Christians Are Christians Only

Teddy Roosevelt was right when he said, There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all. This is just as true of the man who puts "native" before the hyphen as of the man who puts German or Irish or English or French before the hyphen. Americanism is a matter of the spirit and of the soul. Our allegiance must be purely to the United States. We must unsparingly condemn any man who holds any other allegiance. But if he is heartily and singly loyal to this Republic, then no matter where he was born, he is just as good an American as any one else.

So much for social commentary, now for the spiritual application. What is true regarding hyphenated Americans is, in a much more serious way, true of hyphenated Christians.

Acts 11:26 makes it clear: there were no hyphenated Christians in the first century: no Lutheran-Christians, Baptist-Christians, Methodist-Christians, et al. AND there were no Church of Christ-Christians either. Luke said, “the disciples were called Christians”, Acts 11:26, and he used no hyphens. Why not?

Because that which produces hyphenated Christians did not exist at that time. The creeds that men write, which either add to or take from God’s will, produce hyphenated Christians. The Methodist Discipline plus the New Testament makes a Methodist- Christian; Luther’s Catechism plus the New Testament produces a Lutheran-Christian, and so on. The New Testament plus some creed will produce something more than a Christian every single time. But the New Testament only makes Christians only. We would do well to heed Paul’s warning about adding to what the Holy Spirit has revealed: But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to that which we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to that which you received, let him be accursed. Galatians 1:8-9. One of the many negative things that occurs when we add our wisdom to God’s, is that when we teach God’s wisdom mixed with man’s wisdom it will produce something other than simply a Christian.

It is ironic that misguided people think that hyphenating the noble word “American “ contributes to unity and celebrates “diversity”, when in fact nothing is more divisive than this practice. And the same is true spiritually. Hyphenating “Christian” divides, rather than unites, and the resulting division and confusion is in direct contradiction with the unity for which he prayed in John chapter 17.

We call upon all people to reject the creeds of men, accept the New Testament and that alone as the authoritative will of God which rules their lives, and become Christians---and Christians alone.

David Smitherman