"God is faithful, by whom you were
called into the fellowship of His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord."
(I Cor. 1: 9 nkjv)
Hardshell Baptists tell us that having fellowship with God is not essential for salvation. In fact, they tell us that many of God's born again people have a relationship to God the Father, Son and Spirit but who do not have fellowship with him, that most of them have union with God but not communion with him. Here is what Elder Michael Gowens, an apologist for the "Primitive," "Old School," or "Hardshell" Baptist church (who I have written much against), said in an article titled "Why I Am A Primitive Baptist" (which you can read here; emphasis mine):
"Second, I am a Primitive Baptist because I agree with the way they interpret Scripture. No one makes sense of the whole Bible like the Primitive Baptists. No other group interprets Scripture with greater consistency than these people who understand the discipline of “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The habit of distinguishing between sonship and discipleship—between unconditional and gospel salvation—between relationship and fellowship—between union with Christ and communion with Him—between regeneration and conversion—between eternity and time—between judicial and parental judgment—between reality and the perception of that reality—is the hallmark that separates Primitive Baptists from virtually every other school of Biblical interpretation."
Here he gives the common belief of the vast majority of those who call themselves "Primitive Baptists," although there are some groups, such as the churches of the Eastern District Association of Primitive Baptists, who are not connected with the main body of those who go by that church name. After all, there are some who go by that name that are not five point Calvinists.
According to Gowens, only his group of "Primitive" or Hardshell Baptists "rightly divide the word of truth" on the doctrine of salvation. That is cultist language. According to the above citation, a person can be a son of God but not be a disciple of God or his Son the Messiah. Where is that taught in scripture? Did not Jesus say "my sheep hear my voice and they follow me"? (John 10: 27) Gowens and his Hardshell brethren say that by "sheep" in John chapter ten we are to understand the elect, or those who are the children of God. That being so, Christ says that the sheep, all of them, "follow me." What does it mean to be a disciple? It means to follow another, to follow his teachings and his leadership. The apostle John also disagrees with Gowens and the Hardshells for he wrote:
"Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son." (II John 1: 9 kjv)
Here the inspired apostle connects sonship with discipleship as did Jesus. It is no wonder that the Hardshells do not want to come and debate such beliefs with me for they know that I will keep such verses up front before their eyes. We also see where on this point the Hardshells do not "rightly divide the word of truth," but have rather distorted the teachings of the bible, and that "to their own destruction." (II Peter 3: 16)
Next, Gowens says that the Hardshells rightly divide the word of God as no one else because they are able to distinguish between "unconditional and gospel salvation." Hardshells believe eternal salvation is unconditional but "gospel salvation" is conditional. By affirming this proposition, they believe that most of the elect, most born again children of God, though saved with an eternal salvation, are not saved by a gospel salvation, and by this we see how they teach that millions of heathen, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, or Polytheists, are saved from sin but who do not believe the gospel, do not accept Christ as their Lord and Savior, and do not accept the bible as the word of God. This belief is the result of decades of deviation from their sect's original belief, for their founding fathers at the time of their formation in 1827-1832 would not have agreed with this ideology. One of their leaders was Elder Sylvester Hassell, son of Elder C.B. Hassell, co-authors of their "Primitive Baptist" church history, and he wrote the following:
"All the unconditional spiritual promises of God, from the beginning to the end of the Scriptures, engage to work in His people all the conditions of the conditional promises, and thus ensure their salvation (Gen. iii. 15; xii. 3; 2 Sam. xxiii. 5; Psalm cx. 3; Isa. xxvii. 13; xxxv. 10; xlii. 16; xlv. 17; liii.-lv.; Jer. xxxi. 33-37; Ezek. xxxvi. 25-27; xxxvii. 1-14; Zech. xii. 10-14; xiii. 1, 7-9; Matt. i. 21; xxv. 34; John vi. 37-40; x. 15, 27-30; xvii. 2, 3, 24; Acts xiii. 48; Rom. v. 19-21; viii. 28-39; Eph. i.-iii.; 2 Thess. 13, 14; 2 Tim. i. 9, 10; 1 Pet. i., ii.; 1 John v. 11, 12; Rev. i. 5, 6; xxi. 27)." ("Interpreting the Scriptures-The Error of Conditionalism" by Sylvester Hassell, The Gospel Messenger—September, 1894)
His forefathers of the 1830s accepted both the 1689 London Baptist and the 1742 Philadelphia Baptist Confessions of Faith and those confessions and the authors of them affirm what Hassell said. They taught that the salvation that comes by faith in the gospel (Rom. 1:16; etc.) was eternal salvation and was a necessary condition for it, and yet they also taught that "all the conditions of the conditional promises" are the result of "the unconditional spiritual promises of God." So, faith in Christ and the gospel is a gift of God, and no one will be saved from sin who is not given this faith.
He also says that Hardshells distinguish "between union with Christ and communion with Him." By that he means that though union with Christ is necessary for eternal salvation, communion with Christ is not. It is impossible to imagine, however, how a person can read the bible and think that a person can be in union with Christ but not have communion with him. Can I love and be joined to my wife in marriage without having communion with her? I trow not, as the old English would say.
A man who says that a person can be joined to Christ without having communion with him is a theological idiot and shows that he understands very little or nothing about what he is talking about and it is a joke for this man and his Hardshell brothers to tell us that this is an example of how the Hardshells "rightly divide the word of truth"! But, as respecting communion with Christ I will have more to say shortly.
He also says that Hardshells rightly distinguish between "regeneration and conversion," and again the idea is that people can be regenerate but who are not converted, who have not believed the gospel nor repented of their sins. Sadly, Hardshells are not alone in this view for there are many other Calvinists who say that "regeneration precedes faith or conversion." Many of them will say, however, that regeneration is only logically prior to faith and repentance, not chronologically, for they believe that as soon as a sinner is regenerated or born again that he will then instantly believe and repent. But neo-Hardshells don't even believe this, for they believe that most "regenerated" people are never converted to Christ, but remain worshipers of other gods. But, as we have seen, everyone of the sheep follows Christ, or are his disciples, and discipleship includes the idea of being evangelically converted. What did the apostle Peter say about the matter? To sinners he said:
"Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3: 19 nkjv)
Gowens and his Hardshell brethren do not believe that anyone has to repent and be converted to Christ in order to be pardoned of his sins!
Now let us talk about the claim that only "Primitive Baptists" rightly distinguish between relationship and fellowship. Again, his idea is that a person can have a relationship with Christ as his Father's child or son, without having fellowship or communion with either the Father or with Christ. We have already addressed relationship versus fellowship, which is intimately connected with union versus communion. So, let us dive deeper now into this question.
The text at the heading of this post speaks of Christians who have been "called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." Hardshells are forced to say that this "calling" is not that calling which is unto salvation, eternal salvation, is not that "calling" of Romans 8: 30, for that text says all who God predestined to salvation are called by God. If the calling of I Cor. 1: 9 is that calling, then all the chosen and foreknown, all the predestined to salvation, will be called into the fellowship or communion of Christ.
Not only that, but this "calling" of the Lord (that is essential for justification and glorification) is stated to be made "by the gospel." I wrote about this in a recent post concerning II Thessalonians 2: 12-13. (See here) In that text the apostle Paul speaks of salvation to which the Philippian Christians had been chosen to from the beginning, and he says that this salvation is effected by "the sanctification of the Spirit and by a belief of the truth," by the gospel truth, for Paul says "whereunto he called you by our gospel." So, the Hardshell Baptists are gravely wrong on two accounts when it comes to this "calling" of God that is for salvation. First, they deny that it is a calling into fellowship and communion with God. Second, they deny that it is a calling of God by the gospel.
They also fail to see what is meant by the "fellowship" and "communion" associated with this divine calling. The word translated "fellowship" in the text at the heading of this post is from the Greek word koinōnia and means, according to Strong, Thayer, and other Greek scholars: partnership, i.e. (literally) participation, or to share in something, (social) intercourse, or (pecuniary) benefaction, communication, intercourse, communion, fellowship, association. The word koinōnia is an ancient Greek noun, derived from the root word koinos (meaning "common" or "shared"). It denotes an active, intimate relationship or partnership rather than a casual social gathering. Koinonia also involves being in agreement with one another, or being united in purpose with another person. This is what Gowens and his Hardshell brethren don't understand.
John Gill, who the Hardshells claim supports their soteriological views, wrote the following in his commentary on our main text at the head of this post:
"into the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; to partake of his grace, and to be heirs of glory with him; to enjoy communion with him in private and public exercises of religion, which is an evidence of being in him, and of union to him; for it is not merely into the fellowship of his saints or churches, but into the fellowship of his Son they are said to be called; and such are members of Christ, of his body, of his flesh, and of his bone; and shall never be lost and perish, but shall be confirmed to the end; be preserved in him blameless, and presented to him faultless, and have everlasting life."
Here we see where Gill rightly divides the word of God in saying that being called into the fellowship of Christ the Lord means to "partake of his grace." We cannot remove the idea of participation from the Greek word. A marriage is a joint participation. That being "called into the fellowship or communion of the Lord Jesus Christ" is essential for salvation is seen in the following texts also. The apostle Paul prayed:
"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead." (Phil. 3: 10-11 nkjv)
To "know the fellowship of his sufferings" is not a desire to experience the sufferings of Christ but to be accounted as having participated in those sufferings, to be identified with Christ in his sufferings, his death and crucifixion, as well as in his resurrection. It is a prayer to be benefited from the sufferings of Christ. Just as the Christian's suffering for Christ's sake are owned by the Lord as his sufferings (Acts 9: 4-5; Isa. 63: 9), so too are the sufferings of Christ owned by Christians as their own. When Christ died, every believer died because they were "in him," because they were represented by him. So Paul wrote: "For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died." (II Cor. 5: 14 nkjv)
Just as "knowing him," and "knowing the power of his resurrection," and "being made conformable unto his death," and "attaining unto the resurrection of the dead" are aspects of eternal salvation, so too is a participation in the death and sufferings of Christ likewise an aspect of eternal salvation.
Notice also these words of the same apostle:
"The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread. Behold Israel after the flesh: are not they which eat of the sacrifices partakers of the altar?" (I Cor. 10: 16-18 nkjv)
This text clearly shows that koinōnia involves salvation, and not a mere temporal salvation. What Paul says here about the Lord's Supper is similar to what he says about Christian water baptism. Both these ordinances are symbols of salvation. Salvation is the result of partaking of Christ the Bread of Life, of participating or sharing in his sacrifice. Partaking of the blood of Christ, partaking of him as the Bread of Life, partakers of the sacrifice of the altar, is what brings salvation to a believing sinner. Water baptism symbolizes a sinner's mystical entrance into Christ, his inner cleansing of spirit and heart, his participation in the death and resurrection of Christ. So Paul wrote:
"3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, 6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. 7 For he who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, 9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. 10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Rom. 6: 3-11 n kjv)
Here baptism is shown to be a "likeness" or picture of what happens when a sinner is united to Christ by faith. All the descriptive items highlighted in red show that salvation from sin and death is what is being described. This entering into Christ is what initiates all the aspects of salvation Paul mentions and he avers that it is by being "united" with Christ and his death and resurrection that these saving benefits are received. Union with Christ is a participation or koinōnia or communion.
So too do we see salvation pictorially represented in the Lord's Supper (or Eucharist). As baptism pictures a believer's entrance into Christ so the Supper pictures Christ's entrance into the believer.
In John chapter six Jesus declares that he is the "bread which came down from heaven," being the "true bread," or antitype of the manna. (vss. 32-33) Christ said further:
"47 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has everlasting life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which comes down from heaven, that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.” 52 The Jews therefore quarreled among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” 53 Then Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live because of Me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven—not as your fathers ate the manna, and are dead. He who eats this bread will live forever.”
This discourse of our Lord destroys what Gowens has written as the belief of "Primitive Baptists." He will look in vain for any Baptist prior to the "rise of the Hardshells" in the early 19th century who taught what Gowens gives as the belief of Hardshell Baptists. When Paul spoke of what occurs in communion with Christ he is giving the same teaching as given by Christ in John chapter six. In the above words of Jesus he speaks of those who "abide in" him and of those in whom Christ abides. Baptism is a pictorial of a believer's entrance into Christ and the Communion Supper is a pictorial of Christ entering into and "abiding in" the believer. Communion or fellowship with Christ involves partaking of Christ. Therefore, for Hardshells to say that communion with Christ is unessential for salvation is diametrically opposed to what the scriptures cited teach, and it is therefore a joke for Gowens to say that in denying communion with Christ is essential for salvation and then say that this is "rightly dividing the word of truth."
In the above discourse of Christ he spoke of "eating" and "drinking" as means of receiving Christ for salvation. I highlighted in red those words in red above. To be saved from sin and death a sinner must receive Christ by faith, and "feed on him." The apostle Paul also says the following in agreement with Christ:
"7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." (I Cor. 5: 7-8 kjv)
By "keeping the feast" he means partaking of the sacrificial lamb by eating it. This is what is done in this way: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." (Rev. 3: 20 nkjv) Here is internal koinōnia or communion, the way believers "feed" on Christ, how they eat his flesh and drink his blood. It is in meditating upon the sacrifice of Christ and enjoying that meditation. The apostle John wrote:
"If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (I John 1: 6-7 nkjv)
Here we see that having "fellowship (koinōnia) with him," that is, with Christ, and with his mystical body, the church or body of believers, is a requirement for experiencing cleansing from all sin by the blood of Christ. So, for Hardshells to say that fellowship with Christ, and participation in him and his death and sufferings, is no condition for being eternally saved, is far from "rightly dividing the word of truth" and is a most dangerous heresy. The apostle also wrote:
"That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ." (I John 1: 3 kjv)
In these words we can substitute the words "union and communion" for the word "fellowship" or koinōnia and read the text as: "that you also may have union and communion with us, and truly our union and communion is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ." We could also use the word "participation" for koinōnia (which is another way to translate the word) so as to read the text as saying --"that you also may jointly participate with us, and truly our participation is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ."
It is not "rightly dividing the word of truth" for the Hardshells to say that it is not necessary for a person to share, participate, or feed on Christ to be eternally saved. In the above text the apostle John speaks of having fellowship or communion with both the Father and the Son. Jesus said: “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him." (John 14: 23 nkjv) This is koinōnia, the Father and Son making their home in the heart and is what Jesus said in Revelation 3: 20 cited previously. To say that this communion with the Father and Son is not necessary for eternal salvation is an awful perversion of the word of God.
Not only is fellowship or communion with the Father and Son an aspect of salvation, or one of the "things that accompany salvation" (Heb. 6: 9), but so also is fellowship with the third person of the Trinity, with the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul spoke of the "fellowship of the Spirit" (Phil. 2: 1) and "the communion of the Holy Spirit" (II Cor. 13: 14) and said that one could not have fellowship with God and have "fellowship with demons" (I Cor. 10: 20) at the same time. He also wrote:
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?" (II Cor. 6: 14 nkjv)
Here we are given more light on what it means to have koinōnia with the Father, Son, and Spirit. It involves being "yoked together" with God, and with other believers in the body of Christ. So Jesus said: "Take my yoke upon you" (Matt. 11: 29). This yoke involves two entities, which is Christ and the Christian, both being yoked together and this is what it means to be connected to Christ. We also see that koinōnia with the Father, Son, and Spirit entails having communion with the light to the exclusion of communion with the darkness, and having a connection with righteousness rather than with lawlessness. A true Christian who is in union and communion with God can have "no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness" (Eph. 5: 11).
In the next post I will conclude my treatise on what it means to have fellowship with God.
