What is the Church of Christ? That's a good question! Simply put, we are a
non-denominational, New Testament church. Members of the church of Christ: Seek to
duplicate the non-denominational church of the first century. Take
the Bible as our supreme guide. Reject
doctrines and practices that were introduced after the close of the New
Testament. Seek to
be Christians only. Believe
this is the one and only way to unite all who are seeking to follow Christ. ----------------------------------------------- Who are the churches of Christ and what do they believe in? By: Batsell Barrett
Baxter What is the distinctive plea of the church of
Christ? It is primarily
a plea for religious unity based upon the Bible. In a divided religious world
it is believed that the Bible is the only possible common denominator upon
which most, if not all, of the God-fearing people of the land can unite. This
is an appeal to go back to the Bible. It is a plea to speak where the Bible
speak and to remain silent where the Bible is silent in all matters that
pertain to religion. It further emphasizes that in everything religious there
must be a "Thus saith the Lord" for all that is done. The objective
is religious unity of all believers in Christ. The basis is the New
Testament. The method is the restoration of New Testament Christianity. The Historical background of the Restoration
Movement One of the
earliest advocates of the return to New Testament Christianity, as a means of
achieving unity of all believers in Christ, was James O'Kelly of the
Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1793 he withdrew from the Baltimore conference
of his church and called upon others to join him in taking the Bible as the
only creed. His influence was largely felt in Virginia and North Carolina
where history records that some seven thousand communicants followed his
leadership toward a return to primitive New Testament Christianity. In 1802 a
similar movement among the Baptists in New England was led by Abner Jones and
Elias Smith. They were concerned about "denominational names and
creeds" and decided to wear only the name Christian, taking the Bible as
their only guide. In 1804, in the western frontier state of Kentucky, Barton
W. Stone and several other Presbyterian preachers took similar action
declaring that they would take the Bible as the "only sure guide to
heaven." Thomas Campbell, and his illustrious son, Alexander Campbell,
took similar steps in the year 1809 in what is now the state of West
Virginia. They contended that nothing should be bound upon Christians as a
matter of doctrine which is not as old as the New Testament. Although these
four movements were completely independent in their beginnings eventually
they became one strong restoration movement because of their common purpose
and plea. These men did not advocate the starting of a new church, but rather
a return to Christ's church as described in the Bible. Members of
the church of Christ do not conceive of themselves as a new church started
near the beginning of the 19th century. Rather, the whole movement is
designed to reproduce in contemporary times the church originally established
on Pentalcost, A.D. 30. The strength of the appeal lies in the restoration of
Christ's original church. How many churches of Christ are there? The most
recent dependable estimate lists more than 15,000 individual churches of
Christ. The "Christian Herald," a general religious publication
which presents statistics concerning all the churches, estimates that the
total membership of the churches of Christ is now 2,000,000. There are more
than 7000 men who preach publicly. Membership of the church is heaviest in
the southern states of the United States, particularly Tennessee and Texas,
though congregations exist in each of the fifty states and in more than
eighty foreign countries. Missionary expansion has been most extensive since
the second World War in Europe, Asia and Africa. More than 450 full time workers
are supported in foreign countries. The churches of Christ now have five
times as many members as were reported in the U.S. Religious Census of 1936. How are the churches organizationally connected? Following
the plan of organization found in the New Testament, churches of Christ are
autonomous. Their common faith in the Bible and adherence to its teachings
are the chief ties which bind them together. There is no central headquarters
of the church, and no organization superior to the elders of each local
congregation. Congregations do cooperate voluntarily in supporting the
orphans and the aged, in preaching the gospel in new fields, and in other
similar works. Members of
the church of Christ conduct forty colleges and secondary schools, as well as
seventy-five orphanages and homes for the aged. There are approximately 40
magazines and other periodicals published by individual members of the
church. A nationwide radio and television program, known as "The Herald
of Truth" is sponsored by the Highland Avenue church in Abilene, Texas.
Much of its annual budget of $1,200,000 is contributed on a free-will basis
by other churches of Christ. The radio program is currently heard on more
than 800 radio stations, while the television program is now appearing on more
than 150 stations. Another extensive radio effort known as "World
Radio" owns a network of 28 stations in Brazil alone, and is operating
effectively in the United States and a number of other foreign countries, and
is being produced in 14 languages. An extensive advertising program in
leading national magazines began in November 1955. There are
no conventions, annual meetings, or official publications. The "tie that
binds" is a common loyalty to the principles of the restoration of New
Testament Christianity. How are the churches of Christ governed? In each
congregation, which has existed long enough to become fully organized, there
is a plurality of elders or presbyters who serve as the governing body. These
men are selected by the local congregations on the basis of qualifications
set down in the scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-8). Serving under the elders are
deacons, teachers, and evangelists or ministers. The latter do not have the
authority equal to or superior to the elders. The elders are shepherds or overseers
who serve under the headship of Christ according to the New Testament, which
is a kind of constitution. There is no earthly authority superior to the
elders of the local church. What does the church of Christ believe about the
Bible? The
original autographs of the sixty six books which make up the Bible are
considered to have been divinely inspired, by which it is meant that they are
infallible and authoritative. Reference to the scriptures is made in settling
every religious question. A pronouncement from the scripture is considered
the final word. The basic textbook of the church and the basis for all
preaching is the Bible. Do members of the churches of Christ believe in the
virgin birth? Yes. The statement
in Isaiah 7:14 is taken as a prophecy of the virgin birth of Christ. New
Testament passages such as Matthew 1:20, 25, are accepted at face value as
declarations of the virgin birth. Christ is accepted as the only begotten Son
of God, uniting in his person perfect divinity and perfect manhood. Does the church of Christ believe in
predestination? Only in the
sense that God predestines the righteous to be eternally saved and the
unrighteous to be eternally lost. The statement of the apostle Peter, "Of
a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation
he that feareth him and worketh righteousness is acceptable unto him"
(Acts 10:34-35) is taken as evidence that God did not predestine individuals
to be eternally saved or lost, but that each man determines his own destiny. Why does the church of Christ baptize only by
immersion? The word
baptize comes from the Greek word "baptizo" and literally means,
"to dip, to immerse, to plunge." In addition to the literal meaning
of the word, immersion is practiced because it was the practice of the church
in apostolic times. Still further, only immersion conforms to the description
of baptisms as given by the apostle Paul in Romans 6:3-5 where he speaks of
it as a burial and resurrection. Is infant baptism practiced? No.
Only those who have reached the "age of accountability" are
accepted for baptisms. It is pointed out that the examples given in the New
Testament are always of those who have heard the gospel preached and have believed
it. Faith must always precede baptism, so only those old enough to understand
and believe the gospel are considered fit subjects for baptism. Do ministers of the church hear confession? No.
Ministers or evangelists of the church have no special prerogatives. They do
not wear the title of Reverend or Father, but are addressed simply by the
term Brother as are all other men of the church. Along with elders and others
they do counsel and advise those seeking help.
Are prayers addressed to the saints? No. God the
Father is considered the only one to whom the prayers may be addressed. It is
further understood that Christ stands in a mediatorial position between God
and man (Hebrews 7:25). All prayers are therefore offered through Christ, or
in the name of Christ (John 16:23-26). How often is the Lord's supper eaten? It is
expected that every member of the church will assemble for worship on each
Lord's day. A central part of the worship is the eating of the Lord's supper
(Acts 20:7). Unless providentially hindered, each member considers this
weekly appointment as binding. In many instances, as in the case of illness,
the Lord's supper is carried to those who are hindered from attending the
worship. What kind of music is used in the worship? As a result
of the distinctive plea of the church - a return to New Testament Faith and
practice - a' cappella singing is the only music used in the worship. This
singing, unaccompanied by mechanical instruments of music, conforms to the
music used in the apostolic church and for several centuries thereafter
(Ephesians 5:19). It is felt that there is no authority for engaging in
acts of worship not found in the New Testament. This principle eliminates the
use of instrumental music, along with the use of candles, incense, and other
similar elements. Does the church of Christ believe in heaven and
hell? Yes.
The statement of Christ in Matthew 25, and elsewhere, are taken at face
value. It is believed that after death each man must come before God in
judgment and that he will be judged according to the deeds done while he
lived (Hebrews 9:27). After judgment is pronounced he will spend eternity
either in heaven or hell. Does the church of Christ believe in purgatory? No. The
absence of any reference in the scriptures to the temporary place of
punishment from which the soul will eventually be released into heaven
prevents the acceptance of the doctrine of purgatory. By what means does the church secure financial
support? Each first
day of the week the members of the church "lay by in store as they have
been prospered" (1 Corinthians 16:2). The amount of any individual gift
is generally known only to the one who gave it and to the Lord. This
free-will offering is the only call which the church makes. NO assessments or
other levies are made. No money-making activities, such as bazaars or
suppers, are engaged in. A total if approximately $200,000,000 is given on
this basis each year. Does the church of Christ have a creed? No. At
least, there is no creed in the usual sense of the word. The belief of the
church is stated fully and completely in the Bible. There is no other manual
or discipline to which the members of the church of Christ give their
allegiance. The Bible is considered as the only infallible guide to heaven. How does one become a member of the church of
Christ? In the
salvation of man's soul there are 2 necessary parts: God's part and man's
part. God's part is the big part, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift if God; not of
works, that no man should glory" (Ephesians 2:8-9). The love which God
felt for man led him to send Christ into the world to redeem man. The life
and teaching of Jesus, the sacrifice on the cross, and the proclaiming of the
gospel to men constitute God's part in salvation. Though
God's part is the big part, man's part is also necessary if man is to reach
heaven. Man must comply with the conditions of pardon which the Lord has
announced. Man's part can clearly set forth in the following steps: Hear the
Gospel. "How shall they call on him whom they have not believed? and how
shall they believe him whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear
without a preacher?" (Romans 10:14). ·
Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to be well pleasing
unto him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a
rewarder of them that seek after him" (Hebrews 11:6). ·
Repent of past sins. "The times of ignorance therefore God
overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere
repent" (Acts 17:30). ·
Confess Jesus as Lord. "Behold here is water; What doth
hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, if thou believeth with all thy
heart thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is
the Son of God" (Acts 8:36-37). ·
Be baptized for the remission of sins. "And Peter
said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized everyone of you in the name of
Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins and ye shall receive the gift of
the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). ·
Live a Christian life. "Ye are an elect race, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may
show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his
marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). OPEN INVITATION Now that
you are aware of a church in the 21st century which is built according to the
blue prints of Christ's original church, why not become a member of it? In
becoming a member of it, you will be called upon to do nothing which you
cannot read in the New Testament. You will then live and worship just as the
apostle-guided Christians of the first century did. Not only is
this return to New Testament Christianity a wonderful basis upon which all
believers in Christ can unite, it is absolutely solid ground. If we do just
what our Lord commanded we know that our salvation is certain. Come with us
as we go back to the Bible, back to Christ and his church! |