The Fellowship of the Cross

The faith once delivered articulates a much different view than that espoused by theologians and commonly held by the majority of believers today. The scriptures truly are the final authority for all matters of faith and faithfulness. Please open your Bible and join us on this journey as we examine the very foundations of that faith delivered (once for all) to the saints and lay hold of the heart of God – in the fellowship of Christ’s cross. Rom. 5:1-21 ; 1 Cor. 15:22 ; Jn. 3:36 ; Rom. 3:21-26 

Apostolic Doctrine – The Word from the Throne (Deut. 18:15-19; Heb. 12:22-28; Ps. 2:1-12) —

Today’s postmodern haze has blown around the globe and yes, it’s present in much of the body of Christ in one degree or another. It’s relativistic, eclectic, and syncretistic practices (akin to the Church’s ancient enemy – the Gnostics) have subverted foundational truths of that faith once delivered. The elementary teachings of Christ are being challenged such as with the challenge of the existence of an eternal Hell by the late Edward Fudge and Chris Date of “Rethinking Hell” and the false teachings of “Once Saved Always Saved”, and the Gospel of “Only Believe” have come to be a majority perspective within evangelical Christianity. It truly looks like a slow fade and priming to “the great falling away”.

The notion that the Apostles doctrine which should be synonymous with the doctrines of the Church evolved over time is contrary to the teaching of the scriptures. The scriptures charge us to contend earnestly for the faith ‘once delivered’. (Jud. 1:3) It also affirms the Churches continued in the ‘Apostles Doctrine’ (Acts 2:42) and the breaking of bread and prayers. The Doctrine of Christ, as an inclusive term meaning all that Christ commanded and instructed was delivered to the Apostles firsthand and as stewards of this message – they have written down for us as Christ commanded the teaching and the revelation which God demonstrated through the Son and has revealed by His Spirit. Their very writings and communication being in accord with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit through the instruments of men and their message as such is of no private interpretation. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:16-21; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 1:10-14; 3:2-11; Heb. 1:2) This message was committed to their charge which they (the Apostles) committed to faithful men. Howbeit, as foretold and warned by the Apostles themselves – the Church would be infiltrated, false teachers would arise and lead many astray. (2 Tim 2:2-3 ; Acts 20:17-38; 2 Cor. 5:20)

Both Timothy and Titus were such faithful men teaching the Apostle’s doctrine in both Ephesus and Crete as received from Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. Paul, sternly warns Timothy that the time will come when people will not endure sound doctrine and shall turn their ears from the truth and be turned to fables. (2 Tim. 4:3,4) To Titus, Paul gives instruction from the Lord concerning an elder, that he be one who holds fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able to, by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince gainsayers. (Tit. 1:6-14)

The very authority of the Word of God has been and is increasingly being challenged. Many have not even noticed. The haze escalated with the seeker sensitive wave and now has become the emergent wave.¹ The lawless zeitgeist is escalating its attacks against the foundations and leveraging the same old ploy … whispering, ” Hath God said?”.  Did the Apostles teach that? How can we be sure? Eroding confidence in the scriptures and therefore destroying the Church from within. This mystery of lawlessness extols the virtues of self-doubt and unity in relativism (lawlessness); that is ever learning and never coming to the knowledge of the Truth for there is no Truth – that’s the Truth? They extol tolerance for every thing except the reality of things while they live in the real world. At the root, they are intolerant to the authoritative and confident teaching of the scriptures. (Biblical Apostolic Christianity) The exclusivity of the Kingdom of God will always be abhorrent to the World; for to love this World is to be an enemy of God. Truth is revealed by God through His Holy Word and Spirit and not by a dialectical process. (Jn.6:45; 14:26; 16:13-15)

This Gospel of the kingdom, this great salvation, and the fellowship of the mystery as revealed to the Apostle Paul has been made known to us; (Eph. 3:1-11; Deut. 29:29; 1 Cor. 2:1-13) it is not a secret, not something man must decipher as if it were a riddle. Not something to be discoursed as if it is something that cannot be fully apprehended. With the rise of a comparable religious class (theologians, popes, akin to the Pharisees and Scribes) within the Gentile congregations – following the Church’s split from her roots .. many and varied distortions and corruptions entered in. The Church did not become more sound in doctrine but more and more adulterated with philosophical musings of men who in their hearts were devoid of the Spirit of God and were His enemies, opposed to His authoritative pronouncement (Apostle’s Doctrine) from the throne; given over to their rebellious and idolatrous theological innovations and scripture twisting .. fashioning the message into one that was more palatable and agreeable to their love of sin and their image of God as an all powerful cosmic dictator. For dictatorship is what they in their heart of hearts admired and aspired to.

We must not reinvent the ‘faith once delivered’ but communicate the Apostles message in humility, simplicity, and confidence. We have no authority to alter the message; to add to it or take away from it. Christ did not appoint a religious or theological class. No He did not appoint academics, philosophers, or learned men – but His disciples, His Kingdom Ambassadors from the region of Galilee (fisherman, tax collectors, and common men) to deliver His unadulterated message, quickened in their hearts and brought to remembrance to them by the Holy Spirit in and with them. They were and are His royal representatives and apprentices (disciples) commissioned by Him to deliver the Gospel of the Kingdom and Doctrine of Christ – not a philosophy of religion to be intellectualized and dialogued. (1 Cor. 2:1-13) It is no dialectic. It is not up for discussion and speculation. It is a matter of divine certainty. It is the authoritative and revealed will and plan of God Himself; it is the establishment of His eternal Kingdom by Him who makes all things new. It is a matter forever settled in heaven and a mystery which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ; but is now made manifest to the saints .. to the intent that to the principalities and powers in heavenly places it might be made known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God. This pronouncement from the throne (the Gospel and Doctrine of Christ) has been made known to all nations – for the obedience of faith. (Rom. 16:24-27; Eph. 3:9-10; Col. 1:25-29; Mt. 24:14)

The Apostles Doctrine did not evolve, the Church of the first century was established on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. However, the Apostles Doctrine devolved from the time of the Apostles and the early Church to present. The Lord has, as always preserved His Word and Truth and has had a remnant of His Children of the Kingdom in each generation. There are moments in history where truth is restored; these are not the result of new understanding as if these truths were not known previously .. but a restoration of the old paths. (Isa. 58:12; Jer. 6:16)

As we can plainly see, what in fact has occurred from the birth of the Church is that in large part it has devolved from its foundations and the danger with today’s ethos of denial of the authority and sufficiency of the Word of God and the witness of the early church – she is destined to become a ship tossed on the sea, blown about by every wind of doctrine, and being prepared for that great defection and apostasy that is to come. (Eph. 4:14; 2 Th. 2:1-4) However, the Lord knows them that are His and let everyone that names the name of the LORD, depart from iniquity. (Dan. 11:32; 12:3; 2 Tim. 2:19)

The Church established by the Apostles is called the Pillar & Ground of Truth. (1 Tim. 3:15; Eph. 2:20) What is Truth? Thy Word is Truth. (Jn. 17:17) She is to be the pillar (support) and the ground (settled base) of Truth. With these thoughts in mind let us now continue to disclose the way of Life. We will turn now to the scriptures to reveal the pattern of Truth throughout its pages (the Big Idea), and lastly we will look to the disciples of the Apostles and the early Church writers for a final witness to the Word from the Throne and this Faith that once for all delivered to the saints.