How Should We Relate to Trinitarians (LONG Article Included)

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>Note:
>
>Jesus didn't "join" the Samaritan woman in worship on the Mountain of
>Samaria; He showed her true worship must be in Spirit and Truth.
>
>We use the instruments that God has supplied us the the labors of human
>beings, just a Paul and the rest of the apostles used the laborous efforts
>of the "blinded" Jews.
>
>Our responsibility is to preach the Truth in love, holding fast to that
>which we've received, lest we let it slip away.
>
>We are to "earnestly contend" for the faith once delivered unto the saints.
>If we offend by the Word of God, let them be offended. If we offend by our
>spirit of pride and selfishness, then we owe an apology.
>
>We cannot "fellowship" and bid "Godspeed" to those that practice false
>worship, that worship not in Spirit and in Truth.
>

Bro. Williams,

I believe we agree. I didn't think I had given the impression that
Jesus told the womean to continue to worship the way she and other
Samaritans had. If I did I apologize. One of the parts of this story I
find most beautiful is that "she left her waterpot" before going to
witness. Her mind was no longer on her old life and her old needs, but
on the new message of Jesus, the Messiah. Likewise in my other example
(Acts 19) the Ephesian disciples didn't stay with the Baptism of
John. If hearts are hungry they will listen, provided we show
ourselves faithful. We cannot tell people to forsake what they have
without offering them something better. Jesus did that with the woman,
Priscilla and Aquila with Apollos, and Paul with the Ephesian
disciples. Even Peter on the Day of Pentecost started out telling
people that what was happening was the fulfillment of a prophecy
directed toward them, before telling them they had murdered the Lord
and Christ.

If one looks at how the early church interacted with Judaism, I
believe one can find many parallels with how our fellowship must
interact with trinitarians. We didn't discover the Truth, our
forefathers simply responded when God restored Truth to His
Church. And many of us like myself continue to respond today when we
hear the message.

The reason I speak this way some times is that I fear we occaisonally
take our eyes off the God who has blessed us and put them onto
ourselves and the blessings WE have as a group. (I am Not saying you
are doing this) I have been guilty of this myself at times.

I might be interested in doing up a follow up article on the subject
if anyone out there thought they might want to read it. (if you do let
me know) There has been a strong burden on my heart lately to get our
message out by any means pooosible. It is not enough to simply keep
our Truth warm and cozy within the walls of our churches, but it must
reach the lost.

Just Thinking,

Frank