Church Fellowship a Bible study course for adults

1
Church Fellowship a Bible study course for
adults

• By Professor John F. Brug
• PowerPoint Angi Kinsley, Pastor Mark A. Cordes
• New Life Evangelical Lutheran Church
• Shoreview, Minnesota

2
Scriptural Principles

• The Unit Concept
• Lesson Four

3
Goals

• To learn the two main principles of the unit
  concept
• Church fellowship requires agreement in all
  doctrines.
• All expressions of church fellowship require
  complete agreement in doctrine.

4
Goals

• To study the abundant scriptural evidence for
  these two principles.

5
Opening Prayer

• God of all truth, teach us that every Bible
  teaching is precious not one can be surrendered.
  Every false teaching is dangerous poison not
  one can be tolerated. Create in us obedient,
  submissive hearts to practice fellowship only
  with Christians who submit to all of your Word,
  neither adding to it nor subtracting from it.
  Amen.

6
Introduction

• Scripture teaches two principles
• Agreement in all doctrines is necessary for
  church fellowship.
• Church fellowship includes all expressions of a
  shared faith.

7
This Unit Concept stresses

• Bible doctrines cannot be divided into two
  categories
• those which require agreement
• and those which do not.

8
Unit also stresses

• Fellowship activities cannot be broken into
  categories
• those we cannot practice outside our fellowship
• and those we can.

9
Some errors the apostles saw as divisive of
fellowship

• Galatians 16-8 32
• Rejecting justification by faith alone.

10
Some errors the apostles saw as divisive of
fellowship

• 1 John 218,19 42,3
• Rejecting the human and divine nature of Christ.

11
More errors the apostles saw as divisive of
fellowship

• 2 Timothy 216-18
• Teaching error about the resurrection

12
More errors the apostles saw as divisive of
fellowship

• 2 Timothy 216-18 (cont.)
• Claiming the message of forgiveness allows for
  sinning.
• 1 Timothy 41-3
• Forbidding people to marry.
• Ordering people to abstain from foods God gave us
  to eat.

13
More errors the apostles saw as divisive of
fellowship

• Titus 38-11
• Foolishly quarreling in controversies about
  genealogies and the law.
• Being divisive.
• Not accepting admonition from Gods Word.

14
Divisive of fellowship according to the Lords
apostles

• Rejecting
• justification by faith alone
• the human nature of Christ
• the resurrection
• Claiming forgiveness okays sin.
• Forbidding people to marry.
• Condemning certain foods.

15
Divisive of fellowship according to the Lords
apostles

• Quarreling about genealogies and the law.
• Being divisive.

• Not accepting admonition from Gods Word.

16
Clearly the Apostles Taught

• The Unit Concept of Church Fellowship
• Agreement in all doctrine is necessary for
  fellowship

17
How much deviation from Scripture does God
condemn?

• Revelation 2218,19

• Adding or
• Subtracting
• anything from Gods Word.

18
Discuss from Church Fellowship (p.34)

• Just as some doses of poison are more deadly
  than others, the loss of certain doctrines, such
  as the doctrines of justification or the deity of
  Christ, is more deadly than the loss of other
  doctrines, such as a correct understanding of the
  doctrine of the Antichrist. But.

19
Discuss from Church Fellowship (p.34)

• But just as we want no poison in our food, not
  even the unintentional inclusion of small amounts
  of cancer-causing substances, so we can tolerate
  no poison in our spiritual food, that is, the
  teachings of Scripture that feed our faith.

20
Agreement in all doctrine is necessary for
fellowship

• Scripture makes no exceptions on doctrines.
• In order to have fellowship together, Gods Word
  requires complete agreement in doctrine.
• Unity of doctrine is necessary.

21
Identify where God says complete unity of
doctrine is necessary

• Matthew 2820

22
Identify where God says complete unity of
doctrine is necessary

• Acts 2027-31

23
Identify where God says complete unity of
doctrine is necessary

• 1 Corinthians 110
• Romans 155,6
• Ephesians 43,
• 11-15
• 1 Timothy 13,4
• 1 Timothy 63-5

24
Identify where God says complete unity of
doctrine is necessary

• John 831
• 1 Peter 411
• Revelation 2219

25
In the light of the above passages discuss this
quote

• None of these passages nor any of the many other
  similar passages in the New Testament offers even
  a hint of support for the idea that any doctrine
  of Scripture can be dispensed with or that any
  doctrinal error can be accepted as harmless.
  (Church Fellowship, p. 39)

26
What about Adiaphora?

• Romans 141-3
• Adiaphora are things neither forbidden /
  commanded by God
• different liturgies
• moderate use of alcohol
• method of baptism

27
Why are differences in adiaphora not divisive of
church fellowship?

• We are free wherever God has given us no command.
  
• Adiaphora may become wrong
• If someone is using them to cover false doctrine.
• Example Baptism must be by immersion.

28
Adiaphora?
29
Agreement in all doctrine is necessary for
fellowship

• It is not necessary to use the exact words or
  terminology
• 2 Thessalonians 23
• 1 John 43
• Scriptures same doctrine
• Antichrist
• man of lawlessness

30
For more study the Anti-Christ

• Concordia Triglotta
• Historical Introductions
• Tract on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
• Smalcald Articles
• Of the Mass Of the Papacy
• Of the Power and Primacy of the Pope

31
Mistakes Doctrinal Terminology

• Right doctrine different words
• Wrong to deny fellowship for this reason
• Same terms in a church body does help to avoid
  confusion.
• Wrong doctrine same words
• Wrong to allow fellowship with different meaning
• This is intentional confusion.

32
Agreement in all doctrine is necessary for
fellowship

• Should not cause division in the church
• Personalities
• Economics
• Race
• Culture

33
Second PrincipleUnit Concept

• All ways of expressing fellowship are a unit

34
How are Christians expressing fellowship?

• Hebrews 1024f
• Colossians 316

• Worshipping
• Encouraging

35
Expressing Christian fellowship

• 1 Corinthians 1016f
• Taking Lords Supper together

36
Expressing Christian fellowship

• Galatians 66
• 1 Corinthians 911,14
• Philippians 14f 415
• Supporting preachers
• Philippian partners ministry
• 2 John 10f the negative side

37
Expressing Christian fellowship

• Galatians 28f
• Brotherly consultations to resolve doctrinal
  questions
• Handshake of fellowship

38
Expressing Christian fellowship

• Acts 151f
• Issuing joint doctrinal resolutions
• Romans 1616
• Ancient greeting kiss, used by Christian to
  express unity in faith

39
All expressions of fellowship (Unit Concept)

• PreachingWorshiping Communion together
• Praying together
• Joint mission work
• Training, supporting pastors
• Transferring members
• Wishing success on ministry

40
In light of passages discuss

• There is no scriptural basis for dividing the
  various expressions of fellowship into different
  levels that require different degrees of
  doctrinal agreement. Different forms of
  fellowship are simply different ways of
  expressing one and the same unity of faith.
  (Church Fellowship, p. 49)

41
Many churches deny the unit concept of church
fellowship.

• Divide fellowship activities into levels.
• Some require doctrinal agreement, others not.

42
Fellowship is a Unit

• Scripture distinguishes no levels.
• All fellowship activities are on the same level.
  
• All expressions of fellowship require agreement
  in all teachings of Scripture.

43
Summary

• The unit concept of fellowship is the clear
  testimony of our Lord in the Bible. Therefore,
  we must agree in all doctrines of Scripture to
  have church fellowship. All expressions of
  church fellowship require complete doctrinal
  agreement.

44
Closing Prayer

• Lord of the Church, we wish we could see the true
  unity of your church in heaven. On earth you
  command us to separate from all false teaching.
  Give us zeal to work for doctrinal unity in your
  church. Grant us solid love to turn away from
  all error. Amen.

45
During the week

• Read Church Fellowship, pp.51-58.
• Think about the fellowship you enjoy with
  congregation members and others who share the
  same confession.
• What are some things you can do to preserve that
  fellowship?
• What can you do to extend it?