Blueprints provide a pattern for buildings. If the blueprint is carefully followed, the building becomes exactly what the architect designed.
Paul told Timothy, “Hold fast the pattern of sound words which you have heard.” 2 Timothy 1:13. To be pleasing to God, Timothy was to follow the pattern (blueprint) given by God. Paul warned Timothy that there would be a time when people “will not endure sound doctrine.” (2 Timothy 4:3). The “pattern of sound words” is found in the “sound doctrine” of Jesus Christ.
Many today don’t want to be concerned with doctrine, thinking that doctrine is unimportant compared to preaching loving God. Yet Paul told Timothy to “hold fast the pattern of sound words.” Think about Jesus’ statement in John 14:15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Isn’t it obvious that by paying careful attention to the doctrine of Christ we are then able to express our love to Jesus and His Father by keeping their commandments?
If everyone followed God’s blueprint, those seeking God could be one. The attitude that doctrine isn’t important leads to all the division we see today. The idea that “it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are sincere” is foreign to the teaching of Christ and of Paul, His apostle.
Jesus is building His building (Ephesians 2:19-22). We are workers in that process (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). We need to concern ourselves with following the blueprints given to us by the architect in His word.
The Bereans concerned themselves with the blueprint. When Paul preached to them they consulted the blueprint to be certain that he was building according to the plan. See Acts 17:11.
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It is true that Christianity leaves little or no room for debate on many issues. Many must therefore accuse Christianity of being intolerant to new ideas, stiff-necked when it comes to doctrine, and immovable when it comes to moral issues.
It is also clear that Jesus was familiar with a differnt form of Judaism in his day. He spoke to the Samaritan woman by the well and told her that her sect would come to an end one day. We can be certain that God is aware that mankind has various belief systems.
John 4:4 And he must needs pass through Samaria. 5 He comes therefore to a city of Samaria called Sychar, near to the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now a fountain of Jacob's was there; Jesus therefore, being wearied with the way he had come, sat just as he was at the fountain. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman comes out of Samaria to draw water. Jesus says to her, Give me to drink 8 (for his disciples had gone away into the city that they might buy provisions). 9 The Samaritan woman therefore says to him, How dost thou, being a Jew, ask to drink of me who am a Samaritan woman? for Jews have no intercourse with Samaritans. 10 Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 11 The woman says to him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: whence then hast thou the living water? 12 Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank of it himself, and his sons, and his cattle? 13 Jesus answered and said to her, Every one who drinks of this water shall thirst again; 14 but whosoever drinks of the water which I shall give him shall never thirst for ever, but the water which I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into eternal life. 15 The woman says to him, Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst nor come here to draw. 16 Jesus says to her, Go, call thy husband, and come here. 17 The woman answered and said, I have not a husband. Jesus says to her, Thou hast well said, I have not a husband; 18 for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom now thou hast is not thy husband: this thou hast spoken truly. 19 The woman says to him, Sir, I see that thou art a prophet. 20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and ye say that in Jerusalem is the place where one must worship. 21 Jesus says to her, Woman, believe me, [the] hour is coming when ye shall neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem worship the Father. 22 Ye worship ye know not what; we worship what we know, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But [the] hour is coming and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for also the Father seeks such as his worshippers. 24 God [is] a spirit; and they who worship him must worship [him] in spirit and truth. 25 The woman says to him, I know that Messias is coming, who is called Christ; when *he* comes he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus says to her, I who speak to thee am [he]. 27 And upon this came his disciples, and wondered that he spoke with a woman; yet no one said, What seekest thou? or, Why speakest thou with her? 28 The woman then left her waterpot and went away into the city, and says to the men, 29 Come, see a man who told me all things I had ever done: is not he the Christ? 30 They went out of the city and came to him. 31 But meanwhile the disciples asked him saying, Rabbi, eat. 32 But he said to them, I have food to eat which ye do not know. 33 The disciples therefore said to one another, Has any one brought him [anything] to eat? 34 Jesus says to them, My food is that I should do the will of him that has sent me, and that I should finish his work. 35 Do not ye say, that there are yet four months and the harvest comes? Behold, I say to you, Lift up your eyes and behold the fields, for they are already white to harvest. 36 He that reaps receives wages and gathers fruit unto life eternal, that both he that sows and he that reaps may rejoice together. 37 For in this is [verified] the true saying, It is one who sows and another who reaps. 38 I have sent you to reap that on which ye have not laboured; others have laboured, and ye have entered into their labours. 39 But many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him because of the word of the woman who bore witness, He told me all things that I had ever done. 40 When therefore the Samaritans came to him they asked him to abide with them, and he abode there two days. 41 And more a great deal believed on account of his word; 42 and they said to the woman, [It is] no longer on account of thy saying that we believe, for we have heard him ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
Jesus spoke of another group of people that belonged to him ...
4 I am the good shepherd; and I know those that are mine, and am known of those that are mine, 15 as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep which are not of this fold: those also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock, one shepherd. 17 On this account the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it again.
Then again, does it really matter what denomination one belongs to as long as one trusts in the cross of Christ? What about the following text, how does it relate to what some Christians are given and others not given in regards to doctrine and abilities?
13 Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour. 14 For [it is] as [if] a man going away out of a country called his own bondmen and delivered to them his substance. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country. 16 And he that had received the five talents went and trafficked with them, and made five other talents. 17 In like manner also he that [had received] the two, [he also] gained two others. 18 But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord. 19 And after a long time the lord of those bondmen comes and reckons with them. 20 And he that had received the five talents came to [him] and brought five other talents, saying, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents besides them. 21 His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord. 22 And he also that had received the two talents came to [him] and said, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 And he also that had received the one talent coming to [him] said, [My] lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering from where thou hadst not scattered, 25 and being afraid I went away and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast that which is thine. 26 And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered; 27 thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten talents: 29 for to every one that has shall be given, and he shall be in abundance; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him. 30 And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 31 But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory, 32 and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; 33 and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on [his] left. 34 Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from [the] world's foundation: 35 for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; 36 naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink? 38 and when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee? 39 and when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee? 40 And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me. 41 Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me. 44 Then shall *they* also answer saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and have not ministered to thee? 45 Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me. 46 And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.
Yes, we differ one from another, and sometimes it's as different as night and day in terms of what we believe and waht we hold dear. But it will all come together and in the end we will all meet, those from the first century and those from the last century, and, well, we will all worship in spirit and in truth.
We'll have those from the first and sewcond centuries who read Christian texts that were not accepted in the final canon, like the Shepherd of Hermas. And we'll have Jehovah's Witnesses (probably) who will be surprised Christ died on a cross and not a stake.
Do you understand? Let each man keep to himself what he thinks is holy. God will sort everything out in the end.
Paulsthorne,
Clearly the other flock Jesus was speaking of is the Gentiles. He had come to the Jews but the gospel would be taken to both "men" (Ephesians 2 language). Once the gospel was preached to both, they became "one body" (again, Ephesians 2 and 3). Jesus is not condoning division, He is speaking of the eventual unity of Jew and Gentile in His church.
As stated in the blog, there is "sound doctrine" and there are "the doctrines of men" (Matt 15:8,9). Letting Jesus sort it out at the end is too late. "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son." (2 John 9). It is a matter of whether or not we "have God."
Paul warned the Romans "Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them." He didn't suggest that they not worry about it and let God sort it out in the end.
Again, there is "sound doctrine" and "the doctrines of men."
I understand what you're saying and agree with you to some extent. But there are about 34,000 sects of Christianity in the world and they can't possibly all be so wrong that they are eternally condemned to hellfire and brimstone simply because they differ on certain minor points, like, for example, did the brother of Christ write the book of James or was it another James since there are several Jameses in the Bible. C'mon, be reasonable. What is the most important thing in the Bible?
1 Corinthians 10:1 Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 7 After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 8 And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 11 Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed. 12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: 14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. 16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
What should we look for in another Christian as we sit in our prison cells waiting to be called upon to convert over to satanism or die by the sword? Their belief in the death, burial, and resurrection will suffice for me. I will not ask them anything else about their beliefs, I will be too busy praying.
Identifying the gospel message as the basic means of discernment between sound doctrine and doctrines of men is very appropriate. Now consider whether it is possible that many of the 34,000 sects teach different gospels. The JW's certainly do. That's why they had to "retranslate" the scriptures. God has made plain how he feels about those who add to or take away from his book. So I personally do not feel to confident that he will sort it out in the end in favor for the JW's to use your example.
More to the point, read Eph. 4:1-6 and see if the essentials of unity mentioned by Paul are things hotly debated by various denominations.
I don't think Bill was suggesting that we judge other's salvation on the basis of who wrote the book of James. Instead he was pointing to the obvious fact that major divides have resulted because of people have rejected the authority of scripture and therefore are teaching a different gospel.
As far as the Jehovah's Witnesses are concerned I have spoken with a friend who wants to convert over to their religion and he told me he'd never put his trust in Christ's sacrifice. To them Jesus died on a stake not a cross, (as if that makes any real difference -- a sacrifice is a sacrifice), what matters here is that they are not believing in the one thing that washes them of their sins, they are not looking to the serpent Moses has lifted up in the wilderness, these people have little or no idea what the Gospel is. For all intents and purposes they are legalists, that is, trusting in their own efforts (handing out magazines and going door-to-door) to get them into the kingdom of God. They have no idea how similar they are to the Protestant and Catholic Churches they so love to call The Whore of Babylon. I told my friend that if he didn't trust in the cross he wasn't going to make it. His reply was (if I remember correctly): "I don't believe that." What the JWs teach truly is another gospel, they have wandered away from the very core of Christianity: the death, the burial, and the resurrection. But I will not concern myself too much with the heretics of this world, I'll be too busy focusing on my own sins and praying that God will guide me in this life and give me strength. One, two warnings, then let them go their way. Just don't wish them Godspeed or you will be a partaker of their sins.
I think your primary conclusion is true: we should focus first on making sure we have honest and humble hearts, looking to God for salvation.
But Jesus made it clear that we also must take the gospel to others. When we do, we must make sure we are actually teaching the gospel. My understanding of Bill's post was that many have rejected the authority of the Bible and see no need to promote a true gospel. "What is truth?" many would say. So we have a choice. Does truth matter? Does the one gospel matter (Gal. 1:6-9)? Or does anything go? Your example of your JW friend in your last post indicates that you believe sticking to the one gospel does mater. But your original post seemed to indicate that it doesn't - God will sort it all out in the end. Both cannot be correct.
It is easy to see that you are very familiar with the scriptures from your posts. So, in the spirit of this blog, I encourage you to look at your first comment and then your last to see if the difference in approach to JW"s (who clearly teach a different gospel) is something worth considering with respect to the major doctrinal differences that exist today (I would say the different gospels) among the many denominations.
Okay, I believe that there are several options besides the Gospel that can save a man: I believe these are Scriptural and you can find the verses yourself ...
1) The Gospel itself.
2) Suffering one's whole life as did the poor man Lazarus.
3) Doing a good deed toward one of Christ's own (you do it to him as well), even the least of them, like: visiting them in prison, given them to eat when they are hungry, and clothing them when they are naked, etc.
This is what I mean by God will sort it all out. This is why we cannot say with great certainty that we know who is saved and who is not, except for obvious cases like false prophets and false messiahs and false teachers.
Salvation revolves around Christ, he is the center of attention. As for me, I'll trust in the cross and the resurrection.
As to the rest, the sorting out, I leave that to God, because it's not up to man to separate the wheat from the chaff.
I appreciate you communicating your beliefs directly, simply, and politely. I will endeavor to do the same.
We agree that the center of Christianity is the cross and resurrection. I contend that you cannot have Christianity without that center. However, your other means of salvation besides the gopsel would seem to allow for the center to be missing or at least partially obscured.
Does anyone who suffers for a long time automatically gain salvation? Is that really the point of Jesus' parable? Or are we suppose to assume that Lazarus was a Jew in good standing in comparison to the evil rich man who had rejected Moses?
Likewise, can a person do enough good works to merit salvation apart from the acceptance of the gospel? It seems like the people in Matthew 7:21 had done many good works but they were condemned. Just like Matthew 7:21-23 does not tell us everything about judgment so also Matthew 25 highlights one aspect of judgment; namely our service to fellow Christians, and by extension, mankind.
God is the judge and he will be merciful. Thankfully, he has given us his word so we don't have to guess what the basis for his judgment will be.
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