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THE CHURCH OF
CHRIST
Nearly two thousand years ago the Lord promised to build His church (Mat. 16:16-18).
In AD 30 the church of Christ, the promised church, was established in Jerusalem
on the first Pentecost following the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2). Jesus
purchased this church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). The church of the first
century was united under the one Head – Christ, followed the same rule
– the New Testament, and were of the same mind and same practice. The
first century church was united in doctrine, in worship, and in organization.
For about two hundred years the church was true to apostolic teaching. But the
church of the first century began to drift into apostasy. This came as no surprise,
for it was foretold by the apostle Paul, “But the Spirit saith expressly,
that in later times some shall fall away from the faith, giving heed to seducing
spirits and doctrines of demons” (1 Tim. 4:1), and political organization
of the Empire. Secondly, there came extensive modification of Christian doctrine
through Greek culture. Thirdly, there was the introduction of Jewish and pagan
doctrines, customs and ceremonials into the church. Fourthly, there came the
formulating of elaborate, uninspired church decrees. In the fifth place, there
came the creation of a human priesthood, vested with spiritual powers and privileges.
And finally, there was the assumption of both spiritual and temporal power by
church leaders. These were foreign to the Bible, yet they were very prominent
in the development of church history. Centuries of ignorance and superstition
led to the birth of the apostate church.
Over the years there were many who had tried get back to the “old paths”
(Jer. 6:16). Men such as John Huss and Huldrick Zwingli gave their life in such
an endeavor. Later, other men like Martin Luther, John Calvin, John Wesley,
and a host of others, worked toward the old paths. The trouble with these men
is that they did not reach all the back to Jerusalem – they tried to reform
the church instead of restoring the New Testament church. Much good came out
of the Reformation Movement – the Bible being translated in the language
of the people, and the people being encouraged to study the Bible for themselves
– but they did not go all the way back to AD 30 in search of the New Testament
church.
Early in the nineteenth century there was a general unrest among the churches
of America. In all denominations there could be found those who believed that
the followers of Christ should lay aside the traditions of men and go back to
the church described in the New Testament. Among this number were men like Alexander
Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and John Smith. The aim of these men, and other like
them, were to do things just as the Apostles had taught, and thus, being disentangled
from the desire was not to establish or start another church, but to call people
back to the church of the New Testament. These restorers held up the Bible as
their only guide in religious matters and restored the church of Christ.
It is important to realize that if we sow the same seed the apostles sowed in
the first century – the word of God (Lk. 8:11), the same harvest will
be produced. Paul said, For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap…”
(Gal. 6:7). Every seed produces after its kind. If we sow oats we will reap
oats, and is we sow corn we will reap corn. When the seed of the kingdom was
planted in the first century it did not produce various denominations –
it produced the New Testament church – the church of Christ. Today, if
that same seed is planted – the word of God, then the New Testament church
will be the result. The church of the first century exists today because the
very same seed is planted. The Lord’s church will never be destroyed as
long as the seed – the word of God – exists. Jesus said, “Heaven
and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Mk. 13:31).
By Tom Moore
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