The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1951-09-13
The Mother of All Churches

The Mother of All Churches
You will not find such words as
"denomination' in the New Tesla.
E1ent. Such words as Episcopalian,
Lutheran, Baptist (referring to q
church,. Presbyterian, Mennonite,
Roman Catholic, or other modern
tags. are not to be found in the
Scriptures.
All the same, our lesson pas
sages give Us some important
suggestions. Luke tells how
Mortified the disciples were at
discovering some one not Of
their own organization, doing
good work in Jesus name. They
would have stopped him; but
Jesus said, "He that is not
against us is for u.s."
That is good way to think
about other Christian churches. The
story in Acts II tells how churches
in the earliest times helped one
another in various ways. II Cor. 9
shows how the good example of one
church can be challenge to others
to do still better.
As that Jerusalem meeting hand
ed down a decision affecting many
congregations and persons, so now
the findings and decisions of great
bodies Of churches have a weight
and an importance far beyond
what might be said by single con-
gregations. That council was the
mother Of all councils as the New
Testament church was the mother
OF all churches.
All Christians Are Brothers
IN HIS first letter to that problem.
4 church Of Corinth, their first
pastor Paul urges the different
parties in the church to remember
above all that they are Christ's peo-
pie rather than any ones else. The
name Of Christ is far more impor-
tant than any of our denominational
labels
In his letter to The Philippians
Paul says an even more striking
thing II know that some are
preaching Christ out of jealousy. to
annoy me but what does it mat.
ter? The fact remains that Christ
is being preached, whether sincere
ly or not. and that fact makes me
very happy"
In America today we are be-
ginning to catch the New Tesla
ment spirit. Taking the situation
as . whole. there Is more get
together-ness than fly-apart-ness
among the churches. Coopera-
ton Is taking many forms. Lo-
cally In communities, or in
state wide INSTRUMENTATION
associations. or on . national
scale, churches are doing to-
gether what separate churches
or denominations would find dif.
ficult or impossible.
Besides recent large mergers of
denominations such as the union of
Methodists north and south. the
Evangelical United Brethren. the
Evangelical and Reformed, and Con-
gregational Christian. there are
many other groupings Of like-minded
churches. pooling their resources
Tor evangelism, education. mission.
airy wor'- and many other purposes.
Message to the People
THE largest and most impressive
= get-togethers are the National
Council Of Churches of Christ in
America which includes every large
American denomination but two:
and the great World Council of
Churches with menber-churches In
every Christian land.
These words from the first mes.
sage Of the National Council TO the
people a America ring out the spirit
q unity growing today: This coun-
81 has been constituted BY -
churches for the glory Of God and
the well-being Of humanity. It mani.
tests our oneness In Jesus Christ a.
divine Lord and Savior; his Is the
mandate We obey and his the power
on which We rely. Our hope 10 In
MIN. In him We see the solution OF
thu sz,orld,a ILL Hrh> ~>fa -.