Chapter IX
Which
Local Church Is The True Church?
Many churches of today that are thought of as local
churches are not such in the New Testament sense. The local assemblies of the New
Testament times were independent, self-governing bodies. They had bishops and
deacons, but the bishops were simply pastors and preachers. Their ministry
extended over one church, and they did not boss other preachers and other
churches. How different the function of the bishop today from the function of
those of New Testament times. Of course the most bloated of all the bishops is
the Pope of Rome, who claims to be the vice-gerent of Christ, and who likewise
claims that when he speaks "ex-cathedra," or for the church, he
speaks with absolute infallibility. He is the big boss of the whole world wide
Universal, Visible Church. Other bishops of that church are big men, and are
ecclesiastical bosses, but they are topped by the pope, who has no equal.
Various protestant
groups or churches, have their bishops occupying exalted positions. Their
churches are not self-governing. Really, the Church is the big, over all
organization, and the church at any given place is just a small, subservient
unit. Nothing could be more contrary to the New Testament church pattern than
this sort of thing. Big dignitaries, wearing "vestments" and growling
ritual were totally unknown to New Testament times. The terms bishop, elder,
pastor or shepherd, related to the same office, and that office was that of one
who served - not one who bossed.
In reading the
writings of the church fathers, as they are called - men who lived in the early
days of Christianity, we can trace the gradual rise of the errors that
eventually produced the Roman Catholic Church. Many persons have carelessly
supposed that the Catholic Church was the original church - the church from
which the others have sprung. This is indeed careless thinking, and
unaccompanied by any study or investigation. Any one who will take a good look
at the simply organized local assemblies of the New Testament times, and then a
look at the complex, hierarchical, tradition burdened Catholic Church of today,
will be bound to see such a shocking contrast that they cannot possibly identify
the two. Unfortunately, when the Protestant Reformation took place, that
reformation was not based upon the New Testament church pattern. The Protestant
groups retained many of the things that characterized Catholicism.
Take for instance,
the Church of England, or Episcopal Church. It was formed by 'old wicked
adulterous Henry VIII, who had his Parliament to pass the Acts of Supremacy
which made him head of the Church, rather than the pope. Who will say that the
Church was any better under the head ship of Henry VIII? As time went on, the
Church of England did make some changes that were for the better, but let us
remember that it is still a state church, with the reigning Monarch of England
as head. Of course there is no more Scripture for such a visible state Church
than there is for the Universal, Invisible Church.
Other Protestant
Churches have been state churches, deriving authority and financial support
from the state. Religious freedom in the true sense vanishes when religion is identified
with the state government, and often dissenting groups are persecuted when such
is the case. The evils of a state church hookup are without number. We look at
communist Russia today and we see an atheistic state - one violently set
against religion in all of its forms. This atheistic attitude is in large part
due to the corruption and abuses of the Russian Catholic Church of days gone
by.
In England the state
church is deemed to be the one and only church, and other religious groups are
not allowed to call themselves churches. That is why no Baptist assembly in
England bears the name church. They have to use such terms as
"tabernacle," "chapel," etc.
The inspired John
who wrote Revelation, knew the history of the Catholic Church and her daughters.
That history was revealed to him before the events ever came to pass. He fore
tells the corrupt association of the old Mother Church with rulers and
governments of this earth. For a long period in the past that Church crowned
the kings, and involved herself in all the graft and corruption of unholy
governments. But the worst is ahead. According to the prophetic Scriptures,
there is to arise at the end of this age a great dictator - the greatest
the world has ever known. He will be a veritable incarnation of Satan, and the
cruelest monster of all time. He will gain ascendancy partly through the
influence of a great religious power. Personally, I believe that we are seeing
Anti-Christ's Church in the building right now. I believe that the ecumenical
movement is laying the foundation for this. We have a host of churches of the
various denominations united in the National and World Council of Churches.
Some of the leaders of these organizations are little better than infidels.
They have discarded the gospel of salvation in favor of what they call
"The Social Gospel." ("Another gospel, which is not another"
- Paul). The Roman Catholic Church is not identified as yet with the World
Council, but some changes have been taking place in that Church. These changes do
not involve the supremacy of the pope, nor the hierarchical government of the
Church. Modern Protestantism under the ecumenical leaders is willing to make
most any concessions to Rome, whereas Rome will not go beyond a certain limit
to affect a union. My own prediction is that a huge church union will
eventually take place, with the Roman Catholic Church furnishing the framework.
Protestant ecumenical leaders are ready right now to make virtually any
concessions to Rome for the sake of affecting a world church.
Seemingly we have a
picture of Anti-Christ's Church in Revelation 17. The time for the judgment of
this evil and monstrous thing has arrived, and the angel says to John:
"Come
hither, I will show thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many
waters, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the
inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication
..."
"And I saw a
woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy ... and the
woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color . and upon her forehead was a
name written, MYSTERY BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATION
OF THE EARTH. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and
with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus."
Most conservative
scholars of the Bible have been in agreement that the Roman Catholic Church is
here designated. (Together with those of the ecumenical movement who have been
absorbed by her). No other great religious power is fittingly described -
especially as "drunken with the blood of the saints and martyrs."
The historical claim has been made over and over again, that among Baptists
alone, fifty million have been martyred for their faith.
Anti-Christ and his
False Prophet will welcome the help of this great religious world power, as
they gain ascendancy over the world, but the time will come after that power is
gained that Anti-Christ will want to be worshipped, and he will neither need or
want this bloated caricature of a Church. He and his associated rulers are
described in Revelation 17:16 in these words:
"These shall
hate the whore, and shall make her desolate ... for God hath put in their
hearts to fulfil his will ... and the woman that thou sawest is that great city
which reigneth over the kings of the earth." In this last expression
Rome is clearly indicated.
DON'T BLAME ME ... THEY ARE NOT MY WORDS!
I am not trying to give a commentary on Revelation, and
perhaps some reader is saying, "What has all this to do with the question
as to the true church?" It has a great deal. What is the great Roman
Catholic Church that has steeped herself in the blood of martyrs called? She is
called a WHORE. This vile name comes from her illicit association with rulers
and governments through the centuries. That is not a name that I have given her
- that is God's name for her! But let us go further - and this is something to
arouse the indignation of some, but remember you will have to take this matter
up with God; they are His words, not mine.
What does it say
about the whore? It calls her "THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS." A
mother is one who has produced offspring. God says here in His word that this
mother harlot has produced a family of harlots. WHO ARE THE HARLOT DAUGHTERS OF
THE OLD ROMAN CHURCH? Like it or not, there can be only one answer to this
question. THEY ARE THE PROTESTANT DAUGHTERS WHO HAVE SPRUNG FROM THE ROMAN
CHURCH!
I am dealing with
the question as to which church that is local and visible can be the true
church the one Jesus started. IT CAN'T POSSIBLY BE ANY OF THE PROTESTANT GROUPS
THAT HAVE COME OUT OF ROME.
It is true, however,
that we have dozens of religious groups who call themselves churches, who are
not Protestants in the historical sense. They have come into existence long
after the Protestant Reformation. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM? Several things:
1 -
They were started by some man or woman, and not by Christ.
2 - They didn't
exist for centuries after Christ started His church, so they could not possibly
be identified with the church He started. Such so-called churches have no valid
reason for their existence. The only thing that excuses the existence of such
churches is the theory of the Universal Church, for they claim to belong to
that. And after all - so they reason - the real Church is the one that all
believers are added to, the Great Universal Invisible "Body."
3 - They are rivals
to the church that Jesus started. If He started a church, and if that church
has continued to exist through the centuries, then Why should someone - anyone
- start a new church? If one person has a right to start a church then any
person has the same right. The situation has resulted in scores of churches of
almost every kind and description.
4 - Christ promised
that His church would never be prevailed against - would never be put out of
existence. The forming of a new church, centuries after Jesus made that
promise, indicates that those starting the new church don't believe that He has
kept His word.
Many do not seem to
realize the preciousness to Christ of the church He started. "Christ
also loved the church and gave himself for it," we read in the
Scriptures. Reference there is to the church He started - not some figment of
the imagination that is Universal and Invisible. He loves this church He
started and gave His very life for it. If that is true, then it is an
inconsiderate and unholy thing to try to palm off a man- founded church - a
counterfeit - in the place of the church that Christ started. It is equally wicked
to try to palm off an anti Scriptural monstrosity under the guise of the
Universal Invisible Church. Let it be remembered that Jesus used the word
church as recorded in the Scriptures 21 times in addition to Matthew 16:18. In
these 21 instances, beyond question or argument, He meant the local assembly.
Isn't it strange that people can hold that He meant something different in
Matthew 16:18 than in all of these other instances? As some one has so aptly
said, "The probabilities are 21 to nothing that He meant local assembly in
Matthew 16:18. A probability of 21 to nothing is a certainty."
One of the most
popular of all current sayings goes like this: "IT DOESN'T MATTER
WHICH CHURCH YOU BELONG TO." That statement is bad enough, but it
is made worse by adding, "WE ARE ALL WORKING FOR. THE SAME PLACE."
Such statements are made in an effort to be "broad," but they
only serve to reveal the ignorance and lack of clear thinking on the part of
the one making such a remark. In the first place, here are churches holding
entirely different doctrines concerning the things of life and destiny -
mutually contradictory teachings concerning just about everything. How can it
possibly "not matter which one belongs to?" And as to our "all
working for the same place," the Scriptures make it abundantly clear that
any one who is "working" to get to heaven, simply won't get there.
"Not of works," we read, "lest any man should boast."