Long have the “progressives” associated with the Restoration Movement contradicted the original leaders of the movement. They believe themselves to mostly be in agreement and few would admit their differences between these leaders and their neglect to present the Scriptures soundly. Most mock and scoff the acts of Assembly, or many simply label the acts of worship in the Assembly as “heritage”, which is a disgraceful title for the worship of Christ as just man-made “heritage”. “Progressives” teach that there is no Scriptural order or pattern for worship in the Assembly.
I am not surprised by Alexander Campbell’s affirmations of Scriptural truths presented below that there is an order, which he means acts of worship in the Assembly. The last statements found in bold show Campbell’s reference to the five acts of the Assembly that are cast aside today by dissensions [denominations]. In reading the below, you will find Campbell’s rejections to all inventions of worship in the Assembly. Therefore, he rejected the later addition of the musical instrument calling it a “cowbell in a concert”.
When reading the following (July 4, 1825), realize that Campbell does not cite Scripture here since it is an introduction to his other discourses. I have placed in bold what I believe to be important and distinguishing statements. Read “A Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things. No. V. Order of Worship.”
Seeing God's Breath 
You blind man. We have seen this over and over and over again in the Bible. Receiving the spiritual gifts is not the indwelling nor a sign of it. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is here a reference to the “promise” general reference to Christ sending the Comforter the Spirit to give gifts (Acts 2:33). You twist Scriptures to make the spiritual gifts the indwelling. Do you have spiritual gifts? Which Apostles who are eyewitnesses of Christ’s resurrection have laid their hands on you? Why can you not present Scriptures as your premises for your conclusions? Is this not the sign of false brethren?
“to prove instantly without a doubt the necessity of baptism in Jesus’ name, I will present two premises for this conclusion. First premise, Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). Second premise, Jesus commanded baptism in Jesus’ name (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16). These are undeniable facts of the faith in Christ and His words.”
This is the foolishness of your willing ignorance. Go read the Bible not twist it.
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According to your interpretation of Acts 2:38 that a person cannot receive the Holy Spirit until they are baptized is in conflict with Cornelius and the others with him receiving the Holy Spirit before they were baptized. God proved that He does have the power to save people before they are baptized. And for you to say that God was just proving that He accepted the Gentiles is rubbish, God could have proven that He accepted the Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit when they were baptized, but that’s not the case they were given the Holy Spirit before they were baptized.
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The foolishness of your answers stand against you. My before statement shows your folly.
Acts 10:43, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” Those of belief must through Jesus’ name receive forgiveness of sins. Acts 10:47-48, “Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord.” You forbid water and do not command it though the Lord and His apostles and prophets did. Acts 2:38, “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”
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Jesus said that people will SAY to Him they did the miraculous. That’s what false prophets do they claim to do the miraculous.
Jesus said many will SAY to Me “Many will SAY to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” So as everyone can see it is people who claim to do the miraculous, Jesus is quoting what people say.
Matthew 7:21 tells about people who claim to have done the miraculous in Jesus’ name, Jesus never said they actually did the miraculous but that they will say they had, Matthew 7:22-23 “Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”
Scott said: You believe that the Samaritan converts did not know enough from the prophet Philip.
Reply: Not everyone becomes a true believer the first time they hear the gospel, sometimes they have to hear it more than once before they become a believer. As proven in Acts 18-19.
Scott said: There were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Reply: The sons of Sceva is a warning of what can happen to those who claim falsely to be able to exorcise demons from people.
Scott said: Christ’s washing by water, hence you say “I do believe” or “I believe”.
Reply: Jesus is our living water, not baptismal pools.
Scott: Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey Him.
Reply: People when they believe Jesus as their Savior when they believe He is their Mediator between them and God and not anything or anyone else can take His place. 1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
Do you always obey and greet your brethren with a holy kiss as commanded Romans 16:16, do you always obey and do good to all in every single opportunity as commanded Galations 6:10, do you always obey and love and bless and do good to your enemy as commanded Matthew 5:44, do you always obey and love your neighbor as commanded Galations 5:14 and James 2:8,
Scott said: Jesus commanded baptism.
Reply: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.”
Jesus said he who does not believe will be condemned, not he who is not baptized will be condemned. The Bible never says that someone who is not baptized will be condemned.
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Matthew 7:21 tells about people who claim to have done the miraculous in Jesus’ name, never saying they truly did the miraculous. False prophets are not true prophets. False prophets do false miracles not true miracles and do not have the Holy Spirit, true prophets do true miracles and do have the Holy Spirit. Matthew 7:21-23 is speaking of false prophets. Those Paul spoke to in Rome were saints and had the Holy Spirit, a person does not need miraculous gifts to be saved, we are told not everyone who has the Holy Spirit will have miraculous gifts, Corinthians 12:28-31 “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.” In Acts 8 notice how they had been told different things concerning Jesus and they had been fooled by sorcery and Peter and John certainly knew it was essential that these people receive the Holy Spirit who seals our salvation. Acts 8 doesn’t go into as much detail, but I do believe Peter and John had spoken to the people seeing when they got there they found out the people had not received the Holy Spirit so obviously conversations had gone on between them. I believe Peter and John had to teach the people the gospel more accurately seeing the Samaritans situation was very similar to the Ephesians in Acts 18-19. So as we can see just because it says they believed doesn’t mean the people in Acts 8 believed having faith in Jesus, from what is shown it seems the people believed more that works would save them more so than than believing faith in Jesus would save them.
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First of all, you again are arguing about nothing. You won’t agree to any facts as though Scripture has no authority with you. Sir, I do not have time for conjectures to support assertions rather give premises to support conclusions. This is logic and reasoning needed to understand God’s Creation and the His written Word while conjectures and assertions are a waste time and these are even sins.
Second, thank you for your last words. You have proven my point and why I do not converse with you even for the sake of readers. By your own imagination, you have conjectured ideas to explain every account of conversion in Acts to not accept Christ’s washing by water, hence you say “I do believe” or “I believe”. You believe that the Samaritan converts did not know enough from the prophet Philip who “Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ to them” (Acts 8:5), and “But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.” (Acts 8:12). I guess preaching the kingdom of God and Christ is not enough since it evidently involved being baptized as in Acts 18-19. Matthew 7 may be talking about false prophets or apostate brethren either way these apparently believed they did real miracles “in Your name“. Yet, Mark 16:17-18 says, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” See these were apostates and not false brethren doing false wonders. What you are claiming is impossible since Acts 19:13-16 says, “Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, ‘We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.’ Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.”
Third, to prove instantly without a doubt the necessity of baptism in Jesus’ name, I will present two premises for this conclusion. First premise, Jesus is the author of salvation to those who obey Him (Heb. 5:8-9). Second premise, Jesus commanded baptism in Jesus’ name (Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16). These are undeniable facts of the faith in Christ and His words.
Fourth, to strengthen your arguments and beliefs, I propose arguing against your beliefs with other premises. Repeat going back and forth until one side is defeated (2 Cor. 13:5).
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Bondservant,
From what you have presented here, we are in total absolute agreement.
It is only your assumption that one who has gifts, must have the Spirit, and therefore must be saved, but when some had gifts and were condemned (Matt. 7:21). Still the Roman Christians had no gifts are these are sealed by the Spirit and have life through the indwelling (Rom. 1:11, 8:11). The Spirit falling on anyone does not save them, but it is the indwelling Spirit that gives life and seals our salvation. Acts 10 was clearly the giving of gifts by the Spirit falling on them and not the indwelling. See those in Acts 8:12 that both men and women believed and were immersed and yet the Apostle had to come to them that they may “receive” the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands. If as you say, one is saved by “receiving” the Holy Spirit, then these were not saved at belief or baptism in verse 12, but later at the laying on of the Apostles’ hands (v14-17). Are we not all doomed for not have the Apostles of Christ to lay hands on us?
Here is your assumption. You assume that the Holy Spirit being received or falling on someone is the point of indwelling. As I have presented, you are wrong. Go read the Scriptures again. Also do not neglect the indwelling of God the Father, Jesus, and the Word.
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Reply to Scott’s comment on the post “Exact moment of salvation”
If you are referring to as other’s you know have tried Matthew 7:21 is about many who depend upon works for their salvation instead of depending upon Jesus for their salvation. These are the false prophets the Bible warns us about.
Romans 1:11 Paul is speaking to saints who already have the Holy Spirit, Romans 1:7 “To all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.” And Romans 1:8 “First, I want to thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.” And by the way the Bible tells us that not everyone who has the Holy Spirit will have miraculous gifts. Corinthians 12:28-31 “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way.”
Romans 8:11 tells us that the Holy Spirit given by God gives life.
Reply: Now please give the Scripture that says the Holy Spirit is not the seal of salvation as you claim.
Ephesians 1:13-14
“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
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I agree with Acts 2.
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Although this is an interesting read, I am unsure as your point in posting it here. Are you for or against something or are you just bring to light an interesting article. Your title suggests that you might be trying to highlight some differing views within the restoration movement, though I am unsure. Anyway, I was just curious.
Glenn Smith Jr
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