Answering False Doctrines — No. IIMichael Hatcher

SINCE PAUL WAS COMMISSIONED TO PREACH TO THE GENTILES, WAS THERE A “PAULINE GOSPEL,” AS DISTINGUISHED FROM A “PETRINE GOSPEL,” THAT

WAS PREACHED TO THE JEWS (A LA MODERNISM) 3:8?

Modernism attempts to explain everything relating to God and His Word by

naturalistic forces. One of the great heros of modernism was the German philosopher,

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831). After the death of Hegel there developed a

controversy among his followers which resulted in three groups. Those groups are

called the right, the left, and the center. Those on the right represented supernaturalism,

those on the left represented naturalism, and those in the center represented a

mediating tendency. Some of those on the left were Strauss, Ludwig, Feuerbach,

Bruno, and Ferdinand Christian Baur.i Baur was the originator of the modernistic

doctrine we are considering and the founder of the Tübingen school of theology.

Baur taught that the only difference between the Jews and early Christians was

the Messiahship of the crucified Jesus. The early apostles and their followers had

forgotten the elements of the new religion. When Stephen tried to enforce those

elements, he was put to death. Paul, after his conversion, “rediscovered these elements

of universality and freedom, [yet] the Church stood suspiciously aloof.”ii There was a

section of the church that remained hostile to Paul. This hostility led to two parties or

factions in the early church: Jewish Christians (Petrinists) and Gentile Christians

(Paulinists). Because of this conflict Paul was always prepared for combat. Any epistle

that presented Paul in any other way was automatically rejected as authentic. According

to Baur, only the epistles of Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Romans were written by

Paul. All other letters supposedly written by Paul, along with the book of Acts, were

rejected. The two factions struggled for supremacy. “The Petrine party was very strong

until the middle of the 2d century, when it was obliged to yield to, or rather harmonize

with, the Pauline.”iii However, “the school believed itself able to prove from the

Apocalypse, considered as a product not merely of Judaic narrowness but of positive

opposition to Paulinism, and still more from the pseudo-Clementine homilies, that no

accommodation took place in the apostles’ lifetime.”iv

According to Baur, the Petrine party was Jewish both in origin and thinking.

“Judaism was the cradle of Christianity; and the latter was only an earnest, restless,

reformatory branch of the former. But it was not an offshoot as yet, for Christianity was

essentially Jewish all through its first historic period.”v “Peter and the other apostles

were held fast in the grip of the legalistic conception of Christianity, a sort of

Christianized Pharisaism. Paul, when converted, had reacted violently against this view,

and became the exponent of gentile freedom. Christianity was divided into two factions,

Jewish Christians (Petrinists) and gentile Christians (Paulinists).”vi This supposed

conflict lead to the conclusion that Paul and Peter preached a different gospel to

different people (Paul to the Gentiles, Peter to the Jews).

What evidence was there for such a doctrine? Absolutely none! It was all an

invention in the mind of Baur. “This theory, which found influential support in the

scholarship of the time (Schwegler, Zeller, etc), could not stand the test of impartial

investigation, and is now on all sides discredited.”vii

Baur would not have used the passage before us (Eph. 3:8) because he rejected

this book as canonical. He viewed it as a work of the second century which was

mediating theology. (He accepted only Romans, 1 & 2 Corinthians, and Galatians as

being from Paul.) “He called them [Paul’s rejected books] ‘tendency’ writings, designed

to cover up the strife and to show that peace reigned in the camp.”viii However, others

would find in this verse some supposed evidence of this diversity. “Unto me, who am

less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach among the

Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8).ix They would see that since Paul

preached among the Gentiles that he must be teaching something different than those

preaching among the Jews. The difference here is not the message but the audience.

When we notice the message (“the unsearchable riches of Christ”), we find this doctrine

to be false.

The “riches of Christ” deals with that which Christ gives or salvation. “And being

made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him”

(Heb. 5:9). The greatest gift is salvation. It was Paul’s duty to preach salvation to the

Gentiles. The plan of salvation is the same for all individuals, Jews or Gentiles. When

Peter first preached the gospel to the Jews (Acts 2), he first established that Jesus was

the Son of God. The Jews had by wicked hands taken and crucified Him. God did not

leave Him in the grave, He raised Jesus from the dead and showed him openly. Thus

Peter developed faith or belief in Jesus as being both Lord and Christ (Acts 2:36). When

the Jews asked what they needed to do to have salvation from their sin, Peter

responded by saying, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus

Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts

2:38).

When we observe Paul’s preaching to the Gentiles, we see him preaching the

exact same message of salvation as did Peter to the Jews. When Paul was in prison in

Philippi there was a great earthquake. The jailor, ready to slay himself, was told by Paul

not to do himself any harm. The jailor comes to Paul and asks him what he must do to

be saved (the same question asked by the Jews on Pentecost). “And they said, Believe

on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” (Acts 16:31). After

preaching the Word of the Lord to him, we observe the jailor’s repentance and are told

of his baptism. “And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes;

and was baptized, he and all his, straightway” (Acts 16:33). Thus, Peter and Paul

preached the same message regarding the plan of salvation, “the unsearchable riches

of Christ.”

We see a major argument against this view in the context of this verse. Paul

discusses how he received by revelation the mystery of Christ. This mystery is “That the

Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in

Christ by the gospel” (Eph. 3:6). The promise refers back to the promise God made to

Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3. The promise is that “in thee shall all families of the earth be

blessed” (Gen. 12:3). There is no separation or difference made by God between the

Jews and the Gentiles (a distinction which did not exist when God made this promise).

In discussing this same promise to Abraham in relation to the Law of Moses, Paul

concludes by saying, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. For as

many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew

nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all

one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs

according to the promise” (Gal. 3:26-29). Thus, both Jew and Gentile are fellowheirs

(the Greek indicates heirs together with), they are both members of the same (not

different) body. If Paul and Peter preached different gospels, they would not be

fellowheirs, nor would they be members of the same body. As we will study later, there

is only one body (Eph. 4:4), but if they taught different doctrines, then there would be

two bodies—one for the Jews another for the Gentiles. Additionally, if Paul and Peter

taught different doctrines or gospels, then at least one would be anathema (eternally cut

off from God). “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the

grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that

trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from

heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you,

let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any

other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:6-9). No

there is only one gospel, both Paul and Peter preached that one gospel, the difference

is that they preached the same gospel to two different audiences: Paul to the Gentiles,

Peter to the Jews.

ARE CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE LIVED SINCE THE END OF THE MIRACULOUS AGE STRENGTHENED INWARDLY BY THE HOLY SPIRIT IN SOME DIRECT WAY (IN

ADDITION TO HIS WORD) (3:16)?

As the restorers were coming out of denominationalism, one of the major

doctrines they had to overcome was the direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the lives of

people. Denominationalism was in the grip of Calvinism. Calvinism taught a man was

totally depraved without any capability of doing anything good. God, to save man, had

to send the Holy Spirit into him. By this, the Spirit would directly act upon the man to

convict him of his sin, then save him. The Spirit would continue to act directly upon the

heart of man to make sure he lived in such a way as to be saved eternally in heaven. All

this that the Spirit would do would be in conjunction with the Word of God and never

would the Spirit act contradictory to the Scriptures.

Sadly, some of our own number are now reverting back to Calvinistic doctrine,

not in the area of conviction and salvation, but in the area of living as a Christian. Some

are now saying that we are directly strengthened by the Spirit in living the Christian life.

Let us clearly understand what we are not discussing. We are not discussing what the

Spirit (or the Godhead) might do in the realm of providence. We know that God does

work providentially (both general and special) for His children. What role the Spirit plays

in that, we cannot say. Additionally, we are not discussing the indwelling of the Spirit in

the Christian. Everyone agrees that the Spirit indwells the Christian, although it is not

agreed as to how He does it. (It is this author’s view that how the Spirit dwells in the

Christian does not need much discussion. It is not an important pointx and there will

never be agreement on this subject). This discussion pertains to the working of the

Spirit and how He works today. Does the Spirit work directly, in addition to His Word, or

does He work indirectly, through His Word?

If the Spirit works directly upon the life of a Christian, then why would it not be

true that God is responsible for the Christian living a life without sin? In numerous

debates with denominationalists we correctly pointed out that if God must send the Holy

Spirit into the heart of a person to convict and convert him, then if a person is lost it is

God’s fault for not sending the Spirit into his heart. If the Spirit strengthens the Christian

directly today, then how could a Christian commit sin? If the Christian did commit sin,

then why would it not be the Spirit’s fault for not strengthening him? Brother Winfred

Clark comments concerning this matter by saying, “This is Paul’s prayer. Does this

mean a direct operation upon the inner man or the heart? Is that the way they are to be

strengthened? If so, such would be an operation of God in answer to Paul’s prayer apart

from the exercise of their own wills. If they were therefore not strong, whose fault would

it be? Would it not be the Holy Spirit’s if he didn’t make them strong by the direct

operation?”xi Instead of being judged by what one has “done in his body, according to

that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10; cf. Rom. 14:12; Rev. 20:12),

we should be judged upon what the Spirit has done or not done for us. Actually we

should not be judged at all. Why should we be judged for what the Spirit does or fails to

do for us in directly strengthening us?

If the Spirit directly strengthens the Christian today, then what need do we have

of the Bible? Paul teaches that the gospel is God’s power to save. “For I am not

ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one

that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of

God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:16-

17). This salvation does not refer simply to salvation from past sins, but salvation in

heaven. To be saved in heaven, one must live according to God’s will. If one must have

the Spirit directly strengthening him, then the gospel is not able to do what Paul writes.

Peter writes, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain

unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and

virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these

ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the

world through lust” (2 Pet. 1:3-4). In God’s Word we have everything that pertains to life

(both in the here and now and in eternity) and godliness. It is through the Bible that we

are able to escape the corruption that is in the world. According to this doctrine the Bible

is not sufficient to do this, we need the direct working of the Spirit to strengthen us to

escape this corruption.

Paul writes concerning the sufficiency of the Scriptures thus: “All scripture is

given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for

instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished

unto all good works” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). When the Scriptures are used properly, for the

four reasons they have been given, they will result in making us a man of God,

complete, and to equip us completely to every good work (those things God has

ordained). The false doctrine that we need the direct strengthening of the Spirit in our

lives, demands that the Scriptures are not sufficient to do what God says. This view

says we need the Spirit in conjunction with the Word to make us a man of God,

complete, and completely furnished or equipped to all good works.

In the passage under consideration we find evidence that the Spirit’s

strengthening is done through the medium of God’s Word, thus done indirectly. When

we go back to the beginning of Ephesians 3, Paul reveals that he had received this

message by revelation of God. Paul also reveals that the Spirit of God is the one

revealing the message. “But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit

searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth the things of a

man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man,

but the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit

which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God. Which

things also we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the

Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual” (1 Cor. 2:10-13). Thus,

the Spirit revealed to Paul the message. Paul wrote that message down for these

Gentile Christians (and us), for whom Paul was praying to be strengthened by the Spirit,

to read. By their reading that message, they would be strengthened. Later in the book

Paul writes that Christians are to put on the whole armour of God. After quoting

Ephesians 6:10-11, 13-17, brother Clark remarks, “It becomes obvious that such a

person would be made stronger by doing what the Spirit through Paul admonishes him

to do, wouldn’t he? Now, does this differ in effect from the prayer he prays in Ephesians

3:16? Surely not. The inner man is strengthened by the Spirit as he learns from the

Spirit’s teaching how to be stronger. His convictions are made stronger leading to

stronger determination (Col. 1:10-11).”xii

Remember that Paul was writing to the church at Ephesus. When Paul spoke

with the elders of this church as recorded in Acts 20, he reminds them of his work

among them. He gives the elders a warning, then concludes his remarks by saying,

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able

to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified”

(Acts 20:32). The idea expressed by the phrase “build you up” is the same as

strengthening. How would they be built up or strengthened? Paul’s answer is that it

would be accomplished by the Word of God. Surely, their minds would return to Paul’s

statement here when he prays that they would be strengthened by the Spirit. The way

the Spirit is going to strengthen them is by “the word of his grace.” He will use the

medium, agency, of the Bible.

The way the Spirit works in the Christian is the same way the Spirit works in a

non-Christian. In both cases the Spirit uses a medium, an agent, He works upon man

indirectly. We can see this from the time Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to His apostles

(John 14-16). Jesus instructed them that the Spirit would reprove, (convict—ASV) the

world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). In relation to a non-Christian,

the Holy Spirit convicts him of his sin. How does He do this? As one reads the book of

Acts (especially chapter 2) he sees that the Spirit convicts men of sin by means of the

Word, an indirect manner. Why would we think that the Spirit would convict men of sin

in one way, but then convict men of righteousness in another? As one reads Acts he

also observes that the Spirit used the Word to convict men of righteousness. He worked

indirectly, not directly. That is the exact same way He works today.IS THE “ONE BODY” THE “CHURCH UNIVERSAL” WHICH ENCOMPASSES ALL THE

DENOMINATIONS (4:4)?

The Scriptures clearly teach that there is one body. The passage under

consideration teaches such. “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in

one hope of your calling” (Eph. 4:4). Paul, in this letter, uses the term body nine times.

One other time he uses one body. “And that he might reconcile both unto God in one

body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby” (Eph. 2:16). He uses “same body” to

connect the Gentiles with the Jews. “That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the

same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel” (Eph. 3:6). He teaches

the principle of the one body by the figure of the body of Christ. “Which is his body, the

fulness of him that filleth all in all....For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the

ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:...For we are members of his body, of his

flesh, and of his bones” (Eph. 1:23; 4:12; 5:30). This one body, same body, body of

Christ is the church. “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head

over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all”

(Eph. 1:22-23; cf. Col. 1:18).

When one has a body, he also has a head. Headship denotes leadership and

authority. Jesus is the head of the body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). A body

does not have many heads: it has one. Thus, Jesus does not share His headship with

anyone else. This goes to the heart of the question under consideration. Jesus came to

this earth and built His church. “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon

this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mat.

16:18). As head, leader, the One with authority, He has the right to command and

expect obedience.

What is a denomination? The word itself means name, or a naming, or to

designate. There are two other words which we need to consider in a discussion of

denomination: heresy and sect. Heresy comes from the Greek word hairesis and means

a choosing or choice. Notice what Vine says, “Denotes a choosing, choice; then that

which is chosen, and hence an opinion, especially a self-wiled opinion, which is

substituted for submission to the power of truth and leads to division and the formation

of sects.”xiii Additionally Thayer writes, “3. that which is chosen, a chosen course of

thought and action; hence one’s chosen opinion, tenet; according to the context, as

opinion varying from the true exposition of the Christian faith. 4. a body of men

separating themselves from others and following their own tenets. 5. dissensions arising

from diversity of opinions and aims.”xiv

Sect is from the Greek schisma and means a division or rent. Vine writes,

“metaphorically of the contrary condition to that which God has designed for a local

church in ‘tempering the body together’ (v. 24).”xv Putting these words together we

discover that a denomination comes as the result of the other two. There is first a

choosing of some belief or tenet (generally false) by a group making themselves a

heresy. From this heresy there is a division that occurs making the group a sect. Last,

there is a naming of that sect to designate them according to that particular tenet. We

now have a denomination. When we realize the full import of that which a denomination

consists, we realize that all the denominations cannot make up one body. Additionally,

we realize that no denomination is a part of the one body that is the church.

Now let us tie these together. Jesus has the right to command and expect our

obedience as being the head of the body, the church. A denomination has rejected the

headship of Jesus by choosing their own doctrine(s) rather than submitting themselves

to the will of Christ. By rejecting the authority of Christ, they are not a part of that body.

Let us consider some of the doctrines that denominations have chosen over the

doctrine of Christ. We are also reminded of Jesus’ statement to the Pharisees

concerning the teaching of man’s doctrine over the doctrine of Christ. “Ye also

transgress the commandment of God by your tradition...ye made the commandment of

God of none effect by your tradition...But in vain they do worship me, teaching for

doctrines the commandments of men.” (Mat. 15:3, 6, 9).

Jesus has authorized five acts of worship to God. They are congregational

singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16; 1 Cor. 14:15; Heb. 2:12), partaking of the Lord’s Supper

on the first day of the week (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:17-34), prayer (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor.

14:15; 1 The. 5:17), giving or the contribution (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor. 8-9), and preaching

God’s Word (Acts 2:42; Acts 20:7; 2 Tim. 4:2). The denominational world has changed

every one of the preceding. To the singing they have added choirs and choruses to

have individuals sing for others. Then they added mechanical instrumental music to the

worship of the church, for which there is no Scriptural command. In the partaking of the

Lord’s Supper, Jesus authorized unleaven bread and fruit of the vine. However, some

have gone so far as to change these elements changing them to Coke, and hamburgers

to please man’s taste. They have also changed the frequency of the Supper. The New

Testament appoints partaking the Supper on the first day of the week, which comes

every week and is Sunday. However, denominations will partake of the Supper at

anytime. First, they decided every week was too often, thus they changed it to yearly,

quarterly, or monthly. Instead of partaking of the Supper on the first day of the week (the

only day authorized by Jesus), they would partake of it on any day of the week. They

have likewise changed the person to whom we pray. Jesus taught us to pray to the

Father through His mediatorship. However, denominations teach that we can pray to

Mary, Jesus, the apostles, a departed saint, or a loved one. Christ commanded the

church to receive its funds by the freewill offering of individuals. However,

denominations have gone into the business of making money, competing with other

businesses. Others will have cake-sales or garage-sales, or such like to raise money for

their programs. Regarding the preaching that Jesus established, man has substituted

drama presentations, puppets instead of preaching. Denominations have changed from

preaching the Word to preaching a social gospel, informing man how to feel good about

themselves, how to win friends and influence people. However, if the denominations

went to preaching the gospel in its purity, they would go out of existence.

Denominationalism feeds on the ignorance of the people. Relative to this Robert Taylor

wrote, “New Testament worship has been corrupted by the carnal desires to have

mechanical music to please the ears, the burning of incense to please the nose, the

counting of beads to please the feeling process, lewd dancing to please the lustful

hearts of those spiritually destitute, strip tease acts to please the sensual appetites of

those who cannot even have a semblance of worship without a demonstration of

feminine flesh in abundance and the substitution of Coke, hamburgers and Girl Scout

Cookies to please the palates of those who have grown tired of unleavened bread and

fruit of the vine.”xvi Denominations who have changed the worship of God in such ways

cannot be a part of that one body, the church.

While we could observe many differing aspects, one other area is vital in this

study: the plan of salvation. How does one become a member of this body, the church.

For a person to be in the body, he must first believe. Listen to what Jesus said, “He that

believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”

(Mark 16:16). The belief here is in the gospel, “that Christ died for our sins according to

the scriptures” (1 Cor. 15:1-4). That involves belief in God (Heb. 11:6) and in Christ

(John 14:1). This faith comes by hearing the Word proclaimed. “So then faith cometh by

hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). Upon that belief he repents.

“And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all

nations, beginning at Jerusalem” (Luke 24:47). Then he will confess his faith in Jesus as

being the Son of God. “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I

confess also before my Father which is in heaven” (Mat. 10:32). Then he must be

immersed in water for the purpose God designed: the remission of sins. “He that

believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned”

(Mark 16:16). Denominations have rejected the headship of Christ by rejecting this

simple plan which the Son of God appointed. By rejecting this plan they never enter into

the body of Christ. “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be

Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one

Spirit” (1 Cor. 12:13). Baptism, the act which places one into the body, is the act which

denominations have rejected.

Denominations have rejected the headship of Jesus choosing their own doctrines

instead of submitting themselves to the doctrine of Christ. As such they do not have

God. “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God.

He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son” (2 John

9). Choosing their own doctrine and naming themselves, they have become a

denomination and are in opposition to the one body or church that Jesus established.

Before leaving this point we need to consider the passages the denominations

misuse to support their idea that all the denominations make up the one body. The three

main passages are John 15:1ff; Romans 12:4-5; and 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. In John 15

Jesus discusses the vine and the branches. Denominations claim that Jesus is the vine

(as stated in the text) and the branches are the differing denominations. However,

Jesus states that “ye” are the branches (v. 5), not different religious groups. “Ye” are

individuals, the disciples. Verse 6 explains that it is individuals and not denominations

when he says, “if a man.”

Paul writes, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have

not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one

members one of another” (Rom. 12:4-5). Here the denominations claim that the many

members are denominations. However, the context clearly shows that Paul is

discussing individuals, not distinctive religious groups. It is a discourse of “brethren” (v.

1), that we as individuals are to be transformed from the world (v. 1-2), that it is “every

man that is among you” (v. 3). Then in verses 6-8 he discusses the differing gifts that

had been given to men, not conflicting denominations.

Paul enters into a section concerning miraculous gifts in 1 Corinthians 12-14.

Again a study of the context shows that the section deals with individuals within a local

congregation, not denominations. Paul teaches that the membership at Corinth

constituted the body (v. 27). When all the members are taken together, you have the

body of Christ. Each one fits together with the others to make up the body. In verse 25

Paul writes, “That there should be no schism in the body.” Yet, denominations, by their

very nature, are divisions, thus could not be the members of this passage.

The defining point in all these passages is that there were no denominations that

existed at that time. Denominationalism did not come into existence until centuries later.

Jesus came to build His church (Mat. 16:18), not denominations. Thus, there is no way

that Jesus or Paul (in writing by the Spirit) could have had denominations in mind.

Additionally, the seed principle is contrary to denominations being included in these

passages. A universal law is that seed produces after its kind. Christ is the vine, the

branches must be Christians. Christ is the body, the members must be Christians.

Christ does not produce Baptists, Methodists, Catholics, Mormons, Presbyterians,

Episcopals, Nazarenes, or any other denomination. Christ produced the church of Christ

(Rom. 16:16).DOES THE “ONE FAITH” REFER TO THE ATONEMENT OF CHRIST (A LA

KETCHERSIDE, SHELLY) (4:5)?

Among the seven one’s listed in Ephesians 4, Paul specifies, “one faith” (Eph.

4:5). Does the one faith which Paul mentions refer to the saving power and death of

Christ? The Scriptures affirm so! There are many passages which show “the faith”

refers to the saving atonement of Christ. In the Jerusalem conference Peter comments

that the Gentiles were saved in the same way as were the Jews. “And put no difference

between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith” (Acts 15:9). The purification of the

heart (the washing away of sin) takes place by the blood which Christ shed on Calvary.

“And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead,

and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our

sins in his own blood” (Rev. 1:5; cf. 1 John 1:7). Paul adds in relation to the salvation of

the Gentiles, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus

Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 3:14). Even

though not translated there is a definite article before faith, thus “through the faith.”

Salvation to all (Jews and Gentiles) comes through the “one faith.” Here, Paul teaches

that the “one faith” refers to the atonement.

Paul again ties the “one faith” to the atonement when he wrote, “Whom God hath

set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for

the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God” (Rom. 3:25). The

Textus Receptus has the definite article “through the faith.” Thus, the faith is that God

sent Jesus to die for man’s sins—to be a propitiation, satisfaction, or appeasement; and

it is through this faith, in His blood—the atonement, that we receive justification. Faith

and atonement are inseparably joined together. Paul associates ones personal faith,

belief, with the atonement in writing to the Corinthians. “Moreover, brethren, I declare

unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and

wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached

unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I

also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he

was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures” (1 Cor.

15:1-4). These Scriptures, along with others, show that the “one faith” does refer to the

atonement of Christ. We should never allow someone’s misuse of something keep us

from the proper use of it.

The full question presented to us deals with Carl Ketcherside and Rubel Shelly’s

usage of “one faith.” Consider what Ketcherside says, “The faith relates to the life and

death of Jesus...The faith portrays what Jesus has done and will do for us, and we

accept it.”xvii Shelly makes their position a little clearer when he writes, “The ‘one faith’

has nothing to do with our methods and procedures of doing God’s work; it has to do

with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and our response to that once-for-all

act of atonement.”xviii It is their belief that the “one faith” only deals with the

atonement and our response to it, nothing else. However, once one compromises the

truth in one area, soon he will go farther in that compromise, and he will make

concessions in other areas. The problem in this case is that there is no respect for the

Word of God. While our liberal apostate brother Shelly begins with the atonement and

our response to it, he soon moves in our response to giving up the correct position

concerning the purpose of our response. He taught that as long as one was obeying

God in baptism that he did not have to understand that it was “for the remission of sins”

(Acts 2:38). Soon after this he gives up our response completely and settles on just the

atonement. Now just as long as someone believes that Jesus died for him, Shelly and

Ketcherside will fellowship him. This idea is called the “Core Gospel” or “Bulls-Eye

Gospel” by others. The “core” or “bulls-eye” is the atonement, everything else is

peripheral.

This false doctrine was advanced by Carl Ketcherside and Leroy Garrett in the

1960s by teaching a separation between gospel and doctrine. Gospel was to be

preached only to those who were outside of Christ (aliens). Doctrine could only be

preached to those who were members of the church. They then associated fellowship

with this false doctrine. Fellowship or unity was based only upon gospel; doctrine did not

affect fellowship, or doctrinal differences would not disrupt the fellowship of those who

had obeyed the gospel. Ketcherside called this position “unity in diversity” or “fellowship

without endorsement.” For the most part Christians rejected this doctrine. After

Ketcherside and Garrett, Rubel Shelly came out with essentially the same idea but used

different terms. Shelly distinguished between what he called Big F (or upper-case)

fellowship and a little f (lower-case) fellowship. He also referred to this as “levels of

fellowship” or the “doctrine of limited fellowship.” What Ketcherside taught about gospel

was what Shelly meant by upper-case (F)ellowship, and what Ketcherside meant by

doctrine was what Shelly meant by lower-case (f)fellowship.

In teaching this doctrine they inform us that fellowship is based solely upon the

seven ones of Ephesians 4:4-6. Of course, one of these seven ones is the “one faith.”

However, they must redefine “one faith” to be limited to the atonement of Christ. For

their practice and doctrine to be true, “one faith” cannot refer to anything other than the

atonement. As we have seen previously, the faith does refer to the atonement.

However, the real question then is, does the “one faith” allude to only the atonement

and nothing else? The answer is just as clear that it does not. Instead of meaning only

the atonement, it corresponds to the entirety of the New Testament. Let us notice some

passages which show this is to be true.

In Acts 6:7 “the faith” is used for the plan of salvation. “And the word of God

increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great

company of the priests were obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7). These priests obeyed

those things necessary to become a Christian. That includes more than just believing

the atonement of Christ, it includes: faith, repentance, confession of faith, and baptism.

An important account is when Paul was preaching to Sergius Paulus. “Which was

with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas

and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his

name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,

And said, O full of all subtilty and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all

righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now,

behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun

for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness; and he went

about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was

done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord” (Acts 13:7-12). Notice that

Elymas sought to turn the deputy from “the faith” (the definite article is in the Greek).

However, Barnabas and Saul were teaching “the word of God,” Elymas was trying to

pervert the “right ways of the Lord,” then Sergius Paulus was astonished at the “doctrine

of the Lord.” These are not different teachings, it is different ways of expressing the

same thing. Thus, “the faith” is also the “word of God,” the “right ways of the Lord,” and

the “doctrine of the Lord.”

Paul parallels “the faith” with “the truth.” This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke

them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith; Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and

commandments of men, that turn from the truth” (Tit. 1:13-14). “Ever learning, and

never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres

withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate

concerning the faith” (2 Tim. 3:7-8). In Titus 2:1-2 Paul equates “sound doctrine” with

“the faith” (the definite article is in the Greek). The “gospel” is also equated with “the

faith.” “And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they

returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, Confirming the souls of the

disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much

tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:21-22). Paul taught “the gospel” and

exhorted them to continue in “the faith,” showing that they are the same.

Paul’s letters to Timothy shows that “the faith” includes more that just the

atonement. Consider Paul’s discussion about false doctrine. “Now the Spirit speaketh

expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to

seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils” (1 Tim. 4:1). Some would depart from “the

faith” by forbidding to marry and forbidding the eating of meats. These doctrines do not

deny the atonement, “the faith” is more than just the atonement. Later Paul writes, “But

if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied

the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8). How is a failure to provide a denial of

the atonement? Yet, Paul says that the failure to provide is a denial of “the faith.” Then

in the next chapter Paul teaches that those who covet (the love of money) err from “the

faith” (the definite article is in all of these passages in the Greek). “For the love of

money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the

faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Tim. 6:10). The coveting

after money does not deny that Christ shed His blood for man (the atonement). In the

second letter, Paul teaches that “the faith” of some had been overthrown by a false

teaching concerning the resurrection (2 Tim. 2:17-18). When Jude commands us to

contend earnestly for the faith (Jude 3), it is that we are to earnestly contend for the

entirety of the New Testament teaching, not just the atonement.

I believe it is important to understand why Ketcherside, Shelly, and others have

tried to limit the “one faith” to the atonement. We see the answer by observing their

actions. They want to fellowship (have unity with) the denominational world. Since the

denominations do not teach the truth concerning the plan of salvation, the worship,

work, organization of the church, et.al. they had to find some way to overlook these

errors. They found it by limiting the “one faith” of Ephesians 4:5 to the atonement.

CONCLUSION

Let us always “earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the

saints” (Jude 3) against any and all false teachings, whether by those modernists who

do not have any belief in the inspiration of the Scriptures, denominationalists, or false

teaching in the Lord’s church. May we ever be on guard and always prepared to “ give

an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with

meekness and fear” (1 Pet. 3:15).

i “Hegel, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich,” The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, ed. Samuel Macauley Jackson (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1968), 5:200-201.

ii J. Haussleiter, “Baur, Ferdinand Christian, and the Later Tübingen School,” The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, editor-in-chief Samuel Macauley Jackson (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1972), 2:9.

iii John McClintock and James Strong, “Tubingen School,” Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1970), 10:573.

iv J. Haussleiter, “Baur, Ferdinand Christian, and the Later Tübingen School,” The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, editor-in-chief Samuel Macauley Jackson (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1972), 2:9.

v John McClintock and James Strong, “Tubingen School,” Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1970), 10:573.

vi A. T. Robertson, “Paul, the Apostle,” International Standard Bible Encyclopadeia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983) 3:2269.

vii James Orr, “Criticism of the Bible,” International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983) 2:752-753.

viii A. T. Robertson, “Paul, the Apostle,” International Standard Bible Encyclopadeia, ed. James Orr (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1983) 3:2269.

ix All Scriptures quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise indicated.x One can be mistaken concerning this matter and still go to heaven, as it does not deal with how

to be saved or how to live the Christian life. All readily agree (at least verbally) that how the Spirit dwells in a Christian is not a fellowship issue.

xiWinfred Clark, “Paul’s Prayer For Gentile Saints (3:14-19),” The Book Of Ephesians, ed.

Garland Elkins and Thomas B. Warren (Memphis, TN: Getwell Church Of Christ, 1984) p. 73.xii Ibid., p. 74.xiii W. E. Vine, An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson

Publishers, n.d.), p. 303.xiv Joseph Henry Thayer, Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Grand Rapids,

MI: Associated Publishers, n.d.), p. 16.xv Vine, p. 550.xvi Robert R. Taylor, Jr., The Bible Doctrine of Christian Fellowship (Ripley, TN: Taylor

Publications, n.d.), p. 50.xviiW. Carl Ketcherside, Mission Messenger (October 1965).xviii Rubel Shelly, I Just Want To Be A Christian (Nashville, TN: 20th Century Christian,

1984), p. 82.