Paul said the Gospel that he preached was not received from men but by revelation from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12). Furthermore, he taught the same thing in every church (1Corinthians 4:17; cf. 1Corinthians 16:1). Paul did not teach one doctrine in Ephesus, a different doctrine in Philippi, and yet a different doctrine to the Colossians. He taught the same thing everywhere he went. If Paul would come to Auburn and stand in 56 pulpits, he would preach the same doctrine in every one of them! He would preach the same doctrine concerning salvation, worship, baptism, commitment and faithfulness.
Understanding this, we learn that there is a singularity, a unity, and uniformity to the Christian faith. There are not different brands of Christianity. If Jesus had established a multiplicity of faiths, Paul would have preached it. However, Paul preached the same doctrine everywhere he went. There is only “one Lord,” “one faith,” “one baptism,” (Ephesians 4:5). Jesus did not establish many different competing religious organizations.
Jesus did not teach different and conflicting doctrines, and neither did His inspired apostles (cf. John 17:20-21). If the multitude of different doctrines being preached today did not come from Jesus or His inspired apostles, guess who they came from.
It seems the majority of religious people today view the Bible like a piece of abstract art; “it can mean whatever you want it to mean.” That teaching comes straight from the mind of Satan himself.
As a Bible-believing, Christ-centered, Cross-dominated people, we must determine to recognize and uphold the unity of the Body of Christ, and the uniformity of His doctrine. Anything more, or less, will cause one to have his name removed from the Book of Life (Revelation 22:18-19). — Toby Miller
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