Chapter II: The Church That Follows the Bible Is Right

Suppose you were to undertake to examine all the creeds of Christendom, and eliminate them one by one to see which church is right. That would take a very long time. You might even die with old age before you had finished the task. I believe there is a much shorter and more practical approach to the solution of the question. Just go directly to the Bible and see what it says and follow its teaching; then you will naturally be right.

If I were going to answer my question tonight in just one brief statement, I would say that the church which follows the Bible is the one that’s right. At first thought this may sound like a very trite statement. Somebody would reply by saying, “Well, all the churches claim to follow the Bible.” Such a claim demands investigation! It’s easy to make such a claim, but you notice that I did not say that the church which _claims_ to follow the Bible is right, but that the one which _follows_ the Bible is right.

There may be a big difference between claiming to follow the Bible and actually following it. If you will talk to some of these people who claim to follow the Bible, you will hear them using expressions like these: “Well, I think so and so”; “I feel like that’s all right”; “My church teaches this and that”; “I heard my preacher say so and so”; and “My mother and father or grandparents always belonged to this church.” To such standards as these many people are clinging. Friends, such expressions betray the fact that the man who uses them is not taking the Bible as his one and only guide! They betray the fact that he is following something else besides the Bible. Before we accept at face value a man’s claim along that line, we’d better look behind it. We’d better listen to the man talk for a few minutes and see whether he does actually take the Bible to be complete and final authority in matters religious.

The following Scriptures show that the Bible should be our guide: “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, throughly furnished unto all good work” (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). “But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you, than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed” (Gal. 1:8, 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” (2 John 9). Then that well-known Scripture in the last chapter of the Bible, “For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” (Rev. 22:18, 19).

Many other Scriptures could be used, but these are enough to show us that _the Bible should be our guide_. It is sufficient and furnishes the man of God completely unto every good work. Those who claim to be following the Bible and the Bible only should be expected to defend that claim, in the light of the Bible. Frequently, I announce publicly that I stand ready to put my finger upon the Scripture that furnishes the authority for everything we do and teach and believe in matters of religion. I always stand ready to make this claim good. Everybody is invited to check me on this basis. If you can find something for which I cannot give scriptural proof, then I will cease to teach, practice, or believe it. A preacher, who is not willing to make such a statement, evidently knows that he is not taking the Bible as his one and only guide, and yet I believe you will agree that most of the preachers in this city will not make you this proposition.

Not very long ago I heard a man boldly declare that his preacher preached the Bible and nothing else. I began to name several things which the Bible teaches and asked him one by one if his preacher taught those things. In every instance he had to answer in the negative. He had not fully realized what was comprehended in his statement. Another lady came to me and said, “I just believe that all of us ought to go back to the Bible and take it as our guide.” I reminded her that in that case she would have to give up the unscriptural name which she had been wearing and make a number of other changes. She said, “Well, now, let’s don’t get back too far.” The truth was that she didn’t really want to take the Bible as her only guide! I mention all these facts to show that you mustn’t be too quick to accept the claim mentioned a moment ago. You’d better examine it. For, as a matter of fact, if we were all following the Bible there would be but one church on the earth, because there is but one in the Bible. There’s just no escaping this conclusion.

So, I believe that my statement is apt. It is appropriate to say that the church which follows the Bible is the one that’s right. Therefore, if you want a scriptural answer to our question tonight, you don’t need to examine all the different creeds separately; just take the Bible and examine it. Follow its teaching and directions step by step. This course will lead you into the right church, and into heaven at last. You won’t need to investigate all the religious organizations which exist about us without Scriptural authority.