Simply consider how many Christian sects today bank their exclusive legitimacy on the foundation of having returned to the Bible. The Restored Church of God, an adventist root that sprang out of the Worldwide Church of God, claims to be the sole legitimate church on Earth, and that it is the only one authorized to administer “the truth.” Its website proclaims: “The Restored Church of God, led by Pastor General David C. Pack, is commissioned by Jesus Christ to: Announce the good news of the kingdom of God to all nations (Matt. 24:14), including warning the modern nations descended from ancient Israel of impending national punishment (Isa. 58:1-2; Ezek. 33:1-19) [and] feed God’s flock called out of the world and into His Church (John 21:15-17; I Pet. 5:1-2) [It] is committed to freely offering—through the most extensive biblically based website in the world, rcg.org—thorough and comprehensive PLAIN UNDERSTANDING on virtually every teaching of the Bible, small and great.”
The churches of Christ, likewise, makes the same claim. Started by Alexander Campbell, it proclaims, “Where the Bible speaks, we speak! Where the Bible is silent, we are silent!” Its website states, “We are undenominational and have no central headquarters or president. The head of the church is none other than Jesus Christ himself.”
There are numerous other claimants out there, some that are apostolic Pentecostals, others that, like the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, that simply claim the scriptures were opened up to them. And often their legitimacy isn’t based on God’s calling them the way He did anciently, but in far more discreet ways—so discreet that the way they know they’re on the right track is because, well, just consider the contenders! What other church, they say, has such perfect doctrines that square perfectly with the scriptures? Ha, none! And in many cases, you’re discovering them is dependent on your very salvation. I’ve heard many evangelicals declare that anyone who dies an atheist, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon, even Catholic, is hell bound, and I don’t mean just annihilation. I mean you better be paid up on your fire insurance!
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