#03 – The Church And The Churches

The “Only True Church”

(According To Those Who Founded Them”

      Keeping the human spirit satisfied has long been one of mankind’s chief problems. This was Eve’s problem in the Garden. The laws and practices of the early disciples were perfect and complete, as guided by the spirit led apostles. And yet, those in Corinth sought to improve upon them, as do many today. The inspired Paul wrote,

“God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, (that’s the key issue, ht) and that there be no divisions among you, (that’s the desired result, ht) but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe’s household, that there are contentions among you. (That was the problem then, as it is today, ht) Now I say this, that each of you says, "I am of Paul," or "I am of Apollos," or "I am of Cephas," or "I am of Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (The most important considerations then and now, ht) (1Co 1:9-13).

But, said a friend recently, change is inevitable – and desirable – for improvement. “Improvement in what,” we ask. Several examples were given which indicated that no distinction between form and substance was understood. Yes, the form of many things were destined to change over time, but did the Almighty ever intend the substance of worship of Him to change? What about Truth? What about the sincere obedience to His plan for saving sinful humanity? I think not! My judgment is that a proper understanding of the distinctive differences between the form of religion and the substance of what constitutes a child of God is the critical issue of our time.

      And so, the building (founding, planting, etc) process by human choice began (possibly in Corinth) and it continues to this day. And, as would be expected, just about everyone after Pentecost who has ever built a religious organization of some kind, usually called a Church, has declared themselves and their fellow builders their creation the one and only true Church on earth. In doing so they necessarily lay claim that everyone must join their exclusive group and organization if he wants to be saved from the penalty of his sins and be acceptable to God. In order to justify this claim they must promulgate the idea that there has been an apostasy from the beginning ekklesia that Jesus said He was going to build, that began on Pentecost, and so, naturally, there now must be a “restoration.”

      Few brethren could have any more respect for the “restoration period” worthies than I, but they were but men, and men are not inspired! In 1809 Thomas Campbell wrote:

A Statement On The Church; By Thomas Campbell (father of Alexander, who in sarcastic attacks has often been accused of being the “founder” of the “Church of Christ” by various denominational scholars.

“Let none imagine that the subjoined propositions are at all intended as an overture towards a new creed, or standard, for the church, or, as in any wise designed to be made a term of communion; – nothing can be farther from our intention. They are merely designed for opening up the way, that we may come fairly and firmly to original grounds upon clear and certain premises: and take up things just as the Apostles left them. – That thus disentangled from the accruing embarrassments of intervening ages, we may stand with evidence upon the same ground on which the church stood at the beginning – Having said so much to solicit attention and prevent mistake, we submit as follows:

“Prop. 1. THAT the church of Christ upon earth is essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in every place that profess their faith in Christ and obedience to him in all things according to the scriptures, and that manifest the same by their tempers and conduct, and of none else, as none else can be truly and properly called Christians.

“2. That although the church of Christ upon earth must necessarily exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate one from another; yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them. They ought to receive each other as Christ Jesus hath also received them to the glory of God. And for this purpose, they ought all to walk by the same rule, to mind and speak the same thing; and to be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.

* Declaration and Address, 1809.

      This essentially was the idea behind the “restoration movement” of the 19^th century, as apposed to a “reformation” movement as some chose to call it. The denominational world could not be “reformed” and so a “restoration” was needed. This concept was noble, if, this meant going back to the first century teachings and practices. But, restoring anything less than this original substance would fall short of true restoration. The “forms” would change, but the “substance” must be the very substance taught and practiced by the apostles.

      The word “traditions” has become a negative word by those who seem excited about changing the substance of the inspired Message. Paul spoke negatively about his own background, “And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers” (Gal 1:4). But, he exhorted the Thessalonians to “. . . stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle” (2TH 2:15).

      It is somewhat sad to say that some well-meaning brethren have carried this “restoration” concept to an extreme. Some of our brethren insist on drinking from one cup on the Lord’s Day when they celebrate the death of our Lord, as they claim this to be the original meaning of “the cup.” I asked a friend recently who subscribes to this view, “what about a large group? Do you still drink from one cup?” He had recently come back from a wide-area brotherhood meeting where some 1200 (as I recall) were in attendance. His answer was that the principle did not change and they all “communed” by drinking from the one and only cup. On the other hand, a very intelligent and successful in the business world sister in Christ, who loves to sing and sees nothing wrong in using professional singers and instruments of music, told me, “You would want us to go back riding camels.” No, I do not think that 1200 brethren could or should drink from the one material cup, or, we should go back in time to “riding camels.” There is a difference between “form and substance.”

Tradition

      “Tradition” has become a bad word today in the minds of some who want to change principles along WITH form, to mimic the trends of the culture. A recent “Church Growth” expert has advocated that congregational leaders must “get rid of the traditionalists if you want to grow.” No spiritually minded saint wants souls to be lost; to the contrary, he cannot be a saint unless he both desires and is working for the numerical growth of the church! But, we ask, “Growth from what to what? Concerning numerical growth, is bigger always better when it is applied to the saving of souls? I will not agree that it is. A leader (preacher) of a sizable congregation in Memphis recently related all the disadvantages of the small country congregation as if there was little that was good. But some of us who had the advantage of the close knit “country” congregation knew of the precious fellowship, the superior knowledge of the Scriptures by the common/ordinary saint, and the community influence of those who had spent their lives living like Christians ought to live. While there were exceptions of course, the “church of Christ” was generally recognized as among the most spiritually minded Christians around.

      On the other hand larger congregations can provide services and opportunities that smaller ones could not. Young people yearn for “peer group” activities. The “critical mass” of larger congregations usually provides for stronger scholarship, evangelistic effort and support, and influence in local communities. And so, the word is used both favorably and negatively, depending upon the application. Yes, we have a misunderstanding about traditions, yet, the Lord’s People have done fairly well following the teachings and practices laid out by our forefathers. I sat in a large gathering at a University Lectureship while the speaker was shouting out that the church needed to “change.” Sitting near me an elderly brother shouted out, “At least we knew what sin was!” But, I’ve heard, we must “change” and give the people what they are looking for, if we are going to make “progress.” They on occasions set and demand certain requirements for a congregation (“local Church”) until it becomes a system little different than the Roman Catholic Church universal with its exclusive and approved local Churches, all grouped within their sub-groups (Dioceses, Parishes, Churches and Schools. System wise it ranks as probably the largest and wealthiest of all religious / commercial organizations on earth.) Among our brethren we hear of “Faithful Churches” versus “unfaithful churches.” Question” Who determines these “faithful” churches? “Unfaithful?” Several years ago it was proposed that certain “faithful” churches use a uniform sign out front to designate their faithfulness? Unbelievable! Did the apostles judge saints by groups? Does God judge his children today by groups? Has this dividing by “groups” not divided God’s people all over the world? Surely it has!

      From the conclusion of Peter’s sermon recorded by Luke in Acts 2, God has had his redeemed people. The death of Christ (“gates of hell”) did not prevent this promise of Jesus with his incomparable offer of redemption, and will continue to be offered until he comes again to claim his thankful people. Peter refers to these people as:

1Pe 2:5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. . . . 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. (esv)

While one might know that there has been periods of great numerical growth as in the first century and even in early America, and periods of lesser growth, there has been and will always continue to be God’s People, the church that Jesus continues to build, His redeemed ones.

      So, the claim by the “one true church” builders today is that the work of the apostles failed, and there needs to be a full restoration of that “it,” that Church that Jesus started building (established is the usual word) at Jerusalem. “It” finally failed and now “it” must be rebuilt (re-established).

The Roman Catholic Church

      Probably the “Holy Roman Catholic Church” is the most audacious claimant to the ekklesia that Jesus said He was going to build. The “Pope” claims to be the vicar (from Latin vicarius 'substitute') of Christ. Please consider:

“But by divine institution it is the exclusive task of these pastors alone, the successors of Peter and the other Apostles, to teach the faithful authentically, that is with the authority of Christ ....” (Vatican Council II Vol. 2, p. 430, 1984)

“If anyone says that in the Roman Church, which is the mother and mistress of all churches, there is not the true doctrine concerning the sacrament of baptism, let him be anathema.” (The Canons And Decrees Of The Council Of Trent, p. 53 -- Seventh Session, Sacrament Of Baptism, Canon 3)

“This loyal submission of the will and intellect must be given, in a special way, to the authentic teaching authority of the Roman Pontiff, even when he does not speak ex cathedra in such wise, indeed, that his supreme teaching authority be acknowledged with respect, and that one sincerely adhere to decisions made by him, conformably with his manifest mind and intention ....” (Vatican Council II ,Vol. 1, p. 379)

The Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Ecumenism explains: “For it is through Christ’s Catholic Church ALONE, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained.”

Pope Boniface VIII declared: “There is one holy Catholic and apostolic church, outside of which there Is NO SALVATION ... it is altogether NECESSARY FOR SALVATION for every creature to be subject to the Roman Pontiff.' (“infallible papal bull, Unam Sanctam) Vatican II declared: ... this holy Council teaches ... that the church .. Is NECESSARY FOR SALVATION.” (VATICAN COUNCIL II, Costello Publishing, Austin Flannery, O.P., General Editor, Vol 1, pp. 364-365)

All Christians will be gathered in a common celebration of the Eucharist, into the unity of the one and only Church, ... The unity, we believe subsists in the Catholic Church as something she can never lose. (Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, chap. 1, 4, p. 416).

      There is a stated conviction by Catholics that “Rome never changes.” History proves this to be a blatant falsehood! But concerning it’s exclusiveness, that has not changed. The present Pope recently restated that salvation was found exclusively in the Catholic Church. But wait! To accommodate the Jews who, wealth wise and influence wise, seem to be growing more wealthy and more influential, especially in America, the Pope now says that the Jews are “separated brethren,” and do not have to become followers of Christ to be acceptable to the Catholic Church. Check this claim out, as I did, and found it to be true!

Mormonism LDS –

      13th LDS President Ezra Taft Benson, “This is not just another Church. This is not just one of a family of Christian churches. This is the Church and kingdom of God, the only true Church upon the face of the earth. . .” (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, p.164-165). “This Church is the only true and living Church on the face of the whole earth” (D and C 1:30) “There is no salvation outside the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter – day Saints (Mormon Doctrine, p.670)

      “Behold there are save two Churches only; the one is the Church of the Lamb of God and the other is the Church of the devil; wherefore who so belongeth not to the Church of the lamb of God belongeth to that great Church; which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.” (The Book of Mormon, 1 Nephi 14:10)

      On April 8, 1973, LDS Apostle Mark E. Petersen proclaimed that salvation “comes only through the Church itself as the Lord established it. . . Therefore it was made clearly manifest that salvation is in the Church, and of the Church, and is obtained only through the Church.”

      “The Roman Catholic, Greek, and Protestant church, is the great corrupt, ecclesiastical power, represented by great Babylon. . . .” (Orson Pratt, Writings of an Apostle, Divine Authenticity, no.6, p.84).

      “The LDS Church is, ‘the only true and living Church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased . . .” Brigham Young (Mormonism's Second President)

      “Our message is so imperative, when you stop to think that the salvation, the eternal salvation of the world, rests upon the shoulders of this Church. When all is said and done, if the world is going to be saved, we have to do it” (Church Is Really Doing Well, Church News (a bi-weekly publication by the Mormon church), July 3 1999, 3)

Jehovah’s Witnesses –

      “The Gospel of the Kingdom ceased to be proclaimed shortly after the death of the apostles. It was not preached again until after 1918.(WT, 12/1/1928, pp. 363-64)

      “We acknowledge as the visible organization of Jehovah on earth the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, and recognize the Society as the Channel or instrument through which Jehovah and Christ Jesus give instruction and meat in due season to the household of faith. (Watchtower, April 15, 1939 p. 125)

      “ The Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society the one and only channel which the Lord has used in dispensing his truth continually since the beginning of the harvest period?” (WT 4/1/1919, p. 6414)

      “The world is full of Bibles… why then do the people not know which way to go? Because, they do not also have the teaching or law of the mother, which is light.”(WT 5/1/1957, p.274)

       “Outside the true Christian congregation what alternative organization is there? Only Satan’s organization…”(Watchtower 3/1/1979 p.24)

      “Consider too, the fact that Jehovah's organization alone in all the earth is directed by God's holy spirit or active force.” (Watchtower, July 1, 1973, page 402)

      Perhaps the one group most of us would be interested in is the “International Church Of Christ.” Perhaps you have known some of these and would consider them friends, and brethren. Writers of some of our standard papers occasionally gave credit to them saying, “they must be doing something right because of their rapid growth.” Their “rapid growth” is no longer apparent and there have been several major defections, some because of moral laxity. All of this can be confirmed by accessing the system on the Internet search programs.

International Church of Christ –

“There is one church! There is one God. There is one kingdom of God and this is it! (The Great Commission, audio tape, Weger/Rock, Hodge/Hamann/Fulcher/Fields)

“You are in the only family that exists on the face of the earth.”( Phil Lamb, We Are Family, audio tape 1990 West Coast Conf.)

“We're the last hope the world has. Nobody else is going to do what we're doing. Nobody else has the right message. Nobody else has the right commitment.”( Gordon Ferguson, Radical Men, Radical Times Hosea Radical Love of God, Manila World Leadership Conf., Aug. 1994 )

“Your salvation is hanging in the balance. . . . When you walk away from the movement of God, there is no where to walk. Walking out of the light into the darkness. There is nobody else. There is nobody else in this country that has the true gospel -- that is, trying to make disciples of Jesus. There is nobody else in this entire world. This is the movement of God! There is no place to go.” (Nick Young. Tulsa Reconstruction meeting, August, 1992, audio one, side two)

“When you preached who is really saved: that you gotta have faith, you gotta repent, you gotta become a true disciple of Jesus, and then you gotta be water immersed for the forgiveness of sins received through the Holy Spirit, that excludes all other denominations… everybody else out there.”(Kip McKean. “Preach the Word.” Johannesburg World Missions Leadership Conference. Aug. 1995, audiotape #10091, side 2)

      There are numbers of religious entities that claim to be the “true” or “one and only” organization of God that will save sinners. Frankly, I was stunned to find that philosophy advocated by so many. Check the WWW for these items if you are interested.

      But my interest is in helping any reader of these article to see the necessary of being first, last and always a disciple of Christ and a child of the Almighty God. Groups of Christians will occur as drops of water cling together, as birds will flock according to their kind, but in the great and final day each Christian will stand before the Judge (John 8:22) as an individual. He will not be supported by helpmate, or family, or Church of whatever kind. We plead for all to study the individuality and

individual accountability that God will require.

7^th day Adventists –

      “I saw that God has honest children among the nominal Adventists and the fallen churches, and before the plagues shall be poured out, Ministers and people will be called out from these Churches and will gladly receive the truth. . . . But the light will shine, and all who are honest will leave the fallen Churches, and take their stand with the remnant” (Early Writings, p. 261)

      We can see the common thread of these churches. They are separatists and deny anyone else can have the right message. That one must come to their CHURCH to be saved. That is the common deviation from Scripture and what makes them a cult. 1Jn 2:19 “they went out from us but they were not of us, if they had been of us , they would have continued with us, but they went out that they might be made known that none of them were of us.” This was already occurring in the early church.

      Now that we have read through just a few Churches (note capital “C”) that claim exclusivity to being the only representatives of Christ and God on earth. Is it possible for any one of these organized religious groups that claim to be the one and only Church that Jesus built (and is building) can be right? Common sense would tell us that it is impossible for all of them to be right since they all claim exclusivity. This is very important to our discussion. How can the honest person know for sure? There is but one way. No one could ever know for sure unless and until he commits himself to a thorough study and acceptance of the Sacred Scriptures. He must rid himself of all prejudices and opinions about God’s People. Can the uneducated man understand the Scriptures adequately to understand who (not what) the church that Jesus is building today? The answer is yes! It would be an insult to the Almighty to suggest that He would demand accurate understanding of vital issues when honest souls were incapable of understanding these vital matters! Did the apostles themselves need the Holy spirit in order to know and then to teach and write the truth? Absolutely. What about common man? The same is true. Jesus tried desperately to get his contemporaries to believe on Him. He presented evidence after evidence that would convince the honest seeker that He was what He claimed to be, the Christ and Son of God. John quotes Jesus as telling them,

John 7:14 Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught. 15 And the Jews marveled, saying, "How does this Man know letters, having never studied?" 16 Jesus answered them and said, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 "If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. 18 "He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

Two notes are interesting. “Having never studied,” refers to the schools of the Rabbis. Is it any different today when so many of us have depended upon our schools with our more educated brethren to teach and confirm the accuracy of the Scriptures. And the result? There is more division today than a half century ago based on my personal experience and judgment when the common man studied the Scriptures and many learned it by candle light in the night. Paul once told a young man Timothy,

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. . . . You, however, continue in the things you have learned and become convinced of, knowing from whom you have learned them, 15 and that from childhood you have known the sacred writings which are able to give you the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 17 so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. (2Ti 2:15; 3:15-17).

Where had Timothy learned these things that he was to “continue in?” Paul tells us, “When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.” (2Ti 1:5).

      At this point I’m sure that someone might be saying that HT is against higher education. Please ask the Lord to forgive you if that thought is in our mind. What IS the purpose of “higher education?” Is it not to teach the student to think for himself; to learn to study and search out the truth? To study the authorities for himself? It is NOT to get the student to accept the convictions of his teacher, is it? But what have many (too many) of us today done? We have chosen our favorite “scholars” and quit studying the Scriptures for ourselves in too many cases.

      The second point to be made is that Paul says that “If anyone wants to seek His will,” sincerely wants to, desires to, etc. It is a fact of life that we usually wind up doing what we truly want to do. The successful man never became successful accidently. I’m not talking about those who inherited their parents’ wealth, but those who earned it on their own. And, I’m talking about that soul who is “hungering and thirsting after righteousness,” and will not be satisfied until he is “filled!”

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