We need to see the difference between doctrines and the truth. Regrettably, most Christians consider doctrines to be the truth. However, the truth is the reality, and doctrines are only teachings. In the whole universe nothing is real but God. God is the reality. Anything that is God, of God, by God, or related to God is a reality. Doctrines are mere teachings; they are not the truth.
The Brethren teachers studied many doctrines concerning the Lord’s table. They studied how often to have the Lord’s table, who is qualified to participate in the Lord’s table, and how to serve the bread and the cup. These matters are all doctrines. They are not the truth in the Lord’s table. The truth in the Lord’s table is the Head and the Body, with the death and resurrection of the Head. When we come to the table, we see the wine separated from the bread, which displays the death of Christ by symbolizing the separation of the blood and the body of Christ in His death. We see also that the bread is a loaf composed of fine flour made from many grains of wheat, which displays Christ’s Body in resurrection. At the table we can see the Body (1 Cor. 10:17), and through the Body we can see the Head. Thus, the Head and the Body, with the death and resurrection of the Head, are the truth in the Lord’s table.
The Brethren also learned many doctrines concerning baptism. They studied who should baptize others, who should be baptized, and when, where, in what kind of water, in what name, and how many times they should be baptized. They also studied whether one should be baptized by immersion or by sprinkling and whether someone should go backward, forward, or straight down into the water. All these matters are surely doctrines. We are not here for doctrines; we are here for the truth. The truth in baptism is the death and resurrection of Christ. Romans 6:3-4 says, “Are you ignorant that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? We have been buried therefore with Him through baptism into His death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so also we might walk in newness of life.” We need to see the truth of the death of Christ and the truth of the resurrection of Christ in baptism.
There are many doctrines in the Bible, especially in the New Testament, but within the doctrines there is the truth, the reality. Those who lack vision and are shallow can see only the doctrines; it is difficult for them to see the truth. We need to know the truth. The need for a church to have a specific number of elders is a doctrine. We need to see the truth concerning why the eldership is plural. The plurality of the eldership indicates that among God’s people today there is no official, permanent, or organizational leadership because in the New Testament the headship of Christ has been fully completed. God recognizes only one Head, that is, Christ. This is the truth that we need to know concerning the plurality of the eldership.
The church is the pillar and base of the truth, not the pillar and base of doctrine. Therefore, in order for the church to be strong and healthy, all the saints must know the truth. The saints, as a corporate Body, must bear the truth, not doctrine. Doctrines confuse people and bring in divisive opinions. Truth never divides people but always builds people together. Hence, the way to conduct ourselves in the church in a time of degradation is to know the truth and to bear the truth.
If we know the truth, we will not care for doctrines such as whether wine or grape juice should be served at the Lord’s table. At the Lord’s table we should care only for the truth of the death and resurrection of Christ and the Body of Christ. The one loaf shows the one Body, and the truth of the one Body kills all divisive thoughts. If we have seen the truth of the one loaf, which signifies the one Body, we will never dare to make any division. However, if we dispute concerning the doctrine of what kind of bread to use, the more we dispute, the more we will be divided. If we argue about doctrines and neglect the truth, there will be no oneness but only divisions.
We should not care for the outward form of baptism. Rather, we should care for the reality of the death of Christ. We need to see that we have been baptized into the reality of the death of Christ. We should not care for the kind of water that should be used for baptism. This is merely a doctrine. We should care only for the truth. Doctrines cause confusion and divide, but truth unites and builds up. Whenever we touch the truth, there will be no confusion or division. Whenever we pay attention to doctrines, however, we will surely cause trouble. If we know and bear the truth, we will never be carried about by winds of teaching (Eph. 4:14).
If we know the truth, we will not care for the outward form of baptism. When we baptize new believers, we need to put them into the death of Christ, not merely into a certain kind of water. We should not care for the doctrine of what kind of water should be used; we should care only for the truth. If we care for the doctrines concerning baptism and neglect the truth, there will be no exercise of the spirit, no prayer, and no exercise of faith. We will do things merely according to dead letters (2 Cor. 3:6). This is the doctrinal way to practice baptism. On the other hand, if we care for the truth, we will realize that we need to pray and exercise our spirit when we baptize someone. We will say to the one whom we are baptizing, “Brother, I am going to put you into the death of Christ. Therefore, we need to pray.” Then we will say to all the saints, “This new believer needs to be baptized into the death of Christ, and we need to pray to make this experience real. I need to exercise my faith, and you all need to pray to strengthen my spirit. In this way we can all baptize him into the death of Christ.” Speaking in this way makes a difference; it strengthens our faith, stirs up our spirit, helps bring others into life, and never causes any division. However, if we care for doctrines, even in one small matter, we will immediately be divided.