My Search for Truth

A few years ago I began to search the scriptures to determine if l had eternal life. The denomination l was a member of did not seem to offer answers to help give me the assurance I sought.  I began to study the Bible and to inquire at work of various ones who seemed to be religious. Among those were several religions that were Pentecostal in their teachings.

Other Gospels

It seemed that everyone I talked to provided a different message of salvation.  One would say, “There is only one person in the Godhead.” Another would say, “There are three persons in the Godhead.” Still another would say that one would have to “speak in tongues” to be saved. Another would say you must be immersed and then speak in tongues to be saved.  I was confused! Why could I not find from the Bible how to be saved and there be just one single message to respond to?

The Simple Gospel Message

Paul said that he determined to know nothing but Christ and Him crucified, I Corinthians 2:2. Then he would present the good news of His resurrection, Acts 17:30-32. Some wanted to become Christians   after hearing the gospel Acts 2:36-37; others hearing the same message wanted to kill those proclaiming it, Acts 5:29-33.

Obeying the Gospel

Those who believed the message of the crucified and risen Savior expressed their faith by repenting and being immersed for forgiveness of their sins, Acts 2:38. They understood they were dead in sin, Romans 6:23 and that Christ paid the price for their sin, Romans 5:8. They desired to express their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection, Romans 6:3-4, so that they could be forgiven of sin, Acts 22:16.

Other Gospels and Another Jesus

Paul said that other gospels and other Jesus’ would be taught, II Corinthians 11:4 and that the message shared would seem genuine II Corinthians 11:13-15. John told us to examine every teaching before accepting them because many false doctrines would be taught I John 4:1. It is comforting that one has a book, the Bible, which can correct any error taught and believed, II Timothy 3:16.

Authority

Below are listed two avenues one may take when responding to God. Which of the following sources should be used when searching for truth’?

When one responds to truth he must always build his case on the objective approach. Proverbs 28:26 and Jeremiah 17:9. Jacob felt that his son Joseph was dead Genesis 37:18-36 but he was not.

I am thankful that a Christian pointed out to me that it is important not to depend on feelings but to have the assurance from God’s word I John 5:13. As I read about the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch, it was made so clear how he responded to what Jesus had done for him by asking if he could become a Christian, Acts 8:26-39. There was no outburst of emotional feelings by claiming to speak in “foreign languages or ecstatic utterances” but instead the simple understanding that he was lost and he wanted his sins washed away, verse 36. See Acts 22:16.

The Nature of God

Let us examine what the scriptures teach concerning the God of heaven. The Bible teaches our God is one Jehovah, Deuteronomy 6:4, and further states, “… beside me there is no God” Isaiah 44:6. One God, I Timothy 2:5 and God is the only one to be worshipped, Matthew 4:10.

This is one area where all the Pentecostal groups I talked to were united; but then one group would say there is only one person in the Godhead and another said there were three. I learned that the Bible would reveal the truth on this subject.

One or Three Persons in the Godhead

The term “Godhead” itself should indicate to the reader more than one personality.  A study of the inspired word reveals that God cannot be compared to anything known to man, Isaiah 40:18, Isaiah 40:25; Colossians 2:9; Acts 17:29.  Do the scriptures show Jesus to be a separate person in the Godhead?  Note the following: “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God” John 1:1. See Genesis 1:26 “us”. The English definition of the word with is (1) in opposition to (2) alongside of or in the company of (3) associate or companion.  (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1964 Edition). This one scripture shows without any doubt two personalities.  See John 16:32. The word ‘both’ in II John 1:9 certainly confirms two – there is no other definition given for this word. The word sent demands a sender and one sent John 5:23-30. Jesus said, “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

When Jesus spoke of His Father he said, “If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him” John 14:23. The pronoun ‘we’ or our can only refer to two or more persons. God gave his Son. A son is a male child in relation to his parents or parent. This relationship is further emphasized in I Corinthians 11:3 “… the head of Christ is God.”

Jesus now reigns at the right side of the Father, Hebrews 1:3 and promises to turn the kingdom over to the Father at the end of time. Then Christ will also be subject to the Father along with all of the hosts of heaven, I Corinthians 15:23-28.

In order for a fact to be established as fact, there must be two witnesses. Jesus said, “I am not alone… the witness to this fact is the Father” John 8:16-18. This scripture concerning Jesus being a witness to the Father’s existence and the Father being a witness to His was a verse which completely frustrated the Pentecostal man I was talking to.

I asked this same man if in the human realm one produced two wills, two witnesses, two minds and two speaking to one another, would He accept two personalities? He answered in the affirmative. These same attributes are found in deity. Matthew 26:39 expresses two wills; John 5:31-37 expresses two witnesses.  The Bible teaches that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all have a mind Romans 11:34; Philippians 2:5 and Romans 8:27. The Holy Spirit intercedes, speaking to the Father, on behalf of Christians clarifying the fact he has a mind. A question I asked was, “If the Holy Spirit is the Father, is He all-knowing?” He answered, “Yes.” I then pointed out that I had a problem scripture that I wanted him to explain. I read: “Howbeit  when  he,  the Spirit of truth  is come,  he will guide you in all truth;  for he will not speak of himself; but  whatsoever   he shall  hear, that  shall speak  and   he  will show  you  things  to  come” John 16:13. I asked, “If the Holy Spirit is God the Father, what does God the Father have to hear (since he is all knowing) and who is he going to hear it from?” Obviously he could offer no explanation.

Baptizing in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Is it proper to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit since it is only mentioned one time by Jesus? There are numerous things only mentioned one time; calling a man father in a religious sense and not forsaking the assembly are two examples. Jesus said that all authority had given his (by whom I wonder?) and then instructed the disciples to teach and immerse those taught by the authority of the Godhead, Matthew 28:18-19. Since Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to the apostles with the will of the Father, John 16:15-16, so it is by authority of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit that he commissioned the disciples to immerse the lost.

In the Name of Jesus Only

If indeed someone would have to say, “In the name of the Lord,” before immersing a person, then he would have to say, “In the name of the Lord,” whenever he did anything, Colossians 3:17. That would mean if a person took food to the needy, the one taking the food would have to “call over” the recipient the words “in the name of the Lord.” There is only one example of a calling over in the book of Acts and that resulted in a disaster for the one doing so, Acts 19:13-17.

Whenever I immerse a person into Christ, I always inform them I am immersing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of their sins as a means of emphasizing what I have taught in the study prior to their response-not as a ‘saving’ formula.

Work of the Holy Spirit Today

One of the most confusing things to me is how almost every Pentecostal group says the Holy Spirit is working in all “spirit filled churches” today. For example, I asked a member of the Assembly of God if the Holy Spirit would endorse anything not approved by God. He said he would not. I then asked, “Do we have the right to disobey the teachings of God when they are endorsed by the Holy Spirit? He said, “No.” I asked if the Holy Spirit is operating in the Catholic church today to which he responded, “Yes.” I said, “Since the Holy Spirit is now giving his endorsement to Catholic doctrine would it not grieve the Holy Spirit if we refused to pray through the Virgin Mary? Since we now know He endorses this teaching by the “signs and wonders” credited to Him by charismatic Catholics and other supporting denominations, should we not keep all teachings of the Roman Catholic church?”

For the first time he was groping for an answer, even petitioning the Holy Spirit for help – yet he realized his helpless condition. How sad it is to see fulfillment of Matthew 7:21-23 – claiming many miraculous events and hearing Jesus say, “I never knew you.”

The Holy Spirit and Conversion

When I asked a member of the Assembly of God the question, “At what point is a person saved from sin?” his reply was similar to what his manual taught, “Sanctification is instantaneous for the moment a person  believes in Christ he is separated from sin . .. Some have received the baptism of the Holy Spirit before they were baptized in water.” Our Faith and Fellowship, 1963, pp. 24, 30.  When  I  asked  a United  Pentecostal   the  same  question he replied as his manual confirms, “The Bible standard of  full salvation which is repentance, baptism in water  in the  name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the initial sign of speaking in with other  tongues  as the Spirit gives utterance.” The sequence of events leading to salvation as expressed by these two groups are contradictory to one another. Thus one must be false or both could be, but they both could not be true.

l.              Assembly of God:  Faith, Repentance,   Holy Spirit Baptism, Speak in Tongues, Salvation, Water Baptism.

2.            United Pentecostal: Faith, Repentance, Water Baptism, Holy Spirit Baptism, Speak in Tongues, Full Salvation.

3.            Bible Acts 2:38-41: Faith, Repentance, Confess Christ, Acts 8:37, Baptism-Forgiven of Sins (Salvation), Receive the Gift of the Holy Spirit.

Faith Only Pentecostals Have a Problem

Since  the  Assembly  of God  teaches   that  salvation precedes water immersion, Jesus’ statement in Mark 16:16 “He  that  believeth and  is immersed  shall  be saved  …” exposes  this as a man-made doctrine. Often when I  have shared  the gospel of Christ  a person has such love for the Savior  that  they  will admit their error  and are immersed for  remission  of sins  (Acts  2:38). Others because their faith is built on feelings refuse to obey the gospel and forfeit eternal life. See II Thessalonians 1:7-9. They often say, “I know I’m saved, I feel it right here and no matter what that book (pointing to the Bible) says I know I’ll make it to heaven.”

Speaking in Tongues Salvationists Have a Problem

The United Pentecostals teach that full salvation comes after one believes and is immersed and speaks in tongues (evidence of the baptism of the Holy Spirit). It is believed by this group that this is the point when one receives the seal of sonship. U.P. Manual, p. 24. Then they quote Acts10:44-46 to support their premise without investigating this passage to see if these Gentiles had been immersed in water. See verses 47, 48.

The United Pentecostal manual states that one must be immersed in water before one is saved and yet their members often quote Acts 10:44-46 to confirm the need to speak in tongues.

A question that perplexes all United Pentecostals is, “Did Cornelius receive the seal of sonship immediately when he spoke in tongues?” If their response is ‘Yes’, then a person is a son before immersion, which they deny. If, on the other hand, they answer ‘No’ then we learn speaking in tongues may be performed by the unsaved. Numbers 22:28-29. And that miracle has nothing to do with salvation.

Can the Deaf Go To Heaven?

If it is true a person must be immersed and speak in tongues to have assurance of salvation, then the deaf mute cannot go to heaven. Also a deaf mute could not immerse one into Christ because he could not “call over” the person their saying is necessary for salvation.

Since sign language is a universal language and would not be considered an ‘unknown’ language to other deaf people present, it would not suffice to say this is their means of speaking in tongues.

Since the miraculous age has ended, I Corinthians 13:8-10, with the death of the apostles there is no need for additions to God’s Word beyond the book of Revelation. Phillip performed miracles but could not pass this on, so the apostles went to Samaria so others could receive gifts, Acts 8:14-17. If “tongues” are still prevalent in the church so is “knowledge” and yet I know of no one who would dare add their “inspired knowledge” to God’s word and sell it as part of the Bible.

I have yet to see one claiming miraculous gifts go to a leper colony or morgue and demonstrate with power what they teach is confirmed by their miracles, Hebrews 2:3-4, Mark 16:17-20.

The Truth Shall Make You Free

Jesus made this statement in John 8 which will help any lost person realize that God’s word alone will lead a person to salvation, I Peter1:22-23. The gospel is the power unto salvation, Romans 1:16. When one is immersed he is added to the Lord’s church, Acts 2:47. Why not just be a Christian? This is God’s plea, I Peter 4:16. Contact the church of Christ in your area.

By Bob Danklefsen

T-16, 3/22/90

During my teenage years I was invited to attend an evangelistic meeting at a Baptist Church. I had been raised in a different denomination and so the services were much different. I had never seen a service where the audience was offered an invitation to respond by coming to the front of the building.  During the invitation that night a woman and her seven year old came to the front. The preacher mentioned something about the boy coming to be “saved.” This was a new term to me since I had been raised in a church where infants were brought forward to be sprinkled. I understood that after the infants were “baptized,” they were forgiven of their “original sin — sin inherited from Adam, the first human on earth.

The term “saved” was unfamiliar to me, so I asked my teenage friend to explain what was happening. Then I went back to my own preacher and asked why we didn’t offer an invitation for people to come forward like the Baptist Church did. The teenager had told me that one had to know who Christ was before they could accept his as Savior. She also told me that baptism was immersion and never was translated sprinkle or pour. When I confronted my preacher about this, he became a little provoked and explained that the Baptist Manual taught Baptist doctrine and the Catechism we used taught something different, but both were based on the Bible. As I pursued this deeper I learned that in order to accept both as truth I would have to accept contradictory statements as both being truth For example I had to believe infants were “lost” and at the same time believe they were “safe.” Also, I was to believe that the word baptize was translated “immerse only” and “not immerse only” and also that baptism was “for remission of sins” and at the same time was “not for remission of sins.” I was confused!

Looking For God’s Salvation

Continued study of the Bible led me to realize that I had no assurance of salvation. One night, after reading from the New Testament, I fell to my knees and looking up to heaven asked, “What must I do to be saved?” I had just read that same statement in Acts 16:30. See Acts 2:37; Acts 9:6. One week later the Lord answered my prayer. I sat down with a man who insisted in calling himself a Christian, nothing more, nothing less, Acts 11:26. I had been in two denominations by this time and never did I at any time call myself by just the term Christian. I did not know that the Bible taught, “But if you suffer for being a Christian, don’t feel ashamed, but praise God with that name,” (1 Peter 4:16, Beck).

This man did not want to use a creed book or catechism, but insisted on using the Bible as the only guide. I told him of the time I was confused because of conflicting doctrines. He clearly pointed out that the scriptures teach that different gospels would be taught II Corinthians 11:4 and that the scriptures were to be used to correct those who believe error II Timothy 3:16-17. One thing that became evident from our study, the good news was Jesus and Him crucified I Corinthians 2:2.

The Gospel and Salvation

Jesus said in Mark 16:15 “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” What is this gospel or good news? It is the message of Deity coming to earth 1 Timothy 3:16 to become a man, Galatians 4:4. This God-man after being tempted in every way man can be tempted, Hebrews 4:15 voluntarily took the punishment we deserve on the cross even though He never once sinned. He was buried and rose victorious from the grave the third day. Paul says this is the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This one, who is still God, Hebrews 1:8 and man, 1 Timothy 2:5 sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven interceding for Christians, Hebrews 7:25. Some day He promises to come back to judge mankind, Acts 17:30-31, at the resurrection John 5:28-29. Peter stood up, on the day of Pentecost and preached the gospel to those who had earlier cried “Crucify Him!” Acts 2:22-24. Many asked what to do to be saved, (verse 37). Again the question is asked, “What must I do?” Peter answers so clearly, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” (Verse 38, New International Version).

Receiving Christ

The Bible teaches that by grace one is saved through faith, Ephesians 2:8. Faith is never a passive act of mental assent in the scriptures. Rather it is an active demonstration of one’s belief in response to a command by God. For example, how do we know that Noah had faith in God? The answer is simple; he demonstrated his faith by building an ark, to the saving of his family, Genesis 6, Hebrews 11:7.

God has chosen for man to demonstrate his faith in the gospel to show he is a true believer, Romans 10:16, but not all will obey it. How does one express a trusting faith in the gospel? Remember the heart of the gospel is the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Paul, by inspiration, tells us how to obey the gospel.

“Or are ye ignorant that all we who were immersed into Christ, Jesus were immersed into His death? We were buried therefore with him through immersion unto death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life.” He further states that when one does this, he will be forgiven of all past sins, Romans 6:17-18. This clarifies why Jesus included immersion in the plan of salvation when he gave the great commission. He said, “Go preach the gospel to the whole creation. He that believeth and is immersed shall be saved; he that disbelieveth shall be condemned,” Mark 16:16. A person truly seeking salvation from sin wants to know what to do to be saved. After reading or being taught what Jesus wants him to do, he must respond as Jesus asks even though it differs with what he thought one would do. If he really believes Jesus meant what he said, he would want to be immersed as soon as possible. This is exactly what we see in the scriptures. See Acts 8:35-39; Acts 16:31-33; Acts 22:16. To show the seriousness of the faith response in baptism, Paul further states, “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels, He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.

What The Manual Says

“A person may say that he believes in salvation by grace, but if he sets forth any act of man’s will, such as repentance, faith, baptism, or hearing the gospel as a condition for obtaining it, then this position must be put on the works side. Primitive Baptists believe that salvation is of the Lord, that it is by His grace, and that nothing needs to be added to it” (What Do Primitive Baptists Believe? by Elder Lasserre Bradley, Jr., page 5). The above statement is based on Ephesians 2:5 and that alone. When it is brought to the attention that Ephesians 2:8 says “by grace through faith” their reply is “But Ephesians 2:5 says it is by grace alone because faith is not mentioned in this verse.”

Other manuals teach faith is necessary, ‘Baptism…is the first Christian act of the believer after an exercise of saving faith,” Hiscox Baptist Manual, page 19. This manual says that faith is necessary for salvation whereas the first manual says faith is not necessary — both cannot be true. The Hiscox Manual also says that baptism is not essential to salvation, page 38. Peter on the other hand said, “The like figure, whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 3:21. Often when this scripture is brought to the attention of one believing in salvation before baptism, they will turn to Ephesians 2:8 or John 3:16 and say, “See this verse says nothing about baptism.”

Those researching scriptures must come to realize that in order to determine if a particular command, statement or word precedes salvation, one must examine that word or phrase wherever it is found in the Bible! GQD will make it clear as to whether salvation comes before or after that particular response. For example, Acts 16:31 says, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” A disbeliever in that statement will say, “But Ephesians 2:5 says it is by grace and says nothing about faith.” This is pure dishonesty and will be costly when Jesus confronts them with John 8:21-24, at the judgment. The same thing will be true for those who reject baptism by going to locations where the word is not found to prove it nonessential.

The Thief On The Cross Was Never Baptized

This is a supposition that cannot be verified by scripture. He may have been baptized under John’s baptism. Also, there was no way he could demonstrate a trusting faith in the death, burial, and resurrection Romans 6:3-4 because Jesus had not died, nor had been buried yet. Jesus gave that command after he had resurrected.  “How about a person on his death bed, he can’t be baptized.” I’ve had several situations like this. How easy it would have been to say, “Let’s just have a prayer and you will be all right,” but Peter said, “The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us…” And in light of the inspired writings, I could not with a clear conscience ask for a response never given to a lost person in holy writ. (Look at all conversions in the book of Acts — not one was asked by a Christian. “Let’s pray and you will be forgiven.”)

Many other reasons could be offered, yet Christ’s words will stand until the end of time. The real impact of Luke 6:46 will then be heard, “Why do you call me Lord, Lord and do not the things I command you?”

Repentance Is The Key

To repent is to have a change of mind, which simply means that one must bring his will in harmony with God’s will. When I was first taught, I personally refused to repent for three months after learning how one is to come to the Lord.

Descriptive Terms Exalting Christ

The first thing one sees when searching for a church is the name featured on the front of the building. Who or what is honored will often be featured on the building. Some names honor mere men, others honor offices held in a church and yet others honor some function of that church. I asked several people what first comes to mind from the Bible when I say the word “Baptist”. They would reply either John the Baptist or the act of baptism.

The church is a blood bought institution Acts 20:28; Matthew l6:l8 Even the inspired writers tell us there is salvation in no other name Acts 4:12. I’ve often heard the statement “The name is not important.” God says it is; he named Jesus Matthew 1:21 and other men featured in the Bible. I would not be willing to call Jesus, Beelzebub and I don’t think anyone professing to worship God would either. Yet today even the act of baptism is the “featured headline” on church buildings today exalting that act without giving reference to the Savior of the Church Ephesians 5 :23.

Other Characteristics Of The Church

The New Testament church consists of elders, deacons, preachers and teachers. Philippians 1:1: Ephesians 4: 11 The term pastor, bishop and elder were used interchangeably to refer to the same office. Acts 20:17-28. 1 Timothy 3:1-7: 1 Peter 5:14.The scriptures teach that there was always more than one pastor per congregation. They were to be married and have faithful children, Titus 1:5-6. This is not a requirement in Baptist churches today. Single men, in fact may serve as a pastor.

Deacons are servants working under the oversight of the bishops, 1 Timothy 3:8-13. They help with the physical aspects of the church, Acts 6:1-6. The preacher or evangelist works also under the oversight of the elders, 2 Timothy 4:2-5. They never wore the titles pastor or reverend as men often do today. They did call one another brother, but never as a title, 2 Peter 3:15.

The worship consisted of the Lord’s Supper each Sunday, Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 11:20-33. Praying, preaching, the contribution, and singing without instrumental accompaniment were also characteristics of the New Testament church, 1 Corinthians 14:15; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Acts 20:7.

Would You Like To Be Just A Christian?

Having been in denominationalism for 28 years has caused me to be concerned for my Baptist friends. I studied several faiths teaching conflicting doctrines, but the scriptures led me into the Lord’s church. Bible students know that “baptism for remission of sins” and “baptism not for remission of sins” cannot both be truth. Today we have God’s word to settle once and for all the Lord’s teaching on this subject and other vital topics. Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” Acts 2:38.

It is the prayer of this author that you search the Scriptures with an open mind and remember Christ’s attitude toward his Father Luke 22:39-43. “Thy will be done.” Even though through prior teaching you never understood the Lord’s will on this subject or other vital doctrines, please don’t look at the teachings of the Savior lightly Matthew 7:1-23. Remember He loved you enough to ‘resist the pressures of various sects in his day to do his Father’s will. Will you do less?

By Bob Danklefsen
© Copyright 1978
T-12 Revised 2-01

Today many Roman Catholics are confused over recent changes that have occurred in their denomination. Traditions that stood for many years now have been reversed. They are asking that if the Lord wanted us to abstain from meats on Friday, have the mass in Latin, and pray through certain “Saints,” why suddenly has he reversed his teaching on these subjects. This confusion has caused many to reject the teaching of the Catholic Church and to stop attending its services.

What Is the Lord’s Will for Man?

Events that occurred in the Old Testament set a pattern for those desiring to do the Lord’s will today. For example, in the Garden of Eden, God gave a simple command to follow, do not eat of one certain tree Genesis 2:17. The instructions should have been simple enough to follow, yet Adam and Eve disobeyed the Lord, Genesis 3:6.

Two priests, Nadab and Abihu, were given instructions on how to burn incense Leviticus 16:12. Yet they believed they could improve on the Lord’s teaching. Fire shot from heaven and destroyed both instantly Leviticus 10:1-2. The Israelites suddenly believed that God said what he meant and meant what he said.

Where Is Our Authority Today?

Jesus said before he ascended, “Full authority has been to me both in heaven and on earth.” Matt. 18:18  The New American Bible Catholic Biblical Association. Jesus gave further emphasis to this when he said, “Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words already has his judge, namely, the word I have spoken — it is that which will condemn him on the last day” John 12:48.

Often, I have asked, “Must one accept the man Jesus and his teachings or can one accept Him without doing what He asks?” Almost everyone agrees that we accept both. Since Christ’s will is expressed in the New Testament, Matthew 26:28, it is important to find out what the contents of the will are. One must realize for a testament or will to go into effect, the one making the will must die Hebrew. 9:15-17. Therefore, since Jesus gave us an everlasting covenant Hebrews. 13:20, to change or to add to His will would bring the wrath of God Revelation 22:18-19.

The New Testament Church

Six months before His death, Peter had confessed that Jesus was the Christ and the Lord replied, “And I say to thee thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…” Matthew 16:18. Often I have heard that since the word “Peter” means rock that the church was built on him rather than on Christ. An analysis of the Greek Interlinear proves this to be false. “Peter” is taken from the Greek word “Petros” (masculine gender) meaning small pebble. The word “rock” in Matthew 16: 18 is the Greek word “Petra,” (feminine gender) meaning “large rock.” Jesus is the rock (Petra) of the Bible. “All drank the same spiritual rock (Petra) that was following them, and the rock (Petra) was Christ 1 Corinthians 10:4. The statement made by Christ in Matthew 16:18 had reference to the confession Peter had just made “Thou art the Christ. . .“ and was not intended to show that the church was founded upon a mere human. Another thing to consider is that the purchase price for the church is the blood of the Savior Acts 20:28. Therefore, He is the only one qualified to build and save His church Ephesians 5:23.

Jesus and the Gospel

Jesus told His followers to go into the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation Mark 16:15. What is the gospel? It is the good news of God coming to earth to become the man, Jesus John 1:1-2, John 1:14; His dying on the cross for man’s sin, His burial and resurrection the third day, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This good news does not end here; Jesus ascended back to heaven to help Christians with the problems they encounter in life Hebrews 7:25. Paul writes, “For there is only one God, and one Mediator between God and man, himself man, Christ Jesus”  I Timothy 2:5. Just as in labor disputes, where a mediator must be able to relate to two opposing forces, Jesus being God,  John 1:1, John 1:14, and man, Acts 17:30-31, is able to relate to the Father and to man because He is both God and man. No one else is qualified to act as a mediator which would include Mary, Jesus’ mother, or others who have lived in the past. He promises to come back at the resurrection to reward Christians and to punish those who die in sin John 5:28-29.

How Does One Accept the Gospel?

Jesus said before He ascended to heaven, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:19. Those men and women taught were baptized Acts 8:12. Why were they baptized? Because they were convicted of sin Acts 2:22-24, Acts 22:37, and wanted to repent Acts 2:38.

Who were baptized? Those who heard and gladly received the gospel (Vs. 41). How were they baptized? By having their bodies washed in water Hebrews 10:22. Why were they immersed in water? Because they were expressing their faith in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection by reenacting that event in water Romans 6:3-4. A footnote from Saint Joseph edition of the Catholic Holy Bible on these verses say: “St. Paul alludes to the manner in which Baptism was ordinarily conferred in the primitive church, by immersion. The descent into the water is suggestive of the descent of the body into the grave and ascent is suggestive of the resurrection to a new life. St. Paul obviously sees more than a mere symbol in the rite of Baptism.” Paul said, “I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you to the grace of Christ, changing, to another gospel Galatians 1:6. Even in the early church men began to change the good news of the death, burial, and resurrection to a different message, either by denying the crucifixion or resurrection or by refusing to obey the gospel Romans 6:17, Romans 10:16 by substituting sprinkling or pouring for the burial called for in Romans 6:4. Since the same word is used to describe Christ’s burial, I Corinthians 15:4, as used to describe our burial in baptism, it is certainly clear that God will not accept substitutes today any more than he did in Old Testament times. Also it is interesting to note that substitutions are never applied in life when it comes to burying a dead person.

Are Infants Lost?

“Again therefore Jesus said to them I go and you will seek me, and in your sins you will die. Where I go you cannot come” John 8:21. A person may inherit brown eyes but cannot inherit sin Ezekiel 18:20. Lust precedes sin according to James 1:13-15. An infant does not lust. Certainly no one pictures an infant looking on a woman to lust after her. And to say that sin is passed on through inheritance becomes more ridiculous when one pictures an infant who dies appearing before the judgment seat of Christ and being accused of sins committed by all his ancestors. The term “original sin” is not found in scripture. Babies are pure until unclean thoughts enter his mind. “Blameless you were in your conduct from the day you were created, until evil was found in you” Ezekiel 28:15.

The Church

The church in the Bible is compared with the human body 1 Corinthians 12:12-26. As in the human body, there is one head, even so Christ is the head of the church, which is His body Ephesians 1:22-23. When a church selects a mere human as head of the church, that church has a different structure than the one designed by God; God’s church does not have two heads any more than does a human. No one but the Lord is qualified to be the head of the church purchased by His own blood Acts 20:28. The members constitute the church or body. None of the members were ever referred to as “reverend” or “father” as God warns us not use titles for man Job 32:21-22, Matthew 23:7-11. Notice how Peter referred to the apostle Paul in 2 Peter 3:15.

Should Bishops Be Married?

Often I have asked devout Catholics, “Should bishops be married according to God’s Word?” Almost all will say “No.” Note what the Catholic translation says on this subject: “This saying is true: If anyone is eager for the office of bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop must be blameless, married but once… He should rule well his own household, keeping his children under control and perfectly respectful. For if a man cannot rule his own household, how is he to take care of the church of God?” 1 Timothy 3:1-5. One may answer, “But if he is unmarried, he can do more for the Lord and His church.” This no one can deny; a single person can accomplish more, but if he is single, this disqualifies him from being a bishop because to qualify for that office includes raising faithful children Titus 1:5-9. Man may claim this is a tradition of the church; God calls it a departure from the faith 1 Timothy 4:1-3.

The Church: 2000 Years Old

It is possible to be a part of the organization instituted by Christ a few days after His resurrection. Jesus gave us the pattern to follow when he stated, “The seed is the word of God” Luke 8:11. When that same seed is planted today in the hearts of men it produces Christians — nothing more and nothing less Acts 11:26. The Lord warns, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel to you other than that which we have preached to you, let him be anathema” (“cursed, excluded from the kingdom of God” — verse and footnote from the St. Joseph version of the Catholic Bible, Galatians 1:8.

It is the prayer of this author that you study carefully from your Bible what has been presented in this message. Remember we will both be judged by God’s word someday John 12:48. If I can be of help to you please contact me or contact the church of Christ in your area.

©Copyright 1977
Bob Danklefsen
T-9 3-22-90

The first twenty six years of my life were spent in the Lutheran church. By the time I was twelve years old, I had completed two years of a catechism course. From this point on I was allowed to take the communion. Later I joined a Lutheran fraternity at college. Then something happened to change my whole life.

My Direction in Life Was Changed

When I moved to take a new job, we found the Lutheran Church in that community lacking in programs so we joined another denomination. It was at this time I began to read the Bible with great interest. I found some good things the Lord was asking me to do that I had never learned in catechism class. It was then that I sat down with a man at work who called himself a Christian. When I asked him what kind of Christian, he replied, “I’m just a Christian, nothing more, nothing less. “ This response caught my eye since that is what the people were called in the New Testament, Acts 11:26. We studied three months together—I too wanted to be a Christian only.

God’s Word Tells How to Become a Christian

The first thing we studied was how to become a member of the church we read about in the New Testament. It was so much different than that taught in the Lutheran church. I began to ask questions of the preacher who had taught an instruction class in this other denomination I had joined. Since my new church was much like the Lutheran church in doctrine, I had great confidence in the preacher especially since he had his doctorate.

I shared with the preacher how the fellow at work had talked to me about the gospel and faith. The message I was taught was that Jesus was God manifest in the flesh that He was tempted and although He remained sinless, that He became the sin sacrifice for all humanity. We discussed that after dying on the cross, he arose the third day victorious over death and ascended back to the Father to intercede for Christians. See I Corinthians 15:1-4, Hebrews 1:1-3, Hebrews 7:25 On the day of Pentecost, Peter stood up and shared that good news with those who had earlier cried “crucify him,” Acts 2:22-24. They responded by asking what to do to be saved. Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” verse 38. Verse 41 said ‘They that gladly received his word were baptized…”

I pointed out to my preacher that the fellow at work had clearly showed me that a person must “gladly receive the gospel” before he could respond to become a Christian. Since I had been taught that babies were to be baptized, I asked him to help me show the man at work that infants were also baptized. He searched his entire library for a book that was to give me the information. I was hoping he would just take the Bible and do this since I knew the man at work would not accept any writings but the Bible. Finally, he turned and said, “That book has been checked out”. Why didn’t the man just quote scriptures from memory—especially since he was biblically educated? Later I understood why he did not do that—it was not found in the scriptures. I was beginning to learn what it meant to repent. Even though I had had a preconceived idea on how one come to Christ, I was now learning that the gospel was the power unto salvation and unless one hears this message there is no way he could respond to the cross, Romans 1:16-17 and Romans 10:17.

Obeying the Gospel

The Bible teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God. Hebrews 11:6. Faith is expressed in the gospel by reenacting Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection in baptism, Romans 6:3-4, Romans 6:17-18.  When one is immersed in water he is obeying a form or pattern of the very event that happened over 1900 years ago. One very sad thing is the fact that God says He will destroy those who will not obey the gospel, II Thessalonians 1:7-9. I had suddenly realized that I had never been buried with Christ in baptism — I was lost in sin.

For the first time I had realized that only adults were baptized, Acts 8:12, and that they had to have faith before they could respond, Acts 5:14. No one had ever pointed out the fact that our entire body was to be immersed in water to please the Lord, Hebrews 10:22. I began to ask about babies, aren’t they lost? Again God’s word was so clear; before a person is guilty of sin there must be lust, James 1:14-15. I learned from Ezekiel 18:20 that sin is not inherited.

One Does Not Join the Church in the Bible

One of the most shocking things is that a person does not join the church in the Bible like he does when he joins a denomination. God adds him to the church when he obeys the gospel, Acts 2:41, Acts 2:47. This is the reason those who accepted Christ in the New Testament were immersed immediately. See Acts 16:31-33, Acts 22:16. Then those who became Christians began to take the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7. We had been taking the Lord’s Supper once a quarter in the Lutheran Church.

1500 Years Too Late

If I had lived 500 years ago I could not have been a Lutheran because the church was not yet in existence. I could have been a Catholic or a Greek Orthodox or just a New Testament Christian. If I had lived 1900 years ago the only church in existence was the Lord’s church. Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16. The only way to answer Jesus’ prayer for unity, John 17:20, 21, is to search the scriptures to make sure the things being taught are found in God’s word. Acts 17:11.

Ways In Which We Could All Be One

Several marks of unity have already been presented. Preaching the gospel to those who are to respond, Mark 16:15; teaching that before one can be baptized they must repent, Acts 2:38 and that those who truly believed the gospel reenacted Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, Acts 8:35-39 and then were saved from sin, I Peter 3:21.

Apparently in the early church some Christians felt compelled to align themselves with certain preachers, I Corinthians 1:10-15. Paul had to write those who were causing division and warn them not to do this. They were not worshiping these men; they just felt an allegiance to them. Yet Paul said this would result in dividing the church. The Bible teaches that Jesus purchased the church with His own blood, Acts 20:28. Should that church not bear the name of the one who died for it? I used to belong to a church called Saint Luke’s Lutheran Church. It wore the names of two men neither of which were the sinless Son of God. Since the Bible teaches that there is no other name under heaven whereby man may be saved, Acts 4:12, why not be just a Christian? I Peter 4:16.

Today, men are wrapped up in titles which God never intended we wear. For example, the term “reverend” is only found one time in the King James Version, Psalms 119:9 and here it refers to God and to no one else. Despite the fact Jesus admonished us not to wear titles; man wants to elevate other men. See Matthew 23:7-9. Even Peter referred to Paul as Brother Paul. II Peter 3:15.

What Should Be Our Authority Today

Jesus, who cannot lie, Hebrews 6:18, said His word would not pass away, Matthew 24:35. He also said some day we will all be judged by His words, John 12:48. God designed scripture to help correct one when they find they are in error, II Timothy 3:16. A question I have often asked is, “When one accepts Christ, must he accept His teachings as well?” Everyone agrees we must until His teaching differs with our preconceived ideas. A very important warning is given in Matthew 7:21-23, We all need to humble ourselves and yield to Christ’s will, John 14:15. I fought becoming just a Christian for three months because I found it difficult to give up what I had been taught.

A good illustration was told to me some years ago to help me see I need to obey the one who died for me. It’s the story of a young grocery store operator whose father had just died. After taking over the store, the representatives from the bureau of standards came to check the weights and balances. Due to excessive handling of the weights, they became worn and were causing the customers to be cheated. When the representatives brought this to the attention of the owner, he began to reflect how this would make his father look if he admitted his father had been wrong all these years. Since he knew the standards set up in Washington could not be wrong, he did the right thing and purchased new weights.

We have a standard today and we are warned not to add to that standard not to subtract from it, Revelation 22:18-19. Solomon once said, “He that trusts in his own heart is a fool”, Proverbs 28:26.

Why Not Become Just A Christian

God records the statement from a man who never turned his life over to Christ, “Almost thou persuadest me to become a Christian”, Acts 26:28. If I can be of help in leading you from denominationalism, please write to me or contact the church of Christ in your area. We are striving to be the church you read about in your New Testament. If you do what the converts did in the book of Acts, you will become what they became — Christians. It is the prayer of this author that you become a Christian — nothing more, nothing less.

Bob Danklefsen
Copyright 1977
T-10
3/22/90

For two years I was a member of a very active Methodist Church. My wife and I were instructed in the Methodist doctrine in a six-week long membership class. After joining the church, I became a very active member.

Later, the Phillips Translation of the New Testament was offered for sale at the Methodist congregation. I purchased one and read it for several hours each night. It was God’s Word that began to change my life and caused me to examine the teachings of the Methodist Church in light of the scriptures.

As I read about the persecution of the disciples and their willingness to suffer to the point of death, it only exposed how shallow my faith really was. Late one evening, I found myself on my knees begging God to answer the question, “what must I do to be saved?’ In less than two weeks the Lord began to answer that prayer.

SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

The Lord was so pleased with some people from southern Macedonia at a town called Berea because they searched the scriptures daily to see whether the things they were being taught were so, Acts 17:10-11. I began to thirst more and more for the riches of God’s Word. It was then that I sat down with a man at work who called himself a Christian. When I asked him, “what kind of Christian”, he replied, “I’m just a Christian, nothing more, nothing less.” This response caught my eye since that is what the people were called in the New Testament, Acts 11:26. We studied three months together and I too decided I wanted to be a Christian only.

IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE WHAT YOU BELIEVE

Until it was brought to my attention, I did not realize what it had cost Jesus to give us the New Covenant, Matthew 26:28; Hebrews 9:15-17. See also Isaiah 53. As I continued to study with the Christian man, it became clear what Paul meant when he said to Timothy, “Take heed unto yourself, and unto the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save yourself and those who hear you,” 1 Timothy4:16. I studied events in both the Old and New Testaments that clearly pointed out that God wants and expects His followers to not go beyond the things instructed in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 4:6.

For example, a man by the name of Cornelius was very religious, Acts 10:1-5 Peter told the story of his conversion to the disciples in Jerusalem. An angel told Cornelius, “Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who will tell you words, by which you and all your household will be saved,” Acts 11:13-14. This man was sincere in his belief in God, but he was lost in sin, See John 8:24; and Acts 16:31-33.

As I reflected on the instruction class I took using the Methodist Primer, I noted a marked difference in the message presented to the lost in the book of Acts, as compared to the instructions in the Methodist creed book. Those converted in the Bible were first taught about Jesus and then how to accept Him as Lord, Acts 2:22-41.

THE GOSPEL MAKES THE DIFFERENCE

Jesus told His followers to go into the world and proclaim the gospel to all creation, Mark 16:15. What is the gospel? It is the good news of one of the members of the Godhead coming to earth to become the man, Jesus, John 1:1-2, John 1:14. See Colossians 2:9. His dying on the cross for man’s sin, His burial and resurrection on the third day is called the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. This good news does not end here; Jesus ascended back to heaven to help Christians with the problems they encounter in life, Hebrews 7:25. Paul writes, “For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and man, the Man Christ Jesus,” 1 Timothy 2:5. He promises to come back at the resurrection to reward His followers and to punish those who die in sin, John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:46.

HOW DOES ONE ACCEPT THE GOSPEL?

Jesus said before he ascended to heaven, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19. Those men and women taught were baptized, Acts 8:12. Why were they baptized? They were convicted of sin, Acts 2:22-37 and wanted to turn from it (repent) and obey the gospel, Acts 2:38. How did they respond? Then those who gladly received Peter’s words were baptized, verse 41. How were they baptized? By having their bodies washed in water, Hebrews 10:22. Why were they immersed in water? They were expressing their faith in Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection by re-enacting that event in water, Romans 6:3-4.

I TALKED TO MY PREACHER

I pointed out to my preacher that the fellow at work had clearly shown me that a person must “gladly receive the gospel” before he could respond to become a Christian. Since I had been taught that babies were to be baptized, I asked him to help me show the man at work that infants were also baptized. He searched his entire library for a book that was to give me the information. I was hoping he would just take the Bible and do this since I knew the man at work would not accept any writings but the Scriptures. Finally, he turned and said, “That book has been checked out”. Why didn’t the Methodist preacher just quote scriptures from memory, especially since he had his doctorate degree? Later, I understood why he did not. The response he called for was not found in the scriptures. I was beginning to learn what it meant to repent. Even though I had a preconceived idea on how one comes to Christ, I was now learning that the gospel was the power of God unto salvation. Unless one hears this message, there is no way he can respond to the cross, Romans 1:16-17; 10:17.

THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

After one heard the gospel, in the days of the apostles, their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ caused many to repent (change one’s mind to bring it in harmony with God’s will). They immediately were buried with Christ in baptism, Acts 16:32-33 and Romans 6:3-4. Why did they not wait until worship service, as was practiced at my Methodist Church? The scriptures again gave the answer, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” Acts 2:38, NIV. I did not want to die in sin because I knew it would cost me throughout eternity if I did not obey the gospel (be baptized), 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9. See other conversions in Acts 8:26-39; Acts 16:13-15, Acts 9:1-9.

TO WHAT CHURCH WERE THE SAVED ADDED?

Some six months before the birthday of the Church, Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church,” Matthew 16:18. Those who responded to the apostles’ teaching were added to the Lord’s Church, Acts 2:41 and Acts 2:47.  There was no act of joining after several weeks of instruction—rather they were added the same day they obeyed the gospel. Paul said in the letter to the Ephesians that Jesus is Savior of the Body, Ephesians 5:23, which is the Church, Ephesians 1:22-23. If a person had to wait six weeks to be a part of the body (saved), then if a person died during that waiting period he couldn’t be with Jesus, John 8:21. The Methodist Discipline says that John Wesley founded the Methodist Church in 1739. Jesus founded His church in 33 A.D. Why not be added to His church which cost Him so much, Acts 20:28.

1700 YEARS TOO LATE

If I had lived 500 years ago, I could not have been a Methodist because that church was not yet in existence. I could have been a Catholic, a Greek Orthodox, or just a Christian like those described in the book of Acts. If had lived 1900 years ago the only church in existence was the Lord’s church, Matthew 16:18; Romans 16:16. The only way to answer Jesus’ prayer for unity, John 17:20-21 is to search the scriptures to make sure the things being practiced religiously are found in God’s word, I Peter 1:22-23; Matthew 7:21-23. The Methodist Discipline teaches that the church consists of conferences, both state and nationwide. The Bible presents nothing higher than a local congregation as it describes the organization for the church,” I Peter 5:1-4; Philippians 1:1 and I Timothy 3:1-13. The church consisted of bishops and deacons. Bible preachers were never given titles such as “Reverend” and “Pastor” because Jesus wanted man to be a servant rather than to be exalted or served, Matthew 23:1-12.

WORSHIP IN THE BIBLE

In the Methodist Church, we ate the Lord’s Supper on an average of about once every three months. The followers of Jesus took communion every Sunday, Acts 20:7. The early church in the Bible heard a lesson from God’s Word, sang together, gave to the Lord’s work and prayed. Their assemblies were simple and informal.

BE A CHRISTIAN ONLY— NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS

I didn’t leave the Methodist Church just to change churches. God’s word had asked me to do several things that were not practiced in that denomination. Close investigation of the only source of eternal life, the Bible, led me to obey the gospel and to work and worship with others who had done the same thing, Acts 20:28-32.

Please read the book of Acts to see how people accepted Christ in the days of the apostles. When you do what they did to respond to Jesus, you too will have the same assurance and joy they had when they obeyed the gospel of Christ. Contact the Church of Christ in your community and ask them to study with you.

Bob Danklefsen
Tract T-13 copyright 1978
Revised 12-20-2002

Recent statistics reveal that the Assemblies of God Church is one of the fastest growing churches in the western world. Their activity in public broadcasting such as satellite television and public crusades, radio broadcasts and prison work has resulted in rapid growth in their denomination. Hurting people relate to personal testimonies coming to the television screen and call wanting to speak to a counselor. This leads to many becoming members of that church. The experiences and testimonies they have had in their worship assemblies are carried to their work places, neighbors and friends. Volunteers from their churches go into prisons and jails and have weekly Bible studies. These people are dedicated to the task of taking their message to the masses. Unlike many others who may be talking sports, weather and other such worldly subjects these people ask spiritual questions when they meet their friends and neighbors.

This dedication and devotion caused me to look at this conscientious group of people and see what their beliefs and practices are. As they believe the Bible should be our only rule of faith, I wanted to examine some of their major beliefs and practices.

Their Attitude toward the Bible

The Assemblies of God have produced a pamphlet entitled, “Statement of Fundamental Truths’ by the General Council of The Assemblies of God. In this pamphlet, they emphasize that the scriptures are infallible and authoritative as a rule of faith. Because of their great respect for the scriptures, they have conveyed a deep and accurate presentation on the Godhead.

Looking at the Nature of God

Under the heading, “The One True God” the statement is made, “The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent ‘I AM’.” The author further states under the heading “The Adorable Godhead,” ‘We therefore may speak with propriety of the Lord our God, who is One Lord, as a Trinity or as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely scriptural” The Assemblies of God see the Father as the Begetter, the Son as the Begotten, and the Holy Ghost is the one proceeding from the Father and the Son.

There is much more expressed in the pamphlet concerning the Godhead. There accurate presentation of the Godhead shows that they have researched well the scriptures and have expressed in very clear terms information on this subject.

Jesus’ Deity and Humanity

The gospel of Christ is very clearly and precisely described in the pamphlet. Under the heading in section f, page 4, entitled “The Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us,” the following comment is made: “The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only Begotten of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is, therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man; who because He is God and man, is ‘Immanuel,’ God with us.”

On page six and seven, 6 points are listed concerning the Christ. They are His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary work on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead and His exaltation to the right hand of God. In another section, it tells that all judgment has been given to the Son and that we all must bow before the presence of Jesus at the judgment seat of Christ. It is refreshing to see that an accurate description of Jesus and His place in the scheme of redemption has been expressed in their writings. As I continued to read their pamphlet, I wanted to see what they taught one must do to receive God’s gift of eternal life. Here I found under the heading “The Salvation of Man,” section 5, page 7, something that was expressed different than what I had experienced as I read the Bible. Note the following under:

The Salvation of Man

In section (a) entitled Conditions to salvation, the statement is made, “Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal life.”

In section (b) Evidence of salvation, is recorded, “The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit Romans 8:16. The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness.” This in its entirety was the section on salvation. Therefore, the gospel and one’s response to the gospel was omitted in this section. The reason for this may be that the authors may not have known what the gospel is. The reason for concluding that the gospel has been misunderstood is found in section 12 on page 11. Here the statement is made that, “Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel.” This statement would place the gospel in a realm never suggested by the gospel itself or the scriptures in general. The scriptures clearly tell what the gospel is.

What is the Gospel?

When one examines the scriptures, it is clear the gospel consists of the message about Jesus, His deity, birth, life, death, resurrection, ascension, intercession, and the good news of His return to judge the world. Jesus truly did love us enough to leave heaven to become a man that He might better understand His own creation, Hebrews 1, Hebrews 2. The Hebrew writer expresses it so beautifully in Hebrews 2:17-18, “Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.’ Then on the cruel cross He suffered for the sins of all, Hebrews 2:9. His resurrection was simply a prelude to our own which He promised at His second coming, 1 Corinthians 15:20-23. The letter to the Hebrews tells of His ascension to the throne of God, Hebrews 9:24. It also further states that He will judge us some day, verse 27. The heart of this story of Jesus is the fact that He died for our sins, that He was buried and that He was raised the third day. This is called the gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and is the very message presented to the lost on the birthday of the church in Acts 2:22-36. One might say that those in the Assemblies of God already believe this. That is true; they do believe these things did happen to Jesus. But because they did not state that it was essential to obey the gospel under the section entitled Salvation, I knew that I might be able to shed some light on the response to the gospel and help them to draw even closer to the Lord’s teaching on this subject.

The Gospel and Obeying the Gospel

Once one examines the scriptures, it is easy to see that the gospel is the good news of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Romans 1:1-3 points out the gospel is the message concerning Christ. Paul, in that same letter, later states, “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” The Easy To Read Bible translates this verse, “But not all [the Jews] accepted that good news …“This indicates that accepting the good news means to obey the gospel and these terms are used interchangeably. Later, the following statement is made, “For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? 1 Peter 4:17. Note that Peter is contrasting the house of God, (the church, 1 Timothy 3:15, with those who had not become Christians because they had not yet obeyed the gospel So obeying the gospel is necessary to become a Christian. Paul makes this very clear in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 when he says, “And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming tire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.” A person may go to his grave believing the gospel and yet never obey it. God is not making obedience to the gospel important; He is making it essential for one to escape eternal destruction.

How Does One Express His Faith in the Gospel?

In Romans 6:17-18 the individual is informed that he is made free from sin when he obeys from the heart that form of doctrine shared with him. The message to be shared with him is the gospel, Mark 16:15. It states that one obeys a “form” of the gospel. To obey the gospel literally one would have to be nailed to a cross, be buried in the earth and raise out of it. Just as a form, when pouring cement, is not the finished product, obedience to the gospel is also performed in a likeness to the gospel. Paul expresses it so clearly earlier in that same chapter. “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was I raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,” Romans 6:3-5. Paul tells the Christians at Rome what there baptism should have meant to them. Their problem of going back to sinning prompted his letter to them. He was simply telling them that their reenactment of the death, burial and resurrection should have caused them to be changed people.

The thing that moved me so much when I was shown this as someone was sharing the gospel with me is that God was saying that if I did not obey the gospel, He was going to take vengeance on me, 2 Thessalonians 1:8. For the first time I was seeing that God was saying that water baptism was essential for my own salvation. As I studied further, I found both Jesus and Peter taught the same thing in Mark 16:16 and Acts 2:38. In fact, as Peter was sharing the gospel with those on Pentecost, the people broke in and asked what to do. He replied, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized m the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” God is obviously making it essential to be baptized to be saved. Contrast this with the following statement from the Assemblies of God in their publication “Bible Doctrines’ by P.C. Nelson.

With reference to Acts 2:38, “Repentance is evidenced by confession (followed by reformation) and procures forgiveness and cleansing,” page 38. Repentance and belief are again mention on page 40, but no reference to baptism is even alluded to here. In chapter six baptism is referred to as an ordinance, p. 42, as is communion, p. 47. Under the heading “The symbolism” a beautiful description of how baptism demonstrates one’s faith in the death, burial and resurrection is presented on page 43, 44. On page 46, Mr. Nelson confirms that regeneration must precede baptism. With reference those qualified to be baptized he says, “This excludes children who are too young to repent and believe, and invalidates the ‘baptism’ of those who were not regenerated when they submitted to the ordinance,” p. ‘k5. Again on the next page he confirms their teaching that salvation comes before obeying the gospel by stating, “If you will read the New Testament to see what stress was laid upon the ordinance, you will be struck with the suddenness with which believers were baptized after conversion, and the great emphasis placed on the ordinance by Christ and the apostles.” Maybe God can shed more light on the suddenness as Luke pens the following in Acts 22:16, “And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” Once again, the Lord is expressing the urgency of immediate obedience to the gospel to be forgiven.

A chaplain from this church at a local jail once called me in to tell me that I could not teach his converts that they must obey the gospel to be saved. He took issue with Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, and 1 Peter 3:21 by stating that Romans 10:9-10 mentions nothing about baptism and therefore he rests his stand on this scripture. When I mentioned that repentance was also not mentioned in the Roman reference, he became upset and said, “If you keep teaching my converts that baptism is essential for salvation, you will no longer be teaching in this penal system.”

What about Baptism in the Holy Spirit?

In a publication put out by the Public Relations Department of the Assemblies of God, it is stated that baptism in the Holy Spirit takes place after one is saved, p. 37. On page 30 of the same publication it says, “Some have received the baptism in the Holy Spirit before they were baptized in water, but Peter at Cornelius’ house clearly shows that such still need to obey the Lord in this ordinance,” Acts 10:47-48. Since the scriptures teach that salvation is offered after one believes and has been baptized, Mark 16:16, and that the Holy Spirit is given after baptism, Acts 2:38, who is the author of the doctrine that all this must take place before one obeys the gospel? One might ask, “What about the house of Cornelius? Didn’t he receive the gift of the Holy Spirit before baptism?

Why were Miracles Given?

Even the Assemblies of God realize that the baptism in the Holy Spirit is not for salvation. Then what was God’s purpose in giving the Holy Spirit in Acts 10? In both Mark 16:17-20 and Hebrews 2:3-4 the purpose for miracles, including speaking in languages not studied, was to confirm that the teaching expressed by the speaker represented God because he could confirm what he taught by the miracle performed. Incidentally, this was to convince both those believing in God’s Church and the unbelievers, Acts 4:16, Acts 4:21-22. In the case of Cornelius’ house the Jews are the unbelievers as they could not see the gentiles having a right to the tree of life, v. 45. Peter continues in Acts 10:46-48, “For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.” Peter said that they had received the Holy Spirit just as the apostles did in Acts 2. The apostles received the ability to speak in the languages of those present on Pentecost, Acts 2:8-11. Incidentally, the apostles (not the 120) were the only ones performing miracles for the first five chapters of Acts. See Acts 2:43; Acts 3:6; Acts 4:16 and Acts 5:12.In Acts 8 Peter and John had to come to Samaria to bestow gifts on the believers by the laying on of their hands. Phillip, who now was performing miracles, could not himself give the gifts.

How Do We know if This is From God?

“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world,” 1 John 4:1. We are to test the spirits to confirm that what they teach is really from God. The healing of a man crippled from birth in Acts 3 and Acts 4 serves as a good example. Both the believers and unbelievers agreed that a miracle had been done. I know of a boy who recently lost all fingers and toes in a fire. If one could restore all these to this helpless child, then many would become a member of the fellowship doing this miracle. Even though I have approached those in this group about fulfilling the challenge of 1 John 4:1, no one has accepted it.

What Must I Do?

In the book of Acts, those who obeyed the gospel were added to the church one reads about in the New Testament, Acts 2:47. They met together on the first day of the week to eat the Lord’s Supper. They prayed, sang, contributed monetarily and listened to the Lord’s Word proclaimed each Sunday. They were happy because they had been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb. Some meaningful gifts were in the church at Rome, Romans 12. These were gifts designed to give service to others and to God. The Church of Christ in your area stands ready to help you obey the gospel and to encourage you to serve the risen Master.

© Copyright 1991
Bob Danklefsen
4-22-91

A few years ago I attended a Presbyterian Church with some close friends. My own background in a church similar to this one made me curious enough to study their teachings. I studied the history of the Presbyterian Church at the library. This caused me to contact a minister of this denomination so that I could learn more about their present teachings. He gave me two books to read. One was called “The Book of Confessions‘” and the other was “The Book of Order.” These books plus some other sources I have researched have helped me better understand the Presbyterian Church.

God’s Word— The Only Authority

I appreciate the statement made in “The Book of Order” (BOO), section (s) 31.07, “…the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and manners.” Before looking at the two creed books, it would be best to look at the development of the church as information on it began to be revealed in the Bible.

God promised that those who were authors of the books of the Bible wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, 2 Peter 1:20-21. What they recorded was given by inspiration and is to instruct us, reprove us, correct us, and guide us in everything we do to follow the Lord, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. This helps the reader to understand that any preconceived ideas he may have about salvation or the church should already be clearly expressed in God’s word.

The Church In The Mind Of God Before The World Was Made

The Lord looked forward to the time when peoples of all nations would unite in one body known as the church, Ephesians 1:4-10. Moses, God’s leader of the Israelite Nation, wrote to his people of a coming Savior, Genesis 3:15; Genesis 22:18, through Abraham and that all nations would be blessed through him. Moses was given a law on Sinai to guide the Israelites, Exodus 20. He also prophesied of the Savior (Jesus) in Deuteronomy 18:18-19, who would later lead the people of God. Isaiah, a prophet of God, later revealed that a new law would be issued to his people that would affect those who were gentiles also, Isaiah 2:2-4; Isaiah 62:2-3. Under this new covenant, unlike the one given at Sinai, Jeremiah 31:31-34, there would be offered the forgiveness of sins. This covenant would guide the church so that it would please the Lord and give his people eternal life, Hebrews 9:14-15.

The Gospel From The Foundation Of The World

The mind of God pictured also the sacrifice of His Son before the world was created, I Peter 1:19-20. The prophets wrote about Jesus. Isaiah 7:14 told of the virgin birth. David wrote of His crucifixion; Psalm 22:16-18. Isaiah spoke of His death for our sins, His burial, and His resurrection, Isaiah 53:4-12. He now lives to intercede for those who belong to Him, I John 2:1-2. Some day He will return and carry those who are His to heaven, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. This message is called the gospel, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.

The Lord looked forward to the time when he would send his Son into the world to die for the sins of all mankind. This Son loved the Father so much that He endured the suffering of the cross to give those who love and obey Him eternal life, Hebrews 5:7-9. Even though the teaching would emerge that Jesus died for only the elect “The Five Points of Calvinism, “ by Steele & Thomas, page 39, the scriptures clearly reflected He died for all men, Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2. After all God wants all men to be saved, I Timothy 2:4. Now not only Jews but all nations could be a part of His body, Galatians 3:26-29. One might ask, what about predestination? “From eternity God has freely, and out of his mere grace, without any respect to men, predestinated or elected the saints whom he will save in Christ …,“Book of Confessions (BOC), s. 5.052. Both I Timothy 2:4 and 2 Peter 3:9 could not be true if God predestined a select group to be saved who had no choice in the matter. God predestined those who have voluntarily chosen to become Christians to be with him in heaven and this is what is meant in Ephesians 1:4. Even this is conditional, requiring faithfulness, Romans 11:22.

How To Become A Member Of The Body According To The Bible

Jesus said to go into the whole world and. preach the gospel to EVERY person, Mark 16:15. The gospel was to be preached first at Jerusalem and then eventually taught to the whole world, Acts 1:8. Peter preached Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, Acts 2:22-24. Those who had crucified the Christ asked what they must do. Peter told them that they must repent and be baptized by Jesus’ authority and that they would be forgiven of all their sins, and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, verses 37, 38.

The conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch shows the same pattern, Acts 8:26-39. This man heard about Jesus, v. 35,and asked to be immersed. After he confessed the Lord in v. 37, they went into the water and Phillip buried him in baptism and raised him from the water to walk in newness of life, Romans 6:3-4. All of the conversions in Acts follow this same pattern.

Comparing The Book Of Confessions With The Bible

It is so important to remember that the Bible must be one’s final authority when comparing it with the religious writings of man, Mark 7:1-13. We must be willing to be corrected and reproved by the inspired pages, 2 Timothy 3:16.

In the book of Acts, we have already seen how the lost were led to the Lord. The gospel was first preached and those who gladly received the word were immersed immediately in water, Acts 2:22- 41. People old enough to understand their sin problem and the benefits of the gospel were added to the Lord, Acts 5:14; Acts 8:12. Only men and women responded to the gospel, not infants or children, Romans 6:17-18.

The doctrine of Original Sin says that all men inherit sin and is expressed in the (BOC) s. 5.039; this book teaches that sin passed from generation to generation, 6.033.

In the (BOC) s. 5.185 is stated, “First John baptized, who dipped Christ in the water in Jordan.” After stating that there is only one baptism in section 5.186 and confirmed in Ephesians 4:5, the authors state in s. 5.188, “We are baptized with water. And therefore we are baptized, that Is, washed or sprinkled with visible water.” The Hebrew writer said that our bodies (not our foreheads) are washed with pure water, 10:22. In order to express rejection for those who insist on total immersion the following is written in s. 5.192, “We condemn the Anabaptists, who deny that newborn infants of the faithful are to be baptized.” No one was ever baptized in the Bible unless they had faith in the gospel, Colossians 2:12, Mark 16:15-16.

This creed book clearly states that the one baptism in Jesus’ day was immersion. Then by teaching that infants inherit sin, they proceed to promote infant sprinkling. First infants do not inherit sin, Ezekiel 28:15; James 1:14-15. Paul says that before he understood right from wrong he was alive and without sin, Romans 7:9.

Every translation uses the word dip in Luke 16:24 when translating the primary word from which we get the word baptize. Baptism is a burial and a planting, Romans 6:4-5 and is reserved for believers in the gospel Mark 16:15-16. The English word “sprinkle” is never used in scripture where the Greek word “baptidzo” is found. All Bible dictionaries translate baptidzo as immerse, dip, plunge, overwhelm, or sink.

Can A Person Fall From Grace?

In (BOC), s. 6.6064 is said, “God doth continue to forgive the sins of those that are justified: and although they can never fall from the state of justification, yet they may by their sins fall under Gods Fatherly displeasure, and not have the light of his countenance restored unto them until they humble themselves, confess their sins, beg pardon, and renew their faith and repentance.”

When I encountered a head of a Bible College endorsing this doctrine, I asked him where he taught the unprofitable servant was cast, into heaven or hell, Matthew 25:30. He refused to answer me as he knew that Galatians 5:4 made it clear that one could fall from grace.

God’s Organization For The Church

Multitudes of Jews were responding to the teachings of the apostles and others converted to Jesus. They were added to the church, Acts 2:47. The Lord knew that some kind of organization would be necessary to unite the body of believers together. He chose a pattern of men who would be called elders, bishops, or pastors to shepherd or feed the church, 1 Peter 5:1-4. The qualifications for these men are clearly stated in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Deacons were appointed to work under the elders. Their qualifications were given in I Timothy3:8-13. Also working under the elders was the preacher(s), sometimes called evangelist, 2 Timothy 4:2-5. The preachers, however, were never called Pastors unless they were bishops in the church. In the New Testament, titles were forbidden, 1 Corinthians 1:10-15, because they led to division.

Leadership In The Presbyterian Church

“Every congregation shall elect persons (either men or women) from among its members in full communion to the office of ruling elder, and to the office of deacon …,“(BOO), s. 47.01 . Those elected are in office for a three year period, s. 47.011.

In God’s Word, it is clearly stated that elders and deacons must be males, must be husband of one wife, and must have their children under control, 1 Timothy 3:2-5, and I Timothy 3:12. Never were women to be appointed elders.

New Testament Worship

The church described in the Bible met each first day of the week to partake of the Lord’s Supper and to hear a lesson from God’s word, Acts 20:7. They also sang hymns and prayed in their assemblies, 1 Corinthians 14:15 and also gave of their means, I Corinthians 16:1-2.

Looking For The Presbyterian Church In The Bible

Any person excited about their body of believers will want to look for identifying marks of their church in the Bible. The services of the Presbyterian Church are similar to other protestant religions. They consisted of preaching, singing accompanied by an organ, prayer, and the collection. The Lord’s Supper is eaten once per quarter in most Presbyterian Churches, but is not observed by infants and children, (BOO) s. 20.021. In Acts 2:42 all who were baptized participated in the communion service and did it in remembrance of Christ’s death, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. The church described in the scriptures assembled each Lord’s Day had public prayer and singing (no mention of the use of instruments), 1 Corinthians 14:15. Only the men of the congregation took part in the leadership and when publicly addressing the church, I Corinthians 14:34-35. The conclusion one must reach after comparing the Presbyterian Church to the church as it is described in the Bible, must be that two entirely different groups are identified.

The Presbyterian Church first became a body of people in the 1560’s. John Calvin contributed to its basic beliefs, but John Knox had a greater influence in causing it to form as a church. Jesus had already built the church 1 500 years earlier just as he wanted it. Acts 20:28. Note the warning in verses 29 and 30.

What Should I Do?

The Bible warns us to not go beyond the teachings of the scriptures, 1 Corinthians 4:6. 1 Peter 3:15 tells us to be able to give an answer from scriptures for everything we do to follow God. If we do not find scriptural backing for the church we now attend, the Bible teaches us to come out from human teachings and do His will, 2 Corinthians 6:14-17. Many will face Him some day at judgment and will hear “I never knew you,” Matthew 7:21-23.

The Lord’s Church stands ready to help you be a Christian only. If you wish to search deeper into God’s teaching concerning the church of the Bible, contact the Church of Christ in your area.

by Bob Danklefsen
Copyright 1986
I-27 3-22-90

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to be engaged in a Bible study with some men who were members of various churches. One of them was a member of the Church of Christ. I began to ask Bible questions of those present. The answers given by the man from the Church of Christ seemed to differ from the others in that he would not answer with “This is what the Church of Christ believes…“but rather would say, let’s see what the Bible says on…” and then he would allow me to read what God taught in the Scriptures. This really impressed me; to see a person appeal to the Scriptures for all his answers. Later I was to find out why he made us read the Bible to find the Lord’s teaching.

THE SCRIPTURES-OUR ONLY HOPE FOR ETERNITY

The God we worship is so powerful in that when He spoke, the universe came into existence, Psalm 148:3-5. This Creator chose to communicate with the human race through the only means that could be preserved—the written form, Psalm 12:6-7 and He promised that His Word would last forever, Isaiah 40:8. Since it is impossible for Him to lie, Hebrew 6:18, we know that when we read the Bible today, it is the Lord communicating His will for us. In fact, anything taught or practiced by man in the field of religion outside of what the Bible teaches is a corrupted teaching, I Peter 1:22-23. Since the Bible alone offers all we need to give us eternal life and to live godly lives, 2 Peter 1:3, to go beyond its teachings will result in judgment, John 12:48-50.

IS THE CHURCH CLEARLY DESCRIBED IN THE BIBLE?

I was amazed to find that God’s foreknowledge led Him to look forward to the establishment of the church—even before the earth was created, Ephesians. 1:4-10; Ephesians 3:8-9. God’s scheme of redemption is clearly revealed in Revelation 13:8 where He tells of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. See also I Peter 1:18-20.

In the Old Testament, the Lord begins to reveal that He would establish a new covenant, Jeremiah 31:31-34, and that this law would go forth from Jerusalem, Isaiah 2:1-4, and that its ruler would be His Son, Isaiah 9:6-7. Daniel also stated that in the days of the Roman Empire that the God of heaven would set up a kingdom that would never pass away, Daniel 2:44. In the New Testament, this kingdom is revealed as the church, Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 2:13-14.

Paul would later refer to the church as the body of Christ, Ephesians 1:22-23. He describes the church in terms we can understand using the human body as an example. We as humans have a head and we have a body. The head makes the decisions telling the body what to do. Jesus is the head of the church and He governs and controls what this body of people should do, Matthew 28:18.

WHY IS THE CHURCH SO IMPORTANT?

The church was in the mind of God as He allowed His own Son to die on the cross, Isaiah 53:4. In Acts 20:28, it says that Jesus purchased the church with His own blood. The Hebrew writer explains the mental torment Jesus encountered the night He was betrayed, Hebrews 5:7. Listen to the prophet Isaiah describe the appearance of Jesus as He hung on the cross, “Just as there were many who were appalled at Him—His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and His form marred beyond human likeness,” Isaiah 52:14. I really cannot see why so many make light of the church when they can see that God gave His own Son for it, Ephesians 5:25. Paul later states that Jesus promises to save only the church, Ephesians 5:23.

HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY THE CHURCH OF THE BIBLE?

Any church claiming to follow the Scriptures only should be able to give book, chapter, and verse to confirm that they are a member of the church described in the Bible. We have already read that Jesus purchased the church with His blood which means the church could not have been established prior to His death. After He rose from the dead, He told His disciples to remain in Jerusalem so that they could be instructed concerning the church and conversion, Luke 24:46-49. On the first Pentecost after He rose, the apostles began to unfold the message of Jesus’ death and resurrection, Acts 2:22-36. Those who had earlier cried “crucify Him” then asked what they could do to be saved, (verse 37). Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit,” (verse 38). Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible should trace its roots back to the first Pentecost after Jesus’ death and should ask one to respond as Peter did over 1900 years ago.

GOD’S ORGANIZATION FOR THE CHURCH

When the church was first established, the Lord set apostles in it; they had to be men who had witnessed Jesus’ resurrection, Acts 1:22. They were responsible for introducing the gospel and information on the church. Paul stated that the church consisted of bishops (also called pastors), deacons, evangelists, and teachers, Philippians 1:1; Ephesians 4:11. The church in its infancy had apostles and prophets to protect the hearers from false teachers, Ephesians 4:14-16. They were given the ability to perform miracles to confirm their teachings came directly from God, Hebrews 2:3-4. Today, however, we have God’s written word, the Bible and thus no longer have apostles, prophets or miracles, which passed away in the first century, I Corinthians 13:8-10.

The qualifications for the elders (another descriptive term for bishops) is described in I Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. These men assume the responsibility for the souls of the church, Hebrews 13:17 and are instructed to act as a spiritual guide to the Christians, I Peter 5:1-4. The deacons serve in physical areas such as benevolence or caring for the elderly as described in Acts 6:1ff. Their qualifications are listed in I Timothy 3:8-13. The preacher or evangelist may serve as a pulpit minister or one who shares the gospel in the home, 2 Timothy 4:2-5. Teachers would of course teach on any age level as described in Titus 2:3-15.

Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible must follow the organization described in God’s Word.

GOD’S SIMPLE WORSHIP PLAN

The Lord has arranged for Christians to meet every Sunday to remember Christ’s death and resurrection by partaking of the Lord’s Supper, Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 11:20-34. It is interesting that in the secular writings of Justin Martyr that this practice continued week-by-week, even into the second century, Apology Antoninus, page 67, Yet today, men following the doctrines and commandments of men will take it once a month or quarter and will justify their practice by saying that to take the Lord’s Supper every week will cause it to lose its meaning. It makes one wonder how often a person making a statement like this approaches God in prayer. Would praying every day cause it to lose its significance?

In addition to the Lord’s Supper, the assembly met for prayer and singing, 1 Corinthians 14:15-16. Many, who visit our services, state that the singing is so beautiful. Blending our hearts together gives a wonderful feeling of closeness to God and the participants in the assembly. It is wonderful to hear the ‘amens’ to the public prayer as was experienced in I Corinthians 14:15-16. Our worship needs to have the Lord’s approval. What happened to Nadab and Abihu serves as an example to us. They offered fire from a strange source, Leviticus 10:1-2. They changed their minds though—instantly. God’s Word warns us not to go beyond what is written in His Word, I Corinthians 4:6.

Also, the Lord’s church heard a lesson from the Bible and contributed monetarily to the church, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:1-2, each Lord’s Day. Their worship did not end with a Sunday morning service but they continued to serve God throughout the week, Romans 12:1-2.

A CHANGED LIFE STYLE

If a person claims to be a Christian as described in the Bible, there should be a marked change in his attitude and actions, Galatians 5:19-26, 1Thessalonians 4:1-8. Impurity of life was gone and a new person emerged who now desired to reflect Jesus in his actions. The church at Colossae was so excited about their life in Christ that they were sharing the gospel with their lost neighbors, Colossians 1:3-6. Paul trained some men in the school of Tyrannus. The result: “This continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks,” Acts 19:9-10. If a person is thankful for God’s forgiveness, he feels bound to share this good news with others around him. See Acts 5:32.

BEING A CHRISTIAN ONLY

The Scriptures both in prophecy, Isaiah 62:2 and its fulfillment, Acts 11:26 tell that once the Gentiles would see God’s righteousness that they would be called by a new name given by the Lord’s own mouth. That name “Christian” is proudly worn by those who want to be the church of the Bible, I Peter 4:16. Man made names would later appear but not with God’s approval, I Corinthians 1:10-15. Christians are also referred to as saints, I Corinthians 1:2; brethren, Galatians 6:1; or children of God, Galatians 3:26. Descriptive terms for the church are the church of God, Acts 20:28; body of Christ, Colossians 1:18; house of God, I Timothy 3:15 or church of Christ, Romans 16:16.

IS IT THE CHURCH OF THE BIBLE?

Any church claiming to be the church of the Bible must be able to find its identifying characteristics within the pages of God’s Word. No creed books, manuals, catechisms or set of by-laws should be necessary to identify it. The New Testament alone was its only creed. Nor should an earthly headquarters ever exist, for each church described in the New Testament was the highest order designed by the Lord.

In Spain, Eastern Turkey, South America and other locations small groups of Christians have been found following the pattern for the church and the only thing they had that made them identical was a Bible in their respective language. Therefore, any group who follows just the Scriptures in worship, the gospel message, the plan of salvation, and organization can proudly say, “I am a member of the church of the Bible.”

YOU CAN’T “JOIN” THE CHURCH

Even though today a person may join a club or a denominational group, he cannot join the church of the Bible. When he makes a response to the gospel, the Lord automatically adds him to His church, Acts 2:41 and Acts 2:47. But he cannot add to His church an unbeliever, Hebrews 11:6; an unrepentant person, Acts 17:30-31; one who has not confessed Him, Acts 8:37; or one who has not been immersed in water, I Corinthians 12:13.

If you would like to be a part of an undenominational group that is humbly trying to be the church one reads about in the Scriptures, then contact the Lord’s church in your area. Let’s restore the church of Christ as we see it unfolded in the Bible.

Copyright 1991
Bob Danklefsen
Revised 7-3-01