The Great Race

There are two types of mindsets when it comes to ‘running the race’.

The first mindset says we are the last relay in the great race and Jesus wants desperately to hand off the baton to us. He has already given us the perfect example of how to run the race by running the first three legs and all we need to do is to complete it and cross the finish line. He is there handing it off to us and he will never drop the baton. He is always willing to give it to us so that we can do our part and finish what he has so perfectly begin. He is our greatest cheerleader and wants more then anything for us to refer back to his example and cross the finishline.

The second mindset is pretty much the same as the first, except for one thing - Jesus has already run the race. He perfectly ran all four legs, crossed the finish line, and is now handing the baton to us. Not to finish the great race, for he has already done that, but rather to run the victory lap.

Jesus has run the race for us. We have nothing without his perfect race. His righteousness in completing the race is ours to have and we honor him when we run the victory lap in his footsteps. All the glory in the victory lap does not go to us, but rather to him, who completed the race for our sake.

Beliefs

I'm not sure which is more sad.

a) that false things are believed

b) that believers in false things vehemently argue that their beliefs in false things should not be scrutinized

Baseball

Saved by Grace people believe salvation is at 1st base.

Saved by Works people believe salvation is at the home plate.

Holy Spirit

From a message board -

This is an extremely important comment. I do hope everyone takes it in. I just have to repeat it...

If you believe the Holy Spirit is present in a person who claims to be born again, and you're wrong...you will not be judged.

But, if you deny the Holy Spirit's presence in a person who claims to be born again, and you're wrong....it is considered blasphemy.

So, why not err in acceptance instead of rejection?

Obey your way to salvation?

Statment - I don't agree with using the title "father" for people in ministry, but I also don't believe this would be a determining factor for salvation.

Question - So you believe that God would give them salvation even though they are disobeying His will.

Answer - While obedience is a natural product of salvation, it does not bring salvation to us. We cannot earn salvation by our obedience.

Salvation is ONLY through the blood of the Lamb, and I am so glad, because I admit I am not always obedient...yet I know I am a child of God.

If we weigh our salvation by our obedience...NONE of us would ever be saved.

Is it true?

Written on another board -

Is it true that the f&w are the only ones: who love and serve God; who are like family to one another, who can stay in the homes of their brethren all over the world; who minister without expecting pay; who live a higher calling in their service to Christ?

NO, this is NOT true. If you have believed these things, please do not continue to repeat them, because they are NOT true. Repeating those statements is to tell lies. I once told those lies. That was before I investigated for myself, instead of relying on what others told me.

I have been outside the f&w and in association with other believers also outside the f&w on a consistent basis for 26 years. (Consistent meaning meeting together at the very least twice a week, usually about 5 or 6 times a week, and at the most 24/7 for a week or more.)

Here is what is really TRUE about other believers outside the f&w. I have found:

1. People who love God with their whole heart, mind and strength.

2. People who love each other and consider one another family.

3. People who love believers outside of their chosen denominations, and also accept them as their brethren.

4. People who actively love non-believers and believers who live carnally.

5. People who love the poor and those who seem unlovely, even those, and sometimes especially those in the world.

6. People who are able to stay in one another's homes all over the world.

7. People in ministry who spend many thousands of hours in unpaid ministry...literally (meaning they not only do not expect pay, but they do not get any pay) and still love and long to do more.

This is the truth. I have absolutely no reason to lie, and some very good reasons to speak, and encourage others to speak, the truth.

One Minute

What would you talk about if you had only a minute to share your Christian faith with a dying friend?

Would you talk about God loving us so much that he sent his son to die on the cross for our sins and how everlasting salvation is open to all who accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior?

Or would you talk about the Friends and Workers Church, and how its members believe Christ was sent to earth to establish the worker’s homeless ministry. And how one can have hope of salvation (only hope) if they become a member of this true church (all other Christian groups being false), attended every meeting possible, conform to the unwritten rules, and submit themselves to the authority of its ministry.

59... 58… 57…

Cognitive Dissonance

Cognition, cognitive, and cogitate are words having to do with thinking and knowledge.

Consanance is harmony; dissonance is disharmony or contradiction.

Cognitive dissonance is contradictory knowledge or ideas.

Yes, cognitive dissonance is an unhealthy state of mind wherein one tries to hold a belief in two or more ideas that contradict each other.

Here is an example of cognitive dissonance.

---------------
Belief A: Any church started by a man is a false church.
Belief B: Our church was started by William Irvine in 1897.
--------------

Trying to hold those two beliefs simultaneously is a state of cognitive dissonance, a state of psychological conflict. Since this psychological conflict is uncomfortable, even unhealthy, a person will try to resolve it. If one does not resolve it one risks mental illness. To resolve it one must modify either A or B or both.

One might modify A to say, "Any church started by a man is a false church unless that man has dedicated his life to be a homeless, poor preacher like the apostles."

Or one might modify B to say, "Our church was not really started by Willliam Irvine, because his sister told him about some people she had met from Switzerland who had meetings in their home; therefore William Irvine was just perpetuating the true faith that he had heard about about by word of mouth through his sister."

This is an example of how people will grasp at ways to resolve the turmoil of cognitive dissonance.

Trusting our Hearts and Feelings

The Heart is Unreliable

We have all heard the adage "nobody is perfect." This is normally said in a situation where we want to justify our imperfections or minimize the imperfections of others. We say it to minimize sin. God has a different approach. God also tells us that nobody is perfect. However, God intends to maximize the issue of sin in human beings by telling us this. He shines a floodlight on our imperfections, our sin, our despondent and darkened natures. When God flooded the earth, do you remember why He did it? It is written, "And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5) Do you remember what God said after the flood, after He had destroyed those evil people? "And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in His heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done." (Genesis 8:21) People didn't change after the flood! You see, people are evil from the inside out. It is not the evil things that we do that cause us to be declared as evil. It is the wickedness and deceitful heart we have that leads us to doing evil things. Jesus also confirms that our very natures are evil when He says "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." (Matthew 15:18-20) We are broken so badly that we are unable to be acceptable to God on our own merits, no matter what they are.

Our imperfect, deceitful hearts have also made it impossible for us to fully trust our feelings when attempting to discern truth. The feelings which spring from our hearts are tainted by our personal desires, thoughts and imaginations. Proverbs 28:26 says, "He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool; but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered."

Our hearts are an unreliable guide for finding and knowing truth.

http://www.answeringlds.org/index.html?panUnreliableHeart.html

Is the fellowship Changing?

There are two different groupings here…

In the first group there are things such as hair, tv, movies, jeans, football, and so forth…

In the other group there are things as belief the workers are God’s only true servants, meeting in the homes is the only true way to worship God, all other churches/preachers are false, if someone is truly seeking God will lead them to the 2x2 fellowship, and so forth…

One group IS changing just as it as always changed over the years… Just as radios were taboo 50+ years ago, TVs were taboo 10+ years ago, and so forth…

However, the other grouping is not changing… I have even emailed random people to ask them their beliefs in search for unbiased answers, and 90+% of them uphold the exclusive and sometimes legalistic beliefs that I left the fellowship over… I have been told time and time again that the fellowship is the only true way and to reject it is a rejection of God.

If you doubt that what I say is true then fine… But prove it to yourself by asking professing people very specific questions regarding these subjects. Such as…

1. Do you believe it’s possible for someone to be doing the will of God, serving God to their fullest, and be approved by God if they once professed, but quit the meetings and now attend a different Christian church?

2. Are there any preachers or pastors in the world, outside of the workers ministry, who are preaching and upholding the true Gospel of Jesus Christ?

3. Do you believe someone can continue to serve God to their fullest and truly worship him as you and I do if they come into contact with the workers, but decline to be a part of the fellowship or reject the 2x2 ministry for whatever reason?

4. If someone is truly seeking God with an honest and open heart, is it possible they will be lead to anywhere else besides the 2x2 fellowship?

denominations

Q: Why would God want his people to be divided up into different denominations and churches?

A: Why would God want his people to be divided up into counties, states, countries, neighborhoods, schools, various employers, races, cultures, etc. etc. ? I suggest perhaps He doesn't care about boundaries drawn by men? That being a child of God transcends the boundaries of men.

Fallacy of Silence

You can deduce nothing from silence, except silence. It neither proves or disproves a situation. You can "make" silence say anything you want it to say...Christian doctrines are not derived from silence. I like the Church of Christ slogan that goes something like this: "Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent.

WI - Founding the fellowship

Quote:
No worker tryed to hide the fact that it was workers who left the British Isle in the early days, aka the turn of the century.


Your repeated mention of this indicates to me you are under some misunderstanding. "...the fact that it was workers who left the British Isle in the early days, aka the turn of the century" is not a fact that has been covered up. None of us have even claimed it was covered up, as far as I know. Therefore it is not unusual that workers preached about it at your convention. They have done it occasionally here in the US as well.


Quote:
No WI wasnt mentioned nor the faith mission, simply because we do NOT belive that he did found it, it was founded in heaven.


You are speaking of a different "it" than I am. We cannot carry on a meaningful conversation if we don't both speak of the same topic. So it looks like I need to clarify my topic. My topic is the physical group/church commonly known as the friends and workers (F&W, abbreviated). It is a fact of history that William Irvine led other early workers in founding this group about 1897, and that this group did not exist before that -- did not exist from the first century to 1897. This historical fact is what has been covered up. This is the reason for mentioning William Irvine.


Quote:
So why mention Irvine? when we are following Jesus and the New Testement


You won't get by using that century old cliche on us. We have heard it too often. Don't confuse the "following" issue with the "founding" issue.

(1). FOLLOWING -- I do not disagree with you that at least in some degree the F&W's, just as many other Christians do, are following Jesus (according to their understanding of Him) whom they believe came from heaven and whose teachings they believe to be from heaven. This is not a matter of history, but a matter of what they would consider faith and spiritual revelation. Nor is this a claim that has been covered up. It has always been the claim of the group.

(2). FOUNDING -- Regardless of who they claim to follow, the group itself was founded in 1897 by William Irvine and the band of workers he recruited. This is a matter not of faith, but of history and is well attested to by primary documents of the time. This is the matter that has been covered up and is not openly disclosed in conventions and other meetings.

Jesus the man

The reason some people need Jesus to be just a man is in the scripture (paraphrase)

7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;

The key words are suffering and obedience.

We know there is no greater suffering than the imagined and the self-inflicted suffering of those who feel their key separation doctrines (that which differs one exclusivist from another, e.g. ministry, sabbath, woman's hair) are obedience to God.

Jesus is God - from a message board

"I have never understood why it is important to believe that Jesus is God or not."

The response from most f&w is along that same line...a resounding "what difference does it make?". My response is that it makes ALL the difference. The most basic things I try to help people understand is that -

1. We should feel the issue of KNOWING God to be of critical importance. We must know who He is.

2. We must understand that a denial of Christ's deity is a heresy. Why? The easiest way to understand that is turn the question around and ask "why is it important to believe he was just a man?". The answer is simple....the workers espouse a doctrine of salvation by works. They don't recognize that, and deny it vehemently, but the heart of that belief is that Jesus was just a man, and his perfect life is a result of his total willingness, implying that our salvation is the result of our willingness to live the same life of sacrifice. Of course, he was completely willing, but his perfect life was a result of his divine nature. Of course, we want want to live lives controlled by the Spirit to glorify God, but that's not to be confused with salvation, which we know is a gift of grace.

3. The crux of much confusion is a misunderstanding of the Trinity. Many knee-jerk responses to the issue of Jesus being God go along the lines of...well, who did Jesus pray to? Who raised him up? Why does it say he obeyed the Father? This seems to be the nearly universal response of f&w, including myself in the past. Indeed, the notion that heaven was empty when Jesus was on earth is heresy. The Trinity is clearly that God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are individual, seperate "people" with one essence that is "God". The easiest place to check all this out....the concordance of a Bible.

4. One last very simple and clear proof that Jesus was God.....he was omniscient and omnipresent.....how could that be possible were he not God? Oh....another is Heb 1.8-10. Here the Father calls the Son God and commands the angels to worhip him....this was after he was begotten on earth.

Granted, it seems very confusing compared to what we've been taught, but once you "get it", you see it everywhere and the Bible will open up like never before.

Love

From the poster, Oberst....

"Groups like the Pharisees loved God's laws, or how they saw them for themselves. They were righteous in many respects, but it was their lack of love (mercy) for others which God hated.

I see this in the Friends and Workers church. There are many exceptions there, but the hierarchy is dominated by the "spirit of Judgement" not the "spirit of mercy." They love God's laws and commandments, to the point they are so absorbed with a need to be righteous that they are blind to the natural needs of others (even within their fellowship).

One big drawback they have is that many believe God is not interested in our natural welfare and only the spiritual side. This is nonsense with much to refute it in scripture.

God's Law and Grace, like even the best of man's laws, whilst are meant to be kept and enforced, were designed to be applied with mercy in appropriate cases. Those who stick to the letter of the law "killeth" as Paul informs us, but charity edifyeth."

The Jesus of the workers

The Jesus of the workers is as follows:

The grace of my Father, God in heaven, is open to all, but...

... my sacrifice, my shed blood is only good for those who have accepted and follow and obey to their death my ordained and appointed messengers of the true gospel who have no specific dwelling place, no salary, no spouse (with a very few exceptions), and few possessions. To any and all others that claim my name I will declare I know you not and that you are the child of your father, the father of lies."

For professing people who are searching

What You Need to Not Do
As you approach your honest investigation of the 2x2 fellowship with prayer and sincerity, there are some things which could stand in your way. We offer these few suggestions of what to watch for and guard against. We hope it will be helpful.

Do Not Be Afraid
If truth is honestly what you seek, do not be afraid when you find it. Jesus said, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32) Ask and answer the hard questions, and trust Jesus with the outcome.

Do Not Get Defensive
You may have a strong loyalty to the 2x2 fellowship. If you have been a member for a long time, you have likely been cautioned against asking questions for fear of losing out. Therefore, as you study you may begin to feel the need to defend what you have been taught in the 2x2 fellowship. However, your study is personal and private. You are not required to defend the 2x2 teachings and beliefs. Try to focus on what God is saying to you through His Word without putting up walls of defense against what He is showing you.

Do Not Be Prideful
Having invested much of yourself in the 2x2 belief system, your natural inclination may be to protect that investment. Nobody wants to find fault with an organization they have given much to support, nor do they want to discover that they have been wrong. It is human nature to want to "win" the argument; to find we were right all along. This is a time when you must set aside your pride. Don't worry about winning, but instead ask God to allow you to see His truth.


From http://www.answeringlds.org/ (This topic has been altered for the 2x2 fellowship)

Grace vs Works

The Bible teaches that because of the fall of Adam all men have sinned:

"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)


And we learn that the only way to overcome the power of sin is through the death of Christ.

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)


The most important thing, therefore, that we need to find out is how we qualify for the salvation which Christ makes available to us.

As we begin to search the scriptures we find references to salvation being free.

"…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23,24)

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23)


Wages are something you work for, but a gift is free.

The only requirement to receive salvation is to believe.

"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16)

"If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Romans 10:9)


Romans also gives us an example of Abraham, who discovered this truth. Chapter 4:1-5 explains that if Abraham had been justified by works then he would have had cause to boast, but "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."

It is a hard concept to take in, because in this life you have to earn everything. It seems amazing that the greatest blessing of all should be free, yet the Bible emphasizes over and over that because of the great love of God He gives us salvation as a gift, if only we have faith in His Son.

"It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy." (Romans 9:16)

"And if by grace, then it is no longer by works, if it were, grace would no longer be grace." (Romans 11:16)

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no-one can boast." (Ephesians 2:8)

God "who has saved us and called us to a holy life - not because of anything we have done but because of His own purpose and grace." (2 Timothy 1:9)

"But when the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy." (Titus 3:4,5)


Another question that raises its head is how anyone can know for certain that they are saved. Surely we can only do our best in this life and wait for the judgment of God in the next before we will know. The first and most simple answer as to how we can know for certain is because Christ Himself said so.

"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)


The second thing is that there are scriptures which actually tell us that salvation is guaranteed.

"Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." (2 Corinthians 5:5)

"…Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession." (Ephesians 1:13,14)


The wonderful 'good news' of the gospel is that "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13), and that that is all we have to do. If we really believe, we are saved by the grace of God, and that salvation is guaranteed.


http://www.answeringlds.org/

The Law

In seeking to please God and be declared righteous in His sight, we discover the law, and the many times God has commanded that we obey it. Romans 2:13 tells us that those who obey the law will be declared righteous, and in 1 Timothy 1:8 - "We know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully." We think we have found the answer. All we have to do is obey the law to the best of our ability and we will be all right.



But if we study further, we find cause for concern.

"The righteous man leads a blameless life." (Proverbs 20:7)

"Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left." (Joshua 23:6)

"Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments…will be called least in the kingdom of heaven…For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:19,20)


We find that the Pharisees were a religious group who set great store by obeying the law and hedged it about with rules and regulations covering minute details. Becoming righteous in the sight of God begins to look extremely difficult, even impossible. We must try very hard not to break any of the commandments.

We soon find this impossible because our natural tendency is to sin.

"But I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members." (Romans 7:23)


And we learn that all men are sinful because of the fall of Adam.

"Therefore just as sin entered the world by one man and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12)

"Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." (Psalms 51:5)


So how on earth are we to obey the law when our very nature is against it? Our confusion is complete when we read James 2:10:

"Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it."


What then is the purpose of the law if no one can possibly obey it? Paul explained it to the Romans.

"Through the law we become conscious of sin." (Romans 3:20)

"I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said 'Do not covet.'" (Romans 7:7)


If there were no laws we would never know that we were doing wrong. God wants us to be reconciled to Him even more than we do, but we must be pure and holy first.

"Here we stand before you in our guilt, though because of it not one of us can stand in your presence." (Ezra 9:15)


And how can we be cleansed unless we first become aware of our filthiness? We have to realize, through the law, that because of sin we are dead.

"Once I was alive apart from the law. But when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." (Romans 7:9-11)


So we become aware of our condition, and our inability to be declared righteous before God through our own efforts. We need to seek further to find the way. Then John says that Jesus told the people:

"I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24).


And Paul told the Romans:

"That if you confess with your mouth 'Jesus is Lord', and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Romans 10:9).


Just believe and you will be saved. Surely that cannot be all? What about the requirement that we obey the law?

"For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering…in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us." (Romans 8:3,4)

"…He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross." (Colossians 2:13-14)


This is an amazing concept, to find that because of Christ the law no longer has a hold over us. It is difficult to grasp. Ephesians 2:15 tells us that Christ has saved us "by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations."

"The former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless (for the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we draw near to God." (Hebrews 7:18,19)


And we do find hope rising within us that this truly is the way to draw near to God. But still we find it hard to shake off the belief that you must surely have to do something.

"The work of God is this: to believe in the one He has sent." (John 6:29)


And we find that the Israelites had the same problem, but could not resolve it.

"What then shall we say? That the Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith, but Israel who pursued a law of righteousness has not attained it. Why not? Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works…Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 9:30-32; 10:3,4)


Hope grows in our heart and we feel the working of the Holy Spirit bringing us to Christ. Paul asks us:

"Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law or because you believe what you heard? Clearly no-one is justified before God by the law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith.' Before faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law." (Galatians 3:2,3,5,11,23-25).


Hope gives birth to faith and we declare "I believe Jesus is Lord! I give myself to him and know I am saved!" At last we know that we are declared righteous before God

"not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ - the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith." (Philippians 3:9)



http://www.answeringlds.org/index.html?ChristianityLaw.html

When talking to the Friends and Workers…

What You Need to Not Do
It is often much easier to react to a stressful situation than it is to respond in a thoughtful and loving manner. Unfortunately, reacting can do tremendous damage to a relationship. Frequently, this damage can be repaired; but it takes a lot of time and energy to fix something that needn't have been harmed in the first place. Take a moment to remind yourself of some things that should be guarded against as you question the 2x2 fellowship with your loved-ones.

Do Not Be Afraid
The 2x2 fellowship is not something to fear. It is a false belief system which can be exposed in the light of truth. Do not be afraid to confront it; it will not stand against honest investigation. Have the courage to tackle tough questions and difficult issues which may arise as you question the 2x2 fellowship. Not only do these answers help your loved-ones, they also strengthen and clarify your own faith.

Do Not Attack or Belittle
As you learn more about 2x2 fellowship, it may begin to feel like you've built up quite an arsenal of ammunition to use against the beliefs of Friends and Workers. It may require real self-control to keep from dumping all of your information on them at once. Questioning the 2x2 fellowship is a sensitive affair which requires tenderness and compassion. You must avoid all appearance of attacking your friends' faith or belittling the 2x2 beliefs. Though you may not agree with the doctrines your 2x2 friends embrace, it is very important to honor your friends with respect.

Do Not Deliver Ultimatums
While it might seem like a good idea in the heat of the moment--a desperate attempt to shock your loved-one to his or her senses--ultimatums build walls rather than bridges. It is imperative that you keep a solid and open relationship with those you are trying to reach. The idea is to work with them to help them see what you see. Forcing them to make a decision they are not ready to make will not open their eyes; it will shut their hearts to you and all you have to offer them.

Do Not Get Angry
We have all experienced the truth of the Proverb: "A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger." (15:1)

Anger does not help the situation with your 2x2 friend; it only serves to complicate matters. Talking with the Friends and Workers who have become devoted to the 2x2 church system can be highly frustrating at times; nevertheless, the attitude which will touch them most deeply is one of quiet and calm confidence.

Perhaps it is good to keep foremost in mind this direction from the New Testament book of 2 Timothy:
"And the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth..." (2:24-25)

This is our prayer for you. May God go with you as you seek to bring your loved-ones knowledge of the truth.


From http://www.answeringlds.org/ (This topic has been altered for the 2x2 fellowship)

Claims that Apostles were unmarried and didn't own homes

Certain individuals within the 2x2 religion make the claim that the workers are the only true representatives of the apostles living today. They claim that celebacy, itinerancy, and going from house to house are proof that the 2x2 religion is the "closest to the Christian Church today."

When confronted with the biblical verses that state that certain apostles had wives, the argument is made by 2x2's that they may have been married and owned homes before they started in the ministry but they had abandoned all. They use as their defence the verses from Mark 10:28-31.(NIV)

"28Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”
29“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel
30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields–and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
31But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Furthermore, they go on to claim that there is no mention of wives or homes in Acts and that therefore, this is proof that the apostles had indeed become "just like the workers."

The problem with this argument is that one has only to look at Corinthians chapter 9 for a refutation that is foolproof.

I Corinthians 9:3-6 (NIV)
3This is my defense to those who sit in judgment on me. 4Don't we have the right to food and drink? 5Don't we have the right to take a believing wife along with us, as do the other apostles and the Lord's brothers and Cephas[a]? 6Or is it only I and Barnabas who must work for a living?

The question arises as to WHEN I Corinthians was written. How many years after Christ's ascension? From a careful study and comparison of verses in I Corinthians, Acts and Ephesians we can see that Paul wrote this letter circa 56-57 AD...approximately 20+ years after Christ ascended to heaven. Thus, we see that many of the apostles DID have wives many, many years after Christianity began.

This brings up another question. Did the Apostles maintain homes from which they used as bases for their outreaches?

Contact after you leave...

Under the 2x2 mindset professing people are God’s only true children and the fellowship is God’s only true way… By leaving meetings you rejected not only the fellowship but God’s plan, people, and kingdom. They believe you know where to go if you want God back into your life (meetings), and so they have little or no obligation to you since you know the right path to take to return to God’s fold.

Ministerial systems in the Bible

The main thing is that we do not read in the Bible of a system of placed workers (preachers/ministers) in pairs or otherwise as 'the workers' do.

We know that traveling preachers (such as Paul) lived sometimes with believers as he traveled. We do not know if he went from house to house. We do not know how many times he had one or more or no companions.

We know that Paul established churches.
We know he ordained elders and commended both to the Holy Spirit.
We know he returned to visit his converts.
We know if there were problems that he either went or sent someone.

The ministerial system of the workers simply is not in the Bible."

Worship

The Bible teaches us to "consider one another", but not worship one another. Consideration (for other people) is limited, restricted and plural. Worship (of God) is unlimited, unrestricted and singular.

I can think of four questions we could ponder about worship --

A -- Who to worship
B -- How to worship
C -- Where to worship
D -- When to worship

Without going into detail, the answers I see are straight-forward.

A -- WHO
Old Testament -- "Thou shalt have no other Gods before ME."
New Testament -- "Thou shalt worship the Lord Thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"

B -- HOW
Old Testament -- God accepted many different kinds of expressions of worship, too numerous to mention.
New Testament -- "the true worshippers shall worship in spirit and in truth" (no restrictions placed on how to express that worship).
It makes sense to me that since God is Omniscient He knows all feelings of worship we have toward him, regardless of how we express them. {"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these..."}

C -- WHERE
Old Testament and New Testament -- no restrictions placed on where to worship God. It makes sense to me, that since God is omnipresent, he can be worshipped anywhere. {Jonah worshipped God "out of the belly of hell."}

D -- WHEN
Old Testament and New Testament -- no restrictions placed on when to worship God. It makes sense to me that since God is eternal He can be worshipped anytime -- he always IS -- the I AM. Therefore, NOW is always appropriate.

To summarize:
A -- WHO? -- GOD ONLY
B -- HOW? -- ANYHOW
C -- WHERE? -- ANYWHERE
D -- WHEN? -- ANYTIME

You might be a legalist if....

God's love depends on what you do.

You think that all of your problems are caused by your sins.

You think that you fall short because you didn't have enough faith, because your faith is not strong enough, because you haven't prayed enough, or because you need to be a better person.

You tell your children not to do something in church or around church families that you allow in your home.

You believe that you are a member of the one true church and that all other Christians are sincere, but sincerely wrong and deceived.

You think a person's character can be determined by their clothing, hairstyle, piercings or tattoos.

You worry that people might be taking advantage of grace if it's preached "too much"—and then those people might do anything they want.

You feel guilty if you didn't attend every service and activity of your church.

Understanding the meeting in the home

Understanding the meeting in the home.

1 - The workers and their friends first had meeting in the home about 1905. This is approximatly 7-8 years after their origination (an offshoot from the Faith Mission). Supposedly many members did not want to give up homes and possessions and so the home meetings were instituted. The form of the meetings seem to be based on a combination of drawings from the Faith Mission, the New Testament, and maybe other sources.

2 - We do not know specifically why during the New Testament times the believers met in homes. We do know about a certain sharing of hymns, psalms , prayers and such. We know of a speaking one at a time, but not necessarily only once. We do know about the agape or love feast shared in a home - a comon meal among the believers. We do not know how often that was - daily, weekly, anuually.

3 - As for breaking of bread, the believers did that many times - even everyday. The meaning of "breaking bread" best seems to be "have a meal" and not "partake fo the emblems".

4 - There is no teaching from Jesus or any other in the Bible that gathering in the home and taking of emblems is connected to the "Passover" first kept (but not for all times) in a home.

5 - The breaking of the bread and the poured wine best seems to resemble the sacrifice of the broken body/flesh of Jesus and his shed blood.

6 - There seems to be no instruction on remembering or celebrating the ressurection of Jesus.