Light and Fellowship

W. Carl Ketcherside

[Page 7]

     A good brother, somewhat disturbed by our writings on fellowship, enquires again about 1 John 1:7, "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." Our brother writes, "You say you are opposed to the use of instrumental music, and yet you say you are in fellowship with every sincere baptized believer in Jesus Christ, which would include many who use the instrument. If using the instrument is walking in the light, why are you opposed to it; and if it is not, how can you be in fellowship with those who use it and thus walk in darkness?"

     This type of reasoning is characteristic of many in these days, and deserves consideration. Our brother faces a problem because he does not know the meaning of either "fellowship" or "walking in the light." Fellowship is a state or condition into which we are called by God (1 Cor. 1:9). We come into that state by being immersed into Christ Jesus. We do not enter the fellowship of our Lord by agreement with each other on certain laws regulations, interpretations or practices, but by establishing a covenant relationship with Him. All who are in that covenant relationship are in a partnership of the Spirit, and they are in fellowship because of their relationship to God. Every child of God is my brother.

[Page 8]

     Some of God's children think they can please our Father by employing instruments of music in his public praise. I think they are mistaken. I think they presume too much. But that mistake does not cancel the relationship which was established by being born into the family. They would not become my brethren by ceasing to use the instrument, they did not cease to become my brethren by beginning to use it. They are my brethren because we have the same spiritual father. This is the basis of brotherhood!

     It is evident that fellowship is not endorsement of the position or practice of another. I fellowship many persons who do things I cannot endorse; I endorse many things done by persons with whom I am not in fellowship. I endorse many statements and actions of President Eisenhower, but we are not in a state of spiritual fellowship. I love him and respect him greatly, but I do not consider him as my brother in the Lord. I wish that we were brethren in Christ Jesus.

     John conditions our fellowship with one another on "walking in the light as he is in the light." Those who affirm they have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, lie, and do not tell the truth. What is the light here referred to? Whatever it is we can have no fellowship with each other unless we walk in it, and that to the same degree that God is in it, which means in perfection, for "God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." Darkness is the opposite of light, and whatever the light is in which we must walk to have fellowship with each other, we can make no allowance or apologies for the slightest variation, for we must walk in the light as he is in it, and in him is no darkness at all.

     Obviously, light is here used as a symbol, as it is throughout the revelation of God. It is so used because of its nature or character, which is invariable, but the application may be to various qualities or things. In Psalm 37:6, it is a symbol of righteousness; in Hosea 6:5, of God's judgments; in Matthew 5:16, of good deeds; in John 5:35, of the work of John the Immerser; in 2 Corinthians 4:4, of the gospel.

     It is thought by many that 1 John 1:7 must refer to knowledge of God's will but this cannot be true, for none of us have perfect knowledge. If light, in this instance, is knowledge of the scriptures, and darkness is ignorance of them, then we will never be in fellowship with any one on earth, for none of us will know as much as God, and that is the standard. Neither can light refer to obedience, for that would require perfect obedience without a flaw, as a precedent to fellowship. It is possible that our problem can be resolved if we allow John to tell us what he means by the terms "light" and "darkness."

     Before we do so, let us note a few things relative to 1 John 1:5-7. Light and darkness represent states in which men can walk, for we "walk in darkness" or "we walk in the light." It is possible for men to say they are in fellowship with God, while they walk in darkness. To have fellowship with each other we must walk in the light as God is in the light, that is, to a perfect degree. And whatever the light is, God is that state or condition, for God is light.

     Let us now examine this epistle to determine what states are represented by the terms "light" and "darkness." When we find out what these represent, we will have the true foundation or basis of "fellowship one with another." In 2:9, we read, "He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now." Thus I learn that darkness is a state of hatred for the brethren. If that be true, then, since love is the opposite of hate, as light is of darkness, to be in the light, would be to love the brethren. In 2:10, John says, "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."

     Does this mean that one who hates his brother is "walking in darkness"? Read 2:11, "He that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because

[Page 9]

that darkness has blinded his eyes." But, if God is light, and light is love, would it be correct to say that God is love? Read 4:7, 8: "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God, for God is love."

     How does this tie in with the statement "If we say we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie"? Does this mean that if a man claims to love God while hating his brother, he is a liar? Read 4:20: "If a man say I love God and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen." In other words, "He that loveth him that begot, loveth those who are begotten of him." Our love is based upon a single source of origin. We are all begotten of God!

     The objection may be raised that since God is light and there is no darkness in him, and since we are commanded to walk in the light as he is in the light, this would mean that our love for the brethren must be perfect. That is correct. Read 4:12, "No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us." We have not seen God, but we have seen the manifestation of his love in Jesus (4: 9). If, through Jesus, we begin to love our brethren (all of them), God will dwell in us, and our love will be perfected. "We will walk in the light as he is in the light' 'and this light of fraternal love will produce fellowship one with another which will encourage us to seek the good of each other, in spite of differences.

     We are now ready to note again the query of our brother. "If using the instrument is walking in the light, why are you opposed to it; and, if it is not, how can you be in fellowship with those who use it?" This verse (1 John 1:7) has nothing to do with using instrumental music. Whether or not it is wrong to do so must be determined from other considerations. So far as this passage is concerned one who used the instrument would "walk in the light" if he loved the brethren; and one who opposed its use would "walk in darkness" if he hated the brethren. Walking in light or darkness, as here considered, is not determined by use of or opposition to instrumental music, but by our attitude toward the brethren.

     A recently circulated treatise on fellowship, postulates salvation by legalism, and the very introduction lays down a premise which is fallacious, when the author says, "We would be safe in saying that perfect fellowship can be found only in perfect unity since any difference would make such a fellowship impossible for differences separate not unite." We would not be safe in saying any such thing, but we would be dangerously in error. It is not true that any difference would make such a fellowship impossible. Neither is it true that differences separate us. They only separate those who do not love each other. My beloved wife and I have differences but we do not separate. I have never been in full agreement upon all points of scripture with a single person in this world, but I do not separate from all of them.

     Differences between brethren do not make fellowship impossible! They may make it more difficult to love, but that is a test which love needs to determine its genuineness. There were plenty of differences between brethren in Corinth. Some of them differed so much they went to law against each other. But they constituted the church of God, they were called saints (1 Cor. 1:2); they were in the fellowship of Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor. 1:9); and they were designated "beloved sons" (1 Cor. 4:14); as well as being repeatedly referred to as "brethren." The apostle said, "And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ." Though they were addressed as carnal and as babes, they were also addressed as brethren, and they were babes in Christ!

     Paul did not "withdraw fellowship" from Peter when they had their differences at Antioch. He withstood him to the face because he was worthy of cen-

[Page 10]

sure, but their differences did not make fellowship impossible, unless we have "the apostle to the Gentiles" excluding the "apostle to the circumcision" after the latter had given him "the right hand of fellowship" (Gal. 3:9). Brethren do not separate because they have differences, but because they do not love each other enough to stay together. When a husband and wife separates it is not because they have differences, for then there would be no married couples. They separate because they allow their differences to become more important than their mutual love, so that love is choked out by bitterness and animosity. Small wonder that, beginning with such a fallacy, the author of the treatise should condition salvation on perfection of human works, rather than on grace, and by seeking to debar some from fellowship who are brethren, ends up with a system which will damn us all!

     But back to our original question. I am opposed to instrumental music in the public praise service of the saints of God. I would to God it had never been thrust in over the protest of humble saints. I wish that all of us were big enough to agree to take it out, go back where we were, and start over from there. Then, in many places it would never become a problem again, for we would conquer it by love, since we now know how to treat each other in Christ Jesus. I trust to God that I may live long enough to see the day when, in many communities, the rift will be healed and the breach repaired; when saints of God who have been sundered and separated for decades may meet together with tears of happiness and mingle their voices once more in joint offerings of praise.

     But, whether that day comes in my brief span of life, or whether we are destined to walk the sad and dreary road of suspicion and division unto its bitter end, thus paying the uttermost farthing of shame and sorrow for the heritage of schism received from our fathers, I shall still love my brethren--all of them--not merely in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. I shall go among them in love. I will not compromise my convictions, but I will walk in the light of love, so that it may be said, "He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him."