Books: To Infidelity and Back
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Henry F. Lutz >> To Infidelity and Back
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A Christian's work in the local church is obligatory under Christ. In
addition to the local church work, early Christians co-operated in
work covering a large territory and scope; and formed a simple
organization for this purpose (1 Cor. 16:3; 2 Cor. 8:18, 19, 23).
This example shows that voluntary organization of individual
Christians for general co-operative work is proper and Scriptural. Of
this nature are missionary societies and benevolent associations
which are formed to carry on general work, but have no ecclesiastical
authority.
_The Mission of the Church._
The mission of the church is to perpetuate and perfect itself and to
add to its membership, through evangelization, the entire world as
far and as fast as possible. The fundamental means adopted to carry
out this mission is the church service. Our word _church_ is not
derived from the New Testament word used in speaking of the body of
believers, and it has a tendency to hide the real idea of the New
Testament. It primarily refers to a church building, then to the body
of believers worshiping in the building, and finally to believers in
general. The inspired writers use the word _ekkleesia_, which means a
gathering of people called from their homes into some public place. A
correct translation would be _"assembly"_ or _"congregation,"_ as it
has reference primarily to a local body of Christians assembled for
work and worship. If this primary idea were restored, it would make
mightily for the strengthening of Christ's kingdom. We usually put
the emphasis on the church _in general, universal_ and _invisible,_
while the Holy Spirit puts the emphasis on the _local, visible_ and
_tangible_ church. Our practical duties are connected almost entirely
with the local church to which we belong and through which we chiefly
help to build up the general and invisible church. The church is the
assembled Christians first of all, and the first duty of Christians
is to assemble (Heb. 10:25). For people to say that they belong to
the church (assembly), who do not assemble or attend the church
services, is an anomaly, strictly speaking.
The purpose of the assembly or church services is revealed to us in
Acts 2:42, where we have a record of the practice of the first church
of Christ. We read, "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles'
teaching and in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in
prayers." Here are four things mentioned as belonging to the service
of the church. The first has reference to teaching the Word of God
or, more especially, the teachings of Christ as revealed through his
Apostles in the New Testament. The Apostles received their teaching
through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit who revealed in the New
Testament all things necessary for our guidance and edification (2
Pet. 1:3; Jude 3). Christ gave his Apostles commandments before his
ascension (Acts 1:2), which they were to teach to the church (Matt.
28:20), and the church is exhorted to give heed to these commandments
(2 Pet. 3:2). Not all the commandments that Christ gave while on
earth are for the church, but only those he instructed the Apostles
to teach after the descent of the Holy Spirit and the establishment
of the church on Pentecost. Paul exhorts Timothy to commit unto
faithful men, who are able to teach others, the things he had heard
from him (2 Tim. 2:2), and further exhorts him, "Study to show
thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Tim. 2:15); "I charge thee
therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the
quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; preach the word,
be instant in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all long-suffering and doctrine" (2 Tim. 4:1, 2). Alas! how often
this last solemn charge of Paul goes unheeded. We preach in season
and out of season, but do we preach the Word of God as we ought? The
emphasis the New Testament puts on the Word of God can scarcely be
overestimated. It is the incorruptible seed (1 Pet. 1:23) employed by
the Holy Spirit to beget the Christian (Jas. 1:18; 1 Cor. 4:15); it
is the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17) by which he pierces the
sinner's hard heart (Heb. 4:12) and brings conviction to his soul
(John 16:8,9); it is the nourishment for the new-born spiritual babe
(1 Pet. 2:2); it is the means used by the Spirit to strengthen,
sanctify and build up the members of the church (1 Thess. 2:13; John
17:17; Acts 20:32); it "is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may
be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Tim.
3:16,17). No other books were used in the early church as
authoritative and all efforts to replace it or to supplement it with
human creeds, catechisms or disciplines is an unwarranted effort to
steady the ark of the Lord.
The second item of the public services is _fellowship_. The original
word here is _koinoonia_, which, according to Dr. Thayer, means
"joint participation," "a benefaction jointly contributed, a
collection." The word sometimes refers to joint participation in
religious privileges and sometimes to joint collections or
contributions made for gospel work. It seems to have the latter
meaning here, as spiritual communion is embodied in the next item.
That this was a feature of the public service is apparent from the
words of Paul in I Cor. 16:2, "Upon the first day of the week let
every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him." The
Emphatic Diaglott translates thus, "Every first day of the week let
each of you lay something by itself, depositing as he may be
prospered." While Paul gives these directions in reference to a
particular collection taken for the poor saints in Judea, it is
evidently given because it embodies the divine wisdom as to the best
way of raising church money. It teaches that _each_ church-member is
to give _weekly, according to his ability_. When this precept is
practiced and we restore the liberality of the primitive church (Acts
2:44, 45; 4:32, 35), there will be no financial problem in the
church.
The third item in church worship, according to Acts 2: 42, is the
"breaking of bread," or the Lord's Supper. This was the most
important thing in the early church service. It was to commemorate
the death of Christ and to point forward to his second coming (I Cor.
11:26). Every Christian is under obligation to partake of the Lord's
Supper (I Cor. 11:24), but each must examine himself before eating
lest he eat condemnation to his soul (I Cor. 11:28, 29). The greatest
thing in the Lord's Supper is a spiritual eating or communion (John
6:32-58), and this is needed frequently. The primitive churches of
Christ observed the Lord's Supper whenever they met for worship (I
Cor. 11:20), and this we learn was every first day of the week. "Upon
the first day of the week when the disciples came together to break
bread" (Acts 20:7). The Greek article "tee" here indicates that it
was on _every_ first day of the week that they met to break bread and
this is confirmed by I Cor. 16:2. The early churches never met for
worship on the seventh day of the week or on the Sabbath, but always
on the first day of the week, or on the Lord's Day, in commemoration
of Christ's resurrection from the dead. It was the practice at first
to have a meal in connection with the Lord's Supper, but as this led
to abuse it was abolished by Paul (1 Cor. 11:20-22, 34). The feet-
washing which is commonly supposed to have taken place at the time
Christ first broke bread with his disciples, was simply a custom in
vogue in that country, which Christ used to teach a lesson on
humility. We have no record that the Apostles ever washed feet as a
church ordinance or desired others to do so. When Christ washed feet
it was not at a public church meeting, but at a private feast.
The fourth item in church worship, as mentioned in Acts 2:42, is
"prayers." The primitive church believed profoundly in prayer. In
fact, the entire New Testament is the record of a prolonged prayer-
meeting. Paul, in writing to Timothy, says, "I exhort therefore that,
first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of
thanks be made for all men" (1 Tim. 2:1), and Christ admonishes his
disciples to "watch and pray" (Matt. 26:41).
Self-preservation is the first duty, upon which all our helpfulness
to others depends. So it is with the church. Its first duty is to
perpetuate and strengthen itself through the means of grace God has
provided; but it will become sick and soon die, if it does not reach
out in loving services to others. It is commissioned to "make
disciples of all nations" (Matt. 28:18), but it cannot do this by
merely proclaiming the gospel to all people. Paul preached the gospel
in many lands, and a few missionaries could soon evangelize the
entire world if this were all that is necessary. God spent thousands
of years to prepare the soil for Paul's preaching and confirmed his
message with miracles. We cannot evangelize the world by giving a few
dollars to send a few missionaries to preach a few sermons. Most of
the work of missionaries is educational and philanthropic, or, in
other words, preparatory. It will require the best and united efforts
of all Christians to entirely open the door of faith among the
heathen. Christ says, "Let your light so shine before men that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven"
(Matt. 5:16). Peter exhorts Christians, "Having your behavior seemly
among the Gentiles, that, wherein they speak against you as evil-
doers, they may by your good works which they behold, glorify God" (I
Pet. 2: 12). The churches need the miracle of good works, through the
power of the Holy Spirit, to confirm the message of our missionaries.
The acts that emanate from so-called Christian nations and people do
more to hinder than to help the missionaries. If Christians will, by
the power of the Spirit, live the life of Christ in the home, in
business, in politics and everywhere, the heathen will soon glorify
God in Christ because of the good works which they behold. "Herein is
my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit" (John 15:8).
It is the mission of the church to bring heaven down to earth. If
this is the high and holy calling of the church, is it a wonder that
Christ so loved it as to give his life for it? The church is the
"pillar and ground of the truth" or the material organization through
which heaven is bearing its message of love to this sin-cursed world.
Speaking of the church, Paul says, "If any man destroyeth the temple
of God, him shall God destroy" (1 Cor. 3:17). All who attain unto the
mind of Christ will love the church and give themselves for it.
_The Unity of the Church._
It was God's eternal purpose to unite all things in Christ (Eph. 1:9,
10). Christ declared that he would establish but one fold (John 10:
16); he prayed that all his followers might be perfectly united and
put that union as a necessary condition for the conversion of the
world (John 17:20-23); he died to unite all in one body (Eph. 2: 14-
16), of which he is the head (Col. 1: 18).
If we turn to the book of Acts, we discover that the Holy Spirit,
through the Apostles, did establish but one church, and that it was
thoroughly united in love, teaching and practice.
If there ever was an excuse for different Christian denominations, it
was for a Jewish Christian denomination and a Gentile Christian
denomination; but the Holy Spirit did not establish such
denominations and Paul put forth the effort of his life to prevent
such a breach. Where in all history can you find twelve men more
radically different mentally and temperamentally than the Apostles?
Yet the Holy Spirit did not establish separate churches to cater to
and further develop these temperamental eccentricities. All were
united in one church so they could counterbalance and complement each
other and thus perfect their own character and give greater symmetry
to the church. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come they
were all with _one accord in one place_" (Acts 2:1). After three
thousand were added unto them we read, "They continued daily with
_one accord_ in the temple" (Acts 2: 46), while farther on we read,
"And the multitude of them that believed were of _one heart_ and of
_one soul_" (Acts 4: 32). From the Epistles of Paul we learn that
there was but one church in each community. Christ's relation to the
church makes it impossible for Christians to be loyal to him and at
the same time divided. All must be perfectly united in allegiance to
him as king, lie is the head of the body of which his followers are
members. All the members of the body are perfectly united to each
other and to the head; and, although the members may differ in
function, they are all directed by the same commandments, motives and
purposes. As soon as a tendency toward division became manifest it
was severely rebuked and ascribed to the carnal nature. Paul, in
writing to the Corinthians, says, "Now, I beseech you, brethren, by
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same things,
and that there be no division among you; but that ye be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" ... "For
ye are yet carnal; for whereas there is among you envying, and
strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men?" (I Cor. 1:
10; 3:3).
The seven landmarks of Christian union are revealed by Paul in the
first six verses of the fourth chapter of Ephesians: "I therefore,
the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling
wherewith you were called, with all lowliness and meekness, with
longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; giving diligence to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body,
and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your
calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all,
who is over all, and through all, and in all."
As long as these seven unities--one body, one Spirit, one hope, one
Lord, one faith, one baptism and one Father--are maintained, it will
be impossible for a divided church to exist.
On the other hand, divisions will speedily disappear as soon as these
seven unities are restored.
I add the following chart of the New Testament church, which will
serve as a summary and as a guide in the further study of this
important subject:
[Illustration: THE CHURCH THAT JESUS ESTABLISHED]
CHAPTER III.
THE CHURCH SINCE THE APOSTLES.
_The Apostasy of the Church._
The apostolic unity of the church was maintained for about three
hundred years. During this period the church endured the ten great,
general persecutions directed against it by the world-ruling Roman
Empire, which resulted in the martyrdom of almost all of the Apostles
and multitudes of other Christians. Despite the opposition of the
mightiest powers on earth, the church scored the most marvelous
victories and was on a fair way to conquer the whole world for
Christ. Satan, perceiving that his opposition to a united church
under the leadership of Christ was fruitless, now tried to get within
the church and to shear it of its power by confusing its counsels and
dividing its forces. Christ said, "Every city or house divided
against itself shall not stand" (Matt. 12:25), and Satan knew that if
he could get Christians to exhaust their energies by contending with
each other, their conquest of the world would be at an end. He filled
the church with speculative philosophy, heathen idolatry and the
worldly spirit in general. As always, he used the pride, vanity and
ambition of individuals to accomplish his purpose. If fallible human
leaders and their opinions could be put in the place of the
infallible Christ and his teachings, the work would be done; because
this would arouse the opposition of other ambitious human leaders and
thus the church would be torn asunder and exhausted with internal
strife and divisions. Alas that the church did not heed the earnest
warning of Paul, "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have
learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord
Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair
speeches deceive the hearts of the simple" (Rom. 16:17, 18). The
selfishness of leaders and the lazy, careless indifference of the
masses who blindly follow on, is what makes the creation and
perpetuation of divisions among Christians possible. Perceiving that
the division of the church would destroy its power, its leaders
strove with might and main to preserve its unity. Had they exalted
the Christ and used his Word, the sword of the Spirit, they would
have succeeded. But they were ambitious and worked for a united
church so they could use its power to exalt themselves and their
opinions and crush those opposed to them. Human creeds, as standards
of orthodoxy, were invented, and more stress was put on correct
speculative opinions than on faith in Christ and Christ-like living.
Persons who would not subscribe to the speculative opinions of man-
made creeds were persecuted and anathematized. The church formed a
league with worldly rulers and used the strong arm of the law to
crush those who would not accept its human standards of orthodoxy.
The Inquisition, with the dungeon, stocks, guillotine and other
diabolical means of torture, was called into requisition. It is
claimed that no less than fifty million human beings were martyred in
this effort of the ecclesiastical hierarchy, calling itself the
church, to maintain unity on a human creed. Although this effort at
union was largely successful, it was not Christian union. Paul says
that Christian union is where Christians are of the same mind and
judgment and all speak the same things (1 Cor. 1:10), while this
union was maintained by suppressing conscientious convictions and
their utterance.
_The Reformation of the Church._
The effort at a forced union on a speculative human creed was never
entirely successful. In the fastnesses of the mountains the
Waldenses, Albigenses and others, maintained their religious freedom.
The fire of religious liberty was smouldering, but not extinguished.
It was covered with the black coals of ecclesiastical ignorance,
brutality and tyranny; but by and by it worked its way to the light
and illuminated the darkness of the age. The great Reformation burst
forth into a mighty inextinguishable flame all over Europe, and,
overleaping great barriers, it blazed forth in America. The
ecclesiastical shackles were torn asunder and the people were set
free. I speak of the ultimate outcome, for this end was only attained
after centuries of effort. Hereditary religious ideas, prejudices and
customs become petrified, and it is only with the most desperate and
long-continued efforts that individuals and bodies of people can free
themselves from them. Failing to recognize how they are blinded
through hereditary bias, environment and limited ideas, people
imagine they have attained unto the ultimate truth, and thus their
growth in knowledge ceases and they become fossilized into a
sectarian party. People imagine that they are free when they are
delivered from religious and political tyrants that persecute and
oppress them; but their greatest bondage, and the one that makes the
others possible, is the hereditary and acquired prejudice, bias,
bigotry and ignorance within themselves. The struggle of the
Reformation was for religious freedom. This struggle was by no means
always unselfish and consistent. Protestants as well as Roman
Catholics used force to crush those that would not submit to their
creeds. Both in Europe and in America men's bodies were tortured and
destroyed with the hope of saving their souls and in the endeavor to
maintain the unity of the church. Even where the church and the state
were separated so that the church could not use the civil law to
persecute its opponents, other means of coercion were used, such as
boycotting, ostracism, excommunication and anathemas. The idea of the
Roman Catholic Church is that you cannot trust the people to
interpret the Bible for themselves; the Pope and the church must do
it for them.
The idea of Protestant sectarian creeds is largely the same. The
members cannot be trusted to interpret the Bible for themselves, so
the creed-makers have to do it for them. The difference is in degree
and power of oppression rather than in kind. The entire idea is
fundamentally wrong. Speculative theology cannot save any one and
sectarian creeds are harder to understand than the Bible itself. The
people need the living, loving, personal Christ, and not the dry
husks of speculative theology. We want uniformity in matters of faith
that are clearly revealed and in allegiance to Christ, but do not
need it in speculative opinions based on inferences as to what the
Bible teaches.
Freedom is absolutely necessary to progress and civilization. But
freedom may be turned into a curse as well as a blessing. Criminals
want freedom to gratify the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:13). Those in
bondage to their own carnal nature must be put under restraint by
those governed by moral principles. Even Christians need to be guided
and governed in spiritual matters, and have always felt this need.
The trouble has been that mortal men have been accepted as
authoritative spiritual guides, or have tried to control the
religious convictions and practices of their fellow-men by force.
Christ is the Christian's only safe and proper guide. As a final
result of the Reformation the Christian people in America and parts
of Europe were set free from religious tyranny and left to choose
their spiritual guides. Although they professed that the Bible was
their only authority, they accepted human leaders and their opinions
as guides and permitted these to interpret the Bible for them. Thus
the freedom of the Reformation was turned into the curse of division
and sectarianism. Divided Protestantism is better than the religious
tyranny of the Dark Ages; but it is bad, and will be replaced with
the Christian union of the New Testament when loyalty to Christ and
his Word is substituted for loyalty to human leaders and their
opinions embodied in creeds. Christ said, "Every kingdom divided
against itself is brought to desolation" (Matt. 12:25). The truth of
this has been sadly demonstrated in our divided Christianity. In how
many homes has sectarian division wrought havoc with its religious
life! How many husbands and wives have been lost to active service
for the Master because of the chilling effect of indifference or
opposition through sectarian differences! How many children have
become indifferent or disgusted with religion, because their parents
differed in their religious convictions! Again, look at the effect of
sectarian division in a community. Five church buildings and
preachers where one could do the work, while the balance could be
devoted to the evangelization of the heathen. But the financial loss
is the least. Preachers are poorly supported and therefore poorly
equipped for their work, and people are encouraged to join the
churches on almost any conditions through rivalry and the need of
support for so many churches. Sinners go unrebuked through fear that
their financial support will be lost; and, if disciplined, they are
often received with open arms into a rival church. When we look at
the kingdom of Christ at large, we see how it has come to desolation
because of divisions. Millions of dollars are wasted in rival
churches, colleges, papers, preachers, books, etc.; while the heathen
stand with amazed incredulity before the missionaries of a babel of
denominations. Verily the reformed church needs reforming.
_A Movement for Christian Union._
Divided Protestantism reached its climax in America at the beginning
of the last century. This land of freedom offered a congenial soil
for its perfect development and unfolding. Thus were exhibited more
fully than ever before the sin and folly of such divisions. The
forces of Christ were largely wasted and defeated through sectarian
strife, and there was the bitterest feeling even between different
branches of the same denomination. Infidelity was rampant in the land
and Christianity was at a low ebb. However, the love of the Master
was strong in many hearts, and these longed and prayed for better
things. As by divine inspiration, a great union movement sprang up
simultaneously in different parts of the country. The outcome was
what may be called the American Reformation, but is more properly
called the Restoration movement. The burning desire of the promoters
of this movement was a reunion of the divided followers of Christ.
After a thorough and prayerful consideration of the subject, it was
decided that the only possible basis of union is the Bible; and so
the motto was adopted, "Where the Bible speaks we will speak, and
where the Bible is silent we will be silent." It was decided to
require a "thus saith the Lord" or an apostolic example for every
item of teaching or practice. The reformers expected to bring about
Christian union without leaving their respective denominations and
forming a separate religious body. But an application of their motto
in the study of the Bible led to results that they never dreamed of.
They were compelled to give up their sectarian practices one by one,
and soon found themselves forced out of the denominational bodies. It
now became clear to them that the real cause of the origin and
perpetuation of sectarian divisions was the human element, in
teaching and practice, added to the church since the days of the
Apostles; and that nothing but their removal and the restoration of
the primitive church in name, creed and deed, could bring the
Christian union of New Testament times. Learning that, aside from the
Apostles, there was no ecclesiastical authority or organization in
New Testament times, above the local church, they proceeded to
organize local churches of Christ after the primitive model, and
invited both saints and sinners to unite with them in this work and
in protesting against the sin of sectarian divisions.
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