WHO CAUSED THE DIVISION

1
WHO CAUSED THE DIVISION?

• Proponents or Opponents
• of Unscriptural Innovations?

2
WHO CAUSED THE DIVISION?
Benev. Society Mission. Society Herald of
Truth Sponsoring Churches
NOT ONE IN EXISTENCE 150 YEARS AGO!
3
IN THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCHES OF CHRIST TOOK CARE
OF THEIR OWN NEEDY!
4
Acts 244-45

• Now all who believed were together, and had all
  things in common, and sold their possessions and
  goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had
  need.

5
Acts 432

• Now the multitude of those who believed were of
  one heart and one soul neither did anyone say
  that any of the things he possessed was his own,
  but they had all things in common.

6
Acts 434-35

• And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there
  anyone among them who lacked for all who were
  possessors of lands or houses sold them, and
  brought the proceeds of the things that were
  sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet and
  they distributed to each as anyone had need.

7
Acts 61-2

• Now in those days, when the number of the
  disciples was multiplying, there arose a
  complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists,
  because their widows were neglected in the daily
  distribution. Then the twelve summoned the
  multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not
  desirable that we should leave the word of God
  and serve tables.

8
Acts 63-4

• "Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you
  seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy
  Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this
  business but we will give ourselves continually
  to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

9
Acts 65-6

• And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And
  they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the
  Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor,
  Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from
  Antioch, whom they set before the apostles and
  when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

10
1 Timothy 516

• If any believing man or woman has widows, let
  them relieve them, and do not let the church be
  burdened, that it may relieve those who are
  really widows.

11
A VIOLATION OF THE PATTERN

• Turn the care of their needy over to a benevolent
  society and turn the local church into a
  glorified fund-raising society.

12
IN THE FIRST CENTURY CHURCHES OF CHRIST SUPPORTED
THEIR OWN PREACHERS!
13
1 Corinthians 93-7

• My defense to those who examine me is this Do we
  have no right to eat and drink? Do we have no
  right to take along a believing wife, as do also
  the other apostles, the brothers of the Lord, and
  Cephas? Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no
  right to refrain from working? Who ever goes to
  war at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and
  does not eat of its fruit? Or who tends a flock
  and does not drink of the milk of the flock?

14
1 Corinthians 98-10

• Do I say these things as a mere man? Or does not
  the law say the same also? For it is written in
  the law of Moses, "You shall not muzzle an ox
  while it treads out the grain." Is it oxen God is
  concerned about? Or does He say it altogether for
  our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is
  written, that he who plows should plow in hope,
  and he who threshes in hope should be partaker of
  his hope.

15
1 Corinthians 911-14

• If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it a
  great thing if we reap your material things? If
  others are partakers of this right over you, are
  we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used
  this right, but endure all things lest we hinder
  the gospel of Christ. Do you not know that those
  who minister the holy things eat of the things of
  the temple, and those who serve at the altar
  partake of the offerings of the altar? Even so
  the Lord has commanded that those who preach the
  gospel should live from the gospel.

16
2 Corinthians 117-9

• Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you
  might be exalted, because I preached the gospel
  of God to you free of charge? I robbed other
  churches, taking wages from them to minister to
  you. And when I was present with you, and in
  need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked
  the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied.
  And in everything I kept myself from being
  burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

17
Philippians 410, 15

• But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at
  last your care for me has flourished again
  though you surely did care, but you lacked
  opportunity.
• Now you Philippians know also that in the
  beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
  Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning
  giving and receiving but you only.

18
A VIOLATION OF THE PATTERN

• Turn the support of preachers over to a
  missionary society and turn the local church into
  a glorified fund-raising society.

19
A VIOLATION OF THE PATTERN

• Turn the care of their needy over to a benevolent
  society and turn the local church into a
  glorified fund-raising society.

20
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21
Philippians 415

• Now you Philippians know also that in the
  beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
  Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning
  giving and receiving but you only.

This passage is often used to defend the
Sponsoring church "method" of cooperation in
evangelism.
22
Was Philippi a "Sponsoring church"?
23
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25
Philippians 415b

• .... no church shared with me concerning giving
  and receiving but you only.

26
Philippians 415b

• .... no church shared with me concerning giving
  and receiving but you only.

27
Philippians 415b Diagrammed
CHURCH
SHARED
NO
WITH
BUT
CONCERNING
ME
GIVING
YOU
AND
ONLY
RECEIVING
28
Philippians 415-16

• Now you Philippians know also that in the
  beginning of the gospel, when I departed from
  Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning
  giving and receiving but you only. For even in
  Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my
  necessities.

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31
Acts 171-3

• Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and
  Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there
  was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his
  custom was, went in to them, and for three
  Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
  explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had
  to suffer and rise again from the dead, and
  saying, "This Jesus whom I preach to you is the
  Christ."

32
Acts 174-5

• And some of them were persuaded and a great
  multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of
  the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the
  Jews who were not persuaded, becoming envious,
  took some of the evil men from the marketplace,
  and gathering a mob, set all the city in an
  uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and
  sought to bring them out to the people.

33
Acts 176-9

• But when they did not find them, they dragged
  Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the
  city, crying out, "These who have turned the
  world upside down have come here too. Jason has
  harbored them, and these are all acting contrary
  to the decrees of Caesar, saying there is another
  king--Jesus." And they troubled the crowd and the
  rulers of the city when they heard these things.
  So when they had taken security from Jason and
  the rest, they let them go.

34
Acts 1710-12

• Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas
  away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they
  went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were
  more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in
  that they received the word with all readiness,
  and searched the Scriptures daily to find out
  whether these things were so. Therefore many of
  them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks,
  prominent women as well as men.

35
Acts 1713-14

• But when the Jews from Thessalonica learned that
  the word of God was preached by Paul at Berea,
  they came there also and stirred up the crowds.
  Then immediately the brethren sent Paul away, to
  go to the sea but both Silas and Timothy
  remained there.

36
Acts 1715-16

• So those who conducted Paul brought him to
  Athens and receiving a command for Silas and
  Timothy to come to him with all speed, they
  departed. Now while Paul waited for them at
  Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when
  he saw that the city was given over to idols.

37
1 Thessalonians 31-2

• Therefore, when we could no longer endure it, we
  thought it good to be left in Athens alone, and
  sent Timothy, our brother and minister of God,
  and our fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ,
  to establish you and encourage you concerning
  your faith, that no one should be shaken by these
  afflictions for you yourselves know that we are
  appointed to this.

38
Acts 181-3

• After these things Paul departed from Athens and
  went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named
  Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come
  from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because
  Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart
  from Rome) and he came to them. So, because he
  was of the same trade, he stayed with them and
  worked for by occupation they were tentmakers.

39
Acts 184-5

• And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath,
  and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. When Silas
  and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was
  compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the
  Jews that Jesus is the Christ.

40
1 Thessalonians 11

• Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, To the church of the
  Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord
  Jesus Christ Grace to you and peace from God our
  Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

41
1 Thessalonians 36

• But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and
  brought us good news of your faith and love, and
  that you always have good remembrance of us,
  greatly desiring to see us, as we also to see
  you--therefore, brethren, in all our affliction
  and distress we were comforted concerning you by
  your faith.

There is no indication that Timothy brought funds
from Philippi to Corinth.
42
2 Corinthians 118-9

• Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you
  might be exalted, because I preached the gospel
  of God to you free of charge? I robbed other
  churches, taking wages from them to minister to
  you. And when I was present with you, and in
  need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked
  the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied.
  And in everything I kept myself from being
  burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself.

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45

• Sponsor assumes a work

46
Sponsoring Church vs. Jerusalem
47
Acts 2417

• "Now after many years I came to bring alms and
  offerings to my nation"

48
2 Corinthians 813-15

• For I do not mean that others should be eased and
  you burdened but by an equality, that now at
  this time your abundance may supply their lack,
  that their abundance also may supply your
  lack--that there may be equality. As it is
  written, "He who gathered much had nothing left
  over, and he who gathered little had no lack."

49
Sponsoring Church vs. Jerusalem
50
2 Corinthians 814

• but by an equality, that now at this time your
  abundance may supply their lack, that their
  abundance also may supply your lack--that there
  may be equality.

51
Sponsoring Church vs. Jerusalem
52
1 Corinthians 163

• And when I come, whomever you approve by your
  letters I will send to bear your gift to
  Jerusalem.

53
Sponsoring Church vs. Jerusalem
54
2 Corinthians 819

• and not only that, but who was also chosen by the
  churches to travel with us with this gift, which
  is administered by us to the glory of the Lord
  Himself and to show your ready mind

55
Sponsoring Church vs. Jerusalem
56
2 Corinthians 815

• As it is written, "He who gathered much had
  nothing left over, and he who gathered little had
  no lack."