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Many years ago I noticed quiet a few similarities in the manner of the search for truth
in the body of Christ and in the scientific method. I remember being confused
in a discussion with a certain philosopher, who was comparing the way of
religion with the way of science. He said that science was open to new truth,
but religion wasn't. This didn't sound right to me because I had experience
much dogmatism in science, and because I had memories of an openness to truth
in my own religious experience. The fact is, however, that he was more right
than I. The history of religion is a history of the practical claims to
finality in the knowledge of the truth. The church becomes the blessed
possessor of the truth. Because my experience in religion had been almost
exclusively among the people influenced by William Sowders, I knew an
exceptional openness to truth, and willingness to acknowledge error. If one already has the
message there is no reason to have the threshing floor of the body of Christ.
If nothing else in the body of Christ were unique this practice alone would
distinguish this people. There is a precious reference to William Sowders and
his School of the Prophets in Elmer T. Clark's notable book, Small Sects
of America. The threshing floor is about the only thing that Clark
mentions about this people. But if there were only one thing which one should
mention about this people, this certainly deserves consideration as a
candidate. There is some reason that these two things -- the progress which
scientists have been made in understanding the natural world, and the
progress which Brother Sowders made in understanding spiritual things --
should be similar. Neither the scientists nor Brother Sowders claimed to have
the complete truth, but both claim to be searching for the truth. Both reject
mere dogmatism and human authority. Both got positive results. You can get men out of
Babylon, but it is not so easy to get Babylon out of them. The method of
Babylon is indoctrinating people in the correct teachings. This is the method
of the religious world. It is a very mechanical thing. That is why they
produce little clones, little robots, all saying the same thing and having
the same methods. Brother Sowders was searching for one truth. It was his
goal to say the same thing. This would be the gospel of the Kingdom, which
would be preached to the whole world. Until then they were to keep the unity
of the Spirit and the bonds of peace. But when you really do get the truth --
when you get Christ -- it might still appear to the carnally-minded that
different things are being said, because the truth -- that is Jesus -- is
very big, and the carnally minded will only see one side of him, and even
that side will be distorted by their own understanding. That is why carnally
minded men say that the Bible is full of contradictions, though it teaches
Jesus all the way through. European Christianity is very natural-minded, and
they look over at America, and see a mess of different religions. They think
it is anarchy, though even they can see that it works; that it is more vital;
that it is more kind-hearted. But they know it would never work over there,
and they are right because they have not been born of God. The body of Christ
is right in the center of God's work in America. What American Christianity
is to the rest of the world, the body of Christ is to American Christianity.
It is America in microcosm. It is not all that large quantitatively speaking,
but it has more diversity, more teachings, more different ways of doing
things than one can imagine. To the outsider it may seem chaotic, but somehow
or another it works. Let the people ask a
question Brother Sowders regarded
himself as a teacher. He didn't claim to be an apostle; but he did claim to
be a teacher. And he was a masterful teacher. He could break things down so
the people could understand them in a practical way; so they could relate it
to their own situation. A teacher is different from a preacher. His anointing
is in the words he says, not in the dynamic way he says it. Brother Sowders
would just talk; and oh, how the people would listen. They wanted to hear
him; because he had so much to say. Even the children would listen. Sister
Evans, who is now in the Paducah church, tells about hearing Brother Sowders
when she was a little girl. She knew that some people were against what he
was teaching; but she was fascinated by his words. She didn't know what her
folks would decide about the man who was teaching all these new things which
other men were against. As her family was riding home from church, her mother
asked her grandmother what she thought. Sis. Evans couldn't say anything,
because those were the days when children were to be seen and not heard; but
the question made her anxious. "He is the plainest talking preacher I
ever heard.", her grandmother replied. This let
the little girl know that she was going to continue to hear Brother Sowders.
Why do you need Sunday School when you have the gospel like Jesus preached
it; when all the people, and little children too,
wanted to get close to what was going on? Of course, if you are not really
teaching the gospel of the Kingdom, the Sunday School classes might be more
like Brother Sowders meetings -- because, you could ask questions, and even
participate. I was having a meeting
in Evansville. That night I couldn't find a thing to talk on. I said,
"Lord, what am I to do?" The Lord said, "Tell them to ask a
question." I said to the people, "I am going to do something
tonight I have never done before; something you never heard of a man doing.
The Lord told me to let you ask questions." A very prominent man rose to
his feet: "Brother Sowders, I have been in your meetings since you have
been here. Is it a fact speaking in tongues is Bible
evidence of the Holy Ghost, and no other?" I said, "Thank you for
asking a question. God inspired me mightily. For years now, I have held this
kind of meeting. The gospel of the Kingdom,
then, was not only for the prophets. Ministers brought the gospel of the
Kingdom back to the churches, and began to teach it. Like Brother Sowders,
they allowed the people to ask a question. Brother Sowders wouldn't cut
anyone down for asking a question. He would listen to them carefully, trying
to understand what they really wanted to know. He was very polite when he
replied to them. This encouraged the people to ask more questions. When
you're not getting questions, you're not really open to listen to the people.
When the people see that you aren't really interested in their own questions,
and their own reactions to the things that are taught, when they sense that
you are just promoting a program, they will quit asking questions. Whoever
entertained more questions than Jesus. Jesus
answered questions from sinners. The only time he was silent was when the
"authorities" were questioning him at his trial. He never stopped
anyone from asking a question. The body of Christ That revelation, "bone
of my bone", which Brother Sowders had early in his ministry was really
the revelation of the body of Christ. Despite Paul's repeated reference to
the church as being the body of Christ, the phrase has not been used much
through the years to refer to the church. Even today, it is mostly used by
this fellowship; though a few others do use it. There is at least one small
organization that uses Body of Christ as its official name. Watchman Nee, and others who have roots in the Plymouth Brethren
like to use the phrase. Using the name doesn't mean anything, though, if the
church doesn't act like it is an organic body. It wasn't a name for Brother
Sowders. He felt himself born into a new family. He was really close to those
people in that little church. When Brother Shelton rejected him; when Brother
Aubrey joined that organization; there was real pain in the body. When
Brother Sowders describes how he felt when the New Issue swept most all of
the churches in Southern Illinois where he had spent most of his labors and
had most of his friends, he sounds like the apostle Paul in Second Timothy.
"All Asia has deserted me... Only Luke is with me." The carnal mind makes the
charge that Brother Sowders was building just one more sect. But that is not
the case. To my knowledge, Brother Sowders never rejected a single baptized
Christian. Anyway, he didn't need to do that to separate himself
from others, because they were rejecting him. They didn't reject him for one
reason; but for dozens of reasons. Most all of them were for doctrinal
reasons. Even his enemies agreed that these people have the sweetest spirit.
If you didn't want to accept some of his teachings, he wouldn't disfellowship you. And you could preach something contrary.
You were certain to get crossed. If you were teaching contrary to Brother
Sowders, it probably wouldn't be Brother Sowders who crossed you. It would be
by some zealous convert -- or some younger minister. Brother Sowders, like
the Lord himself, used most of his rebukes on those closest to him -- in the
inner circle, if there was such a thing. This is just the opposite of those
who prefer to rebuke those who are not conforming to the behavior expected of
the "inner circle". "Watch your spirit." Brother Sowders
would tell them. In other words, don't make a personal attack when you are
challenging someone's doctrine. The body is held together by charity -- that
is love. Doctrine divides people. You can even divide people with good
doctrine. If you accept everything which Brother Sowders taught.
If you have it down pat; and accept that and nothing which in anyway might be
different from it, you would be as far from Brother Sowders as heaven is from
the earth. This is because you wouldn't have his spirit. And the hardened
spirit you would be in would be opposed to everything that the man did. You
wouldn't be in the body of Christ; but you would be in some cult or sect. Doctrine is not the only
thing that divides people. Brother Sowders taught against organization; the
attempt to build something which would say who was in the body and who
wasn't, who was an official and who wasn't. He taught divine government; and
that was to be led by the Spirit. This is the very opposite of a man-made
government, which was later taught as "divine government". That
came after Brother Sowders, and that is what put the people in separate sheep
pens. He didn't have a pen, except a pen which the Lord himself made. The Gospel of the
Kingdom Some years ago, when I
began my quest into the history of William Sowders, some of those who were
acquainted with my own personal history expressed great surprise that I
should be so interested in this man, William Sowders. Had I not been one who
had discovered that many of the teachings which were suppose to have been
unique revelations of his movement were in fact part of the religious
environment of his own day. Yes, that was a fact. It was with great
bitterness that I discovered that many things which were supposed to be
unique revelations were unique neither to Sowders nor to his successors.
(Later, during my investigation, I discovered that many of these teachings
were not even taught by Will Sowders, and some were actually contrary to what
he taught. I suspected that; but I didn't know that when I began my
investigation.) But why, they wondered, should I even be interested in the
history of the man? It was because many years
ago, when I was quite young, I had absorbed something of the spirit of William
Sowders from those who had been connected with him. Part of that spirit was a
vision. It was a vision of being connected with something wonderful in the
earth, to the earth, and for the earth, though not from the earth. It was
something from heaven in the earth. It was the gospel of the Kingdom. All
other visions since the time of the New Testament seem either to have been
other-worldly, escapist and denigrating God's plan for this world; or they
have been worldly, denying at least the present power from the other world to
affect this world, perhaps having a form of godliness, but denying its power.
In other words, they have either been religious, or worldly, and frequently,
as with the case of the Roman Catholic Church they have been both; but these
two things have been kept strictly separated and compartmentalized. Those who
are religious join the church, become cloistered (we had our own ways of
being cloistered), are not involved in the concerns which most people have.
There was one part of the church which dealt with people in the world. Mostly
the leaders of the church wanted them to give money and influence in return
for salvation if they would submit to the forms of the church. There were two
groups, the religious and the worldly, but they were both worldly because
inside the cloister the religious people were rather worldly; and those in
the world who acknowledged the validity of this religion were religious. The most wicked people of the world will be reverently
religious on certain occasions. They were the ones who killed the saints.
They were cooperating with the religious leaders for the benefit of both; and
the religious were cooperating with the world for the same reason, and both
had wrong reasons. The God of William Sowders
was concerned as much to get people out of religion, as to get them out of
the world. The gospel of the Kingdom was opposed both to religion and to
worldliness. It was concerned with what was going on in this world, but it
didn't suggest a worldly solution. Those who see Jesus coming with an army
equipped with ray guns to zap all his enemies, to pass out positions of
authority to those who are on the "approved" list because they have
"done the right thing", which usually means merely that they support
the "right" man or order, might simply be regarded as immature
members of the Kingdom of God. But if they continue to think like this the
fire is going to get mighty hot. It is not that the Lord isn't coming in
power, and with authority; but that is just the type of power and authority
he is coming to put down, and he isn't going to do this with the ways and
methods of those who he is going to put down. He is not going to give up on
the cross, and take up Satan's offer. With the weakness of the cross, he has
already conquered. All power and dominion both in heaven and on earth already
belong to him. It's just that the world doesn't know it. It is sometimes hard
for us to see that He is in control. But God needs the world to train and
develop his children. All problems are God's opportunities. Religious people
haven't been prepared to face the world. They've been preparing to leave the
world. But the gospel of the Kingdom was to prepare a people to face this
world. I remember when I
started out and I would be sitting, studying, and it would come to me so
often, "The gift of the Holy Ghost: the Garden of Eden." I would
question the Lord. What is that? The gift of the Holy Ghost, and then the
garden of Eden? All the preachers that I ever met were preaching the gift of the
Holy Ghost, and then the rapture. He may come tonight! Had the people looking
for Jesus To come. Had me looking for him. I'll declare, it
did. I wasn't preparing for anything other than just the rapture. ...
But when I began to get that from the Lord -- the gift of the Holy Ghost, the
garden of Eden -- it meant • the gift of the Holy Ghost, • then, go back
through the flaming sword into the garden of Eden. There is where he is going
to catch his bride away -- out of the garden of Eden, the garden of God, the
garden of life. Therefore, if we are going to do anything at all, it means to
get ready. Not for the rapture; but it means to get ready to go to work.
Rolling up our sleeves, spiritually speaking. Getting our shoes on, those big
old hobnailed shoes, and getting ready to rough it for the Lord Jesus Christ. Conclusion There are many other
important aspects of Brother Sowder's ministry and
the movement and fellowship which developed in connection with his own
ministry, concerning which this brief history only hints. God permitting, I
will eventually, be able to chronicle this. One thing, which I hope
eventually to cover, concerns the growth of the fellowship staying faithful
to the gospel of the Kingdom. That little church, where Brother Sowders got
his start, was born right in the beginnings of the Pentecostal revival. Right
up until Brother Sowders death it grew to, perhaps,12,000 people; and then it
was split into several different fellowships; and, over the years, many of
the sheep which were gathered have been scattered in all directions. A few
years ago, there was some movement of the different fellowships to come back
together, but that hasn't really happened to the extent that everyone hoped.
The general Pentecostal movement, on the other hand, has grown to about 60
million Holy Ghost baptized people, and exerts primary religious influence on
over 400 million people all over the world. If numbers,
or the size of churches is the primary criterion of success, the gospel of
the Kingdom has been as much a failure as the Pentecostal movement has been a
success. Of course, we know it is not by numbers; it is not by might. The
criterion of success with God is whether you have the Spirit of his Son. This
does not mean that this is the whole answer to the diminutive size of the
body of Christ. Look, how fast it grew under Brother Sowders. The reason for
this is that Brother Sowders was able to make room for a lot of men who were
not just like he was; but who were after the same goal. He wasn't afraid that
they were going to outshine him, and take over leadership of the movement.
This is the mark of a truly great man. He was great enough to allow others to
work, and he wanted a ministry that was big enough to allow others to work.
Wouldn't it be wonderful if everyone in the body of Christ started pulling
for everyone else? Wouldn't matter who they were associated with, or what
school they came from, or even if they haven't yet got straightened out about
things which we have learned. God can put up with a lot. He puts up with you
and me, doesn't he? They are still bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh,
and the whole body has concern for every part; and whatever part the Lord
accepts -- and he makes that known by putting his Spirit on whatever belongs
to him -- we will accept. We are to be guided by his Spirit, and not by our
own understanding of whether something belongs to the body. The mind of
Christ is the last thing we get; but if we don't start with the Spirit we
will never get that mind. Philip Williams |
