Doctrine Is Our Backbone

Like most second and third generation Apostolics, I was brought up on strong, uncompromising teaching. Doctrinal sermons and Bible studies made up the main fare of church services. Even songs, like “It’s All In Him”, and “It’s the Holy Ghost That Jesus Is Giving Away” became vehicles for conveying the Apostolic message. Now, some feel that our heavy doctrinal tradition needs the counter-balance of milder tones and softer approaches. If we follow their lead, however, we will end up preferring instead of proclaiming, suggesting instead of commanding, and commenting on theological views instead of contending for the faith.

Strong doctrine continues to be the backbone of the church. People come and go, personalities rise and fall and ecclesiastical trends become popular or fall into disfavor, but doctrine builds an enduring congregation. Churches that focus upon sound doctrine survive in the face of every threat. Emphasis upon doctrine does not minimize other aspects of the church’s mission such as music, worship, body ministry and evangelism. Rather, it provides a framework in which everything else may thrive. Doctrine gives meaning to music, substance to worship, conviction to body ministry and motivation to evangelism.

Does doctrine divide? Is it necessary? Must we emphasize repentance, water baptism in Jesus’ name, receiving the Holy Ghost with the initial evidence of speaking in tongues, the oneness of God and holiness living? Will preaching and teaching on these primary tenets of faith limit the potential growth and revival of the church? Should we be more willing to forge compromises and offer concessions to fit in with the mainstream of Christianity?

One by one, mainstream denominations have failed in their formative dogmas. They continue to retreat from distinctives that originally defined them and embrace beliefs that they consider more acceptable to all Christians. Of this trend, Stephen Strang, editor of Charisma says that you could attend many congregations of a certain large Pentecostal denomination today and never know you were in a Pentecostal church.

It is true that doctrine divides, but the relevant question is, what does it divide? If it separates truth from error, righteousness from unrighteousness, the sheep from goats then such division is necessary. If the Bible requires repentance, it is a doctrine that must be preached. If the Bible commands baptism in the name of Jesus, it is a doctrine that must be preached. If the Bible tells us that the baptism of the Holy Ghost is necessary and that it is accompanied by speaking in tongues, it is a doctrine that must be preached. Look at the scripture:

Doctrine forms the pattern and basis for fellowship. “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” Acts 2:42

Doctrine directly affects our salvation. “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” I Timothy 4:16

Doctrine is the centerpiece of preaching fare. “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” II Timothy 4:2

Doctrine prevents corruption of the church. “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; II Timothy 4:3

Doctrine is the means by which to defeat error. “Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.” Titus 1:9

Let us not abandon the Scriptural strategy that brought us to where we are in order to get in step with an ecumenically driven church world. The UPCI has a message to preach and true Bible doctrine to teach. Our calling will not permit us to do less. It is the basis of our strength.

WeLovePeople.Com

The First Apostolic Church takes its mission in the world from the commandments given to us by Jesus Christ. We want to reach every person possible within our community for Christ. Sometimes this goal becomes blurred, we get distracted by lesser goals, or we forget why God placed us in the church in the first place. It is time to take a fresh look at our mission.

We know that Jesus Christ died to save people from their sins. What we often forget is why. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Romans 5:8 adds. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The most important truth that must energize us by scriptures like these is that God loves people! In saving us, His love for us came first. After that, or because of it, he died to save us. He did not save us and afterwards learn to love us. He loved us first and devised a means to save us.

Any highly active church, or one with a high number of family ties in the congregation, has members who spend much of their time in each other’s company. This leads to closely knit groups that can keep others on the outside, with no way to break into the group. Such a development never happens on purpose. Rather, it is the eventual outgrowth of a way of thinking. That’s why we must look closely, even critically, at who we are and what we are doing. Are there any obstacles that seem to block the love of God from flowing freely through us as individuals and as a congregation? Do we truly love people to the same magnitude that Christ did?

In projecting a strategy for the future, it is absolutely necessary for our church to begin from these starting blocks of God’s love for people. We must demonstrate love for people in every way possible—-our attitudes, our programs and our vision as it is implemented. If we fail to show love for people in what we do, we must change. If we overlook opportunities to love people, we must change. If we love ourselves, our routines, our traditions or our personal friends more than people, we must change. Whether these failings are by design, default or delusion, we must change.

This new thrust will truly work only if we, as a congregation, accept the responsibility to make it happen. Our human targets ought to be as all-inclusive as we can make them: new converts, former members, people who have come to church but never committed themselves, or people who have had an experience with God but have deep personal problems.

Let us begin searching for ways to love people so that they may find salvation. Will you help? We must not simply identify the problem(s) and then send it back to the pastor or a few leaders to fix or implement. No solution is complete unless it involves every single person in the church in some way. The paramount question must be: “What can I and what will I do to start the positive change in making this church can could live up to WeLovePeople.com. If we want people to believe that we love them:

• They must sense that we mean it by giving them priority.
• They must hear it in our initial greeting and in our worship.
• They must feel it in our handshakes and hugs, as well as in our spirit.
• They must hear it in our conversation and our teaching and preaching.
• They must read it in our literature.
• They must see it in our faces.
• They must know it through the amount of time we give them and by the way we operate.
• They must be treated to Christ-like love from the time they enter to the time they leave.

This Christmas season needs to emphasize to us more than the fact that Jesus came. It must also remind us of the love that motivated him to come. In so doing, we will transform Christmas from a commemoration of a blessing past into a blueprint for future revival.

Was Jesus Human?

Apostolics rightly place great emphasis on the deity of Christ, but this does not preclude his humanity. Christ’s humanity stands out as a significant fact. He was fully God and fully man—the “God-man.” Paul wrote, “…great is the mystery of godliness; God was manifest in the flesh…” (I Timothy 3:16.) Even though Jesus was God, it is important that we understand that he was most certainly a human being like you and me. Theologically, this satisfies the scriptural description of Jesus, validates his historical lineage, qualifies him to be our sacrifice for sin, makes his resurrection a true miracle and answers to prophecy. Moreover, from a personal standpoint, Christ’s humanity forms the basis for our relationship to him. The very essence of the incarnation was to experience the human condition in every way except in sin.

First, why would anyone deny the humanity of Christ? They may think that to affirm his humanity is to negate his divinity. They may have fallen for the old Gnostic heresy that all flesh is evil, thus Jesus could not have existed in the flesh. They may be attempting to “hyper-analyze” the incarnation to the point that they destroy it. Whatever the reason, the result is a dangerous and erroneous view that denies access to God to all who believe it. Consider the scriptures:

Jesus was not an angel. “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels … that he … should taste death for every man.” Hebrews 2:9.

Jesus had human parentage. “Of this man’s seed hath God … raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus.” Acts 13:23 “… the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Matthew 1:1. “Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh.” Romans 1:3. “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law.” Galatians 4:4.

Jesus developed as a normal human being. “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.” Luke 2:40.

Jesus looked, acted and felt like a man. He was recognizable as a Jew. (John 4:9). He was mistaken for an ordinary man. (Luke 24:13). He looked like the gardener. (John 20:15).

Jesus was tempted to sin. “Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.” Matthew 4:1. We also read that Jesus ascribed human names to himself, that he was the sacrificial lamb, that he had flesh which was capable of dying, and that he had a post-resurrection body that became a prototype for all believers.

We must regard the humanity of Christ as a vital and necessary doctrine. Those who say that the flesh of Jesus was not flesh at all, or was different than our flesh negate the role of Mary, and of the lineage of Christ through David, back to Adam. But Jesus did not offer angelic “flesh” on the cross. He did not simulate suffering in a “virtual reality” Calvary . He did not play mind games with us to mislead us into thinking that he was one of us, yet existing as an “other-worldly” being. Jesus sacrificed his body, his flesh, his “terrestrial body” (I Corinthians 15:40 ) on the Roman instrument of execution, the cross.

If Jesus didn’t die as a man, then he did not destroy the devil. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Hebrews 2:14. If Jesus didn’t die as a man, then his resurrection loses its potency. The miraculous impact of the empty tomb stems from the fact that, as a true man, he died. After he rose, he said, “Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.” Luke 24: 39.

Apostolics must never forget that our relationship to God rests solely upon the incarnation. None of us can know God without the “mediator between God and men, the man, (anthropon) Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5). Thus, we profess a viable relationship to God, perpetual intercession, empathy in suffering and boldness in prayer. “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:14-16. Jealously guard this marvelous truth.

Communicating With Your Pastor

Pastor, you may want to share this with your congregation yourself, or you may want someone else to do it. I offer this as a way to help you become more effective in your pastoral ministry.

Use your pastor’s time wisely. Whenever you talk with him, the more you can edit out the less important details about your situation and deal directly with the subject at hand, the more effective he will be. If he needs to know details, he will ask you for them. On the other hand, don’t hold back certain facts that may be essential to a wise decision on his part.

In most churches, there are seasoned saints of God and pillars in the church who can answer questions about spiritual problems or even scriptural matters. Church leaders have especially been chosen because of their spiritual maturity. Talk to them about a problem before going to the pastor. Of course, things of a sensitive or private nature should be reserved for discussion with the pastor only, but a wise saint of God can easily handle many general subjects pertaining to spiritual living.

Make sure you fast and pray about your problem before you take it to the pastor or anyone else. You need to enter into a special relationship with God so you can discern His ways and words. After all, what you’re really after is not merely an answer to a question, but a walk with God.

If you are confronted by a problem that you feel is essential to take directly to the pastor, many pastors prefer that you set up an appointment to see him during business hours. In the office setting, there are fewer interruptions to deal with and you and the pastor can concentrate on the business at hand. Also, catching the pastor before or after service may not give him the time he needs to reflect on his answer.

Keep in mind that the pastor also serves as an administrator for the church. This role requires him to take care of certain things and talk to certain people before and/or after a church service. If he appears to be looking around for somebody while he’s talking to you, don’t interpret this as a rebuff or an indication that he doesn’t care about your problem. He is literally trying to do two or three things at once.

If you have a problem, don’t withdraw yourself from communication and participation in the church, and then wait to see if anybody will call you or contact you. When you take the responsibility for your own soul’s salvation, you must make the proper calls to let the pastor and the church know what’s going on.

Don’t assume that the pastor knows what’s up. He may think that somebody else has called you or he may think that you are merely working, or even on vacation. Also, remember that he may be thinking about you one minute, and then be drawn into another problem the next. That’s because there is a constant flow of activity in the church and everybody is asking for attention.

Before you talk to the pastor, determine that you are going to follow his advice. If you know you are not going to do what he asks you to do, why go to him in the first place? Prepare your heart and soul well before visiting him. He may ask you to do something that you find very difficult. Obedience, however, is always rewarded by God.

Make sure your expectations of pastoral counsel are realistic. He is not a psychiatrist, a lawyer, a doctor or some other professional. He may have some good advice to give you about the same issues that you would take to other professionals, but you should not demand answers from him that he is not prepared to give. His main obligation to you is to give you spiritual and scriptural help.

Never voice any dissent you may have with your pastor to anyone else but him. Anything you feel you can’t discuss with him needs to be kept totally to yourself. People who criticize their pastor imperil the sanctity of church unity. If someone is so unwise as to speak against the pastor to you, decline to listen.

While the pastor may be friendly, and you may feel he is your friend, do not think of him as your buddy. Maintain a “safe” distance between him and yourself to avoid over-familiarity. His words must always be received with solemn consideration because he bears the burden of accountability for your soul.

New Testament Tools

*Abbot-Smith, George. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. T. & T. Clark, 1936.
Alsop, John R., ed. An Index to the Revised Bauer-Arndt-Gingrich Greek Lexicon. 2nd ed. by Wilbur Gingrich and Frederick W. Danker; Zondervan, 1981.
Balz, Horst, and Gerhard Schneider, eds. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1978. 3 vols.
Barclay, William. New Testament Words. Westminster, 1974.
*Bauer, Walter, W. F. Arndt, F.W. Gingrich, and F.W. Danker. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago , 1979.
Blass, F. W., A. Debrunner, and Robert W. Funk. A Grammar of New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. University of Chicago , 1961.
Bromiley, Geoffrey. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Ed. by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, trans. by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, abridged in 1 vol. Eerdmans, 1985.
*Brown, Colin, ed. The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology. Zondervan, 1975-86. 4 vols.
Burton , Ernest DeWitt. Syntax of the Moods and Tenses in New Testament Greek. T. & T. Clark, 1898.
Cremer, Hermann. Biblico-Theological Lexicon of New Testament Greek. 4th ed. T. & T. Clark, 1962.
Dana, H. E., and Julius R. Mantey. A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament. Macmillan, 1955.
Gingrich, F. W. A Shorter Lexicon of the Greek Testament. 2nd ed., rev. by Frederick W. Danker. University of Chicago, 1983.
Green, Joel B. and Scot McKnight Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels IVP, 1992.
Hanna, Robert. A Grammatical Aid to the Greek New Testament. Baker, 1983.
Hawthorne, Gerald Fand Ralph Martin. Dictionary of Paul and His Letters. IVP, 1993.
Kittel, Gerhard, and Gerhard Friedrich. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Trans. by Geoffrey Bromiley. Eerdmans, 1964-76. 10 vols.
Kohlenberger III, John R. and Edward W. Goodrick and James A. Swanson. The Exhaustive Concordance to the Greek New Testament. Zondervan, 1995.
Liddell, H. G., and R. Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon. 8th ed.; Clarendon, 1897.
*Machen, J. Gresham. New Testament Greek for Beginners. Macmillan, 1923.
Martin, Ralph and Peter H. Davids Dictionary of the Later New Testament and its Developments. IVP, 1997.
Moule, C. F. D. An Idiom Book of the New Testament Greek. Cambridge, 1963.
Moulton, James Hope. A Grammar of New Testament Greek. T. & T. Clark, 1908- . 4 vols.
________ and George Milligan. The Vocabulary of the Greek New Testament Illustrated from the Papyri and Other Non-Literary Sources. Hodder and Stoughton, 1952.
Moulton, William, and A. S. Geden. A Concordance to the Greek Testament. 5th ed., rev. by H. K. Moulton; T. & T. Clark, 1978.
Richards, Lawrence O. Expository Dictionary of Bible Words. Zondervan, 1985.
*Rienecker, Fritz. A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament. Zondervan, 1980.
Robertson, A. T. A Grammar of the Greek New Testament in the Light of Historical Research. Broadman, 1923.
Rogers, Cleon L and Cleon L Rogers III The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament. Zondervan, 1998.
Smith, J. B. Greek-English Concordance to the New Testament. Herald, 1955.
Spicq, Ceslas. Theological Lexicon of the New Testament. Hendrickson, 1994 3 vols.
*Thayer, Joseph H. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. Zondervan, 1962.
Trench, Richard Chenevix. Synonyms of the New Testament. Eerdmans, 1953.
Turner, Nigel. Christian Words. Nelson, 1981.
________. Grammatical Insights into the New Testament. T. & T. Clark, 1977.
*Vine, W. E., Merrill F. Unger, and William White. An Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. Nelsons, 1984.
*Wingram, George V. The Englishman’s Greek Concordance of the New Testament. 9th ed.; Zondervan, 1970.
Zerwick, Max, and Mary Grosvener. A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament. Biblical Institute, 1981.

Other Greek language works in my library:

Ball, Francis Kingsley, Ph. D. The Elements of Greek, Macmillan, 1936
Bagster, Samuel, Editor, The Analytical Greek Lexicon, Samuel Bagster & Sons
Chamberlain, William Douglas, An Exegetical Grammar of the Greek New Testament, Macmillan, 1961
Chase, Alston Hurd, and Phillips, Henry Jr., A New Introduction to Greek, Harvard, 3^rd Ed.,
Gingrich, F. Wilbur, Shorter Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, U. of Chicago, 1957, 1965
Goetchius, Eugene Van Ness, The Language of the New Testament, Scribner, 1965
Han, Nathan E., A Parsing Guide to the Greek New Testament, Herald Press, 1971
Hudson, Charles F., A Critical Greek and English Concordance of the New Testament, Bagster, 1882
LaSor, William Sanford, Handbook of New Testament Greek, Eerdmans, Vol. 2, 1973
Liddell and Scott, A Lexicon Abridged from Liddell and Scott’s Greek-English Lexicon, Oxford, 1976
Smyth, Herbert Weir, Greek Grammar, Harvard, 1918, Rev. 1956
Souter, Alexander, A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament, Oxford, 1916, Reprint 1976