DOCTRINE: This no-name church does not publish a doctrinal statement; rather they profess their doctrine is the Bible.
AUTHORITY: They state they believe and follow only "the teachings of the New Testament."
GOD: This no-name 2x2 church believes there is only one God. God is God, the Father, the Creator. (Christians believe that there is One God: eternally existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, identical in nature, co-equal in glory and power...not three Gods, but one God, neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance. Christians believe that Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God. Christians believe that the Holy Spirit is God. Gen. 1:1-2; Ex. 3:13-14; Isa. 9:6; John 1:1-3&14; John 20:28; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 1:7-8 etc.)
JESUS: They view Jesus as God's only son, who is today under the authority and position of His Father; but He is not God the Son. They believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; lived a perfect life; came to establish a ministry pattern (Matt.10) to be followed universally ever after. They believe Jesus was crucified, died and rose again bodily before ascending to Heaven; they look for His sceond coming. (Unlike Christians this no-name church does not believe in the deity of Jesus; that Jesus is God come in human flesh.)
HOLY SPIRIT: They believe the Holy Spirit is a force or power emanating from God or Jesus to a child of God. (Unlike Christians they do not view Him as God the Spirit.)
SATAN: They see Satan as a fallen angel engaged in an age-long struggle to deceive and seduce men to follow him rather than obey God. He is evil, a deceiver, a murderer, a liar, and has power only insofar as God allows.
MAN: They believe that man was created by God per Genesis account. They believe adolescents reach "the age of accountability," when they are responsible to God for their actions. (Christians believe that man is born in sin.)
MINISTRY: They believe the only God-ordained ministry is made up of men and women who follow Jesus' instructions to His disciples in Matt. 10:5-14, Mark 6, Luke 9 (namely, them). The 2x2 ministers/workers leave their homes, give their possessions away and go from place to place preaching in pairs (two and two), unmarried, living with and taking meals from those willing to receive them. The don't ask for contributions, accept no salary, taking literally Jesus' command: "freely give as you have freely received." Matt. 10:8
AFTER LIFE: All people either receive eternal life in heaven or eternal punishment in hell, depending upon their lifestyle while on earth. Further, they believe they must remain in the 2x2 church to have a hope of salvation.
HEALING, MIRACLES, SPEAKING IN TONGUES, CASTING OUT DEMONS: These are viewed by the 2x2s as divine signs used only in the first century. Speaking in tongues is deemed to be speaking in foreign languages.
CHURCH SITES: The Two-By-Two congregation meets ONLY in homes for fellowship meetings, taking literally: "God dwells not in temples made with hands" Acts 7:48, 17:24. No restriction is placed on sites they use for their gospel meeting services (for recruitment purposes). They are strongly opposed to church buildings. An often used slogan indicates the emphasis placed on their methods: "the ministers without a home, and the church in the home."
Some who have left this no-name church have said:
I decided that I wanted to understand the Bible and I wasn't getting enough information from the workers. All they talked about was the ministry and I wanted to know more about the Bible. When I finlly did learn more, I realized that the "way" wasn't right.
The bottom line is this...the 2x2's teach doctrine that is contrary to scripture and they do not agree among themselves (at all levels, from older workers to younger workers from elders to saints) on what they believe.
When I left the 2x2's, and got into a good church, the Bible became a new experience for me. I remember reading it like I had never even set eyes on it before in my life!! It, for me, at least, was NOT the same Bible I had in the "truth." The words were the same, but I had finally grasped the MEANING, which was so much different.
Oh how confident we were that we had the answers! Such misplaced confidence while in reality we knew so little!
The 'truth' believes and teaches doctrine contrary to the inspired inerrant Word of God.
The one distinctive characteristic of a cult is that they do not recognize or acknowledge who Jesus Christ is.
They don't help peopole understand Who Jesus really is. (God, made flesh.)