I thank God
for the precious and glorious history of Open Brethren Church. I thank God for
biblical conservative doctrine that we had taught by elders and evangelists in
our local churches. It was a wonderful historical revolutionary movement to declare
what the Bible said about us that we are all brethren. It isn’t for calling
others with it but to live it practically giving honor for them and
collaborating with them in God’s work and Sharing effectively in their needs.
It was a conservative biblical movement believing in inerrancy of the Biblical
Inspiration and its absolute authority and truth for our lives to keep in our
hearts and to live daily with God’s words and teachings accurately. As we
learned and practiced, correct and right teaching leads to good manners and
ethics. After reading about “Open Brethren” history, I got that they were not new
cult or synod but they are independent local churches believing in:
-
God’s Leadership and authority and trinity
-
Biblical Inspiration& Canonicity from Genesis to
Revelation
-
Incarnation of Jesus, son of God, from Virgin Mary
-
Unlimited Atonement of Christ by his redemptive work
purchasing believers by his precious blood.
-
Salvation is by grace through faith after his
repentance and believing in Jesus to receive eternal mercy and forgiveness for
his sins
-
Believers will not be perished but they have eternal
life.
-
Holy Spirit baptism and receiving in a moment of
receiving and believing in Christ.
-
Eternal Perishing will wait every unbeliever who
denies Christ and his atoning work.
-
Baptism with water for all believers.
-
Weekly Breaking bread gathering on Sunday
-
Gathering in his name in any place under Holy Spirit’s
Guidance
-
Avoiding false teaching that will lead him to divine and ecclesiastical correction.
-
Believing in existence of
angels as spirits serving us and to be worshiped or to serve them.
-
Nomination of Gospel ministers after confirmation of
God's call for them and their good, pure, and effective testimony from others
after comfort of elders and presence of spiritual gift for Teaching,
Evangelism, and Eldership
-
Rapture to all believers,
according to 1Thessalonians4, even if they are dead or alive, and then the millennial
kingdom of Christ, and judgment for all unbelievers, then the Eternity for
believers with Christ.
So, It’s a
biblical doctrine not “Open Brethren” doctrine, and to continue with success
and wide effect we need to obey to authority of the Biblical teaching by living
and applying his words in ourselves before preaching and teaching it.
Then we will
move critically to what’s happening now in our local churches after giving
summary about what we believe and how we can continue successfully for God’s
glory.
“Open
Brethren” composed linguistically of two words. “Open” came from 2Cor 6: 11 when
Paul said “our hearts is opened wide ~ASV.”It speaks here about working
together with God by serving others in any place & any situation by opened
heart full of feelings toward others and forgiveness towards who will harm us
or even defame and dishonor us. “Brethren” came from Matthew23: 8 when Jesus
said to his disciples “for one is your teacher, and you are all brothers ~ASV.”
It speaks here about Jesus’ speech with his disciples about Pharisees who love
to be noticed by men, love the place of honor and the chief seats, and being
called by men “rabbi, father, or leader.” But as believers we are not to be
called fathers, leaders, or rabbis for our teacher, leader, and father is
Christ and we are all brothers. So the greatest among us, as Jesus said, shall
be our servant, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. So to revive
again and revolutionize our local churches and our lives we need to live by
this biblical truth that we are all brethren and we need our hearts to be
opened serving others, accepting them, loving them, forgiving them, and praying
for them. It can be summarized in one word which is Humility!
to be continued..
to be continued..