Volume 2 Issue 1 January 1996
by Sheldon Blair
In like manner, the apostle Paul made a plea for unity in I Cor. 1:10. His plea was made by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, or by the authority of Christ. Paul admonishes the brethren at Corinth to all speak the same thing (unity) and that there be no divisions among them (oneness). God has told us what to speak (I Peter 4:11) and has warned us of the result if we speak something else (Gal. 1:6-9). The Psalmist declared, "Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity". (Psa. 133:1).
As we travel up and down the Ohio Valley we find there are many many congregations of the Church of Christ. Let us ask ourselves this question. Are we all in the unity Christ prayed for, that Paul made a plea for, that the Psalmist said was good and pleasant? You know as well as I, that the answer is no. What is hindering this unity and what is the solution? There are different things that are causing division among the churches of Christ, but probably one of the earliest ones was the introduction of institutionalism.
By institutionalism we mean a human institution or organization whose origin and purpose is founded upon the wisdom of men. The man-made institutions (colleges, orphan homes, hospitals, nursing homes, missionary societies, Herald of Truth, etc.) are designed to carry out the work of the church (benevolence, evangelism, edification). We can easily determine if these human institutions are from heaven or of men. Let us never forget we must have Bible authority for everything we do (Col. 3:17). If human institutions are from heaven, we will find scriptural authority for their existence in the New Testament by either a direct command, an approved apostolic example, or a necessary inference. If this cannot be found, we can know assuredly that institutionalism is of men.
For scriptural examples, let us look at how the early congregations did their work in benevolence. In Acts 11:27-30, we find the church at Antioch sending relief to the needy brethren in Judea. Did the local congregation at Antioch oversee this work of collecting and sending the relief to the brethren of Judea, or was the relief donated to a man-made institution for distribution to the brethren in need at Judea? The only organization overseeing this work of benevolence was the local congregation at Antioch.
We can ask the same question of the church at Corinth when Paul instructed them to help the poor saints at Jerusalem (I Cor. 16:1-3). Did the congregation at Corinth oversee this work of collecting and sending their liberality to Jerusalem or was there a man-made benevolent society with its president, board, treasury, etc., involved in the distribution to the needy saints at Jerusalem? Again, the only organization involved was the local congregation at Corinth. We see the same pattern being followed by the churches of Galatia, Achaia, Macedonia (I Cor. 16:1; II Cor. 8, II Cor. 9, Rom. 15:25-27). Once again, we cannot find any organization involved in this work of benevolence except the local churches. God has specified the local church as His only organization to do what He wants done. We can therefore conclude that institutionalism is not of heaven, but of men.
Now, let us look at the pattern of the early church in the work of fulfilling their responsibility (I Thess. 1:2-8), the church at Antioch likewise (Acts 13:1-3, 14:27-28), the churches of Macedonia (2 Cor. 11:8-9), and the church at Philippi (Phil. 1:3-5; 2:25-30; 4:14-20). In every case, the local congregations were the only means by which this work of the church was accomplished. The local congregations were the only missionary organizations of the New Testament churches. When churches send money from their treasuries to human organizations to oversee the work that God gave the church to do, it is done without Bible authority.
We must never forget that the church is a divine institution. It was established to fulfill a divine purpose (Eph. 3:8-12; I Tim. 3:15). The church had a divine builder (Mt. 16:18), and it also was built upon a divine foundation (I Cor. 3:10-11). It was by the divine wisdom of God that the church would be the only institution to carry out God's work or purpose. Whenever we add man-made institutions to accomplish the work God has given to the church, we not only transgress the authority of God (Col. 3:17), but we are also saying that man is wiser than God. We need to read very carefully (Prov. 16:25; Isa. 55:8-9; Jer. 10:23; I Cor. 3:18-21). The church in the N.T. was sufficient for carrying out God's work and the congregations of the Lord's church are capable of doing the same today.
Man had nothing to do with planning the church, man had nothing to do with designing the churches' work, and man has no authority for adding man-made institutions for the churches' work (Rev. 22:18-19). We conclude that institutionalism is not of heaven, but of men and therefore is a transgression of God's law. (I John 3:4). It has been said that it is not what is in the Bible that divides the church, but what is not in the Bible that causes division. This is certainly true in the case of institutionalism.
Now, what is the solution to this problem that divides the Lord's church? The solution is very simple, the same thing one would use for any other Bible subject. We must have book, chapter, and verse for everything we do (II Tim. 3:16-17; Col. 3:17). When we practice this, we will have the unity Christ commands of his people (John 17).
Dear reader, if you are in any way involved in institutionalism, we beg you to flee this sin, repent, and pray God for forgiveness. Then you can be in unity with God and Christ (John 17:20-21; II John 9-11).
