00A.15 CHAPTER XII.—Christ’s Bride—The Church

CHAPTER XII CHRIST’S BRIDE: THE CHURCH The subject that has been announced for this hour is, “The Bride of Christ,” and the first scripture that I bring to your attention is from the fifth chapter of Ephesians, beginning at the 22nd verse:

Wives, be in subjection unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the saviour of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, sc let the wives also be to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, oven as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself up for it; that he might sanctify it, having leansed it by the washing of water with the word, that he might present the church to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Even so ought husbands also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his own wife loveth himself: for no man ever hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as Christ also the church; because we are members of his body. For this pause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is great but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church. Nevertheless do ye also severally love each one his own wife even as himself; and let the wife see that she fear her husband,

You notice that the Apostle Paul here uses the relationship that exists between the husband and wife to illustrate the relationship that exists between Christ and the church. Or rather he reverses the order. He uses the relationship that exists between Christ and the church to teach husbands and wives how they should behave toward each other.

First of all, the husband is the head of the wife, and the wife is in subjection to the husband, just as Christ is the head of the church and the church in subjection to Christ. Next, husbands are to love their wives as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for it. Also the husband and the wife become one flesh. Paul says, “This mystery is great: but I speak in regard of Christ and of the church.” That is sufficient to show you that Paul, by a figure of speech, uses the marriage ties to represent the relationship that exists between Christ and the church. And this may for the present exhaust the figure of speech. However this is not the only passage in which the figure is used. In the seventh chapter of Romans we have this language: For the woman that hath a husband is bound by law to the husband while he liveth; but if the husband die, she is discharged from the law of the husband So then if, while the husband liveth, she be joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if the husband die, she is free from the law, so that she is no adulteress, though she be joined to another man. Wherefore, my brethren, ye also were made dead to the law through the body of Christ; that ye should be joined to another, even to him who was raised from the dead, that we might bring forth fruit unto God. (Romans 7:2-6.) Here is the same figure of speech. Christians are said to be joined or married to Christ.

Again, in the eleventh chapter of 2 Corinthians we have another example; For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. (2 Corinthians 11:2.) The same figure of speech is carried through the New Testament. In the twenty-first chapter of Revelation, the angel said to John:

Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. (Revelation 21:9.) This figure of speech is used in the Old Testament also. Even under the old covenant God’s people were represented as married to God and when they proved unfaithful to God they were represented as breaking the marriage vows. Likewise the church of the Lord Jesus Christ, being the bride of Christ, is called upon to wear his name and to place all her affections upon him. She must not lust after the things of the world and thus prove untrue to Christ.

What a tremendous appeal there is, therefore, in this figure of speech for the purity of the church! She must be kept free from worldliness. She must ever be a holy church without spot, wrinkle, blemish or any such thing. She must not only be free from worldliness, but she must not disregard Christ’s laws and teach the doctrines and commandments of men. She is to be a holy church— yea—a glorious church! But as another conclusion from this figure of speech, men ought to be made to respect the church with a reverential regard that no other illustration could inspire. For what man is there who would not resent an insult to his bride more quickly than he would to himself ? And what man would speak disparagingly of his friend’s wife ? Even if a man did not respect the woman for her own sake, if he respects the man whose name she wears he would not speak disparagingly of her. This is a rule that is so well known among men that it is not necessary to empliasize it.

Then does it not seem strange that men will speak disparagingly of the bride of Christ, which is the church, as we have seen? But they do. It is nothing unusual to hear men say, “There is nothing in the church. It doesn’t matter about the church. You do not need to give any consideration to the church”, etc. But Christ loved the church more than any human being could love his bride. He gave himself up for it. He sanctified it and presents it to himself as a holy and a glorious bride. Can you say there is nothing in that institution ? 

We may leave this bride figure of speech and find many plain, literal statements of scripture that prove that the church is sacred and important. Let me call your attention to a few of these statements. First, take the language of our Savior in Matthew 16:13-19 :

Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying,Who do men say that the Son of man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist; some, Elijah; and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But who say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth Shall be loosed in heaven.

Here, my friends. Jesus expressed the determination to build a church and he declared that the gates of Hades should not prevail against it. It would stand through all the storms and tempests of time. All the powers of the infernal world can not overthrow it or prevail against it, (The “it” here refers to the church, not to the building of it. You can not make a verb the antecedent of a pronoun. Moreover, when the church is referred to as a kingdom it is said to be “everlasting” and “unshakable” or immovable. Daniel 2:44; Hebrews 12:28. Then why try to make this expression mean something else? Something ungrammatical, unnatural and unscriptural ?

If, therefore, the church can not be overthrown it must be a divine and worthy institution. Why say there is nothing in it? But let us hear other statements about the church. To the elders of the congregation at Ephesus Paul said

Tako heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. (Acts 20:28.)

We usually judge the value of a thing by’the price we pay for it: by its cost. On that basis what is the value of the^church? Christ bought it with his blood! But hear Paul again: To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly place might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Ephesians 3:10.) The manifold wisdom of God to be made known through the church!

Again:

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in ue, unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen. (Ephesians 3:20.) Unto God be glory in the church! But one more passage:

What the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according tc that working of the strength of his might which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, anu made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, and authority, and power, and minion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: and he put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave lim to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:19-23.) Now, let us see what we have learned from all these references.

It is in the church that the manifold wisdom of God is made known.

It is in the church that the glory is given unto God throughout the ages, world without end.

It is in the church that we find the fullness of him that filleth all in all.

It is in the church that we find that Christ, who is the Head over all things, is Head over the church.

Surely it is enough in reference to the importance of this church to know that it is the bride of Christ, that it is founded upon a rock, that it will stand forever, that it is bought with the blood of Christ, that it is the fullness of him that filleth all in all, that it is through the church that the manifold wisdom of God is to be made known, that it is in the church, in Christ Jesus, that the glory is to be given unto God from generation throughout all the ages forever. Amen. For our next point, I wish to remind you that the word church is singular in all these references. And is always singular in the Bible, except where it is used to designate local churches or congregations, as the churches of Galatia or the churches of Judea or the seven churches of Asia, meaning the congregations within those provinces. And in the last inenlioned country the names of the towns where these churches were located are given. Paul established these churches in Asia and Galatia and of course we all know he did not establish a Mormon church at Ephesus and a Campbellite church at Smyrna and a Catholic church at Laodicea. No one, I am sure, would accuse Paul of doing a thing like that. These were therefore all churches of Christ.

Even if the word church were not always singular when it refers to the body of Christ, since it is the bride of Christ, how many churches would you suppose Christ bought with his blood? How many brides has he? How many would you say, as a rough guess ? Of course I don’t expect you to be accurate, but what is your best guess? Jesting aside, I know what you would say of course. You would not accuse Christ of being a polygamist. Even a modernist wouldn’t do that. Therefore Christ has only one bride—one church.

Now we are up to the point where some of you are getting uneasy. We are ready for the question at which many people gel scared. But let us face it boldly regardless of cost. Here it is:

What church is that one church that is the bride of Christ?

Some one says, “Aren’t you afraid to face that question?” No, sir—not at all. Why, bless your heart, I want to be in it—that church that is founded on the rock that is going to stand through all time, that church which is the bride of Christ, to stand glorified by his side on the great day of all days, I want to be in that church. I am not afraid to ask the question, and try to find the answer—what church is that church? Don’t you want to be in it? Surely you do. “Well,” says some one, “that is a hard question.” Yes, if you look at it one way, it is a hard question. If we had to examine the claims of all the denominations and try to select from among them one that we could say is truly the bride of Christ, we would have an endless task and a very unpleasant one. But we are not going to attempt that. The fact is, we are not .going to discuss the claims of the respective denominations of today. We are not going to call the name of a single denomination, except we will use the word “Campbellite” once or twice to clear up a question that came to me through the mail in reference to the Campbellites and the Campbellite church. We will use that, but we are not going to name any other denomination.

Now, if I had to start out tonight to consider the claims of the different denominations of earth and choose from among them the one I wanted to belong to, I would be puzzled and discouraged, for right now, personally— I will say it from my heart—I don’t have any choice between them. If I were forced to join one of them I wouldn’t have any choice, and I don’t know which one I would select. If I were forced to find out which one of these denominations teaches the most truth, for all of them teach some truth, of course, I would give up. I doubt not that every denomination beneath the sky teaches some truth, even the heathen religions, Confucianism, Shintiosm, Zoroastrianism, and Bhuddism, all teach truth. So I have no doubt in the world that all the Protestant denominations, and the Catholics as well, both Greek and Roman, teach some truth. I know they do, but now which one teaches the most truth, I don’t know, for the simple reason I am not acquainted with all their doctrines. But I am thankful to God, dear friends, that I do not have to know about these denominational claims and questions in order to answer the question we are studying. I am thankful that as a preacher of the gospel I can come to you with a simple answer to that question— What church is the New Testament church—and never mention any denomination on the earth. But some of you are saying in your hearts: “Oh, of course, he is going to say that his church is that one church.” But you are mistaken, my friends. I am not’ talking about my church. I am not talking about any denomination—yours or mine or anybodv else’s. The church of Christ is not a denomination presided over by men and with earthly headquarters. When I talk about the church of Christ, I am not talking about my church. If you have that in your mind let me disabuse you of that at once—I am not talking about my church any more than I am talking about yours. I am not talking about the Campbellitesf and if there is a denomination in the world named “The Church of Christ”, I am not talking about that. I am not talking about any denomination, and if there should be a denomination named the “Church of God”, I am not talking about that.

I am talking about the church that the Lord referred to when he said, “Upon this rock I will build my church”; the church that the Lord bought with his blood, the church that was read about in these scriptural references—tliat is what I am talking about. So get it out of your mind that I am talking about your church, or my church, and that I am going to try to show that my church is that one church— no, sir. I am not talking about any denomination under heaven—I am just talking about that, whatever it is, and wliatever it means. Now, just in the simplest possible way we are going to find out how we may know without a doubt that we are in that church, and then when we find out that we are in that church, members of that body, that church, that bride, we needn’t be concerned about anything further with reference to the church, or church relationship—that will settle that. Can we find it out? I think we can.

Now, I wish it were possible, for you and me to forget that we had ever heard the word “church” until tonight. Just let us suppose that we never heard the word “church” in our lives, never saw it in print, never saw any institution called a church, but that we came here and read tonight these scriptures that speak of something and call it a church and say it is founded upon a rock, that it was purchased by the blood of Christ, that it is the bride of Christ, and all of these other things that we have presented, naturally we have become interested and desire to find out about that church, where it is, is it in the earth today? If so, can I find it? If so, can I become a member of it? In order to answer that question—dismissing all denominations and all churches, forgetting we ever heard the word church until tonight— let us come to study the Bible in the simplest sort of way. We are going to summarize the entire New Testament right now—we will give in summary, or epitome, the entire New Testament.

First, there are four books called the gospels. These gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These all tell the same story. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story of the birth of Christ, his life, death, burial and resurrection, then the great commission—the sending out of the disciples to all the world with the gospel story. Then we come to the fifth book. This book is called the Acts of the Apostles. Now, the word “Acts” means the deeds or the doings of the apostles, hence in that book we have a history of how the apostles acted under the guidance, of the Holy Spirit. In that book we see them executing the great commission. We see them making disciples, therefore the book of Acts may correctly be called the book of conversions. It tells how people became Christians under the preaching of the apostles.

Leaving the book of Acts and passing on through the New Testament, we come next to twenty-one books called Epistles—beginning with Romans and concluding with Jude. These Epistles were written to Christians to tell them how to live the Christian life. Some of them were written to churches or congregations of Christians, while others were written to individual Christians. But they were all written for the purpose of telling men “how they ought to behave in the house of God, which is the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15). The last book in the Bible tells of the home of the soul. There are many things in the book but we will let that answer as a summary.

There is the New Testament. Four books tell us of the life of Christ on earth. One book tells us how people become Christians, twenty-one books tell us how people should live Christian lives, and one book tells us the home of the soul. You say, “Well, take the one book—how to find out how to become members of the church, that would be sufficient”, but we are going to take four, and run through them, and then follow into the fifth book, and the point will be so clear that these children will understand it.

Matthew, He tells us of the birth of Christ. He tells us of the life of Christ. He tells us of the death of Christ on the cross. He tells us of the burial of Christ. He tells us of his resurrection. And then after Christ was raised from the dead, he said to his disciples:

All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth. "Go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations, oaptizing them into the nan>-> of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:18-20.)

Jesus told them to go forth and make disciples, baptizing them,- in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all tilings whatsoever he had commanded them.

He did not say “Go forth and ask somebody to join the church”. That expression is never found in the Bible anywhere, but he did tell them to go and make disciples, and then teach these disciples to observe all things whatsoever he had commanded them. I just wonder if when people were made disciples and then as disciples they were taught to observe all that Christ commanded—I just wonder if that made them members of any church, and if so, what church. If that made them members of the church that he founded on the rock, why wouldn’t the same thing make us members of the same church tonight? Now, we come to Mark. What does Mark tell? Mark tells the same story of the birth of Christ, the life of Christ, the death of Christ, the burial of Christ in the tomb, the resurrection of Christ from the tomb, and the great commission, and Mark said that he said to his disciples:

Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned. (Mark 16:16.)

He told them to go forth and preach the gospel. He didn’t tell them to go and ask anybody to join the church, but he told them to go forth and preach the gospel and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. But when these people believed and were baptized, and therefore saved, I wonder if that made them members of a church. But for the present we will just wonder. So we come to Luke. Luke tells us of the birth of Christ, the life of Christ on the earth, the burial of Christ in the tomb, the resurrection of Christ, and the great commission, the sending forth of the disciples with the gospel proclamation, and here is the way Luke says he said it: And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:46-47.)

Here he commanded his disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit, and then to preach repentance and remission of sins in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He didn’t tell them to go forth and ask anybody to join the church. But when people received the remission of their sins I wonder if they became members of any church, and if so, what church? But for the present we will just wonder.

Now, we come to the next book. The next book is the book of John, and John goes back a little further than the others. He goes hack to the time when Christ was with God in the beginning of the creation of all things, and then he says this Christ that existed with God in the beginning became flesh or was bom. Thus he tells us of the birth of Christ, the life of Christ on the earth, the death of Christ, the burial of Christ in the tomb, the resurrection of Christ, and the great commission, and here is the way John expresses it:

Then said Jesus unto them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. Ana when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit: Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained. (John 20:20-23.) Which was equal to saying, “When the Holy Spirit comes upon you, when you receive the Spirit as you will do in Jerusalem, then beginning at Jerusalem, preach repentance and remission of sins in my name”. He didn’t tell them to ask people to join the church. That expression does not appear in the Bible, but he did tell them to proclaim salvation, and preach remission of sins in his name, when the Holy Spirit came.

Now, we turn to the fifth book to see whether or not these disciples did go forth and make disciples, did go forth and preach salvation. In the first chapter of Acts we find Jesus again assembled with them, and he gave them charge that they were not to depart out of Jerusalem until they received the promise from the Father; for he said, “John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days hence.” They were therefore waiting for the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit came they were to go forth and preach the gospel to every creature. The very next chapter tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit, and when the Holy Spirit came upon these apostles They were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues as the spirit gave them utterance. Then from the fifth verse to the fourteenth verse we are told that the multitude of Jews who were in Jerusalem celebrating Pentecost came together and were confounded because they heard these spirit baptized men speaking with tongues that they could all understand— seventeen nations of them—and they were amazed at that, marvelled at it, and some of them mocked and said, “These men are full of new wine”. That is down to the fourteenth verse. Then, beginning at the fourteenth verse, Peter, one of these witnesses of the Lord, stood up and preached to that multitude, and you find his sermon given from the fourteenth to the thirty-sixth verse, and in those verses he proves to them that this was the Holy Spirit and not wine; and he said to them, “You crucified God’s Son, the Christ, and God raised him from the dead, according to the prophecy of David, and he is now exalted at God’s right hand, and has received the promise of the Holy Spirit”, and when they heard that—that they had crucified the Christ, the Son of God, and that he was now made God and Christ— they were pricked in their hearts, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” The thirty-eighth verse says that Peter said to them,

"Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

He didn’t say "join the church”, but he told them to repent of their sins and to be baptized in the name of Christ for the remission of sin, and they should receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. When they had received the Holy Spirit, I wonder if they were members of any church, and if so, what church! If that made them members of the church which Christ founded on the rock, which he purchased with his blood, which he cleansed, and presents to himself as a bride, why would not the same thing make you a member of the same church tonight? It would. Is there anything said about their joining the church? No, sir. That expression is not found in the Bible. And what did they do? “They that gladly received his word were baptized, and there were added”—not ‘‘unto them” —those words are not in the Greek—not in the Revision —“there were added”—that is, brought together, banded together, “about three thousand souls.” And then what did they do? “They continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

I wonder if they were members of any church? If hearing the gospel, believing the gospel, repenting of sins, being baptized in the name of Christ—if that made them members of the church, why wouldn’t the same thing make you a member of the same church now ? That is the beginning day. That is the day the Holy Spirit came. That is the time they began to preach repentance and remission of sins.

Now, the word “church” is from the Greek word “ecclesia”. It is really two Greek words. One is “ec”, and always means “out of”, and the other is “clesia”, which means “called”, therefore we have the word “ecclesia”, meaning “called out”—and who were called out ? Those who obeyed the gospel They were banded together in Christian love, hence these who were called out, or called together out of the world constituted the church*

Then read on through the rest of the chapter. The last verse says, “And the Lord added to the church day after day”—or daily—“those that were being saved”— added to what? To the church. He added those that day together, and then day after day, as people were being saved—saved by the gospel, repenting, and being baptized in the name of Christ—God added them to the church, and that is all they had to do. If people will hear the gospel today, and obey the gospel today, God adds them to the church, and you couldn’t help it to save your life; hence, when you obey the gospel that makes you what God wants you to be—he adds you to the church and he doesn’t add you to the wrong one—you need not be afraid of that.

Two or three other scriptures and we will close. Turn to the eighth chapter of Acts.

Here we find Philip, an inspired evangelist, going down to the town of Samaria, and when he reaches Samaria he preaches Christ, and when the people heard him preaching, what was the result? Here it is:

Now when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, in the name of Christ they were baptized, both men and women.

It doesn’t say that they “joined" any church. That expression is never found in the Bible. Now, I wonder if that made them members of any church, and if so, what church, and if that made them members of the church that Christ founded on the rock, that he purchased with his blood, that he cleanses and presents to himself as a bride, why wouldn’t the same thing make you a mem ber of the same church now? That is all that is said about it then, and that is all they did. Did that make them members of the church, and if so, would the same thing make you a member of the same church now? It would, beloved, without doubt. This time we turn to the eighteenth chapter of Acts, eighth verse. We find Paul at Corinth, and he entered into the synagogue and preached, and Crispus, the chief" ruler of the synagogue, believed, and as a result of his preaching many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized. Paul preached at Corinth. He preached the gospel at Corinth. People heard the gospel at Corinth. They were baptized at Corinth. It doesn’t say a word about their joining any church. But when they heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and were baptized, I wonder if that made them members of any church, and if so, what church. If that made them members of the church that Christ founded upon the rock, that he purchased with his blood, that he presents to himself as a bride, why wouldn’t the same thing make you a member of the same church now? It would. Did that make them members of the church? Let’s see. There is not one single mention of their joining the church—that is not in the Bible. What did they do? They heard, they believed, and were baptized—that is all they. did. What did that do for them? It made them members of the church. What church did it make them members of? It made them members of the church of God. Paul wrote to these people at Corinth who had heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and were baptized, and he addresses them this way:

Paul called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ tlirough the will of Cod, and Sosthenes, our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth. If people in Fort Worth, Texas, hear the gospel, believe the gospel, and are baptized in the name of Christ, why wouldn’t that constitute those who heard the gospel, believed the gospel, and were baptized in the name of Christ here in Fort Worth, the church of God at Fort Worth? It would, beloved—no doubt about it.

Then, my friends, what church did that make them members of? The church of God. Now, if a man does those things today, would it make him a member of the Campbellite church? It couldn’t possibly do it, because if there is a Campbellite church in the world now, it wasn’t here then.

Alexander Campbell died less than a hundred years ago, hence if Alexander Campbell founded a church, which he didn’t—I will say that to his credit and in honor to his memory—but if he did, these things wouldn’t make you a member of it. You would have to get to be a member of it some other way. You would have to find out what that church teaches, then be received into its communion, and certainly, if somebody has done that, he may be a Campbellite. But these people in the days of Paul, and Peter, and Philip didn’t become Campbellites—that is a foregone conclusion. So if you do exactly what they did that does not make you a Campbellite—it makes you exactly what it made them. This point is clear enough and I have preached long enough, but if you will bear with me a few minutes longer I wish to tell you a story that will illustrate the lesson and fix it in your minds. This is a true occurrence. I hope you will not think it a personal story—it is only an effort that I made once to get a good man to see the lesson I am endeavoring to teach here tonight. This is therefore the story of a conversation between a preacher of a denomination and me. That preacher might not appreciate my using his name and allowing it to go into the book, and for that reason I shall speak of him as Brother Blank. In every other respect the story is accurate in all details—time, place and language. I will report it as nearly in dialogue form as I can.

About fifteen years ago I was sitting in the Y. M. C. A. budding in Chattanooga, Tennessee, talking with one of the pastors of that city, who was also one of my good friends. We fell to discussing religious conditions of the world, when he said:

“Bro. Brewer, I hope and pray that the time will come when we will not.be divided into warring parties, but all be one great Christian body. One Lord and one people.”

BREWER: “Yes, I pray for that time to come also Christ prayed for that. Paul prayed for it, and it seems to me that any man who loves the Lord and the souls of men more than he loves his creed or his party would pray that same prayer.”

BRO. BLANK : “Well, here is how anxious I am to see us all united: I would be willing for my denomination to be lost in the merger; to be swallowed up and lose its name and its identity and become a disappearing brotherhood in the mighty meeting together.”

BREWER : “I thank God for that, Bro. Blank. If we all had that spirit we would soon see our prayers answered. It is the party spirit that keeps us divided. Each man fighting for his party—his peculiar doctrine ”

BRO. BLANK: “Yes, of course that is true. Pardon me, but would you be willing for that in reference to your Church, Bro. Brewer ?”

BREWER : “Would I give up any party name or doctrine in order for us all to be united? Well, if I know my heart I would.”

BRO. BLANK: “Would your brethren be willing to do that?”

BREWER : “Why, that is our plea!”

BRO. BLANK: “I know you people plead for unity, but I had the impression that you want everybody to agree with you. That at least some of your people are the most partisan people in the world—the worst sectarians.”

BREWER: “Of course I can not deny that we have sectarians among us. We have some who are as bad as any in the world. You know people can plead for the truth in a sectarian spirit. But surely there is such a thing as being a Christian, a child of God, without being a sectarian of any kind. That is what we endeavor to be. There is one point that I must explain. Bro. Blank, When you asked me if I would be willing to see my church lose its identity and its name in the great coming together, of course you were thinking of a denomination. Now, I have an advantage of you in that respect, Bro. 

Blank, in that I do not belong to any denomination. Therefore I have no denominational name or creed to give up.”

BRO. BLANK: “I knew you made that claim, but I think you are wrong. At least I can not see why you are not. I can not see how a man who is as sincere and intelligent as you are can make himself believe that the church you belong to is not as much a denomination as the one I belong to. I know I can speak frankly to you, as we are friends, and that is just my feeling on that point.”

BREWER: “Of course you may speak frankly to me. I know, too, that you do feel lust as you have spoken, but I think you have not seen this question from my view point. You have allowed some quibbling brother with a ranting, ‘sputin’ ’ spirit to give you the wrong impression.”

BRO. BLANK: “Perhaps that is it. At least, I can not see why you do not have a denomination to give up as much as I have.”

BREWER: “TO illustrate, Bro. Blank, I claim to be a Christian and you claim to be a Christian. That name is common, then that name would not have to be gdven up in our efforts to unite. You wear in addition to our common name, a denominational name: a name peculiar to your people; that is the one you will have to give up. I wear no denominational name. Do you see?”

BRO. BLANK : “Well, I admit that the name is common, but I think you can use a scriptural name in a sectarian sense. I think you can give a Bible name to a human organization.”

BREWER: “Of course you can, but the name is right even if wrongly used, and we ought never to sectarianizc a scripture name or doctrine either.”

BRO. BLANK: “Honestly, that seems to me to be the very thing you do, for I must still say I can not see that you are not a member of a denomination.”

BREWER : “I believe I can prove to you that I am not, if you will permit me.”

BRO. BLANK : “Yes, go on, I want to see your viewpoint.”

BREWER: “Well, Bro. Blank, I have never joined any denomination, and if I am in one I don’t know when or how I got there and I certainly didn’t intend to get there at all.

“Some years ago when I was in my teens I heard a man preaching the gospel. He said he was not trying to get people to join any denomination, but that he was anxious to get them to become and be Christians by simply believing and obeying the gospel. I was not a Christian at that time, but I wanted to be and as I did not know yet what denomination I wanted to join, that proposition attracted me. I decided I would just become a Christian on the Lord’s own terms. Therefore I went forward one night and stood up before that audience and confessed that I believed with all my heart that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Bro. Blank, was that a denominational doctrine, and did that make me a member of some denomination?”

BRO. BLANK: “NO, faith in Christ is not a sectarian doctrine. We all believe that.”

BREWER: “Exactly. Well, I repented of my sins, genuinely and sincerely. I didn’t think I would ever sin again. Is repentance a denominational doctrine? Did that put me into a religious party?”

BRO. BLANK: “No, that is common also.”

BREWER: “Yes. Then I was buried with my Lord in baptism in the name of the Father and of the S’on and of the Holy Spirit. Was that a denominational doctrine, and did that put me into a party ?”

BRO. BLANK: “Well,you know we differ on baptism and there is no need to argue.”

BREWER; “NO argument intended on baptism, Bro.Blank. Yes, we do differ on baptism, but that doesn’t affect my question. We all know the Lord did tell his disciples to baptize people in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And I think you will agree that my immersion in the Tennessee River in those solemn names met the requirement. Will you not say that satisfied that command?”

BRO. BLANK: “Oh, yes, I think so.”

BREWER: “Then did that put me into a religious denomination ?”

BRO. BLANK: “Well, it depends upon who baptized you, by what authority and for what purpose.”

BREWER: “I was baptized by a preacher of the gospel, by the authority of the Lord and for the purpose of obtaining his blessings. Bro. Blank, do you think I am a Christian ?”

BRO. BLANK: “Oh, yes, I think you are a real Christian.”

BREWER: “Thank you. Do you think I am a member of your denomination?”

BRO. BLANK : “No, you are not in our fold.”

BREWER: “What would I have to do to get in?”

BRO. BLANK: “Well, you would have to consent to be one of us first and then we would receive you according to our rules or our custom.”

BREWER: “Yes, of course. But note that is what I have never done. I have never been received into any denomination. Therefore I am a member of none. Do yob see it?”

BRO. BLANK: “Well, that presents your case in a pretty plausible light, but still I fear you have made denominational doctrines of which you are not aware, perhaps.”

BREWER: “What were the followers of Christ in the years and centuries before these present-day denominations were established?”

BRO. BLANK: “They were children of God, followers of Christ and by their enemies called Christians.”

BREWER : “Can we not be what they were and nothing more? Bro. Blank, suppose you were sitting out here on the side of Lookout Mountain above Blowing Springs one of these beautiful days, and as you sit there enjoying the scenery you chance to look up the road and your attention is attracted by a buggy that is approaching. You watch that buggy and as it draws nearer you observe that two men are in it. They have a Bible and one of them seems to be preaching to the other. You can not hear what he is saying, but as he shouts out a little louder on one point you catch the word ‘Jesus’ and you know he is not a Jew or a Unitarian, for he is preaching Jesus. But that is all you hear until they come up to the stream of water that crosses the road there beneath you. When they get there they stop to let the horses drink, and you hear the driver say to the preacher: ‘Why may I not be baptized right here and now in this water?’ You hear the preacher reply: ‘Well, if you believe, with all your heart you may."

“The driver answers: ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’

“Then without another word they both get out of the buggy and wade down into the water and the preacher baptizes him. Then you see them come up out of the water and you see the driver get into his buggy and go off down the road singing and shouting. Now, Bro. Blank, suppose that should happen tomorrow under your eyes out here on our road, what sort of preacher would you say that preacher was and what church would you say that driver became a member of ?”

BRO. BLANK (smiling): “Why, Brewer, I would know he was one of your kind ?”

BREWER: “Very well, then are you ready to admit that the inspired Philip was one of my kind’ Of course you know that was the story of Philip and the enunch brought up to date. Was Philip one of my kind?”

BRO. BLANK: “I am inclined to believe he was.”

BREWER: “Thank you, Bro. Blank. But let me ask you to reverse the order. Instead of saying that Philip was one of my kind, just please say that I am one of Philip’s kind.”

Here endeth this lesson, my brethren. Why can we not all return to the New Testament and be Philip’s kind? Christians, disciples, children of God, sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty, is that not enough?

Now, friends, is that clear? Did that make that eunuch a Camphellite? Why, a thousand times no! Would that make you a Campbellite? Certainly, it would not. What would it make you? It would make you a Christian, a disciple of Christ, a Son of God, a member of the blood-bought, blood-washed church of Christ, which will stand throughout the ages, and at last shall be presented as the bride of Christ, cleansed and glorified, and there and then when all the ransomed church of God are saved to sin no more, we will walk the streets of the New Jerusalem and dwell with God in the home of the soul forever. (Invitation not reported.)