THE SECT EVERYWHERE SPOKEN AGAINST
Acts 28:16-22; 24:14
1. "SECT"': "HERESY." GREENFIELD DEFINES:
"STRICTLY A CHOICE OR OPINION: HENCE, A
FACTION: DISCORD, CONTENTION," ETC.
WEBSTER DEFINES: "A DISTINCT PARTY, BY
HOLDING SENTIMENTS DIFFERENT FROM
OTHER MEN."
A. The sect everywhere spoken against was charged with wor-
shiping God contrary to the law-Acts 18:13; heresy-
Acts 28:22; 24:14; teaching customs which were not law-
ful for others to observe-Acts 16:21; and turning the
world upside down-Acts 17:6.
B. In the light of God, this was the only true party, the only
true church in the world, and He never authorized any
other.
C Let us study the distinguishing peculiarities of that party.
II. THEIR CREED.
A. Not the Nicene Creed-some 350 years too late.
B. Not the creeds of churches formed since. II Tim. 3:16, 17.
C. A constitution of a church is its foundation, as it expresses
the faith of the church organized upon it.
D. This church built upon the foundation of the prophets and
apostles-Eph. 2:19, 20. Hence, Holy Scriptures their
creed.
Ill. THEIR NAME.
A. In describing a religious sect, it is necessary to learn name.
Five or six churches accept the Westmister Confession of
Faith.
B. They were called in the collective capacity the church of
God, the church of the Lord, the church of Christ. See I
Cor. 1:1; Acts 20:28; 1 Tim. 3:5; Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 11:16.
C. Individually, they were called saints, brethren, disciples of
Christ, Christians. See Eph. 1:1; Gal. 6:1; Acts 20:7; Acts
11:26.
D. Call them saints, etc., and they would respond; call them
Baptist, Methodist, Campbellite, and as silent as the tomb.
IV. THEIR CHURCH GOVERNMENT.
A. Elders or bishops-Acts 20:17-28; overseers (episkopos)
Bishop; oversight (episkopee)-I Peter 5:2 Office of
one episkopos; bishop-Titus 1:5-7; Acts 20:28; I Pet. 5:
2; I Thess. 5:12; I Tim. 5:17; Heb. 13:7, 17.
B. Ordained elders in every church-Acts 14:23; 20:17.
Church in singular Elders in plural. See I Tim. 5:17.
C. The deacons seemed to have charge of all the temporal af-
fairs. A servant, minister never an elder or bishop-Acts
6:2-6
D. Evangelist who preach the word. Eph. 4:11-14; 1 Tim. 4:2.
V. THEIR WORSHIP.
A. Commemorating the death of Christ. Lord's Supper-I
Cor. 11:20; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16. All other organiza-
tions observe birthday, not death. Simple in form. The
Lord made no difference in Lord's days.
B. Singing, praying, teaching, giving. Discuss each.
VI. THEIR MANNER OF CONVERTINTG SINNERS.
A. Used no trickery or cunning craftness to win the people.
11 Cor. 4:1, 2; Eph. 4:14.
B. Many handle the word of God deceitfully by taking por-
tions of the sentences from different parts of the book and
connecting them under another arrangement of by sup-
pressing a part of a sentence. Eph. 4:28. Example. "Let him
that stole steal. .."
C. What did they tell the poor, trembling, heart-smitten, anx-
ious, inquiring sinners to do? Acts 2:38. What did they do?
Acts 2:4 1.
D. Does that ancient sect now exist? If you are a Protestant,
you compare the leading peculiarities of the Roman church
with some of the peculiarities of the New Testament
Church, and if these do not correspond, you say the
churches are not the same.
E. Suppose the M. E. Church claimed to be same old Baptist
church from the days of Roger Williams, you say NO!
Different creed, etc.
F. Suppose the people of a certain section had never seen a
Bible and found one and followed its precepts. WHAT
WOULD THEY BE? Lk. 8:4-15.
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