Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 9
March 27, 1958
NUMBER 46, PAGE 7a,14b

Divine Guidance For The Congregation Only

James A. Allen, Nashville, Tennessee

The criterion by which acceptable service may be offered to God is laid down in the sacred record of the first appearance of men at the altar. Abel offered a lamb as God commanded. Cain, instead of simply doing what God commanded, offered the fruit of the ground.

What must have been the state of his mind: He wanted to make an offering, but he did not want to do what God commanded. He wanted to do his own will, instead of doing God's will, as God's will was expressed in his commandment. His thought was on pleasing himself, instead of pleasing God. From every standpoint of "the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life," his offering had more worldly appeal than that of Abel. But it lacked in "the one thing needful." It was not what God commanded. Hence it could not have been offered "by faith," "which cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." (Rom. 10:17.)

The things that can be done "by faith" are the things that are acceptable to God. When ambition and zeal without knowledge cause men to do things that God does not command, either by precept or precedent from the apostles, they are not doing the will of God, but are committing sin and doing evil that will be a curse to whomsoever it touches. "Without faith it is impossible to please God." (Heb. 11:6.) "Whatsoever is not of faith is sin." (Rom. 14:23.)

"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gift, and by it he being dead yet speaketh." (Heb. 11:4.) "By faith" is doing a thing that God commands. There can be no faith without first hearing the Word of God. "Righteous" describes doing a thing that is right. It is right to do what God commands. "And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matt. 3:15.) "All righteousness" is every thing that God commands. "Unrighteousness" is doing things that God does not command. "What thing soever I command you to do, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it." (Dent. 12:32.) The same thing is most forcefully and plainly laid down in the New Testament. "Not to go beyond the things which are written." (1 Cor. 4:6.) "The things which ye have heard and received and learned and saw, in me, these things do: and the God of peace shall be with you." (Phil. 4:9.) "The things" here referred to, are the things for which the apostles gave the precept or set the precedent. Those who promote general organizations combining some part of the work of thousands of churches, themselves admit that there is neither precept nor precedent from the apostles for their presumptuous promotions. According to themselves, they are treading on deadly ground.

We submit, therefore, that the meaning of all this is very clear and plain and that it is most significant. The meaning of it, as applied to this present issue, is that the congregation is the only institution or organization through which Christians can do any good work "by faith," because, both by precept and example in the New Testament, God commands his people to work through the congregation. No man can start an "Orphan Home," and solicit thousands of churches for funds to run it, "by faith." There is neither precept or precedent for it in the Word of God.

Preaching the gospel starts a congregation. It takes something other than the gospel to start anything other than a congregation; and anything other than the gospel, and the congregation, are unscriptural and sinful. A Christian cannot engage in starting any religious institution that preaching the gospel will not start. Obedience to the gospel makes a man a member of the congregation and of nothing else. There is no good work, including visiting the fatherless and widows in their affliction, for which the Scriptures do not thoroughly furnish the members of the congregation to do. No Christian can engage in any good work that he cannot engage in as a member of the congregation. The world does not need the services of any religious institution that preaching the gospel will not start. Such institutions can only be parasites and sap the strength, and hinder the work of the congregation.

"The seed is the Word of God." (Luke 8:11.) When the Word of God is received into a good and honest heart the fruit it produces is a member of the congregation. The Word of God does not make a man a member of anything other than the congregation. Even those who commit the sin of starting, or of supporting, organizations that the apostles did not authorize recognize that there is nothing in the Seed that will produce such a thing. God's law is that every seed bear fruit "after its kind." Something other than the Word of God must be taught before there can be any organization among Christians other than the congregation.

This Bible teaching is very simple and very plain. The great difficulty in endeavoring to teach those who are disrupting and hindering the work of the congregations by their persistent promotion of their human institutions is not that they cannot see that they are wholly without precept or precedent from the apostles, and that they, therefore, cannot be started or supported "by faith," because they are unscriptural and sinful. No! They see it all right. But their thought is not on being guided by the Word of God. Something besides a desire to obey God has entered into them. Fleshly, sensual ambition plays a part. Just as there was something fascinating and that had a peculiar appeal to the fleshly and sensual in ancient idolatry, just so there is something fascinating, and that appeals to worldly pride and ambition in founding a general institution to take over some part of the work of thousands of churches. It is big business, big begging, and a continual stream of cash and checks coming in; it is to receive huge gifts in cash, stock and bonds, and real estate, goods and chattels; and it is to receive honors and emoluments that do not come to just a common sort of Christian. To be on the Board of such an institution is to enjoy honors and a prominence that does not come to common Christians. The fact that all such wealth would do infinitely more good if used by the thousands of local congregations, under the direction of their own deacons, in their own neighborhoods; does not prevent such 'promoters from so concentrating it that it cannot be efficiently used.

We cannot, in this place, discuss the absolute impotency and flat failure of a general institution, despite all these huge gifts, to do the work that the thousands of local congregations could do in their own neighborhoods, if they were properly taught.

God has given his Word for the guidance of the congregation only. He does not give guidance to human institutions and human organizations, established by presumptuous and sinful men, without precept or precedent from his inspired spokesmen, to take over a part of the work for which he created the congregation in Christ Jesus; nor is his blessing on such human institutions and organizations. Such human institutions, founded wholly on human wisdom, can only look to human wisdom for guidance. "But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch." (Matt. 15:13,14.) May God's people be held back from following such blind guides!

All of God's people must come to recognize that the power of God is in the congregation, and that it works through the congregation. Every member of the congregation, through the study and practice of the Scriptures, is personally and individually enabled to "be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:17.) What must be the limitless potentiality of a whole congregation of such individuals, "all striving together with one mind and in one spirit for the faith of the gospel"!

There is, so to speak, a sleeping giant in every congregation. If the elders could be induced to orderly and systematically divide out the membership among themselves, and "watch for the soul" of each one; if the deacons could be induced to orderly and systematically divide among themselves, not only the membership of the congregation, but also the different areas of their community, and then give assistance and relief where assistance and relief are needed, "doing good to all men, but especially to the household of faith;" and if those laboring in "word and doctrine could be induced to preach the gospel, "publicly, and from house to house," I say, if these plain, simple duties were done by those who would find it their happiness to do so, it would revolutionize the world and lead to the salvation, peace and happiness of countless millions and "an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ."