Differences Among Churches of Christ (2)

A Note on Discussion

Story concerning Jimmy Clark at the Morris congregation.

When a man in his 50s/60s berates a couple of men in their 20s over asking a simple question, it shows the effects of latent guilt in his soul. That guilt will keep any real discussion from happening.

As brethren, we need to be W.H.O. about our brethren who have embraced these errors. Ready to embrace them when they realize their obvious logical fallacies. Ready to welcome them when they repent of such iniquity.

This is not and has never been “my side” vs. “your side”. This is about GOD’s side, and everything else.

The Sponsoring Church Arrangement

Definition

A “Sponsoring Church Arrangement” is when one individual or group wants to activate the Universal Church toward a certain end goal.

Examples such as the Herald of Truth radio broadcast. A church in Texas wanted to put together a national radio show, but lacked the funds to be able to do it. It ended up soliciting other congregations to send money to them which they would then use to oversee the program and ensure it reached enough people.

This might sound all well and good, but there is a problem - in the Bible, churches send money directly to where the need is.

And this gets to the major point as well - for money to be raised, there must be a NEED. When the money is raised, it goes toward THAT need that was intended. This is the picture we see all throughout the book of Acts and the NT in general.

Examples in Scripture that show it to be in error - 1 Pet. 5:1-2; Acts 4:32-35; 11:27-30; Phil. 4:15-16

1 Peter 5:1-2 NKJV - The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

Shepherd the flock AMONG YOU.

The Sponsoring Church Arrangement is within its very nature allowing for a disruption of this pattern. Instead of the money going directly to the work to be done, it is given to ANOTHER body to oversee.

Acts 4:32-35 NKJV - Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.

The money went to where the need was.

Acts 11:27-30 NKJV - And in these days prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and showed by the Spirit that there was going to be a great famine throughout all the world, which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. Then the disciples, each according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea. This they also did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

FAMINE to come. Disciples in Antioch sent money via Paul directly to where the need was - in Jerusalem.

Philippians 4:15-16 NKJV - Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities.

The Philippian brethren did not send money to a missionary society, etc. for that group to oversee where the money might go. They sent the support directly to Paul.

There is a Distinction between the Individual and the Church! Matt. 18:15-17; Acts 5:4; 1 Tim. 5:16

Matthew 18:15-17 NKJV - "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

Note the distinction - 1 to 1 > 2-3 to 1 > church to one

If the church can do all the individual can do, then there is no difference between them. But this verse shows there is a difference.

Acts 5:4 NKJV - "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God."

Ananias as an individual had control over it. Once given to God, we must use it as God wants us to.

1 Timothy 5:16 NKJV - If any believing man or woman has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows.

If there is no distinction between the congregation and the individual, this verse makes no sense. It’s just as well that they let the church care for all widows, whether or not they have family to care for them.

On this same basis, we see a distinction between the LOCAL congregation and the UNIVERSAL church.

Just like many problems can arise from “if the individual can do it, the church can do it”, the thought that all churches everywhere should act in concert toward a particular work is inherently unbiblical.

What is the true problem?

We are indeed meant to evangelize, etc.

Again, the problem here is NOT about the work that needs to be done. Money is a natural tool that comes about in a society as a means of exchange. Money is needed to live and do.

The problem is HOW this work is to be accomplished.

The best parallel I can think of is in socialism. Socialism concerns a government requiring taxes from its people in order to create certain projects or provide certain privileges, such as feeding or housing the poor, regulating businesses, etc.

Some of the things that are done are not a problem in and of themselves. Many charitable organizations feed and house the poor. The problem with socialism is that the government is taking money from the citizen and pooling it into a general fund for distribution toward the work to be done.

This is not a perfect analogy, but those who promote church sponsoring arrangements need to be honest with themselves and at least consider the similarities. It is a centralizing force, and as such, we have seen throughout the decades that institutional churches of Christ have acted more and more like a denomination.

We see the same core issue as with treasuries supporting colleges.

Simply that there is no authority in the Scriptures for it.

We find no evidence in the NT concerning churches raising funds by funneling them into one congregation/eldership from multiple congregations.

One argument: “there were no institutions in the 1st century!”

Perhaps not like today, but forms of them did exist.

The Roman Empire offered benefits to its citizens. Paul, a Roman citizen, was one who used these benefits for the cause of the Gospel (Acts 16:35-40; 25:11 - appeal to Caesar). Yet, he never commanded or expected the church to facilitate this!

Again, while it may not be an exact comparison, socialism is the closest to what we have among the institutional congregations even today. Pay your “taxes” and the “government” will feed and house the poor for you, school your children for you, provide meals and entertainment for you.

Again, do we believe that God has given us everything we need to do the work?

These Errors Come from a Prideful Attitude.

Batsell Baxter’s “If I be Lifted Up” - Intro about the Lubbock Bible Forum in TX

“As the Restoration Movement sprang up in several places almost simultaneously, so also did the idea of using the new multi-million dollar Lubbock Municipal Auditorium for a series of religious services. Almost simultaneously men from several different churches of Christ began to discuss the possibility of a gospel meeting in this new and beautiful auditorium. A group of preachers, elders, and other interested Christians asked the Pioneer Park church to assume the oversight of this work. The elders accepted the responsibility and set themselves to the planning of the Lubbock Bible Forum, which was to be the most widely attended series of religious services ever held in Lubbock or the South Plains area of Texas. Fifteen committees, composed of men from every congregation in the city, were organized to handle the numerous details relative to such a project, and they did their work well. […] Most of the thirteen congregations in Lubbock helped in a financial way, and all of them gave splendid moral support without which the Forum could not have been successful. Financial and moral support, which contributed greatly to the success of the Forum, was also given by congregations in nearby towns.

“It was almost unbelievable that such cooperation and understanding could prevail where so many people were involved, but when diversity of opinion arose, each person and each congregation was willing to abide by the recommendations of the committees and the decision of the elders of the Pioneer Park church. Those engaged in this project learned from their work relative to the Forum that brethren can successfully cooperate in the Lord’s work without sacrificing local church autonomy. They now know, also, that big plans are just as workable as little ones, if those concerned are willing to put forth the effort to work them.

“It is our prayer that the church on other areas will see the opportunities afforded them through such combined effort and will not only see but will take advantage of these opportunities to reach people in their communities with the gospel in this way.

“There were several reasons for using the new City Auditorium for the Forum. People would attend the meetings there who did not ordinarily attend services at one of our buildings. Holding the first religious meeting in the new auditorium was advantageous, also. People came from all over the South Plains and eastern New Mexico to see the new auditorium, which seats over three thousand persons, not counting those who would be seated on the stage and in the orchestra pit.

“The series of services was called the Lubbock Bible Forum rather than a gospel meeting, because this name suggests an open investigation of the Bible and implies an unbiased and undenominational approach to the study of religious themes. This approach was our earnest desire.

“The advertising of the forum was of the highest type. Of the $6850.00 spent on the Forum, $4,050.00 was paid for advertising.”

NOTE: in 2021 dollars, this would be $67,255.00.

Intro to Wallace’s “God’s Prophetic Word” by Roy Cogdill

“The addresses that comprise this book were delivered in the course of a great meeting conducted by twenty Churches of Christ in Houston, Texas, from January 21st to 28th inclusive, 1945. The first two services of this meeting were held in the auditorium of the Heights Church of Christ, 16th and Harvard Sts. The remaining eight services were conducted in Houston’s Music Hall, a beautiful auditorium in the civic center of downtown Houston. This auditorium seats approximately twenty-five hundred people and is Houston’s most popular gathering place for musical, civic, religious and political programs.

“The first service in the Music Hall was held on Monday night, Jan. 22nd. An audience of approximately fifteen hundred people was gathered for that service. With each succeeding service the attendance steadily increased and the interest grew until at the last two services, Sunday afternoon and night, Jan. 28th, the audiences numbered perhaps twenty-two or twenty-three hundred people. In the midst of war time conditions and with the strength of the churches of Houston taken into consideration, the attendance from the very beginning and all the way through the meeting was very remarkable.

“During the winter of 1944 and 1945 the Adventists had carried on a campaign in the city of Houston as they had elsewhere, taking advantage of the war situation to arouse interest in their speculative and false doctrines concerning the Second Coming of Christ. They had conducted two or three services weekly in the Music Hall and had carried on an extensive advertising campaign in connection with these services and had attracted quite a lot of attention as a result. The Norhill Church of Christ in Houston thought it proper and wise to follow up this campaign of false teaching with a campaign to preach the gospel on these Bible themes free from speculation and deception. Originally the meeting was arranged with the idea of holding it in the Norhill building but the reception given the idea of such a meeting soon indicated far too great interest for any one church auditorium in Houston to accommodate the that would want to attend. It was decided, accordingly, to arrange to hold the meeting down in town and invite the cooperation of all the congregations of the Church of Christ in the city.

“In order that the meeting might be carried out on a scriptural basis and without provoking criticism, the Norhill Church decided to sponsor the meeting, guaranteeing all expenses incurred, and simply extend an invitation to the other Churches of Christ to have whatever part in the meeting, financially and otherwise, they wanted to have. With this arrangement in mind the Music Hall was contracted for and the preacher and singer engaged for the time decided upon. When the invitation went forth to the other congregations of the city to cooperate in whatever way they could, the response was almost unanimous and was so hearty that the success of the meeting, the first of the kind ever undertaken in the city of Houston, was guaranteed from the beginning.

“Brother Jack Meyer and the Heights Church were asked to plan and supervise the advertising of the meeting and that they did their work in fine fashion was amply evidenced by the widespread interest and attendance provoked. Brother F. F. Conley and the Milby Church supervised the ushering at all of the services and received splendid cooperation from the other churches of the city in that work and the large audiences were handled in a fine way. Brother Frank Smith and the church at Pierce and Baldwin had charge of the entertainment of visitors from out of the city and homes were provided for all while attending the meeting. Never has an effort of this magnitude been carried to completion with any better cooperation, finer spirit of unity, or less friction than this one. That was an outstanding feature of the meeting. Twenty churches worked together as one throughout the effort and the Churches of Christ in Houston demonstrated the practical side of Christian unity and above all sufficiency of the Lord’s church in the accomplishment of His work without the interference of human organizations. All of the funds were handled through the treasury of the Norhill church and all bills incurred paid out of that treasury with a complete report furnished each congregation assisting. That this arrangement worked to the satisfaction of all is attested by the fact that in a city wide gathering of brethren after the meeting was over, the unanimous request of the churches cooperating in the first meeting was that Norhill congregation take the lead in the second meeting to be held the ensuing year.

All of this denotes a clear attitude of pomp and pride concerning the “big plans” these brethren had. Ambition must always be guided by God!

If brethren in the 50s and 60s had the prevailing attitude of being willing to give up what they viewed as their liberties for the sake of fellowship, we would not have had such a great divide among brothers and sisters in Christ.

We Are Still Brethren.

All who have died with Christ in baptism are our brothers and sisters. Col. 2:11-12; 3:1

Colossians 2:11–12 In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.

Our fellowship means something. Eph. 5:8-14

Ephesians 5:8–14 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. Therefore He says: “Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light.”

Those who will not obey God cannot be within our scope of fellowship. 1 Cor. 5:1-13; 2 Thess. 3:6-15; Tit. 3:9-11

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 - “reject the fornicator”

2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 - “reject the disorderly”

Titus 3:9–11 But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and useless. Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.

“reject the troublemaker”

What should we do when we meet someone from one of these congregations? How do establish a relationship with them?

It makes little sense to immediately “disfellowship” them, because:

They are not a member of our congregation. We have no oversight or accountability in this.

How can we have any influence on them for good if we immediately distance ourselves?

Eventually we will need to have a conversation about the differences.

It is wise and reasonable to acknowledge our differences.

If I were invited to preach to an institutional congregation, I would have to initially lay out the fact that we have different ideas about the work of the Church and the responsibilities of the individual Christian.

Remember - acknowledging differences should NOT automatically bring hostility. If that is their attitude, then it IS better indeed to move on.

Draw the lines where God draws them - no further and no less.

2 Thess. 2:15 “do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.”

Tit. 3:10 “Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition”

Admonish: “warn”

“I stand with God. If you want to come along, you are always welcome.”

We will be judged according to not just whether we do the work of God, but HOW we do the work of God! 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Col. 3:17

2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

If it’s not something I can prove AT ITS ROOT from scripture, I cannot rightly call it a “good work.”

Colossians 3:17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

In the name of = by the Authority of