Primitive Christianity by Milton C. Wilcox

Pacific Press Publishing Company · MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA · Sep 4, 1907

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 33, No. 36.

Primitive Christianity

By Milton C. Wilcox

Thrice He Met Victoriously the Assaults of Satan by a Weapon Drawn from God's Great Arsenal, "It Is Written."

The Doctrines It Held

By Milton C. Wilcox

THERE are many who are dissatisfied with present religious conditions. They recognize the lack of power, and long and pray for the power manifest in "primitive Christianity," or the Christianity of Christ and the apostolic church. It is worth while to consider some of the fundamentals held by that early church. Their study may be practical. If we wish to reap the results, we must be willing to comply with the requisites. Among many characteristics of primitive Christianity we note the following:

1. Primitive Christianity respected the Scriptures. Said its Author, "The Scripture can not be broken." John 10:35. Thrice He met victoriously the assaults of Satan by a weapon drawn from God's great arsenal, "It is written." Matt. 4:3-11. He declared of the Scriptures: "They are they which testify of Me," and therefore should be searched. John 5:39.

Paul, Christianity's great apostle to the Gentiles, declares that the "Holy Scriptures" "are able to make thee wise unto salvation thru faith which is in Christ Jesus," and continues of them: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that the man of God may be perfect, thoroly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 3:15, 16. Peter declares of those who wrote the Scriptures, that the Spirit of Christ testified thru them, that "holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit," and that that word is the Gospel which he preached. 1 Peter 1:9-11, 24, 25; 2 Peter 1:16-21.

Even so did primitive Christianity regard the Holy Scriptures of what we call the Old Testament.

2. Primitive Christianity had respect to the great moral law of Ten Commandments. Hear its Author again: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." Matt. 19:17. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot [the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet] or one tittle [a little distinguishing point of a letter] shall in nowise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Matt. 5:17-19. The prophets will not all be fulfilled till eternity is in the past; and God's commandments are founded forever. Ps. 111:7, 8.

Declares the apostle Paul: "By the law is the knowledge of sin." "Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law; for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet." Rom. 3:20; 7:7. He declares that the Jews possessed the outward form of the truth in the law, but did not know the law in the heart (Rom. 2:17-23), while faith in Christ placed that same true form and righteous law in the heart. "Do we then make void the law thru faith? God forbid; yea, we establish the law" (Rom. 3:31). Another declares that whosoever

Primitive Christianity.

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shall "keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point" is "guilty of all," because one God gave it all and he concludes: "So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty." James 2:8-12.

The beloved disciple declares: "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3. And as Jesus kept the commandments of God (John 15:10), so John enjoins: "He that saith he abideth in Him, ought himself also so to walk even as He walked" (1 John 2:6).

Even thus primitive Christianity regarded the holy law. Why do men who profess to be seeking primitive Christianity trample it under their feet? "Blessed are they that do His commandments." Rev. 22:14.

Primitive Christianity believed and taught the second coming of Christ, declaring that when that event was near, the children of light would know it.

"For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then He shall reward every man according to his works." Matt. 16:27.

"WHEN the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, THEN shall He sit upon the throne of His glory." Matt. 25:31.

"Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." Rev. 1:7.

"But ye, brethren, ARE NOT IN DARKNESS, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day; we are not of the night, nor of darkness." 1 Thess. 5:4, 5.

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And THEN shall they see the Son of Man

COMING IN A CLOUD with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.

"And He spake to them a parable: Behold the fig-tree and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is nigh at hand. So likewise ye, WHEN YE SEE THESE THINGS COME TO PASS, KNOW YE THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS NIGH AT HAND. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled. HEAVEN AND EARTH SHALL PASS AWAY, BUT MY WORDS SHALL NOT PASS AWAY." Luke 21:25-33.

And in the closing words of the Book are these:

"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." Rev. 22:20.

Primitive Christianity believed and taught that the hope of the Christian centered in the literal resurrection of Christ, and in the resurrection of the dead by virtue of Christ's resurrection.

"Now if Christ be preached that He rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But IF THERE BE NO RESURRECTION of the dead, THEN IS CHRIST NOT RISEN; and if Christ be NOT risen, then is our PREACHING VAIN, and YOUR FAITH is also VAIN. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ; whom He raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

"For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised; and if Christ be NOT raised, YOUR FAITH IS VAIN; ye are yet in your sins. THEN THEY ALSO WHICH ARE FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST ARE PERISHED. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is CHRIST RISEN from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." 1 Cor. 15:12-21.

"For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thess. 4:14-18.

Primitive Christianity believed and taught the vicarious atonement and salvation of men thru the substitution and death of Jesus Christ.

"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all." Isa. 53:4-6.

"Even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many." Matt. 20:28.

"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you FIRST OF ALL that which I also received how that CHRIST DIED for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures." 1 Cor. 15:1-4.

"But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath thru Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." Rom. 5:8-10.

"And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us; we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. For HE HATH MADE HIM TO BE SIN FOR US, WHO KNEW NO SIN; THAT WE MIGHT BE MADE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD IN HIM." 2 Cor. 5:18-21.

Primitive Christianity did not believe that man possessed eternal life or immortality in himself, but that they are the gifts of Jesus Christ, the former now by faith, the latter absolute at His coming. Now God "only hath immortality." 1 Tim. 6:16. The righteous put it on at Christ's coming. 1 Cor. 15:51-54. While in this world, they are to seek for immortality, and God gives them His life to enable them to obtain it. Rom. 2:7. Only in Christ and character is there continuance in the life to come. All centers in the Master and our acceptance of Him.

Primitive Christianity believed and taught union and unity, not thru federation nor creed nor resolution nor political action, but life union thru the truth and Spirit of God. Here is the prayer of the Master and the exhortations of His apostles:

"And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent. . . . They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them thru Thy truth; Thy word is truth. As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified thru the truth.

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me thru their word; that they ALL MAY BE ONE; AS THOU, FATHER, ART IN ME, AND I IN THEM, THAT THEY ALSO MAY BE ONE IN US; that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me." John 17:3-23.

"Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be NO DIVISIONS AMONG YOU; but that ye may be perfectly joined together in the SAME MIND and in the SAME JUDGMENT." 1 Cor. 1:10.

"If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort or love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of ONE ACCORD of ONE MIND." Phil. 2:1, 2.

Primitive Christianity neither had union with the State nor sought its power. It depended wholly on the power of the weapons not carnal. All union of the Church and the world constitutes spiritual fornication and alienation from Christ.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore," etc. Matt. 28:18-20.

"Then said Jesus unto him, Put up again thy sword into his place; for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword." Matt. 26:52.

"Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world; if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is My kingdom not from hence." John 18:36.

"Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy; for by faith ye stand." 2 Cor. 1:24.

"Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we PERSUADE men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences." 2 Cor. 5:11.

"Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." James 4:4.

"For tho we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh; (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty thru God to the pulling down of strongholds); casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." 2 Cor. 10:3-5.

Such was primitive Christianity. Such will be the Christianity of the renewed, reformed, regenerated church which greets her Lord at His coming. Of that church it is said; "Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus." Rev. 14:12.

Reader, are you in doubt, perplexity, fear? Why not come back to the true, tried word of God? Jesus said: "If any man willeth to do His [the Father's] will, he shall know of the teaching, whether it is of God" (John 7:17); and, "Every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15:13). Why not leave the poisonous upas-trees of error, the exotics of a day, and find shelter and sustenance in God's tree of life?