According to the definition of the word, perspective means "to view through." It refers to looking beyond the mere form or structure of a thing. Obviously it makes a difference where a man stands as to what he will see when he looks. One who views the world from the bed of a valley will see a totally different scene than one who has ascended from the valley to a surrounding mountain. The color of the lens through which he looks will also affect the impression he receives.
It is undeniable, I think, that the mind-set influences our interpretation of what we see. And that is a composite of many factors. It would be difficult to enumerate all of them. We are the product of our prior training, coupled with all of the things we have done to ourselves. Our prejudices and biases, our areas of conformity and rebellion, our ideals and our adjustments to our failures to achieve them, make of us all individuals whose attitudes differ and whose approach varies. We need to constantly examine ourselves to be sure we do not trample upon reality.
As a body of people we have learned to look askance at anyone and anything that differs from our norm. Like ancient Israel, "We have seen so much, but what does it mean to us? We have ears to hear with, but what have we really heard?" (Isa. 42:20). We are quick to disclaim anything we have not already incorporated as a part of our theological stance. We have doomed ourselves to go along in the same old rut and have forced ourselves to listen to the same old thing, whether it has any value or not.
While awaiting my train at the station in Nashville, Tennessee, I looked over the array of literature displayed in racks by the various denominations in the city. I selected some reading material from each section as I like to know what others are thinking, and I can learn from all. The "Church of Christ" rack yielded up a booklet bearing the title, "A Church That is Neither Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish." As I read, I thought how typical it was of the negative attitude which is so characteristic of my brethren. Most of their time, money and effort is utilized in telling the world what they are not. Perhaps they have more to boast about in that department.
"Faithfulness" in these days is judged almost solely upon what men disclaim in doctrine or practice. A congregation is deemed "faithful" because it does not support colleges, have a hired minister, contribute to orphan homes, teach in Bible classes, use individual cups, use fermented wine, or expect the Lord Jesus to come before the millennium. It just depends upon what section of the country you may be in, what segment of believers you may be among, or what the latest fight is about. Whatever the current criterion, it will not particularly concern what you believe, but what you do not believe.
A congregation may thus be "faithful" if it is in the doldrums, composed of lazy, indolent, indifferent members, who never talk to a neighbor, distribute a tract, or contribute a cent to support an evangelist in the field, just so long as it does not have a "regular preacher." Its leaders may talk about the Lord's system of mutual ministry, but frequently that is neither mutual nor ministry and the members have to be punched, prodded and programmed before they reluctantly agree to do anything. Yet the church is "faithful" because of what it does not have.
Another congregation may be "faithful" whose members have never supported one aged widow or cared for a single helpless orphan. The members may spend their Lord's Day afternoons driving about in luxurious limousines, attired in the latest fashions, while there are those who languish in hospitals to whom a visit would be like a cool refreshing draught to the spirit. The aged members are neglected, forgotten, and condemned to eke out their days in little cubicles which their old age assistance will cover. No one thinks of taking them for a drive in the country. But the congregation is "faithful" because it does not support orphan homes or homes for the aged.
Now we could run the entire gamut of factions and fractions and the story would be the same. It is not the life of surrender, consecration and closeness to God which is the mark of faithfulness in these days. It is not what you are but what you are not that counts. We do not minimize the necessity of opposition to all evil in faith or practice. It is essential that we stand against what we conceive of as detrimental to the rule of our King. But real Christianity is a positive force. There is a grave danger that we shall conceive of it as wholly negative and thus live helpless and powerless lives.
The divine power provided by the Holy Spirit is not intended to make us always go in reverse. It is not the power of recession but of progression. It is not condemned to be perpetually neutral. It is described as "the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might." It is not the power of retreat but of ongoing. There is no shield for the back of the disciple. He is expected to press the fight and to face the enemy. We are followers of one whose bugle never blew retreat.
I trust that I may be allowed to live until I can see my brethren who love the Christ gain a sufficient degree of courage that they may go anywhere, meet anyone, and contend for the truth under all circumstances. I would like to see them have a knowledge of God's word and the English language, so that they would unhesitatingly pass out a tract, bearing the title: "A church that is Catholic, and composed of protestants and Jews."
The church of God is the only truly Catholic church in the world. The word catholic means "1. Universal or general; affecting mankind as a whole, or affecting what is universal in human interest. 2. Comprehensive in sympathies or understanding, liberal. 3. Of, or pertaining to the church universal, specifically, designating or pertaining to the ancient undivided Christian Church or a church claiming historical continuity from it."
It comes from kata, throughout, and holos, the whole. It consists of all true Christians. There cannot be two "catholic" churches in the same realm at the same time. The church for which our Lord paid with His precious blood embraces within its fold every saved person on the face of this material globe. There is not one such being outside of it. There may be movements within the church as there are within the ocean. But they are not catholic unless they affect every life within the divine fold.
The church for which Jesus gave his life is catholic as pertains to:
1. Scope. Its ambassadors were told to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15). They were instructed to "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations" (Matthew 28:19). The apostle says "Through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about obedience to the faith for the sake of his name among all the nations" (Romans 1:5). Again, "But is now disclosed, and through the prophetic writings is made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God" (Romans 16:26).
2. Nationality. "In every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted of Him" (Acts 10:35). "It is the power of God unto salvation to every one who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16). "But glory and honor and peace for every one who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality" (Rom. 2:10, 11).
3. Social Classes. "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision or uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free" (Col. 3:11). "Whatever good any one does, he will receive the same again from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free" (Ephesians 6:8).
4. Sex. "There is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28). "Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God" (1 Cor. 11:11, 12).
5. Languages. "Thou has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue and people and nation" (Rev. 5:9). "Then I saw another angel flying in midheaven, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people" (Rev. 14:6).
6. Membership. "And the Lord added to their number daily such as were being saved" (Acts 2:47).
One who claims to be a Christian must either be a member of the catholic church of God, or of a sect. The Greek Catholic Church is neither Catholic nor is it the church of God. The Roman Catholic Church is not the church of God. It is a sect; indeed, the mother of many sects. It is Roman, but it is not Catholic. That which makes it Roman keeps it from being catholic. It cannot be provincial and universal at the same time.
Any person who contends for the church with which he is affiliated, yet admits that it is possible for people to be saved outside of the circle of communion which he recognizes, is a member of a sect. The church of God, the body of Christ, is not a sect. It contains every redeemed person from every kindred, tongue, people and nation.
As God looks upon it there is one body (Eph. 4:4). There is only one and can never be another. One can no more create another body than he can make another Holy Spirit. The body is a divine organism and not a human organization. Everyone who has been baptized has been baptized into that one body. Not one has ever been made the member of a denomination. Not one has ever been baptized into a party, either the one of which we are members, or any other. "For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--Jews or Greeks, slaves or free--and all were made to drink of one Spirit."
Jesus is not the head of a party. He is the head over all things for the community of believers, which is his body. That church is catholic. It is the fulness of him who fills all in all. It is the body of Christ. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?" Every person who participates in the body and blood of Jesus is a member of that great catholic, universal, cosmic church. "Because there is one loaf, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the same loaf."
We have splintered the body into fragments. We
have shattered it into particles. We have ripped it into shreds. Yet as God
looks at it, it is one body. Oh, if we but had the vision of God. If we could
just see things as He sees them. If we could just view them as He views them.
What a difference it would make. We need a physician to heal our wounds.
We need a repairer of breaches to mend our breaks. We need to recapture the
concept of the catholic church in the very best sense, and labor to let the
world see it
.
COMPOSED OF PROTESTANTS
A protestant is one who makes or enters a protest. The verb form of "pro" and "testare" is to be a witness. It is a mistake to think that to protest means to be against something. Indeed, the first definition of protest is "to assert; affirm, aver." One makes a protestation of faith in the Messiah when he publicly acknowledges him, for the word means the "act of protesting, or solemnly declaring true, existent, or the like; a public avowal." Any person who makes an affirmation or declares a truth is a protestant. One who is not a protestant in any sense would be in a sad condition.
Of course, a protest is also "an expostulation;
complaint; objection or remonstrance." One who objects to being designated
a protestant proves the designation is correct by his objection. It is not
an uncommon thing to see a man protesting that he is not a
protestant. One thing wrong with members of the church of God in these
days is that not enough of them are protestants. They accept anything that
comes along, submit to being robbed of their rights, privileges and prerogatives
without ever raising a protest. No man can be a true follower of the Christ
without being a protestant. One reason why our Lord was killed was because
he was such a strong protestant.
COMPOSED OF JEWS
Every member of the body of Christ is a real Jew; every real Jew is a member of the body of Christ. This is clearly taught in the New Testament, which also teaches that no one can be a Christian without being circumcised. "In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead" (Col. 2:11, 12). Only those who are thus circumcised are real Jews and in covenant relationship with God.
There are those who claim to be Jews outside the body of Christ, just as there are those who contend they are catholic or protestant outside of it, but the first are not real Jews any more than the others are really catholic or truly protestant. "For he is not a real Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. He is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart, spiritual and not literal" (Rom. 2:28, 29).
Instead of delivering talks on why we are not catholic, protestants, or Jews, why not let the world know we are? I will be happy to see the day come when my brethren will not, through ignorance, surrender perfectly good words to a group who will capitalize and misuse them, but will have the courage to take a positive attitude toward the new covenant religion. I want to see them bold and brave enough to flood the communities with a non-sectarian tract about the church that is catholic, and composed of protestants and real Jews.