“WITHOUT DENOMINATIONAL DOCTRINE….”

By: James E. Farley, Via The Mountain Messenger

I received an ad in the mail concerning a privately operated “Christian School” in our area. The school, called “Christ Academy,” is affiliated with the Episcopal Church. The envelope that I received contained several pamphlets concerning “Christian Education” in general, and “Christ Academy” in particular. Included also was a paper entitled, “Questions & Answers About A Quality Education In A Christian Environment.” This covered things such as how long the academy has been in operation, what kind of curriculum the school offers, how qualified the teachers are, etc. One question was, “Will Christ Academy teach the Episcopal doctrine in Bible classes?” The answer given was, “No, the scripture as contained in the Bible will be taught without denominational doctrine so as to be acceptable to all Christian denominations.”

I find it very interesting that, even though the school is associated with the Episcopal Church, its brochure clearly stated that “Episcopal doctrine” will not be taught in Bible classes. Instead, it said that “the scripture as contained in the Bible will be taught without denominational doctrine….” Is this not an amazing and wonderful admission from our friends in this particular denomination? There is a clear distinction made by these folks between “Episcopal doctrine” and “the scripture as contained in the Bible!”

Of course, this is true. One cannot go to the Bible only and apply it, alone, to one’s life and become an Episcopalian—nor, for that matter, a member of any other denomination! For one to be an Episcopalian he must submit to Episcopal doctrine; for one to be a Presbyterian he must subscribe to one form or another of the Westminster Confession of Faith; to become a Methodist a person must adhere to the Methodist Discipline; to become a Lutheran he must submit to the Augsburg Confession of Faith; etc. Denominationalism is not a product of people’s submitting to “the scripture as contained in the Bible …..without denominational doctrine…!”

God’s Word is called “the seed” (Luke 8:11). A seed will produce only what the “information” within it “says.” For instance, a State Half-Runner bean seed will produce only a State Half-Runner bean plant, and nothing else. Why? This is what the “information” within the seed “says.” There is nothing within the bean seed that “says” anything at all about pumpkins, eggplant, beets, or cucumbers. The same is true with God’s “seed,” the Bible. It will produce only what the information within it says. There is nothing within God’s “seed” about becoming Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Baptists, or Catholics. You have to plant different “seeds” to get these different kinds of “plants.”

By the way, what was it that God’s “seed” says about “plants” which the heavenly Father has not planted? Compare Luke 8:11 with Matthew 15:7-13. THE BIBLE ONLY MAKES CHRISTIANS ONLY. The creeds and traditions of men are what have caused divisions and denominationalism. (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

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