It can be argued that the basis of
ethical systems is ultimately the survival of the
human species as the human species. Ethicists
discuss rules that ensure the survival of society;
yet not merely survival. Ethics is concerned with
the survival of a society in which human beings are
able to live as humans can, developing those talents
that distinguish humans from animals and make life
more fulfilling. Ethical systems generally recognize
that people should not deliberately harm one
another, that they should, when possible act in such
a way as to benefit one another. Ethical systems
generally advocate justice and a respect for the
autonomy of each and every person (Beauchamp and
Childress 1989, 67-306).
As noted in the earlier
discussion relating to Jeremiah 31, the original
promise of the New Covenant was that God would
supernaturally enable human beings to internalize
the divine law. The Hebrew prophets saw the ultimate
fulfillment of this promise in a worldwide, divinely
instituted theocracy. However, the early Christians
saw themselves as a diaspora community constituting
a spiritual nation, not a political state or empire
entitled to exercise civil authority. They would not
by force or even by persuasion establish the rule of
Christ, although they expected to rule the world
under Christ at his return.
Lest there be a doubt
concerning the continuing validity of Old Testament
behavioral norms, Pauline writings teach such
principles as the prohibition of incest or theft and
the honoring of parents. It has been noted in
Chapter Seven and elsewhere in this dissertation
that, generally, the Church tries to persuade but
cannot compel. Prior to the millennial rule of
Christ, the major instrument of ecclesiastical
discipline discussed in the New Testament is the
exclusion of flagrant sinners from full
participation in the life of the Christian
community.
We have also seen that many
in the community have felt that the power to
disfellowship has been improperly understood. Indeed
many would express that the power to disfellowship
has too often been abused. I opine that as the
necessary reforms are enacted in this area, the
movement will achieve greater consistency between
what it preaches and what it practices. The
Commandment- keeping churches will then more
effectively reflect their teaching that the Church
of God should be a community of disciples of Jesus
Christ, reflecting his personality and character.
The Genesis account of the
first sin of Adam and Eve, to which the New
Testament directly or indirectly refers on several
occasions, implies that God has ultimate authority
in matters of right and wrong. According to the
Bible, although humans were created with an innate
ethical sense, they are limited in their knowledge,
understanding, and wisdom and should defer to divine
authority. Faith in the biblical revelation causes a
believer, required to live ethically, to look also
beyond ethics to a promised destiny of eternal life
in the spirit realm as a child of God. Certain
behavior patterns are followed which transcend
issues of morality and are required for a right
relationship with God and thus for the fulfillment
of the destiny of human beings.
Since the test of obedience
in the Garden of Eden involved refusing to eat of
the forbidden fruit, it would seem logical that the
Deity would continue to test human beings in the
matter of eating. The Bible reveals that some living
creatures were not ideally intended for human
consumption. Some exegetes interpret certain New
Testament scriptures to teach that the dietary laws
were rendered obsolete. Others contend that
arguments supporting such an interpretation are not
compelling in the light of all the evidence.
The same holds true for
biblically sanctified days. A case can be made that
they play an important role in the spiritual
development of believers, and that their observance
is an invaluable tool in remembering certain
important lessons related to the divine plan for
humankind. A case can also be made for the value of
continuing observances that were a part of the
heritage of Christianity:
These observances serve as
timeless reminders of how God's plan gives
eternal life to mortal man. Our Creator will
bring His plan to fruition in spite of man's
choices and actions, which have consistently led
to separation from God, suffering and death
(Proverbs 14:12; 16:25; Isaiah 59:1-8; Jeremiah
10:23. These festivals reveal the unfolding of
God's plan for humanity and how He will
establish His
& nbsp Kingdom on earth.
This is the good news, or gospel, Jesus Christ
preached (Mark 1:14-15). (Treybig 1996 God's,
3-4)
& nbsp While the primitive
church was a moral force, it was a witnessing
community, not a direct participant in the direction
of society. The ethical improvement of society was
not its primary role. Rather, it was preparing in
advance for the day when Daniel's fifth monarchy
would be a reality. Of course, one can argue that
Christianity needed to break out of that mind-set to
become a major world religion in numerical terms.
The sectarian would argue that his or her community
is attempting to practice the Christianity of the
first century apostles. Once this marginalized
existence is accepted as an ideal, it is easier to
take a second look at mainstream Christian culture,
to acknowledge how far removed it is from apostolic
practice.
The issue is not
technological advancement, although that area of
life is of great importance to the Amish community.
The issue with Commandment Keepers is the continuing
validity of the ethical principles recorded in the
Old Testament, along with the divinely inspired
cultural context in which they were placed. This
context includes financial regulations to support
the distinct identity of the community of believers,
dietary regulations that have the same effect, the
Saturday Sabbath, and annual Israelite festivals,
which also play a critical role in defining the
community.
Commandment-keeping
sectarian Christianity is not violating ethical
standards in the context of the Western tradition,
although an ethical argument has, at times, been
raised against certain aspects of the non-violent
heritage of the New Testament. Commandment-keeping
sectarian Christianity is defensible on biblical
grounds. For most Protestants there are sixty-six
books in the canon (seventy if the books of Psalms
are separately counted.) Reverence for the entire
canon is at the source of the Commandment-keeping
approach to Christianity.
It is certainly noteworthy
when large numbers of non-Jews believe that
authentic Christianity involves an acceptance of
practices associated with biblical Judaism and a
rejection of many mainstream Christian practices.
New Covenant Judaism might even be another term to
describe properly the religious movement under
discussion, despite the fact that so few of its
members are of Jewish descent. Allow me to reiterate
a principle from the introductory chapter. While
Commandment Keepers do tailor their message to
specific audiences at times, they would prefer to be
known as members of a worldwide religion, with an
appeal that transcends ethnic identity. The
introductory chapter also noted that Herbert W.
Armstrong was the primary exponent of
Commandment-keeping Christianity from the 1930s to
the 1980s. It has been pointed out that nine years
after his death, the leadership of the church that
he founded officially rejected his approach to Old
Testament law. Smaller, related communities had
already been functioning. We have seen that new ones
formed in the 1990s. In the process, a tremendous
amount of creative energy has been unleashed.
Already, contemporary Christian adherents of an
ancient way of life are using state of the art
technology to strengthen and preserve their beliefs
and practices. That advanced technology is also
being used to communicate that ancient way of life
to the modern world. For example, each week Sabbath
services are cybercast live over the Internet.
People are attending services electronically where
geographical barriers might have prevented such
interaction in the past. The message of the
Commandment Keepers is currently being diluted by
fragmentation and internal discord. Modern
communication technology is a major factor in
preserving some common bonds among these disparate
groups. In the past, Herbert W. Armstrong through
his Worldwide Church of God organization was able to
unite a relatively large, international following
and to lead then to focus their efforts in support
of his ministry. The potential exists for a future
peaceful crusade of that kind. Charismatic
leadership could, in some fashion, reunite many
fragments of the Commandment-keeping Christian
community to again focus their talents and zeal in a
major effort to publicize their beliefs and
practices. They are confident that an awesome future
awaits human beings, and that they have been given
the opportunity to be among those people who will
lead the rest of humanity into that future:
Today, if we remain faithful
to God throughout our lifetimes, we will share
with Christ the role of kings and priests in His
coming Kingdom (Revelation 1:6). We can look
forward to becoming spirit and living forever (1
Thessalonians 4:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:50-54).
As His resurrected children, we will inherit all
things from God (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 21:1-7;
Hebrews 2:6- 8). (Treybig 1996, Road to
Eternal Life, 30)
& nbsp Academicians cannot
force religions to abide by the rules of logic.
However, dialogue that is more effective can occur
among faith communities when some basic assumptions
of the nature of reality are held in common. To
review, the purpose of this dissertation has been
twofold: 1) to bring to the attention of scholars
the existence and persistence of Commandment-keeping
Christianity, and 2) to sufficiently discuss its
underlying theological assumptions so as to
facilitate reasonable discussion between Commandment
Keepers and the world at large.
The immediate agenda of the
Commandment Keepers is to share their views with the
world at large in such an effective manner that
every human being will have to confront that form of
Christianity and to consider its beliefs and
practices. The desire is not to convert the human
race but to inform it, in the expectation that there
will be some conversions in the process.
Twenty-first century
technology is already facilitating wide
dissemination of the teachings of the Commandment
Keepers. In the coming months and years those who
read this dissertation are likely to be exposed to
the religious viewpoints explained in these pages.
It is hoped that this material will enhance their
understanding of the message that they will be
receiving. My goal has been to explain the beliefs
and practices of a contemporary religious community
sympathetically without sacrificing academic
objectivity. When this book is closed, I again
assume the stance of a committed exponent of
Commandment-keeping Christianity without giving up
my stance as a scholar.
