Right Hand of Fellowship

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The Right Hand of Fellowship is designed to give a Scriptural Guide for fellowship in New Testament pattern churches both in promotion and defense of a pure gospel of Jesus Christ. The storms of later days spoken by the prophecies concerning the Lord's Jesus Christ's return draw closer. Sociopolitical waves of challenge continue to buffet against the shores of the pure message of the gospel. In preparation of the climatic act of the antichrist the world's populations along with many believers in Christ are being herded towards the false peace and safe haven of a social gospel of world good and religious tolerance of diverse messages from the Father in Heaven. So in face of the powerful force of this growing hurricane God's people need to cling to God's Word as a buoy for safe service of the Father.

Scripture shares eventually the current freedom to choose the "testimony of the Word of God" swimming against the resulting great undercurrent of this powerful growing dark horizon will disappear. At the height of this storm's intensity this system will increasingly only tolerate lauding of all religious faith as God accepted and will criminalize the sharing of the one true singular faith under severe penalties that will include death. The religious divisions of the past, while usually having at the base the issue the purity of the gospel message, will pale in contrast to the ominous darkness coming. So with the mounting waves pounding for world unity in compromise of the only way of salvation to eternal life in the coming Kingdom believers need to look to the Bible as the only acceptable safety net of acceptable fellowship in worship and ambassador work as servants of Jesus Christ.

At this time in God's plan this work of sharing the wonderful gospel of Christ is entrusted to believers in collective groups serving in local congregations or “churches.” These assemblies of believers publicly picture the gospel by the water immersion of baptism and often share the Lord’s Supper together in remembrance of this gospel until their Savior returns to partake of this supper with them. As Jesus commanded under authority of the Holy Spirit, these congregations covenant together in following the commission to make disciples, immerse in baptism those who believe, and teach observance of God's now unseen Kingdom laws both home and abroad. With this priority, since each assembly of the local body of believers pictures the future forming Body of Christ of all believers of all ages in the coming Kingdom, they encourage the forsaking of the importance of this world while looking unto "eternal" life as part of the first resurrection.

Living in hope of the resurrection in this dark world of brewing adversity is not an easy task for believers in Christ. While these seek to influence this world for good as "light" and "salt" in demonstration of the Kingdom laws of the love of God and others above self they realize just as their Lord the world will reject them. Accepting this reality, a true faith rests in hope of the "first resurrection" to future life on earth as servants of Jesus in His new Kingdom to come.

In this of increased desire to bring union to all the living members of this heavenly forming Body of Christ, true children of God find themselves polarized over many issues. It is true that regardless of religious affiliations all those who prayerfully to the Father believe in Jesus Christ as all-sufficient payment for personal sin will one day congregate together as One Body in Christ at the end of Jesus one thousand year reign. Yet many obstacles in this world hinder today the accomplishment of that unity to come of the future Kingdom Jesus gives to His Father. Among the greatest of these is variance of the gospel. This study proposes to show from both Scripture and history of the Lord’s churches such union on earth before the coming Kingdom of Christ can only come upon a common faith and practice in the one and only gospel. As the Apostle Paul told the Galatia “churches” any other gospel is no gospel at all and such bearers were wished cursed.

In attempt to show proper Kingdom practice a discussion of the four hundred year old Protestant vs. Baptist church question debate is undertaken. The author contends this popular Protestant church view espoused since the Reformation greatly leads to temptation to accept corruption of the gospel message pictured by baptism and other actions of the assembly of the membership in worship. Following the Reformation the Baptist verses Reformers of the nineteenth century and Baptist verses denominational explosions of new ideas of "non-denominationalism" of the late twentieth century are also addressed. Many of these as well have changed the gospel message from the Father about His Kingdom. While on the surface many of these may claim Christ subtle changes in the meaning of religious observances present a errant message from the Father.

One may ask how does all this religious good affect the purity of the gospel message from the Father? By God's design these commanded earthly religious rites such as immersion baptism of believers, the Lord's Supper and church assembly for worship by believers picture spiritual requirements for participation and activity as citizens in His coming Kingdom. Baptism when properly observed portrays the believer's spiritual baptism and new birth by faith only in the completed work of Jesus Christ for sin. Attendance in assembly with the local body of baptized believers portrays to all the future hope of that general assembly in the forming Body of Christ in the heavenly Kingdom. Thus rightfully so, baptism makes the believer eligible to enjoy full privileges of fellowship with a body of believers in doing God's kingdom work just as spiritual baptism of the new birth is required for one to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The activities on earth by believers pattern the realities of the Kingdom of Heaven as a testimony on earth since no man can see the Father or His Kingdom at this time.

The relatively new four hundred year old protestant church view of an existing earthly spiritual invisible church of all believers regardless of gospel message and baptism corrupts and confuses this picture God designed of His Kingdom. The newer reformer and non-denominational church views of the last two centuries do the same. It is clear in Scripture the rites or actions observed in life must be of faith or modeled after the things now not seen in God's Kingdom for God to approve. This is seen in the example of Cain and Able and many others to follow since the beginning of mankind. If a religious action of worship does not correctly picture the gospel of His Kingdom not seen then God rejects the activity and it has no value in eternal life to come.

In assemblies or churches of believers the collective religious actions and observances must be accurate in picture of the gospel message of the Kingdom or they are rejected by God the Father. The worshipers worship in vain if the gospel is corrupted in actions committed. For example the Protestant tradition of sprinkling infants called by Baptist of the past Pedobaptism corrupts the gospel message pictures. The infant is not and cannot repent in belief of a Savior therefore how can it picture one's decision of faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ for sin in being born again in spiritual birth? Those who who make baptism Sacramental or necessary for salvation ere as well in changing salvation from grace to works again corrupting the gospel message the Father has sent. As Cain chose His own way apart from faith so do many religions of the world today.

The correct observance of baptism of believers before the privileges of church membership pictorially teaches the only way to heaven is the spiritual baptism and birth in Jesus Christ that comes by faith. When nonbelievers or those experiencing incorrect modes and symbolism of baptism are allowed privileges of the assembly a corrupted view of the only way to heaven is portrayed. Participation in assemblies that corrupt the pictorial message of the gospel endorses a message that is not of proper faith. Scripture is clear that which is not of faith is sin. If an action does not properly portray the truth of the now unseen domain of our Father in Heaven then God does not approve of the action. Man in interaction with the Father has proven this many times over history as seen in Scripture.

So In this era of increased pressure to unite in common work together with all religious societies, congregations need to follow Scriptural examples in protection of the true gospel and the Father's approval. Churches must evaluate those who would petition for membership by letter or statement of baptism; screen those who would preach, teach, speak, sing or lead in congregational meetings; examine acceptance of gospel ordinations of ministers or deacons; and monitor cooperation with other congregations or specialized ministries of collective churches. The Lord's Supper taken together should be recommended only for those with proper baptism who also walk in new newness of life patterned after Kingdom law of heaven. Collective meetings with other assemblies of believers should only occur if the gospel message of the collective group remains true. For example the outward approval of those who practice other gospels in Pedobaptism or Sacramental baptism only corrupts the gospel message which again is sin before the Father. While irregular gospel societies do some good among men, failure to follow established Biblical patterns leads to acceptance of gospel inconsistency. Such endangers the power of these diluted religious societies that is only found in the pure gospel and a true regenerate spiritually born membership. Corruption of these patterns can even lead to God's judgment in sickness and death even as the Apostle Paul told the Corinthians when they violated the Lord's Supper. The accuracy of the believers message must not only be in what is said - it must accurately include the assigned religious rites and observances that are together the "testimony of the Word of God."

Due to the importance of their reflection of the gospel message information in this writing thus includes principles of evaluation of baptism, ordination, Lord's Supper, assembly worship and collective meetings of local churches so that the Holy Spirit approves the ambassador work of Jesus Christ in these works. The guiding principles derived in content are based on Acts 19 where Luke records correct baptism of previously immersed disciples (believer's baptism) at Ephesus. This event revealed Holy Spirit rejection of previous religious rites involving water.

The dialogue contains free printable pages of Scripture, discussion, and many historical expanded references by many Baptist authors of the past that led similar stands for the sake of the gospel. The student of Baptist history should be familiar with such names as John L. Dagg (wrote first Southern Baptist Theology), William B. Johnson (First Southern Baptist President), J.P. Boyce (Seminary Professor), John A. Broadus (Seminary Professor), Hershel H. Hobbs (Mr. Southern Baptist), A. T. Robertson (Seminary Professor), B. H. Carroll (Founder of Southwestern Theological Seminary), W.R. White, Ben M. Bogard (leader during 1901 Arkansas Baptist Split), James M. Pendleton (Author in19th century among Baptist that returned gospel purity to Southern Baptist in the Landmark movement), W. A. Criswell (Modern Southern Baptist leader), J. R. Graves (began Landmark movement to return gospel purity to Tennessee and Southern Baptist) and others. Their quotes attempt to create a greater understanding of the importance of a true gospel and true symbols of that gospel in believers assemblies together, baptism, Lord's Supper, ordination acceptance and collective worship in congregations of Christ. The student will find most modern Baptist leaders now follow the protestant views their fathers rejected risking accepting corrupted messages of the gospel in order to embrace greater religious diversity.

Understanding the power of labeling let those readers understand this author is neither evolved Landmark nor protestant ecumenical- but only believes the Word of God in attempt to teach and contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints in a pure gospel message. These writings do not teach only Baptist enjoy the hope of heaven in salvation, only hold the gospel in purity, only practice properly the symbol of gospel in baptism, or only have valid gospel ministers. The study is neither meant for division, rebuke or correction- but only to increase dialogue among the saints in discovery of the truth of the gospel. It is believed our ambition should be as the Berea believers who were more “noble-minded than those in… for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things were so.” NASB Acts 17:11 There are many today who do not understand historical stands of the Lord’s churches of which Baptist of the past and present continue that preserved for them the gospel so they might be saved.

This study that contains Scripture and historical content of the faith of the Lord’s churches in these practices may take some time to digest. The author is always available to clarify statements made. Your comments are appreciated in making clearer the one and only gospel.

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