"For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him. . ." Numbers 23:9

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THE MOUNTAIN MESSENGER

MAY 2004
Volume 1..........................Number 4
Crum, West Virginia

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BACK TO THE BIBLE

By James E. Farley

Our plea among the churches of Christ is for all to come back to the Bible for all that is said and done in religion. We encourage all to drop all denominational names, creeds, catechisms, dogmas, disciplines, confessions of faith, titles, etc., and to unite upon the Bible as our ONLY rule of faith.

As we look throughout the religious world, we see that those claiming to follow Jesus the Christ are divided and sub-divided into over 450 religious denominations in the United States alone! This is amazing and staggering when we consider that just a few hours before going to Calvary’s cross, the Lord prayed for all believers to be ONE in the same way that He and the Father are ONE. (John 17:20-21). Obviously then one would have to conclude that the doctrine of Christ is that all be ONE and not 450! If any come along and espouse, support and encourage denominational religion, they simply do not have God, for they are not abiding in the doctrine of Christ. (Read 2 John 9-11).

The very word "denomination" carries the idea of "division". Allow me to illustrate this. If you take a 100 dollar bill into the bank and ask the cashier to change it for you, the cashier may very well ask you, "What denominations would you like that in?" What is meant by this? The cashier simply wants to know how you want that 100 dollar bill divided. You may want five $20 bills . . . you may want twenty $5 bills . . . you may want one hundred $1 dollar bills, etc. When one refers to the various man-made religions as "denominations" he simply stresses that they are divided, and remember, division is contrary to the doctrine of Christ!

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What causes the division? Is God the author of such confusion? Of course God is not the author of confusion. (I Corinthians 14:33). The division comes when men begin to follow their feelings . . . to follow their traditions . . . to follow other men rather than God. Such is certainly condemned in the Scriptures. (Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 14:12; Matthew 15:7-13; I Corinthians 4:6; Galatians 1:6-10).

There is a cure for this curse of denominational division. God gives us the cure. He says that if we are to have "no divisions" we must "speak the same thing" and be of "the same mind and the same judgment". (Read I Corinthians 1:10-13). Well, what is it that we are to speak the same to obtain and to maintain this true Bible UNITY? Peter tells us by inspiration. He says, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God . . . "(I Peter 4:11).

Now my friends, there it is! There is heaven’s cure for the sickness of denominationalism; for religious division that is contrary to the doctrine of Christ. (John 17:20-21; 2 John 9-11). We are to speak as the oracles (or Word) of God. You see, if you are speaking ONLY as the Bible speaks . . . and I am speaking ONLY as the Bible speaks, we can be truly ONE. However, if one of us stops following God’s precepts and begins calling ourselves by some kind of name that one cannot read about in the Bible, or begins teaching a plan of salvation that one cannot read about in the Word of God, etc., then division is the result.

Think about it friends, can you read about a "Methodist" in the Bible? Is there anything at all about the "Baptist Church" in the Scriptures? Do you think Paul was a "Presbyterian" and Peter was a "Lutheran"? Were James and John members of the "Pentecostal Church"? Did Jesus die so that the "Catholic" or "Episcopal Church" could be established?

If you can find these denominations in the Bible, I’ll offer a public apology and begin promoting them. I’ll even join one if you can find it in the Word of God! But, my friends, if you cannot find these (or any other man-made church) in the Scriptures, then you MUST reject them as opposed to the verbally inspired Word that heaven has given to instruct us in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16-16; Titus 2:11-12). Righteousness is simply God’s right ways.

Our sincere invitation to you is to drop all denominationalism and to come back to the Bible with us. If we can assist you in these matters, please feel free to contact us. We are here to serve in these kinds of matters.

James E. Farley -To Contact Jim by email, click here