MAN-MADE CREEDS
The churches of Christ Greet You (Romans
We asked a businessman recently if he ever carried his Bible to
church
with him. He said that he did not, but he did read it at home. We
suggested
to him that when he held his Bible in his hand he was holding the
entire
creed of the churches of Christ. We believe the text of the Bible says
what
it means and means what it says, and that anyone who can read, can read
the
Bible well enough to get its true meaning. Would it not seem unfair and
unnatural
for God to deliver His instructions to mankind in a form that we could
not
easily understand? That thought is absurd. Any religious creed not
found
in the Bible is worthless.
The creed of the Lord's church is found entirely in the New Testament.
The first four books are the four Gospels. They tell of the life and
activities
of Christ, including His teaching and His death on
The book of Acts follows the Gospels and talks about the beginning of
the church and what people did to get into the church. If every person
in the
world had a copy of the Book of Acts, or the Acts of the Apostles (as
it
is sometimes called) in their own language, everyone could know how to
become
a New Testament Christian. There is much teaching plus several examples
on
this point, in the book of Acts.
The balance of the New Testament basically deals with how to live the
Christian life. The book of Revelation is a prophetic book concerning
the church of
the New Testament.
Many books have been written about human creeds of the various
denominational churches. Human creeds are often changed by church
leaders from year to year, but the original text of the Bible is always
the same. Different translations have resulted in the various versions
of the Bible. That is because of difference in scholarship taste. Some
versions are better than others, but God's truth
can be known and understood from any version, by an honest seeker. The
actual original text is constantly unchangeable.
Jesus knew human creeds and private interpretations would come dividing
and segregating people, so He warned, "But in vain do they worship me,
teaching
for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9). Second Peter
Paul wrote, "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the
spirit of man which is in him? Now we have received, not the spirit of
the world,
but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are
freely
given to us of God. Which things also we speak, not in the words which
man's
wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual
things
with spiritual" (1 Cor.
The story is told of a native believer, who wanted to be baptized. When
his teacher, who had given him the Bible, came to him with a small bowl
of
water to baptize him, the native said, "But sir, I cannot get into that
bowl!" No doubt he had read the scripture that baptism is a burial
(immersion),
and not sprinkling (Col. 2:12).
The Holy Spirit gives us this example: "And as they went on their way,
they
came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, see, here is water;
what doth
hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all
thine
heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still:
and they
went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he
baptized
him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the
Lord
caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his
way
rejoicing" (Acts
Again, the Bible says, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were
baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was
raised up from the dead
by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life"
(Romans 6:3-4). We cannot be buried in a small container of water. How
can
a teacher make a mistake like that?
It should be said here that there are many good, honest, sincere,
loving
people everywhere and in every denomination. As important as these good
qualities
are, these traits of character are not the things that save us.
Following
the plain instructions of the Bible is necessary (cf. John 3:3-7;
Romans
The Biblical plan of salvation, as set forth in the Book of Acts of the
Apostles,
cannot be ignored. However, many preachers and evangelists of
world-wide renown
do ignore it because they prefer the doctrines of men. We have never
heard
any of the popular TV and radio evangelists end their sermons as Peter
did
when 3,000 souls were baptized for the remission of their sins in Acts
2:38.
Are these men greater or smarter than Peter? Jesus said men's doctrines
are
vain (Matthew 15:8-9). Also, "Not every one that saith unto me Lord,
Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven: but he that doeth the will of
my Father
which is in heaven" (Matthew
So, if any person tells you just open your heart and receive Jesus
into
your life and you shall be saved, don't believe him! He is a false
teacher!
Nowhere in the Bible is such an offer made! Nowhere in the Bible
is
such a statement made! Only if Jesus said it should you do it! Read the
9th
chapter of Acts. Here Paul asked, "What will thou have me to do, Lord?"
(Acts 9:1-18). When you follow the consequence of the answer, you will
see that
Paul was baptized (Acts 22:3-16). Read also 1 Peter 3:16-21.
It distresses us when some person makes a speech, or writes a book, and
makes some statement far removed from the Bible that could easily
mislead
unlearned souls. In a book, "The Gospel According to Jesus," the author
was discussing Christ's instructions to Nicodemus (John 3:3-7) and then
he states, "This has nothing to do with water baptism; salvation cannot
be accomplished by a bath." In the light of that foolish and
unscriptural statement, read Mark 16:15-16. This author no doubt thinks
that feeding the body is more important
than being immersed in water because Jesus did feed 5,000 men once,
besides
women and children, and another time he fed 4,000, even though he did
not
baptize thousands. Does it mean that because He did not baptize any,
but
He did feed thousands that He was more in favor of feeding than
baptizing?
We suppose he also thought Naaman the Leper did not have a real healing
when
he dipped seven times in the Jordan River (2 Kings 5:1-19). From a
human
point of view, how could dipping in water heal leprosy? From a human
point
of view, how could immersing the body save the soul? It works because
it
is a part of obedience and obedience is what is important (cf. Luke
The book from which we have quoted could not possibly be, "The
Gospel According
to Jesus." It clearly teaches the gospel according to man. Not one
person
in all the New Testament was converted without baptism. No real student
of
the Bible can deny that water baptism by immersion for the remission of
sins
is taught in the Bible (Acts
SALVATION AND ALL OTHER SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS ARE IN CHRIST
(Ephesians
1:3; 2 Timothy
The Bible teaches that men get into Christ by being baptized into Him
(Romans 6:3-4; Galatians
We believe in
There is positively no other way to get into Christ, where all
spiritual blessings are, other than to be baptized into Him (according
to the Bible).
Read books and listen to TV and radio preachers with your Bible open
and
check them out. There are a few good teachers, but many will fill you
with
error if you let them. Do not be deceived because of the cunning
deceptiveness
of human creeds, but rather follow the plain teaching of the Bible.
Read the Bible for yourself. Your preacher may not teach it, but be
honest with yourself even if some preacher is misleading you. If Paul
was baptized
to get rid of his sins, should you not do it also? (Read Acts 22:3-16;
1
Peter 3:18-21). It was said of Jesus, "And being made perfect, he
became
the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews
5:9). Have you obeyed him?
Any doctrine based on a verse or two of scripture may be thought to be
biblical.
However, even Bible verses cannot be used to support a false doctrine
if
that doctrine is in open conflict with other Bible verses and examples.
The Bible teaches there is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism
(Ephesians 4:5). The Bible does not support more than one faith any
more than it supports
more than one Lord.