NOTE: All comments in brackets [ ] or in parentheses ( ) as well as highlighted text (bolded and/or in blue) are from the author of this study.
Bible quotations are in maroon.
This is a topic which to many will seem to be self-evident. Of course, all will readily agree, there must be unity in God’s Church to prevent creating confusion in the minds of the faithful. And, is it not that God only reveals truth to the leadership in the Church as they have a special relationship with God that the non-ordained members do not have? The ministry they say is there to teach the lay members, is it not? God is not the author of confusion and it certainly stands to reason that God’s Church should not and cannot exist in a state of doctrinal confusion with every member having his own beliefs.
These thoughts all seem to make a lot of sense but what does the Bible, which is the only sure criterion of truth for true Christians, have to say about unity in the Church?
As stated in the Introduction to this Web site, studies are conducted assuming that you the reader, have mastered the foundational truths of God’s Church, that you are no longer a babe-in-Christ and that you have become a spiritually mature Christian capable of understanding the strong meat of the Scriptures. Many of the doctrines that will be mentioned in this study should already be very familiar to you and if they aren’t then you should go back through the studies contained on this web site and refresh your memory as needed.
God’s Thoughts and Ways
The truth contained in the Bible is spiritual i.e., for the Bible to be correctly understood in its spiritual dimension it is necessary to have the presence of another spirit in our minds, the spirit of the God being called the Spokesman or the Word. What is the Holy Spirit? Cliff Notes Version
Why?
Because the thoughts or mind of God is so very different from our own that it is not possible for us to understand God’s mind or thoughts without God giving us the ability to understand them. They are God level, spiritual truths inaccessible to mankind as stated in Isa 55:8-9.
Isa 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
Isa 55:9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
They remain a mystery until they are revealed or rendered understandable to the human mind by God adding to men’s minds the ability to do so which is God giving them of His Holy Spirit. We then have in a very small way the same mind as God and we can begin to understand the Bible in its spiritual dimension.
Mankind on its own cannot understand God’s truth and this is why though there is only one Holy Bible, we have a great variety of Christian religions all claiming to be following the Bible but all with significant and irreconcilable doctrinal differences among them.
So what is the situation in God’s Church? Does all truth come into the Church through the Pastor General? Through ordained ministers? Or, would we be finding people holding on to different doctrines and beliefs which would be their personal understanding of the Bible given that true Christians have their minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand spiritual truth? In other words, does God reveal truth to the lay members of the Church?
The Church’s Foundational Truth
God’s Church was given a number of truths directly from Christ who was the Word made flesh. Christ came the first time to accomplish many things and one of them was to teach His disciples truths that Paul refers to as being the foundation of God’s Church.
1Co 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
1Co 3:11 For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
All men are unreliable and there was only one man which could be fully trusted not to mislead us and that is the God being called the Word who became a man born of the flesh for the express purpose of teaching His disciples the foundational truths of God’s Church. Christ personally laid the foundation and no man can lay any other foundation. The First Century apostles transmitted that same foundation of truths to all those whom God called and chose in their days.
This foundation of truth was to be transmitted from generation to generation in God’s Church by God’s ministry (the original one being the apostles) until the time of the Great White Throne Judgment and the end of God’s plan of salvation.
The foundational truths of God’s Church are the truths of the Bible given directly by Christ to men. They are sure and cannot be put in doubt.
These foundational truths were lost because of the centuries of persecutions that came upon God’s Church and they had to be restored to God’s end-time Philadelphia Era Church by God’s promised end-time Elijah that would come and restore all things i.e., the lost foundational truths. (Mat 17:10-11; Mar 9:11-12) But, are the Church’s foundational truths the only truth that can be known?
Growth in Spiritual Truth
God in the Bible makes it very clear that true Christians are to grow in knowledge and understanding throughout their lives. Most of the book of Proverbs is about the need to have growth. So how can we reconcile the fact that God through Christ personally laid the foundation of truth for His Church, which is basically a set number of truths which all Christians are to master, with the requirement for Christians to have growth all through their lives.
How is growth in knowledge and understanding to occur if there are no other truths to be known than those given at the foundation of God’s Church?
A Christian’s life is to be one of growth from being a babe-in-Christ to becoming a spiritually mature adult who can no longer be swayed by the many winds of false doctrines coming their way.
Eph 4:14 That we [true Christians] henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
Paul tells us why God gave His Church these foundational truths.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
1Co 3:13 Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.
1Co 3:14 If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
1Co 3:15 If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.
True Christians are to build on the sure foundation of truth given the Church by Christ who was the Word in the flesh. The foundational truths of God’s Church make it possible, for those who have mastered them, to go off into the Bible on their own and to learn truths which are not part of the foundation and which Paul calls the “meat” of the word.
The foundational truth are the milk of the word and the “strong meat” of the word are those other truths contained in the Bible which can be discovered by those who have mastered the foundational truths of God’s Church.
Heb 5:12 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
True Christians are not taught God’s spiritual truth by men; they are taught by God and the only ones that God can teach are:
Isa 28:9 Whom shall he [God] teach knowledge? and whom shall he make to understand doctrine? them [those Christians] that are weaned from the milk, and drawn from the breasts.
And how does God teach those that are weaned from the milk i.e., that have mastered the foundational truth of God’s Church (the milk of the word) and become able to absorb meat.
Is it through the ordained ministry?
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
Joh 6:45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
1Th 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
1Co 3:5 Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man?
1Co 3:6 I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.
Joh 14:22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?
Joh 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.
Joh 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
Joh 14:25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.
Joh 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
God’s elect are taught by the spirit being called the Word and Spokesman who dwells in the minds of the truly converted. What is the Holy Spirit? Cliff Notes Version
Can the ministry who are but men subject to the same conditions for salvation as all other members of God’s Church impose on their assembly what it is they are to believe?
2Co 1:24 Not for that we [Paul and the ministry] have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand.
Paul tells the Corinthians and Christians of all ages that he, Paul and the ministry, does not have the authority to impose on Church members what it is that they are to believe. Their only role is to be helpers of the their joy (the joy of having the truth of God) which they have because they have been called and have freely and self-willingly believed the truth God revealed to them. They stand by their faith i.e., by what they have chosen to believe as no man can force another man to believe anything he has not chosen to believe. (Free moral agency)
True Christians start off their spiritual life as babes-in-Christ needing to be taught the foundational truths placed in God’s Church by Christ Himself with God’s Holy Spirit giving them understanding. The ministry teaches knowledge but understanding is from God.
Christians are to study their Bible to have growth in knowledge and understanding which includes the ministry which does not enjoy a special relationship with God where any and all growth in truth can only and always come from them. Christians are not to rely on men, including the ministry, as their criterion of truth but rather search their Bible to determine the truth of a matter. And as we have seen, God says that He is the one that teaches true Christians.
So, are there other truths in the Bible that can be known by true Christians in addition to the foundational truths?
Is it acceptable for true Christians to do their own Bible studies and to discuss their findings among themselves in spiritual fellowship to determine based on the Bible whether new truth they have discovered as they study their Bible are Scripturally sound or not?
What does God have to say about it?
1Co 14:26-40 is Paul telling the congregations of God’s Church how they are to conduct themselves when discussing truths found by Church members when they get together. Notice, that Paul is not telling them not to discuss their personal findings from their Bible studies; this was not a problem. What mattered to Paul was that things be discussed in an orderly way so that all who are listening may profit from what is being said.
1Co 14:26 How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.
1Co 14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
1Co 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
1Co 14:29 Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.
1Co 14:30 If any thing be revealed to another that sitteth by, let the first hold his peace.
1Co 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
1Co 14:32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
1Co 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
1Co 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Co 14:35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
1Co 14:36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only?
1Co 14:37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
1Co 14:38 But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
1Co 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
A detailed explanation is given in the following study found on this web site of the meaning of 1Cor 14 The Ministry and God’s Truth
Here, in order help you follow the line of thought of this study, I will give you an abbreviated explanation of the essential meaning of these verses which you can supplement by reading the above-mentioned study.
God wants to see Christians have works i.e., to be found spending time studying their Bible and making efforts to live their lives according to the truth they have. God says Christians are rewarded according to their works and for a Christian’s faith to be true it must have works.
Jas 2:20 But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Jas 2:26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
Individual Christians must have works and cannot be saved by the works of others; it has to be by their own works some of which entails studying God’s Bible to uncover truths that are not part of the foundational truths given the Church by Christ. Going over the same truths over and over again does not result in growth. Growth is the result of learning something new and in the case of Christians, it is finding new truths and gaining new and better understanding of the Scriptures.
This greater understanding of the Scriptures will not always or exclusively come from the ministry who also must study their Bible to have personal spiritual growth. All true Christians have their minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand the spiritual truth of God’s Holy Bible. The mission of the ministry is to teach the Church’s foundational truths to newcomers to the faith. Growth in knowledge and understanding beyond the foundational truths of God’s Church, in their lives and that of true Christians, will come from personal Bible study. Mr. Armstrong is an exception i.e., he was a source of new truth for the Church because he was the promised Elijah that would come and restore all things i.e., the foundational truth given the Church by Christ to the apostles.
Paul in 1Cor 14, explains to his congregations and to us today that when true Christians assemble they can discuss their findings among themselves to determine if indeed what they have found can be justified with the Scriptures. Two conditions were imposed on them: things had to be done decently and in order so that all may profit (1Cor 14:40) and the foundational truth given them by Paul who received them from Christ were not to be questioned (1Cor 14:37).
Were Christians discussing their Bible findings among themselves something dreaded by Paul and which he would have preferred they didn’t do?
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Not only was it permissible for them to discuss the results of their Bible studies with other true Christians when they assembled but it was something that all of them should covet i.e., they should have a great desire to do so.
So, we have the foundational truth which are not to be subject to discussion and then, all the Bible findings from Church members which the members were to verify among themselves to determine whether they fit perfectly or not on the foundation of truth given the Church by verifying them against the Bible. True Christians build on the foundation by adding to it truth that does not undo any of the foundational truths.
On the one hand, we have the unchangeable foundational truth given the Church by Christ Himself and on the other hand, we have the different new truths being uncovered by true Christians as they study their Bible.
But would that not lead to different Christians having different truths and God says there is to be no divisions in the Church?
1Co 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus 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.
How can these two things be reconciled?
Unity in God’s Church
The unity that has to exist in the Church has to do with the requirement for all to fully accept the foundational truths given by Christ to the Church. There can be no division regarding them. However, Christians are to have growth in their understanding of the Scriptures and this is where one will find true Christians having different understandings of certain verses of the Bible as a result of their personal Bible studies. Church members are to discuss their findings with other true Christians and even with the whole congregation in an orderly fashion to test out the validity of their findings against the Scriptures. In numbers there is wisdom and different members of God’s Church have more knowledge of certain parts of the Bible than others who also have more knowledge of other parts of the Bible. Altogether, they possess a lot of knowledge which can be brought to bear on determining the validity of their individual findings as explained by Paul in 1 Cor 14. The Bible is the criterion of truth and not the collective judgment of the group or of one or more outspoken men who at times may attempt to dominate the group.
When it comes to non-foundational truths, there can exist differences in understandings of the Scriptures but these differences are not to change any of the foundational truths and it must be agreed and understood that individual members’ Bible study findings are to be tested out by discussing them in an orderly fashion with others and the congregation when it meets.
There must be unity of mind on the foundational truths and on the process to be used to validate personal Bible findings.
This is the unity that must exist in God’s Church.
The foundational truths of God’s Church are not the only truths that can be known. Paul says clearly they are a foundation on which others (true Christians) are to build. The foundation is the means to have growth in knowledge and understanding; it is not an end unto itself. It is a set of tools that can and is to be used to dig into the Scriptures and discover truths which are not part of the foundation but which fit perfectly on it.
The foundational truths provide Christians with the means to grow in knowledge and understanding all their lives as they study their Bible which is how God speaks to mankind since the passage of Christ.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
In Old Testament times God spoke to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Israel, etc. by the prophets but in these last days in which we live, He speaks to the truly converted who are spiritual Israel or His Church by His Son, Jesus-Christ. The Bible is the Word of God or Christ (the Word) in writing and it is through the Bible that God speaks to the truly converted.
Conclusion
As contradictory as it may seem, unity in God’s Church does not mean that all must believe the same things. True Christians have their minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand the spiritual truth of the Bible and all are commanded to study and have growth in knowledge and understanding.
The purpose for having God’s Holy Spirit is not so that men will understand the preachings of other men; it is to enable true Christians to understand the Bible which allows them to verify the truthfulness of what men teach as being the truth. The criterion of truth is not how many agree that something is true or not nor, is it that for something to be true, it has to have come from an ordained minister or the Pastor General. The criterion is whether it can be shown that the Bible supports it or not regardless of the rank of the individual saying it or of how many individuals agree or disagree with it.
The fundamental truths of God’s Church are something that all must agree with AFTER having proven them with their Bible. God’s Holy Spirit makes it possible for them to do so and not only is it something they should do, it is something they must do. Christians have to prove all things.
1Th 5:20 Despise not prophesyings.
1Th 5:21 Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
1Th 5:20 God also states clearly that Christians are not to despise prophesyings and in 1 Cor 14:30 God also greatly encourages the brethren to prophesy.
1Co 14:39 Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
All members are greatly encouraged by God to prophesy which in this context means to speak on God’s behalf to the congregation about a truth that God has revealed to them as they study their Bible so as to have personal growth in knowledge and understanding as all Christians are commanded to have. For a full explanation of what is a prophet according to the Bible I refer you to the following study: The Ministry and God’s Truth You need to really know what is a prophet according to the Bible to understand 1Th 5:20 and 1Cor 14:39 which is the key to understanding the unity that is to exist in God’s Church.
Christ laid the foundation, the faithful are to build on it; God greatly encourages them to do so and the means to do so is through individual Bible study resulting in the discovery of new truths whose validity is tested out against the Scriptures in spiritual fellowship with other true Christians and when congregations assemble (see 1 Cor 14:26-40).
There can be no division in God’s Church regarding the foundational truths of God’s Church but there can and will certainly be different understandings and beliefs in the Church which to be valid need to be shown to not change any of the foundational truths given God’s Church by Christ using the Bible to do so.
The means of resolving differences is in discussion with other true Christians using their Bible in determining the validity of a new understanding. If new understandings cannot be shown to be true against the Scriptures or are ultimately found to be in error they are not to be maintained.
Individual Bible study, after having fully mastered the foundational truth of God’s Church, is the only means through which spiritually mature Christians can have the growth in knowledge and understanding they must have to remain live spiritual embryos that can be born again as glorified spirit beings at Christ’s 2nd Coming.
The unity that has to exist in God’s Church is with the foundational truths given the Church by Christ Himself and with the understanding that God is revealing truth to all members of God’s Church as they study their Bible.
It cannot be any other way as Christians all have minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand the spiritual truth or God-level truth of the Bible. All true Christians are taught of God through the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. The Scriptures do not say that converted individuals would be taught God’s spiritual truth by men. The ministry’s commission is to teach knowledge of the foundational truths of God’s Church to God’s Church but the understanding of these truths in their spiritual dimension is by God’s Holy Spirit. New truths will come into God’s Church from individual Bible studies. The ministry like the non-ordained members of God’s Church has to study their Bible as much as any of the other members of God’s Church.
Why study the Bible if it is impossible to get any new truth from it or if the only way truth enters the Church is by the ministry who are but fallible men who are quite capable of straying from the truth and who have done so abundantly even in our recent past.
God tells true Christians to trust no man and that God is speaking to true Christians through His Son, the Word or Spokesman who became Christ. The Bible is Christ in writing and the only sure criterion of truth that all true Christians have. The criterion of truth is not any man including the ordained ministry, but the sure Word of God.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Heb 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Unity is God’s Church does not consist in following men such as the ordained ministry or even the Pastor General but in believing the Church’s foundational truths and that individual Christians can and will discover new Scripturally valid truths as they study their Bible with their minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand spiritual truth. The criterion of truth is not men but Gods’ Holy Bible.
All members of God’s Church are taught by God; not men and their salvation is between them and God; not between God, a minister and them; the ministry are but men including the Pastor General.
There can be no headquarters Church or single individual which rules spiritually over local congregations nor is that possible given that members of God’s Church stand by their faith i.e., what they have chosen to believe and that no one can force them to believe something they have not chosen to believe.
2Co 1:24 Not for that we [apostles and other ministers appointed by them] have dominion [can impose on you what it is you are to believe] over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand. [you remain a Christian by those things which you have chosen to believe as no man can force you to believe something you have not chosen to believe]
God’s Church is a worldwide community of individuals called and chosen by God who have had their minds enabled by God’s Holy Spirit to understand the Bible. They have in common the foundational truths of God’s Church but they will all individually discover truth not part of God’s foundational truths as they study their Bible which they are to discuss in spiritual fellowship with other true Christians and with congregations when they assemble, if there are any, to prove them out against the Bible whether they be true or not.
God's Spiritual Nation 