Can you imagine sending your child to a college ran by brethren and they not answer your biblical concerns?  Or going to a preaching school and they not answer some of your sincere questions?  What about sending your money to support a work, but they are not willing to state their position on certain issues?  You should stop your support!  Better yet, you should not start such support until you have the answer to some very important questions.  It is a shame, but many sincere Christians have supported error unknowingly!  God forbid.  Following is a complete correspondence (by email) between David Amos of Truth For The World and me. 

Dear brethren,

      Does the church of Christ have the authority to accept money from a denomination [the organization] for the work of the church? 

Thanks,  Perry Sexton

Dear Perry, 

      There is no scriptural authority for a congregation to accept money from a denomination to be used in the work of the church!  To the contrary, please note in II Corinthians 8:1-3 that a gift of money given by the churches of Macedonia to be used for the ministering of the saints in Jerusalem was defined in Verse four as the two (giver and receiver) being in "fellowship."  Therefore, if a congregation of the Lord's church received money from a denomination, the two would be in fellowship, but in Ephesians 5:11, we are instructed to have NO fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness.  Therefore, we cannot do that which indicates fellowship with false religious groups, which would include accepting their money! 

Dear brother Amos,

I appreciate your response and agree wholeheartedly.  May I print your response in our church bulletin?  Thanks. 

In Christ,  Perry

Please use the response as you wish. 

      The same question was asked to other brethren as well and with similar responses.  However, some have not done so well as we shall see below.  We have seen the question and the very biblical answer from brother David Amos.  How does that compare with wishy washy brethren who will not state their position?  Or state their position in such a manner as no one really knows where they stand?

      I will now refer to a couple of brethren (they work together) who were not so co-operative as brother Amos.  The same question was asked and the first brother answered well in the first part of his answer, but in his second part he justified accepting funds from a denomination.  In his second part answer he gave no Scripture, but said “But now I think....”  Does what “we think” equal a “Thus saith the Lord”?  And God has spoken on the question at hand!  After our first letter exchanges he still had not cleared the matter up, so I wrote a second letter to him saying in part:

      “I would like to repeat my question to you with an addition in order to make it clearer:  Can the church of Christ accept funds from a denomination [the organization] for the work of the church?  I would like your answer in writing so that there can be no mistake where you stand on this matter.”  I further wrote:

      “Brother _____, I may be wrong, but I do not think it is comparable to the collection.  ..., it is a very serious doctrinal matter!  Where in the doctrine (II John 9) of Christ do we have authority to receive funds from a denomination in support of the work of the church?  And please explain the meaning of II Cor. 8:4.  Is it not fellowship, participation, to accept money from a denomination [the organization] for support of any work of the church?”  He never dealt with II Corinthians 8:4, nor any other verse I used.

      The brother wrote back without answering these and other questions, and still without giving one verse for his second part answer. He said in part: “If you will not accept my answer I see no further profit in our continuing a correspondence.”  Please note he said “my answer”: The brother never, ever gave one verse to support his second part answer!!!  Is he speaking “as the oracles of God”???

      I wrote the brother back on 4-26-08 and referred to I Peter 4:11, etc. and asked him several Bible related question, but he has not responded, at least not to me.

      I suppose I am not worthy to approach such an one and the Bible questions I posed were not worthy of his time.  I would love to know his thoughts on my questions.  You decide if the questions deserve a Bible answer.  I asked:

(1.) Is receiving funds for the work of the church a religious matter?