My story is a bit different. I came up among Trinitarians. Jesus People, Charismatics, and Pentecostals. That was the first 5-6 years of my walk. I enjoyed it richly. Many great experiences with Jesus. Good friends who lived holy and loved Jesus. In a way everything was fine.
Now and then I would run into an "Apostolic" as they were called. I was a bit put off by them. I never liked suits and ties or the "shave only" doctrine. Now I was around some very strict Trins with some similar holiness type standards but the Apostolics also brought a different doctrine.
I was very busy in the street ministry and fellowship so I never had time to pay much attention to them. One night while out witnessing in the night club are of Dayton Ohio we encountered a few Apostolics who were also witnessing.
One of them began preaching and I was greatly moved. He preached on repentance and then went to
Acts 2:38 and
Acts 4:12. It struck me. He was right. Why didnt our group preach
Acts 2:38?
The most powerful proof he offered was that this was the first sermon ever preached in the New Testament Church! I had on and off felt that baptism was more important than we were making it. Also the Holy Ghost. Peters sermon brought them all together as one. From that time on I had a desire to be rebaptized that my baptism would match that in the New Testament.
A year or so later I was rebaptized in a Charismatic Church into the name of Jesus. The Pastor there had a very marvelous revelation of the Oneness of God which I gladly received.
I was so impressed with the vast array of scriptural proof of the Oneness doctrine I began visiting "Apostolic" Churches.
Boy was I disappointed. As awesome as the revelation of Oneness and
Acts 2:38 salvation was I saw the level of spirituality was not much different than any other group. Then I had to deal with the "standards" thing.
I found a Church that said the standards were not for salvation but rather "church standards". I was made an Elder there. Soon afterwards however it became clear the standards were the main thing. I tuffed it out for a while but could not bring myself to teach these standards.
However I had truly studied out the Oneness and new birth message and saw that it was much more clear and accurate than what the Protestant/Evangelicals were teaching. No way could I go back there.
Some of the Trinitarian groups I had been around DID INDEED seem to teach better on intimacy with Jesus. Yet when it came to teaching who he was they were missing it Biblically.
So while I can relate some to Aquilas testimony I do not think the Evangelicals are so much more enlightened than Oneness. The longer one is around them the harder it is to hear what they teach.
I cannot compromise the doctrine of Oneness. I cannot go back to believing and teaching that repentance alone brings the new birth. It is obviously not true.
So that leaves me kind of outside of either camp. I look forward to the day when Oneness Churches will come to more Biblical view of standards. Like keeping the commands of Jesus rather than the traditions of men.
I also look forward to the day my Trinitarian friends and acquantances will turn their back on the errors of Protestant/Evangelicalism.
Aquila, somewhere along the line I got the idea you also are from around the Dayton Ohio area. If so what is this Church you are describing with the 2000 members you are so impressed by?
Linear Mode
