[Introductory Note: Inspired wisdom tells us, "That which hath been is that which shall be; and
that which hath been done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun"
(Eccl. 1:9) The situations we face today are very similar to ones faced in past generations. We would all
do well to learn the lessons of history, especially in spiritual matters. Over the next few months, we will
be reprinting several articles written in times past that need to be considered again given the present
circumstances among God's people. The following article is reproduced from the March 1964 issue of
Searching the Scriptures. In it, our beloved brother Phillips ably refutes the false charge that teachers
of truth are the cause of division, showing instead that division is due to the one teaching error and
engaging in practices not authorized by God. Though the false charge and proper defense were penned
40 years ago, see if you can detect a parallel to similar charges being made today. We can do no better
in our age than to answer similar false charges as brother Phillips did with the same directness, clarity,
boldness and love for both man and God.]
We occasionally receive letters instructing us to stop "dividing churches over our opinions" and to "repent of this damaging doctrine" but never do we find one passage of scriptures to prove these evils against us. About one out of fifty letters are of this type. We usually file them and make no reply at all because it is obvious that even the Lord himself could not convince such a prejudice mind. However, in order to get a lesson across we give in full one such letter recently received. In order not to take advantage of the person who wrote it, we shall not give the name.
Dickson, Tenn.
Mar. 9, 1964
Editors:
Do not send another copy of this "hobby-riders" to us. We want no part in this menace of division and church destruction. The writers need to search the scriptures more before they publish such damaging doctrine which is not found in the Bible I read. My aim is to help the growth of the church, not divide it with my opinions. May the Lord help you to see the error of your teaching before too late.
"Do not send another copy..." This is exactly the way Catholics, Methodists, Baptists, etc. do when sent a tract on the plan of salvation as taught in the New Testament. This expresses the strongest type of prejudice. How can one know truth from error if they pre-judge the information before studying it? Of course, we do not send the paper to anyone who requests that it be discontinued. This person received the paper because a friend or relative paid for the subscription.
"We want no part in this menace of division and church destruction." Now, what and who is dividing the church? What causes the trouble? Is it something that is taught in the New Testament, or is it some effort to demand a thing not authorized by Christ? Who divided the church over the instrument of music, the one who opposed it or the one who promoted it? The Christian Church charges that the division resulted from those who opposed the instrument in worship. Did this person cause division by opposing the instrument in worship? The division over institutionalism -- and let us not be naive, there is division -- is caused by those who press upon the church those organizations not once authorized in the word of God. We are not causing division and church destruction because we are not promoting organizations in the church not authorized in the New Testament; we are opposing them!
"The writers need to search the scriptures more before they publish such damaging doctrine which is not found in the Bible I read." I agree that the writers need to search the scriptures more, and we do day by day, but I also suggest that the readers need to do the same. Obviously, this person has done little or no searching because not one single passage is quoted. The "damaging doctrine" which is causing the trouble is not found in the Bible I read either. The only point is that I am opposing this damaging doctrine and this person is in favor of it. That is the whole point! This division is caused by what is not found in the Bible, but we are opposing these innovations and those with the writer of this letter are promoting them, thus causing division in the church.
"My aim is to help the growth of the church, not divide it with my opinions." Help the church grow in which direction, numbers, popularity, financially? Or in spiritual strength? There is a vast difference, you know. This person does not want to divide the church over an opinion. Well, that is exactly what is happening! The entire division today, like that of the Christian Church, is over what the advocates of the doctrine call "opinion." The institutional brethren, most of them, insist that the Bible does not say "How," therefore these institutions are a matter of opinion. These institutions (matters of opinion) are pressed upon the church to the point of dividing it, and then they have the audacity to charge that those who oppose these opinions are causing division. To me these institutions are not maters of opinion; they are violations of the faith once delivered! I will oppose them just as Jesus opposed the traditions of the Pharisees (Matt. 15:1-3).
"May the Lord help you to see the error of your teaching before too late." It would have been much easier to have given the passage from God's work that authorized these innovations and the problem would be solved. This person wants no division over the opinions, but wants us to accept these opinions (institutionalism, centralized control, social gospel, etc) without divine authority, and then wants the Lord to help us "see the error" of our teaching. If we teach only what the New Testament teaches, how can we teach error unless the New Testament teaches error? If the writer of this letter, would take a little time to "Search The Scriptures" to see "whether those things were so," we would have received no such letter as this one. We challenge this writer and every reader of this paper to produce just one passage that authorizes church support for any human institution for any purpose. Otherwise, do not divide the church over opinions that are not authorized in the word of God. I charge that the promoters of these societies for benevolence and evangelism, supported by churches, are the guilty ones in "hobbyriding," creating "this menace of division and church destruction", who "need to search the scriptures more before they publish such damaging doctrine which is not found in the Bible I read."
I am removing this person's name from our mailing list as requested, but I am sending this one copy to that person in order that what I have said may be known. We are not ashamed of what we teach.