The five men and 17 points

Over the past several months there have been many letters written regarding religion. It is interesting the varied beliefs and translations of the Bible that has resulted in so many different Christian churches. What a blessing it is that in this country we can agree to disagree and still love and respect one another on this subject.

I would like to share the following story. In December 1941 following the attack on Pearl Harbor, five young men, friends in high school and then attending college together in southern California, signed up to serve in the Air Force. They would report after graduation in the spring.

One was Catholic, one Methodist, the others various Christian denominations. They realized that they may never see each other again after reporting for duty at the end of the school year. The subject of religion and the church that Jesus Christ established during his ministry came up and they decided to search the scriptures in order to know the points of doctrine and principles of his church and see if they could find out if it existed.

After two months they had listed 17 points of doctrine backed by Bible scripture. They began to attend churches and interview pastors, priests and leaders of churches in order to find out if the doctrine on the list were the basis of any church. One of them visited 34 different churches in his search to avail. They had not found a church meeting their criteria before they left to serve their country so each one put his list in his luggage and they left for their different assignments.

After the war four returned home, one having died in combat. They arranged for a reunion and met at Philippe's Restaurant in L.A., an old hangout, and after discussing their experiences during the war the subject of the 17 points of Christ's Church came up. It was then they discovered that all four had joined the same church.

The 17 Points

1. Christ organized the Church. (Esp. 4:11-14; Matt. 16:18-19)

2. The Church must bear Christ's name. (Esp. 5:23)

3. It must have a foundation of prophets and apostles. (Esp. 2:19-20)

4. It must have the same organization as Christ's church. (Esp. 4:11-14)

5. Must claim divine authority. (Heb.5:4-10; Matt. 16:19)

6. Must have no paid ministry. (Isa. 45:13; 1 Pet. 5:2)

7. Must baptize by immersion. (Matt. 3:13-17)

8. Must bestow the gift of the Holy Ghost by laying on of hands. (Acts. 8:14-17)

9. Must practice divine healing. (Mark 3:14-15)

10. Must teach that the Father and Jesus Christ are separate individuals. (John 20:17; John 17:11)

11. Must teach that God and Christ have tangible bodies. (Luke 24:36-39; Acts 1:9-11)

12. Officers must be called of God. (Heb. 5:4; Ex. 28:1)

13. Must claim revelation from God. (Amos 3:7)

14. Must be a missionary Church. (Matt. 28:19-20)

15. Must be a restored Church. (Acts 3:19-21)

16. Must practice baptism for the dead. (1 Cor. 15:29)

17. "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matt. 7:20)

Why is this important? (Heb. 13:8; Eph 4:5) Enjoy the search should you choose to investigate.

Royal K. Jensen is a Hayden resident.