silentreader wrote:Josh wrote:Do Darbyite Brethren promote eternal security? The last time I endured a service, the topic was on all the dangers that can cause you to lose your salvation without you even realising it...
I'm not real knowledgeable about the Brethren but I think we are talking about the same people, perhaps there is considerable local variation. I know that around here quite a few used the Scofield Reference Bible, at least in the past.
Locally, approximately 50 years ago some of these Brethren engaged in a flurry of proselytizing among the OOM community, which resulted in a significant migration from OOM to Brethren, and numerous divided families. One of the premier hot button topics of the day was OSAS/ES and, as far as I know, most of the local Brethren still hold to that thinking.
One of my father's closest friends was a Plymouth Brethren. He tried pretty hard but unsuccessfull to persuade my father that OSAS/ES, as you put it, is bible truth. He also was keen on the Scofield Reference Bible.
We held street meetings in those days and 3 evangelizing groups got a half hour each to preach the Gospel in a parking space area alotted for this in the downtown when people did much shopping on a Friday night. First was the Salvation Army with their uniforms and big drum and cymbals and coronets and alto horns. Then the Pentecostals with our accordions and mouth organs and hand clapping songs. And last was the Plymouth Brethren with no instruments and singing in unison, no 4 part stuff. Meanwhile, one of the biggest Gospel tract givers in our area (who has given out millions of tracts over his lifetime) would pass out Gospel tracts as these 3 services were held and he was a Mennonite Brethren. Brings back some fond memories as I was quite involved in tract distribution also in those days.
From there it evolved (dare I use that word) into parking lot, drive-in church ministry. My father designed his own home made pulpit. Then we got into coffee house evangelizing and crusades where we would gather together as churches from all interested church groups, form a choir, rent the local arena and do Bill Graham style evangelizing with some well know revival speaker like John Wesley White. We also went to local fairs and set up booths with puppet shows and other things to share the Gospel. I could go on and on with door-to-door evangelism and other ways tried to reach the lost.
I think for most it was an act of obedience to share our faith and not a personal conviction to do so or not. Repent, confess Jesus as Saviour and Lord, be baptised in water and get filled with the Spirit to be empowered to evangelize. That was basically our focus in following the early church. Things have sure changed.