It’s not hard to understand the doubt, concern, and skepticism that many members have regarding their church. There is much doubt. Though there are kind and sincere believers at the congregation, more and more congregations struggle over power or if you don’t see the power struggle, you know the emptiness and disconnection of the congregation. What or who should guide this congregation? In sorrow but with hope, many believers are seeking for a better way.
The original way is the better way. Jesus’ way is the better way. The simple answer to who should guide the church is Jesus Christ. There is no emptiness and disconnect when we’re in communion with Christ. There should be no doubt, no concern, nor skepticism about our Lord Jesus. Is that not easier realized than applied?
These power struggles and disconnections to Jesus happen to be over additions to Jesus. Too many congregations take Jesus plus one man’s interpretation and will. Some want Jesus plus another group of people. Have we accepted one big government hierarchy in addition to Jesus? Most church members don’t realize that there is a big government deciding there beliefs and practices. Now again, some want Jesus plus some other creeds and, or statements of faith. All these additions always end up with subtracting from Christ. Let’s be challenged to consider ourselves too. Do we want Jesus plus my opinions? Do we want Jesus plus my special interests and talents no matter how pure they may be?
The sole authority is clear and simple. There must be a movement to restore Jesus to power and authority in the churches, because those churches are not His congregations after all unless He is leading them. Without Christ, these condemned congregations are simply denominated from His Church. Christ has one Church (Eph. 4:4) that He built (Matt. 16:18) and bought by His blood (Acts 20:28). His Church is eternal and it is not going any where. Are you a part of it?
If we want Jesus to guide us, where must we go? Only the words of Jesus will suffice. What does Jesus have to say? Where are Jesus’ words? Are the greatest words to ever exist gone? Are these lost? Are these written on the minds of some men to dictate to us? Are these words given in visions to congregational committees? Are these words sealed in man made catechisms and creeds? Are these words resting with a great father at the top of a big government hierarchy? No. None of these are the source of Jesus’ words.
There is and has only been one source for the words of Jesus for about two thousand years. That source is the Bible. Be confident that His words have not changed and that the Bible has not been corrupted despite the fact that 20,500 manuscripts confirm the same. Jesus said that His words would never pass away (Matt. 24:35, Mark 13:31, Luke 21:33). Jesus said that His words are spirit and life that these would judge the world (John 6:63, 12:47-48). Jesus said that He gave those words to the Apostles (John 15:20, 17:8), and that the Holy Spirit would guide the Apostles unto further truth for Christ has more to say to them later (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:12-13). The Bible contains words of Christ that are God’s breath and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness that person of God may be complete and equipped for every good deed (2 Tim. 3:16-17). The authoritative power is there in Scripture, the words of Christ. Let these guide us with no additions of men.
The words of Christ reveal how His Church is to be governed. The head of the Church is Christ (Eph. 1:22-23). The Church has no big government in the Scriptures. The congregations are self-governed and overseen by Presbyters (which means elders) also called in Scripture Bishops (which means overseers) and Pastors (which means shepherds) (Acts 14:23, 20:28, 1 Tim. 3:1-7, Titus 1:3-9, 1 Pet. 5:1-4). All because someone preaches for a congregation that does not make them a pastor not in the least. The Scriptures have clear qualifications for one to be a Pastor. When one meets these qualifications, then they are appointed through Scripture by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28). Without such qualified men, we should not seek another man-made addition, but a congregation of that size should solely be led by Christ through the Scriptures.
Church government is just a small part of what the New Testament Church of Jesus Christ is all about. There are some even more critical things to consider. Look at the most critical, the Gospel. The Gospel is the power of God for salvation (Rom. 1:16). Does your church teach that? Does it teach the three parts of the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4? The three parts are the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Do they teach this Gospel must be obeyed for salvation (Rom. 6:17, 2 Thess. 1:7-9)? Romans 6:3-7 and Colossians 2:12-13 are two excellent passages teaching obedience to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Remember these are Christ’s words and this is His Gospel. These Scriptures present that form of teaching that is to be obeyed. One must die to their sins, then be buried in baptism, and then be resurrected into a new life. Is this what your church teaches those seeking salvation? Are they teaching that one is saved when they first believed? If they are, then they are teaching that one is saved by belief before obeying the Gospel, which is a clear contradiction of Scripture. Are Are they teaching a sinner’s prayer when there is no such thing in the Scriptures? Are they teaching water baptism and Holy Spirit baptism for salvation when the Scriptures teach that there is only one baptism (Eph. 4:5)? That one baptism is water baptism where Jesus cleansed us of our sins (Eph. 5:26). These need to be warned who have changed the Gospel since their souls are on the line. Galatians 1:8-9, “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. (9) As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” If you have not obeyed the death, burial, and reussrection, then you should do so immediately. “Why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16).
Now, what should you do about your church? Can you work reform and move to restoration in your church? I hope so, but if not you have no other option, but to obey the Lord and join His Church. Congregations must be operated under Christ by number of elders or only by the Scriptures. There is no place for big government hierarchies taking money and labors from members without any authority from Christ. Let us all unite and submit to the one power and authority for every congregation’s guidance should be from the words of Christ.
God bless you.
The Breath of God 
“Jesus said that He gave those words to the Apostles (John 15:20, 17:8), and that the Holy Spirit would guide the Apostles unto further truth for Christ has more to say to them later (John 14:26, 15:26, 16:12-13).”
I hope you’ll reconsider your position since it is inconsistent. You can’t play “what Jesus said verses what His Spirit said (speaking through His Apostles)” especially since His Apostles and prophets recorded Jesus’ life and His words. This is a common fallacy that why so many times I have to stress what Jesus said about His words and to whom He gave them. Either throw out the Bible or keep it. There is no need to only keep part of Jesus’ covenant.
Many people abandon the Bible in blatant arrogance. We take Jesus’ morality as much as it lines up with our own. That is arrogant. Now, there becomes in the mind of such who pick and choose a “real Jesus” and a “legendary Jesus” for which every person now has to analyze the Jesus in the Bible and conjecture by their own authority what He really said and what is the stuff of legend. Again, this is arrogant. This keeping of part of Jesus’ New Testament is exactly that of being lukewarm. I wish no one experience the judgment being lukewarm (Rev. 3:14-22). May God forgive us all such practices.
May God bless you.
Interesting that the whole first part of this thing is about following the words of Christ to show what the church should be. But as soon as you get to structuring the church you are using the words of Paul. Didn’t go quite back back to Jesus did you? Another 30-40 years and you should have it.
Those doubting their congregations and dealing with the greater struggles resulting from leaving Christ’s ideals for His Church must look to Christ’s Church and establish the Church of the Bible that Christ bought with His blood and built with His stones.
Yes, the churches of Christ have always had to “turn away from” those “causing the divisions and occasions of stumbling, contrary to the doctrine”. I know of no one in the churches that do not recognize these people. No one is denying that there are so many divisive teachers attacking the pillar of truth even from within. We must be cautious as the Spirit has warned us in Scripture. There are a few power hungry and grumbling teachers forcing traditions of men thinking them to be traditions of God. They will be held accountable as those few “who went out from us” and who invent tradition like the Papists and draw mega-crowds from the Protestant denominations. For these, we can only warn our brethren and point to the words of Christ.
Let’s be honest. Whose points of view and interpretations are we talking about? These false teachers teach those of men and not of God. These are the divisive. I would agree that we must be overly cautious to first assume that one teaching inaccurately is like Apollos being untaught about all the Gospel, but then again most who teach errors are adding traditions that disregard other specific beliefs and practices affirmed in Scripture such as the Lord’s Day. They’d rather take the time to be iconoclastic rather than be a disciple of the words of Christ. It is hard to understand any preacher today being ignorant like Apollos since these preachers sit day after day with the written Word on their desks.
I recommend that you and others with these concerns read https://godsbreath.wordpress.com/2007/05/11/extremes-by-cecil-may-jr/.
On September 10, 2008 at 6:42 pm Joe Baggett Said:
Some churches are dropping the church of Christ all together so they don’t have to go through all the baggage. I know the people at White’s Ferry road. They are largley disfellowshipped in the LA area as too liberal.
Scott, its easy to pretend that the churches of Christ aren’t divisive, but anyone willing to talk with many of the preachers will know the truth. Many preachers within the churches of Christ admit this. It is easy for us to call them false teachers…or call anyone we disagree with a false teacher, as if we are never wrong with our POV’s and interpretations. Is a false teacher a person who doesn’t understand the bible perfectly? If so, we all qualify.
“churchesofChrist”,
You’re way off base in this article. Did you read it? This was not an article addressing the problems of Christ’s Church in the 1st century or the 21st.
I’m sure you do wish that preachers would recognize divisive sects as a part of Christ’s Church, but false teachers are excluded.
First John 2:19, “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they all are not of us.”
the reason I wish more church of Christ preachers would fess up about our sects and problems is so we can address them and stop pretending they dont exsist. Many cofC preachers in our movement are doing this and hopefully it will be a wake up call to KEEP the unity not try and create unity through our opinions of what all the pattern consist of
http://monter.wordpress.com/2008/08/17/speak-the-same-thing/
I wish more would admit things like this…
You’ll have to explain a little more about repentance. From what I do understand, emphasis on the resurrection in the new life is sometimes forgotten by those who not evangelism minded. All throughout my missions classes in college, we heard all about followup increasing retention by 60% to 95% of those who obey the Gospel. See, my professors and the evangelists that I know who have trained me made huge deal about life after baptism. I’ve not really ever seen the lack this. Still I could imagine the almost “accidental” convert from a sermon who is immersed and forgotten.
Well said, but the problem I have is the lack of repentance I see in many who are baptized. Not being raised church of Christ, I still am convinced of it’s necessity. But, I fear far too many have made it just an act of compliance with the stated prerequisites of joining a congregation. I also have issues with the preoccupation of many on procedural form and pattern when our real form and pattern is Christ. What we do after baptism is, in some ways, more important than the ceremony.