What is a Denomination?

When I took my logic class in school, one of the things that we learned was how to define our terms. One way to define something was to simply point to it and say, “That is it!” This method, of course, assumes that you indeed know what it is that you are trying to define, and that the thing being defined conforms to that definition. This method generally works until you find something that fits the definition, but looks different from what you originally defined. For example, suppose I pointed at a red apple and said, “Apple.” That would be quite sufficient until, at least, I came across a green one, and then I might be at a loss. At that point, I need a different method of defining what it is that I was trying to communicate. However, there is always something specific about what it is that you are trying to define that includes everything of that class and excludes everything not of that class.

This is exactly the problem that we run into when those outside of the Lord’s church point at us and say, “Denomination!” They see that we have a “church,” worship God, have a “pastor,” believe in Jesus, study the Bible, meet at about the same time that they meet, have a sign in front of the “church,” which bears a name that they see on other “churches,” and conclude that we must be something similar to them. “If we are a denomination, then they must be one too,” or, at least, that is the kind of thought process I would expect goes through most people’s minds when they see our building with our sign on it that says, “CHURCH OF CHRIST.” It’s not until you really start to look at the churches of Christ that someone starts to understand that there are major differences in how things are done from the way denominations do things. The churches of Christ partake of the Lord’s supper every Sunday. The churches of Christ don’t use instrumental music. The churches of Christ baptize for the remission of sins. The differences add up eventually. But there is that one attribute that includes all the denominations in the class “denomination,” and excludes the churches of Christ from the class “denomination.”

Think about this for a moment. When we speak of the term denomination in reference to money, you have the dollar bill, the five dollar bill, ten dollar bill, twenty, fifty, and the Benjamin Franklin. What is it about these bills that makes them a denomination? They are all different, but profess to be of the same kind or class–the class of legal tender. They all bear the inscription, “This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” Now, suppose that I’m head of the federal reserve and I decide that I want to print another denomination of money. Let’s say that I wanted to print up a twenty-five dollar bill. That would be handy. Four of them would make $100.00. So I print up the bills, but I don’t put the inscription on the bills. There may be some who would “buy it” so to speak, but most would not take it because it is the belief in that statement, if you will, that makes those denominations valuable. Without the belief in that statement, then the denomination would only be worth the sum of the ink and paper with which it was printed. It would not be able to settle any debts, whether public, or private. That’s what makes a denomination of money just that, the belief that it will settle debts. That’s the defining trait that excludes it from everything else, and includes it in the class it is in.

So what is that attribute that excludes the churches of Christ from being a denomination and includes all of the denominations within the class, “denomination?” It is the belief, that all “churches/denominations” are all part of the one universal church. That belief can be illustrated with the following graphic, which, by the way, is not original to me. This is the denominational model of the church, which, to be a denomination, one must believe.

You will notice that the largest circle represents the church universal. The medium sized circle represents the denomination, and the smallest circle represents the local church. This is what one must believe in order to be a religious denomination. This is the defining aspect of what it means to be a denomination. This defining aspect includes everyone with this belief, and excludes everyone without this belief. The only problem with this is that you will not find this organization in any part of the Bible. If you want to be a denomination, then this is how you do it.

Now what makes the churches of Christ not a denomination is simply this, members of the churches of Christ do not hold this belief. Just as that twenty-five dollar bill is not a member of the denomination of legal tender. It is the belief in that one defining factor that makes it so. Without that belief, it simply isn’t so. Someone might ask, “Well, why do you not believe this?” The answer is really amazingly simple. This belief is not found in the pages of the Bible. The denominational model is completely foreign to the New Testament. There were only two types of organizations discussed within the Bible in relationship to the church. There was the local church, and there was the universal church. There were no denominations under the faith for which Jesus bled and died. You will never find a single one. Moreover, you will never find Jesus or any of his apostles advocating such a situation. In contrast, they advocate absolute unity of the church (John 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:3-6). What is the model for church unity in contrast to the denominational model? There is the universal church and there is the local church. That’s all that is there. The following illustration shows this.

This is the model of the church for which Jesus bled and died. This is the model for church unity. We invite all of our friends who may be members of denominations to study these matters. We exhort them to demand the same kind of unity within the church for which Jesus prayed (John 17:20-23) and for which Paul contended (1 Corinthians 1:10-13). We encourage them to search the scriptures to find those things upon which we MUST be united in order to be the Lord’s church (Ephesians 4:3-6). The church of Christ is NOT a denomination. There are other differences between churches of Christ and the denominational world, but this is the one key difference that defines what a denomination is, versus what the church of the Bible is. Here is the key to getting beyond that old point and look way of defining a “church” and defining the church in the terms that the Bible defines it in. It starts with this one belief–the unity of the body of Christ based upon what the scriptures authorize her to be. Here is where denominationalism ends and where the church that belongs to Christ, the church of Christ, begins.

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How Do I Study the Bible?

There are many people who ask this question today. It is difficult to answer such a question in so short a space as I have in the bulletin, but I am going to try to give a few practical bits of information that I hope you will find valuable as you purpose to study the scriptures on a regular basis.

First, when you study the Bible, you should pray. Prayer sets the right tone for your Bible study. It places you in a respectful position of God’s word and invokes God’s guidance. Prayer focuses you on the task at hand. Prayer will cause you to shut out all other purposes you may have in mind. Prayer helps Bible study!

Second, reading the Bible properly is important. John pronounced a blessing upon those who read (Revelation 1:3). Ezra read from the book of the Law to all the people (Nehemiah 8:8). You can’t study without reading in one form or another, but be warned, reading is not necessarily the same thing as studying. Many people “read” the Bible without studying. To truly study the Bible, we must put on our thinking caps and meditate about what we have read. Reading out loud will help you to think about the words you are reading.

Third, when studying the Bible, ask yourself questions. Who am I reading about? What is he doing, saying, teaching? When is he doing it? Where are they at? Why is he writing this? Asking questions about the text is a good way to help yourself find the answers in the text that you are looking for. Get out a piece of paper when you study and write down questions that come to your mind. If you don’t understand something, then write down why you don’t understand it. Many times when you write these types of things, the answers become more evident.

Fourth, keep a good dictionary handy. When studying we often come across words that we don’t understand. We need to understand those words in order to study. That’s what a dictionary is for, to help us understand the meaning. Bible dictionaries are even more helpful, because they tend to define words in the context of the original culture in which they were used. Bible dictionaries also offer help in understanding weights and measures of Bible times, as well as giving information regarding proper names in the Bible. Understanding the meaning of words and names goes a long way in helping us study the Bible and learn more about God.

Fifth, try studying the Bible by topic. There are several helps and aids that you can acquire that will expedite your study this way. Most Bibles have a abridged concordance in the back. A concordance groups Bible verses based upon key words. So if you want to know more about the topic of “love,” you just look up that topic and study the scriptures in which that word is found. You can also acquire more comprehensive concordances that index every single word in the Bible. These books are great when you are trying to study the Bible by topic.

Sixth, another way to study the Bible is by cross reference. Many Bibles have cross references in the text. These are often indicated by small letters. When you see one, look up the associated scripture and try to think of how those two scriptures relate. Maybe they speak about the same person; maybe the same subject; maybe they just have the same word, but it is used in a different sense in each passage. There are also larger books that contain nothing but cross references to Bible verses. Studying cross references can give you valuable information regarding one particular passage of the Bible.

Now, what are you waiting on? Get out there and study that Bible!

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Mysteries of the Bible Explained!

We have all watched shows from time to time purporting to explain certain “mysteries” within the Bible. Usually in these programs, the writers set forth an allegedly “unexplained” phenomenon discussed in the scriptures and then seek the professional opinions of scholars and educators from different institutions of higher learning. The result of these programs is often a conclusion to which most believers in the Bible are shocked and dismayed. Additionally, many who have trusted the Bible on its own merits, after watching such programs, are left with a sense of doubt and generally have more unanswered questions than answered.

There are several types of these programs aired. There are the programs that explain the miracles within the Bible in terms of nature. I watched one program that explained the crossing of the Red sea by the Israelites in terms of a big wind blowing the sea apart at a shallow place. Such naturalistic explanations of the miraculous are common in such programs. Other, similar, programs try to explain the authorship of the Bible in human terms; some question the purity of the life of Jesus; and still others level charges of misogyny against Paul. In these programs, the possibility of God’s existence and intervention in such things is usually ignored and/or relegated to the beliefs of right-wing fundamentalists. How should the Christian respond to such programs?

The Christian should recognize that the people who create such programs base their beliefs upon modern day philosophies more than they do the Bible (if they have any respect for the Bible at all; many do not), and postmodernism is the philosophy of the day. While there are many facets to postmodernism, one of its basic tenets is the belief that there really is no objective truth. Rather, “truth” is the explanation (theory) of something that holds up best against what is called “deconstruction,” a process of providing criticism that tests the explanation (theory). Postmodernism never uses the word “truth” per se, but the word theory (or explanation), in place of truth. The theory or set of theories that is the most falsifiable (that is, has the ability to be falsified by empirical data), but has the least evidence to prove that the theory is false becomes the accepted explanation for what is correct. What that means is that one can never prove the theory or set of theories to be true, it is just that there is no (or little) evidence to contradict the theory (i.e. it can’t easily be deconstructed). So the standard for truth becomes the theory that has the greatest potential to be falsified, but has the least evidence to contradict it. This leads to theories of the “unexplained” that are very naturalistic, because natural processes are more subject to falsification than supernatural theories.

The fact of the matter is that the fundamental assumption of postmodernism is false; truth exists. The statement “there is no truth” would be self contradictory if true, so it must be false. From the conclusion that there is objective truth, we can eventually come to the understanding that God exists and that the Bible is God’s word. Once that is established, we can easily recognize that the Bible contains all of God’s truth and we must believe it. Unfortunately, many people have bought into the philosophy of postmodernism, including many “Christians.” One, however, cannot be a true Christian and hold to the philosophy of postmodernism. It is simply contradictory to many of the plain statements of the Bible. Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Jesus believed in truth. The Bible teaches that we can know God’s truth and that it is God’s truth for all mankind today. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life�” (John 14:6).

What ought a Christian to do about such programs? The Christian ought to keep in mind, that such programs are going to try to explain the supernatural in naturalistic ways. They are not going to assume God is the explanation of the Bible. That means that the miracles of the Bible are going to be explained in ways that would conform to scientific phenomenon. The writing of the Bible is going to be explained in terms of human collaboration and authorship. The personality of Jesus and his relationship to his apostles are going to be explained in terms of modern day psychology. The “hard” doctrines of the Bible are going to be explained in terms of cultural prejudice. Just about anything that would be objectionable to the “modern,” and “scientific” mind, is going to be explained in a naturalistic and unbiblical way. I read a book not too long ago that suggested that Jesus had narcissistic personality disorder.

The Christian knows, however, that God exists; that God, through the Holy Spirit, wrote the Bible by inspiring the apostles and prophets to write His words; that Jesus was raised from the dead; and that there are very supernatural explanations to the “unexplained mysteries” within the Bible. Certainly if God can raise Jesus from the dead, then He can do all of the other miracles in the Bible, as well as inspire men to write His words. The Christian need not bow to the philosophy of postmodernism, nor allow his faith to be shaken based upon the speculations of men who hold their mutable philosophy dear. Tomorrow, the world will be influenced by a different philosophy and when it is all said and done, there is nothing upon which such men can hang their proverbial hat at the end of the day. The Christian, however, puts his faith in God and his word, the unchanging, unbending, and unbreaking standard of truth.

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The Ancient Doctrine of Once Saved Always Saved

By Kevin Cauley

We all know people who believe the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved.” This is the idea that once a person becomes a child of God, there is no sin that they can commit to lose their salvation. Many people today find this doctrine to be of great comfort, because it in essence relieves them of all personal responsibility in their relationship with God. After all, if I am saved, and there is nothing that I can do to be lost, then it doesn’t really matter how I behave or act, so I need not worry that much about it. The truth is that this is a most dangerous doctrine when it comes to matters of religion, because it deceives people into thinking that their relationship with God is secure, when it really is not.

Interestingly enough, this false doctrine has been around for quite a long time. In fact, early Christians had to deal with it in the 1st and 2nd centuries. During that period of time, there was a false doctrine known as Gnosticism. Of the Gnostics, one sect taught the doctrine of once saved, always saved. A Christian named Irenaeus lived during the 2nd century A.D. (130-202). He wrote a book titled, “Against Heresies” in which he called attention to this particular fact. In this work (Book I Chapter 6) he said the following regarding Gnostic teaching:

But as to themselves, they hold that they shall be entirely and undoubtedly saved, not by means of conduct, but because they are spiritual by nature. For, just as it is impossible that material substance should partake of salvation (since, indeed, they maintain that it is incapable of receiving it), so again it is impossible that spiritual substance (by which they mean themselves) should ever come under the power of corruption, whatever the sort of actions in which they indulged. For even as gold, when submersed in filth, loses not on that account its beauty, but retains its own native qualities, the filth having no power to injure the gold, so they affirm that they cannot in any measure suffer hurt, or lose their spiritual substance, whatever the material actions in which they may be involved.Wherefore also it comes to pass, that the “most perfect” among them addict themselves without fear to all those kinds of forbidden deeds of which the Scriptures assure us that “they who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

And committing many other abominations and impieties, they run us down (who from the fear of God guard against sinning even in thought or word) as utterly contemptible and ignorant persons, while they highly exalt themselves, and claim to be perfect, and the elect seed. For they declare that we simply receive grace for use, wherefore also it will again be taken away from us; but that they themselves have grace as their own special possession, which has descended from above by means of an unspeakable and indescribable conjunction; and on this account more will be given them.

Now, let’s compare what was stated regarding Gnosticism with some more recent quotes. Notice the following quotation from Billy Graham in answer to the question, “Will I lose my salvation if I sin?”

When we do sin, God does not reject us or disown us. Our fellowship with Him may be broken, but our relationship is not; we are still members of His family if we have truly committed our lives to Christ”(h**p://www.billygraham.org/qna/qna.asp?i=484)

In response to another question, “How big a sin do you have to commit before you lose your salvation?” Billy Graham said:

I am convinced that once a person sincerely and honestly trusts Christ for his or her salvation, they become a member of God’s family forever — and nothing can change that relationship.(h**p://www.billygraham.org/qna/qna.asp?i=1777)

Edward Hiscox in “The Standard Manual for Baptist Churches” says it this way:

We believe that the scriptures teach that such as are truly regenerate, being born of the Spirit, will not utterly fall away and perish, but will endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (Hiscox, pg. 67, 1939).

The Westminster Confession of Faith states regarding the perseverance of the saints:

I. They whom God hath accepted in his Beloved, effectually called and sanctified by his Spirit, can neither totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace; but shall certainly persevere therein to the end, and be eternally saved.II. This perseverance of the saints depends, not upon their own free-will, but upon the immutability of the decree of election, flowing from the free and unchangeable love of God the Father; upon the efficacy of the merit and intercession of Jesus Christ; the abiding of the Spirit and of the seed of God within them; and the nature of the covenant of grace; from all which ariseth also the certainty and infallibility thereof.

III. Nevertheless they may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, the prevelancy of corruption remaining in them, and the neglect of the means of their perseverance, fall into grievous sins; and for a time continue therein: whereby they incur God’s displeasure, and grieve his Holy Spirit; come to be deprived of some measure of their graces and comforts; have their hearts hardened, and their consciences wounded; hurt and scandalize others, and bring temporal judgments upon themselves.

The point of these quotations is not to prove that Calvinists teach this doctrine, because they freely admit it. The point is to show the similarities between what the Gnostics taught and what Calvinists teach. There are some differences, but the essence of the teaching is the same.

  • If a person is saved, it is not by means of his own conduct, but on account of his nature. While Gnostics and Calvinists differ in the origin of that nature, the doctrine is still the same. Gnostics say that it is due to a special spiritual nature. Calvinists say that they are infused by the nature of Christ.
  • One is saved on account of one’s election to be saved. The Gnostics said that they were of the “elect seed.” Calvinists say that they are elected by God. Both agree that being elected precludes their actions from affecting that election in a negative way.
  • While one may willfully sin in the flesh, that does not affect the relationship that one has to God and salvation. The third part of the Westminster Confession of Faith (as quoted above) makes it plain that Christians may even live in sinfulness, yet not affect their salvation. The Gnostics just went one step further and stated that it was their desire and practice to do so.
  • Grace overcomes all sins regardless of the individual’s attitude toward sin. Calvinists state that grace is irresistible and the Christian cannot help but fall under it. Gnostics say that regardless how much sin they willingly commit, grace flows upon them freely for every sin they commit.
  • Both agree that there is nothing that can cause the one who is saved to lose their salvation. Gnostics take this to the ultimate conclusion and pursue their own lusts and passions without constraint. Calvinists, however, take another approach. They say that the Christian who is saved generally won’t choose to live like that, even though if they did, they couldn’t lose their salvation. In essence giving mere lip service to practicing righteousness.

The parallels are striking. How many times have we heard the person who believes in this doctrine of “once saved, always saved” say that the child of God cannot fall from grace? How many times have we heard those who believe this doctrine say that the child of God cannot lose their spirituality? How many times have we heard them say that the child of God cannot sin in such a way so as to lose his salvation? The similarities between this form of Gnosticism and the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved” are too numerous to ignore.

It was indeed the teaching and practice of the apostles to reject the doctrines of Gnosticism, including this doctrine. The book of Colossians was written by Paul in rejection of Gnosticism. John’s account of the gospel of Christ and his epistle of 1 John were also written as a response to the doctrines of Gnosticism, and particularly, 1 John was written to refute the idea of once saved, always saved. One cannot honestly read through this book and ignore that conclusion. In addition, the following passages in the New Testament clearly indicate that Christians may sin so as to fall from grace: Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 6:4-6; Hebrews 10:26; 2 Peter 2:20-22.

If you know of someone who believes this doctrine, then I urge you to take this article to them, invite them to study it with you and help them to come to understand that believing this doctrine is not in harmony with God’s word. If one truly believes this doctrine they will be eternally lost, because they will not regard sin as the awful and terrible thing that it truly is. A Christian may be forgiven after having committed sin based upon repentance and confession, but one will not be forgiven while actively pursuing a life of sin. Yes, friends, the Christian can so sin as to fall from grace.

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Pattern Theology

The plea of churches of Christ today is to restore New Testament Christianity into the lives of as many as will receive the gospel message. It is not sufficient to merely preach the gospel, without expecting those who claim to believe it to restore to their lives the truth that is contained within that gospel. To this end, the churches of Christ preach and teach that the gospel contains all of the information that we need to do this (2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:17). This revealed information constitutes a pattern whereby those that conform to it and abide by it restore New Testament Christianity into their life. It is with this pattern that we are concerned in this particular study.

There are those today who say that the New Testament contains no such pattern and in so affirming, also must affirm the impossibility of restoration. If there is no pattern, then certainly one cannot restore New Testament Christianity. However, if the New Testament does contain such a pattern, then not only is restoration of New Testament Christianity possible, we must restore it to be pleasing to God. Hence, the plea of the churches of Christ today rests upon this one pivotal question; namely, does the New Testament contain a pattern of information, whereby when we conform to that pattern we have restored New Testament Christianity?

Jesus tells us that there is a pattern. In explaining the Parable Of The Sower, Jesus says, “The seed is the word of God” (Luke 8:11). From examining this parable we take Jesus to mean that the proverbial seed refers to God’s word, and that the word of God, as illustrated within the parable, has the properties of a seed. Just what are the properties of a seed? We recognize that a seed contains everything within it to restore the plant from which it came. There is a pattern within a seed which nature follows to restore from that seed a living and breathing organism. We don’t expect that a seed with the pattern of an apple tree would restore an orange tree, and vice versa. We expect a seed that contains the pattern of an apple tree, when that pattern is followed by nature, to restore an apple tree. So is the word of God. When individuals follow God’s word, restoring to life out of that word what God put into it, they will find themselves conforming to a pattern that will create what God desires it to create, namely, a Christian. In so doing, they will find that they have restored what God placed into His word. With such, God will be pleased.

The opposite of this is that when we neglect the word of God in such a way so as to remove part of God’s pattern or even to add other things to God’s pattern, we will not get what God desires and God will not be pleased. One of the lessons that we learn in this regard comes from Cain and Abel. We remember the story. Cain was a tiller of the ground and Abel was a shepherd. Cain offered in worship to God from the fruit of the ground, but Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock. God had respect toward Abel’s worship, but God was not pleased with the worship of Cain (Genesis 4:1-5). Why was it that God was pleased with Abel’s worship, but not with Cain’s? The book of Hebrews helps us to understand the answer. Hebrews 11:4 states, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.” 1 John 3:12 also helps us to understand; this passage says that Cain’s works were evil, but Abel’s were righteous. How could Abel’s works be righteous? Had not Abel sinned and fallen from God? How could Abel present a work of righteousness before God? We must conclude that God instructed Abel in how to please Him. Abel heard God’s word and presented that offering by faith, for faith comes by hearing God’s word (Romans 10:17). It was thus that Abel had a pattern from God. No doubt, Cain had been told of this same pattern; Cain simply did not follow it. By not following it, Cain offered worship that was according to his own righteousness and not pleasing to God. We learn from this not only that Abel followed a pattern, but also that fallen man needs a pattern so as not to present to God a righteousness of his own.

To illustrate this further, we turn to Adam and Eve. Prior to Adam and Eve’s fall, man was in about as patternless a state as man could ever be. There was but one law by which to abide, and as long as man abode by that law, he could do any other thing he wanted to do and live forever and never be displeasing to God. Once, however, man fell, man no longer could please God with just any behavior. It became necessary for God to tell man what to do in order for man to please God. This necessitated God’s creation and delivery of a pattern to man. This is illustrated for us in Adam’s attempt to clothe himself after the fall. Standing naked before God he attempted to cover himself and woefully failed. God, however, made coats out of animal skins and thus covered man’s nakedness and established the divine pattern for so doing. In this pattern we see man’s dependence upon God for righteousness. When we follow God’s pattern for that righteousness, man is covered. Without it, man stand’s naked.

Man’s failures at his own coverings transfer to his attempts at worship as well. We have already illustrated this in the story of Cain and Abel. Because man could not approach God with a righteousness of his own, this necessitated God delivering a pattern for worship. Fallen man cannot present worship to God without some kind of God given pattern of worship. Since that time it has been universally true that when man by faith presents the pattern of worship that God has given, man lives within God’s righteousness. However, should man step outside of that pattern and act on his own in worship to God, man creates a righteousness after his own pattern and not after God’s pattern. In so creating his own pattern, man can never truly restore God’s order of things. However, if man humbles himself, goes back to the pattern of God, and follows that pattern, beautiful restoration occurs. This is true in matters concerning worship, salvation, the organization of the church, the behavior of Christians, and many other things whereby we, as man, must approach God.

Today, the blood of Christ has dedicated the pattern of things which God has given us to approach Him (Hebrews 9:23, 24). This means that the pattern is pure and holy and that when one follows it in faith, one can approach God in purity and holiness with boldness (Hebrews 10:19-22). When we so follow the pattern we will restore the things God wishes for us to restore in our lives. When we fail to follow that pattern, we do err and like Cain, do that which is evil. Let us not be about the business of approaching God based upon a righteousness of our own, but let us hold the pattern of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13) and thereby approach God in His righteousness.

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