Another Reunion
Convention
Dear Brethren:
This message is sent you by the local Ecclesia of Bible
Students which is sponsoring the Reunion Convention announced on the back page of this
Bulletin. Please accept it as a personal and cordial invitation to attend this convention.
For the last sixteen years the winds of strife have been
beating heavily upon the saints throughout the entire earth and as a result they have been
scattered and divided into many groups and divisions, contrary to the express command of
the Master when he said: "All ye are brethren; and. one is your Master even
Christ."
We believe that the time has come for all truth brethren to
recognize that the spirit of division is the spirit of carnality. Even as the Apostle Paul
censured the Church at Corinth because it showed a tendency to become factional, so also
now we should realize that there is no Scriptural excuse for any who are fully consecrated
to the Lord to be segregated into special groups or cliques and to insist upon special
tests of faith and fellowship, that are not authorized in the Lord's Word.
We are convinced that the responsibility for the many
separations and divisions among the saints should be placed upon the one to whom it
belongs, which is Satan the Devil. Satan has always been the great enemy of the church,
and doubtless he now believes that he has achieved a great victory over the Lord's people
in that he has been successful in forcing upon them the spirit of rivalry, doubt, envy and
division.
In recent years many of the saints have been greatly blessed
and encouraged by arranging and attending what has come to be known as "Reunion
Conventions"--conventions at which they may regather and enjoy Christian fellowship
without being recognized as associated with any particular group or faction--of which so
many have sprung up since the death of Brother Russell. Such conventions have made
possible the renewing of old acquaintances among brethren, and have all led to the
quickening of holy zeal on the part of many who had become lukewarm in their attitude
toward the truth and toward the Lord.
Our Ecclesia, believing that these conventions are serving as
a very important means of reuniting the friends in love and fellowship and in union with
Christ, has decided to arrange for such a convention, here in our own city. The time,
place and other details concerning it will be found on the back page of this Bulletin.
Scriptural Unity
Not only have we arranged for the aforesaid Reunion union
Convention, but we are also taking the opportunity to herein set forth briefly, what we
believe to be the broad scriptural basis for unity among the Lord's people--and with which
we feel confident that you will also agree. The services of the convention itself will be
carried out in strict accord with this scriptural basis of unity as here in stated.
Shortly before Jesus was glorified He offered up a sincere
petition to His Heavenly Father, in which He requested the necessary divine grace to make
possible a complete one?ness of heart and purpose among His followers. Looking over the
history of the Gospel Age, it might at first appear that this inspired prayer has gone
unanswered; but such is not the case. God has always had individual representatives upon
the earth who have been in full heart harmony and union with Him and with His beloved Son,
Christ Jesus, who is the head of the church. .
The hundreds of divisions represented in the many
denominations that have long masqueraded under the name of Christ, and also the more
modern appearance of factions among those who profess belief in present truth, do not
necessarily represent divisions of spirit in the true Church. Rather, they are mainly
divisions on carnal lines, generally caused by those who have selfishly sought to
establish complex organizations and "channels" apart from or beyond that simple
arrangement for the Church that is so clearly outlined in the Lord's Word. While it would
be a foolish waste of time to try to amalgamate as such, the various factions, or
organizations, now existing among the saints, yet this does not minimize the
responsibility on the part of each of us to work for that true union of spirit and
fellowship for which Christ so earnestly prayed.
Unity, Not Confederacy
Nor could such a Scriptural unity of spirit among the various
groups of consecrated brethren be considered a "federation" as some have
mistakenly suggested. The uniting of divers groups and factions as such, doubtless would
amount to an unscriptural confederacy, but to encourage individual Christians everywhere
to recognize Christ only as their head, and to meet together in accordance with the spirit
of Christ's prayer for spiritual unity, most assuredly would meet with divine approval and
blessing.
No true Christian should wish to insist upon the furtherance
of the spirit of carnality by advocating that the various groups, each hold themselves
apart and each selfishly seek fellowship and services entirely independent of all other
consecrated children of our one true Head.
But Christian unity can be possible only so long as Christ is
recognized as the sole head over all his people and so long as the ransom sacrifice of
Christ is regarded as the true basis of Christian faith and hope: "Other (Scriptural)
foundation can no man lay". It also must be recognized by all brethren in Present
Truth that in this end of the age the Lord has revealed to His people the beauties of His
Divine Plan of redemption through Christ, whereby both the church and the world are to
receive in God's due time the blessings of life everlasting.
We believe that the great but simple fundamental truths of
the Divine Plan, which have been made known to us all, will be gladly recognized by all
Bible Students, in addition to the ransom itself, as a necessary basis for true Christian
fellowship and service at this time: There may be details of interpretation concerning the
fulfillment of prophecy, or other items of minor import, upon which some of us may have
reached different conclusions; but there is no scriptural authority for making matters of
this kind a test of Christian fellowship.
Organization
Looking back over the history of the Gospel Age, it becomes
apparent that many divisions among the saints have been brought about by the unscriptural
endeavor of certain leaders to "force" upon the Church some scheme of
organization that God's Word has not authorized. A careful reading of the New Testament
history concerning the organization of the early church reveals this most important
fact-?that every congregation of the Lord's disciples at that time was entirely
independent of every other congregation; and that there was no central organization, group
or committee which these independent congregations were supposed to look to as in any
sense of the word their headquarters.
Even among the apostles themselves no central authority was
recognized. The Apostle Paul, for example, after his conversion, went forth in the
ministry without so much as communicating with the other apostles concerning his
activities. He says, "I conferred not with flesh and blood; neither went I up to
Jerusalem to them that were Apostles before me." Later he talked with Peter,
"but other of the apostles saw I none, save James". As Paul went forth preaching
he was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ, but they had
"heard only that he which persecuted us in times past now preached the faith which
once he destroyed"--Gal. 1: 16?23.
Although the early Church had no central organization, and no
head except the invisible Christ, yet the organization of the various independent
congregations of the saints back there was as efficient as it was simple?-the various
servants being elected by the Scriptural manner of stretching forth the hand. It is our
conviction that true Christian unity can obtain only where this simple apostolic method
prevails. In harmony with this conviction we wish it known that our local congregation is
organized upon this scriptural basis.
We recognize only Christ as our head?-which means that no
organization, group or committee, outside of our own congregation, is recognized as having
authority in, or being the "headquarters" of this congregation.
In seeking fellowship with others of "like precious
faith" it is not our purpose to ascertain with whom they may be co?operating in the
work of the ministry. Rather, we are happy to accept into our fellowship all believers in
God's great plan who are desirous of exalting the cross of Christ and are recognizing only
Jesus as their head.
It is our thought that when Jesus prayed for unity among His
brethren He prayed for that unity of spirit which should exist in each local congregation
of the saints, He was not praying for a complex, visible, humanly devised organization
that would centrally control all local ecclesias in matters of faith and works. There is
no indication anywhere in the New Testament that God expects the various congregations of
His people to be united in the exclusive support of some central committee or
organization. Contrariwise, the Scriptures make it clear that those who insist upon the
recognition of outside influence in the Ecclesia are guilty of engendering the spirit of
"carnality". If it was a carnal spirit that prompted some in the early church to
say, "I am of Paul", or "I am of Appllos", surely then it is still the
spirit of carnality for any to say, either by word or by example, that they cannot
fellowship with or recognize any consecrated Christians, who are not affiliated with a
particular group or organization and who are not bound with them by a certain system of
private interpretation which they unscripturally have set up as a test of fellowship.
Cooperation
In setting forth the foregoing outline of what we believe to
be the true basis of Christian fellowship which is obtainable only by the full recognition
of Christ, as Head, and by upholding at all times the sovereign rights of the local
Ecclesia, we do not wish to be understood as opposed in any degree to hearty co?operation
with any of the various service organizations for spreading the Truth that are
Scripturally operating in the field. Rather, we are seeking to emphasize the fact that as
an Ecclesia we believe it unscriptural and carnal to be so committed to a union with any
one outside group or influence that we would be prevented from recognizing and aiding the
good work that is being accomplished by other truth brethren. We recognize full well the
fact that to accomplish an effective general presentation of the gospel message, which
calls for cooperative service among all the brethren, we cannot be entirely isolated from
our brethren in other parts of the field?-and that is one reason why these Reunion
Conventions are so helpful to us all and to the cause we all love. Indeed it would be very
inefficient and expensive for each local Ecclesia to publish its own literature for
dissemination of the truth-?it is far cheaper to have it prepared and shipped from some
central point. But we also claim that it would be very unwise, as well as unscriptural to
insist that some one particular committee or organization be given the exclusive right of
publication, thus becoming a "one and only channel."
Our policy is to grant every one in our Ecclesia full liberty
as to the truth literature they may desire to use in their work of the ministry and to let
them be free to cooperate or not to cooperate with any one or more of the service
organizations that may be doing a general publishing work for the spreading of the truth.
The interest and prayers of this congregation go out on behalf of all the saints
everywhere who are in any way endeavoring to exalt the cross of Christ and to make known
the glad tidings of the Kingdom.
Service Organization
As above stated, our congregation holds that the only Church
organization which God recognizes as having special right in its own territory is the
local Ecclesia organization. The New Testament reveals that such organizations alone were
recognized in apostolic times and they alone are honored in the Scriptures by being called
the "church of God." Service organizations therefore must be recognized as, at
the most, mere auxiliaries?-business expedients, through which to make possible a more
economical, effective, and general dissemination of the gospel. But there is no Scriptural
authority to sanction the thought that any such organization should be considered an
"exclusive channel" of service for the Church.
We believe that the Apostle Paul expressed the proper
Christian principle concerning cooperative service when he said, of a certain family in
Corinth, that had become active in their service of the .brethren: "Let all your
deeds be done in Love. And I entreat you, brethren, as you know the family of Stephanas,
that it is a first?fruit of Achaia, and that they devoted themselves to Service for the
Saints, that you also be submissive to such, and to every one who cooperates and
labors." (1 Cor. 16:14?16. Diaglott.) There is so much to be done in the way of
serving the friends and making known the glad tidings to others that there seems no need
for rivalry among God's people and so we desire to encourage and cooperate with all who,
as the Apostle declares, "have devoted themselves to service."
Invited to Fellowship
Dear brethren, we have endeavored herein to set forth briefly
that which we understand to be the Scriptural basis of Christian unity; it is upon this
basis that our local congregation is organized; and it is upon this same basis that we
extend to you the invitation to fellowship with us, not only in our coming Reunion
Convention, but at all future times as opportunity affords.
While it is true that individual Christians throughout the
age have been united with Christ, and thus in spirit united with each other regardless of
their denominational surroundings, yet may it not be that in answer to the inspired prayer
of Jesus, the Heavenly Father may now permit all His saints as a church, before they are
finally gathered home, to be victorious in the matter of unity as well as in every other
respect? But irrespective of the extent to which this true basis of unity and fellowship
may yet be recognized by the various local congregations of the saints, we feel certain
that it is our duty to work toward the end of such an ideal, for which Christ prayed, and
not to foster the carnal spirit of division.
During the time of the harvest thousands of the Lord's people
received a knowledge of the truth and came out of bondage. But in order that every
individual saint in the closing days of the age might recognize fully the necessity of
union with and dependence upon Christ as their sole head, it was necessary that the church
be subjected to the fiery trials that have assailed it, especially during the last sixteen
years. Yet, if through these experiences we have learned nothing more than that Christ is
our Head and that no human instrumentality, whether individual Christian or organization,
should have been recognized in any way as having authority over the church, have not all
our trials been well worth while?
You, dear reader, may not find yourself in a position to
attend our Reunion Convention, but in any event we trust our message may be some
encouragement to you to faithfully perform your consecration vows; and we ask your prayers
for us all. With this message of encouragement go also our prayers on your behalf, that
the God of all comfort may encourage and sustain you in whatever trials you may be
undergoing. May our mutual prayers and interest help to sustain us in each of our
endeavors to walk the Christian way, that we may ever have the smile of the Heavenly
Father's approval.
We ask especially an interest in your prayers on behalf of
the spiritual success of our Reunion Convention-?that it may result in rich spiritual
blessings for all who attend, and that its influence toward Christian unity, fellowship
and service might extend out for the blessing of many more than those who actually attend
its sessions.
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