Nathaniel A. Urshan is the General Superintendent of the United Pentecostal Church International. For many years he served as pastor of Calvary Tabernacle in Indianapolis, IN and as Harvestime speaker for over twenty years. He attended Columbia University and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Theology degree by Gateway College of Evangelism. He has authored four books. N. A. Urshan speaks around the world in various conferences, camp meetings, church dedications and anniversaries, minister's banquets and retreats, and many other special meetings. It is safe to say that he has ministered to more people in the United Pentecostal Church than any other person.
We have come to a moment in the history of the Pentecostal movement of Oneness believers when we must carefully look at the faith which has propelled us into existence as a continuing aspect of the body of Christ. We are hinging on fourth and fifth generations of Pentecostals.
Purity of doctrine keeps the church pure. In one of Apostles Paul's writings, we read, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?" (II Corinthians 13:5).
Isaiah 1:18 tells us, "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
The time has come for doctrinal examination for several reasons. We are a Christocentric movement of believers. Our scriptural position on the person and identity of Jesus has become a curiosity point of numerous scholars. In a recent symposium at Harvard University, there were attempts to degrade our teachings concerning Christ as manifest God, where we see the Godhead in one person. There are divergent trinitarian viewpoints, promulgated by so-called scholars trying to make our position appear erroneous. We precisely maintain that the Apostolic church of the first century believed the doctrine of the Godhead in Christ, as we behold and love it today.
In our fellowship there are various things about our interpretation which concern the God in Christ position. There is some concern about His pre-existence: who He was in the aeons of eternity, and when He became the Son of God. Though there are a few who believe that there was some pre-existent situation of sonship, there is not a clear expression that could possibly fit scriptural teachings. Therefore, it is imperative that on this one great subject, we who love this truth with intensity and endearment through this symposium clarify and come to a better understanding of the truth as the Scriptures present it.
Through our Symposium Committee, we invited a number of men whom we feel are splendidly capable of teaching these truths. Furthermore, we are concerned deeply about the teachings of ethical righteousness, which we call holiness. This is one of the landmark doctrines of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is of utmost significance that through our dialogue at this symposium we begin to see a united atmosphere as befits our name, the United Pentecostal Church.
I Corinthians 1:10 says, "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
We have heard through the years criticism about organized church bodies. Is it necessary to have an organized effort in relationship to the Pentecostal message? Because of the freedom of Pentecost and its power of liberation to the human spirit, in pioneer days spiritual freedom was often looked upon as a freedom from any authoritarian structure.
Those who have come from other denominations into Pentecost have felt that no organizational infringement should be placed upon this Pentecostal revival. The task of the church demands that the world be evangelized. The only way the world can be evangelized is through the pooling effort of local church bodies, who together form a nucleus of churches to bring the worldwide evangelical process into existence. The organization is the effort to unite our resources; it is a central area for the dissemination of information and direction.
Some find the Apostles' days as not being organized in any respect. However, I bring to you for your personal information, how strongly centralized the early church was. In the matter of spiritual enlightenment, the people who were part of the first century church looked to Jerusalem for direction. This can help us to understand how strongly this process was organized. Any new problem developing from people had advice given to them from Jerusalem. I hesitate to call the World Evangelism Center [Transcribers note: UPCI Headquarters] the Jerusalem of the twentieth century, but I do not hesitate to say that there should be coming from the World Evangelism Center the kind of direction that will affect the significance of the preaching ministry of the church as well as matters pertaining to justice and unity among the brethren. Please do not misunderstand this statement. We are not calling it a Jerusalem. There was one Jerusalem in the days of the Apostles. There is a Hazelwood in our day with the Headquarters of the United Pentecostal Church as the World Evangelism Center Headquarters.
The Centrality of Jerusalem in Acts and Galatians
Acts 6:1-8 1. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, it is not reason that we should leave the word of god, and serve tables.
3. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6. Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.
7. And the word of God increased; and the number of teh disciples in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the preists were obedient to the faith.
8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
Acts 11:22, 29-30 22. Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
29. Then the disciples, ever man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
30. which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.
Acts 12:24, 25 24. But the word of god grew and multiplied.
25. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.
Acts 15:1-2 1. And certain men which came dowm from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
2. When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them, should go up to Jersalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.
Acts 15:6-11 6. And the aposles and elders came together for to consider of this matter.
7. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9. And put no difference between us them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10. Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11. But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
Acts 15:22-31 22. Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the Brethren:
23. And they wrote letters by them after this manner; The apostles and elders and brethren send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:
24. Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:
25. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
26. Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
27. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.
28. For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things;
29. That ye abstain from meats offered to idols and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.
30. So when they were dismissed, they came to Antioch: and when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle:
31. Which when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation.
Acts 16:3-5 3. Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.
4. And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem.
5. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.
Acts 18:21 21. But bade them farewell, saying, I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem: but I will return again unto you, if God will. And he sailed from Ephesus.
Acts 21:15-20 15. And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.
16. there went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge.
17. And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.
18. And the day following Paul went in with us unto James: and all the elders were present.
19. And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.
20. And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord, and said unto him, Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law.
Galatians 1:11-20 11. But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13. for ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14. And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15. But when it pleased God, who seperated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17. Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, adn abode with him fifteen days.
19. Bot other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.
20. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God I lie not.
Galatians 2:1-2 1. Then fourteen years after I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me also.
2. And I went up by revelation, and communicated unto them that gospel which I preach among the Gentiles but privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run, or had run, in vain.
Galatians 2:9-16 9. And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.
10. Only they would that we should remember the poor; the same which I also was forward to do.
11. But when Peter was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed.
12. For before that certain came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles: but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision.
13. And the other Jews dissembled likewise with him; insomuch that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation.
14. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the gospel, I said unto Peter before them all, If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of Gentiles, and not as do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?
15. We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles,
16. Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ...Is it possible that brethren who dwell together in the unity of spirit can come to the unity of faith? There are things about which we should speak the same thing, as Paul states in 1 Corinthians 1:10. n the teachings of ethical righteousness we must remember our humble beginnings. We came out from among them. When we make a statement of this nature we must understand that our hunger for truth and for spiritual renaissance through our pioneer fqathers was based on a return to apostolic basic teachings. In the words of Jude, "the faith once delivered to the saints" is our quest.
Will the church in its sleek, fat affluence still proclaim modesty in dress and lifestyle? Is it possible that the infringement of a permissive world will steal the beauty of modesty and humility? Will we become wearers of gold? Will the technological society become a tempting device of Satan to thrust the church into the maelstrom of circuitous whirlwinds of worldliness? Can the United Penytecostal Church, in the midst of PTL, 700 Club, charismatic renewal, and make-believe pseudo tongue-talking, resist the temptation to float with this tide and maintain its purity of modest, its holiness of doctrine, it beauty of holiness in worship? This includes matters pertaining to women's hair. It pertains to how far and where recreation stops in relationship to the church and its function. It involves the use of video and its dangers.
We are being challenged. Will we pass on to our coming generation of preachers a strong position instead of weaning people from truth? Will we stabilize and structure backbone in a coming generation of preachers? We are urged to speak the same things through the Scriptural exhortation of Apostle Paul.
The Symposium could possibly be one of the greatest steps in the understand of our direction. Let me post several other things that are vital to us. Will we become rigid legislators or will we become Holy Ghost lovers with a passion for preaching the truth in love? Will we become authoritarians and lords over God's heritage or will we arrive at conclusions that the ministry must not be abusive but be a concerned ministry that seeks the salvation of the lost, the feeding of the sheep of God's pasture, and the preparation of the church for the coming of the Lord? Will we be parrots who just mouth truths and become professionals or will we be servants who minister the truth?
Our coming together on the basis of self-examination and personal examination of thinking can become the most conducive instrument not only to bringing revival to our churches but also effectintg an outflow of saving power with great consideration of the needs of all mankind, whether they be church people of other denominations or sinners who know nothing about God. We are a church of destiny with great responsibility.
We stand at the crossroads. We do know where we are going, if we follow truth. If we ignore the great teachings of the truth, delusions, reprobation, and apostasy will make us pay a terrible price. We could lose the impetus of the power of Pentecost in its purity and its issuance of life and strength that is desperately sought for in a tempest-tossed world.
Let us rise up together as brethren and speak the same things and watch revival come. Let us seek truth until powers and gifts of the Spirit flow like a river, glory and shekinah become the normqal atmosphere, and our preaching stirs and brings sinners to their knees in repentance. Let us proclaim truth to lift the bedraggled, the frustrated, the distraught, and desperate into a realm of hope that the gospel promises.
What a privilege to be here! I congratulate you for participating in one of the greatest opportunities and privileges of our time. Long live the church. Glory be to the Lord God of our salvation. Honor to His Majesty, King Jesus, and blessings upon you.