Christian = Plain Brown Wrapper
I preach at a local rescue mission and I used most of this message there one night. I wanted to warn them because desperate people are very vulnerable to deception in the name of Christ. I have added some verses because I want to approach the same subject but from a different facet of the same diamond.
I was raised sort of off and on a United Methodist and my wife was an occasional Lutheran. Actually, my maternal grandparents raised their kids in an Evangelical Brethren Church that at some point merged with the UMC. My Dad was a Methodist from the beginning. Unfortunately, neither my wife nor I knew very much about our “faith” or the denomination our family was affiliated with until we were saved in 1975 and really not until I went to bible college in 1978. My experience has shown that the majority of folks in any denomination are as ignorant as we were.
When I was first saved I had some struggle swapping over to being a Baptist because of family tradition. I was pretty much a rebel in my family and the black sheep but I did have some nagging guilt about leaving the UMC. It took four months for me to be baptized because I had been “baptized” as a child. Finally, the Lord asked me if I was saved in the UMC and of course, I replied no. Then He asked me what I owed them. I had to reply, nothing and told the pastor I was ready to be baptized. I thought he would have a stroke from unbelief or shock. My wife followed suit for she would have had to answer the same way about her Lutheranism. We had nametags but would have busted Hell wide open.
I once asked one of the lads at the church where I was saved how long he had been a Baptist and he replied that he was Christian that attended a Baptist Church. As a new Christian, let alone a Baptist, I nodded my head and rolled on. At the time, it was a question kind of like the ones a five-year-old might fire off at you. You start giving a detailed answer and he was only remotely curious so he toddles off to his toys while you are in the middle of your explanation. I was slightly curious but it wasn’t a burning issue at the time. I called myself a Christian when I attended YFC, MYF and the spaghetti suppers so I knew I was more than what I had been so just Christian didn’t seem exactly right. Years after I learned why I felt that way.
Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (KJV)
Up unto this point they were known by at least nine other names that they either took upon themselves or were given to them by their enemies. There is some debate it seems as to if they called themselves Christians or were called that by outsiders in Antioch and one suggestion is that God may have told Paul to call them that.
I don’t think the disciples would have picked this up for themselves because while they wanted to be identified with Christ they may have thought it disrespectful to use His name in a somewhat common manner. Many were converted Jews who would have only spoken the name of Jehovah reverentially and used the abbreviation YHWH when they wrote it. True, they did use portions of God’s name in their names like Dani-EL and Joshua meaning Jehovah saved but they usually called themselves Israelites, Jews, Hebrews, sons of Abraham, servants of the Most High/Jehovah but not Jehovahites, Yahwehists or Elohimists. Even Gentiles did not call themselves Zeusites, but worshippers of Diana or whoever. Disciples, brethren, and things like that seem more likely names chosen by the followers themselves.
Did God give them the name? Well, Paul speaks more of the Church, the Body, and the Bride so if God were giving them a name it would seem like one of those would have been used. Christian is only used three times in the New Testament so I don’t think it was given to them by God or it would have come much sooner and have been more widely used in Scripture.
As the Gospel spread it is easy to imagine that outsiders might call them Christians since Christ was their primary message and their leader or mentor as an outsider might see them. The second time it is used is by Agrippa saying that he was almost persuaded to become one. Followers of Plato were call Platonists so followers of Christ called Christians by outsiders is more than reasonable and more often than not it was probably snarled than clearly spoken. Thus I believe that they took on the name after outsiders had used it predominantly. The last time it is used in Scripture is by Peter in reference to suffering because of the faith. When persecuted they were probably asked if they were a Christian and knowing the meaning they replied yes. Thus it became a badge of honor and adopted by the believers.
As a badge of honor and maybe even a type of battle cry, it probably produced a very unifying effect on the young Church. We know that they used the fish as a means of identifying themselves to each other as well as greetings like “He is risen!” to which the other would reply, “He is risen indeed!” Using the term Christian would also be a bonding phrase. However, the phrase would soon be polluted and watered down making it not as valuable as it had been in the beginning.
John 7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (KJV)
When I walked into the Mission I was carrying a paper lunch sack. I set it on the table before me and asked the lads what they thought I had. The response was a 40-ounce can of beer. Indeed, from the appearance they would have been right had it not been me or we were on the city streets or had just come out of a store that sold alcohol. They laughed when I pulled out my can of Arizona Ice Tea with ginseng and honey.
They “saw” what they had experience with and made a judgment call. It wasn’t a bad one, just a wrong one. This is the problem with just using the term Christian to identify you. It is somewhat like that that plain brown wrapper or bag. Almost anything can be inside it.
1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (KJV)
Many folks have problems with denominations. They say, and rightly so, that all Christians should be one group and in one accord. I second that emotion. The only problem is that they are not and shall not be until Christ returns to separate the wheat from the tares. The unity of the believers started disintegrating while the Apostles were still alive.
Peter didn’t help the unity factor by witnessing to Gentiles. The factions began right there with the folks that Paul fought with throughout his entire ministry. There were folks that taught that the resurrection had already happened. People were sending out letters/epistles sounding like Paul to spread false doctrine. They were encouraging the worship of angels. They pushed a law plus grace doctrine or Jesus plus circumcision or pick your favorite ritual or work. They said that Christ only came in spirit not in the flesh, etc. etc. They preached all kinds of crazy stuff. Some only preached to be thorn in Paul’s side. They were becoming divided.
None of those false prophets called themselves anything else but Christians. They were the tares or false seed that looked and sounded like wheat but were really children of the enemy sown amongst the children of God. Ask any of the current false prophets or their followers and they would proudly declare themselves Christians.
2 Cor 11:12-15
12 But what I do, that I will do, that I may cut off occasion from them which desire occasion; that wherein they glory, they may be found even as we.
13 For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
15 Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. (KJV)
We get so used to the idea of the devil in a red union suit with horns and tails we forget that he was once the covering cherub. He was handsome and radiant. If the devil walked into your house or church looking like our caricatures of him we would run like crazy. We wouldn’t believe a word he said.
He is defeated but he is not that stupid. He is going to look like the wisest and most spiritual dude on the planet. He can perform lying wonders. Without the Spirit of Christ and the Word we would be completely duped. Sadly, many Christians can be partially duped as well as the Lost because they ignore the Word and quench the Spirit, but it ought not to be so.
If satan himself would appear as such a wondrous and wise person what do you think his boys and girls are going to be like? They are going to be slick. They will have wonderful theologies, great certifications, charismatic personalities, and eloquent speech. We sure don’t have any preachers and teachers like that today, do we? We have far more than we need and the numbers are growing.
II John 1:9-11
9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. (KJV)
So, can we just call ourselves Christians and hold hands and sing with everyone that uses that name? Hardly. We must be agreement in doctrine, especially in the doctrine of Christ. Matthew 10:41,42 tells us that we can get the reward of a prophet by receiving or welcoming a prophet. Conversely, this passage in John tells us that we can lose rewards or get the rewards of a false prophet just by wishing God speed or goodbye, short for God be with you, in our day.
1 Cor 1:10 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 be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. (KJV)
Should we all speak the same thing? ABSOLUTELY? Do we? HARDLY! There are so many who call themselves Christians with so many philosophies, theologies, rituals that you really must have a scorecard to figure out who believes what. Hence you have denominations and cults.
John 16:12-14
12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you. (KJV)
The Spirit is to lead all Christians into all truth. There is not a truth for one group and another for someone else. Either baptism is by immersion for believers or it is by pouring or sprinkling on an infant. Both cannot be true. The list could go on but I will just use that one example. Truth is truth and God is truth. Whatsoever is not of truth is a lie and we should abhor the lie and depart from it and the one that holds to the lie be they clearly unbelievers or ones called brothers or Christians. (Titus 3:10; 1 Cor 5:9-13; 2 Cor 6:14-18)
Rom 16:17-18
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple. (KJV)
Let a preacher point out the doctrinal errors of a denomination or another preacher and someone is going to get all upset. Yet, Paul tells all of us to do that. I love the word skopeo here. It is where we get our word for telescope, microscope, and riflescope. The word means to take aim. I am to scope out persons that cause divisions and offenses contrary to doctrine.
Yes, people divide over rugs and emotional hoo-ha but if a person is contrary to doctrine he is the one causing the division. My pointing him out or magnifying him to where other Christians can see the error is not the divisiveness. His false doctrine is what is causing the division. I am just doing my job. I am pointing out the wolf in sheep’s clothing so the flock will run from him and be spared.
1 Cor 11:17-19
17 Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse.
18 For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it.
19 For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. (KJV)
Paul saw divisions early in the Corinthian church. He is saying that this must happen so that the approved may stand out or be made manifest. Heresies are positions or choices mostly in specific doctrines that cause disunion.
2 Tim 2:15-18
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;
18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. (KJV)
This is how the approved stand out. They are diligent to rightly divide or interpret the truth. Here we are told to shun vain and profane babblings, which means we certainly don’t associate or hook up with those doing the babbling. Paul called the names of the heretics and told what their heresy was as should all true preachers of the Word.
2 Pet 2:1-2
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. (KJV)
Now, notice where the false prophets are. They are among the people. They didn’t come from without, but from within. Yes, there were many false religions but these were not a problem for the early church. They were filled with holy boldness and fought against those idolatries with passions. The difficult fight is with someone who calls himself a brother.
The enemy using your uniform or your code language is nothing new to warfare. When a Nazi approached an Allied position in his uniform there was no question about whether to fire or not. But when a lad in American uniform approaches and seems to know the right password you have to employ other tactics to be sure if he is friend or foe. You ask things like, “Who is Popeye’s girlfriend?” Even if he answers correctly, you may get him to spell Olive’s last name which was Oyl to be sure he just didn’t hear it on some broadcast from England but may had actually seen the cartoon. Maybe you ask him a sport’s question from years past like who had the highest batting average for the 1932 Tulsa Oilers? If he didn’t come up with Leo Nonnenkamp the outfielder with a .391 you disarmed him and turned him over to the MPs. Whatever the process you went deeper than the uniform or wrapper and even the name American.
There are many folks out there using Christian as their name but their doctrine betrays them much like the Ephraimites that could not say Shibboleth in Judges 12:6 or Peter’s speech when he denied Christ. The mainline denominations are dying and many in order to please the culture have gone to using a plain brown wrapper to name their churches because young people want to abandon name tags. They just want to be known as Christian though the name no longer means anything because it has been diluted today as badly as it was shortly after it was first given.
We have ladies who say that though they are strippers or exotic dancers they are doing it for Jesus. There was a group that called themselves Christians that once used prostitution as a form of evangelism. There are “Christians” in so many cults that it is pitiful. While many in the mainline denominations call themselves Christian most of the founders of those denominations would not be members because they would not want to be and also because they and their doctrine would no longer be welcomed. Thus Christian as a nametag means nothing today. Indeed, outsiders use the term in derision as they did then but unlike the first century there are few Christians that are the type of people the early ones were to cause the derision. They did not deserve it but too many of us rightly deserve it for our lifestyle and cowardice.
What many young people who are flocking to the plain brown wrapper churches don’t understand is that many of them are denominational churches in disguise. Since most go to church for entertainment and to find the ten easy steps to success in marriage or business rather than for doctrine they never find that out. Churches, whether they are good or bad, are trying to change to meet the culture’s wants not necessarily their needs. Therefore, the mainline churches and the SBC are starting churches without the name but keeping their doctrine so in essence nothing has changed except the name.
Those who are started by supposedly, neutral groups still have some theological core somewhere that can be traced back to a denomination of some type. Folks trained in some denomination started most colleges without denominational tags so you are not getting anyway from denominationalism. It is just disguised and really it is deception whether it is intentional or not.
There is an old saying, “That if it is true, it is not new and if it is new, it is not true.” We must come back again and again to doctrine. Old false doctrine under a new name or in a plain brown wrapper is still false doctrine. The word doctrine is used at least 46 times in the New Testament. It is a bit important.
2Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
2Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
Titus 1:9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
Titus 2:1 But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine:
One of the reasons that I am an Independent Fundamental Baptist by conviction is because of doctrine. I can’t be a plain brown wrapper Christian because of the importance of doctrine. If I had compromised doctrine I might have been a pastor of a very large church these past thirty years. I cannot do that.
I have done a lot of research over the years and have had to fight many theological battles. I have had a very small taste of what Paul means when he says that he has fought with the beasts in Ephesus in 1 Cor 15:32. In the end, the only group I can stand with are the Baptists. There are some Baptists that have denied the faith and no longer live up to their name, but in most cases the name Baptist still means something even if I have to use Fundamental or even KJV in front of it at times for clarification.
Does that mean we are perfect and the only ones going to Heaven? No, we have our flaws and our share of nut cases. We also have our share of tares that won’t be in Heaven. However, one of the major flaws in thinking among Christians is that as long as the person says they are saved we can hang out together. No, Amos says that unless we are agreed we cannot walk together. There are far more doctrines than soteriology. If that was all there is then we need do nothing but preach the Gospel and we have no need for all the gifts mentioned in Ephesians 4 and certainly we do not need to meet or train for anything except to learn how to give the plan of salvation.
I cannot walk in Christian ministry with people who baptize infants for they are wrong. I can’t walk with those who say they are brothers and yet condone abortion and other sins especially by ordaining them that practice them. Again, the list could go on. Does this mean that I don’t have acquaintances that are part of a church that I cannot recommend? No, I live in the world like everyone else. Those that I can talk to about our differences, I do so, but we cannot be in the same church or minister together because we are not agreed. To attempt to do so would be against Scripture.
One problem we have is in the concept of essentials and nonessentials. If God spoke to an issue then I do not think non-essential is an appropriate term. There are no gray areas with God either. He is light and in Him is no darkness so gray does not exist for Him. We see through a class darkly so we may see gray because we don’t go to the Light for clarification because we still love a little darkness in some areas of our lusts and desires but the issue is not gray. God sees it in perfect clarity!
We are all supposed to be of one mind and in one accord in all things since the Holy Spirit has come to teach us ALL truth. Because of the infirmity of the flesh we do have to get to some consensus on some issues that we have not yet found out the absolute truth about in order for us to serve together since we will never be 100% on target on all things until His returns. The problem has been that we have been lazy and have conceded on too many issues that are clear.
We are living in an age where we need to take a stand not hide behind plain brown wrappers. If we have studied and we are the approved then we should stand out and we need doctrine that stands out for it is truth and if we do that we will have a name that will stand out as well like the name Christian once did. In this society, Baptist still stands out in ways that Christian does not. If you are a Baptist then you need to say it not hide behind a plain brown wrapper like you are something other than what you are like you are ashamed or deceiving people.
“What’s in a name”, Shakespeare asked? A great deal. There is no other name by which we must be saved than Christ Jesus. Yet, there are those who would try and change that to please the crowds in the various translations that are turned out as fast as pulp novels and are just as trashy.
Israel had twelve tribes. The true Church may have various ones as well, but I will stand with the Baptist tribe. They have their flaws but many of the other ones have a name but they are dead. I am grateful that I am a Christian, by His grace, but I need to define myself more clearly for the world that I live in. We are all Americans but most of us are proud to be Texan or some other state and even in the state we cheer our home teams and often say our hometown name with pride. We want to clearly define ourselves in so many other aspects of our lives. We should not be nondescript generics in brown paper bags when it comes to our faith. Let our doctrine be pure and our purpose clear as we remember the old high school cheer. Everywhere we go, people want to know who we are so we tell them, we are the Baptists, independent Baptists. We have a name and by His grace, we live. Maranatha!
