Introduction

In an article entitled Fellowship Is of the Spirit, published in the May 10, 1900, issue of The Gospel Trumpet, the writer states: “The Lord has been teaching us very precious lessons on this subject, that no doubt would be a benefit to others who have been thinking as we did that it is a subject beyond the reach of the majority of God’s little ones.”

Anyone who labors very long with people can easily comprehend the wide variance of potential that exists among mankind.

“And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.”* (Mark 4:20)

Since the Word of God recognizes the varying capacity of those who love the Lord and want to please them, and since God knows that some of us can only bring forth thirtyfold or sixty, it is easy to understand why brethren have concluded that a number of spiritual comprehensions are “beyond the reach of the majority of God’s little ones.” (Howbeit, we thirty- or sixtyfolders must labor just as hard to reach our potential as hundredfolders.)

The natural result of this conclusion is to view God’s little children in one of two classes: those who can understand deeper light and those who (seemingly) cannot. There is also a natural tendency for those whose capacity for understanding is more limited to lean upon those who seem to have a more open vision. If this natural tendency is encouraged, it leads to people leaning on people—instead of people leaning directly on God.

And this natural tendency does not take into consideration how God ignores the natural abilities of the flesh and works in His own way, according to His good pleasure, with each of His children. We might say that spiritual life and spiritual understanding are not dependent at all on natural gifts and intellect. And this is in direct harmony with the Word of God.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: That no flesh should glory in his presence.”* (1 Corinthians 1:26-29)

Indeed, the way was designed by the Author of our salvation so that the simplest need not err therein, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.”* (Romans 8:14)

I am reminded of a story of an old mother and her son. The mother was fully saved and filled with the Holy Spirit; her son was not. He went off to a college and was filled with a great deal of intellectual learning. Upon returning home, he attempted to persuade his mother that her experience was not scriptural. He knew the Bible better than she did and could out-reason her. Finally, she just said, “Johnny, you are very smart and can talk better than your old mother. But,” she continued, placing her hand over her heart, “in my heart, I know it is not so!” Her knowledge of truth went far beyond a mere intellectual grasp of the scriptures and was firmly rooted in a “know-so” experience.

Throughout the New Testament, we find that the ministry manifested this high regard for “hands-on” understanding. Brother Paul testifies this way in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5: “My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”

“But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”* (1 John 2:27)

The idea that certain truths of the Bible are “beyond the reach of the majority of God’s little ones” is not a scriptural idea. It was not held by the ministers of the New Testament church.

The question remains: Where did this idea originate and why?

The author of the article “Fellowship Is of the Spirit” confessed that “different conclusions are now reached, and our influence shall be for all to seek to learn from God those precious lessons that draw us closer to Him, and to His people, and that preserve us from many of the deceptions of the devil.” It is evident that there was an attitude difference on this point in 1900 among the ministry of the reformation.

It is a historical fact that this group of people compromised their former teaching little by little until they are completely unrecognizable today when compared with their former standards. The radical turnaround in their teaching was quite marked by 1913, and totally intrenched by the early 1920’s. During that period of time, different teaching on church organization, trusting the Lord for physical healing, outward adornment, and many other things gained ground rapidly. Eventually, this movement, numbering many precious saints who loved the Lord and had been instrumental in the work of the Lord, became unfit for the respect and appreciation of spiritual people. The apostasy was an awful spiritual disaster, compromising many, discouraging others from living for God, and scattering the relatively few who were survivors.

Historically, this apostasy paralleled the awful apostasy of the congregations we read about in the New Testament. This apostasy was predicted by Brother Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day [the day of Christ] shall not come, except there come a falling away first.” This falling away (apostasy) occurred after Paul’s death, but he stated “that the mystery of iniquity doth already work.”* (2 Thessalonians 2:7) That is, Paul could see clear and definite evidence of the things that were working toward that end in his lifetime. The falling away was predictable to those who were willing to look.