Post by CherieKropp on Jan 16, 2012 21:05:00 GMT -5
This discussion reminded me of this piece I had saved:
Reason Enough…
If the denominations do it, we don't.
Have you ever noticed that this line of reasoning appears to be good enough?
"If the denominations do it, we don't do it" was a good enough reason, and no scripture was necessary to further support the practice.
It appears that some (most?) of what the first workers decided to do or not do was based on what was done by the other denominations aka "the false churches." It is sometimes expressed this way:
"No, we don’t do that—that's what the false churches do."
Or: "That’s too much like the "false churches."
Here are a few examples, in no particular order:
The denominations have names and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus did not give his church a name,
so...we take no name.
The denominations meet in buildings and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus said God doesn’t live in temples made by hands,
so…we have no church buildings and meet in homes for fellowship.
The denominations have a mix of the following: paid clergy, clergy with homes, clergy that marry, and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus did not command his preachers to do any of these things,
so…our preachers take no pay, not marry, have no home, etc.
The denominations are registered with the government, and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus had no connection to the government,
so…we will have no connection to the government (except when we "need" to register or incorporate in order to get/keep a worker in a foreign country).
Many denominations have infant baptism or dedications and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus said nothing about doing this and He indicated there should be a mindful choice given,
so…we will have baptism only when a child reaches the age of discernment.
Some denominations use sprinkling or pouring methods for baptism, and the Bible says that Philip and the eunuch "came up out of the water,"
so…we will only baptize by using the full immersion method so we can "come up out of the water."
Many denominations use real wine and unleavened bread, and
We can’t do like the "false churches" do
Even though Jesus used real wine and unleavened bread at the Last Supper,
so…we use grape juice and whatever bread is handy, which is usually leavened.
The denominations teach children about the Bible through their Sunday School programs.
For us to do that would be too much like the "false churches"
Jesus did not command that children should be taught on their own level…
so…we don’t have any special ministry for children on their level of understanding.
The denominations can all trace their churches back to a man who founded them…
Which proves they are false churches.
Jesus is our founder and our church cannot be traced back to a man,
so…we say our church goes back to the shores of Galilee when Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to preach,
so…we have hidden the man who is our founder so we can appear to be different from the denominations and that makes our church superior to all other churches.
The denominations have heads and headquarters,
so…we claim that our only head and headquarters are in Heaven, even though they incorporated when they feel the situation calls for it and they have Overseers and even Overseers of Overseers and are highly organized.
The denominations celebrate Christmas as Jesus' Birthday,
so…since no one really knows the date of Jesus Birthday, we don’t celebrate December 25 or Easter as religious holidays; but it's OK to celebrate Halloween, Satan's holiday.
Many denominations are very expressive and sing loud and praise frequently with "halleluah"
We worship in quietness and reverence...
so...we removed the words "I'll shout and sing" from the hymn "Was It for Me?" (New Hymn No. 8; Old Hymn 35)
The friends and workers do some things that the other Christian denominations do, but they do it more correctly and they do it the most closely to the teaching of Jesus,
so…that makes them God's only right way/church on earth.
Reason Enough…
If the denominations do it, we don't.
Have you ever noticed that this line of reasoning appears to be good enough?
"If the denominations do it, we don't do it" was a good enough reason, and no scripture was necessary to further support the practice.
It appears that some (most?) of what the first workers decided to do or not do was based on what was done by the other denominations aka "the false churches." It is sometimes expressed this way:
"No, we don’t do that—that's what the false churches do."
Or: "That’s too much like the "false churches."
Here are a few examples, in no particular order:
The denominations have names and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus did not give his church a name,
so...we take no name.
The denominations meet in buildings and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus said God doesn’t live in temples made by hands,
so…we have no church buildings and meet in homes for fellowship.
The denominations have a mix of the following: paid clergy, clergy with homes, clergy that marry, and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus did not command his preachers to do any of these things,
so…our preachers take no pay, not marry, have no home, etc.
The denominations are registered with the government, and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus had no connection to the government,
so…we will have no connection to the government (except when we "need" to register or incorporate in order to get/keep a worker in a foreign country).
Many denominations have infant baptism or dedications and
We don’t want to be like the "false churches"
Jesus said nothing about doing this and He indicated there should be a mindful choice given,
so…we will have baptism only when a child reaches the age of discernment.
Some denominations use sprinkling or pouring methods for baptism, and the Bible says that Philip and the eunuch "came up out of the water,"
so…we will only baptize by using the full immersion method so we can "come up out of the water."
Many denominations use real wine and unleavened bread, and
We can’t do like the "false churches" do
Even though Jesus used real wine and unleavened bread at the Last Supper,
so…we use grape juice and whatever bread is handy, which is usually leavened.
The denominations teach children about the Bible through their Sunday School programs.
For us to do that would be too much like the "false churches"
Jesus did not command that children should be taught on their own level…
so…we don’t have any special ministry for children on their level of understanding.
The denominations can all trace their churches back to a man who founded them…
Which proves they are false churches.
Jesus is our founder and our church cannot be traced back to a man,
so…we say our church goes back to the shores of Galilee when Jesus sent out the 12 disciples to preach,
so…we have hidden the man who is our founder so we can appear to be different from the denominations and that makes our church superior to all other churches.
The denominations have heads and headquarters,
so…we claim that our only head and headquarters are in Heaven, even though they incorporated when they feel the situation calls for it and they have Overseers and even Overseers of Overseers and are highly organized.
The denominations celebrate Christmas as Jesus' Birthday,
so…since no one really knows the date of Jesus Birthday, we don’t celebrate December 25 or Easter as religious holidays; but it's OK to celebrate Halloween, Satan's holiday.
Many denominations are very expressive and sing loud and praise frequently with "halleluah"
We worship in quietness and reverence...
so...we removed the words "I'll shout and sing" from the hymn "Was It for Me?" (New Hymn No. 8; Old Hymn 35)
The friends and workers do some things that the other Christian denominations do, but they do it more correctly and they do it the most closely to the teaching of Jesus,
so…that makes them God's only right way/church on earth.