Do Not Move the Ancient Boundary

Landmark

Do not move the ancient boundary which your fathers have set” (Proverbs 22:28).

This short proverb refers to instructions that were given in the Law of Moses (Deuteronomy 19:14; 27:17). Job gave us a reason why someone would want to move these boundary marks: “Some remove the landmarks; they seize and devour flocks” (Job 24:2).
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To the Law and to the Testimony!

Holding Out the Bible

When one scans the religious landscape, particularly the segment of religious people who claim to be Christians, it does not take long to see a broad range of doctrines, beliefs, and practices. How is it that people that claim to follow Christ can believe and teach things that are not only different from each other, but completely contradictory to one another? The answer lies in how we use God’s divine standard.

The standard that God has given us is His word. It contains the truth (Psalm 119:160; John 17:17). His word is the standard that will judge us in the last day (John 12:48). Therefore, if we want to please the Lord, we must follow His word (John 14:15; Psalm 119:11).

To the law and to the testimony!” (Isaiah 8:20). These words must be our attitude. Do the things we believe, teach, and practice harmonize with the word of God? When a question arises, our first response must be to consult God’s word.
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Hold Fast the Pattern

Blueprint

Hold fast the pattern of sound words” (2 Timothy 1:13, NKJV). This was Paul’s instruction to a young evangelist. Like most other instructions we read in the New Testament, it is just as applicable to us today as it was to Timothy in the first century. But not all of these instructions are emphasized much today. It is not common to hear a denominational preacher talk about the New Testament pattern. There are some in the Lord’s church who do not like to talk about it much either.

In fact, if you emphasize the pattern, some will label you as a legalist or a Pharisee. But we know we must follow the pattern because that is what Paul told Timothy to do. So let us see what the Bible says about holding fast the pattern.
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Do We Have Authority for a Church Building?

This question about whether or not the New Testament contains authority for a church building often comes up when discussing other issues that relate to Bible authority. When one points out that things like instrumental music in worship, missionary societies, and “fellowship” halls are unauthorized, there is sometimes the response that we do not have authority for a church building, either; therefore, it is inconsistent to oppose the others.

Most of the time, those who argue that there is a lack of authority for church buildings do not believe they are wrong. They just believe that we do not need Bible authority for everything we do and are simply pointing out what they believe to be is inconsistency (or hypocrisy) in those who oppose things such as instrumental music.

We must not be too quick to take the question of a congregation owning a building and lump it together with various unauthorized practices. Just because someone likens church buildings to fellowship halls and then demands that you either accept both or reject both does not mean the two belong in the same class. Each one must stand up to the scrutiny of the Scriptures alone. In this article, we will consider the question: Are church buildings authorized?
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Instrumental Music in Worship to God

One of the things that sets the Lord’s church apart from most denominations has to do with the music used in worship. Most denominations use instruments in their music for worship. Faithful brethren have rightly opposed this for years. The practice, however, is certainly not going away. There seems to be more and more in the church who see nothing wrong with the use of instruments in worship. Every so often it is necessary to remind brethren why we do not use instruments. To stop teaching on a topic can eventually lead to apostasy. So let us briefly examine why we do not use instrumental music in worship to God.

Before we begin this study though, I believe a point needs to be made. The issue of instrumental music in worship is important, but there is a much larger issue that is at the heart of this. It has to do with Bible authority. What has God authorized us to do? It is important to understand the issue over instrumental music – not just for this one issue, but because the principles we use to determine God’s will on the topic are what we need to use to determine God’s will in so many of the things that we do. With that in mind, let us consider this subject.
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Measures of a Sound Church

Church building

How can we know if a local church is a sound church? First, what do we mean by a sound church? This particular phrase is not used in the New Testament. But the word “sound” is used to describe teaching, doctrine, and words (1 Timothy 1:10; 2 Timothy 1:13; 4:3). The Greek word which is translated “sound” means to have good health, to be well, and to be uncorrupted. This word can certainly be used in reference to a local church. So how do we know if a church is “sound”?
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Individual and Church Action

Regarding the performing of spiritual works, some brethren speak of individual action and church action. That is, the spiritual works of evangelism and edification are either done through the local church or as individuals. While this idea may seem completely harmless, if we move past the sophistry, we find that the acceptance of this idea opens the door for various errors, some of which even the proponents of this idea would not want to allow.

When one uses the language of individual action and church action, it is implied that these are the two possible types of action. Meaning, if a work is not done by the local church, it falls into the realm of individual action. This has been a convenient way for brethren to defend the practice of using their human organizations to preach the gospel (such as the Guardian of Truth Foundation sponsoring their annual lectureship). Since a local church is not involved, it is alleged that this is individual action even though a human institution is the mechanism through which the gospel is being preached. I questioned one brother about this and he described a situation like this as “a human organization acting in the realm of individual responsibility.” So it is admitted that an organization is being used, but claimed that this falls in the realm of individual responsibility.
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