“What Is the Salvation Army?”
The Top 101 Theological Questions that people ask proves to be an interesting list of inquiries, as noted on page one of last week’s Spiritual Perspectives (8-21-22). The fifth most-asked question was, “What is the Salvation Army?” Just about everyone sees them and has some idea of the good works they do, but few know about them. They have been cited in popular songs. Simon and Garfunkel invite listeners, in “Hazy Shade of Winter,” to hear the Salvation Army Band.
Down by the riverside,
Bound to be a better ride
Than what you’ve got planned.
Carry your cup in your hand.
Background
The following information comes from pages 275-77 of the Tenth Edition of Frank S. Mead’s Handbook of Denominations (revised by Samuel S. Hill in 1995).
William Booth maintained his connection to the Methodist Church but became an independent “evangelist” in 1861. His original goal was to supplement the work of various churches to poverty-stricken souls who lived in London’s East End. The earliest name for the expanding group was Christian Mission, but in 1878 it was changed to Salvation Army.
George Scott Railton brought the Army to the United States in 1880. In the next decade, officers (evangelists) established bases in France, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Canada, and South Africa. Today, they are in about 100 countries, with more than 5,000 institutions, including hospitals, schools, and social agencies. The national headquarters for them in the United States is in Alexandria, Virginia.
Officers must sign the Articles of War established by William Booth. Some of these are recorded below.
I will make the values of the Kingdom of God and not the values of the world the standard for my life.
I will uphold Christian integrity in every area of my life, allowing nothing in thought, word or deed that is unworthy, unclean, untrue, profane, dishonest or immoral.
I will maintain Christian ideals in all my relationships with others; my family and neighbours, my colleagues and fellow salvationists, those to whom and for whom I am responsible, and the wider community.
I will uphold the sanctity of marriage and of family life. I will be a faithful steward of my time and gifts, my money and possessions, my body, my mind and my spirit, knowing that I am accountable to God.
I will abstain from alcoholic drink, tobacco, the non-medical use of addictive drugs, gambling, pornography, the occult and all else that could enslave the body or spirit.
I will be faithful to the purposes for which God raised up The Salvation Army, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, endeavouring to win others to Him, and in His name caring for the needy and the disadvantaged.
I will be actively involved, as I am able, in the life, work, worship and witness of the corps, giving as large a proportion of my income as possible to support its ministries and the worldwide work of the Army [From the Internet].
Except for God raising them up, most of these principles seem to be in harmony with the Scriptures. The Army also has Eleven Doctrines; all but a few of these are excellent. For example, the very first one is: “We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and that they only constitute the Divine rule of Christian faith and practice.” We are not under the Old Testament; however, we agree the New is binding. Unfortunately, while they profess to listen to the New, they do not actually believe it. They actually contradict the Word.
They do believe in the one God, who consists of three personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Jesus was fully human and fully Divine (numbers 2-4). However, when we get to their 5th and 6th “doctrines,” they contradict each other (these also are from the Internet).
5. We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God.
6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has by His suffering and death made an atonement for the whole world so that whosoever will may be saved.
The question would be, “How do people who are totally depraved have the ability to choose salvation?” By definition, someone totally depraved would not be able to choose to do what is right; he could only continue in darkness—unless God chose him.
Number 9 also conflicts with Calvinism’s major tenets; the Salvation Army correctly teaches: “We believe that continuance in a state of salvation depends upon continued obedient faith in Christ.” While this doctrine agrees with the Bible (Heb. 5:9; James 2:14-26, e.g.), it conflicts with the popular teaching of, “Once Saved, Always Saved,” which declares as saved those living in open disobedience to God.
Number 11 is also correct; the Salvation Army believes “in the resurrection of the body; in the general judgment at the end of the world; in the eternal happiness of the righteous; and in the endless punishment of the wicked.”
What They Do Not Affirm
Those who belong to the Salvation Army have a zeal for God that cannot be denied; they put the vast majority of “cultural” Christians to shame. Their dedication and commitment to what they believe is admirable. Their errors (yes, significant enough to keep them out of Heaven) can be seen in what they do not say in any of the doctrines.
First, none of them is in the body of Christ because they reject the teaching of the Scriptures on baptism. Remember that in their very first statement of doctrine, they swore allegiance to the Scriptures and all they teach, but they do not believe what Jesus taught in Mark 16:16 or commanded in Matthew 28:19-20. They do not tell people to do what Peter did in Acts 2:38. One wonders what do they do when they get to Romans 6:1-6? The point is that neither they nor their converts are baptized in order to wash away their sins by the blood of Jesus (Acts 22:16; Rev. 1:5).
Mead pointed out: “While the Salvation Army has a dual function of church and social agency, its first purpose is salvation…” (277). No, they do far better on their service than they do their doctrine. Their teaching will prevent anyone from entering into the kingdom of Heaven (Acts 8:12). John the Baptizer preached baptism for the remission of sins (Matt. 3:6). So did Jesus (John 4:1-2), as did the apostles (Acts 2:38). Pray tell, who is William Booth to say baptism is not necessary?
One should also consider that the Salvation Army is a church, as stated by them above, which means that anyone giving to them is giving to a manmade denomination (formed in 1861) and having fellowship with false religion. This is a practice which Christians are warned against engaging in (2 John 9-11).
Second, the worship of the Salvation Army is in vain because they do not honor Jesus as He requested. Jesus told His disciples to eat of the bread, which represents His body. Paul writes of the Lord telling His disciples to: “Do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Cor. 11:24). The Salvation Army fails to remember Jesus as He requested, which is indefensible. He also said concerning His blood: “This do, as often as you drink of it, in remembrance of Me” (v. 25).
Do they remember Jesus in the way He specified once a week? No. Once a month? No. Once a year? No. Try, “Never.” How anyone could develop a doctrine so contrary to the will of the Savior Who died for them is beyond comprehension!
The Salvation Army, for all its good intentions and good works (and they are several), has corrupted God’s plan of salvation by omitting baptism, which saves from sin and puts one in the body of Christ (Acts 2:38, 41, 47). They have also perverted the worship by ignoring the request of Jesus to remember His body and blood in the bread and the fruit of the vine.
Female Ministry
Their third problem concerns what Paul wrote about leadership in 1 Corinthians 14:34-35 and 1 Timothy 2:11-14. They disagree. This challenge to the Scriptures goes all the way back to its inception—with the wife of William Booth. According to Wikipedia, Catherine Booth was urged by her husband (married in 1855) in the defense and developing of women evangelists.
…she discovered a model, American Wesleyan revivalist Phoebe Palmer. With William's encouragement, Catherine wrote a pamphlet, Female Ministry: Woman’s Right to Preach the Gospel (1859), in defense of American preacher Mrs. Phoebe Palmer's preaching, whose preaching had caused a great stir in the area where the Booths lived.
The pamphlet makes three arguments: the first was “that women are neither naturally nor morally inferior to men,” which is true but irrelevant. “Second, she believed there was no scriptural reason to deny them a public ministry.” But the inspired apostle Paul did provide reasons. Also, she might have noticed that Jesus selected no women to be apostles or evangelists. The reasons have nothing to do with the equality of men and women—but rather roles the way God designed them.
“Third, she maintained that what the Bible urged, the Holy Spirit had ordained and blessed and so must be justified.” Where? She complained that the "unjustifiable application of Paul's advice, ‘Let your women keep silent in the Churches’ (1 Corinthians 14:34), has resulted in more loss to the Church, evil to the world, and dishonor to God, than any of [its] errors.” Really? Perhaps she never read what Paul wrote three verses later: “If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.”
The Salvation Army, then, is not of God. By rejecting baptism for the forgiveness of sins, they keep people out of the Kingdom of Heaven. They dishonor Jesus by not remembering Him in the very way He specified. And they employ female evangelists to exercise a function God gave to males. They may be among those to whom Jesus will say, “I never knew you, depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23).