Brothers in Christ

• Messages sorted by:[ date ][ thread ][ subject ][ author ]

> >  Bro.  Starcher:

> >  As Apostolics we can treat other
> > Christians with dignity and respect by acknowledging their faith in
> > Christ and Christian experience while sharing our distinctive
> Apostolic
> > beliefs.


> >  Mike Reed:

> >  I know we have been through this before, but since you have not
> trouble
> > bringing it up again, I have no trouble acknowledging your error.
> There are
> > no "other Christians."  They worship a trinity, a false image of
> God.
> > Christians do not worship false images.  Having a live faith in a
> dead God is
> > tantamount to having a dead faith in a live God, with either you
> will come up
> > short on Judgment Day.

> >  While I have no problem with treating anyone with respect (Hindus,
> Buddhists,
> > and Atheists included) I cannot lend credence to there doctrines by
> > considering them "other Christians."

> >Brother Clifton:

> I agree, I can treat them well and with respect but they are not my
> brethern. I do
> a great deal of doctrinal discussion in my life and in email. I have
> many friends
> that do not have life faith and I pray for them I talk to them and
> witness to
> them...but I fear they are not saved...they beleive the lie that the
> religious
> world portrays.

Who are our Brothers in Christ?  According to Brothers Reed and Clifton
only those Christians who are in complete doctrinal agreement with their
understanding of Apostolic theology should be called "Brothers".  For
them, using this designation implies acceptance of doctrinal beliefs and
lifestyles which are contrary to Scripture.  In this brief excursus I
would like to examine Paul's use of the term Brothers in the epistle to
the Galatians and see if his usage is consistent with the understandings
of my BROTHERS in Christ, Reed and Clifton.

Paul writes to the "churches" in Galatia (Gal 1:2).  The fact that Paul
is writing his epistle to churches is routinely overlooked by
Apostolics.  The church is the body of Christ comprised of those who
have experienced salvation.  To say that there are churches in Galatia
implies that there are Christians who through faith have established a
relationship with Christ.  Paul's epistle is addressed to these
Christians, to correct and strengthen their faith.

The Galatians were having great difficulty with their Christian  faith.
Paul is astonished that the Galatians are so quickly deserting the one
who called them by the grace of God and are turning to a different
Gospel (Gal 1:6). The Galatians were being influenced by false teachers
who were preaching "another Gospel" (Gal 1:6).  Paul firmly condemns
this false gospel (Gal 1:9), while affirming the Christian faith of the
Galatians. The Galatians, those who are following after the false
teachers are still his BROTHERS (Gal 1:11).

According to Paul the Galatians have been "bewitched" (Gal 3:1).  They
have accepted "another Gospel" and now believe that they are justified
before God by the works of the law and not by their faith in Jesus
Christ (Gal 2:15-16; 3:1-5).  But Paul, in admonishing them for their
false beliefs, still chooses to refer to them as his BROTHERS (Gal
3:15).

Paul's concern for the Galatians is that they are turning back to the
"weak and miserable principles" of the law and becoming "enslaved by
them all over again" (Gal 4:9-10).  So exasperated is Paul by the
falling away from the Christian faith of the Galatians that he fears
that he has "wasted" his efforts on them (Gal 4:11).  Yet, even though
the Galatians are falling away Paul addresses them as his BROTHERS (Gal
4:12).  He calls hem his BROTHERS even though it seems he has now become
their enemy "by telling them the truth" (Gal 4:16).

The Galatians are still Paul's "children" for whom he  is "again in the
pains of childbirth" until Christ is formed in them (Gal 4:19).  They
are his BROTHERS, who, like Isaac, are children of promise (Gal 4:28). 
The Galatians need to experience afresh the freedom of Jesus Christ.  As
Paul's BROTHERS in Christ they need to be reminded that "they are not
children of the slave woman, but of the free women" (Gal 4:31).

Galatians 5:1 provides the crux of Paul's message to the Gelatins: "It
is for freedom that Christ has set us free.  Stand firm, then, and do
not let yourself be burdened again by a yoke of slavery".  Paul reminds
the Galatians that they were once running a "good race" but now have
allowed false teachers to "cut in" on them and keep them from "obeying
the  truth" (Gal 5:7).  Paul reminds them that they are his BROTHERS
"called to be free" and urges them  not to use their freedom "to indulge
the sinful nature" but rather to "serve one another in love" (Gal
5:13,14).

Paul reminds his Galatian BROTHERS in Christ of the need for
reconciliation in their churches.  When someone is caught in sin those
"who are spiritual should restore him gently" (Gal 6:1).  They are to
"carry each other's burdens" and in this way "fulfill the law of
Christ"  (Gal 6:2).  The Galatians are admonished "not to grow weary in
doing good" and to do good to all people "especially to those who belong
to the family of believers" (Gal 6:9,10).

Paul closes his epistle with a prayer; "The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you spirit, BROTHERS. Amen"  (Gal 6:18).

Throughout the epistle to the Galatians Paul has no reluctance in
calling these Christians BROTHERS and affirming their faith in Jesus
Christ.   He does this even though the Galatians have fallen away from
the faith and followed after "another Gospel".  This gospel was leading
them to believe that they could only be justified before God by the
rigid obedience to Jewish laws.  Paul offers a hint as to why this false
gospel was attractive.  Not only was it consistent with the Jewish
heritage of the Galatians, but it seemed to provide a solution to a
problem in the Galatian Churches, licentiousness.  Freedom from the
Jewish law was being interpreted by some Galatians as legitimizing any
type of conduct.  Conservative Jewish Christians sought a return a
legalistic code of conduct to stem the tide of licentious behavior in
the churches.  For Paul, the return to a legalistic code of conduct is
not acceptable. Paul reminds the Galatians that Christian freedom is a
freedom to be lived by the Spirit.  This freedom will manifest the
fruits of the Spirit and not seek to gratify the desires of the sinful
nature.

Paul's use of the term BROTHERS  in this epistle is far more expansive
than that allowed by my BROTHERS Reed and Clifton.  Paul does not
hesitate to use the term for those who have embraced "another gospel",
who are "bewitched", who are becoming "enslaved again", who view him as
an "enemy", who do not have Christ completely "formed" in them, and who
are indulging their "sinful nature".  Paul affirms their Christian faith
and relationship to Christ while disagreeing with their doctrines and
lifestyle.  Paul does this so that the Galatians who have fallen away
might be restored to the Christian faith "gently".  Paul does not call
for a  separation from and a condemnation of the Galatian Christians. 
Rather, he calls for all to be renewed in the freedom of Jesus Christ
and to live a life empowered by the Holy Spirit manifesting the fruits
of the Holy Spirit.  The only he condemnation Paul offers in this
epistle is directed toward the false teachers who pervert the Gospel of
Christ and create confusion.  These false teachers were first century
Christian Judaizers.

In a previous response to my series of posts on the Apostolic Dialogue
with Catholics I mentioned how it was inappropriate to identify the
doctrinal wars of the 20th century and the attitudes of separation and
isolation which they created with the explicit teachings of the Bible. 
The refusal to use the term BROTHERS when speaking of Christians who
embrace different doctrines and different lifestyles is an excellent
example of how the Apostolic movement has allowed Fundamentalist
theology to take precedence over Holy Scripture.  Fundamentalism refuses
to acknowledge the reality of the Christian faith of any of its
opponents.  The logic of Fundamentalism goes like this:  A) There is
only one gospel which is identical with Fundamentalist systematic
theology; B) Those who do not embrace Fundamentalist theology have
embraced another gospel;  C) If you embrace another gospel you are not
saved and are not Christian;  D) If you are not saved you are not a
brother in Christ.  If you accept the foundational principle of
Fundamentalism, the identity of Fundamentalist theology with the Gospel,
the logic of Fundamentalism is impeccable.  However, Paul seems to have
a different foundation.  Paul's foundation did not reside in the
identity of the Gospel with a systematic theology.  For Paul the Gospel
was the story of Jesus Christ.  Salvation was received through faith in
Jesus Christ.  Christians were not justified by  their doctrinal
correctness but by their faith, personal trust, placed in Jesus Christ.  

How could Paul have written an epistle like Galatians if he embraced
Fundamentalist theology?  The Galatians had embraced "another gospel",
they were not his BROTHERS. The Galatians were "bewitched", they were
not his BROTHERS.  The Galatians were becoming "enslaved" to a false
gospel, they were not his BROTHERS. The Galatians believed Paul was
their "enemy", they were not his BROTHERS.  The Galatians did not have
Christ "formed" in them, they were not his BROTHERS.  The Galatians were
not living according to the Spirit, but according to their sinful
desires, they were not his BROTHERS.  Following Fundamentalist theology
one would expect Paul to issue a wholesale condemnation of all
Galatians, refuse to call them Christian, consider them Churches, and
acknowledge them as BROTHERS.  But Paul does not embrace or follow
Fundamentalist theology.

Could it be that Paul has a more dynamic understanding of salvation
which transcends the notions of doctrinal correctness and perfection of
lifestyle?  Paul's epistle makes this perfectly clear.  He received the
Galatians as Christians even thought he disagreed with their
understanding of the Gospel and their lifestyle.  He did not advocate
separation and isolation from the Galatians because of their differences
but rather the spiritual path of reconciliation which would lead to
restoration.  And he admonishes us to be patient, not to grow weary in
doing well, witnessing, especially to those in the household of faith. 
This is the pattern I desire to follow in my life and ministry.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, BROTHERS.  Amen!

Steve