What do you believe? From one perspective, “no creed but Christ, no book but the Bible,” should be an adequate answer to that question and a sufficient guide to sound doctrine. But because of much confusion in today’s religious world, the question deserves a more detailed explanation for those who honestly want to know. Therefore, for the next four months I’m going to publish a series of articles taken partly from a special edition of Lookout Magazine that will help explain where we stand as an independent Christian church in today’s maze of Christian theology.
We’ll begin first with the early history of the Restoration Movement. With roots in the British Isles, the Restoration Movement sprang to life in the United States about the turn of the nineteenth century. The leading pioneer figures were such men as Elias Smith and Abner Jones in New England, James O’Kelly in North Carolina and Virginia, Barton W Stone in Kentucky, Thomas and Alexander Campbell in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and Walter Scott in southern Ohio. These men were all dedicated preachers in major denominational bodies.
With little or no contact among most of them, these men and others around them came to believe that a divided church did not conform to the will and Word of God and that human creeds, however correct they might be in substance, perpetuated sectarianism and denominational barriers when they were made tests of fellowship. Our pioneer leaders called people to the simple gospel of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, the right of private judgment in matters of opinion, and the unity of all believers.
This call took many forms: “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things love.” “Call Bible things by Bible names.” “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” “The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice.” And we are not the only Christians, but are Christians only.” These statements were more than just clichés. They represented a firm determination to accept the Scriptures as the authoritative rule, to reject sectarian division, to work for the restoration of the ancient church in faith and practice and to promote the unity of all believers.
The Restoration Movement allowed people to fellowship together and consider each other brothers and sisters in Christ, while they differed over such matters as the use of musical instruments in worship, paid preachers, closed Communion (which we do not practice), missionary societies, and so forth. It led to a “free church” in a “free land” that multiplied twice since the period from the Civil War to 1909, from a movement of 200,000 members to a fast-growing fellowship of over 1.5 million people today.
In future editions of this blog, I’ll address the cornerstones of our church structure, “In Essentials, Unity”, “In Opinions, Liberty,” and “In All Things, Love.”
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and rejoice in God’s grace and mercy as we celebrate His love for all His people!
Pastor Pat
If you have a private prayer request, even if that request is to know Jesus as your savior, e-mail us at torsogong@ yahoo.com. We will forward it immediately to the appropriate ministry, whether it be the pastor and elders and/or our Prayer Warriors. Please title the subject of your e-mail "Prayer Request".
God bless you.
We’ll begin first with the early history of the Restoration Movement. With roots in the British Isles, the Restoration Movement sprang to life in the United States about the turn of the nineteenth century. The leading pioneer figures were such men as Elias Smith and Abner Jones in New England, James O’Kelly in North Carolina and Virginia, Barton W Stone in Kentucky, Thomas and Alexander Campbell in Pennsylvania and West Virginia and Walter Scott in southern Ohio. These men were all dedicated preachers in major denominational bodies.
With little or no contact among most of them, these men and others around them came to believe that a divided church did not conform to the will and Word of God and that human creeds, however correct they might be in substance, perpetuated sectarianism and denominational barriers when they were made tests of fellowship. Our pioneer leaders called people to the simple gospel of Christ, the authority of the Scriptures, the right of private judgment in matters of opinion, and the unity of all believers.
This call took many forms: “Where the Scriptures speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent.” In essentials, unity; in nonessentials, liberty; in all things love.” “Call Bible things by Bible names.” “No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible.” “The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice.” And we are not the only Christians, but are Christians only.” These statements were more than just clichés. They represented a firm determination to accept the Scriptures as the authoritative rule, to reject sectarian division, to work for the restoration of the ancient church in faith and practice and to promote the unity of all believers.
The Restoration Movement allowed people to fellowship together and consider each other brothers and sisters in Christ, while they differed over such matters as the use of musical instruments in worship, paid preachers, closed Communion (which we do not practice), missionary societies, and so forth. It led to a “free church” in a “free land” that multiplied twice since the period from the Civil War to 1909, from a movement of 200,000 members to a fast-growing fellowship of over 1.5 million people today.
In future editions of this blog, I’ll address the cornerstones of our church structure, “In Essentials, Unity”, “In Opinions, Liberty,” and “In All Things, Love.”
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and rejoice in God’s grace and mercy as we celebrate His love for all His people!
Pastor Pat
If you have a private prayer request, even if that request is to know Jesus as your savior, e-mail us at torsogong@ yahoo.com. We will forward it immediately to the appropriate ministry, whether it be the pastor and elders and/or our Prayer Warriors. Please title the subject of your e-mail "Prayer Request".
God bless you.
RSS Feed