The Bible Versus Doctrines Of Men
We are always glad when what is written in these pages provokes thought and study and also for any response that is made to it for such evidences that it has not gone into the waste basket without being read.
Some of our readers do not agree with what we say and that is both legitimate and to be expected. But, if what we say is the truth of the Lord, then no one can afford to reject it for in so doing we reject the Lord.
Some do not want to read anything with which they are in disagreement. But such an attitude means that prejudice has closed the heart against learning any truth that is not already known. This attitude is not only wrong but is tragic for it means that either a man thinks he already knows all the truth or he does not care to learn the truth that he does not know.
One letter received in response to a recent article came from a "Free Methodist" preacher in a city not far away. He announced that he had read all of our paper that he wanted to read and requested that his name be dropped from the mailing list. He was also somewhat curious as to where we obtained his name. We do not manufacture them or obtain them fraudulently. When a name is on our mailing list it indicates that someone knows the individual and his address and that someone is interested in this person and his soul. It also indicates that this someone thinks that such person is concerned enough about the salvation of his own soul to be willing to read and study for himself in the interest of learning further truth. It is a compliment therefore to those who receive the paper. We do not count ourselves to be all wise and we are not seeking to force anything upon anybody. We are hoping by what we write to cause concern enough about our own salvation to provoke a study, carefully and honestly, of the Word of God to be sure that we are walking in the truth for if we are not, we cannot be in fellowship with God, Christ, or the Holy Spirit. (I John 1:1-7)
In the article on "The Right Attitude Toward The Bible" in the last issue we pointed out that The Bible claims to be sufficient "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (II Tim. 3:16-17) The scriptures not only claim to be sufficient for our needs but they condemn anyone who goes beyond what they teach. (II John 9-11) We further suggested that all human creeds, without exception, go beyond what the Bible teaches, teaching things that cannot be found in the scriptures and therefore all human creeds are condemned.
If these premises be true, then one cannot believe and respect the Bible and be an adherent of a human creed or a member of a religious body that subscribes to one. We do not believe this can be controverted.
Moreover, the Bible claims to be God's final revelation to man. This rejects all claims of later revelations and it rejects and disallows every doctrine that has originated by man. The dividing line between truth and error is drawn by the Lord in His Word between that which comes from God and that which originates with man. Anything human is always wrong in religion. If not, then what God has said does not mean anything and we can believe what ever we please in spite of what God has said. Perhaps this is the reason for so much "modernism" (really ancient infidelity) among denominations that are built upon human creeds. If the Bible is true, they must be rejected.
What is wrong with human creeds in religion? The word "creed" comes from the Latin "credo" —
I believe human creeds mean that one has placed his faith in what man has written or said instead of just believing what God has said. But there are many valid objections to any human creed.
1. Human creeds are written by men and are therefore unreliable. "0 Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his own steps." (Jer. 10:23) Certain it is that if a man cannot direct his own steps, he cannot direct the steps of another. Hence all doctrines or creeds originating with man are wholly unreliable and should be rejected.
"For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe... Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; ...That no flesh should glory in his presence." (II Cor. 1: I 9-29)
Our choice lies between the...creeds (wisdom) of man and the Word (wisdom) of God. It should not be difficult for us to make.
2. Human creeds do not meet Humanity's needs and therefore are insufficient. All of them make provision for amendment. The men who wrote them recognized that they were not inspired and that it would be impossible for human wisdom to provide for all the spiritual needs of mankind through the ages to come and consequently provided in them for their amendment. This was true of the men who wrote the constitution of the United States for they provided for it to be amended.
But the Word of God permits no amendment for God condemns those who dare to add to His Word. (Rev. 22:18; Gal. 1:6-11)
3. Human Creeds must continually be revised and are therefore imperfect.
It is amazing how much the various denominational creeds have — changed through the years. Even the professedly infallible Catholic Church changes its position on various matters as the years go by proving that it is not infallible at all.
There is not a single protestant creed that has not almost completely reversed its position on various points of doctrine through the years. The Methodist Discipline is one example. In 1910 the Methodists revised their discipline and changed one article of their creed to reverse its former meaning. Prior to 1910 the discipline read that children were "born in sin." After 1910 the same article read "born in Christ." A more complete contradiction could not be imagined. If the creed was right before 1910, it is wrong now and if it is right now, it was wrong then. It is certain to any person of intelligence that both cannot be true.
While the very fact that human creeds provide for amendment establishes that they are imperfect yet the unchanging Word of God has stood through the centuries teaching what it has always taught without change or revision in any matter. God's Word is unchanging and steadfast. (I Peter 1:24-25)
4. Human creeds have no divine authority and are therefore unenforceable.
When the doctrines of men excuse us from doing the will of the Lord, can we expect these human doctrines to prevail in the judgment day or will the Word of the Lord be the standard of judgment? For instance, many denominational preachers preach and human creeds teach that men do not have to be baptized to be saved. Suppose I believe them and am not baptized and in the judgment it is demanded of me, what then can I do about it? Can I appeal to the denomination or the preacher that told me that I need not do it? What can they do about it?
Suppose again that I take the word of some human creeds to the effect that sprinkling is just as acceptable for baptism as immersion and trust the salvation of my soul to it. Then when I come into judgment God refuses to accept it as a substitute for immersion, what can I do? Would it do any good to appeal to the conference of the church, the writers of the creed, the preachers that gave me the assurance that it was all right? What could they do about it? How foolish men are who trust their salvation to the assurance that men give.
5. Human creeds disagree and conflict with each other and therefore cannot all be right.
It seems that anybody would recognize that all human creeds — evangelical or otherwise — cannot all be right. Baptists teach that baptism is only by immersion while Methodists teach that it is by sprinkling, pouring, and immersion — according to the convenience and preference of the candidate. Both simply cannot be true any more than things which are contradictory in any other field can be true.
Again, Baptists teach that babies are born into the world in sin, while Methodists teach in at least one article of their faith that babies are born in Christ. Some one is clearly wrong. Both cannot be true! The Word of God does not teach such contradictory doctrines and we would have no confidence in it, if it did. In this manner human creeds contradict each other at many points. The only way we can determine what the truth is by putting them all aside and turning back to the Word of God to see what it teaches. It would be a blessing to this world if human creeds had never been written or even now if they were all piled out on the public squares as the Ephesian books of magic were in the long ago and burned to ashes.
6. Finally, human creeds all conflict with the Word of God at one point or another and most of them at many, therefore they are all wrong.
I would put myself under obligation to take any human creed on earth and point out something in what it teaches that is in conflict with the Word of God. Paul said, "Let God be found true and every man a liar." (Rom. 3:4)
The most ridiculous attitude in the world is for a man of intelligence to say, "In spite of our differences, everybody is right." This belies the Word of God, and defies reason and good common sense.
— 35 W. Par Ave., Orlando, Fla.