5) There is the danger of ending up being taken into denominational churches

A fifth reason why we need to be careful in our associations with denominational churches is that there is the danger of being carried away by them. There is a real possibility of acquiring bad doctrine -- especially ecclesiastical opinions. The principle I would apply in this case is “For none of us lives to himself, and none dies to himself” (Rom. 14:7). It shows that we are affected by the environment. The erroneous ideas of those with whom we associate in these ecclesiastical groups will end up being passed on to us. It may take some time, but it is a fact. “Do not be deceived: bad company corrupts good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). In Haggai 2:10-14 we read: “On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Ask now the priests concerning the law, saying: If someone carries holy meat in the fold of his garment and touches with it bread or stew or wine or oil or any other food, will it become holy? And the priests answered: No. Then Haggai said: If someone who is unclean by contact with a dead body touches any of these, will it become unclean? And the priests answered, saying: It will become unclean. Then Haggai answered, saying: So is this people, and so is this nation before me, says the LORD; and so is every work of their hands; and whatever they offer there is unclean” (Hag. 2:10-14). Perhaps you disagree and argue: “But those Christians are not bad!” As far as their personal lives are concerned, this may be true, but it is of their erroneous opinions about what the church is that we are speaking here, that is, only of the principles to which they are connected. In the Scriptures there are many examples that demonstrate that we need to be careful with the people with whom we associate.

Perhaps someone may be asking: “Is there any problem with sisters gathered to the name of the Lord participating in women's Bible studies promoted by these organizations?” I understand that the question refers to meetings that are not held within the building of a church, so you would be saying that participating in such meetings would not be the same as attending denominational churches. There is nothing wrong with sisters gathering to read the Word, and we should encourage them in this regard. But I believe that there is no biblical basis for studies among women aimed at teaching. In 1 Corinthians 14:35 we read that “if they want to learn anything, they should ask their own husbands at home”. In the Scriptures you do not find a para-church organization created to teach women. Perhaps it is difficult to accept such an idea, because in these groups people would be doing something good and correct -- after all, what harm can there be in studying the Scriptures?

However, it is possible to do the right thing in the wrong way, and this is what I am trying to show here. This verse I have just quoted I took from the Scriptures, and remember that at the beginning I said I would try to answer the doubts with the Scriptures. What I have said may not be very popular, but it is in the Scriptures.

The usual reply in this case is: “But what if a sister does not have a husband?” The word translated as “husbands” in this passage has a broader meaning than just married men; it refers to men in general. The same Greek word is translated as “men” several times in the New Testament (Acts 1:16, 29, 37; 3:2; 7:2; 9:2; 13:15; 15:7 etc.). I believe that is how it should have been translated in this verse. The point Paul is trying to emphasize is that the sisters can ask the men (brothers) at home, that is, in the domestic environment, if they want to understand something that was spoken in the assembly. I repeat that I understand that this is the same as throwing a bucket of cold water on what some would like to hear, but this is what the Scriptures say, and we are not wiser than the Word of God.

The focus of our subject, which is the danger of being affected by our associations, is very real. As already mentioned, there is the possibility of being carried away by the ideas of denominational churches through fellowship with Christians connected to these systems. Someone told me that in an assembly gathered to the name of the Lord there were seven sisters who began to participate in a women's Bible study organized by people from a denominational church, and a few years later only two of them continued gathered. Therefore we should not think that this type of fellowship does not have an effect on people. One of the consequences of feeding on a ministry that has its roots in the camp is to be dragged into the camp. And in the camp you will not find a ministry that leads a person “outside the camp” -- to the correct place designated for the Christian (Heb. 13:13). I would hate to see a group of young people be carried away by something like this. It would not be the first time this has happened.

Years ago, when I was young and hungry to learn the truth, we had an ideal situation in our assembly. There were many well-gifted teachers there -- the brothers Clark, Coleman, Graham, and also, among those less active, we had my father, my uncles Stan and Jim, and brother Keating. All had good libraries of sound doctrine and taught us a good portion of the truth in the weekly meetings, for which I am very grateful. When we went to a reading meeting, we sat there taking notes and drinking it all in. Much of what I know today I learned from those men.

Anyway, in the midst of all this there was a sister in the assembly who used to regularly attend a Bible study for women organized by a church in the city. When someone asked her the reason for attending that study group she would reply that she was not receiving food at the meetings! What?! How so? There we were taking notes at a feverish pace on the wonderful truth that came from the mouths of those men, and she was saying she was not being fed?! I need not even say that that sister is no longer gathered to the name of the Lord; today she attends a denominational church.

What a sad state we find ourselves in! Formerly, some 150 years ago, those denominational churches used to seek out the brothers and sisters gathered to the name of the Lord to learn the truth; now we need to go to them to be fed! This reminds me of the children of Israel, who went down to the Philistines to have their farming implements sharpened by them (1 Sam. 13:19-22). I am not trying to say that our brothers and sisters in the denominational churches are like the ungodly Philistines; I am only saddened by the fact that the gathered saints think they need to go to these in search of the truth when it should be the opposite.

Perhaps the problem has two sides. This could merely be a symptom of a restless and dissatisfied spirit in search of something different. But, on the other hand, we need to ask ourselves why someone in our local assembly would want to participate in a Bible study in a denomination. Why would a sister think she is not being fed at the assembly meetings? Perhaps it was a problem with her condition, but it could also be because we are not giving the saints the necessary food. We need to think about this. I believe part of the problem is the fault of those who have the responsibility to teach in the assembly. Are we feeding as we should? Are we teaching the truth to the saints? When we meet, do we look for something to say just to fill that hour, or are we bringing something truly meaningful? I am not trying to point fingers among those who teach; what I desire is to be exercised in this sense. But if we have not spent some time learning the truth for ourselves, it will not come out as if by magic when we are in the study meetings; we need to be diligent during the week in our personal studies to be sure we can bring something to the meetings as food for souls. Then perhaps people will be content to be at the assembly meetings and stop looking for something elsewhere.

IN SUMMARY: Someone who is gathered to the name of the Lord -- in separation from the unscriptural order of the denominational churches -- and who attends a denominational service will be inconsistent with the position he has taken, because:

1. He will be a hypocrite by supporting something against which we protest.

2. He will be sanctioning something that is clearly in disagreement with the Word of God.

3. He will lose power as a witness to the truth of the assembly.

4. He will be connecting the Lord's table with an order without biblical foundation, which is that

of the denominations.

1. He will be placing himself in a position where he may receive bad doctrine and be

separated from the Lord's table.