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.
