Breadth of Mind and the Bible – Spiritually
Independent Christian Church). I graduated from two (the other closed … I needed one more year there). All three had an emphasis on Church History and their own development into the current sectarian menagerie. While there are a few legitimately thorny issues (baptism’s meaning and mode being the toughest for consensus through the millennia), most other divisions are the product of man. Without a full rehash here, I am of the persuasion that the bulk (maybe almost all) of the present denominational separations are the matured adults of babies spawned in the Corinthian Church. Paul still worked with the Corinthians as Christians, but their choices for unauthorized-by-God divisions retarded their growth – restricting their spiritual breadth of mind – and kept them … babies.
Let me give you one tiny example of how hero worship (now with a denominational structure encasing the hero) has weakened the Church. The particulars of this are not what is important. The dynamic at play is the point. It is repeated in differing ways and issues in all the sects, but the final outcome has the same net result and effect on the Church as a whole.
As a young Christian, I was a counselor at a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center. One recovering client came to me – challenging our imposed, ministry-wide, Sabbath keeping policy. He forwarded this passage: “Let no one act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day – things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; the body of Christ” (Col 2:16,17). The preacher who was doctrinally behind this rehabilitation ministry … was a “giant” in the faith. Dr. D. James Kennedy had thousands flocking to his church every week, founded the worldwide Evangelism Explosion program, built a church that was the sign of the fish (the “icthus” for those flying over) with a cross-topped steeple that was the highest point in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He had a radio and television ministry … and often spoke memorized Koine Greek from the pulpit. And a recovering drunk, who soon returned to his debauchery, was challenging this giant and scholar – as well as the leadership and board of our rehabilitation ministry? Was I to believe – this drunk – or all the heralded, acclaimed, seminary-trained scholars above me? The answer is … neither. The challenge set before me was the same it has always been and will always will be … search the scriptures and “examine everything carefully holding fast to the good” (1Thess 5:21). In this instance, the soon-to-relapse drunk, was handling the Scriptures accurately. In fact, that entire denomination is in grave error on the Mosaic Law and its place and purpose post-cross. Thanks, Kenny. I hope you have been able to avail victorious power from the One who walked out of His tomb.
One problem with being a denominational loyalist (or worshiping a hero within it), is that the sect is maiming itself to some degree as it cuts off members of the Body of Christ who can not adhere to, or propagate, some errant sectarian feature of the group. In the example above, the PCA is accurate on many subjects, but concerning the Law as given to Moses – they really botch things up. But, as this error has been institutionalized, scriptural debate has ended. And it is rare that a theological error remains childless. It almost always spawns offspring – sometimes prolifically. A cross-topped steeple can quickly become a leaning “Tower of Pisa.” All denominations fall into this to some degree. The degree of culpability by the individual sectarian (as determined by the Head of the Church) probably determines the spiritual breadth of mind the sectarian will be able to achieve in this age. There is a lot of difference between a simple attendee who is seeking God for accurate scriptural understandings – versus one who, for reasons known to God, has rationalized why he/she is a denominational loyalist above all things. Many claim to be Christians first, but their deeds, especially when pressed – find them committed to the denomination first. If a student is deemed culpable and refuses the Teacher’s instruction, is the Teacher going to overlook that obstinacy and then impart deeper, precious treasure?
Retardant 3: Hiring Out The Work
When Paul brought his message to Berea, we are told they “were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily” to see if Paul’s assertions were accurate (Ac17:11). This required work … work in the Bible. Far too many professing Christians … will … not. They fall back on those they have hired to tell them what to believe. After all, that is a big reason they have been hired. Besides, “there are just so many interpretations on everything.” This is an excuse for laziness – so one can