectively replace the problem of "conceit". Humility should be easy to maintain if we remember our own faults and "let each esteem others better than himself" - Ph 2:3. This should be easy for us to do for we are aware of our own defects, but we do not have the same clear view of the defects of others. We can only see their outward conduct; in our own case, we can look within. We see our own hearts, with all its faults; we cannot so look into the hearts of others. In writing to the brethren at Rome, Paul exhorted them to outdo one another in this regard - "in honor giving preference to one another" - Ro 12:10b. "look out...for the interest of others" - Ph 2:4. This attitude eliminates the problem of "selfish ambition". It is the attitude of maturity, and was the attitude of Christ! - Ro 15:1-3 "If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ So it should be the attitude of every Christian! As strongly suggested by Ph 2:1-2, these qualities in verses 3-4 contribute to the unity that produces fullness of joy!
To the churches of Galatia, Paul cautioned against the improper use of our liberty in Christ. While it is true that we must stand fast in our liberty and not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage... - Ga 5:1 "Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again." ...we should use our liberty as an opportunity to serve one another in love - Ga 5:13-14 "My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love. All that the Law says can be summed up in the command to love others as much as you love yourself." Otherwise, abuse of our liberty gives the flesh opportunity to destroy one another! - Ga 5:15 "But if you keep attacking each other like wild animals, you had better watch out or you will destroy yourselves."
To the church at Rome, Paul wrote that we should pursue things that lead to peace and edification - Ro 14:19 "We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith." That the strong should be willing to bear with the scruples of the weak - Ro 14:1 "Welcome all the Lord's followers, even those whose faith is weak. Don't criticize them for having beliefs that are different from yours.", 13 "We must stop judging others. We must also make up our minds not to upset anyone's faith."; 15:1-3 "If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ That the weak in faith must be careful not to judge (condemn) those whom God has received! - Ro 14:3-4 "But you should not criticize others for eating or for not eating. After all, God welcomes everyone. What right do you have to criticize someone else's servants? Only their Lord can decide if they are doing right, and the Lord will make sure that they do right." -- Such attitudes are necessary, or we will not be able "with one mind and one mouth [to] glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!" - Ro 15:5-7.
Finally, to the church at Corinth Paul made it clear that knowledge can puff one up, but it is love that edifies ("builds up", in contrast to knowledge which "puffs up") - 1 Co 8:1 "In your letter you asked me about food offered to idols. All of us know something about this subject. But knowledge makes us proud of ourselves, while love makes us helpful to others." That we who have liberty in Christ should be careful that we don't use it to the destruction of our brethren who are weak - 1 Co 8:9-12 "Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ." That we should therefore be willing to forego our liberties if it can help keep a brother from stumbling - 1 Co 8:13 "So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live."; 10:31-11:1 "When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved. You must follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."
From personal experience, I can attest that where members display these attitudes in addition to their devotion to "the apostles' doctrine"......there will be a congregation of Christians in which love and unity will prevail. That's not to say there will always be perfect understanding and agreement on every subject. When people from every conceivable background come to Christ, we should expect some differences. When there will always be brethren at various levels of spiritual growth, we can expect some challenges. But if we can agree that the teaching of Christ as expounded in "the apostles' doctrine" is our standard of authority in religious matters and inculcate the Christian attitudes described in this lesson into the heart of every member then we shall be able to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ep 4:3) as we all continue to "grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ" (2 Pe 3:18), to the glory of God!
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sunday, November 05, 2006
Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion - Part Two
Following Jesus Without Denominationalism
Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion - Part Two
Another question that often arises when the subject of authority in religion is being discussed: "Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go?" I.e., must we have authority for all that we do in religious matters? To help answer such questions, consider these warnings found in the New Testament. We must not change it’s message! This is especially true in regards to the gospel of Christ! - Ga 1:8-9 "I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed." Even if we claimed a change was authorized by an angelic messenger, we would be accursed! Therefore, the gospel of salvation in Christ must be preserved in every respect!
We must not add or take away from it. We find such a warning at the conclusion of the last book of the Bible - Re 22:18-19 "Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book: If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book." Though primarily applicable to the book of Revelation, this warning is consistent with others pertaining to the revelation of God's will to man - Deu 4:2 "and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away."; Pro 30:5-6 "Everything God says is true-- and it's a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don't change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar."
We must abide in the doctrine of Christ. Otherwise, we will not have fellowship with the Father and the Son - 2 Jn 9 "Don't keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you." Is this passage referring to the doctrine "about" Christ, or the doctrine "taught by" Christ (along with His apostles)? As pointed out in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, the question is of little importance for John holds equally to both positions. It is fundamental to the faith to hold to the proper views about Christ - 2 Jn 7 "Many liars have gone out into the world. These deceitful liars are saying that Jesus Christ did not have a truly human body. But they are liars and the enemies of Christ." It is fundamental to the faith to obey the commandments of Christ - 1 Jn 3:24 "If we obey God's commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him." Thus what John says here applies in either case.
We must not allow "traditions of men" to make the "commands of God" of no effect. Jesus charged the Pharisees with "vain" worship for doing this - Mk 7:5-13 "The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?" Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings! Didn't Moses command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to God. You won't let those people help their parents. And you ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad." In view of this warning, we should evaluate our religious practices: Are they based upon "traditions of men", or the "commandments of God"? If "traditions of men", does our keeping them render the "commands of God" of no effect? For example, by keeping the man-made tradition of sprinkling for baptism, the command of God for immersion (Grk. "baptizo") is rendered of no effect.
We must not abuse our liberty in Christ. In Christ we enjoy wonderful freedom, but we must be careful in our use of it - Ga 5:1 "Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.", 13 "My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love." We must be considerate of our brothers' consciences - Ro 14:14-15:3 "The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit. If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin. If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ We should be willing to forego our liberty rather than let it destroy a brother - 1 Co 8:9-13 "Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live." We should not only ask "Is it lawful?", but also "Does it edify?" - 1 Co 10:23-24 "Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. We should think about others and not about ourselves.", 31-33 "When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved." With such "warnings" weighing upon our hearts, we are more likely to approach the Word of God with the humility it deserves as we seek to establish the authority for our service to God.
But one last question related to having the same standard of authority: Will it "guarantee" unity among the followers of Christ? No, because agreeing upon the same will not guarantee unity. There are still other challenges to face. Which commands are binding today? Some commands must be understood to be limited in application. Effort must be made to determine whether a command was intended to be limited or universal in application. Which approved examples are to be considered normative for the church today?. Much of what we learn about the church pertaining to its work and organization is by example, not precept. Effort must be made to determine whether an example should be understood as teaching a binding principle for the church to observe universally. When are necessary implications really necessary implications? People often infer things from the Bible and call their conclusion a "necessary" implication. But it may only be a "possible" implication, not one "necessarily" inferred -- These are some of the questions or challenges faced by every congregation of Christians.
As Christians seek unity, we need more than just the same standard of authority. Barton W. Stone, an effective promoter of Christian unity in the early 1800's, had these insightful words in an article entitled "Christian Union" published in The Christian Messenger (1828): "On no other foundation can the parties ever meet, than on the Bible alone, without note or comment; and in no other name will they ever unite, but in that given to the disciples at Antioch--CHRISTIAN. But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union." (As quoted by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement, 20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56). In addition to agreeing on the same standard of authority (i.e., the Word of God), we need the proper spirit to "rightly divide the word of truth" - 2 Ti 2:14-16 "Don't let anyone forget these things. And with God as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message. Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God." As Paul told Timothy, the servant of the Lord must carefully apply the Word when seeking to teach others - 2 Ti 2:23-25 "Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble, and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient. Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth."
The apostle Paul has more to say on the attitudes necessary to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", but we will consider those in our next lesson. My purpose in this lesson has been to share some thoughts that I pray will help steer us in the right direction as we "Follow Jesus Without Denominationalism": The Bible teaches us, not only by way of direct commands, but through approved examples and necessary implications. It is helpful to understand the principles of general and specific authority, and when something may be expedient to fulfill things that are authorized. Warnings throughout the scriptures should serve to keep us on the "straight and narrow". But as valuable and needful the same standard of authority may be, simple agreement on what the standard is will not guarantee unity - we need to apply the proper spirit of love, patience and humility as we grow together towards unity in Christ. What is your attitude toward the authority of God's Word? Are you willing to accept the authority of Jesus Christ, as delegated to His apostles? - Mt 28:18-20 "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world."
Ac 2:36-38 "Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross. When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Friends, what shall we do?" Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Further Thoughts Related To Authority In Religion - Part Two
Another question that often arises when the subject of authority in religion is being discussed: "Are there limitations placed upon how far we may go?" I.e., must we have authority for all that we do in religious matters? To help answer such questions, consider these warnings found in the New Testament. We must not change it’s message! This is especially true in regards to the gospel of Christ! - Ga 1:8-9 "I pray that God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from our message to you! It doesn't matter if that person is one of us or an angel from heaven. I have said it before, and I will say it again. I hope God will punish anyone who preaches anything different from what you have already believed." Even if we claimed a change was authorized by an angelic messenger, we would be accursed! Therefore, the gospel of salvation in Christ must be preserved in every respect!
We must not add or take away from it. We find such a warning at the conclusion of the last book of the Bible - Re 22:18-19 "Here is my warning for everyone who hears the prophecies in this book: If you add anything to them, God will make you suffer all the terrible troubles written in this book. If you take anything away from these prophecies, God will not let you have part in the life-giving tree and in the holy city described in this book." Though primarily applicable to the book of Revelation, this warning is consistent with others pertaining to the revelation of God's will to man - Deu 4:2 "and now he is your God. I am telling you everything he has commanded, so don't add anything or take anything away."; Pro 30:5-6 "Everything God says is true-- and it's a shield for all who come to him for safety. Don't change what God has said! He will correct you and show that you are a liar."
We must abide in the doctrine of Christ. Otherwise, we will not have fellowship with the Father and the Son - 2 Jn 9 "Don't keep changing what you were taught about Christ, or else God will no longer be with you. But if you hold firmly to what you were taught, both the Father and the Son will be with you." Is this passage referring to the doctrine "about" Christ, or the doctrine "taught by" Christ (along with His apostles)? As pointed out in the Expositor's Bible Commentary, the question is of little importance for John holds equally to both positions. It is fundamental to the faith to hold to the proper views about Christ - 2 Jn 7 "Many liars have gone out into the world. These deceitful liars are saying that Jesus Christ did not have a truly human body. But they are liars and the enemies of Christ." It is fundamental to the faith to obey the commandments of Christ - 1 Jn 3:24 "If we obey God's commandments, we will stay one in our hearts with him, and he will stay one with us. The Spirit that he has given us is proof that we are one with him." Thus what John says here applies in either case.
We must not allow "traditions of men" to make the "commands of God" of no effect. Jesus charged the Pharisees with "vain" worship for doing this - Mk 7:5-13 "The Pharisees and teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples obey what our ancestors taught us to do? Why do they eat without washing their hands?" Jesus replied: You are nothing but show-offs! The prophet Isaiah was right when he wrote that God had said, "All of you praise me with your words, but you never really think about me. It is useless for you to worship me, when you teach rules made up by humans." You disobey God's commands in order to obey what humans have taught. You are good at rejecting God's commands so that you can follow your own teachings! Didn't Moses command you to respect your father and mother? Didn't he tell you to put to death all who curse their parents? But you let people get by without helping their parents when they should. You let them say that what they own has been offered to God. You won't let those people help their parents. And you ignore God's commands in order to follow your own teaching. You do a lot of other things that are just as bad." In view of this warning, we should evaluate our religious practices: Are they based upon "traditions of men", or the "commandments of God"? If "traditions of men", does our keeping them render the "commands of God" of no effect? For example, by keeping the man-made tradition of sprinkling for baptism, the command of God for immersion (Grk. "baptizo") is rendered of no effect.
We must not abuse our liberty in Christ. In Christ we enjoy wonderful freedom, but we must be careful in our use of it - Ga 5:1 "Christ has set us free! This means we are really free. Now hold on to your freedom and don't ever become slaves of the Law again.", 13 "My friends, you were chosen to be free. So don't use your freedom as an excuse to do anything you want. Use it as an opportunity to serve each other with love." We must be considerate of our brothers' consciences - Ro 14:14-15:3 "The Lord Jesus has made it clear to me that God considers all foods fit to eat. But if you think some foods are unfit to eat, then for you they are not fit. If you are hurting others by the foods you eat, you are not guided by love. Don't let your appetite destroy someone Christ died for. Don't let your right to eat bring shame to Christ. God's kingdom isn't about eating and drinking. It is about pleasing God, about living in peace, and about true happiness. All this comes from the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this way, you will please God and be respected by people. We should try to live at peace and help each other have a strong faith. Don't let your appetite destroy what God has done. All foods are fit to eat, but it is wrong to cause problems for others by what you eat. It is best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else that causes problems for other followers of the Lord. What you believe about these things should be kept between you and God. You are fortunate, if your actions don't make you have doubts. But if you do have doubts about what you eat, you are going against your beliefs. And you know that is wrong, because anything you do against your beliefs is sin. If our faith is strong, we should be patient with the Lord's followers whose faith is weak. We should try to please them instead of ourselves. We should think of their good and try to help them by doing what pleases them. Even Christ did not try to please himself. But as the Scriptures say, "The people who insulted you also insulted me."’ We should be willing to forego our liberty rather than let it destroy a brother - 1 Co 8:9-13 "Don't cause problems for someone with a weak conscience, just because you have the right to eat anything. You know all this, and so it doesn't bother you to eat in the temple of an idol. But suppose a person with a weak conscience sees you and decides to eat food that has been offered to idols. Then what you know has destroyed someone Christ died for. When you sin by hurting a follower with a weak conscience, you sin against Christ. So if I hurt one of the Lord's followers by what I eat, I will never eat meat as long as I live." We should not only ask "Is it lawful?", but also "Does it edify?" - 1 Co 10:23-24 "Some of you say, "We can do whatever we want to!" But I tell you that not everything may be good or helpful. We should think about others and not about ourselves.", 31-33 "When you eat or drink or do anything else, always do it to honor God. Don't cause problems for Jews or Greeks or anyone else who belongs to God's church. I always try to please others instead of myself, in the hope that many of them will be saved." With such "warnings" weighing upon our hearts, we are more likely to approach the Word of God with the humility it deserves as we seek to establish the authority for our service to God.
But one last question related to having the same standard of authority: Will it "guarantee" unity among the followers of Christ? No, because agreeing upon the same will not guarantee unity. There are still other challenges to face. Which commands are binding today? Some commands must be understood to be limited in application. Effort must be made to determine whether a command was intended to be limited or universal in application. Which approved examples are to be considered normative for the church today?. Much of what we learn about the church pertaining to its work and organization is by example, not precept. Effort must be made to determine whether an example should be understood as teaching a binding principle for the church to observe universally. When are necessary implications really necessary implications? People often infer things from the Bible and call their conclusion a "necessary" implication. But it may only be a "possible" implication, not one "necessarily" inferred -- These are some of the questions or challenges faced by every congregation of Christians.
As Christians seek unity, we need more than just the same standard of authority. Barton W. Stone, an effective promoter of Christian unity in the early 1800's, had these insightful words in an article entitled "Christian Union" published in The Christian Messenger (1828): "On no other foundation can the parties ever meet, than on the Bible alone, without note or comment; and in no other name will they ever unite, but in that given to the disciples at Antioch--CHRISTIAN. But should all the professors of Christianity reject all their various creeds and names, and agree to receive the Bible alone, and be called by no other name than Christian, will this unite them? No, we are fully convinced that unless they all possess the spirit of that book and name they are far, very far, from Christian union." (As quoted by J. M. Powell, The Cause We Plead: A Story Of The Restoration Movement, 20th Century Christian, 1987, p. 56). In addition to agreeing on the same standard of authority (i.e., the Word of God), we need the proper spirit to "rightly divide the word of truth" - 2 Ti 2:14-16 "Don't let anyone forget these things. And with God as your witness, you must warn them not to argue about words. These arguments don't help anyone. In fact, they ruin everyone who listens to them. Do your best to win God's approval as a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed and who teaches only the true message. Keep away from worthless and useless talk. It only leads people farther away from God." As Paul told Timothy, the servant of the Lord must carefully apply the Word when seeking to teach others - 2 Ti 2:23-25 "Stay away from stupid and senseless arguments. These only lead to trouble, and God's servants must not be troublemakers. They must be kind to everyone, and they must be good teachers and very patient. Be humble when you correct people who oppose you. Maybe God will lead them to turn to him and learn the truth."
The apostle Paul has more to say on the attitudes necessary to "maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace", but we will consider those in our next lesson. My purpose in this lesson has been to share some thoughts that I pray will help steer us in the right direction as we "Follow Jesus Without Denominationalism": The Bible teaches us, not only by way of direct commands, but through approved examples and necessary implications. It is helpful to understand the principles of general and specific authority, and when something may be expedient to fulfill things that are authorized. Warnings throughout the scriptures should serve to keep us on the "straight and narrow". But as valuable and needful the same standard of authority may be, simple agreement on what the standard is will not guarantee unity - we need to apply the proper spirit of love, patience and humility as we grow together towards unity in Christ. What is your attitude toward the authority of God's Word? Are you willing to accept the authority of Jesus Christ, as delegated to His apostles? - Mt 28:18-20 "Jesus came to them and said: I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth! Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world."
Ac 2:36-38 "Everyone in Israel should then know for certain that God has made Jesus both Lord and Christ, even though you put him to death on a cross. When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Friends, what shall we do?" Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit."
God Bless,
Jim Newsted
Shamrock, Tx
The town that turns green for a week every year
Join my Bible Study Group at internet-bible-studies-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
or http://groups.yahoo.com/group/internet-bible-studies/join
Even though you can't see the air, It doesn't stop you from breathing
Even though you can't see God, It doesn't stop you from believing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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