When I was first converted, I, like many other sincere Christians, desired to know which church is right. I could not conceive of there being more than one church that is right. Many sincere Christians, as well as many non-professors, are wondering why there are so many churches, and which one is right. It is with the purpose of enlightening sincere seekers after truth that constrains me to answer this puzzling question, “Which Church is Right.” It is not a question of what I think or say or what you, or someone else thinks or says about it, but what God’s word teaches. The word of God is the standard by which all questions pertaining to religion should be settled. By the help of the Lord I will endeavor to present plain, unmistakable facts as to the question of “Which Church is Right.”

Yours in Christian service,
John A. Vance

WHO BUILT THE RIGHT CHURCH?

In Mathew 16: 18 it is recorded: “Upon this rock I will build my church.” “My church” would imply that there is only one. We read in Ephesians 5: 25-27, “Husbands love your wives even as Christ also loved the church (You will notice that Paul says “The church,” implying that there is only one) and gave himself for IT (not them), that he might sanctify and cleanse IT (not them), . . . that he might present IT” (not them) to himself a glorious church.” You will notice that the word church here is always used in the singular, never in the plural. This church is the one which Jesus built. “For every house is builded by some man. . . For this man (Christ Jesus) was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house.” (Hebrews 3: 4, 13.) This house symbolically represents the church. And here we are told that Jesus built it. It is not a material house built of material substance, but a spiritual house. The material composing its structure is saved men and women, or Christians. “But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” (Hebrews 3: 6.) Here we are told that we, the people of God, are the material that compose the house of God. But we are the material conditionally that compose the house of God. On conditions that, “If we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.” In other words we are the spiritual house of God as long as we are spiritual. “Ye also. . . are built up a spiritual house.” (I Peter 2:5.) It is also called a temple. “Ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord.” (Ephesians 2: 19-21.) “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” (2 Corinthians 3:9.) This building is the church; the one that Jesus built. It is the right church. “That thou oughtest to know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God.” (1 Timothy 3:15.) Here it is emphatically stated that the house of God is the church of God. In Hebrews 3:3 we are told Jesus built the house, and in Matthew 16:18 we are told that he built the church. In 1 Timothy 3:15 we are told that the house is the church. In the same verse we are told that the church or house of God is the “pillar and ground of the truth.” It was prophesied that Jesus would build the spiritual temple. “Behold the man whose name is the branch; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord.” (Zachariah 8:2). No, it is not a man-made structure. A church that can be built by man is not the right church.

THE FOUNDATION OF THE RIGHT CHURCH

The right church has a good substantial foundation. It is built upon a rock. “Upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthew 16: 18.) The rock is Christ. “Therefore, thus saith the Lord, God, behold, I lay in Zion, for a foundation, a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation.” (IsaIah 28:16.) Jesus Christ is the underlying foundation stone on which the church is built. It is founded on his teaching as recorded in the word of God. Each one of the apostles and prophets are also foundation stones in the building, because it is also builded upon the teaching of the prophets and apostles, though they got their teaching by inspiration of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence Christ is the underlying foundation stone. Each individual member of the right church, the one that Jesus built; is a stone in the building, but not foundation stones. Though the stronger ones spiritually are pillars in the church.” Ye also as lively stone are built up a spiritual house.” (1 Peter 2:5.) “And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone.” (Ephesians 2:20.) A church that is founded on any other man or men than Jesus Christ and the apostles and prophets is not the right church.

SYMBOLS REPRESENTING THE RIGHT CHURCH:

A SHEEPFOLD

The church is represented as a sheepfold. Christ’s children are symbolically represented as sheep: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20: 28.) Here the church is likened to a flock of sheep. Jesus likens his people to sheep and himself their chief shepherd. “When the son of man shall come in his glory . . . before him shall be gathered all nations, and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats; and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.” (Mathew 25:31-33.) Here the Christians are called sheep and the sinners are called goats. “Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey. . . Ye, my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men.” (Ezekial 34:22, 31.) “We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” (Psalms 100: 3.)

A VINE

It is also represented as a vine, a fruitful vine. Each individual member being a branch in the true vine which is Christ. “I am the vine and my father is the husbandman. . . . I am the vine, ye are the branches.” (John 15:1, 2.)

A HOUSE OR HOUSEHOLD

We have already proved that the church is a spiritual house; “the house of God.” It is God’s family or household. “For this cause I bow my knees unto the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.” (Ephesians 3: 14, 15.) We become members of God’s household or family by spiritual birth. “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7.) Any church that members can get into in any other way than by spiritual birth is not the right one, not the one that Jesus built; or the one mentioned in the New Testament.

THE BODY OF CHRIST

It is also symbolically represented as the body of Christ. The reason that he represents us as his body is because his life is in us, and his Spirit abides within us and we continue to carry on the work of God. “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body.” (Ephesians 1:22, 23.) “And he is the head of the body, the church.. .. Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church.” (Colossians 1:18, 24.) These texts state that the church is Christ’s body; and that his body is the church.

THERE IS ONLY ONE BODY

“For as we have many members in one body (referring to the physical body), and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another. (Romans 12: 4, 5.) “For as the body (meaning the physical body) is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one (physical) body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ; for by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13.) We have shown from Ephesians 1:22, 23 and Collossians 1:18, 24 that the church is the body of Christ, and that the body of Christ is the church; and from Romans 12:4, 5, and 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13 that there is only one body; hence only one church, and that this church is the family of God, composed of all who are saved, and none else. “Now ye are the body of Christ and members in particular.” (1 Corinthians 12:27.) Any church then that does not contain all the body of Christ, or family of God, or that one can become a member of without being in Christ is not the right church.

CHRIST’S BRIDE

It is represented as the bride or wife of Christ. “There came unto me, one of the seven angels . . . saying, come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Revelations 21:9.) God’s people are said to be married to Christ. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye shall be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead.” (Romans 7: 4.) “For thy maker is thy husband; the Lord of hosts is his name.” (Isaiah 54: 5.) in 2 Corinthians 11:2, Paul says: “I have espoused you to one husband.” The wise man describes the church as a beautiful virgin bride. “Behold thou are fair my love; there is no spot in thee.” (Songs of Solomon 4:7.) “My dove, my undefiled, is but one . . . She is the choice one of her that bare her.” (Songs of Solomon 6:9.) This figurative prophecy of the church under the figure of a bride corresponds with Paul’s figurative lesson in Ephesians 5:25-27. It says: “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and cleanse it, with the washing of water by the word: That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives even as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church; for we are members of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery; but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” Here the relationship of true companionship between husband and wife is used to illustrate that of Christ and the church. This illustration could not be used to represent the relationship between Christ and a divided church. Sectism with its organized divisions does not represent that of a husband and wife. If Christ had more than one church this would not be a true illustration. Hence the multiplied sects and denominations called churches does not represent this bride of Christ who is said to be “The only one of her mother.” Hence they individually, or collectively are not the right church.

ZION, MOUNT ZION, THE NEW JERUSALEM

Zion, Mount Zion, and New Jerusalem are all figures of speech which symbolically represent the same thing - the New Testament Church. Literal Zion represents the hill on which the holy temple stood, which was in Jerusalem. It represented not only the mountain called the holy mountain, but the city of Jerusalem, the temple where the Jews worshipped and the people who worshipped. Zion represented not only a place but a state or condition. It included the holy city in which the temple was built, the hill and immediate territory round about Jerusalem. One became an inhabitant of Jerusalem by natural birth because he was a Jew or descendant of Abraham. “And of Zion it shall be said: This and that man was born in her; . . . the Lord shall count when he writeth up the people, that this man was born there.” (Psalms 87: 5, 6.) The people became a part of Zion by natural birth just like we became a part of the body of Christ the church by spiritual birth. There was a record kept of all the births in Zion, there is also a record kept of all the spiritual births in spiritual Zion which is the church. The former was a literal record while ours is a record in heaven. “Be glad ye children of Zion and rejoice.” (Joel 2: 23.) “Deliver thyself, 0 Zion.” (Zechariah 2:7.) God was not talking to the mountain which was called Zion. Zion Included the mountain, the city of Jerusalem, the temple where the Jews worshipped, and it also in¬cluded the people who worshipped there. These sacred things and chosen people, typify the church and people in the New Testament dispensation. “For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; . . . . But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly.” (Romans 2:28, 29.) That is in the new dispensation by a spiritual birth we become spiritual Jews, inwardly. The literal Jews were those who descended from Abraham. The spiritual Jews are the spiritual descendants of Abraham through Christ. “If ye be Christ’s then are ye Abraham’s seed.” (Gala¬tions 3:29.) By spiritual birth we become spiritual Jews, or the true Israel of God, Mount Zion, and New Jerusalem. “But ye are come unto Mount Zion; and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, . . . and church of the first born, which are written in heaven.” (Hebrews 12: 22, 23.) This Mount Zion is a holy mountain, just as Jerusalem is called the holy Jerusalem or the holy city. This mountain is holy because its inhabitants are cleansed from sin and made pure and holy. The wolf, the leper, the lion, the bear, and adder and asp nature is cleansed out of all who inhabit this mountain, so that “they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.” (Isaiah 11:9.) This applies to people who before becoming Christians had a beast nature likened to a bear, to dominate, a lion to devour, etc. But on coming into this holy mountain which symbolically represents the church, they become cleansed or saved from their beast nature and become peaceable and harmless, hence, “shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain.” “And I, John, saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And there came unto me one of the seven angels. . . saying, come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife, and he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” (Revelations 21: 9, 10.) Here we have the figures of the mountain, the city, and the bride, all combined representing the same thing; and the writer of the Hebrews in the twelfth chapter, verses 22 and 23, calls it the church of the first born, which are written in heaven.

THE CHURCH RECORD

In the scripture referred to in Hebrews 12:22, 23, it says the members of the right church are written in heaven; so then a church record not kept in heaven is not the right kind of record, hence not suited for the right church. Those who have their names written in heaven belong to the right church, those not recorded in heaven do not belong to the right church regardless of what they may have joined. “I intreat thee. . . Help those women. . . Clement also. . . whose names are in the book of life. (Phillipians 4:3) Jesus told the seventy whom he sent out to “rejoice because their names were written in heaven. He told Moses that Whosoever sinned against him, him would he blot out of his book.” The book of life is the church record of the right church. We have no Bible account of any other church record being used in the apostolic age. Had there been any other there would have been some examples or teachings in the apostles’ writings. One can have his name on a human church record and not belong to the right church, but only those whose names are in the book of life belong to the right church and will get to heaven. “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:15.)

THE DOOR OF ENTRANCE INTO THE CHURCH

Men open and close the door of human churches, but of this church which Jesus built there is a door of entrance that no man can either open or shut. “He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.” (Revelation 3:7.) “I am the door of the sheepfold; I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.” (John 10: 9.) The only way to get into the sheepfold, or become one of Christ’s sheep, is to come in through Christ the door. When we do this we are saved and in the right church. We have already proved that we become spiritual Jews or Isrealites by spiritual birth and that the church is composed of all the true children of God, hence the same act that makes one a child of God makes him a member of the church. No preacher has a right, or is able to open the doors of the Bible church and take in members, for “the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved.” (Acts 2:47, American Revised Version.) The Lord does this by an act of the Holy Spirit on the heart by conversion, “For by one Spirit are we all baptised into one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:13.) “But now hath God set the members every¬one of them in the body (or church) as it hath pleased him.” (1 Corinthians 12: 18.) A church then that the preacher can take members into is not the right church-not the one which Jesus built, not the one recognized by the Bible. All who are members of Christ are members of the church without any joining process; and all who are members of His church are members of His body. There is no other way to become a member of his church only by becoming a member of His body, and this is accomplished by repentance and faith in the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, by being born again. “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:7.) The only way to get into the right church is to be born into it by a spiritual birth.

THE DISCIPLINE OF THE CHURCH

Man made churches have man made disciplines or rules governing the church, but the discipline of the right church is the word of God. “Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4.) “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profit¬able for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16.) Of course this discipline is not well suited for people who do not believe in doctrine, for the “scripture is given for doctrine.” Some claim to have no discipline but the Bible, but they evidently do not use it all for it condemns divisions; and cutting up the church into schisms or sects, no one can be in denominational churches without being in a division, schism or sect, and the body, or church is “tempered together that there should be no schisms in the body.” (1 Corinthians 12:24, 25.) The only way one can take the entire Bible for their discipline is to worship separate from all sects and divisions in the body only and live up to all the light obtained on the word of God.

THE NAME OF THE CHURCH

In Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians he addressed them as the “church of God.” (1 Cor¬inthians 1:1.) He addressed the second letter the same way. (2 Corinthians 1:1.) He wrote to Timothy about certain ones taking care of the Church or House of God and called it “The Church of God.” (1 Timothy 3:15.) He wrote and exorted certain elders to “feed the church of God.” (Acts 20:28.) The fact that Paul referred to the church as the “church of God” does not prove that because a congregation is called by the name “church of God” necessarily makes it the right church, for there are a number of different movements called by that name. The name church of God is not intended to be used as a sectarian or denominational name, but applies to the entire body of Christians, or any given number of saints worshipping together according to the apostolic teachings. The church constitutes the entire body of Christ, and applies to no sect or movement other than saints only.

THE RIGHT CHURCH IS A CLEAN CHURCH

All the members of the right church are saved; hence they constitute “a glorious church not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. . . holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27.) There are no sinful spots, no immoral blemishes in the members, because all have come in through Christ, all sinful blemishes, wrinkles and spots are washed away by the blood of Christ. All members of the right church have pure religion; and “pure religion before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27.) The religion of the right church is a Christ-like religion that sympathizes with the down and out, the discouraged and distressed, the poor and needy and destitute. But that is not all; It is a religion free from immoral spots of worldliness. As individuals they live a spotless life, not free from human errors and mistakes, but free from wilful sin. As soon as one sins he loses his membership in the church of God. The record is kept by the Lord up in heaven and he says: “Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exodus 32:33.) Repentance and faith puts one on the inside, and sin puts him on the outside.

WHY SO MANY CHURCHES?

We have proved that there is only one Bible church. But the question comes from honest inquiries: If there is only one church that is right, why then are there so many denominations called churches? This is because of a departure from the apostolic religion and teaching, which we will explain under different headings. In the apostolic age there was only one church recognized. In A. D. 32 Jesus said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” (Matthews 16: 18.) It wasn’t built at that time, else He wouldn’t say I will build it. In A. D. 59 Paul, writing to the church at Corinth, said: “Ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” (1 Corinthians 3: 9.) In A. D. 60 Peter, writing to some saints at Galatia, said: “Ye also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house.” (1 Peter 2: 5.) In Hebrews 3:1-6 we are told that we are the house that Jesus built, this was written A. D. 64. So then it is evident that the church was built between the dates of A. D. 30 and A. D. 59. In fact Jesus during his three and a half years ministry gathered material for the building of His church. At pentecost the structure was organized in working and functioning order. Soon after pentecost Luke tells us that “the Lord added to the church daily.” (Acts 2:47.) Evidently then it was built at that time else there could be no additions to it. We have already proved that the church is the body of Christ, the bride or wife of Christ, and that he only has one body, only one bride; hence only one church. In Genesis 11th chapter we have a description of the one speech or language of the human family. That was in the beginning of the natural race of God’s creation, and is typical of the one speech or spiritual language of the church in the beginning of the spiritual race. It never was intended by our Creator that his spiritual race should be divided and speak different spiritual languages. “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.” (1 Corin¬thians 1:10.) “Be of one mind.” (2 Corinthians 13:11.) “Being of one accord, of one mind.” (Philippians 2:2.) “That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God.” (Romans 15:6.) Such was the condition of the early church.

THE CHURCH IN THE MORNING OF CHRISTIANITY

“And when the day of pentecost was fully come, they were all of one accord in one place.” (Acts 2:1.) They didn’t have separate places of worship then for the accommodation of some who disagreed with them in religious belief. It wasn’t necessary, for “they were all of one accord.” That’s why they could all worship in one place. Now people worship in separate places, not because of inconvenience of getting together because of distance between them, but because of differences of belief. Jesus in his commission said: “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20.) The twelve taught the same doctrine that Jesus had taught them, they didn’t only teach the same doctrine but practiced what they taught others. The result was a unified church all of one accord. “They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine. And all that believed were together. . . and they continued daily with one accord.” (Acts 2:41, 42, 44, 46.) The preaching of the one doctrine in that day kept people together, and the same conditions will bring about the same results now. They had nothing to join, they were taught that Christ’s body was the church and that one became a member of it by being saved; and that divisions among God’s people was sinful. They were warned to “mark them who cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have heard and avoid them, for they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 16:16, 17.) And again: “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be acursed.” (Galatians 1:8.) The first church started out on a platform of unity, all united on Christ’s teaching, nothing less, and nothing more. Unity in spirit, and unity in doctrine. The result was the power of God rested upon them and they increased in favor with God and man, insomuch that multitudes were saved. “And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul.” (Acts 4:32.) “Great grace was upon them all, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost; and with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the place was shaken where they assembled, because they all of one accord lifted up their voice to God.” See the fourth chapter of Acts. It says in the next chapter: “And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, (and they were all with one accord), still. (And the people magnified them, and believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both men and women) insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches. . . There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.” All this was the result of preaching and practicing the truth as Jesus taught them. This is a history of the beginning of the right church. It came into existence by a spiritual operation on the hearts of all who were willing to, and did surrender to the truth without any joining process. No preacher opened any church doors, or took members in; “But the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved.” They, the people, the apostles, and their followers, continued steadfastly in the same doctrine, and prayers, and worshipped, all together in one place, in one accord, but this condition did not always exist; hence, different doctrines being embibed gave rise to the building of different movements called churches.

AN APOSTASY PREDICTED

“The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while; our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.” (Isaiah 63. 18.) This is a prediction of an apostasy or departing from the truth and primitive condition as taught by Christ and the apostles. The sanctuary is the church or God’s dwelling place. When people departed from apostolic conditions the enemy trampled the church down under the rubbish of sectarian teaching so that it was hidden from the view of the public. Paul predicted that there should be a “falling away.” Said some, “shall depart from the faith.” The prophet said: “The morning cometh and also the night.” (Isaiah 2:10, 11.) The morning was the beginning of the Christian dispensation. It opened with the rising of the “Sun of righteousness” “Unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise.” (Malachi 4:2.) “The people which sat in darkness saw a great light.” (Matthew 4:16.) “Then spake Jesus saying, I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12.) “He was a burning and a shining light.” (John 5:33.) His coming and teaching was the beginning of the gospel day, the day of grace or clear day. This gospel dispensation is called the clear day. During the apostolic age the light of truth shone brightly. The Lord worked with them because they continued to teach and practice the same things that Jesus taught them. But this condition was not to continue. “The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while, our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary. “The morning cometh and also the night. It seems peculiar that night or darkness should come in the middle of the day, but it really happened, according to the prophet’s prediction. A spiritual night came. “And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day. Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord. And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it.” (Amos 8:9, 11, 12.) The sun going down and the earth being darkened in the clear day, refers to spiritual darkness, for the same thing creates a spiritual famine, because truth is not taught. And this very thing happened, from the latter end of the second century down to the protestant reformation about the beginning of the sixteenth century. This was a period known in history as the dark ages. This condition was brought about by a gradual process, gradually departing from the pure apostolic teachings, first a compromise from the radical truth as taught by Christ and the apostles, then substituting man rule for Holy Ghost leadership. Formality and human doctrines of men. Then the organization of the Catholic church, known as Romanism. The Pope was exalted as head of the church and people taught to make confessions to the priest instead of going direct to God through Jesus Christ to make confession of sins committed. Thus the apostasy from primitive teachings and practice became a reality, at that time Bibles were as difficult to own as a home, the common people were deprived of the truth, and teachers and leaders who dared to stand up for, and teach, the whole truth were martyred. This was truly a time when the earth was darkened in the clear day. This building of the Roman Catholic sect was the antetype of the tower the children of men bulided as recorded in Genesis eleventh chapter.

A CLOUDY DAY

But just as the one speech of Genesis eleven, typified the unity of the early church, and the tower of Genesis 11, typified the Roman Catholic sect; so does the confusion of tongues and the scattering of the people so they couldn’t understand each other, also, typify the age of protestant sects with their organized divisions. Read Genesis 11, first 11 verses. Protestanism is called a cloudy day. The protestant reformation is known in history as the sixteenth century reformation. Reformation means a restoration amendment or restoring to a former stage or condition. But the sixteenth century is only a reformation in part. Protestantism did not restore primitive conditions; hence it’s only a reformation in part. In the sixteenth century reformation Justification was restored. The Weslyan reformation re¬stored holiness. But the whole truth and primitive conditions was not fully restored, if it had of been the people in the sectarian world, intsead of being divided as they are, teaching different doctrines and belonging to different churches, would have all remained in one body, been of one accord and all worshipped and cooperated together the same as in the apostolic times. Any reform that does not restore as at the beginning is not a complete reformation. From the beginning of the sixteenth century reformation, different conflicting doctrines were taught, according as each leader saw, each movement brought put some of the traditions of their former teaching. Some saw the light on baptism by emersion, others believed in sprinkling or pouring as they had been taught for centuries, while others differed on other lines. None saw the one body as the only true Bible church, thus it became an age of sect making and organized division. Each one was taught that the different sects and denominations were churches, and that the preacher had a right to open the door and take members in, which was altogether foreign to the apostolic teaching. Thus the bright shining of the spiritual sun was clouded by doctrines and commandments of men, and traditional teachings contrary to the truth as taught and practiced by the early church. However there was much more truth taught than had been taught during the dark day of Roman Catholicism, but so much error was mixed with the truth that it was neither clear nor dark. “And it shall come to pass in that day that the light shall neither be clear nor dark; but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day nor night.” (Zechariah 14:7.) Not dark like the Roman Catholic period, and yet not light like the apostolic age. During this day of protestantism God’s people are in a scattered condition; some in one denomination and some in another. This is not God’s will for He “hath tempered the body together that there should be no schisms in the body.” (1 Corinthians 12:24, 25.) This condition is typified by the Jews being taken captive from Jerusalem to Babylon. Jerusalem means peace and is a type of the church, while Babylon means confusion and is a type of sectism including the Roman Catholic sect and all protestant sects together with every other movement regardless of whether called by the name church of God or some other name unless it is founded on the apostolic teaching. The reason God’s people became scattered in various sects, is because the preachers teach the doctrine of their denomination and contrary to God’s plan, divide them instead of gather them together. The purpose of the ministry is to bring God’s people together in the unity of the one faith instead of to different faiths. “And he gave some, apostles; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers: For. . . the work of the. . . ministry, till we all come in the unity of the faith.” (Ephesians 4: 11-13.) In the last commission to the ministry, Jesus said: “Teach¬ing them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:20.) Did he teach them to join anything? Did he teach them to open the doors of the church and take members in? Emphatically no. “And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying: Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Woe be to the shepherds of Israel, . . . ye feed not the flock, . . . with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered. My sheep wandered. . . Yea my flock was scattered . . . and none did search or seek after them. Therefore ye shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: As I live saith the Lord God, . . . Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand.” (Ezekiel 34:1, 2, 4-9.) What a sacred responsibility rests upon the shepherds. And they who scatter and divide God’s people in different denominations called churches will be held responsible to God. “Behold I judge between cattle and cattle. Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns, till ye have scattered them abroad.” (Ezekiel 34:17-2 1.) Like cattle that push, and shove, and horn, and scatter the weaker ones, so have the shepherds or spiritual leaders scattered and divided God’s sheep into different sectarian pens by opening church doors and taking them into different denominational churches. Just as surely as God’s peo¬ple were all one in one church in the apostolic age, and as surely as they apostatized from the primitive faith and went into darkness during the age of Roman Catholicism, and as surely as they became scattered and divided in and during the age of protestantism, so surely will God gather out, and bring them back together in one body just like it was in the apostolic age.

THE EVENING LIGHT

What we mean by the evening light is the light of God’s word shining in the evening of time. The Bible says “the entrance of thy word giveth light.” We have already shown that the apostolic period was the morning of the christian era. The period known as the middle age is also termed the dark age, or the age of Roman Catholicism. Then the age of protestantism or of division and multiplicity of sects; a time when the light was said to be “not clear nor dark, but it shall be a day known to the Lord, not day nor night,” “BUT IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT AT EVE¬NING TIME IT SHALL BE LIGHT.” (Ezekiel 14: 6, 7.) The reason that it is light in the evening time; is because the pure teachings of the word of God is being restored to the people the same as in the morning. The evening light is not a different kind of light to that of the morning; it is the same kind of light shining in a different period of time. How will the light of the evening be, in comparison with the light of the morning? Just the same. “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning.” (Isaiah 58:8.) This is accomplished by teaching. “But thou 0 Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.” (Daniel 12:4.) “For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.” (Isaiah 11:9.) This means that the light of the full gospel of truth which brings people together in unity, will be universal. Everybody will have an opportunity to embrace the truth or to reject it. It was said of the early church: “Ye have filled all Jerusalem with your doctrine.” Just so, God’s ministers will carry this truth to the ends of the earth. until all will have a chance to know. One of the predominating signs of the evening time, or of the near coming of the Lord, is that He will send his angels (which simply means preachers or messengers; it is translated messengers in some translations) with a great sound of a trumpet (which signifies the heralding of gospel truth), and they shall gather together his elect . . . now learn a parable of the fig tree; when his branch is yet tender; and put¬teth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh; so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the door.” (Matthew 24:3 1-33.) Matthew 24:3 states that the disciples had asked Jesus “What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the end of the world?” Then He gave this lesson, and said that He would send his messengers, not to scatter and divide God’s people up in different denominational churches: but to “gather together his elect.” And just like one knows that summer is near by the budding of the fig tree, so likewise we know that we are living in the evening of time, and nearing the second coming of Christ when we see God’s ministers, many of them going to and fro, preaching the same truth that was taught in the apostolic age and this knowledge will produce unity among God’s children who are scattered and divided from each other causing them to see alike and come together and remain in the one church only. We are living now in the evening of time when this is being accomplished. Many are running to and fro and knowledge is increas¬ing. “And I will give you pastors according to mine own heart; which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” (Jeremiah 3:15.) The purpose of the ministry is to bring God’s people to the unity of the faith, but instead of that; the denominational preachers bring them to different and separate faiths.

A COMPLETE REFORMATION

As has been proved the protestant reformation was only a reformation in part. First the Lutheran reformation which restored light and truth on justification, then the Weslyan reformation which restored truth on holiness. But in this last evening light reformation the pure apostolic truth is being restored which restores apostolic conditions. For according to the prophet “Thy light shall break forth as the morning.” “And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy councelors as at the beginning.” (Isaiah 1:26.) The judges and coun¬celors represent the preachers at the first and at the beginning means the apostolic times or during Christ’s and the apostolic period. Isaiah 1:22 says “Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water.” Experimental religion, the pure kind, is likened to costly jewels, silver, gold and other valuables. Their silver being mixed with dross, represents a time when the mass of professors would have a religion in which much dross or worthlessness would be mixed with it as a result of the wine being mixed with water. The wine represents the doctrine taught, it is weakened, mixed with error. “Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel. Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies: I will turn mine hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.” (Isaiah 1:22, 24, 25.) Taking away the dross and tin refers to purifying the heart and restoring real salvation, and this is to be accomplished at the same time or as a result of the pure min¬istry being restored. Verse 26 or the next verse going on from verses quoted says he will “restore the judges and councellors as at the beginning,” as has already been explained. This shows that the result of a restored ministry produces a clean and restored church.

WHAT IS SPIRITUAL OR MYSTERY BABYLON

In the book of Revelation we have quite a bit said about “Mystery Babylon.” There was an ancient city called Babylon which was magnificent. Before John, the revelator’s time, it was in ruins. So he, evidently couldn’t have had reference to that city. The building of the tower to reach to heaven, by the people who were of one speech, and the confusion of tongues so that they couldn’t understand one another, which resulted in them being scattered from each other, as recorded in Genesus 11, is all typical of events and conditions in the religious world. Because of this confusion of tongues the place was called Babel which means confusion. For details read Genesis 11. Babylon then means spiritual confusion. We have already proved that God’s church is represented as a virgin woman, a pure chaste, clean woman; the bride or wife of Christ. Again in the twelfth chapter of Revelation a woman clothed with the sun and a crown of twelve stars on her head with the moon under her feet here symbolically represents the church that existed in the apostolic age. The crown of twelve stars represents the crowning labors of the twelve apostles, the sun here represents the light of Christ and the truth he taught, the moon the law of Moses. This woman was a pure chaste woman. But we have a picture of another woman, of a different character. She was never married but had many children, a large family of children and grand children, being born out of wedlock the children taken their mother’s name. An angel said to John in a vision: “Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore, with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. . . and I saw a woman . . . arrayed in purple and scarlet colour, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: And upon her forehead a name written, Mystery, Babylon the great, The Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the earth.” (Revelations 17:1-4.) This lewd woman represents an apostate church or religious confusion. The Roman Catholic church was the mother church which was the beginning of the Babylon family, but all the protestant daughters which came out of the mother church, together with the different movements that came out of the various sectarian bodies make up this family, they are the daughters and granddaughters of the mother, or in other words the harlot daughters. Mind you I do not mean the people in these movements are harlots, but the movements, called churches, are false, man-made churches, hence a part of the Babylon family. The children usualy have some resemblance or iikeness of their mother. Just so some of the protestant denominations are so much like the Roman Catholic church you can hardly tell the difference. For instance, confirming the children by sprinkling them when babies, this was inherited from their mother; baptising by sprinkling or pouring is other likenesses from the mother church. The multiplied sects and man-made movements coming first out of the Roman Catholic church and later out of the mother. The protestant churches together with the Roman Catholic church make up this family of mother and daughters. This is Mystery Babylon.

TYPES AND SHADOWS

We have in the Bible many types and shadows symbolizing something real. For in¬stance, Jerusalem represents peace while Babylon represents confusion. The literal city of Jerusalem was a type of the church of God hence God’s church is referred to in New Testament prophecy as the heavenly Jerusalem. The literal city of Babylon was a place of bondage where God’s children were carried captives away from their real home hence it typifies spiritual confusion and sect joining. The Jews being taken captives down to Babylon is typi¬cal of our captivity in sectarian Babylon. Their return back to Jerusalem is typical of our return from spiritual Babylon back to primative conditions. God’s church which is his people was one time in Babylon and yet are, a great many of them; Christ, the bridegroom of the church, is in there with them, that is in the hearts of his true children that are in her. The light of truth shining in the hearts and lives of his children in there is represented as a candle light. The gospel mill in there grinds out spiritual food. The voice of harpers and musicians singing the praise of God are heard in there, because the bride, wherever she is, sings with grace in her heart making melodies unto Christ. The voice of the bride, blowing trumpet, warning souls in her, are all typical of the work and service of the church in her. But listen while I read you of her desolation after God’s people are all called out of her. “In one hour is she made desolate. . . With violence shall that great city of Babylon be thrown down, . . . And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; . . . and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee.” (Revelation 18:19-24.) The reason is that God is calling his people out of her and before Christ comes all of his people who were in there will hear the voice and obey or else fall with Babylon because they refused to walk in the light received. Then the voice of the bridegroom and bride will have ceased to sound in her because they are on the outside, the same of trumpeters (preachers), singers, etc. That is so far as God’s people are concerned.

A VOICE FROM HEAVEN

“And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lighted with his glory. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every fowl spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all nations have drunk of the wrath of the wine of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her my people, that ye be not partaker of her sin, and that ye receive not of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:1-4.) She has weilded a universal influence. Even kings have been under the influence of her wine (teaching), Kings, merchants, and others have been intoxicated on her wine or teaching. Since Christ is our husband and we his bride, to go and join something else after being born into the right church is committing spiritual fornication. We have no more right to separate ourselves from the one body of worshipers who abide only in the one body of Christ which is the church than a woman has after marrying the man of her choice, flirting with and joining herself to some other man. This would be considered fornication, just so the other is spiritual fornication. Just as sure as the captivity of the Jews from Jerusalem to Babylon typified the captivity of true Christians in sect Babylon, just so sure does the return of the Jews back to their native land typify the return of the Saints out of sectarian divisions back to the oneness and unity of former days. And it is by the teaching of the whole truth that brings them out. “For thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I, even I, will both seek my sheep, and search them out, as a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy (protestant) and dark (Roman Catholic) day.” (Ezekiel 34:11, 12.) This and many other truths from the word of God teaches that when Christ returns he will find his bride in the same condition of unity and purity as existed in the morning. There always was and always will be false professors, crooks and backsliders trying to impose themselves on the true people of God and even among those who stand for the whole truth. There was in Christ’s time, Peter denied him, Judas betrayed him. Annanias and his wife tried to fool the church, Simon, the sorcerer, fooled Philip and the people. But backsliders and crooked professors are no part of the church for they are not in the body of Christ which is the church, and if the right conditions exist they will not feel at home among us and eventually will go out from us because they are not of us. We read in 1 John 2:19: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.

A BREACH IN THE WALL

The literal walls around Jerusalem was their protection from their enemies. Our spiritual wall around spiritual Jerusalem is our protection from spiritual enemies. The executing of the judgment of God under the direction and anointing of the Holy Spirit, together with the unity and cooperation of the church is our wall of protection against spiritual enemies and intruders. As individuals there is a wall of salvation around us to protect us from sins, but collectively as a church the preaching of the word along doctrinal and practical lines backed up by a Spirit-filled church in unity and cooper¬ation becomes a wall of protection to our future welfare. For proof of the substantial walls of protection around the early church at Jerusalem read Acts 5:1-16, and 8:9-11 and 18-24. If you remember after the Jews returned from Babylon to Jerusalem the first thing done was to rebuild the temple. The temple at Jerusalem is a beautiful type of the church of God. So we, when first seeing this truth as a body of people or movement, the first thing we did was go everywhere preaching the one church and the evils of division. Thus we, so to speak, rebuilt the temple that was down under the rubbish of sectism, and by our radical preaching it was brought up where folks could see it. The Jews also made an effort to repair the breaches in the walls but didn’t succeed until a numbers of years later. During the time the walls were down in places, and the gates torn loose there was a compromise between the Jews and other nations. God had chosen the Jews to be a special separate people from all other nations, but now they were allowing the foreigners entrance into the city, and mixed bloods were bred right among the Jews whom God had chosen to be a peculiar and separate race from all other nations. “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, doing according to their abominations. For they have taken of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons; so that the holy seed hath mingled themselves with the people of these lands; yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been their chief in this tresspass.” (Ezeral 9:1, 2.) This typifies that after our return from sectism, some ministers and churches would compromise with spiritual foreigners. Their mingling and marrying among foreigners is typical of some of our mixed congregations in places. The princes or rulers being chief in the trespass is typical of some of our preachers being guilty of compromising. “In those days saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdad, of Ammon and of Moab; and their children spake half in the speech of the Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language but according to the language of each people.” (Nehemiah 13: 23, 24.) So likewise when we compromise with spiritual foreigners; allow them to be leaders among us, their children (followers) will be partly like us and partly like some other movement, and cannot speak spiritual language. They will be so mixed up in their belief it will be hard to locate them spiritually. If such is permitted to too great an extent, instead of us being an exclusive church as was the early church, separate and distinct from all other movements, we will become mixed in our congregations, like some of the sects, so that we will be looked upon as a church among churches, just a holiness movement among holiness movements. It is true there are good, honest, sincere Christians in these other movements; but the movement itself is a part of the Babylon family, unless the movement is distinct and separate from all sectarian walls and takes the Bible and Holy Spirit as its guide. And in that case we are together. Brethren we cannot afford to compromise this truth or righteous principles to suit any individual or group of individuals. We must stand on the same foundation that the first church was built on; the whole truth, otherwise we become a sect, a part of the Babylon family and are no more the right church than any other movement. The way literal Israel was cleansed and protected from compromisers and literal imposers was by separating themselves from the mixed bloods, rebuilding the walls around Jeru¬salem, making secure the gates, then placing faithful watchmen upon the walls to prevent the reentrance of foreigners. The Jews in time restored the walls and also the pure Jewish religion. Likewise will our spiritual walls be restored as in apostolic times and primitive conditions produced. To go back to sectism aft¬er obtaining light on the one church because of abnormal conditions in the congregation where one worships is the height of folly. No true Jew wanted to return to Babylon after coming back to their own land even though conditions in Jerusalem were not normal as it was before the captivity. Just as sure as God fulfilled prophecy relating to the captivity and of the return and rebuilding of the temple and its antitype of the spiritual Jews return from sectarian divisions; so will he fulfill the prophecy referring to the restoring of the breach in the walls, and the renovating and purifying process to primitive conditions as in the apostolic age. The departing from the faith was by a gradual process; so likewise is the return to primitive conditions, a gradual process.

WHY ARE THERE NOT MORE PROMINENT PEOPLE AMONG US?

There were not many prominent people connected with the twelve apostles whom Jesus chose, the majority of them was from among the common ranks of society. Luke was a physician, and there were other professional and prominent men in the ranks of the early church, but most of the twelve as well as their followers were from the common ranks. We also have some prominent people among us, some doctors and other professional men and women, but like it was then our majority are from the common ranks. “Now when they (the enemies of the early church) saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” (Acts 4:13.) Mark writing of Christ’s ministry says: “The common people heard him gladly.” (Mark 12:37.) Jesus is no respecter of people, he is just as willing to have prominent people in his ranks as com¬mon ones, and just as willing to save the common people as the higher ups. But generally speaking common people are more willing to submit to him. Jesus said concerning the right way, “few there be that find it.” But concern¬ing the false way, “many there be.” Comparatively few of the ones who profess to know him really know him. There will be a class of professors deceived clear up to the judgment day. In Christ’s sermon on the mount he said: “Not every one that saith unto me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day (the judgment day), Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied (or preached) in Thy name? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? and then will I profess unto them I never knew you; depart from me ye that work iniquity.” (Mathew 7:21-23.) According to this many will be deceived in the end, and among this number are preachers. Paul calls them false apostles. “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ, and no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15.) To transform themselves as the ministers of righteousness, means to act and preach like righteous ministers, otherwise they would not be able to deceive the people so readily. Among this class of professors are highly educated, refined, talented, and cultured people. Of course there are also some ignor¬ant people too among this deceived class, but not so many leaders among the ignorant, for they would not succeed so well in deceiving so many people. Education, higher learning, talent, natural efficiency, natural ability, culture and refinement are good things to use for God; and we should strive to attain as much of this as possible, and then have it consecrated to God’s service. But it is to be regretted that so few of this class are willing to consecrate their life and talents to the service of God; though many of them have a profession. Jesus said, “Many shall come in my name. . . and shall deceive many, for there shall arise false. . . prophets, if it were possible they shall deceive the very elect.” (Matthew 24:5,24.) Paul was a prominent man and well educated, but was able to win only a very few of his own class. “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.” (1 Corinthians 1:26.) He didn’t say that there was not any wise, mighty or noble called but not many of that class, for the reason not many had receptive hearts. He said that “evil men and seducers, shall wax worse and worse, deceiving or being deceived.”

WHAT SHALL WE DO THEN?

If we have not already surrendered our hearts and lives to God and obtained an ex¬perience that we are sure of that should be the first step to take. Be sure you have repented according to the word and obtained an experience of salvation that you are satisfied with, that makes you a member of the right church. Stay out of all human organizations called churches that men and women can join, because they divide and separate God’s people, and God’s word says to “mark them which cause divisions.” A man causes division when he takes one into a so-called church, thus separating them into different bodies. The mission of Jesus was not only to save, sanctify, and heal, “But that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered.” (John 11:52.) So when you encourage a child of God to join something you are helping to separate, divide and scatter them from those in the body of Christ who have not joined anything, and since the joining process is not God’s way of bringing them together and was not practiced by the early church, it is wrong and sinful. If you have already joined something which is called a church, you are commanded: “Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate.” Come out of her my people.” God’s people are one and should remain together in one body, and the only way to do this is to just remain in Christ only, join nothing if you haven’t and if you have already joined something, separate yourself from it by withdrawing, and worship with the people of God who abide only in Christ. The body of Christ is the church. It is divinely organized, controlled, and governed. Others are wrong, because they are man made, humanly organized, controlled and governed. What a pity that all Christians do not see and accept this truth, and come together and work together in one body.

[ The End ]