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I – The Principle
One of the shorter Psalms, which contains a teaching most vital for these last days, reads in its entirety:
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious ointment upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard,
Even Aaron's beard,
That went down to the skirts of his garments,
As the dew of Hermon,
And as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion.
For there Yahweh commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.” (Psalm 133)
Unity is one of the key concepts in the Bible. Of all the prayers recorded in the Scriptures, that of Christ in John 17 is one of the longest, and certainly the longest recorded as having been uttered by Yahshua Himself. It is about unity; but not unity alone, it is about perfect unity: a marriage of the divine and the earthly as close and inseparable as that bond which exists between the Father and the Son.
The Messiah prayed concerning His disciples, “As thou [Father] hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
“And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.” (John 17:18-23)
What He was talking about here was perfect unity, a kind that cannot be accomplished through human means alone. Indeed, unity to this degree can only be obtained if the individual participants are themselves partakers of Agape-love, that selfless, majestic love that Paul describes in the thirteenth chapter of 1 Corinthians.
And why unity? Why is this such an important topic that so much premium space in the Bible is dedicated to its description and promotion? It is for the most important reason: because the Gospel depends on it. Yahshua said, in that passage quoted above, “that they may be one, even as we are one […] that the world may know that thou hast sent me…” Few understand the implication of these words.
If Christians are not united with the same kind of closeness experienced by the Father and Son, the mighty Elohim, the world will not know that the Father has sent the Son to be a propitiation for the sins of mankind. We have certainly seen this to be the case in Christendom today, if the situation is seen with spiritual eyes. Christian denominations, churches, and assemblies are growing larger and larger in terms of membership and visible numbers. At the same time, their influence in the lives of both the members themselves – and society – is rapidly decreasing. The Bible tells us why this is: they go about their lives, which they believe to be Christian ones, “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof;” and the Bible tells us “from such, turn away.” (2Timothy 3:5) They are not united, and so neither they nor the world know the truth about the Father who sent His Son. Power and practical influence inevitably decrease.
They deny the power of godliness. Godliness, by the agency of the Holy Spirit, is intended to accomplish two key purposes in the world.
First it is to atone man to Yahweh, and to let sinful humanity come into harmony with the divine will by means of the new birth. The Scriptures read, “Yahshua answered and said unto him, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.’” And again, “if any man be in Christ he is a new creature; old things are passed away: behold, all things are become new.” (2Cor 5:17) And yet again, “We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.” (1John 5:18)
That is the first atonement, and its result.
Second is to atone man to man, and to let now-redeemed humanity come into harmony with itself according to divine purpose. The Scriptures read, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of Yahweh [i.e., judgment]; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.” (Mal 4:5, 6) And again, “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Yahshua the Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Cor 1:10) And yet again, “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-13)
That is the second atonement, and its result; and we notice that this “unity of the faith” is only described as existing among the people of Yah. It is named only among the “brethren” in Christ, for it is only to be found, built on the principles of righteousness, in His undivided Body. (1Cor 1:13)
Those last two quotes, from 1Corinthians 1 and Ephesians 4, will come into play again, but first it is important to note that this idea of the two atonements was also clearly and simply taught by Christ in this manner:
“Yahshua said unto him, ‘Thou shalt love Yahweh thy Almighty with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.’” (Matthew 22:37-40)
None should miss the obvious parallel with the dual atonements mentioned above. To be perfectly accurate, however, we should say that they are merely two manifestations of the one perfect and complete atonement offered by Christ, for they are both the natural outworking of Agape-love. Furthermore, “If a man say, ‘I love God,’ and hateth his brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also.” (1John 4:20,21) They are inseparably linked, and so we see that the Gospel, the Law and the Prophets all hang upon the right understanding and exercise of the underlying idea.
II – The Local Application
There are, as is the case in most spiritual principles, at least two applications for the concept of unity, a local and a corporate. The local application has to do with a person’s relationship with those individuals who are near to him or her. If one is truly born again, having experienced the first atonement (i.e., atoned to Yahweh), it is natural for him to experience the second and will, “as much as lieth in [him], live peaceably with all men.” (Rom 12:18)
Alliances, friendships, and marriages (particularly the last of these three), will reflect the perfect unity expounded by Christ in John 17 if the hearts and spirits involved are right. The Scriptures tell us, and it directly applies here, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” (Amos 3:3) The strongly-implied answer to this is “No,” for we note that the same question is asked time and again in the parallelism of the following verses: “Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? Will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no [trap] is for him? Shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil [i.e., misfortune] in a city, and Yahweh hath not done it?” (verses 4-6) The implied answer to all these is, clearly, “No.”
The New Testament contributes to this principle in the following way: “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living Elohim; as Yahweh hath said, ‘I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate,’ saith Yahweh, ‘and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters,’ saith Yahweh Almighty.” (2Cor 6:14-18)
This applies in a big way to the second application we will examine, that of corporate unity, but there is certainly something there to be said for friendships and entering into marriage covenants! Some, of course, find themselves already IN relationships with those of another faith, or incompatible spiritual views. On that matter in particular, for the specific instance of an already-established marriage, Paul modifies the above idea to include the principle of commitment.
He writes, “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; else were your children unclean, but now are they holy. But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God hath called us to peace.” (1Cor 7:13-15)
Let it be noted, it does not say that the unbelieving spouse is justified, or atoned, by the presence of a believing partner. It is a mistake to claim that this passage teaches corporate salvation in that particular fashion, but the spouse is sanctified, or brought into positions by which he or she may grow and become more holy (that is the meaning of the Greek word hagiazo). Salvation may come as a result of this; the individual may choose, based on what he or she learned from the believing spouse, to accept the Gospel and thus be atoned.
But how do we correlate that passage from 1Cor 7 with Amos 3:3? By inference, the Old Testament verse teaches that two who are not agreed cannot walk together, yet the New Testament passage teaches that two spouses (who are supposed to be “one flesh,” [Gen 2:24, Mark 10:8] thus experiencing the most intimate form of unity possible for humans) who are not united in perfect harmony should dwell together.
The answer to understanding both of these in harmony lies in the implications of the word “walk” in both English and Hebrew. To “walk together,” in both languages, implies closeness, a common direction, and ultimately a common destination. An unbeliever and a believer will not, ultimately, end up in the same place when the sheep are separated from the goats, (Mat 25:32) and even the path taken to get there will not be one that is pleasant. From Paul’s description, we see clearly that the semi-union he is describing in 1Cor 7 is not a pleasing one.
If the believing wives (and husbands) uniformly and naturally desired to stay with their unbelieving spouses in the early Church, there would have been no need to give that advice. Similarly, the believer is not called to “bondage,” or continuing commitment (the word used there means something like servitude, bond-service, slavery) to the violated covenant, if the unbeliever does depart; and the choice of words selected there is most telling!
Can two walk together except they be agreed? Spiritually, no – there is no real chance of lasting (i.e., eternal) success or real joy in such a union. Physically, materially, of course. There may be an outward show of unity. There may be a commonality of purpose as pertains to the things of this life: getting a nice house, raising the children to be decent people, advancing in society. There will, by the very “nature of the beast,” however, be tension, heartache, and sadness. More significantly, far more significantly, the ability of the believing spouse to contribute to the spreading of the Gospel is diminished through no real fault of his or her own – if the union was solemnized before the Gospel was accepted.
The believer will not be rendered useless, of course, for the grace of Yahweh covers much; however, the opportunities to give one’s self wholly to the work will necessarily be lessened in frequency. In addition, “he that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife,” and likewise, “she that is married careth for the things of the world, how she may please her husband.” (1Cor 7:33, 34) This is true to a safe degree in a marriage that is inspired by Yahweh, for to believers it is said, “marriage is honourable (timios: precious, esteemed, valuable) in all, and the bed undefiled,” (Heb 13:4) but in a marriage not ordained by Heaven it begins to have a telling effect on the talents and responsibilities of the believer to the great commission. The two cannot help each other with their spiritual duties; they cannot “walk” together. It cannot conceivably be otherwise.
In such a case the believing spouse needs great wisdom, (James 1:5) and much prayer must be made for the soul of the unbeliever, and for the children, who are inherently affected by the unequal yolk placed upon the parents. “Thou shalt not plow with an ox (a tame, willing animal) and an ass (an uncooperative, stubborn animal) together.” (Deu 22:10) That leads to confusion in the field, and children are particularly susceptible to confusion: the curse of Babylon.
The only true and acceptable resolution for such a case is the conversion of the unbelieving spouse, but sadly such cases are not nearly as common as Yahshua would desire. Unity, perfect unity, is essential for a harmonious marriage; this is the local application, and both individual happiness, and the eternal work of the Gospel, suffer loss when it is absent.
This applies directly to the second outworking of this principle, for those who do not have true harmony in their homes will never find the highest form of unity with the Church of Christ in general. This is particularly true of males who would be leaders, teachers or ministers of the Gospel, “For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the Church of God?” (1Tim 3:5) This is yet another question with a clearly implied answer: “He shall not.”
III – The Corporate Application
Non-denominationalists and inter-denominationalists seem to be coming out of the woodwork these days. Some Bible students, with varying degrees of humility and sincerity, have rightly discerned the great evil of this age, and have seen that churches, denominations, sects, cults and independent religious atoms are all at war with each other. They see the strong call for unity in John 17, and they realize, correctly, “Something is wrong!”
It is at this point that many, far too many, “err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Mat 22:29) Let the reader recall from Section I that the “power of God,” which men lack in the last days, leads to these two aspects of atonement: harmony with Yahweh (which is victory over sin: 1John 5:4) and harmony with our fellow man (which is Christian unity). Now, some say, “We must come out from the warring denominations, and all churches; we must surrender the ‘structures’ and ‘organizations’ and this will give us unity.”
That is dead wrong: that will deny divine instruction, and give us anarchy. Those who say this err first in that they do not know the Scriptures, for we read of the disastrous days of the Judges, “In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) Second, they err because they do not know the power of God. Those who are truly born again will necessarily come into harmony with like-believers, and according to the organized system explicitly defined in the Bible. This is not the same thing as what a “denomination” has come to mean in these wicked times, but more on that later. The important thing to realize here is that Yahweh is essentially a God of order, (1Cor 14:33, 40) and to deny this aspect of His nature is to deny His power altogether.
Some claim, “Jesus is the King in spiritual Israel, so we need not listen to any man, and have no need of an organized Church at all.” These claims are sometimes based on a misunderstanding of what a Church is. The word “Church” in English Bibles comes from a word that primarily means “the assembly of called-out ones.” Thus, those who are saying, “We must leave the churches,” are saying something nonsensical; they are saying, “We must come out from among the called-out.” Clearly, this is not what the Bible teaches.
To return to two verses we saw above:
“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Yahshua the Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1Cor 1:10)
“And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph 4:11-13)
These verses show the picture of the Church of Christ. It is united, it is organized, and it is orderly. It is not a haphazard collection of people, all claiming to be independently “baptized and commissioned by the Holy Spirit” without the accompanying, committed fellowship with those who are “fitly joined together.” Furthermore, Yahweh’s people have always had a NAME. The position of the Creation Seventh Day Adventist Church is that we have a “denominated name,” (for the true sense of the word “denomination” is “a group that is set apart from others by means of an identifying name”) but at the same time we are not what is commonly known today as a denomination.
This is not splitting hairs; there is an essential distinction. There is a “unity of the faith,” as Paul tells us in Ephesians 4, but it is not a forced unity. It is not a unity based on loyalty toward a creed, or a hierarchy. There IS a hierarchy outlined in the Bible, to be sure. The Scriptures tell us that Yahweh Himself gave us “apostles […] prophets […] evangelists […] pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” What does this mean? By clear inference, the saints are not perfected, the work of the ministry is not accomplished, and the Body of Christ is not edified, without the appointed ministers that Yahweh ordained functioning within the Body. Is there anything being overlooked? That is what it says.
Furthermore, the idea that “the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,” (Titus 2:11) and that “one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren,” (Mat 23:8) does not contradict or weaken the idea of this organized, harmonious and structured body in the least shade of a degree! It is the Master Himself (whose grace is shed upon all men) who has given us this pattern to follow, and while none is “greater” than any other before Christ, even among the Levites of the Old Covenant there were specific roles that particular families and individuals were to fill. The ones placed in positions of authority should esteem themselves as servants; (Mat 20:27) nevertheless, they are in positions of authority!
Nothing has changed in Yahweh’s character since the days when the prophets spoke, for even back in Jeremiah we read, “‘Turn, O backsliding children,’ saith Yahweh, ‘for I am married unto you; and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion. And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:14, 15)
Yahweh leads His people, this is clear; but He does so through appointed agencies. Just as He sends angels to help humans in need, (Heb 1:14) so He appoints human agencies to the task of guiding the Body of Messiah on earth. Woe unto those who despise the divine authority that put this pattern into practice under the Covenant of the Lamb.
Yahshua is Lord, and worship ascends to the Throne of Elohim the Creator, but the Scriptures speak clearly and repeatedly of respect due to our earthly, though spiritual, family. (1Cor 7:10; 1Tim 4:11; 1Cor 4:15, 16; 2Tim 1:2; 1Tim 5:1, 19; Acts 20:28) We are all brethren, this is true, yet some are older brothers, given responsibility for the care of the young. (1Tim 5:1, 2; 1Peter 5:5, etc.) Some positions were clearly considered more “esteemed” than others, (1Tim 3:1-13) though the individuals were seen as equal; all were to be “found blameless.” This was the intended balance.
Those who shy away from Biblical concepts like pastorates, elders, Church membership (!), the structure ordained by Heaven, a God-given name for the believers, and so on, will not be perfected. They will not really do the work of the ministry (some do try; they produce websites, and tracts, and speak at many church groups – but this is not “ministry,” this is mere distraction!). They will not, by any means, edify the true Body of Christ. (cf., Eph 4:11-13 again)
These schematics are driven by fear, not by Agape, for they see only the counterfeits; they see Satan’s imitation of the Creator’s true gift, but they fail to discern the one great Original that the arch-deceiver has attempted to recreate according to his dark nature. Though there are many false churches, false prophets and false teachers, there is a true Body of believers according to the Scriptural pattern; there is an ordained method for accomplishing Yahweh’s will on the earth, and without it this will is not accomplished. This is what the Bible teaches, and with the ringing clarity (for it is the Sword of the Spirit) of fine and well-tempered steel.
Now, a “denomination” in the modern, and somewhat derogatory sense, means a structured, hierarchical system in which a group of people organizes around a Creed (which may or may not reflect sound Biblical doctrine), and elects a body of men to provide leadership for the group. This is not quite what a Biblical Church is about.
We, the Church of Yahshua, are a “denominated” people in that we have a name; this is the original, innocent meaning of the word. But there are some key differences despite this surface similarity.
The Bible tells us that the name of a people is important. “Jacob” was not appropriate for the father of a holy nation, so Yahweh gave him the name “Israel.” (Gen 32:28) A prophet who taught lies was not qualified to bear the name Pashur (Freedom) and so Jeremiah, under divine authority, entitled him Magor-missabib (Terror on every side). The Son of Yahweh could bear no title but Yahshua (Yah is Salvation), and the angel sent to oversee His mission made sure that the humans involved received this insight. (Matthew 1:21)
Similarly, while this last (Yahshua/Jesus) is the only name given by which men may be saved, (Acts 4:12) it is NOT the only name given under which men must be organized. How often this verse is misapplied to say that the Bride of the Messiah has no distinct name! Let him who has wisdom understand the significance of names in the Bible; even the Beast of Revelation is given a name, and a number, that identifies its character. (Rev 13:18) How much more will the Holy Bride of Yahshua have a name?
Let the reader take note: the apostles and disciples taught in the name of Yahshua the Christ. (Acts 4:18, 5:28) Yet they organized under, and were known by, specific names. First, they were known as a sect of Judaism called Nazarines, and under that name they were known “among all the Jews throughout the world.” (Acts 24:5) Soon after, however, they adopted a name initially given derisively at Antioch, (Acts 11:26) and came to be known as Christians. “Then Agrippa said unto Paul, ‘Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.’” (Acts 26:28) “Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.” (1Pet 4:16) Clearly, despite some claims to the contrary, the title “Christian” was accepted and upheld by the apostles of Christ; it was not to be despised.
As revelation unfolded, the name “Christian” became too general, since errors crept in despite the apostles’ best efforts. (Acts 20:29-31) When the Apostolic Church united with Pagan Rome and fell, taking on the non-sanctioned name, “Roman Catholic Church,” Yahweh called a people out (this was His Ekklesia: the group of called-out ones, once again) and they consequently came to be known by another name: Protestants. This was the name that defined them as the true people of Yahweh to their generation, yet they did not surrender the names that Elohim had previously given them. They were Protestants, yes, but they were yet Christians, yet the Israel of God, (Eph 2:12) yet the Sons of Elohim. (Gen 6:2, Rom 8:14, 1John 3:2)
When Protestants failed to continue their reformation, the Ekklesia was summoned forth yet again, and assembled under another name: Seventh-day Adventists. Under this “denominated” movement, truths continued to be restored to the darkness that was shed upon Christendom by the first great New Testament apostasy (the union with Pagan Rome). The Sabbath truth, the health message, the sanctuary doctrine, the nearness of Christ’s return, all these were seen in their true light.
When Seventh-day Adventists formed a “denomination” in the negative sense, and crystallized around a creed, they inevitably ceased to reform, and so the Ekklesia has been called out one last time. The last set of called-out people know no standard but the Word of Yahweh. They know no loyalty greater than to that of the Creator. They have no governing body of men – BUT they retain the original structure outlined in the New Testament! It is a miracle, and nothing short of it, that this delicate balance can be preserved among humanity, and much more a miracle in these evil days. It is not by human might, nor mortal strength, but by the Spirit of the Most High. (Zech 4:6) And these people have a name, as Yahweh’s people have always had a name: we are Sons of God, Israel, Nazarenes, Christians, Protestants, Seventh-day Adventists and finally: Creation Seventh Day Adventists. Nothing given by Yahweh is ever lost.
Again, although we have a name according to the pattern of every dispensation of grace in the past, we are a “movement” and not a creed-based denomination; therefore doctrine is founded solely on the Scriptures and their clearly implied teachings. Men are placed in responsible positions, but there is local government among the congregations, as there was in the days of the Apostles. (1Tim 4:11, 2Tim 2:2, Titus 1:5) There is a local use of resources, such as the tithe, in the established congregations – except to compensate for a need elsewhere in the work. (1Tim 5:17, 18; 1Cor 9:14, 2Cor 11:8, 1Cor 16:1-3) Those who are truly Christ’s are certainly not “in it for the money.” And perhaps most importantly, there is no governing, papal supremacy granted to those who are called to be ministers.
According to the pattern of Acts 15, questions of doctrine may necessitate a meeting of those who are from diverse locations, but there is no perpetual succession of elders that have power over the entire work. There is no individual, or set of individuals, who is responsible for the labors of all the local congregations. There is no permanent council by which globally distributed issues or questions are settled by default. Instead, we have the Gospel Order outlined by Christ in Matthew 18:15-17.
None of this detracts, however, from the majesty of the Church itself, for Christ said to His Ekklesia, His called-out, united and organized people in the very next verses, “Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” (verses 18-20) Does it say, “any two or three people that gather, I will be in the midst of them?” No – it says that to those who were actively following Him, who would shortly be of “one accord in one place” (Acts 2:1) before they could receive the Holy Spirit.
There is a sure covenant among those who have been called to this experience. (Neh 9:38)
IV – Conclusion
We have enough Scriptures to make the principle and its applications clear.
Unity, true Christian unity, cannot be divorced from the system Yahweh set in place to accomplish that very thing. The Holy Spirit was sent to gather the Bride of Christ even as Abraham sent his servant Eliezer to find the bride for his son Isaac. (Genesis 15:2, 24:1-67) Those who resist Yahweh’s methods do err, knowing neither the Scriptures nor the power of Yahweh, which in some places is set in parallel with the very Holy Spirit sent to gather the Bride. (Luke 1:35)
If anyone wishes to find harmony with Yahweh, let him submit to the Gospel, and receive the new birth. If anyone wishes to have harmony with his fellow man, his wife, brother, coworker, let him likewise receive the new birth, and then allow the Agape of Elohim to flow forth from him as a fountain of life. Then two will walk together, and both will arrive on the Heavenly shore.
If any wish to receive the Holy Spirit, Its baptism and power, let him learn from the experiences of the apostles. Unless they are of “one accord in one place,” following the Messiah, atoned to Yahweh, and within the “unity of the faith,” their religion is a lie, their mission is a distraction, and their teachings about the Body of Christ are good for nothing but to fill the pages of books that will be burned in the fires of judgment. (2Pet 3:12) Even Paul, who preached freedom in Christ and the relative autonomy of the traveling Gospel worker, did not act independently of the Church Body. He joined with It, (Acts 9:26) learned from It despite his separate and divine calling, (Gal 1:18-2:1) submitted to Its judgment on doctrine, (Acts 15:2, 22) submitted to the decisions of recognized elders, (Acts 21:18-23, 26) and so on.
Misunderstandings aside, there is no excuse in the writings of Paul, or any other inspired source, for setting aside the Yahweh-breathed pattern that the believers are to follow. The people of Elohim have a name, a standard, and a mission in this world. The structure of this people is plainly revealed, as is its intention, and as Paul says to this group, this organized, decent, orderly and united group, (1Cor 14:40) “let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another – and so much the more, as ye see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.” (Heb 10:24, 25)
May Yahweh bless all those who genuinely seek His will, and not the demands of what they believe to be their own desires. There is beauty, and peace, holiness and happiness, among the number of the names of Yahweh’s Israel. (Numbers 1:18)
David.