2Co 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ. [asv]

Ephesians 5:25-29 NKJV

25 . . . just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. . . . 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones.

(Note: This presentation was made by Don Hall of Waco, Texas to a group of Gospel Preachers assembled for a 4 day Seminar dubbed “Pickup University” in Temple Terrace, FL in July 1996. It has been adapted here for wider audiences and is used by permission of the author.)

Christianity is all about Relationships. That's really ALL! Did you get that? Our very existence begins and ends with relationships. Our purpose on earth is for relationships. Our destiny is determined by relationships. Our joys now and our hurts are over relationships. Our victories in life and our defeats by Satan are the results of relationships.

Isn't that the bottom line with God? Isn't it also the first line with Him? And the last line? From Genesis where God said, "Let us make man in our image...." (Gen 1:26) to Revelation where he concluded, "The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's People" (Rev 22:21), God is constantly revealing His Will to mankind because He wants a relationship with His creation . He punctuates that truth with an emphatic "Amen" to end his revealed Will, the Bible. "So be it"! That's what He wants and He will have His way!

Why? "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son ... to save the world through Him." (John 3:16,17). God, through His love and grace, wants man to have a righteous relationship with Him. One that rises above the hurts of this life and even its joys. A relationship that fulfills the whole duty of man to "Fear God and keep His commandments" (Ecc 12:13). A relationship that allows the divine image and nature of God to dwell in those who are His so that He can call us His people! A relationship that is built on fellowship among those walking in His light. And it is a relationship that demands FOLLOWSHIP to enjoy FELLOWSHIP!"

I was fortunate to have Godly parents who were active servants in the Kingdom. After 4 years at Abilene Christian I graduated with a degree in General Business and a minor in Bible. The vocation I chose was to be a dedicated Christian. That is first still. My avocations were to use my God-given talents in music and teaching to serve His people and to apply what skills I had acquired for building up our family business. For over 45 years I have been a Bible Class teacher with particular interest in church history and practicing simple New Testament Christianity. I'm sure I have had some wrong understandings of Scripture and taught mistaken ideas. God knows I didn't intend to.

I hope I continue to have the courage and honesty to accept change in culture and tradition, but never in God's fundamental truths. I intend to be open-minded to the concepts of others because I am confident in My God and my faith. The purpose of this article is to build bridges not barriers between brethren This is one thing we all can do to fulfill Romans 14:19, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."

I mentioned walking in His light. That comes from 1 John 1 where verses 5 to 7 explain

"...God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him, yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."

This and many passages in the Bible clearly explain that our fellowship primarily and fundamentally begins vertically – with God. That's where the light comes from. He is light. Secondarily and necessarily, if we are in the light, we collectively have fellowship with each other. This means reaching out to each other, horizontally, because we have "a relationship of sharing with each other," (The Simple English Bible).

Thus, true Christian fellowship is a relationship of the cross: upward to God, across to our fellow man on each side. Symbolically and actually, the cross is our means of salvation, our common bond of relationship to God and each other (1 Cor 10:16,17; 1 John 1:3). God uses "Koinonia" to define our relationship. It is used in reference to communion, sharing, contribution, and communication. All are things we have and do together, in common. I'm sure you can recall many passages of Scripture that illustrate the commonality and sharing of Christian fellowship.

Because of the cross it is imperative to build our fellowship with God and brethren. It is equally imperative that we not rupture that relationship that reaches above and reaches out. The cross is very dear to God's heart. No wonder He places all kinds of warnings in our lighted pathway to protect our relationship with our brothers. (Prov 6:16-19; Rom 14:10; Luk 17:1-4). To rupture or divide that relationship thwarts God's very purpose for His followers. If we bite and devour one another (Gal 5:15) we destroy God's harmony, peace, and relationship between brethren. If we do not build bridges to one another as Christians, how can we ever appeal to the lost? Shall we urge them to become a part of a divided fellowship where brethren differ to the point of separation? Or what if those activities are wholesome to some and condemned by others through their process of deductive reasoning or level of maturity? I submit to you, with God there is no comparison between the importance of the cross of fellowship and the decision to have a "church kitchen". (To put the two subjects in the same sentence is almost sacrilegious!) Yet brethren will crucify Christ afresh and subject Him to public disgrace over such faulty priorities and immaturity (Heb 6:1-6).

How do we know what is really important to God? Wouldn't it be a shame if He didn't tell us? Do we really think God's plan for man is so detailed like the Law of Moses, or the Rabbinical teachings in Old Testament times, that we have no hope of understanding or fulfilling it? If so, where is God's grace and mercy for us today?

This list of almost-rhetorical and nearly-unanswerable questions could go on and on. But I hope you get the point: There has to be a determination of what's important to God, not me. And the Book is the only place we can find the answers! Not in what man says about the Book. Nor how he sees it, nor what he has always believed or practiced in religion. But what the Will of God really says to us today. Romans 12:2 answers these riddles simply: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- His good, pleasing, and perfect will."

1. We all know God commands us to obey Him. (Jer 11:4, John 14:15,23, etc.). We can't obey Him unless we know what He says. And the Bible is all that He will say directly in revelation to man (Gal 1:8,9). "This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome (grievous), for everyone born of God overcomes the world. (1 John 5:3,4)

2. When God speaks on a certain subject, He tells us all that we need to know. If He tells us how or by what method we are to act, then the method is a part of His command. "Go into all the world" doesn't tell us how to go. In fact, I'm hard-pressed to find commands that tell us how or what method to use. Can you? Doesn't this say that God usually leaves it to our judgement or wisdom on how we carry out a command? Then He will judge our heart, our intent, our fulfillment as only He can do. This judging is not the prerogative of fellow Christians. Can't we all think of many areas where our criticism, impatience, or condemning of brethren isn't our business, but rather between God and that man alone? When will we learn the lessons of Romans 14?

3.When God doesn't speak on a subject, we must never put words in His Book! That's among the biggest no-no's God has! (1 Tim 6:3-5; 2 John 9; Rev 22:18,19).

For us to make a matter of faith and fellowship out of a practice or teaching that is not addressed by God is the height of arrogance. Such issues come from deductive reasoning and application of principle. And who among us is an infallible deducer of God's unstated will?

4. The Fourth principle is that Silence is golden and may be permissive or restrictive. If God has spoken on that subject, then His silence on alternatives or additions is a definite "no". (Fruit of the vine designated for the Lord's Supper eliminates milk or persimmon juice). Thus, the law of exclusion is wholesome and logical. If God is silent on how we are to carry out a command, the method is permissive. A lawful expedient still results in doing only what God says and does not change His instruction. Using song books and adding a piano to the commands to sing are not parallel. The song book still helps you sing; the piano adds another kind of music when God spoke only of vocal music in Christian worship. (See later chapter on acceptable worship.)

These principles are not offered as infallible truth or mandated conclusions. But they do come from 50 years of Bible study and many attempts to gain wisdom from dedicated Bible scholars. I believe they are consistent with Paul's prayer for the church at Philippi (1:9-l 1): "And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ -- to the glory and praise of God." My conclusion is that we've done a pretty good job of "Speaking where the Bible speaks" but a lousy one of "Remaining silent where the Bible is silent."

One final point about Biblical Principles. Our traditional uses of "Command, Example, and Necessary Inference" have served us well in most cases as we witnessed the restoration of the Lord's church from out of apostate Christianity (Catholicism and Denominations). But too often this slogan has been quoted as Scripture and pushed to a legalistic extreme, even by well-meaning brethren.

I want to recommend a solution that I discovered in F. LaGard Smith's book "The Cultural Church." He proposes we adopt a "not-so-new-hermeneutic" of "Purpose, Principle, and Precedent." Smith cautions that it too "is essentially human in origin, and thus doomed to inadequacy," but it does "strike a balance between reason and revelation." As one example, an upper room was used when the Lord's Supper was instituted, but its physical location was inconsequential to fulfilling the Purposes and Principles that were established by that Precedent. We know from subsequent references to the Lord's Supper that the absence of upper rooms in the text mean that location was not the Precedent.

What about those who edit pugnacious papers and speakers who are energized by conflict and dogmatic dog-fights? 1 Timothy 6 speaks to them quite strongly. The Simple English Bible renders verses 5 and 6 this way: "There is always trouble with men who have polluted minds. They don't have the truth anymore. They think that religion (godliness) is a way of making money. If one is godly and content, there is great profit!"

If, therefore, we adhere to a "thus sayest the Lord" for testing our understanding, then what happens to Traditions, Opinions, Expedients, Judgments, and Conclusions? To be honest, they are still with us, and absolutely necessary! The human mind in any culture cannot work without them. God certainly knows that. But the critical change in what we've historically done is to quit binding such human logic on our fellow man. Nor will we let such opinions replace or alter God's word. Only God and His Son and His Spirit can provide truth authoritatively and preserve it untarnished. That leaves no room for doctrines of men to be bound on mankind.

Jesus said it best in Matthew 15:1-20 and Mark 7: 5-23 when He confronted the Pharisees and teachers of the law. In referring first to Isaiah (29:13) He said "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Then He nailed them by saying "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Paul echoed the same teaching in Col 2:8: "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ."

Many Scriptures tell us how important God feels His Word is. (Deut 4:2; II Tim 3:16; Rev 22:18,19, etc.) Many more could be cited to show His concern for how brethren get along in life and faith. (Mt 7:12; 18:15-20; Gal 6:1,2; I Pet 3:8,9.1 John 2:9-11, etc.) When I read these passages and see what's really important to our Father . . . Relationships . . . then I must admit "issues" we could disagree on pale into insignificance by comparison.

Is this to say "issues" are unimportant or to be ignored? No! They are just to be kept under control by overriding love and in a fellowship perspective:

1. A conclusion reached by compounded deductive reasoning, even if logical and consistent, can never carry the weight of God's commands. Would He make something a test of fellowship and not tell us specifically?

2. An "issue" may be faith to me, but an opinion or expedient to my brother. Who is arrogant enough to impose his judgement or liberty on a brother as a "Thus sayest the Lord?" (Rom 14:3,4)

3. An activity may violate my conscience but not yours. Then I must remember that conscience is a creature of education, though its action is involuntary. (Acts 23:1; 24:16; I Cor 8) So it is not an infallible, universal guide.

4. Since all mankind will be judged individually, we have the ultimate autonomy — just God and me. How can I be so brazen as to impose my belief, activity, or judgement on another human being? (Eze 18:4; Rom 14:4,12) Likewise, how can autonomous communities of believers impose their judgement, conclusions, or discipline on another body of believers as a group (congregation), when both communities (congregations) only answer to God as individuals?

5. The answer to "issues" has never been to divide or take sides. The Corinthian church was full of "issues" and problems of morality, practicality, and doctrine. Yet they were never told to divide nor to somehow separate those whom they could "participate with" from those whom they could not "associate with." That doesn't fit the definition of fellowship, relationships, nor discipline.

6. The right perspective for "issues" is that we love each other, pray, study, teach, and admonish one another. We never run out of patience nor quit trying for unity. And we never substitute human wisdom for God’s. We never stray from the mind of Christ if we are to be His. (1 Cor 1:10-17; 3:1-9; 4:4,5; Phil 2:1-5)

7. Maybe some "issues" don't need to be resolved to our satisfaction. Didn't Christ teach this in the Parable of the Weeds? (Mat 13:24-30, 36-43) We know He will separate the wicked from the righteous at Judgement Day, so we aren't responsible for cleaning out his fishnet. (Mat 13:47-52)

The aftermath of both Reformation and Restoration efforts is replete with brethren falling apart. That is a sad phenomenon peculiar to human history, not the Biblical story nor intent. Yet the New Testament tells of certain difficulties that created crises of faith and unity in the first century. But there is no history or pattern of division as a solution to their problems. Why now?

I realize it is simplistic to speak for all of history or for all conditions now. But certain things stand out in my mind as key factors or vital lessons from history:

1. The first century was under the pervading power of God's miraculous confirmation that Christ was the Word, and men were to hear Him. Apostles and disciples they imparted miraculous abilities to, went everywhere preaching the Word (Mk 16:20; Acts 8:4). They were fresh from the impact of remembering the risen Christ in their generation. But the fellowship of believers was still in its infancy. We now have far greater access to the written Word, technology, transportation, education, and communication. Christ's words in Luke 12:47,48 should create great concern among us "who have been given much, much more!"

2. The departure and falling away of God's people into "apostate Christianity" as prophesied by Paul (Acts 20:28-31; 2 Thes 2:3-12; 1 Tim 4:1-5; 2 Tim 4:3,4) actually occurred in history. Peter confirmed its impending inevitability in 2 Peter chapters 2 and 3. It was a departure in faith ("false teachers . .. introduce destructive heresies") (2:1) as well as morals ("reveling in their pleasures . .. eyes full of adultery.. . experts in greed.") (2:13,14) The application for our study here is that the same can and will war against Christians now. Departures in faith and fidelity among our brethren are both cause and effect in the ruptured relationships we are witnessing. We must not aid Satan in his deceit by using tests of fellowship which God did not establish.

3. Throughout history, the wisdom and nature of men have grown to be the norms. It began with the "logical necessity" of having strong leaders to fight persecution, so a hierarchy was developed by selecting a Bishop in each city. When that persecution was conquered in the time of Constantine, it merged church and state into the most powerful entity on earth. Thus the "Church" was institutionalized, no longer being just a fellowship of people with a relationship to God and each other. The cross had been overshadowed by power and political intrigue. Power brought might regardless of right, and that brought the sword. In spite of Christ's plea that "My kingdom is not of this world," it apostatized along the lines of Imperial Rome. It WAS Imperial Rome, where the Emperor and Papal authorities contested continuously over an earthly kingdom. The church had prevailed against the onslaughts of terror and wild beasts in the Coliseum, but it could not withstand the inward crumble of its morals and people as they moved into an era of dominance and prosperity. Popularity led to friendship with the world. Enjoyment and ease led to debauchery and materialism.

4. The Dark Ages expanded man's inhumanity to man. Over 1000 long years of gloom and despair gripped human history as Mongol hordes and Muslim might dominated the scene. Christ's true church was where it had always been — in the hearts of those who faithfully followed Him. The institutional "Babylons" of Rome and Constantinople, however, were the recorders of history, written their way. But the dawn of enlightenment began to pierce those dark days with education and the printed page. The rest is history, as they say, because most of us are familiar with the struggles of Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Anabaptists and others who sought to reform the worldly institution now called Church. Over 250 years of progressive renaissance in religion brought dedicated, courageous men closer to what Christ had intended. Indigenous efforts in several countries grew with the purpose of restoring New Testament Christianity. The catalyst was the ready availability of the printed page to the masses. The Word always brings light. In America that light became a Restoration Movement spearheaded by Barton Stone, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, Raccoon John Smith and others in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its pleas were "Back to the Bible"... "Speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent". . . "Call Bible things by Bible names"... and "In matters of faith, unity; in matters of opinion, liberty; and in all things, charity."

5. Because man is human, it did not take long for the sectarian spirit to color the religious landscape with confusion, intolerance, and division. Various men wrote creeds to express their views. Those creeds became equal or superior to scripture. Strong personalities gathered followers as they have throughout history. Such disciples brought labels, -isms, and skewed definitions of God's plan.

6. Those who wanted to restore simple New Testament Christianity had their difficulties, too. Merging of the Stone and Campbell camps in 1832 brought great euphoria for "Union," but many fundamentals like authority of scripture, the Holy Spirit, and fellowship with other religions prevented true "Unity." We see today the product of those failings in the separation of Churches of Christ and Disciples of Christ.

The historical narrative from this point on is continued in a number of current books. Many focus on where we came from as a modern movement and where we are going. My favorite is the book, "Will the Cycle Be Unbroken?" by Douglas A. Foster of Abilene Christian University. Published in 1994, it addresses the identity crisis many see in Churches of Christ today. It is a book of reality and positive disposition. As Bro. Foster states (p. xii), "It contains a message of hope for the future -- that the cycles of decline and division so familiar to the religious world are not inevitable -- when we allow God's power to work in us." I like that because it says succinctly why history is important. We have to know where we've been (all the way back 2000 years) and where we are going. And me real key is "how do we get there?"

Bro. Foster enlightens us with several valuable statements on "breaking the cycle":

p. 13- "When a group is willing, through the power of God, to understand what is happening and seek biblical, spiritual solutions ~ perhaps then the cycle can be broken."

p. 58- "The tendency in times of tension and change is to polarize, to choose up sides. But, however we may label the current opposing forces, we have no obligation to take sides in these fights. Our obligation is to fear God and keep His commandments. Our sole responsibility is, with the help of God, to follow Jesus Christ as he directs in his Word."

p. 61 - "Churches of Christ have the message of hope for the world. The reason for our existence is to take that message to those without it. If we cannot manifest the love of God within our ranks, if civil war fragments us into numerous factions, if we are characterized by antagonism and hatred toward one another, then we are in danger of completely obscuring what truly makes the church unique."

p. 133- "We are to have the same attitude that Jesus had. (Phil 1:27-2:8; I Peter 2:21-23; I John 3:16)."

p. 144- "Does having the attitude of Christ mean that we should not reprove or rebuke those who believe and act in ways contrary to Christ and his teaching? Obviously not."

p. 147 ff- The story of T.B. Larimore (1843-1929) is told because of his steadfast refusal to be involved in controversies of the day. He maintained that "untaught" questions (not mentioned in the Bible) were "not worth dividing the body of Christ."

p. 183- "Restoration of correct doctrine is not the end. True restoration must result in a life characterized by a proper relationship with Christ... this, we have seen is God's prescription for unity."

p. 188- "If we are comfortable with the way things are going, mere will be no breaking the cycle of division."

It is historically documented that all divisions occur when a strong personality leads his followers into the realm of his opinion. It may contain elements of truth or mostly truth, but it is always based on something other than the Word of God. This isn't particularly profound or mysterious, because such teachings go beyond the Bible or stop short. If it were exactly the same, it would be only Bible! Does that mean we can't have commentaries, books, sermons, or lectures about Bible subjects? No, we just need to remember the source and not bind non-Biblical statements.

Discord is one of 7 things God hates, according to Proverbs 6:16-19. Dissention and slander create distrust that culminates in conflict and alienation. Discord is the forerunner of division. So, are division and diversity the same? Not at all. God created diversity. Satan creates division.

Frequently we hear the term "unity in diversity." Because of abuse and misapplication, that term inflames some, and rightly so. It must not be used as an excuse for practicing error. Our unity comes from following the Word of God. As the diversity in an eldership (plurality) provides more effective leadership, so diversity in opinions can broaden and strengthen the body. The key, though, is that we work together in love and distinguish between doctrines and opinions or traditions. And that is often tough because of our heritage, prejudices, and human limitations.

That's where Christ's spirit and mind take over. He rules as our Lord in the decisions and attitudes we live by, because we know what He commands. Our hearts are committed to follow Him. The indwelling Spirit empowers us individually to carry that knowledge into action in a life-style pleasing to God. There is unity between our hearts and lips. They are not separated like the Pharisees who worshipped in vain because their teachings were but rules (commandments) of men. (Mk 7:6-8)

Christians live by the Spirit. He lives in them, not moving around and among them. (Lkll:13; Acts 2:38; 5:32; Rom 5:5; 8:9; Gal3:2; IJohn3:24) He is the,antithesis of the spirit of strife which causes division and disrupts relationships. God tells us so simply how to keep the unity and make peace. We've quoted it so many times in so many proof-texts, I fear we don't often hear God's full message in Eph 4:2-4: "Be completely humble and gentle, be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to one hope when you were called ..." Can we equate this with some of the fiery rhetoric we've heard from the debate years? It's an abomination to mention them together!

So where do we go from here? Simply put, we have to build bridges, not barriers. This paper has been laced with the imperatives of avoiding division, so I'll not repeat them. Many other scriptures address it as well, like I Cor 1:10, perhaps a favorite. Since God said it, we can be perfectly united and agree with one another. Does that mean on everything? Of course not, but it means we agree in attitudes and intent (mind and thought). God made us diverse. We are at different levels of maturity. Some of us haven't learned very well to let the Spirit rule in our hearts. And too often we don't have the mind of Christ. We also carry a lot of baggage from self-determined rules filling in the silent places of God's Word. And some of us just haven't tried hard enough for unity. Then we remember Romans 14:19 and we make new "efforts to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification."

I want to move into an area of practical application now. All my life, literally, I've known of "issues" that have deeply hindered God's family. There are more than I can count just under the heading of "Cooperation." I cannot and I will not reopen old wounds or confusion. Great men for 250 years have addressed riddles we can all name. Yet no one has been able to solve them. Most of my brethren have gone on and forgotten what the fuss was all about. Some have gone on beyond caring, and others have new hobby-horses to ride. Like changes in worship, a new hermeneutic, the role of women, and whether to sing during the communion. I'm not knocking these topics because they are serious and vital. But you can count on them to become battlegrounds that brethren will divide over. If God hadn't told us how to handle diversity of faith, conscience, or maturity, one could get mighty discouraged. My biggest discouragement is that we won't do what God says when we disagree. We know the truth, but we aren't set free because we can't let love rule nor distinguish between doctrine and tradition, or essentials and options!

At the core of the cooperation questions, it seems to me, is the "church treasury." We all agree the gospel must be preached. Orphans and widows must be cared for. And Christian Colleges deserve a lifeblood of support for the marvelous contribution they make toward training for Christian living. But who pays for it and how? There's the rub.

In my feeble way, I want to submit a solution that makes good sense to me. And I think it fits Scripture perfectly, or at least better than the old assumptions and understandings. I see 2 fundamental flaws in our present concepts of what we're doing with the Lord's money on Sunday mornings:

Before you turn out the lights, hear me out. I think you'll see what problems are solved if we correct our concepts. And this applies to all sides of the fence, pro and con alike. They both need relief for the dilemmas.

The church is people, right? Autonomous people tuned to God. Children who must answer to the Father alone, to be judged in their relationships to Him. One-on-one at Judgement Day. Not because we are a member of First Street Church of Christ. We won't be judged in a group nor with whom we associate.

Assuming you're still with me, then answer this: Why do we speak of autonomy as individuals but talk collectively about what the church can spend its money for? Isn't the church just people? Is God going to condemn the collective, corporate body for supporting an Orphan's Home? Is He telling the body as a whole, "I needed clothes, and you clothed me"? Matthew 25:31-46 won't let us reach any other conclusion than individual responsibility. Neither will James 1:27.

This is not to deny that a local assembly of God's people do take collective action. That's why they band together voluntarily as a family for worship and work. They choose what obligations they'll accept, and each is responsible for his commitment. That's where church buildings come from, and providing a preacher's livelihood while he devotes his life to proclaiming the message. Each Christian purposes in his heart to give as God has prospered him. God doesn't look at what that congregation does, but what each servant does in His service. With responsibility goes accountability, and our accountability is autonomous -- just God and me.

When Paul thanked the church at Philippi for their "concern for him" (financial gifts), he said, "You shared in my troubles." Philippians 4:15 says, "Not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only." Do we know if those gifts were from individual Christians collected together, or were they from a church treasury dispensed at the sole discretion of its rulers? The information in that context doesn't say, but we do know a church is people, not an institution, and we know that elders are shepherds/servants, not lords. Together they are a collective, plural "you". And we know God won't judge them as a group, or it would let a few slide by on the corporate coattail. See how inconsistent we are in our concepts of "the church's finances"?

That leads to the second point: God never did command a Church Treasury. You ask, "But wait. 1 Corinthians 16:2 clearly says for us to lay by in store on the first day of the week, doesn't it?" Most Sunday mornings the men at the table say something like "and now we are commanded to lay by in store on the first day of the week as we have prospered."

Read the context again. Paul is telling the church (people) at Corinth to "set aside a sum of money in keeping with their (his) income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made." (NIV) The Simple English Bible says in 1 Cor 16:1,2, that, "You wrote me about the special collection for the holy people in Judea. I have already given orders to the congregations in the Galatian area. Do the same thing they did: Every Sunday (literally, each first day of the week) each one of you must store something aside, saving up from what you have profited. There should be no special collections after I have come." Here is why we know this wasn't a "church treasury":

3. The church in Antioch, "each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Paul." (Acts 11:29) "Each" and "his" point to individual action in helping those in distress like Corinth did.

5. Paul told them the purpose was to avoid having to take collections when he came.

6. What did they do the Sunday after Paul came and went? The context clearly implies they didn't lay by in store for this. The purpose had ended, so did the collection.

7. Do we have to wonder what they did the Sunday before Paul told them to start saving it up? To ask is to answer.

8. If this is a Command to fill the "church treasury" at Corinth for its program of work, Paul didn't know about it.

Now, let's be sure no one concludes that a church treasury is sinful. Because of the Example in this case and at Antioch, it serves as a good pattern to follow for tending to the collective obligations and opportunities they had assumed. But we can't teach a treasury was Commanded. That means they could have decided to not have a treasury. Everyone could have just decided to bring a chicken occasionally to pay the rent. Or Brother Euripedes may have been wealthy enough to pay their bills by himself.

The point is, we don’t know how local congregations planned or collected their finances. Some may have budgeted well. Others on a hand-to-mouth basis. But we should never shame a brother for missing a Sunday of "laying by in store." And we should never fuss over what you can spend the church treasury on as long as the object is wholesome before God. Good stewardship demands that we give to God's work. There's no other way to "give to God." But if a group of Christians decide collectively to do benevolence in a certain way, that's their business. The same applies to the type and contents of a building they build, or how they proclaim the gospel, or which mission work they support. They never lose their autonomy or their accountability to God. He will judge the individuals involved. (Mt 25 again) It's not my business to align brethren for or against them.

The practical application of this understanding is to eliminate the controversy over "church treasuries." None were commanded nor necessarily inferred. This is an example of a special collection, and it authorizes, but doesn't require, they use this pattern for taking care of collective obligations then at Corinth. Since we know...

The Principle -- Gentiles "owed" it to their Jewish brethren for bringing the gospel to them (Rom 15:25-27) and wanted to be good stewards, and

The Precedent -- a good plan for doing good on a special occasion, ... we need to re-think our position on issues that have sorely divided us. That will be a Golden Gate Bridge toward the unity Christ prayed for in John 17.

The length of this treatise will surely hinder some from further study on these vital topics. But the substance of the documentation, I hope, will cause honest inquiry and searching of the Scriptures to see if they are so.

We all must recognize God provided for diversity in people, their consciences and their levels of understanding and maturity. But He didn't provide for sectarianism and division in the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. That faith is an all-encompassing system of hearing God and obeying Him, based on the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah. It is the purest of relationships and God calls all men everywhere to His fellowship.

It is time we grow up. Break the cycle of selfishness, ignorance, and division. We have a far more sobering responsibility to reach out to souls lost in sin and religious confusion. The relationship I maintain with my brethren is keyed by Romans 14. Read it over and over. That's the way to maintain a relationship with our Maker who wants us to come live with Him.

Relationship means acceptance from both directions of the cross. Paul said it so well in Romans 15:7,13: "Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God . . . May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

With that power and a firm confidence in my God and my brethren, I shall proclaim to Satan and the world that. . .

I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. I am a disciple of His. I won't let up, look back, slow down, back away or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living and sight walking — with "chintzy giving" and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, encouraged, regarded or rewarded. I now live by faith, walk by patience, labor by power, and lift by prayer.

My face is set, my gait is fast, and though my goal is heaven, my way is narrow and my road is rough. My companions are few but my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversary, negotiate in the presence of the enemy, ponder in the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, and paid up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go until He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me..