DISTINCTIVE ELEMENTS OF THE BRETHREN FAITH

Distinctive Elements in the Brethren Faith
That Impel Us to Reach Out to All America Today

Someone has said that there are two attitudes with which men regard their faith. If they consider it bad they change it. If they consider it good they propagate it. The Brethren Faith is no exception. It is good, therefore it deserves to be propagated. Four distinctive elements impel its dissemination throughout all America. These four elements are as follows: (1) Where the Brethren place Christ; (2) What the Brethren believe; (3) How the Brethren regard life; and (4) What the Brethren practice. We will deal briefly with these in their order.

I. WHERE THE BRETHREN PLACE CHRIST

The position of Christ is the most important element in the Brethren faith. Everything depends upon the settlement of this problem. Assuming that men are consistent in their reasoning, if Christ is declared to be sovereign, then the content of the faith which follows is worthwhile. If Christ is not declared to be sovereign, then the content of the faith which follows can be of no value. Every faith must have some point of departure that cannot be shaken. The Brethren maintain that that point is the sovereignty of Christ. By this they mean that Christ is the incarnate God. "He that Cometh from above is above all" (John 3:31). His own words are, "All authority has been given unto me in heaven and on earth" (Matt. 28:18). “All things have been placed into My hands” (John 13:3). He, therefore, has the right to command men. His word is the final word in every matter. What He says is correct. What He does is right. What He commands should be obeyed. There is no higher intelligence nor constituted authority. And this He exclaimed with agreement to how His disciples believed and acted in John 13:13. He speaks with finality!

It can readily be seen that this is the logical point of departure. It is upon the constituted authority of the Lord Jesus Christ that the superstructure of the Brethren faith is erected. The foundation stands sure, and hence the faith will stand. But this time worn attitude of the Brethren has been so conspicuously distinctive that it has come in for its share of derision. One of the older Brethren met the scorn of another person, when that person said, "You Brethren want to follow Christ so closely, why don't you ride a mule into Jerusalem!" To this, the old brother replied with fine logic, "We would if we thought Christ commanded us to do so." The Brethren faith gives Christ the pre-eminence in all things, and this supplies the moral dynamic for everything else which the Brethren believe and do. The other elements of the Brethren faith follow consistently upon this major premise.

II. WHAT THE BRETHREN BELIEVE

Since Christ is sovereign. His words are final authority in all matters pertaining to faith. Peter as well as Jude name Him the Despot (Jude 4), the absolute ruler, whom the true doctrine teaches to be the Owner by right of purchase, Who bought them and thereby, the Master (2 Pet. 2:1). Christ definitely endorsed the whole of the Old Testament canon even to the minutest detail (Luke 24:44). He likewise endorsed all that was to be written in the New Testament, and declared that it had all the authority of His own words (Luke 10:16). Therefore, the Brethren, from the earliest point in their history, have cherished the motto: "The Bible, the whole Bible, and nothing but the Bible." They have maintained that their creed was the Bible, no more and no less. But they have hesitated through the years to formulate a creed, because such a move puts limitations upon the scope of truth. There is a possibility that not all the truth has been discovered. If at any time in the future more is discovered, the Brethren position allows room for its adoption.

But it is not to be thought, however, that the Brethren have not interpreted the Bible under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The great doctrines of the Bible that have been believed by the Christians down through the centuries are believed by the Brethren. They believe in the One True God, who is both perfect and infinite, self-existent and self-revealing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They believe in Jesus Christ, the revealer of the invisible God (John 1:18), who became incarnate by virgin birth. They believe that He existed before His birth in Bethlehem; that after incarnation He lived a sinless life; that He died the death on the Cross, the just for the unjust; that He rose from the grave in the body in which He suffered and died; that He was glorified, and ascended back to the right hand of the Father where He makes intercession for His people. They believe that He is coming again the second time, to call His own out of this world, to judge the nations, and to establish his kingdom. They believe that man is the direct creation of God who by transgression became a fallen creature subject to death and judgment, and is consequently in need of deliverance and a new birth by the Holy Spirit. They believe that salvation is the free gift of God's grace which is received by personal faith in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. They believe that this salvation is manifested to the world by a life of obedience to the will of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by a life of righteousness in daily conduct (2 Pet. 3:14; Phil. 2:15). This by no means exhausts the teachings of the Brethren faith, but these are fundamental.

III. HOW THE BRETHREN REGARD LIFE

Since the Brethren believe the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, it of necessity follows that they must obey its teachings. No teaching is of much value that does not issue in life. From the very beginning the Brethren have maintained that doctrine demands duty, that revelation places responsibility, that principles issue in practice. They have taken seriously the words of James, "Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only" (James 1:22). In fact, history reveals that the Brethren came into being out of a movement in the period of reformation which had for its object that of reaching out beyond mere adherence to the teaching of truth to the application of truth in the lives and hearts of every believer. Truth has a goal, and that goal is the growth of every believer in holiness for the glory of God. This belief is still held, taught, and practiced by the Brethren.

It is noteworthy that such an attitude demands a unique mode of life. This life may be briefly set forth by four words: appropriation, presentation, separation, and transformation. Appropriation by faith of all the blessings of God in Christ is the first both as to time and importance in the life of the Christian. The great principle in the life of the Christian is faith, "for we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Cor. 5:7) in this age of darkness. Presentation is the next logical step in the life of a believer. He should present his body and all his members unto God as a living sacrifice and as instruments of righteousness (Rom. 12:1). This is only a reasonable service. Separation from the world follows automatically and logically upon the act of presentation. Christians should "not be conformed to this world" (Rom. 12:2). In the estimation of the Brethren this demands the condemnation of slavery, the renunciation of war, the discouragement of swearing, the denunciation of divorce, and the censuring of membership in secret societies. Separation involves absolute withdrawal from the sinful practices of this world or alliances with the peoples of this world. Transformation is the positive disposition of every Christian, and should be the thing that is constantly taking place, as Paul has admonished: "but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom. 12:2). This is the life that the Brethren have maintained is acceptable in the sight of God.

IV. WHAT THE BRETHREN PRACTICE

Not the least among the distinctive elements of the Brethren faith is the ordinances which they practice. The authority for these ordinances is the Word of God. But they are in no sense to be regarded as solely a duty. The practice of them is a privilege granted to every believer arising out of the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. The practice of ordinances indicates on the one hand the obedience of a regenerated person; on the other it indicates the desire of the heart to appropriate the blessings that are in store for those who practice them.

The ordinances of the Brethren are six in number. There is the baptism of believers by triune immersion with its clear command in Matt. 28:19. There is the confirmation of believers by the laying on of hands with its many apostolic precedents recorded in the Book of Acts. There is the Lord's Supper when His disciples gathered with Him for the last meal before His death, apostolic history commending this to Brethren practice. There is the communion of the bread and wine with the Lord's admonition: "this do in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). Then there is the washing of the saint’s feet in the example of our Lord, followed by the command of our Lord to do likewise (John 13:1-17). And finally there is the anointing of the sick with oil which is urged by James (James 5:13-15). These constitute the ordinances of Brethren practice. These ordinances are for saved men and women. The practice of them will not save anyone, nor help to save anyone. But the practice of them will give evidence that men and women are already saved, and will bring the blessings that the Lord intended should accompany them.

These distinctive elements in the Brethren faith, are eloquent appeals to the Brethren to reach out to all America and the world today with this message. There is no greater authority than the authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no more ample faith than the whole Bible with every doctrine it contains. There is no more complete Christian life than the life which appropriates the blessings of God, presents itself to God, separates from the world, and is transformed in His presence. There is no more perfect set of ordinances than those of the Word. These distinctive elements of the Brethren faith should expel every doubt in our minds, compel every disinclination of our hearts, and impel every energy of our beings to reach all America with this message before He comes.