"New Innovations"
"No Orphan Homes"
This is said by Brother A. G. Hobbs to be a new innovation. He declares: "The existence of orphan homes is not new. They have existed for many years." Brother Hobbs, do you know of anyone who opposes the existence of orphan homes? I, for one, do not. So far as I know the existence of orphan homes is not even a problem. But the question is, "Can the church donate funds to an orphan home or to any other organization?" Did the church in New Testament days do its work through other organizations? If so, where? What passage informs us? I do not want a practice that is only forty or fifty years old in religion. Past practice does not prove a thing to be scriptural. Only the scriptures can do that. If it is not scriptural, it is an innovation even if it may have been done for 500 years.
I do not oppose the existence of a college in which the Bible is taught. But I sincerely believe that if a church donated funds to that college, such would be an innovation — a "new" one! And inasmuch as there is no scripture for donating to a benevolent organization, to do so would constitute an innovation.
"Human Creed On Cooperation"
A human creed is wrong anywhere. It is just as wrong as engaging in that which is not authorized. But is it of human origin to send support directly to the preacher? (Phil. 4:15-16) Is it an assumption to say that the churches of Macedonia sent directly to Paul? Read carefully 2 Cor. 11:9: "For that which was lacking to me the brethren which came from Macedonia supplied." Did they supply "that which was lacking" by sending to the church at Corinth? No, Corinth gave Paul no money or financial aid. It was sent to him! This is no assumption, and it is no human creed. Now, is sending money to a sponsoring church for evangelism of devine or human origin? If it is divine, why not give the passage?
"One-Man Missionary Society"
A one-man missionary society is just as unscriptural as a human society for either evangelism or benevolence. But since when does supporting a preacher directly make him a one-man missionary society? Are churches functioning through him or to him as the object of their support ? Bro. Hobbs says, "No church would know how many other congregations were sending." Bro. Hobbs, pick out an honest man, and he will tell you! It is just that simple! If you doubt the honesty of a man, you should not support him at all or encourage anybody else to support him — even a sponsoring church. How would you know whether he had only one sponsoring church sending to him? He might have more than one!
Yes, the safety valve is congregational autonomy, but that autonomy is violated when a church ceases to work independently and starts to function through a human society or sponsoring church. Both of these are "new innovations" or innovations newer than the New Testament!