Bible Believing Brethren

Who are my brothers and sisters in Christ?

Do they have to meet in a special building designed for religious purposes? Do they need to have a sign with “a name” designating who they are? Must they be listed in a directory? Have a tax-exempt status? And be connected organically to other groups like themselves?

Recently I saw an old post from April of 2023 by a preaching colleague, Gardner Hall. He shared a story that Rick L., who travels to China, told him when he visited that country a few years ago.

After teaching in a large city at the “English corner,” a place heavily monitored by security police, a young woman approached him and asked if she could study English with him. As Rick suspected, what she really wanted to study was the Bible, so he taught her a brief lesson based on the book of Acts.

After hearing Rick’s presentation, she asked him, “Could you teach that same thing to the people in my village? It’s just a short bus ride from here.”

“Sure,” said Rick.

After a “short” bus ride (of four and half hours!), Rick and the woman arrived at the village where he gave the lesson on the book of Acts to a group of almost two dozen people, with an emphasis on conversions in the book. When he finished the people of the village responded, “we’ve already done what those people in Acts did. We’ve believed in Jesus, repented of our sins and been baptized to wash away our sins.”

Rick was very happy to hear that, but then began talking to them about the importance of also meeting each first day of the week to remember Christ’s death by partaking of the Lord’s supper. “Oh, we already do that as well,” they responded. “We see that this was the practice of early Christians, so we started doing it.”

Rick was overjoyed and realized he was dealing with those who were certainly his brethren in Christ. How did they come to know these fundamental truths about Christ?

It turns out that they had one Bible in the village and would meet in different places to read together from that one Bible. Though probably imperfect in their understanding of some biblical principles, they had read enough and understood enough to be baptized into Christ and grow in His body.

How many hundreds or perhaps even thousands of such independent groups of disciples must exist in China! They will never know churches in the States or be concerned about their squabbles. But they are in Christ, will continue to read their Bibles and grow in Him. They compose congregations of Christ as surely as any we know here.

“Thanks to God for the power of his word,” Gardner exclaimed.

What an enthralling story of Bible Believers who are returning to and restoring New Testament Christianity in their little corner of the world. As exciting as this story is, that’s what happens when honest and sincere people just read, believe, and obey the Bible.

Jesus told the parable of the Sower, with the point that “the seed is the Word of God” (Lk. 8:4-6,11-15). When it is planted in the fertile soil of good hearts, it will produce only one thing–disciples of Christ. Just as surely as seed corn will produce stalks, ears and grains of corn, so will the Word bear the fruit of Christ-followers.

Let’s get back to the basics. Back to the Bible. Don’t rely on popular preachers. Or creed books. Or dogmas. Or human opinions. Or the edicts of church leaders.

The same Bible used by an obscure, isolated Chinese village, will give birth to people world wide who share in the same fellowship.

“The Lord knows those who are His” (2 Tim. 2:19).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman