Positive and Negative

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     While awaiting my train at the station in Nashville, Tennessee, I looked over the array of religious literature displayed in racks by the various denominations in that 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 unfermented wine, or expect the Lord Jesus to return 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 will not 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

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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 tiny 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 danger that we shall conceive of it as wholly negative and thus live helpless, powerless lives.

     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 is catholic

     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." There cannot be two "catholic" churches in the same realm at the same time. The church for which our Lord paid with his blood embraces within its fold every saved person on the face of this material globe. There is not one such being outside of it. That church 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).
2. Nationality. "In every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness is accepted with him" (Acts 10: 35).
3. Social classes. "There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free" (Col. 3:11).
4. Sex. "There is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal. 3:28).
5. Languages. "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation" (Rev. 5:9).
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 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. 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 is not a sect. It contains every redeemed person from every kindred, tongue, people and nation.

Composed of protestants

A protestant is one who makes or enters a protest. The verb form "protest" is from the Latin "pro" and "testare" to be a witness. It is a mistake to think that to protest one has 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

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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 the 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 protestant. One reason why our Lord was killed was because he was such a strong protestant.

Composed of Jews

     Every member of the church of God is a real Jew; every real Jew is a member of the church of God. 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 church of God, 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!