BD.8375
January 8, 1963

THE CHURCH OF CHRIST IN ITS BEGINNINGS

My disciples received the gospel of Love from Me personally as I walked over the earth and therefore, they could take it out into the world in a pure and unabridged form after My task of redemption had been completed and I had again ascended into My kingdom of light and bliss.

My disciples also kept My doctrine pure and people came to know Me as their Redeemer from sin and death. They were taught by My disciples that in order to fulfil the purpose of their life on earth and to be able to enter My kingdom after their death, they had to take the road to the cross and live a life of love.

My disciples were introduced to truth by Me, and because My spirit could work within them, they also passed on the same truth.

In the beginning people accepted My pure gospel, endeavouring to live a life of love and thus awakened the Spirit within themselves making it possible for Me to work in their souls.

Thus, for a certain time, My doctrine was kept pure. My disciples passed on their teaching ministry well aware of the mental quality of those whom they appointed their successors. However, it did not take long before men assumed such a teaching ministry themselves, partly for selfish reasons, partly out of over-zeal to fulfil My will without waiting for the 'inner calling'. Thus it came to pass that this teaching ministry was conferred indiscriminately.

No longer was the inner ability - the mental quality of a person - essential, but external circumstances were of consequence, too. This more and more endangered the pure truth, but was not realised because of the unawakened spirit of those teachers.

The people, however, to whom the gospel was preached, were deprived of the right to form their own opinion and to express any doubts as to the absolute truth of what they were taught.

Those, who looked upon themselves as spiritual teachers were firmly convinced of their mission and did not allow any contradiction, whilst those who were being taught were obliged to accept everything that was offered to them as the truth without investigating it. Truth could be maintained pure only as long as its keepers themselves were enlightened.

Soon the number of those on whom teaching offices were conferred without being enlightened by My Spirit prevailed and any objections on the part of a spiritually awakened person were rejected.

The unawakened became more powerful and the pure truth was interspersed with false doctrines, with ideas, which had originated in the human intellect and were proclaimed as divine truth.

And although at all times spiritually awakened men endeavoured to eliminate this error, My adversary succeeded in gaining ground, for his adherents were already mighty and pure truth was no longer recognised as such.

This explains to you how with the passing of time something quite different from what I had established on earth came to be called the CHURCH OF CHRIST.

This explains how an organisation came to power, now this organisation fell again and again into schisms. I want the `church that I established' looked upon as a spiritual edifice comprising those people who move within truth as a result of a life of love, which produces a living faith and the awakening of the Spirit.

And this My church has kept alive to this day, for My Spirit could be poured out time and again over those people who were endeavouring to live within love and fulfil My Will.

And so to these, the pure truth, which exposes all false doctrines, could be submitted and to every earnestly truth-seeking person an explanation will be given: how mankind came to this confused thinking and why it is not at all prepared to free itself from it.

Everybody will understand that the masses are never susceptible to truth, but willingly accept error and, therefore, every individual should seek to free himself from false doctrines when My Grace is bestowed upon him by pure truth.

If he has only the earnest desire, he will be able to distinguish truth from error and will then be a member of that church which I Myself established on earth.

AMEN