Listen to the words of Alexander Campbell’s thoughts in a letter to a Mr. Clark on April 1, 1830. Campbell wrote,
“That all men err, and, consequently, you and I, is, as you say, a self-evident position, and it is one reason why I never dare impose my inferences and my reasonings and conclusions upon others as terms of Christian communion. Whatever is matter of fact, plain and incontrovertible testimony, in that, and that alone, in which we cannot err-and that only should be made a term of communion. Our safety is in an unerring rule. By that let us walk; and if in any thing we should be otherwise minded, God will teach us, by our own experience, what we fail to learn from precept.
You ask me for a confession of my feelings, or propose such questions to me as call for an examination of the motives or influences which governed me in many pieces which I have published. No it would be saying too much, for one who has been so roughly and so savagely used by many, under the cloak of religion, to say that I have never felt angry, or set down aught in a spirit incompatible with the gospel. But without conceding the right which any person may claim to bring me to confession, and without boasting of my motives and feelings, I will say, that they have been, if not universally, very generally, of the most benevolent and charitable character. Always in benevolence, but not always in the spirit of christian love, have I written. Let me explain. Some person who have slandered and abused me, I do not love as christians. For as soon would I call the highwayman who had attacked me on the road, a christian, as some persons who have aspersed me. I feel, I think, towards them, as Paul felt towards Alexander the coppersmith. But yet there is not one of them for whose reformation and salvation I could not pray. And if it were in my power to reward them good for evil, I should rejoice in the opportunity. But when they appear as religious instructors and advocates of sound doctrine, I must not, I dare not, and I will not spare them. If I were writing my last essay, and about to lay down my pen forever, and they were the theme, I do not think that I would write in a different spirit, or speak in a different style of such persons. I differ, perhaps, in sentiment from you and many of my brethren, in what consists a christian spirit, a charitable spirit. John the Immerser, the Saviour of the World, and the Holy Apostles are my models in this, as in many respects. To a generation of vipers, to a fox-like Herod, to Scribes and Pharisees who tithed mint, anise, and dill, and neglected a righteousness, mercy, and the love of God; of such men as the false teacher in Corinth, the judaizers in Galatia, and the false teachers mentioned by Peter and Jude; of such man as Hymeneus, Philetus, Alexander, and Diotrophes, I would speak as the New Testament speakers have spoken. And still I would become all things to all men, that by all means I might save some. Such is my christian spirit.”
The Breath of God 
Agreeing on the words of Christ is essential. This must be perfect and it can be. A perfect preacher can not exist, but a preacher understanding the words of Christ can be done including each and every teaching.
By “the Pattern”, I’m assuming that you are referring to what practices that we must follow. There are very few one-cuppers and they all refuse to study. These are also non-institutional and bind the traditions of men on others. I do not see this as a division in the churches of Christ, but an apostasy from the Church.
Guy Woods and Gus Nichols differed in their conclusions of the Holy Spirit, but both were friends and did not divide. I believe that both were generally right. God, Christ and the Father, indwells in us (Eph. 3:17, 1 John 4:14-16) by the Spirit (1 John 3:24) indwelling at obedience (Acts 5:32). The Spirit’s only instrument is the Word (Eph. 6:17), which is also spirit (John 6:63) and also indwells (Col. 3:16), and the Spirit only indwells by hearing the Word, the Gospel (Rom. 10:17, Gal. 3:2). Trying to wrap your mind around that is as hard as fully understanding the Godhead. It is something to know and revere, but how cannot be understood. I’ve never heard of anyone dividing over this strange debate of how the Spirit indwells by the Word being either literal or “figurative”, and I have a thorough recollection of the history of the churches of Christ.
The pattern of sound words is the Scriptures. Differing beliefs and practices are the result of willful ignorance and, or corruption.
I mean by church of Christ preacher – those who preach within the churches of Christ.
I believe there are sound preachers too, but not perfect preachers, nor preachers who preach everything perfectly. Sure, most of these sound preachers may agree on most things…the 5 acts of worship are viewed by most the same way. But, when we preach “The Pattern” we then have all sorts of opinions, even to the point that we break fellowship with each other. And our “out” is to call this matters of judgment or expedients. As long as we can agree on the 5 acts, we pretty much get along….even then there are struggles…some one-cuppers consider those who use multiple cups to be in error and there are issues of the Holy Spirit too…does he reside in us, or does He reside in us thru the word ONLY?? Plus, there are many many other issues that have divided the churches of Christ. We are full of division and act as if we are not….we are fast to point out how denominated everyone else is, while pretending we are united….and this is sad and its time we are honest and its time we address these issues with each other. If I ask you for a complete detailed pattern list of everything in the New Testament and I ask other preachers….guess what??? The Pattern List will not be the same……………..
What are “church of Christ preachers”?
I do believe that sound preachers can preach all things that are to be observed completely. You’re right that we never have prefect knowledge and preach perfectly, but we can observe all things and be complete in teaching all sound words of Christ with nothing more and nothing less.
Are you implying that ALL church of Christ preachers teach everything PERFECTLY without error? Come on now Scott, I know it sounds good to pretend we have it all fiqured out, but the facts are we do not. If error means fasle teacher – all are fasle teachers. I dont put Apollos into a group caled false tecahers – he was unlearned, mistaken. I agree with you more than you think I do…just trying to point out that not one of us have it all fiqured out. Anyways, good post !
Can one observe all things? Has Christ commanded something that cannot be done? We do not have much more to understand, but some more than those before the AD 70s. The Apostles taught the whole Gospel and gave complete instructions before the 60s. I see the Scriptures are clear that the collection of Scriptures were being gathered as the Scriptures were being written, and most if not all were gathered by the time of John’s “Apocalypse” (69-79AD, Rev. 17:10).
See, with Apollos, he did not preach “all things” and did not “observe all things” being ignorant. Apollos taught no thing that was not inspired unlike the false teachers of today. He did not invent traditions of salvation and worship, but only taught what he knew. This is not true of false teachers today who are eager to be heard trying to prove their extreme by presenting the opposite extreme and who want to be recognized for skeptical assertions called “insight”, while they introduce ascetic practices, ostentatious service, and extra-aesthetic assemblies. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”
The false teacher is not just one of seen corrupt morals. The one teaching false teaching is a false teacher and has a corrupt character whether seen or not. He or she is living a sinful life, and we can know when they are teaching error. Despite their good intentions, theses false teachers still have sin in their hearts and their false teaching is evidence of that. Again see my article for Scriptural sources, “Teaching Falsely of False Teacher?” – https://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/teaching-falsely-or-false-teacher/
While we have admitted that no one teaches total error, we have declared that any point of error is sufficient to pervert the word of God and to make its proponent a false teacher…Such branding has a solid, fundamental ring to it until one inquires a bit more deeply. The denouncer implies that he himself is in error on no point! He is right on everything; hence, he is no false teacher.
Yes, I mean someone like Apollos. But, I dont think Appolos is a good example, seeing the cannon wasnt complete at this time. Today, we have MUCH more to understand and we all do not understand everything at the same time. You raise some good questions though – how long should we permit people to understand their bibles? I would say long as needed…seeing Christ excepts us on those terms.
You’re exactly right about the use of the word “false teacher” only being used once, but the numerous reference to those teaching contrary to Christ’s words are unbelievably clear. See my previous post, “Teaching Falsely of False Teacher?” – https://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2007/09/19/teaching-falsely-or-false-teacher/
If you’re talking about someone ignorant of truth like Apollos then I agree, but how long would Apollos sit in his place of study with the OT and NT Scriptures before him and be willingly ignorant? How long must preachers sit with Bibles on their desks before they understand the Scriptures? Does it take 50 years, 40, 30, 20, 10, 5? Why preach if the preachers can’t understand what they read? These preachers have hard hearts and are morally corrupt either by being willingly ignorant of the Word sitting on their desks for years or just flat immoral and corrupt denying what the Scriptures say. Which is it? I pray that they read and repent. May God help us all to study and understand.
The term “false teacher,” which in the Greek is didaskalos occurs only once in the new covenant scriptures. It occurs then as a description of a certain kind of character. False teachers were those who denied the Lord that bought them, secretly brought in damnable heresies, and caused the truth to be blasphemed (2 Peter 2:1,2). Despite the sparing use of this derogatory expression, the term is frequently used today for everyone who utters anything contrary to a traditional pattern. There are those who seemingly cannot distinguish between a false teacher and mistaken brother. And they may be more dangerous than those whom they condemn. They seem never to have learned that pseudo, false, applies to that which is deliberately calculated and intended to deceive, mislead, and beguile, and has no reference to those who are honestly and innocently mistaken. To fill the air with “railing accusations” against such makes the railer a greater threat to the harmony of the saints than are the accused ones.
I am glad there are still men who agree with Campbell on doing their Christian duty to expose error and those who teach it. I find too many are willing to question and push the limits of what being a Christian is as close to not being one as possible. Apparently many enjoy walking the very edge, but are too confident they won’t fall off it.