In Acts 9:36-37, Luke records: “Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.” Dorcas is described as a woman full of doing good for others and expending her energy in acts of charity. There are women like this in the church who silently go about helping others. They are not up front, but they are helping. They are unsung heroes that further the work of the Lord by their labors.

Acts 9:37 says of Dorcas, “she was sick, and died.” We are not told the nature of the sickness nor what caused it. One wonders if she was like Epaphroditus who “because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life” (Philippians 2:30). Godly women who function as caretakers for others often take years off their own lives because of their toil and yet are focused on the health of others.
While a woman like Dorcas certainly embodied the selflessness of Christ to the extent that all who knew her were confident her death would lead to her eternal reward, they still grieved because she was no longer with them. All the widows stood weeping over her and showed the clothing she made (Acts 9:39). A loved one of ours who dies and is a faithful child of God provides us hope of a reunion but that prospect does not take away all sorrow (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). But the departure of saints from this life still leaves those on earth who will miss their presence.
Through Peter the Lord raised up Dorcas and presented her alive to the saints and widows who had mourned her death (Acts 9:40-42). The result of this miracle is recorded in Acts 9:42, “And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.” Miracles were worked to produce belief (John 20:30-31). Today, there are many wonderful women like Dorcas who serve others. We are grieved when such individuals die. God has already worked sufficient miracles, including raising the dead, and recorded them in the Bible (Mark 16:16-20; Hebrews 2:3-4). But while miracles have had their time and served their purpose, the hope of a future resurrection is not out of the picture. Writing of the final coming of Christ and the resurrection of the righteous, Paul explained, “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” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). If the Lord returns before our deaths we can be confident that those righteous individuals who have already died will be raised first and meet us and the Lord in the air. If we are living faithfully, we have this glorious expectation of Christ’s return that can occur at any moment.
We are thankful for Christian women like Dorcas. Those who have gone on to their reward we hope to meet again. It is up to us to follow their example as they followed Christ.

-Mark Day

Denominations abound in the religious world today. Some have estimated there are as many as 33,000 denominations presently in existence. Whether this is even close I am unsure, but one can readily see around us many different “churches” teaching and practicing many different doctrines. Some have claimed that this is a good thing and are thankful for this situation for one reason or another.

 

When we consider denominations, what are we referring to? What is a denomination? A denomination is a religious organization who considers themselves to be a “branch of the Christian Church”. In other words, and to be more specific, the Baptist Church considers itself to be a “branch” of the “Christian Church,” or the church of the Bible. No true denomination considers itself to be the church of the Bible, only to be one division or part of the true church. However…

Denominationalism is unscriptural in origin. Jesus promised to build only one church. He said in Matthew 16:18, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” Jesus promised to build His church upon the bedrock truth Peter had just confessed, that Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” vs. 16. The Bible teaches there is only one church. Colossians 1:18 speaks of Jesus saying, “And he is the head of the body, the church…” (See also Ephesians 1:22-23) The body = The church. Ephesians 4:4 says, “There is one body”. Therefore “one body = one church”. The Bible, which was written long before any denomination came into existence, only speaks of THE church and does not mention nor give approval for denominationalism.

Denominationalism is unscriptural in authority. The Lord Jesus Christ did not die for any denomination. He did not build any denomination. The Bible gives no authority for the existence of any denomination. In fact, to build a denomination requires the Bible plus the doctrines of men. To stand upon the Bible and only the Bible would be the end of denominationalism. For a denomination to exist requires the Bible plus such things as the decisions of counsels, synods, conventions, claimed ongoing revelation, and on and on the list goes. In the first century there were no “hyphenated Christians” there were only Christians (cf. Acts 11:26, 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16). The reason was because they stood upon the Word of God and not the doctrines of man. Today if we take our stand upon the only Word of God in worship and doctrine, just as they did in the first century, we can be what they were, Christians only and the only Christians.

Unity is found in the one church, not denominations. In the first century Christians “continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). The result, UNITY! Their unity is described as they “were together” (Acts 2:44) and “with one accord” (Acts 2:46). The Lord expects there to be unity in His church and it was achieved from the very beginning. Years later, Paul would write to the church of Christ at Corinth addressing the division of the Lord’s church there and admonish them “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.” 1 Corinthians 1:10. The context of this passage is the Lord’s church (cf. 1:2) not denominations. The point we learn from this passage is that division within the Lord’s church is condemned. That being the case, how can denominationalism, which has no part with the Lord or His church, with all its division, be pleasing to Him? It is not.

 

-Jerry D. Sturgill

God is our Father (Eph. 4:6). As His children we are to grow to be more like Him, as Paul wrote, “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children” (Eph. 5:1). Jesus has shown us how to be like our Father: “No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (Jn. 1:18). Jesus said to Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (Jn. 14:9).

            My children are of the age where they are learning to write letters and numbers. My refrigerator has many of their papers on it with the example of how to write these characters at the top and their scribbles underneath it as they attempt to copy the example above. First Peter 2:21 says Jesus left us an example that we should follow his steps; in this verse “example” is from a Greek word upogrammos­—literally “write under” used to refer to the pattern or the writing copy much like those at the top of my children’s worksheets. In the context of 1 Peter 2:21, Jesus set an example of suffering patiently for God. I do not like suffering. I do not know very many who do. However, the more I follow the perfect pattern of Jesus the closer my life can be conformed to his, and the letters I am writing every day of my life will look more like the writing copy of the Lord Jesus Christ who is placed above me as my example.

            Paul tried to conform His life to Jesus and by example encouraged others to as well. To the Corinthians, he wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). Indeed, Paul no longer lived his own life, but endeavored to live as Christ (Gal. 2:20; Phil. 1:21). Paul was sending Timothy, his son in the Gospel, to the Corinthians to remind them of his ways which were in Christ which he taught everywhere in every congregation of the Lord’s church (1 Cor. 4:17).

            Paul further encouraged Timothy to be an example to others of the life Christ would have us to live. When he left Timothy in Ephesus he wrote to him this charge: “…be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity” (1 Tim. 4:12). Our example “in word” means the language we use should distinguish us from the world as children of God (cf. Eph. 4:29, 31). Our conversation, i.e. our conduct, must be fitting of one who is a member of the family of God; Timothy was earlier taught in the epistle how he should behave himself in the household of God (1 Tim. 3:15). Charity, i.e. love, is the motivation for a life that reflects our Father; God is love, and those who are His children are loved and love others as He loves (1 Jn. 4:7-21). The spirit, i.e. character, of a Christian ought to involve power to overcome, love toward others, and a disciplined mind (2 Tim. 1:7). The child of God should exhibit faith—fidelity toward God and His truth. And finally, a Christian must have purity of life. To show self-control in all realms including sexual purity was a critical matter for Timothy and is for all Christians, especially the young (cf. 1 Tim. 5:2).

             Our conduct shows who our father is, whether it is the devil or God (Jn. 8:42-44). Are you living in such a way that others know your Father is in heaven and glorify Him because of your conduct (Mt. 5:16)?

 

-Mark Day