Category: Fellowship

There are efforts that seek to separate Christ from the church; gospel from doctrine. Though often discussed separately, both of these attacks on our subjects have their root in the same error: a rejection of Christ’s authority and a desire to practice lawlessness (Mt. 7:15-23).

Charts: Lesson two. Romans 14 and Fellowship with Sin.

Our text to be analyzed, Romans 14:1-15:7, beautifully sets forth the parameters of our liberties in Christ. Counter-balancing between the tendency to bind where God has not bound and giving license to sin, this passage advocates fellowship through the respect of each brother’s liberties. Without the truth of these verses, Christians will be hopelessly splintered in as many pieces as there are opinions or else be invaded by sinful doctrine and practices.

1. UNIVERSAL NEED OF GRACE (Never Tire of Preaching It!) Perfect Law-keeping Cannot Save Jew or Gentile: “All have sinned” Introduction to Gospel of Grace:…

So far as the churches of Christ are concerned, the fundamental teaching of truth during the Restoration Movement was so effective (cf: “The Scheme of Redemption,” by Robert Milligan) that it eradicated practically every vestige of Calvinism among Christians. From the early 1800’s until our generation, classic Calvinism (Tulip) has been recognized as the error it is and has not been a source of internal strife (must less a cause of division) within local congregations. However, history will record that it has become the task of our generation to combat these errors again.

Charts used for lesson: Historical and Biblical Fellowship (Tom Roberts)

Before apostasy becomes a reality, brethren should explore every avenue of Bible study and brotherly controversies with patience and longsuffering (1 Thess. 5:14; Jude 19-23). There should not be a rush to judgment (prematurely drawing lines) or failure to address our differences (ignoring serious issues).

May God grant to each reader the wisdom, courage and determination to distinguish between the unity of the Spirit and unity and diversity. May you lend your voice and efforts to uphold and defend truth as it is in Christ and unity with every other child of God. Let us count no cost as too extreme to bring about the Spirit’s unity, but let us not spend a cent to encourage unity in diversity. One is from the Holy Spirit, the other is from Satan. Is there really any question beyond that?

What is sin? Sin is doing anything that violates God’s law of righteousness. In 1 John 5:17 it says: “All unrighteousness is sin…” and “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness” (1 John 3:4). When we transgress or do things that are against God’s law, then we have committed sin. It doesn’t matter what we do, if it is something that is not approved of by God, then it is sin, and all sin is BLACK.

This series of lessons has been an effort to help all of us examine our beliefs, teachings and practice on the subject of unity and fellowship. It was also presented to set forth the truth that we are able to understand and conform to the revealed word of Christ. Every false teaching, left unattended, endangers the souls of men by seeking to turn them away from God’s truth and grace (cf. error on divorce and remarriage, fellowship and unity – Gal. 2:4-5; 1:6-9; Jno. 1:17; 14:6).

Doctrinal and moral purity is demanded of every Christian, and we should expect nothing less than such purity when we are talking about the local church. We cannot judge the hearts of men, but we have no choice but to judge the fruits of their lives. Just as 2 John 9-11 condemns the false teacher and any reception of that false one, the verse does not expect us to judge his motives. We could never do that anyway. We must judge the message he brings.

At every turn, the doctrine of unity in diversity, which allows ongoing fellowship in spite of doctrinal disagreement, is unsupported by the word of God. It must be rejected as a doctrine of man (Gal. 1:8-10).

It is a clear violation of Biblical hermeneutical rules to limit context as many are attempting to do with 2 John 9-11. Truth will always be truth in every age and in similar situations. Error must not be permitted to hide behind a supposed “limited context” which will permit a modern violation of a contextual principle clearly established in scripture.

The scriptures teach clearly that we must not have fellowship with fruits of unrighteousness or darkness. While some brethren apply this uniformly to sinful practices like instrumental music, institutionalism, etc., they are willing to forsake truth and extend fellowship to unrighteous divorces.

My dear brethren, nowhere in the Scriptures does grace mean that we may ‘agree to disagree’ over the revealed doctrine of Jesus Christ. This is not the oneness shared by the Father and Son, and it is not the oneness we are to promote. (Jno. 17:20-21; Eph. 4:1-6).

Those who cringe and apologize for the truth when it is preached and who disclaim and despise those who teach the doctrine of the Lord are not friends of Christ (2 Tim. 1:15; 4:14-16). They who defend the integrity of those who teach error while they use every veiled and hidden slur against those who oppose error are not loyal to the Lord. “Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:8).

The gospel calls us to a unity which is based upon the revealed truth of God (Eph. 4:1-6; 1 Cor. 1:10). The only credible standard of authority to which we may rightly appeal to establish unity is the revealed word of Christ, the New Testament (Jno. 17:20-21; Col. 3:17). It is His word that establishes faith and enables unity. The inspired teachings of His apostles make it possible for us to have fellowship with them and with God (1 Jno. 1:1-4, 5-7). When we go beyond the teaching of Christ – His New Testament – we forfeit our fellowship with the Father and the Son (2 Jno. 9).

How is it that a faithful child of God can endorse one that boldly or cowardly supports those in error? It is high time that we cease to coddle those who teach error and others who approve of them. We are not saying it is required to break fellowship at the “drop-of-a-hat.” Rather, after patient study and prayer with the ones in error, be man enough to TAKE A STAND! (1 Cor. 16:13; Eph. 6:13).

Brethren, what we need is truth! And that is one thing that a false teacher can never give. They may be simple brethren who are mislead. They may be as honest as Paul and as eloquent as Apollos while they teach lies. They may even “believe the lie” (2 Thes. 2:11), but their faith in a lie does not make it true. For the sake of our own soul’s salvation, and those that hear us, we must be found teaching truth and exposing error. This is the burden and joy of being a child of God.

Any time that I interpret a passage so as to include any kind of fellowship with sin, I have obviously missed the mark. “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn. 1:5); “no lie is of the truth” (2:21). To twist 2 John 9 or any other passage of scripture so as to extend the hand of fellowship to error is to violate both text and context.