This
is a study in the notion that some church denominations today are in verifiable
ecclesiastical succession from the Apostles of the New Testament Church era.
Which
of the following is a (1) successionist religious group?
Rastafarians African
Israel Nineveh Lutherans Brownsville
River of Renewal Hutterites Apostolic
USA Roman
Catholic Bing
Joy Africa Orrie
Cochrane
(1)
Successionist- A person who insists on the importance of a regular succession
of events, offices, etc.; especially (Eccl.), one who insists that apostolic succession
alone is valid.
All of
the above are the product of ecclesiastical succession.
Here
is the question though-- Are there any of the above which are based only
on a valid ecclesiastical succession? Answer: Yes, but only one.
Rastafarians
These
people live in Jamaica and that neighborhood. They believe that Emperor Heile
Salassie, former King of Ethiopia, was the manifestation of God on earth. Their
line of succession goes from Heile Salassie back through the kings and queens
of Ethiopia all the way to Solomon.
The
story goes, that the Queen of Sheba went to visit Solomon, and Solomon seduced
her, and from that came a son named Menelik. This son was sent to Solomon to be
educated in Israel. When Menelik had grown up, he was sent to Israel by his mother
to be educated. Once that period was finished, he was about to return home to
Ethiopia, and he decided that he wanted his home country to be right with God.
Menelik made an exact copy of the Ark of the Covenant. He then switched the fake
one for the real one and headed for home with the genuine Ark of the Covenant,
switched the copy for the real thing, and carried the Ark of the Covenant back
to Ethiopia when he went home. The Ark is still supposed to be hidden in Ethiopia
to this day.
The
Rastafarians picked up on this, having lost their African religious identity,
and it gave them a non-Anglo religion. The name, Rastafari, comes from Heile Salassie's
name before he became King of Ethiopia. "Ras" means a head of part of
Ethiopia, or governor. His given name was Tafari. Thus, Rastafarianism.
Hey,
if all you need in your religion is a great succession, this has to be the longest
and most colorful in history. It just ain't true, and the Blacks of Jamaica all
came from West Africa as slaves. Oooops-- No possible connection with Ethiopia,
but it makes life interesting for people who would rather go to hell than believe
in Jesus Christ.
By
the way, this was NOT Heile Salassie's idea at all, and he did not pander to it.
Heile Salassie made it clear that he believed he had peace with God only through
Jesus Christ. Was he born again? Maybe and maybe not, but he did NOT think he
was anyone's god or guru or bishop.
African
Israel Nineveh
This
is a group I got to know while working as a missionary in Kenya. The ladies of
the group dress modestly in all white clothes, and the men wear an embroidered
dress cap similar to Muslims. Around the lower edge of the men's caps are the
words, "Africa Israel Nineveh."
The
heritage these people claim is straightforward and zealous, if a bit bizarre considering
the geographical circumstances. They believe they are the descendants of the ten
lost tribes of Israel. I have no idea how the Jews turned black and wandered down
the African continent to end up in Kenya, but it is sure a long arm back into
history and not a bit shy. The man we got to meet, John, was very zealous, and
he liked to play a windup phonograph for people wherever he went. His favorites
were Gospel Recording records, and I learned from this that these people believe
Jesus Christ was the Messiah and that salvation was by faith in Him.
John
eventually lead his followers into the local church we worked with, and the cult
lost about half of its followers to the fellowship there. It was a very gratifying
transition seeing the caps all come off. The white clothes on the ladies were
really very modest and attractive, so nothing was said about that. When these
people wanted to join the local church they would publically denounce any heritage
in Israel, only the Savoir of Israel.
Lutherans
Lutherans
believe they have received the true message from Martin Luther. Their world view
is that they are the inheritors of the Heidelburg Confession, which they hold
to be as holy and valid as the Bible itself. They will quote copiously from the
Confession and from Luther, but often don't know one verse of Scripture by heart.
Lutherans have to do several things, such as be baptized as infants, attend confirmation
classes, answer "u-huh" to a long list of questions before the assembly
at about age 13, and take communion occasionally.
As
to personal living, Lutherans can live any way they please as long as they have
done the few things required, and thus, many of them are very worldly and given
to booze, which they first learned to love at the Lord's Supper. Lutherans are
convinced that they have a pure line running right back to Martin Luther, especially
if their name is Mueller or Schultz. No other brand of Christianity is just as
pure as theirs, though they do show some tolerance for other Reformed groups,
such as Whiskeypalians.
It
is interesting that Lutherans don't seem to recall that their line of heritage
does not stop at Martin Luther. Rather; they go on back from Luther, through the
Poes of rome, to Saint Augustine, to Constantine and the Whore of Rome.
As
you might guess, the Lutheran churches of the world are stone dead spiritually,
but pure bred, mind you-- AKC, not a mongrel in the pack.
Jeremiah
6:20 To what purpose cometh there to me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane
from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices
sweet unto me.
Brownsville
River of Renewal
The
Brownsville Pentecostalism, along with all of modern Pentecostalism, has a proud
heritage in a fellow named Parham in Oklahoma and a Black preacher in Azuza, California.
Until these two men started the tongues movement, there was none, world wide.
The
old Black preacher in California stuck his head in a butter box one day, and when
he pulled it out, he was speaking in tongues. Parham did something similar, and
off they went. Soon, other mediumistic powers were added, and healings were common.
William Marion Branham jumped in and added a number of heresies and hate for women.
Various drunks like A.A. Allan hyped the thing on radio and in the big top tent
meetings. The Freemason Kenneth "copeless" Copeland added his witchcraft.
The sodomite Paul Crouch gave the movement media hype. The cash flowed.
If
you find a heritage for the Charismatic Movement back to Christ, you have "another
jesus" that I do not know.
Today,
Charismatics have made virtual legends of these early men of Charismania. No one
man has the preeminent position, and they are all being referred to as apostles
these days. This is how to raise a great heritage. Exalt a few money grubbing
free loading hick burps from Missouri who do fake healings and pronounce great
swelling prophecies. Never mind that the healings are fake, and the prophecies
don't come true. Exalt them, and the men who follow them become candidates for
the thrones these drunks vacate as they were shipped to the emergency room to
die of alcohol poisoning.
I
have thought that if one looked at the vast assortment of Charismatic leading
lights, one would have some idea what Buddha and Confucius must have been like,
fat belly and all. These ancient Oriental religious leaders look very pious today,
but they were charlatans just like Rodney Howard Browne and Copeland today. If
ther is a human heritage it goes back to devils.
In
any case, the heritage is in place. Amie Semple McPherson was a fornicating gaudy
creep in her day, but today she is exalted as a virtual angel. The Charismatic
heritage is very young as heritages go, but give it another hundred years, and
I bet it will really look good, once some historians revise it a bit more.
Hutterites
This
is a study in how to take a great heritage and make it even more private and special.
The
Anabaptists were a group who got there name as derision for the fact that they
rebaptised anyone who joined them. This was during the late 1400s and early 1500s
when Martin Luther and John Knox left the Roman Catholic Whore church. These Anabaptists
were very sound and godly Bible believers, and they are the historic human heritage
of the present Baptist movement, contrary to what the Baptist Heritage people
will try to tell you.
When
the Reformations came along, the Anabaptists were delighted. They welcomed Luther
and the other Reformers out of the Whore and into the Body of Christ. This lasted
about 12 hours and 45 minutes. The Reformers were still basically Catholic, and
they still are. They would not leave off of the booze, the saints (Augustine),
the prestige and titles of rulership, the stone pile church buildings, and they
would not live a common life. They also wanted to enforce the Gospel by the sword
of the kings and princes of Europe just as the Popes before them had.
The
Anabaptists refused to join this program, and quietly went about their business,
which included re-baptizing all those who joined them from the Reformed churches.
Well, this went over like a lead balloon, and the Reformers all started killing
and persecuting the Anabaptists. The Hollanders, to their credit, were the least
ugly about this, so the Anabaptists moved to the Netherlands. This got to be a
bit hard on the real estate though, and one day a fellow from the American colonies,
William Penn, showed up in the Netherlands with a charter in his hand for some
real estate given him by the King of England called Penn's Woods, or Pennsylvania.
Penn took
one look at the tidy farms and the peace loving nature of the Mennonites (as they
were now named after Menno Simons, their founder), and Penn convinced them to
move right across the Atlantic to Pennsylvania. They all lived happily ever after.
Penn was delighted. The Indians loved them because they were the first Gringos
who didn't shoot up the wigwams every Saturday for kicks. All was great.
The
Amish, or Mennonites, whatever you want to call them, decided they would make
their calling and election sure, but they did so, not by teaching sound doctrine--
They made a whole passle of rules about dress and custom. They declared that they
would forever be plain and wear the same thing until at least the year 2000 so
the tourists from around the world would come to gawk at them and buy their fantastic
shoo fly pies at the flea markets in Lancaster County, PA.
One
day, a fellow named Hutter was thinking about how little attention he was getting
from his fellow plain people in his neighborhood. Not wanting to seem too ego
driven, he came up with a plan to alter the heritage of the Mennonites and make
himself the main man of the thing. He started preaching against women not wearing
wool stockings and girls wearing headscarfs without the right color polkadots
(I am not making this up).
Well,
there was a backdoor revival, and Hutter lead the holy ones to put on their wool
stockings and proper scarfs and head for South Dakota and Saskatchewan. To this
day, the Hutterites preach long and verbose sermons on the righteous calling of
wool stockings, and if there is any confusion about it, another group will break
off and try to get it right again.
Now
you know how to make yourself a new and mighty heritage and sound holy doing it.
Apostolic
Churches USA
This
is a short heritage. You leave the slave ship, you work the massa's fields for
about a hundred years, and you get a hungry feeling in your soul for power.
Long
before Black power, a cheap counterfeit for the power of the Holy Ghost, certain
Black preachers were casing out the Black church scene to see how they could put
together a power structure like that of the dead beat high church White folks
across town. The Lutherans were almost 500 years at it, and the Baptists and Methodists
had old well worn creeds and heritages. What to do?
Well,
somewhere along the way, some sorry old Black pastor got the idea that we might
still need an occasional Apostle. He did not claim new revelation as such, but
he did come up with a sort of high power and mighty manner. Other Black pastors
joined the program, and they soon took on the bearing of the Archbishop of Canterbury,
and they even came up with robes. Most of them had copious tummies, and the effect
was startling. The masses of Black Christians were ready for their very own hierarchy,
and these Black pastors did in a few years what it took the Gringos and Anglos
up to 1500 years to do.
Some
of these Apostles in the Apostolic Black churches do preach the Gospel, and some
even insist on using the King James Bible. They are not exactly heretics, so we
must not be too hard on them. Afterall, where do you suppose they got the idea
of a bishopric and apostlate in the Lord's Church? Right, at White divinity schools.
Roman Catholic
"The
Church, having received this preaching and this faith [of the Apostles], although
scattered throughout the whole world, yet, as if occupying but one house, carefully
preserves it. She also believes these points [of doctrine] just as if she had
but one soul, and one and the same heart, and she proclaims them, and teaches
them, and hands them down, with perfect harmony, as if she possessed only one
mouth. . . For the churches which have been planted in Germany do not believe
or hand down anything different, nor do those in Spain, nor those in Gaul, nor
those in the East, nor those in Egypt, nor those in Libya, nor those which have
been established in the central regions of the world" Irenaeus of Lyons 175
- 185
Back
when the church in Rome was still made up of country boys, the Roman Empire was
in trouble. Constantine had inherited the culturally and militarily devalued and
defamed cultural and national refuse of all the Caesars before him. Add to this
the fact that barbarians were coming at Rome from the north, and fast. Constantine
was in deep trouble. He was not ever a Christian. But the old boy was smart. He
looked around to see who in his empire still had the zeal to do anything right.
Constantine
came to the conclusion that the only orderly and zealous people around were the
Christians he had been persecuting. He did a 180 degree about face at once, and
he "got saved" as it were. He claimed to have received a vision from
heaven that he should conquer in the name of Jesus.
Well,
the vast majority of Christians went for this, and Constantine brought the few
bishops he could find to Rome and exalted them. He gave them robes and encourage
them to invent names and ranks for themselves. They in turn exalted him, and he
crowned himself Pontificus Maximus. Constantine ran his army through the river
while a fat bishop waved an incense burner, and they all marched off over the
mountain and whipped the Barbarians. Voile-- The Roman Empire became the HOLY
Roman Empire. Constantine made what is called "The Donations of Constantine"
in which he gave the new formal church his power and authority. The church gave
him a tax receipt for his donation I suspect. From then on, the bishops of Rome
had higher powers than the governor of Rome or Italy.
You
know the rest, and what a heritage it is. Just one problem-- From day one two
things prevailed:
1.
Man ruled the church instead of Christ.
2.
The true believers rejected this new invention. In Constantine's day, they were
the Donatists. They were hounded and killed until they faded from view in North
Africa. This is where the Heritage or Landmark "Bing Joy" Baptist clowns
claim they came from.
It
is the height of folly that anyone familiar with the heritage of the Roman Catholic
Church, based on temporal considerations, would seek to make a temporal heritage
and stake ANYTHING on it. But we shall soon see that fools about, even Baptist
fools I fear.
Bing
Joy Africa
I
suspect that you thought this was some nut case Black group from East Los Angeles
or Trinidad, right?
This
is the "Baptist Heritage" cult. This is the main reason that I wrote
this page. The others above need to be discussed because they are just a insane
in their logic, but I am mostly concerned with Baptists who believe the lies coming
from their pulpits claiming a special superior succession from the New Testament
Church age and the Apostles.
"Oh no," you say. Bing Joy Africa must be some sleazy Black church down
in Harlem or Detroit. I have news for you friend. This is the heritage of hundreds
of Fundamental Baptist KJV only churches around America. I have the following
direct from a Baptist Heritage Web Site and an IBT petition recently sent out
for its supporters:
Links
From The First Church in Jerusalem To King's Addition Baptist Church, Kentucky
1. John was sent from God
with the authority to prepare the way for Christ. (Matthew 3:1-6, 11)
2.
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17).
3.
Jesus started His church (Baptist) while He was on the earth (Luke 6:12-13). This
first church was located in Jerusalem, Israel.
4.
John baptized John the Beloved (also known as John the Revelator).
5.
Polycarp was baptized by John on December 25, A.D. 95. (See Neander's Church
History)
6.
Tertullen was a member of the Partus Church at the foot of the Alps and was organized
under the leadership of Polycarp -- A.D. 150 (See Cyrus' Commentary of Antiquity)
7.
The Turan Church was organized under the leadership of Tertullen from Bing Joy
Africa in A.D. 237. (Armitage's Church History, p. 182)
8.
Pontifossi church was organized under the leadership of Tellestman from Turan
Italy A.D. 398 (Nowlin's Church History Vol 2, p. 318)
9.
Adromicas came from the Pontifossi Church at the foot of the Alps in France.
(Lambert's Church History, p. 147)
10.
Archer Flavin came from the Daretha Church, Asia Minor, organized under the leadership
of Adromicas A.D. 671 (Lambert's Church History, p. 47)
11.
Timto Church was organized by Archer Flavin A.D. 738 (Mosheim's History Vol
1, p. 394)
12.
Balcolas came from a church located at Timto Asia Minor. (Some historians believe
this church to be directly linked to the Ephesians Church of Revelation.)
(Neander's Church History, Vol 2, p. 320)
13.
Lima Piedmont Church was organized by Balcolas in A.D. 812 Wales, England.
(Neander's Church History, Vol 2, p. 320)
14.
Hillcliff Baptist Church was organized under the leadership of Aaron Arlington
in A.D. 987 (Alex Munston's Israel of the Alps, p. 39)
15.
H. Holler came to the Philadelphia Association from Hillcliffe Baptist Church,
Wales, England. (See Minutes of Philadelphia Association Book 3, Item 1)
16.
The Baptist Churches from the Ohio Territory came from the Philadelphia association
of churches (Both associations taught in their minutes that a church must have
authority.) of which was connected John D. Clarke and the Particular Baptist.
17.
Palmyra Baptist Church, mid 1700's. (History of Kentucky by Dr. J. H. Spencer
Vol 2, p. 546)
18.
Unity Baptist Church, 1820.
19.
Carr Baptist Church, 1910
20.
South Shore Baptist Church, 1915. 21. King�s Addition Baptist Church, South
Shore, Kentucky, 1947.
Now,
aside from the fact that we are told NOT to indulge in endless genealogies, and
we are NOT told that God requires any saint to know his alleged "heritage,"
there are some humorous and pointed problems in this Mother Goosology.
1.
There are about 1650 years missing between step 14 and 15.
Where
are those Baptist churches. Where are the dimpled chads? Al Gore at least came
up with some mutilated bits of cardboard to fill in the holes in history during
the US
Presidential elections in Florida. If I were going to stake my soul on a heritage,
I could do a LOT better with the Anabaptist heritage, or even the Roman Catholic
heritage, for there are not these big empty spaces.
How
would you like to start out on a motor trip from your home in, let's say, London,
England and travel to Anchorage, Alaska with a map which had 3000 miles missing--
a big hole-- all of Siberia? You say, "Never mind, there must be something
there, and since Anchorage is certainly there, and I know London is real, any
road will do." OK, that might be true. But, what kind of jerk would claim
that the map with the hole in it is the final authority and accurate? Huh? Come
on reader-- get your brain in gear. In fact, the hole is there because there were
NO Baptist churches back past No. 15.
We
scream and yell when some New Age twinkle toed teacher in the public schools,
or a nearby University, fixes history in order to build up their own presuppositions.
Well, what on earth justifies our doing the same stupid thing with an alleged
spiritual heritage? This is crooked and insulting.
Furthermore;
any group could use the 3000 year hole to jump from the past to their special
group today. If this trick is valid, then the sky is the limit as to how many
groups you can have claiming ecclesiastical succession.
2.
The work of serious church history students, men who loved the Lord and were born
again, has proved that this line of Baptist heritage is a lot of bunk. I have
read the works of Leonard Verduin, who defended the stand and zeal of the Anabaptists,
and Leonard had a whole different story to tell. And, Verduin did his research
in the basements of libraries, universities, and churches of Europe in nine languages,
including Arabic. These books here quoted are the work of very light weight scholars.
To anchor one's "heritage" on such diddle heads is folly in the extreme.
3.
It is utterly corny to add the word "Baptist" into the alleged names
of the various churches cited back in the 800s and earlier. What crass presumption.
The concept of a "Baptist" church was unknown before the days of John
Smythe of England who started his church group in 1606 in London. This is again
a desperate search for dimpled chads-- nothing else, and it gives real students
of history cause to mock at those of us on the narrow way.
We
get hopping mad when one of these latter day Charismatic revisionists claims that
Bishop Latimer, Menno Simons, Luther, and John Hus "must have spoken in tongues"
because they were spirit filled, for all spirit filled people speak in tongues.
"They just didn't speak about it in their writings." We slap our leg
and roar with laughter, right? So, here comes a fat faced overweight preacher
with a mail order doctorate from a "Bible college" in a basement "ministry"
in Colorado, and this late great bishop tells me Hus started Baptist churches
for Good King Wenselaus. And Polycarp named his church "First Baptist Church
of North Africa." Oh yes honey, and the dish ran away with the spoon. When
I go looking for real history friend, I don't want to find the revisionist fingerprints
of some diddle head from Bible Baptist Church of Kentucky all over the place,
clear back to 200 AD.
4.
The alleged connection between the Ephesian church, and the church cited in No.
13 in 812 AD, is insane. This is like the Catholic Church claiming Patrick of
Ireland was a Catholic and started the Irish Catholic Church. Patrick lived and
died without ever meeting a Catholic Priest. He was a member of the church in
Scotland which was NOT Catholic EVER! The bridge from Ephesus to Balcolas is about
400 yeas longer than the Catholic bridge to Patrick and Ireland. Listen up friend--
The Ephesian church was DEAD, and lost its "first love" as Jesus predicted,
by 300 AD. It was a social club infiltrated by pagans and damned to hell in a
hand basket. This is made very clear in the writings of early church fathers.
Sometimes you end up with a frog instead of a prince when you hang your soul on
a genealogy. It gives me great satisfaction to trash this one.
5.
Where is Roger Williams? This man started the first Baptist church in America
in Rhode Island. Could it be that these Baptist Heritage bigots don't like something
about Roger? Could it be that Roger was too tolerant of some believers in churches
which were not quite Baptist in the classic sense? Indeed, could it be that Roger
Williams baptized his deacon, and his deacon baptized him in order to found their
"First Baptist" church? The Heritage and Brider Baptists reject Williams'
Baptists because they didn't import a Baptist from England to initiate their Rhode
Island church. THAT is the reason these scum have hopped right over brother Roger
Williams I think. Cheap shot boys. And, if they will skip over a man of the stature
of Williams, don't be too shocked if they throw you out of the synagogue for not
being a nut case like themselves.
Did
you ever wonder where Fundamental Baptists get this notion that soul winning has
to be done at the "alter call" in the church house? I will tell you.
If you go witness just anywhere, and if people get saved at kitchen tables and
at airports, etc, they may go off to some church that is not Baptist Heritage.
That would be terrible, for pure Baptist heritage demands that we corral all saints
into our heritage churches or curse them and mock them. So, if we define the 7
to 33 steps to soul winning, and if all soul winning is targeted at the "altar
call" in the heritage church house, then we will not have to waste our time
on people who will not come to us, the pure way. Do you know what this is? It
is worse than Calvinism, for it says that the elected God-chosen way to salvation
is at our geographical point of reference alone. All other salvation is alien
salvation, and Pope Benedict could not have said it better.
6.
What is Bing Joy Africa? I don't know. It sounds like something clever and in
your face. It also sounds to me like a dish one would serve at a Kwanzaa party.
Maybe cherries and booze of some sort. A smart saint stays with the names of the
Word of God. What is wrong with:
"I
am in Christ" "I am a Bible Believer" "We are a Bible
church" "We are peculiar people"
Why
are we so dissatisfied with naming ourselves by Christ and our Bible?
7.
Also, I have to tell you something-- NOWHERE does the New Testament say anywhere
that a local church has to be in any kind of Apostolic succession, nor are we
told to keep a close record of the line of heritage for our particular local church.
NOWHERE. NOWHERE. Anyone who tries to prove they please God by establishing their
local church "heritage" has to twist the Word of God mightily. Who does
the Bible say will build churches?
Matthew
16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Church
history, especially if we include Africa and Asia, is replete with tales of local
churches starting by many interesting ways according to Christ's divine will and
guidance. And, many of them didn't have a clue what a Baptist was. During the
1700s through the 1800s, most of them around the world were started by missionaries
from the English Reformation.
The
result of this Anglo bigotry about Baptist heritage, as with the Reformed Churches,
Catholic Church, Black Apostolic, recent Amish and Mennonite, is this-- They all
come to the conclusion that they are the pure ones, and all other saints are deficient.
Again, may I point out, we are nowhere in the Word of God told to form such pure
lineage and then stand in derision of all other saints. Miriam and Aaron decided
one day that Moses was not right with God for marrying a nigger woman. Read what
Jehovah thought of that program in Numbers 12.
Bing
Joy Africa indeed! Watch out for these people with weird in-your-face names with
no biblical point of reference.
FOR
A LONGER DISCUSSION OF BING JOY AFRICA AND THE BAPTISTS, CHECK THIS LINK.
This man did his research to try to prove of disprove the Baptist succession myth,
and he could not find ANY reference of any king to the following-- J .B. Jetter;
H. Roller; Aaron Arlington; Balcolao; Archer Flavin; Adromicus; Tellestman; Lima
Piedmont; Timto, Asia Minor; Darethea church; Pontafossi in France; Bing Joy,
Africa.
What,
or Who, Validates the Church
THE
VALIDATION:
Matthew
16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
It
is not by the historians that the proof of church succession is established. Even
though there is firm evidence to this day of churches generally having a succession
from the apostolic churches. But opinion does not establish a fact. The proof
is in the words spoken by Christ in Matthew 16:18, “the
gates of hell shall not prevail against it [His Church].” What more is
needed to be said? Faith in God's word accepts it as truth. It is clear that Jesus
is speaking of His Church and of its continual unbroken survival till the day
of His return.
There
are two things, either of which if Satan can accomplish, will destroy the testimony
of God and make Him fallible. These are the annihilation of either the descendants
of Abraham (Jew and Arab) or the Church. Both are called the elect of God and
are destined to participate in the future Messianic Kingdom of Christ. God has
committed Himself through promises, covenants and prophecies of their indestructibility.
The first
attempt to destroy Israel is found in Esther 3:6, when Haman sought the death
of all Jews, but by God's providential intercession Israel survived. The Church
has been assailed in every century through the means of persecutions, apostasies,
pollutions of immorality and impurities of all sorts. But Israel and the Church
are still standing, perhaps battered and scarred and still under attack, but they
stand. In the past the Church itself was molested, but today the very meaning
and concept of the Church is attacked and refuted. What could not be killed is
now denied as ever existing.
THE
INTEGRITY OF CHRIST AT ISSUE:
Succession
is not an issue of organization or human geneologies.
How
could it be possible that Christ spoke in His omniscience and yet not know that
the gates of hell would prevail against His Church, or at least against organized
church? Or how can it be explained that Christ with His omnipotence would be powerless
and not prevent the gates of hell prevailing against His Church, bringing His
bride, His Church, to her death as claimed by the believers of church apostasy?
The problem
is that human reason has abandoned the truth that Jesus retains the succession
rights to his Church, and all man made, man defined, and man propagated organization
is mongrel and counterfeit. The reason church organizations fall into apostacy
is that CHRIST IS NOT DEFENDING HUMAN ORGANIZATION. Read that again please.
This
means that the gates of hell can easily prevail against such human inventions
and all apostles who claim the seat of Apostleship assigned to Christ only.
Hebrews
3:1 Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the
Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; 2 Who was faithful
to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house.
The
man made claims to ecclesiastical and apostolic succession are vain attempts to
retain a form of godliness when, in fact, they have lost the power thereof.
Christ
has kept His integrity. He has preserved His Church. From the moment He spoke
the words to Peter in Matthew above untill today, His Church lives. This church
is not a mystical, vague, unseen body but one that is real and tangible in this
world. Whenever it gathers, Christ is there. This body, this little flock, this
house of God, this bride of Christ is the sole property of Jesus. It rests securely
in the hands of God and is absolutely dependent upon Him. It survives by the providential
care of God, the intercession of Christ, and the presence of the Holy Spirit.
Orrie
Cochrane
1
Timothy 1:4 Neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister
questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do.
This
cannot possibly apply to Jesus Christ, for we see his complete geneology given
in the Gospels in the Bible. So, geneologies here is all about human and organizational
geneologies.
Orrie
Cochrane is the only one in this list who exalts a Bible based heritage which
is honoring to God. If Orrie won you to Christ in the past years, you may be very
happy in your "heritage" in Christ. Be very careful though that you
understand the context of your "heritage" in Orrie and Christ. Read
the following, and ask God if YOU have left the good godly "heritage"
of Orrie Cochrane and allowed some Baptist, Reformed, or Catholic heretic to lead
you into a mindless alien "heritage."
Orrie
Cochrane lived in Michigan in Newaygo County near Grant. As a young man he was
a fighting Irishman, and he knocked out many a tooth for the sheer joy of educating
some trouble maker. Orrie was not a big man, but he was all steel and guts. Sinners
feared him and saints avoided him-- well, all except brother Uhe. Brother Uhe
got to Orrie somehow, and lead him to faith in The Lord Jesus Christ. Orrie
changed in that his fists got sanctified, but his zeal just moved over to be the
Lord's.
Now,
what was Orrie's succession, or heritage? Brother Uhe was certainly one step into
the past for Orrie. Other than that, I don't have a clue, but you can be sure
that God knows who won brother Uhe to the Lord, and so on back, back, back-- to
Jesus Christ and a group of fellows who obeyed the command, "Go ye."
There is no doubt that such a line or heritage will become well known in Heaven
after our Lord takes us out of this earth to be with Him for eternity, and I am
sure each person's heritage will be infinitely fascinating.
But,
did Orrie see himself as perpetuating a heritage mapped out before him by men
and societies, like the vain Heritage Baptists and the others above? If so, then
the Mormons are far ahead of all of us, for they are exceedingly diligent about
their genealogy. In fact, Orrie had his mind on Jesus Christ and any opportunity
he might have to win a soul for Christ with the Gospel. Orrie knew that his heritage
was ultimately in the Word of God, which lead him back to the Apostles, which
lead him via the work of the Holy Ghost back to Jesus Christ. That heritage had
no suspect characters or heretical groups along the way. It was pure, and Orrie
trusted that heritage because it was solidly based on Jesus Christ alone. Who
God used between Christ and Orrie to win the next person to Christ along the way
was not very important to Orrie.
Now,
let us consider a possibility that is a bit morbid-- a possibility which has happened
far too many times over the past 2000 years of Church history. Suppose Orrie Cochrane
had lead you to salvation in Jesus Christ, but you found out one day that both
Orrie, and brother Uhe who lead Orrie to Christ, denied the faith and returned
to their former wicked lives. Would you become ashamed of your "heritige"?
If so, you do not know who you are. In the terms of Christ, "the gates of
hell will not prevail against it," your heritage is only one step back in
history. Your heritage is secured in one Person who validated you destiny on a
hillside outside of Jerusalem one Wednesday evening about 2000 years ago.
In
fact, and at the risk of being accused of becoming a Calvinist, I will prove to
you that your heritage predates all time, space, and matter:
Ephesians
1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us
with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as
he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be
holy and without blame before him in love: 5 Having predestinated us unto
the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure
of his will, 6 To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made
us accepted in the beloved. 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood,
the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; 8 Wherein he
hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; 9 Having made known unto
us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed
in himself: 10 That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather
together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are
on earth; even in him:
Now,
my dear friend, will you trade off that heritage for a highly suspect trip back
to North Africa and a flea bitten bishop who was famous for not bathing enough
and being late to lunch? Will you fawn over the robes and trinkets of a man whom
you only see once a week rather than hold tight to the omniscient God who is eternally
in you, around you, over you, and defending you against Satan 24/7?
Hebrews
10:35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of
reward.
1
Peter 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd
and Bishop of your souls.
God
damn any late great bishop who climbs into the office of my Savior and calls me
to loyalty to human invention. I shall make an even more deadly statement: Any
Baptist preacher who demands loyalty to any heritage other than the Son of God
himself is not born again.
1
Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3
Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory
that fadeth not away.
Any
bastard hireling preacher, bishop, "lord," or Pope who is not satisfied
with the reward to come, given him by Christ-- a bishop who calls the sheep away
from loyalty to THE Good Shepherd, will burn in hell. The sooner the better for
the sake of the sheep.
Matthew
6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon.
Thus:
1
John 4:14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the
Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of
God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
The
Son of God, Jesus Christ, lived, died, and rose again to save sinners-- This
is the Gospel.
The
Son of God gave the Gospel, with the perfect help of the Holy Ghost, to the
Apostles who wrote it down in a book.
The
King James tranlators in 1611 translated the record of Jesus' work for our salvation
into English.
The
King James Bible was in the hands of Brother Uhe.
Brother
Uhe witnessed to Orrie Cochrane, and Orrie believed in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Orrie
won many to Christ in Western Michigan-- Not all became Baptists.
Every
one of those whom Orrie won to Christ have a one step heritage-- CHRIST
Pay
attention now.
The
"heritage" of Orrie Cochrane is shared by millions around the world.
Thousands of Africans look back through the zeal of Anglicans David Livingston
and Robert Moffett to Jesus Christ. Thousands of Indian Christians look back via
William Carey to Jesus Christ. Others look back through DL Moody to Jesus Christ.
Those few Methodist Bible believers who are still right with God look back through
the soul winning zeal of Charles and John Wesley to Jesus Christ. And, all Mennonite
Christians look back through the zeal of Menno Simons and Baltazar Hubmeier to
Jesus Christ. But, all look not at the men along the way but at Jesus Christ.
Let me
illustrate from my own life:
My
Mom and Dad lead me to Christ with the help of Theodore Epp's children's radio
program about 60 years ago.
Theodore
Epp was a Mennonite Bible believer. His human heritage went back to Menno Simons
and the Anabaptists I gather.
As
to my Dad and Mom:
My
Dad was brought to Sunday School long ago by the Bill Linsheide family who lived
on Dad's street when my Dad was a school drop out. Dad had to take care of his
widowed mother (who loved Jesus), and Dad was on his way, at age 11, to be just
like his big drunk brothers whom he looked up to. The Linsheides, including their
boys my Dad's age, saw a candidate for heaven in my Dad.
One
day, the neighbor, a deranged woman, called the police and told them my Dad had
stolen some charity fund of some sort. Another neighbor, who was not saved, came
by and heard the story. He told the police that my Dad was a great kid and taking
care of his widowed Mom alone. The cops told the deranged woman to leave my Dad
alone, and left. The man from the Lion's Club really liked Dad, and he arranged
for Dad to go to the YMCA summer camp that year. The counselor at the camp was
a dull Methodist, but he knew just enough of the Gospel to tell Dad how to be
saved, and my Dad accepted Christ at a YMCA camp.
The
Linsheides had been taking Dad to church every Sunday up to the summer camp time
of his confession of feith in Jesus Christ, and they made sure Dad grew in the
Lord and became part of a local church. It was a Mennonite church, but my Dad
never exchanged his heritage in Jesus Chrit for that of Menno Simons.
Dad
brought his sweetheart, my Mom, to the Mennonite church a number of years later,
and she got saved.
Who
lead Bill Linsheide to the Lord? Probably an Anabaptist (Mennonite) parent.
From
there it goes on back through many unknown saints along The Road to Glory scattered
with jewels which will be shining in many a crown at the judgment seat of the
saints' works. How on earth could I possibly build a cult around this "heritage?"
But also, why would I want to substitute this "heritage" of mine for
the moldy formal one above going back to Bing Joy Africa? What a panty waste program
these sleaze bags offer the Bible believer.
This
is my only "heritage" folks.
Do
you understand what I just showed you? What if I had to look back through the
classic "Baptist Heritage" for my joy? Bing Joy? Ding dong joy? Polly
Wog joy? What a dull and impersonal bit of trash history that would be. I want
to go give Bill Linsheide a big hug when I get up yonder in Heaven because he
loved a poor Depression Era kid, my Dad. He looked past my Dad and grandmother's
poverty, and he saw a kid that needed Jesus. I sit here and type this for you
weeping as I am overwhelmed that my Lord was so good to me. I do have a goodly
heritage humanly speaking, but that is NOT my heritage as to my membership in
the Body of Christ. I have but one Good Shepherd-- Jesus Christ. I
have but on membership in the Church of Jesus Christ. That is all the history
I need.
I
guess the only disappointment would be to find that the Methodist camp counselor
might not be in heaven. Dad may have been the only one that fellow ever told the
Gospel to in his life.
Baptist
Heritage be DAMNED! I don't need it.
My
"heritage" is precious beyond words, and my Lord looks mighty beyond
understanding. I could almost be a Calvinist for a few minutes. What a marvel
it is to imagine all the ordinary Bill Lincheides back through the last 2000 years,
common men like the fisherman Peter, who saw a neighbor in need of Christ, and
made the effort, maybe took a great risk, to win them to Christ. And you I hope,
indeed every one who is in Christ, have such a "heritage" which is incorruptible
and undefiled-- which fadeth not away. There is no 3000 year hole in your heritage
my friend if you are in Christ.
I
don't have to wonder what kind of jerk slipped into my heritage, as in the "Baptist
heritage." I know that every one of them in my "heritage" is unique,
and one day, in Heaven-- my, my, I am getting out of here soon-- One day we will
have such a reunion up yonder! No wonder our arrival in eternity, in the presence
of the Bishop of our souls, Jesus, will be celebrated with a feast.
Ultimately,
we have only one "heritage" that we dare to glory in.
Jeremiah
9:24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness,
in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD.
Galatians
6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.
2 Corinthians
10:17 But he that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
Saint,
while you are worrying about your "heritage," who are you missing that
you could win to Christ? Let me be brutally blunt. If you saw someone in your
association of friends who was very involved in a Pentecostal church, but you
were pretty sure they were not born again. Would you seek to win them to Jesus
Christ, even if you knew they might want to stay in the Pentecostal church? Would
you be happy if they got saved but didn't jump into you brand of baptistery and
join your church? Or, would you consign them to hell for not following your favorite
guru and your "heritage?" Don't shine me on friend. I have HEARD people
do this. The Kingdom of God in the heart of the believer is a lot bigger than
your sorry little vision of it. Don't be one of these "Go to hell" Baptists
please.
Now,
here is something which I must say. Water baptism has NOTHING to do with this
heritage. Heritage Baptists are practical Church of Christ clones, for their succession
is based on immersion as practiced by John the Baptist, in THEIR baptisty in Montgomery,
Alabama. I will grant you that it looks pretty much like immersion was the mode
of baptism, and that is what I believe is the biblical way. But, there is not
one verse of Scripture which clearly commands us to immerse anyone. There IS one
place where the context and place involved implies that some other mode was used.
Heritage
Baptists will not agree that immersion in their baptistery is essential for salvation,
that is, if you pin them down. But on a practical level, they will openly question
ANY Christian who is not immersed by them, and they will tell you that we cannot
know that person is really born again. And, if you were baptized in a Fundamental
KJV Only Baptist church which is not "Heritage" or "Landmark,"
these Heritage Baptists will demand that you get rebaptised to be 100% right with
God and the local church. This is de facto Church of Christ and Roman Catholic
practice. It is then de facto-- HERESY.
If
you are in such a church, you should be looking for new fellowship, or start a
house church as soon as you understand the truth-- that your local church is based
on heretical nonsense.
