Author : Keith Sharp
Be careful about using a passage as a proof text. You might “prove” more than you intend.
Since churches of Christ in the U.S. began to divide over institutionalism in the ’50s, Galatians 6:10 has almost certainly been used more than any other verse as “proof” a local church could scripturally support an orphanage. In citing Galatians 6:10 to defend congregational benevolence to non-Christians, the late Batsell Barrett Baxter wrote, “This would seem to settle it for all time…” (“The International Christian,” July, 1971).
The passage says, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
For this verse to really authorize church support of orphanages, it would have to mention or necessarily imply the work of the local church, church benevolence to non-Christians, and church support of human institutions. The context (Galatians 6:1-10) seems to be uniformly spiritual, individual Christians are addressed rather than the local church, and it certainly does not prove an organization of human design can be attached to the church.
Brethren do not practice institutionalism because this passage authorizes it. They were looking for a proof text for a practice they were unwilling to give up and grabbed a passage that seemed to work.
If Galatians 6:10 authorizes church support of orphanages, it authorizes much more. It instructs us to do good to “all men.” Surely, if doing good to all men justifies church supported institutions for homeless children, it also sanctifies church of Christ hospitals for the sick, shelters for the homeless, and soup kitchens for the hungry.
Is it any wonder that Brother Mac Deaver endorsed as scriptural all of these things when he debated me in Camden, Arkansas, September 23-26, 1991? Brother Deaver argued that “benevolence is a means of evangelism.” However, the Master refused to use food to attract disciples (John 6:26-27), and Paul taught that kingdom blessings are spiritual not material (Romans 14:17; Ephesians 1:3).
But Galatians 6:10 does not instruct us to do good as a means of reaching the lost but rather for our own salvation (cf. verses 7-9). If “do good to all” in this passage authorizes congregational benevolence to unbelievers and church support of human institutions, it is teaching the Social Gospel.
The Social Gospel is central to the apostasy that formed the Christian Church in the nineteenth century.
Probably the most important innovation to come out of the new social liberalism among disciples was the building of institutional churches. In fact, the idea of making churches centers of community service was one of the most basic contributions of the social gospel movement (David E. Harrell, Jr., The Social Sources of Division in the Disciples of Christ. 100).
Thus, it is no surprise that Rubel Shelly, leader of the “New Hermeneutic” forces among churches of Christ, openly advocates the social gospel.
The call to follow Jesus’ example of self-emptying service is the justification for every kind of help program that churches wish to pursue. Counseling, day care, literacy, food and housing, drug and alcohol treatment programs – all are ways of caring for and nurturing people (The Second Incarnation. 166).
What scriptural proof does Shelly offer? Galatians 6:10! (Ibid) And why not? He is taking to its logical consequences fifty years of institutional argument.
The misuse of Galatians 6:10 has given institutional brethren much more than they intended a half century ago. How did they go astray? They ripped a text from its context, misused it as a proof text, and created a pretext. Brethren, have you “proven” more than you intended?
