Before Denominations (Part 2) by Donald R. Fox

Most Americans love the sport of baseball. I played for the Police Athlete League (PAL) when I was a kid. The Brooklyn Dodgers were my favorite team. I spent many happy afternoons in the left field bleachers at ole Ebbets Field.Years ago, I attended Winter Bible School classes at Gloster Street church in Tupelo, Mississippi. My teacher, John L. Wheeler was full of stories and illustrations to zero in on non-denominational Christianity. One illustration I remember was one about the game of baseball.Let’s imagine that the game of baseball started to lose its appeal. People just weren’t interested in the game any longer. After the passing of some year’s people did not play baseball any longer. All ball field stadiums; baseball lots and the like were destroyed.One, two, three hundred years passed and the memory of baseball was completely forgotten. It reminds me of one of the saddest verses in the whole Bible. “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph" (Exodus 1:8). You see, in the passing of time people; nations forget.One day, a man went to a large library to just browse around. He notices, high on a shelf a book that appeared very old. Removing this book from the bookshelf, he saw it was a complete rulebook on the game called baseball. “Never heard of such a game,” he exclaimed to himself. Fascinated, he checked the book out.Our friend pored over the book, rules and regulations for the game of baseball. He decided to recapture, bring back this game. Using and following the data, information and rules contained in this book, the game of baseball was re-established.Question: Do we now have a new game of baseball? Answer: No, we have a restored game. Such is the concept of pre-denominational Christianity. Going back past denominationalism to the New Testament and obeying this source will produce Christians only. In doing this we will negate, cancel all denominational creeds, doctrines and religious names that are unknown in the Word of God.Such is the illustration. When honest, true truth seekers obey what the New Testament teaches, it will make them Christians and Christians only. They are added to the church as revealed in the New Testament. “…praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47)