The Maintainer of Doctrinal Purity - Part1

The Purpose of the Church – Series

The Maintainer of Doctrinal Purity - Part1

The Church is the maintainer of doctrinal purity, through the systematic, ordained, teaching of the Word of God.

Note: Caution is here employed so as not to make the church (Congregation) the authority, for that distinction as expressed in the reformation, falls upon the Word of God itself!

Thus, the church through the counsel of many, and not by any whim of individual preference, maintains that which the Word of God sets forth.

Part 1. – Problems Surrounding This Position.

Romans 16:17-18

I.            IDEOLOGIES PREVENTING THE CHURCH’S ROLE IN THIS MATTER.

            A. The Gnostic persuasion.

                        1) Historically

                        2) Modern developments.

                                    a)) Individualism

                                    b)) Family centrality

                                    c)) Self aggrandizement by ordination

            B. The Church meeting as the evangelistic place of ministry.

                        1) Seeker services.  (Rom.3:10)

                        2) Preaching the gospel each Sunday, starving the sheep.

Contrary to the practices of many, there is not one Biblical instance of anyone preaching salvation at the gathering of any church. (Acts 20:7)

            C. General complacency regarding the church.

                        1) Lack of attendance                                        2) Lack of support

                        3) Lack of affinity to                                         

II.            ERRORS CONTRIBUTING TO DOCTRINAL DISINTEGRATION.

A. Individual versus Hierarchical systems.

There must be balance between individualistic systems versus hierarchical systems of interpretation, exclusively.

1) Individual misinterpretation has resulted into thousands of sects, which today in some cases reconcile their differences through relativism. (2 Peter 1:20)

2) Hierarchical systems have been corrupted from within leading to interpretations of heresy. (Example – Trans-substantiation, John 6)

            B. The Abundance of controverted  opinions and teachings, combined with individual laziness.

                        1) From the pulpit. (subjecting the congregation to every whim of teaching.)

There can be no excuse for ministerial laziness. Those that say they have no time to prepare messages and rather take them from outside sources, are traitors to the very office they have sworn to uphold!

The Pastor is not a CEO.

2) In the pew. (Most would rather let someone else do all the investigative work, while they just listen)

                                    I wonder, how many of you never spend any real time studying your Bible?

Half of what you hear from the pulpit makes no sense to you, for your spiritual anemia grows with each day that you ignore the Word of God.