To all who seek His coming

I would like to offer for discussion what I see as a grave error which permeates the ultra conservative church of Christ. There is talk all through the web of “sound doctrine”, preserving “the faith”, keeping “the gospel” and warnings against false doctrine. I see scriptures taken out of context and applied in a very narrow application that does not speak the intent of the writer. I see huge bodies of writings taken from non scriptural sources in an attempt to shore up the positions. I see a disturbing thread though it all that reduces the gospel to a salvation by works based on holding to a list of traditions, non scriptural regulations and opinions which, if not held, relegate the person to hell or at least grave error.

I would like to bring up the following issues.
· What determines "sound doctrine", "the Faith" and the "Gospel".
· From scripture what constitutes false teachers, false Gospel and unsound doctrine.
· A discussion of the believer’s freedom.
· A discussion of the dangers of judging a servant of God.
· The danger of equating tradition and matters of opinion with the Gospel or doctrine and the dangers of the “law of silence.”
· A discussion of change in the church.
· A discussion of what the Bible says about instrumental music.
· Propose a solution.

What determines sound doctrine, the Faith and the Gospel?


What is the Gospel? Paul defines it in Romans 1. That is the Gospel. Not a list of rules and regulations and traditions.

“So, for my part, I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

And in Galatians 3 Paul says that the Gospel is now by faith and not by the law (our tutor).

”Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

Again the Gospel is justification by faith not by law.

Doctrine is discussed in Ephesians 4. Doctrine is stated as the "one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father". It is not a list of do’s and don’ts and traditions. He then talks of winds of doctrine, trickery, deceit as it applies to the one body, one Spirit, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father.

Ephesians 4
“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift………….And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, or the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love.”

Here Paul states that the unity of the spirit is manifest in the immutability of “the Faith” that is one Body, one Spirit, one Baptism, one Lord, one Faith, one God and Father. Then he lists some gifts and talents that are different according to the grace that God gives us. We reach maturity through our gifts and talents so that we can fend off “every wind of doctrine” that tries to nullify the Gospel. The manifestation of the gifts is not the “doctrine” but is as different as there are different people and different measures of God’s grace. So doctrine and “the Faith” are not lists of do’s and don’ts that we define fellowship upon.


Much of what is written in the Bible about sound doctrine and the Gospel can be found in passages in which someone is chastising another over unsound doctrine, or denying the Gospel of its power.

In Matthew 23
23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier provisions of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness; but these are the things you should have done without neglecting the others. "You blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel! "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. "You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also. "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.”

Here Jesus is chastising the Pharisees for concentrating on the minutiae and insignificant things and ignoring the more important provisions of the law (or to us the Gospel).

The gospel is further discussed in Galatians 1.

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel; which is really not another; only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed! As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!”

So Paul is talking warning against a different gospel, distorting the gospel or one contrary to that which Paul preached to them. Remember how Paul defined the gospel in Romans “it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH."

The gospel is salvation by faith. What was the different gospel in Galatians? He expands on this in chapter 3.

“But not even Titus, who was with me, though he was a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. But it was because of the false brethren secretly brought in, who had sneaked in to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, in order to bring us into bondage. But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you. But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me. But on the contrary, seeing that I had been entrusted with the gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been to the circumcised (for He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), and recognizing the grace that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, so that we might go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. They only asked us to remember the poor--the very thing I also was eager to do.
Peter Opposed by Paul
“But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For prior to the coming of certain men from James, he used to eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he began to withdraw and hold himself aloof, fearing the party of the circumcision. The rest of the Jews joined him in hypocrisy, with the result that even Barnabas was carried away by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of all, "If you, being a Jew, live like the Gentiles and not like the Jews, how is it that you compel the Gentiles to live like Jews? We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified. But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God.
I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly."

Here Paul gives one of the most eloquent discussions of what the Gospel boils down to. And he says that the Gospel is nullified when someone “compels” another Christian to adhere to a man made commandment, tradition, rule, or regulation. Anytime someone says if you don’t do this or if you do that and it is not a commandment expressly tied to the Gospel (i.e. "the faith") then the Gospel is nullified and Christ died needlessly. You are hanging heaven or hell upon whether you agree with a tradition (circumcision, a capella singing). That diminishes the Gospel to a salvation by works. Plain and simple. A list of traditions and opinions and judgements that the church of Christ has hung the test of fellowship includes, but is not limited to the following.

Opposition to the “community church movement”
Contemporary worship music
Clapping
Raising hands
Instrumental music
Any other interpretation of baptism than yours
Worship teams
Worship leader
Drama ministries
“Change agents”
Purpose driven church
Max Lucado
Rubel Shelley
Disdain for any church name other than C of C
“Holy Entertainment”
Christian colleges
Children’s worship
Doctrine, “The Faith” equated with disputable issues of conscience
Adding to the gospel
KJV the only Godly translation, all others of Satan
The association all of music with the devil and pagan ritual
Insistence that the Church of Christ is the only true church
Equating change to adding to “doctrine”
Doctrine equated to tradition
Misleading Greek exegesis
Disdain for the observance of Christmas
Public testimonials during the worship service


This website adds this long heavy list of laws and traditions to the simplicity of the Gospel. Paul in Romans 14 and 15 speaks about the believer’s freedom in disputable matters and warns sternly against judging. He talks about differences of opinion on disputable matters, in this case what you eat and the observance of holidays (Easter, Christmas). We don’t judge a servant of God for God is able to make him stand. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking (what we do) but is righteousness, peace and joy of the Holy Spirit. And look at the “root of Jesse” from which Jesus arises and the Gentiles are grafted onto. That speaks volumes to the continuity between the old and the new testaments. The same God was in charge from day one.

Romans 14
The Weak and the Strong
1Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. 2One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. 4Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
5One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. 10You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. 11It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ ” 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. 14As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. 15If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. 16Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, 18because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. 21It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
Romans 15
1We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. 3For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” 4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, 6so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. 8For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs 9so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles;
I will sing hymns to your name.” 10Again, it says, “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”11And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles,
and sing praises to him, all you peoples.” 12And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.”
13May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.


Look at another example of false teaching. Again false doctrines are departures from “the Faith.” They consist of binding restrictions and traditions on people as a test of faith. He then says “everything created” by God is good. “Everything created” is the Greek word defined in Strong’s Greek lexicon "ktizo 2936; an original formation (concretely), i.e. product (created thing):--creature". Here “ktizo” could mean creature or a created thing. The context talking about food and marriage suggests a created thing is the more appropriate translation. He is saying that everything that God created is good if it is received with thanks and is not contrary to the word of God. Again we must not take contrary to the word of God to mean everything not mentioned in the Bible because we then produce a list of do’s and don’ts as a test of fellowship and are back to a salvation of works.

In 1 Timothy Paul talks that false doctrine is, again, binding traditions, cultural mores, relationship restrictions as a binding test of faith. He then says that EVERYTHING CREATED BY GOD IS GOOD AND NOTHING IS TO BE REJECTED IF IT IS RECEIVED WITH GRATITUDE FOR IT IS SANCTIFIED BY MEANS OF THE WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER. Here he says God will not reject anything that he has created that we give back to him including but not limited to musical talent.

1 Timothy 4

1But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer.





Again Paul teaches about our freedom in 1 Cor 10. He is giving a wide berth of freedom of opinion and freedom from judgment. Issues like giving a musical instrument talent to God cannot be called a sin. He says whatever we do, do it for the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10
23“Everything is permissible”–but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”–but not everything is constructive. 24Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. 25Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, “The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it.”If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake[d]– 29the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience? 30If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for? So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 32Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God– 33even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.

What does the Bible say about change? Paul was a big believer in adaptability. He would do what ever he could to adapt the delivery of the Gospel to the audience at hand. Change is a good thing.

1 Corinthians 9
19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.


He gives us an example in which he commends the pagans for their spirituality and quotes from a pagan poem so that he might reach the lost.

Paul at Athens
Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols. So he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles, and in the market place every day with those who happened to be present. And also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him. Some were saying, "What would this idle babbler wish to say?" Others, "He seems to be a proclaimer of strange deities,"--because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is which you are proclaiming? "For you are bringing some strange things to our ears; so we want to know what these things mean." (Now all the Athenians and the strangers visiting there used to spend their time in nothing other than telling or hearing something new.)
Sermon on Mars Hill
“So Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I observe that you are very religious in all respects. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription, 'TO AN UNKNOWN GOD ' Therefore what you worship in ignorance, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Being then the children of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead."

On the issue of instrumental music, I think that the above scriptures clearly teach that the Gospel, or the Faith, or Sound Doctrine is not a complex list of traditions and matters of opinion. Lets look one more time then at Colossians 3. Psalm in Strong’s Greek dictionary “from yallw - psallo 5567; a set piece of music, i.e. a sacred ode (accompanied with the voice, harp or other instrument; a "psalm"); collectively, the book of the Psalms:--psalm. Compare wdh - oide 5603” A psalm is a type of song that has in it’s meaning in the Greek the accompaniment with music. Does it make sense that Paul would give this glorious treatise on how we should treat each other, then say that cultural and traditional issues are erased since all are equal and then suddenly say that it is a sin to use instruments of music and if you did you would be lost to hell? It isn’t there people.

“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him-- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

The "law of silence" is one of the biggest heresies of the last century. It is so because for it to stand there is formulated a huge burdensome list of do's and don'ts that are based on tradition and personal preference and are bound on Christians as a test of fellowship heaven or hell. This law places things like instrumental music as a sin because it is another gospel or it is unsound doctrine. When Paul or even Jesus talks about false doctrine they are always talking about compelling people to comply with, or binding upon them, matters of tradition, cultural heritage or personal opinion and making them matters of "the Faith." Paul says that this reduces the Gospel to a salvation by works according to the law and nullifies the death of Christ. Paul says that the Gospel is simply that a righteousness came down from God as a free gift through the sacrificial death burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Instrumental music, contemporary songs and the whole litany of things listed above have nothing to do with the Gospel, Doctrine or the Faith. When Paul speaks of spiritual gifts he says at least twice that the earth is the Lord's and everything in it and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving and does not conflict with the Word of God. And again doing something that is not in the bible and giving it to God is not in conflict with the Word of God.


So what is the solution? Do we make a big list of things that are out of our comfort zone and tradition that are a test of fellowship, which puts us back to a salvation by works? Or do we accept one another in love and agree on the fundamentals of “the Faith”, “Doctrine” and “the Gospel” and agree to disagree on the minutiae of our silly little traditions. The disciples once asked Jesus to stop a group that claimed to be followers of Christ and were performing miracles, but were not with the apostles. Jesus said “do not hinder them. If they are not against you they are for you.” I think we need to take a hard look at what we are doing and offer a hand of fellowship to those laboring in the fields beside us.

shaggydoc

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