[Biblemat] S) THE MOLD OF DOCTRINE (1)

[J5827Sasser at wmconnect.com]

Brethren and Friends, Jim Sasser here.  Here is the first part of a
study that recently came my way.  Use to the glory of God.

THE MOLD OF DOCTINE  (1)

     I get somewhat disgusted at the efforts utilized by the liber-
als who compass land and sea in an effort to make proselytes
from among the denominations.  This is especially true of the
apostate preachers who cuddle up to the Digressive Christian
Church people.  They use such expressions as, "Christians
in other denominations," "our erring brethren," or "those
Christians outside our own little group."

     I would encourage, beg, plead with and insist that my faith-
ful brethren please be very careful to observe that the men who can be so 
glib about "Christians in other churches," offer not one shred of proof for their 
silly assertians.  There
isn't anything as cheap as the chatter of a sectarian liberal.
They may think that they are so high and mighty as to see no
need of proving their baseless assertions.  There are those
who are so gullible that they do not require any proof from the Bible.

     It is as false as it can be that sectarian baptism is accepta-
ble to God.  Sectarian baptism is not the one baptism taught
in the Bible.  A person cannot be taught wrong and be baptiz-
ed right.

     Please think with me as carefully, deeply and honestly as
you can while we consider the statement of the inspired Paul
speaking to the Romans.  I am trying to say, Please do not let
prejudice, preconceived notions, family ties, popularity or any-
thing else blind our eyes from the truth.  The apostle wrote,
"But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye
have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was
delivered you" (Rom. 6:17).

     Alexander Campbell in The Living Oracles rendered the 
verse, "But thanks be to God, that although ye were the slaves of sin, yet ye 
have obeyed from the heart the MOLD
OF DOCTRINE into which ye were delivered."

     McKnight renders the text, "By thus speaking, I do not
insinuate that ye have made yourselves slaves to sin; on the
contrary, I thank God that although formerly ye were the slav-
es of sin, ye have willingly obeyed the MOLD OF DOCTRINE
into which ye were cast at your baptism.  And that being set
free from the slavery of sin, by your faith, ye have voluntarily
become the slaves of righteousness, whom therefore ye ought to obey."

     The word "mold" or "form" denotes a shape or item into
which melted metals are poured and such becomes the exact
shape or form of the mold.  That mold of doctrine which the
Romans obeyed was the Gospel.  They had obeyed the mold
of doctrine into which they were cast at their baptism.  In this
act they were made free men -- FREE -- such as the Romans
would bestow upon a slave when he was given his freedom.
The Romans called this "emancipation."

     A few matters need to be considered relative to the pass-
ages presented by the apostle.  The Gospel had been preach-
ed to the Romans.  They had obeyed the Gospel.  The apost-
le did not preach a multiplicity of gospels.  If you think so,
present the proof.  Different preachments will result in differ-
ent practices -- such as the unholy state of affairs which is 
seen all around us.

     Some brethren have very fertile imaginations that need to
be cast down by the truth (2 Cor. 10:5).  The people were
granted their freedom as slaves to sin AFTER obedience invol-
ved a submission to a form or mold of doctrine.  We are not
so far-fetched as to say that there were many or diverse molds into which 
they had been cast.  Anyone who can find
the text under consideration surely has enough judgment to
understand what the Holy Spirit through Paul is teaching.

     To refer again to the process of pouring molten metal into
a mold, the pieces of metal which are cast are all alike.  This
is the truth which the apostle is teaching.  Away with the fool-
ish notion which the liberals prattle that all the sects are pleasing to God. 
 I have not yet seen one shred of supposed
proof from those who palaver so much about the "other Christian fellowships." 
 What in the name of sense would be
offered as a kind of proof if something were offered?

     When I was a youngster, a very enjoyable game was play-
ed which we called Pitching Dollars.  For the dollars used, we
would cut a round hole in the hard dirt about the size of a sil-
ver dollar.  We would melt down some old fruit jar lids and pour the molden 
lead into the round hole.  All of the dollars
we cast were of the same size and design.

     When sinners are cast into the form or mold of doctrine,
the mold is the same and the results are the same.  The pity
is that proud, pompous and begoted religious "divines" pre-
sume to shape their own forms or molds.  Consequently the
devil has more odd, curious and peculiar children than any-
one can count.  I have a serius problem respecting any religio-
us man who sets aside the divine mandate to, "Prove all things; hold fast 
that which is good" (1 Thes. 5:21).

     It is a fact which cannot be denied that the Bible teaches
most clearly that the people of God are to be united, speak
the same thing and be one.  Who in his right mind would pre-
tend that the apostles all taught contradictory doctrines?
Suppose a clergyman preached on the first Sunday of the 
month that immersion is the only form of baptism and on the
second Sunday he just as emphatically preached that sprink-
ling and pouring is commanded in the Bible.  On the third Sun-
day he preached the doctrine of inherited total depravity, and
on the fourth Sunday he preached that little babies are born
sinless and pure.  On succeeding Sundays of the entire year
he contradicted himself over and over without fail.  Such a
scenario is exactly wht some of my foolish brethren are trying
to get us to accept as right and proper.

     When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth, he informed the
brethren that the same truth which he had presented to the
churches of Galatia, he taught the same to the church in Cor-
inth (1 Cor. 16:1,2).  Had Paul been like some of the liberals
among us, he would have presented all sorts of diverse doct-
rines to those plurality of churches.    (More will be posted on
this subject tomorrow, the Lord willing. JWS).   </HTML>
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