Steadfast in Doctrine and Fellowship

 

Ravensbruck was a concentration camp built in 1939 for women. Over 90,000 women and children perished in Ravensbruck, murdered by the Nazis. A prayer, found in the clothing of a dead child, says: O Lord, remember not only the men and woman of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not remember all of the suffering they have inflicted upon us:

Instead remember the fruits we have borne because of this suffering, our fellowship, our loyalty to one another, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart that has grown from this trouble. When our persecutors come to be judged by you, let all of these fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

In Acts 2 we are told this about the first church, “they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). They early church was steadfast in doctrine. God commanded Joshua the leader of Israel “observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go (Joshua 1:7).

Paul instructed Titus and Timothy, leaders of the early church, regarding the importance of sound doctrine. He wrote to Titus” a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God… holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict” (Titus 1:5-9). As for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine” (Titus 2:1).

He wrote to Timothy “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2Tim.1:13–14). Preach the word...correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction; For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.

Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths (2 Tim. 4:1-4). Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers (1Tim. 4:16).

Sound” means “healthy; Sound doctrine guarantees the health of the church. To maintain sound doctrine involves combating unhealthy doctrines. Most of the New Testament references to doctrine emphasize guarding against and refuting unsound doctrine. Paul warned the church in Ephesus not to be “blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming” (Eph. 4:14).

It is the job of church leaders to know, practise and teach sound doctrine, for the health of the church. Paul’s instruction about qualifications for church leaders involves both what they teach and how they live. They must be blameless. An overseer must not pursue dishonest  gain. Rather he must be self-controlled , upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it (Titus 1:5-9).

The false teachers that must be rebuked profess to know God, but they deny him by their works; their ungodly lives expose their unsound doctrine (Titus 1:16).  Jesus said “you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition ...and in vain they worship me , teaching as doctrine the traditions of men...they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind , both will fall into a ditch ( Matt. 15:3-13) .

The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons (1 Tim.4:1). Being conversant with Sound doctrine protects mature Christians from the snare of false teaching. They are not” blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming (Eph. 4:14). They have "through much practice learned to distinguish good from evil" (Hebrews 5:14).

In Galatians 1:8-10 Paul says “but even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed”. Paul repeats the curse twice to emphasize the seriousness of unsound doctrine. A perverted gospel cannot save the lost! When a false teacher wins a soul he makes him twice as much a son of hell as himself (Matt 23:15).

Ignorant and unstable people distort Scriptures, to their own destruction (2Peter 3:16). An overseer must hold firmly to the trustworthy message so that he can refute those who oppose it. For there are many rebellious people, full of meaningless talk and deception…teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain…rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith (Titus 1:9-13)

They early Church believers were steadfast in fellowship. The word fellowship is derived from a word which means “holding something in common”. The early church was a tight-knit community of dedicated followers of Christ. Fellowship was a vital part of their lives. It provided a support system that encouraged spiritual growth and mutual care. The relationship between Christians is critical to accomplish the Lord’s work. This is clearly shown in the metaphors the Scripture use to describe the church.

In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul refers to the church as the “body” and to Christians as “members” of that body. An individual Christian is neither isolated nor independent. He is only healthy and useful if he is in the body. This metaphor dignifies every church member. Every body part is necessary. It also suggests the danger of being detached from the body. The shared life assumes that members are bearing one another’s grieves and sharing in each other’s joy.

Both Paul and Peter call the church God’s “household” (1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 4:17) another word for “family.” A family is a network of relationships and obligations. Family members are bound to one another. They celebrate together, they mourn together, they make decisions together and they enjoy each others’ company. Like the natural family, the church family is a network of relationships and obligations.

Paul calls the church the “temple of God” (1 Cor. 3:16–17). Peter calls Christians “living stones” that build up a “spiritual house (1 Pet. 2:4–5). Like bricks mortared together, the local church is composed of individuals built into a single temple. The biblical metaphors for the church show that membership means having a vital connection. This connection shapes our everyday life. Members work for the “common good” of the congregation.

The early church fellowship was undergirded by Jesus' command to love one another. He said "As I have loved you, so you must love one another.This shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another (John 13:34-35). John said “if we love one another, God lives in us...This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the Day of Judgment: In this world we are like Jesus” (1 John 4:7-21).

The call to love and help others in tangible ways runs throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament God commanded “if anyone is poor among your fellow Israelites ...  freely lend them whatever they need... Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to”(Deut.15:7-11).

The Bible also describes how members of the church should behave and relate in order to keep the fellowship steadfast and healthy. In Ephesians 4 Paul wrote “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace...each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour.

Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry and do not give the devil a foothold... Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up... Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other.

Paul told the Thessalonians “Live in peace with each other...warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else (1 Thess.5:12-15). He said to the Corinthians “Encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you (2 Cor. 13:11).

The believers of the first church were steadfast in the breaking of bread. In all four Gospels, there is reference made to the Last Supper. In 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 Paul quoted Luke’s word. He said "the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread...and said, “this is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me...he took the cup, saying...drink it, in remembrance of me”.

Verse 26 says, “for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes”. The holy communion ordinance is both "historical" and "prophetic";it looks back to Christ's holy life and sacrificial death, but it also looks forward to the blessed hope of his second coming. It reminds the church what Prize Jesus paid to redeem it and also gives it a blessed hope that there is wonderful future.

 The blessed hope of Christ’s second coming should motivate a life of holiness. 1John 3:3 says “ all who have this hope in him purify themselves! They say “No” to ungodliness and ... live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the ... appearing of the glory of our ...Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good” (Titus 2:11-14).

Paul told the Corinthians “Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves (I Cor. 11:27-32). If Communion is practiced as Paul instructed the church, while it is a celebration, it is also a time for honest self-examination (Ps.139: 23,24). Thus the Body of Christ is purged and purified.