Brethren Practise and Doctrine
By Dr. Sunny Ezhumattoor
The Plymouth
Brethren movement was an independent work of the Holy Spirit, which is apparent
from the fact that, in A.D. 1812 and 1820, letters were written between some
believers in Great Britain. and America that showed the spirit of God was
moving many to consider their ecclesiastical position. The Brethren believe
that the true church was established on the day of Pentecost. Matthew 16:18,
Acts 2:40-42, 1 Cor 12:12-13 .The two guiding principles of the movement were
to be the breaking of bread every Lord’s Day, and ministry based upon the
call of Christ rather than the ordination of men. They believe that only the
scriptures should be followed and obeyed. They refuse to follow human tradition
and creed. Others call them Brethren, but they prefer to be called Christians
who gather to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The brethren recognize the
body of Christ, which embraces every believer since the day of Pentecost. But
they also see that the New Testament teaches that in any locality where men and
women are converted, the spirit of God may gather them together as “The
Church Of God” in that locality. Matthew 18:20, 1 Cor: 1:2.
Doctrine and Practices
The Brethren seek to assemble in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ, and to maintain the apostolic pattern and simplicity
which marked the churches of the days of the apostles (Romans 12:4-8). They
honour the Lord Jesus and worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24).
The Church began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and is
composed of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers are
united to Him and to one another by the indwelling Spirit. This means that the
Church, as a whole, is not an organization, but a living organism, known as the
body of Christ. Every true child of God possesses eternal life, and being
justified, sanctified, and sealed with the Holy Spirit, is safe and secure for
all eternity. However, a Christian can, through sin, lose the joy of
fellowship, power, testimony, and reward, thus incurring the Father’s
chastisement. Relationship is eternal, being established by new birth;
fellowship, with God, however, is dependent upon obedience.
Order of
Worship
The breaking of bread is our communion service. It is usually
about one to one and one-half hours in length and is held on Sunday (Acts
20:7). It is unstructured and non-liturgical. However, since it is directed by
the Holy Spirit there is no confusion, and being led by Him there is an order
of worship and ministry. Brothers will rise to their feet to worship, suggest a
hymn, or read and expound on a passage of Scripture.
Worship is the
overflow of a full heart, expressed in thanksgiving and remembrance of some
aspect of the object of the father’s heart-The Lord Jesus Christ.
Worship is not teaching or exhortation and any comments on a scripture that is
read will focus on the aspect of the person and work of Jesus Christ. Sisters
do not offer audible worship, although they do participate in the singing. They
wear a head covering which is commented on in another paragraph.
The
Lord’s Supper is often called the "worship meeting". There is little
outward demonstration. We do not use musical instruments during our worship
service, as New Testament worship is a spiritual function, not mechanical.
Further more, while musical instruments were a significant part of Old
Testament worship, there is no mention of their use in the New Testament. There
are often extended periods of silence, but these are not awkward times of
"waiting for someone to say something", but times of rich reflection and
meditation. Every eye is fixed on Christ. Everyone is satisfied. There is an
exception among most of the Indian Brethren assemblies to this method. They
consider it uncomfortable to have silent times, for someone not to start to
sing or get up to say some thoughts. This writer does not agree with this
practice of interfering in the realm of the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s
people, humbly remembering Him, do not appeal to the flesh. Loud music and
demonstration are lacking and unnecessary. Although our worship meeting is not
entertaining to the flesh, it gives spiritual satisfaction and heavenly bliss.
Some outsiders and insiders scorn the emotionless worship as dead and dry.
However, one who has really known or experienced it can describe the
inestimable sense of satisfaction, the deep welling up of joy within as the
heart looks utterly away from itself and fixes its gaze upon Him in who all
heaven finds its delight. Usually toward the end of the worship meeting, a
brother will give thanks for the bread and another for the wine. The emblems
are passed around with all in fellowship participating. This is the only
meeting at which a collection is taken up and only from those who are part of
the assembly.1 Cor: 16:2. After a thirty-minute break for fellowship, there is
a twenty-minute period of singing and announcements, followed by a forty-minute
sermon. (The fellowship break is not common in India and many parts of the
world, but it is a good system.).
We consider human creed as unnecessary.
The Bible being a record of what "holy men of old spoke as they were moved by
the Holy Spirit"; there is consequently "no private interpretation of the
Bible". We are concerned with having the mind of the Spirit in matters of
interpretation of the Holy Writ. The Bible itself is our creed.
Distinction
between a clergy and laity is not recognized (Revelation 2:6). In the early
church, there was no such thing as professional clergy. The New Testament
pattern is that the church is to be led, not by a solitary pastor, but by a
group of men, normally designated "elders or overseers" in the New Testament.
Furthermore, the clear implication is that these elders are to be raised up by
God within the local bodies, not hired or imported by churches from without. In
addition, 1 Peter 2:5-9 teaches that all believers are equally priests. There
is opportunity at the weekly breaking of bread meeting for any brother,
including those who do not regularly minister in public, to give God thanks for
the Lord Jesus in worship or to share a thought from Scripture. While there are
full time evangelists, missionaries, and Bible teachers, the oversight of the
assemblies and the public ministry on each Lord’s day is in the hands of
men who spend their week in secular vocations. God raises up "pastors and
teachers" according to His own will (Ephesians 4:11-13 and Acts 20:17, 20). For
either elders (pastors) or those who have been commended by an assembly as
called of God to give their whole time to God’s work. This work may be
anywhere in the world - and is always of an itinerant nature. God meets their
financial need without any assembly previously agreeing to provide any kind of
salary. There is no thought of a stipulated amount of remuneration, but we hold
ourselves responsible to help those who are in the Lord’s work (III John
verse 7).
We have certain beliefs in the doctrines as unfolded in the
Scriptures: man’s fall and total depravity, his guilty, lost, and hopeless
condition, the amazing love of God in providing a Saviour in His only Son, the
perfection of Christ in His divine as well as His human nature, reconciliation
to God through Christ’s shed blood by which man alone is redeemed - not by
works, law keeping, or reformation. Christ’s resurrection is proof that
God accepted His atonement. Salvation is according to faith in the work of
Christ and is by God’s grace alone. Eph: 2:8-9.
Independent
Each local assembly is governed solely by the elders in the
congregation, and is in no way subject to outside legislation or leadership.
There is nothing in scripture to warrant the development of a religious
hierarchy of ecclesiastical officials with supervisory authority over a union
of churches. In the apostolic church there was a plurality of bishops in one
local assembly, rather than one bishop over a plurality of churches as today.
Phil.1.1.When Paul, enroute to Jerusalem, stopped at Miletus he sent to Ephesus
and called for the elders of the assembly there, Acts20.17. When these elders
arrived, he addressed them as overseers " V. 28. The word here for elders is
presbuteros, translated "presbytery" in 1 Timothy 4.14. The word for overseers"
is episkopos, translated ‘ bishops in Philippians 1.1.Thus, in the early
church the elder was an overseer, a presbyter, a bishop. The elders were to
"feed’ the church of God. This is poimainein," to feed as a shepherd", and
is the verb form of the word" pastors" in Ephesians 4.14 and shepherd in Hebrew
13.20.These, then were the spiritual guides of the autonomous local assembly.
Peter also refers to them as elders and overseers.1 Peter 5:1-4.And while the
terms are somewhat synonymous, the word Elder refers to position and character,
and overseeing refers to the work of the elder.
Based upon these facts, we
reject all outside interference with the internal affairs of the local
assembly. The absences in the New Testament record of any church officials with
jurisdictional authority extending beyond the local assembly militates against
the notion of an organizational union of Churches. The following references
will shed much light for this point. 1Cor.16.1, 1 cor.16.19, 2cor.8.1,Gal.1.22
On the other hand any assembly can provide financial assistance to another that
has a particular need.11 Cor: chapters 8 and 9.
Priests
Christendom has undoubtedly patterned its priesthood after the Aaronic one with
its distinguishing apparel, special privileges, restricted areas in the
building, and ritualistic services. But all this is contrary to the teaching of
the New Testament where we learn that all believers are priests, and as such
have perfect liberty to approach God through our Lord Jesus Christ, The Great
High Priest, for prayer and worship. The following references will give ample
evidence to remove any doubt to a truth seeker. 1Peter.2: 1-5,
1pet.2.9,Revelation. 1.5,6, Hebew.10.19-22.
There are two Christian
ordinances, baptism and the Lord&'s Supper. Baptism by immersion signifies
that the believer, having died with Christ, is buried with Him in baptism and
also is risen with Christ to walk in newness of life. The Lord's Supper is a
memorial feast, instituted by the Lord Himself exclusively for His own. In the
observance of this supper, believers remember Him. The emblems show His death
until He comes. There is no difference in value between men and women, but
there are distinct roles. The work of Christ has removed all human distinctions
of privilege (Galatians 3:28). Every believer, whether male or female is a
priest to God (Hebrews 13:15). As a holy priest (1 Peter 2: 5) and a royal
priest (1 Peter 2: 9), we can worship and witness all we desire. However, as in
the home, men and women are given distinct roles in the church. Church order,
like chronological or alphabetical order, has nothing to do with importance. It
has been established by God so that "all things be done decently and in order"
(1 Corinthians 14: 40).
Head Covering
God’s glory is to be
seen alone in the assembly of the saints. In order to do this, the man’s
head remains uncovered by not having long hair and by removing any head
covering, because the man is the image and glory of God (I Corinthians 11:7).
Any covering on the man would veil God’s glory. The women, however, are
the stewards of the coverings. There are two competing glories in the church.
"The woman is the glory of man" (I Corinthians 11:7) and "If a woman have long
hair, it is a glory to her" (I Corinthians 11:15). Because there are two
symbolic glories to be covered, there must be two coverings. The first head
covering, Greek (peribolaion) is the woman’s long hair (verse 15) to hide
the glory of the man (the woman herself). The second head covering, Greek
(katakalupto) is to hide her glory, which is her own hair. In this way,
God’s authority is declared in the church. By it the men are reminded
that, in their ministry, their glory is to be hidden. The angels are also
instructed by it (I Corinthians 11:10).
Origin of
the Movement
During the first part of the 1800’s, some
Christians began to feel uncomfortable about denominationalism, a clerical
hierarchy, and certain "compromises" creeping into their churches. They
resolved to simply read their Bible and try to gather in the same simple manner
as Christians did in the New Testament. As some of these Christians began to
travel and preach, they found believers in other cities and countries who were
doing the same thing. Early gatherings originated in Dublin and in Plymouth.
Prominent among the pioneers was Dr. A. J. Cronin, Mr. J.G. Bellett, Mr. H.
Hutchinson, and Lord Congleton. Plymouth became prominent, so others began to
call them as brethren from Plymouth.
In 1827, John Nelson Darby joined
this group. J. N. Darby saw the church as a special work of God, distinct from
the programme for Israel. This truth, integrated with his premillennial
eschatology, led him to believe that the rapture would occur before the
tribulation, and that during the tribulation God would turn again to deal
specifically with Israel. Until Darby’s time, Christians believed that the
church was a continuation of Israel, and some others believed that the church
replaced Israel.
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882)
Few today who
would identify themselves as fundamentalists have ever heard of John Nelson
Darby or the Plymouth Brethren. Yet as Earnest R. Sandeem correctly observes in
The Root of Fundamentalism, "Much of the thought and attitudes of those who are
known as fundamentalists can be mirrored in the teachings of this man". Many
scholars believe that John Darby was the greatest Christian teacher that ever
lived since the apostle Paul. Early leader among the Plymouth Brethren and
developer of dispensational premillennialism, John Darby invested his life in
strengthening the saints as they gathered simply "to His name" and awaited
their Lord’s imminent return.
Born in London of wealthy Irish parents,
Darby received his middle name from Admiral Lord Nelson. Upon returning to
Ireland in 1815, he entered Trinity College in Dublin, graduating in 1819 as a
classical gold medalist. Although called to the Irish chancery bar in 1822, he
gave up a career in law after one year in order to enter into religious
ministry. After a prolonged spiritual struggle leading to his conversion, Darby
was ordained as a deacon in 1825, and as a priest in the Church of England in
1826. From 1827-1833, Darby’s ecclesiology and eschatology were formed.
Disenchanted with the state-church religion, Darby addressed in his earlier
writing the heavenly nature of the church and the need for it to be
unencumbered with earthly things. He soon discovered a group of like-minded
men. The Powers Court Conference from 1831-1833 would provide the context in
which Darby’s eschatology would be aligned consistently with his
ecclesiology. Afterward his elucidation of what the new Testament scripture
clearly taught in both fields of theology would be widely accepted throughout
the Brethren movement, yielding a new perspective and interpretation of
Scripture that would be known as dispensationalism. Darby traveled, taught, and
wrote extensively from 1832 to 1845
In 1845, the great schism over B. W.
Newton’s differing views concerning the "secret rapture" and his lapse
into clericalism, brought tremendous dissension among the Brethren assemblies.
Combined with the Bethesda question in which 1848, George Mueller and Darby
disagreed as to the interrelationship of assemblies over matters of discipline,
A schism would leave the Brethren from that time forward divided into the
exclusive and the open Brethren. During this time, both groups would be deeply
involved in missions, although the exclusive Brethren seemed to be more
occupied with truth for the believer, while the open Brethren were given to
evangelizing the lost
Darby visited and preached numerous times in Germany,
France, Italy, New Zealand, West Indies, Canada and U. S. Amid his extensive
teaching tours, he found time to translate the New Testament into English,
French, and German, and he assisted in translating the Old Testament into both
French and German. Most of his papers and articles are gathered into
thirty-four volumes in The Collected Works of J. N. Darby, which was edited by
his long- time associate and friend, William Kelly.
Darby’s
Eschatology
Acknowledged as the father of modern dispensational
premillennialism, Darby is remembered especially for his recalling the church
to expectancy for its rapture at the return of the Lord before Daniel’s
seventieth week. He interpreted Daniel’s seventy weeks based on the
Chaldean Decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the first advent of Christ. To a large
degree, his eschatology flows out of his ecclesiology, which underwent a
radical change between 1827 to 1831
As a young parish priest, Darby became
disillusioned with the state-church, which took advantage of governmental
sanction. His belief that the church as the body of Christ was to be a heavenly
people and not court earthly favors, was formulated by 1827. During the same
year, an accidental fall from his horse forced him into a lengthy
convalescence, which gave him much time alone with God and His, Word. Isaiah
thirty-two convinced him that there was to be a future economy in which Israel
would enjoy earthly blessings, not at all like the present heavenly blessings
he was conscious of because of his union with Christ. Dispensational
distinctives were taking shape in his thinking
The Powers Court Conference
of 1831-1833 moved Darby from his earlier historical premillennialism to
futurist premillennialism. The transaction from the present church dispensation
to the millennial kingdom, in which Israel had centre stage under Christ’s
rule, was supplied by seeing that the seventieth week in Daniel’s prophecy
concerning 70 weeks was yet future. Before the last week of 7 years remaining
week church would be raptured to heavenly glory, while during that time, God
would bring into existence a remnant of Israel who would experience deliverance
from their enemies at the return of Christ to the earth. By his own testimony,
Darby’s dispensational premillennial eschatology was fully formed by
1833
For Darby, a dispensation is an economy; any order of things that God
has arranged on the earth. The primary characteristics of a dispensation
include governmental administration, responsibility, and the revelation to
fulfill both. Secondary characteristics include testing, failure, and judgment.
When a people fail the test to exercise their responsibility given to them by
God, judgment falls, thus ending the dispensation. Darby traced eight
dispensations as follows:
1) Noah,
2) Abraham,
3) Israel under the
Law (prophet),
4) Israel under priesthood,
5) Israel under the kings,
6) Gentiles from Nebuchadnezzer to the Antichrist,
7) the Church, and
8) the millennium or kingdom.
Darby saw three "worlds" or ages: from
Adam until Noah’s flood, from Noah until the renovation of the heavens and
earth by fire at the end of the millennium, and the eternal state. Darby did
not think any dispensations existed before the flood; God just left the race to
itself. He also believed that the eternal state was not a dispensation. Thus
only from Noah through the millennium could dispensations be distinguished.
Darby’s order of end time events may be grouped as follows: 1) the rapture
and first resurrection, 2) post-rapture events in heaven, 3) post-rapture
events on earth, 4) the millennial kingdom, 5) post-millennial events, and 6)
the eternal state.
1) The rapture occurs before the final time of trial to
come upon the earth. The Church must already be with Christ in heaven to be
able to appear with Him at His glorious return. The first resurrection of the
just coincides with the rapture. Thus all those who have died in faith from
both the Old Testament and New Testament eras will be raptured with the living
church saints. Although all that have a resurrected body will be related in
some way to the New Jerusalem, Darby called only the Church the Bride, so as to
give it the chief position among the glorified.
2) After the rapture,
several things transpire in heaven. First, Satan is cast out of heaven to the
earth. Then the saints will experience the Judgment Seat of Christ in
preparation for the Marriage of the Lamb. The latter event will take place
after the judgment of Babylon.
3) The events on earth after the rapture
relate to Daniel’s seventieth week. At times Darby spoke of this
seven-year period as entirely future, but at other times, as only three and
one-half years remaining for the future (the first three and one-half years
being the earthly ministry of Christ). Some future time of trial was necessary
after the rapture to prepare a Jewish remnant that would be delivered by their
Messiah’s personal return to the earth. During that time, the Beast would
arise as the secular head of evil imperial government, and the False Prophet
would arise as the Antichrist, the spiritual head of evil religious energy. The
Day of the Lord is at the appearing of Christ at the end of the Tribulation
period. Armageddon ends the Beast and the Antichrist’s power, and Satan
himself will be bound soon after. Next, the land of Israel is cleansed. Then
the judgment of the living on earth takes place, to determine who among them
will enter the millennial kingdom. After one thousand year of reign of Christ
on earth Satan will be freed and he and his followers will come for the final
war. Satan and his army will be defeated and will be placed in hell.
4) In
the millennial kingdom, the land promises given to Abraham will be fulfilled
for a restored Israel. Messiah delivers the remnant, which becomes the blessed
nation, by destroying all its enemies. Afterward, Israel will occupy the chief
place among the nations on earth in the kingdom, just as the Church as the
Bride of Christ, will occupy the chief place among those resurrected in the New
Jerusalem.
5) Events after the millennium include the final revolt of
Satan, the second resurrection, and the Great White Throne judgment of the
unbelieving dead. Darby believed in the eternal conscious punishment of the
lost in the lake of fire
6) The eternal state will bring an end to
Israel’s special position above the nations of the millennial kingdom. But
there will eternally be a distinction between the Church and the earthly people
in its eternal state format. "The tabernacle of God" (for Darby, meaning the
Church in Revelation 21:2-3) would be "with men" (the earth inhabiters without
national distinction). Thus the Church will have special distinction in
eternity, since "to Him be glory in the Church throughout all ages"(Ephesians
3:21) refers to a relationship that persists forever. Two peoples of God, an
earthly and a heavenly, will be eternally distinct, simply because saved humans
in natural bodies will be distinguished from the saved who have resurrected
bodies in the eternal state
Some Well-known Brethren
Sir Robert Anderson- Scotland
Yard detective and writer
Sir Lancelot Brenton- translator of the
Greek-English edition
F. F. Bruce- Bible commentator
Jim Elliot-
missionary martyred in Ecuador
Trevor S. Francis- composed the hymn, "O the
Deep, Deep Love of Jesus"
A. N. Groves- pioneer missionary in India
H.
A. Ironside- well-known Bible commentator; pastor of Moody Memorial Church
William Kelly- authored many Bible commentaries; well recognized by all
scholars in the world
William MacDonald- author of the Believers Bible
Commentary
C. H. Mackintosh- author of Genesis to Deuteronomy: Notes on the
Pentateuch, and other miscellaneous writings
Andrew Miller- author on
church history
George Mueller- lived in Bristol, England, and ran a chain
of orphanages which operated on the principle of faith and prayer
Thomas Newberry- well known
for the Newberry Reference Bible, which uses a system of symbols to explain
verb tenses
Joseph Scriven- composed the hymn, "What a Friend We Have in
Jesus"
Samuel Tregelles- noted scholar of Biblical languages
W. E.
Vine- author of Vines Expository Dictionary and numerous commentaries
G.
V. Wigram- author of Wigram’s Hebrew/Chaldee Concordance and Wigram’s
Greek Concordance
Lord Congleton
J. G. Bellet
Dr. Edward Cronin
J. L. Harris
R. C. Chapman
Henry Craik
Dr. Thomas Neatby
J. B.
Stoney
F. W. Grant
Charles Stanley
Henry Moorhouse
John
Ritchie
Hudson Taylor
Donald Ross
Donald Munro
Harold Paisley
of Canada
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