This turn to the tree of knowledge was expressed in the controversies concerning Christology that were common during the first several centuries in the history of the church. These debates and disputations were related to the Person of Christ. Much of this debate was brought about by the threat of Gnosticism, which taught heresy concerning the Person of Christ, saying that He was not actually God incarnated as a man. A number of sound Christian teachers rose up to refute the Gnostic heresy. However, the result was that various opinions concerning Christ were put forth and debated. Some said that Christ was only God and not man, whereas others argued that Christ was only a man and not God. Others taught that Christ had a human nature, but that this nature was not real or complete. Some who held this view said that Christ had a soul and a body, but not a spirit. Still others taught that Christ was a man who eventually became God. Others claimed that Christ had not only two natures, but also two persons. Another view was that Christ’s natures were mingled together in such a way as to produce a third nature. All these different opinions caused considerable argument among the early church fathers. It was largely due to these debates that the church was divided. This is an illustration of how the enemy in his subtlety turned the saints from the spirit to the exercise of the natural mind to analyze doctrine and to systematize it.
We need to learn from this simply to take the pure Word of God without any attempt to systematize it. We should believe whatever the Bible says and say amen to it. For example, John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This verse says that the Word was with God; it also says that the Word was God. We say amen to both statements. The New Testament also reveals that Christ is both the Son of God and the Son of man. We believe both of these facts and say amen.
How foolish it is to presume to analyze Christ! We cannot even adequately or thoroughly analyze ourselves, much less the Lord Jesus Christ. If Christ were altogether understandable to us, He would not be Christ. We simply cannot fully comprehend who Christ is and what Christ is. Instead of engaging in disputes over the Person of Christ, let us receive in simplicity whatever the Scriptures reveal concerning Him. For us, the age of disputation is over. We just care to enjoy the wonderful Christ.
Today’s Christianity is preoccupied with doctrine, but is short of the enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ. Nearly every sect or denomination has been established according to a particular doctrine. For example, the Baptist denomination is built upon the doctrine of baptism by immersion. Certain Baptist groups go so far as to insist that people be baptized only in their water. No other baptism is recognized. Hence, the Baptist denomination is a division caused by adhering to a teaching concerning baptism. By this we see that even today the church is being corrupted and damaged by knowledge. Many who care for a particular doctrine have no concern for the Body.
Because Satan has used religion and knowledge to damage the church, we in the Lord’s recovery must strongly testify that we are not for religion or for knowledge. Satan is subtle. Firstly he used the tree of knowledge to corrupt the old creation. Then he used the same tree to corrupt the church as God’s new creation. Today his work is the same. Therefore, we must not take the way of knowledge, not even of biblical knowledge in letters. If we are distracted from the tree of life to doctrinal knowledge, we shall lose the oneness.
Many who have visited the church in Los Angeles have been impressed with the oneness. To them this has been the most convincing aspect of the church life. The reason for the oneness among us is that we condemn and despise the tree of knowledge. From the very beginning, when the foundation of the church life was laid in this locality, we had nothing to do with the tree of knowledge. This is the reason we have been kept and preserved in oneness.