a-study-of-church-history-restoration-movement

From that meeting came, “Five Cardinal Principles of the Christian Church:” The Lord Jesus Christ as the only Head of the Church.. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his p

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

An Introduction: The Greatness of the Movement

to Restore Original Christianity!

Churches of Christ are part of a great religious movement launched on the North American Continent in the early 1800s, to restore the pure Christianity of the first century The pioneers of this movement made

it their aim to go back to the Bible for their faith, worship and practice To maintain the Restoration commitment in our day, we must remind ourselves of what it was To properly appreciate it, we must know wherein it was great.

The first clearly discernible call here, in America, to go back to Bible was heard among the Methodists Jams O’Kelly led a revolt against bishop Francis Asbury’s autocratic rule At a meeting at the old Lebanon Church in Surry County, VA, on August 4, 1794, Rice Haggard, with Bible in hand, challenged his brethren thusly:

“Brethren, this is a sufficient rule of faith and practice By it we are told that the disciples were called Christians, and I move that henceforth and forever the followers of Christ be known as Christians simply”

A Brother Hafferty then moved that they take the Bible as their only creed From that meeting came, “Five Cardinal Principles of the Christian Church:”

The Lord Jesus Christ as the only Head of the Church.

The name Christian to the exclusion of all party and sectarian names.

The Holy Bible our only creed, and a sufficient rule of faith and practice.

Christian character the only test of church fellowship and membership.

The right of private judgment and liberty of conscience the privilege and duty of all (W E McClenny, Life of Rev James O’Kelly, p 111).

Shortly thereafter in 1803, a similar back to the Bible movement emerged among the Baptists of New England The principal leaders were Drs Abner Jones and Elias Smith Smith wrote:

“When our number was some short of twenty, we agreed to consider ourselves a Church of Christ, owning him as our only Master, Lord and Lawgiver, and we agreed to consider ourselves Christians, without the addition of any unscriptural name” (Elias Smith, Life and Conversion of Elias Smith, pp 313- 314).

About the same time, in Century Kentucky a group of dissident preachers broke with the Presbyterian Church They first organized themselves as the Springfield Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church After further study of the Scriptures they met and resolved to dissolve their presbytery They framed a document entitled, “Last Will and Testament.” Among its remarkable items are the following:

“We will, that this body die, be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of Christ at large; for there is but one Body ”

“We will, that our power of making laws for the government of the church and executing them by delegated authority forever cease; that the people may have free course to the Bible ”

“We will, that the Church of Christ resume her native right of internal government ”

“ We will, that the people henceforth take the Bible as the only sure guide to heaven ”On June 28,

1804, the Will was signed by Robert Marshall, John Dunlavy, Richard McNemar, John Thompson, David Purviance, and B W Stone.

In 1809 Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian immigrant preacher from Northern Ireland, broke with his church and issued a Declaration and Address of the Christian Association of Washington, Pennsylvania Among Campbell’s declarations were the following:

“That the Church of Christ is essentially, intentionally and constitutionally one.”

“That the Bible is the only rule of faith and practice for Christians.”

“That the Old and New Testaments alone contain the authoritative constitution of the Church of Christ.”

“That no human authority has power to amend or change the original constitution and laws of the church.”

“That faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God is a sufficient profession to entitle a man or woman to become a member of the Church of Christ.”

“That division among Christians is anti-Christian, anti-scriptural, unnatural, and to be abhorred.”

“That neglect of the revealed will of God and the introduction of human innovations are and have been the causes of all the corruptions and divisions that have ever taken place in the church ”

“That all that is necessary to secure the highest state of purity and perfection in the church is to restore the original ordinances and constitution as exhibited in the New Testament.”

These men thought not to found a new denomination, rather they worked to restore the original church of the Bible to its pristine purity.

The goal of Restoration is great because it is a commitment to reproduce the original Christianity of the first century God designed and Jesus built the church exactly as they wanted it (Matt 16:18) When changes were imposed on the church they were always destructive, never beneficial Like a masterpiece

of art, we would restore the Lords’s church to its original state of existence In the words of the prophet,

“thou shalt be called The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in” (Is 58:12).

The Restoration Movement is great because it is a non-denominational effort, dedicated to serving do in a nonsectarian way Jesus built but one church (Matt 16:18; I Cor 12:13) It was his dying prayer that his followers be one as were he and his father (John 17:20-21) Denominational division is soundly condemned in Scripture Paul besought the Corinthians “that there be no divisions among them” (I Cor 1:10) He labeled as immature and carnal those who denominated themselves as followers of Peter, Apollos and Paul (I Cor 3:1-4) Even those most deeply involved in denominationalism concede the undesirable nature of that system.

Our movement is great because it is a “back to the Bible “ movement Catholicism has elevated tradition, the decisions of councils and declarations of popes above the Bible Liberal Protestantism has attacked the Bible as unreliable and irrelevant Evangelical churches give lip service to believing the Scripture, while placing their creeds and subjective experiences about it in practice We exalt God’s Word above all creeds and philosophies of men We speak as the oracles of God (I Pet 4:11) The God-breathed Word is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction which is in righteousness: that the man

of God may be complete ” (II Tim 3:16-17) Furthermore we properly distinguish between the two great covenants While the entire Bible is from God, the words which Christ spoke will judge us in the last day (John 12:48) Because of this truth we do not look to Moses or David’s writings for instructions

on salvation, worship or practice of our faith.

The Restoration is great because it is a doctrinal movement Our message is not one of human theology, philosophy, speculation, or experience We seek always to abide in “the doctrine of Christ” (II John 9)

We advocate strong, clear Bible preaching Preachers are urged to cite chapters and verses so their hearers can verify for themselves the lesson taught We expect our spokesmen to “preach the Word” (II Tim 4:2).

We demand “sound doctrine” from our pulpits (Tit 2:1) Our preachers can generally be distinguished from their denominational counterparts by the “Biblical ring” of their lessons A modern generation must

be reminded that all the social activities, marriage enrichment seminars and self-improvement courses will not save a single soul Only by preaching the gospel will sinners be brought to the Savior (Mk 16:15; Rom 1:16).

Because it offers a reasonable, common sense approach to religion, the Restoration Movement is great God expects a person to use his head, to think rationally if he would be a Christian Faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Rom 10:17) Christianity is not a fuzzy, emotional response to some vague religious impulse; rather it is reasonable Logical and sensible The emotionalism of the old mourner’s bench system, the irrational behavior of the charismatics and the mysticism of the ritualistic churches all give way before the simple truth of our plea (John 8:32) Faith is not foolishness.

The Restoration plea is great because it is universal both in nature and appeal It alone can bring religious unity to a world torn by sectarian confusion and division Can any man who sincerely loves Christ object

to being called a Christian? Visit any minister in your community and inquire of him, “Are you Christian?” I can safely predict a favorable reply

But ask the Methodist parson is he is a Baptist? and he will quickly deny it Call him a Baptist and you will insult him Ours is a universally accepted name Who will oppose calling Bible things by Bible names? This in itself would eliminate most of the confusion in the religious word Who would criticize doing Bible things in Bible ways? Who would condemn preaching the Bible, only the Bible and all of the Bible? Can anyone conceive a better way to serve God than his own divinely appointed way?

The plea to restore the ancient faith and practice of the first Christian is great because it is thoroughly Biblical Jeremiah exhorts the people of his day to ask for the “ the old paths” and walk therein (Jer 6:16) King Josiah labored to restore the true worship of Jehovah in Israel (II Kings 22:8; 23:5) Paul exhorts us to hold the pattern of sound words (II Tim 1:13) The author of Hebrews reminds us to build according to the revealed pattern (Heb 8:5) The New Testament is our pattern, and we must conform to its divine standard.

May we never neglect, forsake or betray that is noble movement of which we are part Let us always labor

to restore the ancient church, her doctrine, worship and practice May we pass it on safely to those who come after us

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

#1 The Establishment of the Church

The Importance of knowing when the church began

1 It is a matter of identity so that one may be able to distinguish it from Old Testament agencies and from religious institutions of modern human origin.

2 In order to identify its laws so that one may see when the law governing the church of God went into effect.

The church was foreshadowed in the Old Testament

The Old Testament spoke of those things

in the Old Law which were “copies” and

“shadows” of “the good things to come”

(Hebrews 9:11) "When Christ came as high priest of the good things that are already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not man-made, that is to say, not a part of this creation."

(Hebrews 9:23) "It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these."

(Hebrews 10:1) "The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming not the realities themselves For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship."

The church was not in existence in Old Testament days Acts 7:38 refers to the host of Jews who were in the wilderness not to the church of Jesus Christ.

(Matthew 16:18) "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates

of Hades will not overcome it."

(Acts 7:38) "He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us."

Old Testament worthies desired to see its time.

(1 Peter 1:10-12) "Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, {11} trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow {12} It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven Even angels long to look into these things."

The Establishment of the Church is a subject of prophecy

Isaiah 2:1-4 and Micah 4:1-2 both prophesy of its beginning

(Isaiah 2:1-4) "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: {2} In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it {3} Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up

to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem {4} He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore."

(Micah 4:1-2) "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it {2} Many nations will come and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

It was to be established:

• In Jerusalem

• In the “last days” (the age ushered in by the New Testament is the “last days.” (Acts 2:16-17)

"No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: {17} "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out

my Spirit on all people Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."

(Acts 2:16-17) "No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: {17} "'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams."

(Hebrews 1:1-2) "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, {2} but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe."

The prophetic dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (604-562 B.C.) indicated the time of its establishment:

(Daniel 2:31-35) ""You looked, O king, and there before you stood a large statue an enormous, dazzling statue, awesome in appearance {32} The head of the statue was made of pure gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, {33} its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay {34} While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands It struck the statue on its feet

of iron and clay and smashed them {35} Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer The wind swept them away without leaving a trace But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth."

The four kingdoms of the vision

1 Babylonian, the head of gold The Babylonian Empire fell in 536 B.C.

2 Medo-Persian, the breasts and arms of silver Established by Cyrus, king of Persia (538-530 B.C.); it fell in 330 B.C.

3 Greek or Macedonian, the torso and thighs of brass Formed by Alexander the Great in 336 B.C after his father, Philip of Macedon, had laid the foundations for it It was divided among Alexander’s generals after his death in 323 B.C.

4 Roman, the legs of iron and feet of iron and clay It was established as a world power by Octavius Caesar in 30 B.C.

“In the days of these kings” (vs 44), therefore, refers to the time of universal empires and “struck the image upon its feet” signifies the establishment of God’s eternal kingdom which would take place after the beginning of the Roman empire and during its existence.

The New Testament begins its accounts while the Caesars still ruled the world.

• “In those days John the Baptist came preaching”

(Matthew 3:11-12) ""I baptize you with water for repentance But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire {12} His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.""

(Luke 3:1-3) "In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar when Pontius Pilate was governor

of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene {2} during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the desert {3} He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

• The church was not established by John He preached that the kingdom was “at hand” or

approaching (Matt 3:1-2) He was not in the kingdom: (Matthew 11:11) "I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who

is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

The church was not established during the personal ministry of Jesus.

The church was yet in the future while Jesus was upon the earth.

1 The kingdom was “at hand.”

(Matthew 10:7) "As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.'"

(Mark 1:15) ""The time has come," he said "The kingdom of God is near Repent and believe the good news!""

2 The kingdom had “come near.”

(Luke 10:9) "Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.'"

3 He taught His disciples to pray for the coming of the kingdom.

(Matthew 6:9-10) ""This, then, is how you should pray: "'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, {10} your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

4 He promised to build His church.

(Matthew 16:18) "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

5 His disciples were not in the kingdom.

(Matthew 18:1-3) "At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" {2} He called a little child and had him stand among them {3} And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom

of heaven."

6 He promised the kingdom would come in that generation.

(Mark 9:1) "And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.""

The beginning? On the Pentecost following the ascension of Jesus.

The kingdom was to begin and the law go forth from Jerusalem.

(Isaiah 2:1-3) "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: {2} In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it {3} Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up

to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

(Luke 24:47) "and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem."

The law went forth from Jerusalem on the Pentecost following the death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ:

(Acts 2:37-38) "When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" {38} Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

That day of Pentecost was the beginning of Christ’s kingdom and church:

(Acts 2:1-4) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place {2} Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting {3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them {4} All

of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them." (Acts 11:15) ""As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning."

The “power” is evidence the kingdom came on Pentecost The kingdom came with power

(Mark 9:1) "And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.""

The power was to come with the Holy Spirit

(Acts 1:8) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses

in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.""

The Holy Spirit came on Pentecost Therefore, the kingdom came on Pentecost.

(Acts 2:1-4) "When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place {2} Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting {3} They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them {4} All

of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

The law going forth from Jerusalem is evidence the kingdom came on Pentecost The law was to go forth from Jerusalem

(Isaiah 2:1-3) "This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: {2} In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it {3} Many peoples will come and say, "Come, let us go up

to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths." The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem."

The apostles were commissioned to preach

(Matthew 28:18-20) "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me {19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

(Mark 16:15-16) "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation {16} Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

But they had been instructed to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come and guide them before beginning:

(Luke 24:49) "I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.""

The Spirit came on Pentecost and the preaching of the Gospel, the law of the kingdom, began on Pentecost:

(Acts 2:31-38) "Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay {32} God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact {33} Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised

Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear {34} For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, "'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand {35} until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet."' {36} "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." {37} When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" {38} Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins And you will receive the gift

of the Holy Spirit."

After that Pentecost, both the church and kingdom were always spoken of as in existence:

(Acts 2:47) "praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

(Acts 5:11) "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events."

(Acts 8:1) "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria."

(Acts 11:22) "News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch."

(Acts 13:1) "In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul."

(Acts 14:27) "On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles."

(Colossians 1:13) "For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves,"

(Revelation 1:9) "I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus."

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

#2 Church Growth and Apostasy

Is it possible to read your Bible, and from your reading, see that in the New Testament there is a Church that Jesus established? Is it possible to see in the Bible, that God set forth His standard of acceptance in salvation, worship, church organization and daily living? Is it possible to follow the teachings of God, revealed in the New Testament, to direct our lives in the same way as He did first century Christians?

The answer to all the questions above is a resounding, yes! For since the writing of the New Testament, men and women of all walks of life have studied their Bibles, and seen how one, even to this day, can become a Christian the way those in New Testament times became Christians

They have seen how one can establish the Church of the New Testament and emulate its structure, worship, and activity.

Someone has rightfully expressed that we should always remember to stop and show appreciation for the bridges we have crossed For the Christian this is especially true! Not only are we to be thankful for the work of the apostles and early church workers in the 1st century A.D., but we should also remember the value of all those since who have directed others to give up the shackles of religious error, only to take on the truth revealed in God's Word

Someone has said, “We are standing on the shoulders of giants.” We often take the church for granted An example is found in Lexington, Kentucky; in 1900 it was grounded having many faithful congregations Had a college “College of the Bible” etc In the 1960's Basil and Margie Overton went back into this area once again having to establish N.T Christianity In less than 60 years the area went from faithful to non- existent The church today can do this if we take it for granted.

We need to study Church History for several reasons

1 Help us learn from the mistakes of the past and avoid them.

2 To build upon their successes, so we can grow from them.

3 Help us to appreciate God’s Church.

“R ESTORATION ” D EFINED

When one speaks of a “restoration” plea, several things are implied First, there is the suggestion that

there is a divine “pattern” for human conduct Second, God expects conformity to that pattern Third, in the nature of things, rebellious and frail men will digress from that heavenly way Fourth, it is the

responsibility of those who revere the Lord’s will to restore, the primitive order, and call their fellows

back to the “old paths” (cf Jer 6:16).

There are numerous New Testament passages which stress these truths Let us consider a few.

1 The early church is clearly a model for us in that it “continued steadfastly in the apostles’

teaching” (Acts 2:42) Why was that an important point for Luke to make if the pattern of the

“apostles’ teaching” is irrelevant? Moreover, the multitude of believers “were of one heart and soul” (Acts 4:32), suggesting a unity of practice in their Christian decorum

2 Paul reminded the saints in Rome that they had been made free from sin due to the fact that they had been obedient to a certain “form” [pattern] of teaching (Rom 6:17,18) Can such a passage yield any sense if there is no pattern?

3 The Christians in Rome were admonished to “mark” (be on the look-out for) and turn away from those who were causing divisions “contrary to the teaching” which they had learned (Rom 16:17) If there is no pattern of New Testament doctrine, how could one ever be required to “turn away” from those who do not conform to it?

4 The inspired Paul instructed the brethren in Corinth not to go “beyond the things which are written” (1 Cor 4:6 – ASV) This clearly demonstrates that spiritual activity is regulated by the Scriptures

5 The primitive Christians were warned repeatedly about “falling away” from “the faith” (cf 2 Thes 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1ff; 2 Tim 4:1ff) The expression “the faith” has to do with a body of

doctrinal truth If there is no doctrinal “pattern,” how could one ever “fall away” from the faith? Note also that identifying marks of apostasy went beyond so-called “core” matters, such as the deity of Christ They concerned things like the forbidding marriage and prohibiting certain foods (1 Tim 4:1ff)

6 Paul spoke of the “pattern of sound words” (2 Tim 1:13) which the early Christians were being taught and in which they were to “abide” (2 Tim 3:14) These truths were to be passed on to

others (2 Tim 2:2), and men were to be charged not to teach a “different doctrine” (1 Tim 1:3) How in the name of common sense can men read these passages and not know that there is a body of sacred truth with which we must not tamper?

7 The writer of Hebrews affirmed that Moses, in constructing the tabernacle, was warned by God that he must “make all things according to the pattern,” which was shown to him at Horeb (Heb 8:5) Do we, as recipients of the “better covenant” (Heb 7:22; 8:6), sustain a lesser responsibility

as we minister to God in his church—of which the tabernacle was but an inferior type (cf Heb 9:1-10)? It is unbelievable that anyone would dare to argue such

8 John unequivocally states that those who go beyond the “teaching of Christ” have no fellowship with God (2 John 9).

We may also associate the term with the pleas of the Restoration Movement such as:

1 “Speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where it is silent.”

2 “Do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.”

3 “In matters of doctrine unity, in matters of opinion liberty, and in all matters, love.”

God has been working toward restoration ever since the garden Paul was involved in restoration hundreds of years before Alexander Campbell was even born As we discuss restoration, we mean as much the restoration of the law under Josiah, as we do the restoration of the walls of Jerusalem under Nehemiah Our concept of restoration must be expanded far beyond an American movement of the last two hundred years.

Ungodly men are always the enemies of the faith and of the peace of the church:

(Jude 1:3-4) "Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt

I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints {4} For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord."

(Jude 1:17-18) "But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold {18} They said to you, "In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.""

The 18 th , 19 th , and 20 th centuries have been preeminently an age of denominations We need to be clear about what God and the Bible say about the church.

The Reality of the Church

In the city of Jerusalem on the first Pentecost after His ascension, Jesus established the church Acts 2 records the activities that took place on that day and the prophecies which those activities fulfilled.

Being originally designed by Jesus, the church is, therefore, divinely organized and constituted

Since Jesus is its head ((Ephesians 1:22) "And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to

be head over everything for the church,")

and chief cornerstone ((Ephesians 2:9-10) "not by works, so that no one can boast {10} For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.")

…only the characteristics He has set forth for it in His supreme authority are approved of God No authority has been given to any man, body of men, or ecclesiastical body to change any of its features:

(Matthew 28:18) "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."

Identifying Christ’s church: Designations.

House of God

(1 Timothy 3:15) "if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth."

The body of Christ

(Colossians 1:18) "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

(Colossians 1:24) "Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church."

The “called out”

(Matthew 16:18) "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates

of Hades will not overcome it."

(Ephesians 5:23-25) "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior {24} Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything {25} Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her"

The temple of God

(1 Corinthians 3:9) "For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

(1 Corinthians 3:16-17) "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? {17} If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple."

(Ephesians 2:19-22) "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household, {20} built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone {21} In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord {22} And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit."

Government and organization.

Jesus is the supreme ruler:

(Colossians 1:18) "And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy."

Serving under Jesus were the apostles whose ministry was perpertual through the inspired writings Since that revelation is complete, they have no successors.

(1 Corinthians 13:10) "but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears."

(2 Peter 1:3) "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

(2 Timothy 3:16) "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,"

(Ephesians 4:11-16) "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, {12} to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up {13} until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ {14} Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming {15} Instead, speaking the

truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ {16} From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

The sole collective functioning unit is the local congregation Each congregation is free from ecclesiasticism, synods and councils and is independent and autonomous The authority of the local congregation is vested in a plurality of elders (bishops, pastors, overseers, shepherds)

(Acts 14:23) "Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust."

Deacons are servants within the congregation who work in conjunction with the elders.

(Philippians 1:1) "Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:"

The only creed is Christ Its sole rule of faith and practice is the New Testament Its terms of admission are the same as in the book of Acts: obedience to those things which put one into Christ and grant remission of sins: faith, repentance, confession, and baptism, and faithful living.

Who Is a Christian?

The term “Christian” is found three times in the New Testament It is employed initially in conjunction

with the ministry of Barnabas and Saul in Antioch of Syria ” the disciples were called Christians first

in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).

Later, when pressed with evidence for the validity of the Christian system, Herod Agrippa II said:

“Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” (26:28) The King James Version suggests a man who is

wrestling with his conscience Others feel that the ruler’s remark is cynical: “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?” (NIV) Perhaps the truth is somewhere between the

two The king’s comment may reflect a respectful evasion.

Finally, Peter writes: ” if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God

in this name” (1 Pet 4:16).

Some—especially those who are enamored with humanly devised religious titles—contend that the name Christian was initially given in derision Moffatt suggested that it was “coined by the pagan slang” of the citizens of Antioch (p 316), and countless others have echoed that sentiment, including some of the restoration heritage (Campbell, p 95).

We reject this assertion for the following reasons:

1 The Old Testament spoke of a new and everlasting name to be bestowed upon the people of God

in the gospel age (Isa 56:5,6; 62:2; 65:14,15) If this was not the name “Christian,” then what was the new name?

2 Isaiah especially associated the reception of the new name with the call of the Gentiles (62:2); the name Christian was not given until the Gentiles were admitted into the church (cf Acts 10; 11:26)

3 The term chrematizo (translated “were called” – Acts 11:26) is employed nine times in the New Testament It is, without exception, used in contexts wherein the calling is of God Some suggest that the grammatical construction of this passage indicates that the name was bestowed

by Barnabas and Saul (Woods, p 67)

4 It is inconceivable that Peter would have encouraged the early saints to “glorify God” (1 Pet 4:16) by the use of a paganistically bestowed “slang” term The early disciples did not adopt other pejorative titles (cf Acts 24:5,14)

5 Paul rebuked the Corinthian brothers for wearing human names, e.g., Paul, Apollos, and Cephas, because, he said, these men were not crucified for you, nor were you immersed into their names (1 Cor 1:12,13) The implication clearly is that since Christ was crucified for them, and as they

had been baptized into His name, they had the right to wear His name What would that have been if not “Christian?”

6 There is another indication that the Christian name was divinely bestowed James wrote concerning that “honorable name” which the Christians had “called upon” (passive voice form) them (5:7) “This expression clearly reveals its OT background (Deut 28:10; 2 Chron 7:14; Amos 9:12) A man was dedicated to God by calling God’s name over him The act indicated that

he belonged to God So Christians bear the worthy name of Christ as indication that they are his people” (Burdick, p 179)

Granted, then, the term was divinely imposed, and thus is to be worn with honor and dignity—precisely who is a Christian?

F ALSE C RITERIA FOR I DENTIFYING THE C HRISTIAN

Before addressing this theme positively, let us consider some false standards by which some are perceived

But what of the Jew who attempts to live an ethical life? Is he a Christian? He certainly would repudiate the designation!

Or consider the case of Bertrand Russell The British philosopher was once asked this question: “Can an agnostic be a Christian?” He replied: “If you mean by a ‘Christian’ a man who loves his neighbor, who has wide sympathy with suffering, and who ardently desires a world freed from the cruelties and abominations which at present disfigure it, then, certainly, you will be justified in calling me a Christian” (1975, p 289).

Was Russell a Christian—in any sense of the term? Far from it He once gave a lecture, which was later

printed and widely distributed, titled: “Why I am not a Christian” (1967).

One is not a Christian merely because he endorses certain moral principles that are taught in the Scriptures.

A Theist

Some would argue perhaps that one who merely believes in God is a Christian Certainly all Christians believe in God, but not everyone who believes in God is a Christian Jews believe in God, and so do Moslems, but neither are Christians—nor do they profess to be.

We must remember that belief in God, without a corresponding faith in Christ, is worthless Jesus declared: ” he that rejects me, rejects him that sent me” (Lk 10:16) The Lord was unyielding in His declaration: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life: no one comes unto the Father, but by me” (Jn 14:6).

A “Faith Only” Believer in Christ

There is a vast body of people that endorses the concept that anyone who believes in Christ, i.e., he subscribes to the truth that Jesus is the Son of God, is a Christian person That simply is not the case.

Note this principle During the personal ministry of Jesus, there were Jews who observed His miracles and who believed the message He proclaimed; yet, they were still identified as children of Satan.

Consider the case detailed in John 8 The record indicates that as the Lord taught, “many believed on him” (8:30) Christ thus spoke to those who “had believed him” (8:31) As the dialog heated up, Jesus charged: “You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father it is your will to do” (8:44).

They were believers in a sense, yet still unregenerate Or reflect further upon the episode of chapter 12.

“Nevertheless even of the rulers many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess

it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the glory that is of men more than the glory that is of God” (12:42).

Will anyone be so reckless as to contend that these “believers” were right with God? It takes more than mere mental belief in the Lord to bring about one’s salvation.

A Church Member

Some feel that so long as one is a member of some church he or she must be a Christian What of those who are members of the Unitarian Universalist Church? These folks do not even believe that Jesus Christ

is the Son of God Are they Christians simply because they are members in a “church”?

Hundreds of churches populate our land of which God is not the author All Christians are in the church of Jesus Christ, but not all “church members” are Christians.

Baptized People

Many doubtless believe that anyone who has submitted to a form of “Christian baptism” is obviously a Christian The problem with that is this Not every person who has surrendered to “baptism” has yielded

to the genuine rite, as the ordinance is set forth in the New Testament.

For example, some have had water sprinkled upon them, believing this was baptism, when, in fact,

sprinkling (or pouring) is not baptism at all Baptism is an immersion in water (Balz & Schneider, pp.

192ff), and nothing short of that is in harmony with the will of God.

Aside from that, it is possible to be immersed and still not be a Christian, provided the teaching received prior to the act was either incomplete or inaccurate The case in Acts 19 demonstrates this.

When Paul arrived in Ephesus he encountered twelve men who had been immersed with the baptism that had been operative during the ministry of John the Baptizer Obviously, however, they had submitted to John’s baptism after it had already become obsolete.

Accordingly, even though the form (i.e., immersion) was correct, their understanding of other matters was deficient These men were thus not Christians However, they became such when they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus (19:5; cf 2:38; 22:16).

It is imperative that one have accurate teaching and a proper comprehension (e.g., the purpose of the ordinance) before submitting to baptism, if he expects to be recognized by God as a Christian.

B ECOMING A C HRISTIAN

How does one become a Christian? The answer to this important question is not dependent upon idle speculation Clear and compelling biblical evidence reveals the truth of this matter.

Consider Matthew’s record of the Great Commission.

“Go ye therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you: and lo,

I am with you always, even unto the end of the world” (28:19,20).

The verb matheteusate (“make disciples”) is in the imperative mood (a command), and is followed

by a participle (“baptizing”) which sets forth “the manner in which the given action was performed” (Green, p 332) Thus a person is made a “disciple” (in this specialized use of the term) by being immersed into a relationship with the sacred Trinity.

Later disciples become known as “Christians” (Acts 11:26) Thus one becomes a Christian initially when

he or she is immersed into Christ.

Those who refuse immersion, as that ordinance is precisely described in the New Testament, are simply not Christians—no matter how sincere they may be An emotional inclination toward the Son of God is no substitute for genuine obedience.

Paul made it clear that wearing the name of Christ (i.e., being a Christian) was dependent upon accepting the fact that the Lord was crucified on one’s behalf, and being immersed into His name (1 Cor 1:13) Anyone who neglects either of these components cannot be recognized as a Christian.

An analysis of 1 Peter 4:16,17 further clarifies this issue We reproduce the passage as follows, emphasizing certain key expressions.

But if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God?”

There are several equivalent terms as the foregoing emphases reveal To be a Christian is the same as being in the house of God But the house of God is the church (1 Tim 3:15) Thus, it is clear that Christians are in the church.

But membership in the church is the same as membership in the body (Col 1:18,24) Therefore, Christians are those who are in the body of Christ However, one is baptized into the body (1 Cor.

12:13).

We are thus driven to the conclusion that only those who have been biblically immersed are Christians Note also, as suggested above, that the Christian is set in vivid contrast to those who have not obeyed the gospel.

The foregoing considerations make it apparent that there are strict scriptural conditions for becoming a Christian The loose way in which the term “Christian” is employed today is not at all consistent with the biblical use of this sacred designation.

W EARING THE N AME WITH F IDELITY

Is it possible that a child of God can so live as to become unworthy of wearing the name of Christ? Can

he reach a state where the appellation “Christian” really does not even apply any more? There would seem to be some indication this is possible.

The word “Christian,” as it appears in the Greek New Testament, is Christianos The suffix ianos is not uncommon in the literature of the first century It basically means “belonging to.” It was attached to certain words to denote one who was a slave of, or adherent of a person or movement (Free & Vos, p 264).

Thus a Kaisarianos was a slave who belonged to Caesar A Herodian was a devotee of the Herod dynasty (cf Mt 22:16) There was a first-century sect known as the Augustiani The para-military supporters of this movement adored Nero and followed him everywhere (Turner, p 66).

Thus, by way of literary analogy, “Christian” might suggest a devotee of Jesus who was willing to follow his Master anywhere.

In discussing the term chrematizo (“were called” – Acts 11:26), W.E Vine said that the primary significance of the term denoted having business dealings with someone He suggested that the Christians were so named because serving Christ was their “chief business” (p 165).

The question is: do we really make it our business to serve the Lord faithfully each day?

Kistemaker raises an interesting point.

The name Christian means that you completely identify with Christ because you are his disciple But for many Christians this identification seems to apply only in a Sunday worship service During the week many Christians appear to have put aside the Christian nametag that they display on Sundays … How do some Christians live? Some live for the sake of money; others are in the process of destroying their bodies through chemical dependence; and still others use vile and profane language as a part of their daily speech “Why are you a Christian?” is personal and to the point It makes many Christians blush (pp 423,424).

There is another question that we should briefly raise Since it is possible for a child of God to fall from the faith (2 Thes 2:3; 1 Tim 4:1), drift into error, and so be worthy of disfellowship (Rom 16:17; 2 Thes 3:6; Tit 3:10), when such occurs, is it appropriate to continue referring to such people as “Christians”?

I simply do not understand the rationale which argues that there are “Christians” in “practically all the denominations known today,” as some in the church are now contending (Shelly, p 126) When one ceases to embrace the teaching of Jesus Christ, he is no longer worthy of the Lord’s name.

Every Christian should resolve that he will not wear the name of Christ in a vain or degrading way May

we indeed glorify God in this name (1 Pet 4:16).

The Growth of the Church

Just prior to His ascension back to heaven, Jesus instructed His disciples to take His gospel to the whole

world:

(Matthew 28:18-20) "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been

given to me {19} Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, {20} and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.""

(Mark 16:15-16) "He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation {16}

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Beginning in Jerusalem they were to take His message to “the uttermost parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in

Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.""

The apostles executed the commission with promptness and zeal; the rapid growth and influence of the church under their direction gives evidence of this fact.

From its establishment as recorded in Acts 2 to the end of its recorded history in the New Testament, the church enjoyed phenomenal growth:

• Three thousand were added to it in2:41

• People were being added “daily” 2:47

• “Many believed” and “the number of men came to about 5,000” (4:4)

• “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (5:14)

• “The number of disciples was multiplying” (6:1)

• In Samaria, “and multitudes with one accord heeded the things spoken by Philip” (9:31)

• The spread of the church among the Gentile world is seen in the preaching journeys and

subsequent activities of the apostle Paul which begin in Acts 13 It would reach such a point of influence that the presence of the church was felt throughout the whole world (Col 1:23).

• Most major cities and villages had churches and at the end of the 1 st century the church stood strong in many parts of the world

The Beginning of Apostasy

With the passing of the apostolic age, Christians gradually drifted into a state of apostasy With this passing of time, false teachers began to have more influence.

The apostles foretold some of its coming:

(Acts 20:28-30) "Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood {29} I know that after

I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock {30} Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."

(2 Thessalonians 2:1-12) "Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers, {2} not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by some prophecy, report or letter supposed to have come from us, saying that the day of the Lord has already come {3} Don't let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction {4} He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God's temple, proclaiming himself to be God {5} Don't you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things? {6} And now you know what is holding him back, so that he may be revealed at the proper time {7} For the secret power of lawlessness is already at work; but the one who now holds it back will continue to do so till he is taken out of the way {8} And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming {9} The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, {10} and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved {11} For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie {12} and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness."

(1 Timothy 4:1-3) "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons {2} Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron {3} They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth."

(2 Timothy 4:1-4) "In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: {2} Preach the Word; be prepared

in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction {3} For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear {4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

(2 Peter 2:1-2) "But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them bringing swift destruction on themselves {2} Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute."

Campbell, Alexander (1914), Campbell-Purcell Debate (Nashville: McQuiddy).

Free, Joseph & Vos, Howard (1992), Archaeology and Bible History (Grand Rapids: Baker).

Green, Samuel G (1907), Handbook to the Grammar of the Greek Testament (London: Religious Tract Society) Kistemaker, Simon J (1990), New Testament Commentary-Acts (Grand Rapids: Baker).

Moffatt, James (1906) in: A Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, Ed J Hastings, (Edinburgh: T.&T Clark) Vol I Russell, Bertrand (1975), “What Is an Agnostic?” Religions of America, Ed., Leo Rosten (New York: Simon &

Schuster).

Russell, Bertrand (1967), Why I Am Not a Christian (New York: Simon & Schuster).

Shelly, Rubel (1984), I Just Want to Be a Christian (Nashville: 20th Century Christian).

Turner, Nigel (1981), Christian Words (Nashville: Nelson).

Vine, W.E (1940), Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words (Westwood, NJ: Fleming Revell),Vol I.

Woods, Guy N (1976), Questions and Answers (Henderson, TN: Freed-Hardeman College), Vol I.

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

#3 Apostasy and Persecution

When Martin Luther visited Rome in the fall of 1510, he was appalled by the spiritual laxity he observed

—even in the priesthood His dissatisfaction with the Catholic Church would eventually lead to his challenge of that system, which was culminated when he nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the door of the cathedral in Wittenberg, Germany on October 31, 1517 But Luther simply wanted to reform the church of his day; he had no vision of leaving it.

Professor Harold O.J Brown has written:

“[I]t was not Luther’s intention to found a new church, but simply to purify the old one from the time

of the Reformation there were new churches—first the Lutheran, then the Reformed, and finally the Anglican From its beginning, the Reformation created new churches as no other movement had suceeded

in doing” (Heresies, Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1998, p 311).

The church of the Middle Ages, however, was far too corrupt to yield to any “band-aid” reformatory process Though men like Luther, Calvin, Wesley and others were perhaps moved by noble motives, they erred by thinking they bettered religious conditions by establishing new religious movements These movements carried much of Rome’s theological baggage.

Happily, however, by-and-by men would arise—both in Europe and in America—who would grasp the

concept of restoring Christianity to its primitive status, free from the stifling encumbrances of sectarianism The ideal was to start afresh Honest souls, in humble fashion, would embrace nothing but

the pure gospel of Christ, unveneered by human tradition, and follow the New Testament as their only

rule of faith and practice What a breath-taking concept it was—indeed still is, at this very hour!

T HE “R ESTORATION ” I DEAL

There are two basic attitudes regarding the Christian religion.

1 One disposition affirms that Jehovah, across several millennia of history, meticulously prepared for the initial advent of Christ, and the spiritual system—Christianity—that He would inaugurate This ideology argues that the divine format of the Christian system—as such existed in the first century under the guidance of inspired teachers—was exactly what God intended it to be

Moreover, this view asserts that this sacred plan, as designed by the eternal and omniscient Creator, would be perpetually relevant, thus age-lasting (cf Dan 2:44) Those who advocate this concept maintain that if the world is ever to be saved, it must conform to the mold of primitive Christianity—and that the reverse should never prevail (cf Rom 12:2).

2 On the other hand, there is the adverse theory which alleges that the Christian religion was not designed to be static Proponents of this credo argue that aside from a few “core” components (e.g., the fact that Jesus is the Son of God, and that He died for the sins of humanity, etc.), the

advocates of “Christianity” are free to alter its forms and rites, fashioning them anew as cultural

peculiarities fluctuate Supposedly, the Christian movement is free to experience an

“evolutionary” development It is thus suggested that the “Christianity” of today may be vastly different from that of the first century—yet still enjoy Heaven’s approval.

Which of these concepts is valid? Anyone with more than a smattering knowledge of Scripture should know that the first view is the correct one And yet, amazingly, the second proposition is being advocated

by an increasing number of people—even a growing number within the church of the Lord.

It is not at all surprising that society finds the “new Christianity” appealing We have been brainwashed to believe that anything “new” is also “improved.” The marketplace is flooded with “new and improved” products And so, many reason, why doesn’t the same principle apply in religion?

The world of sectarianism has long operated on the premise that Christianity may “change” as circumstances demand Catholicism employed this rationale as the basis upon which it adopted many pagan practices (e.g., the use of the Rosary, the worship of the Virgin Mary, etc.) in order to attract heathen converts (Mosheim, p 105) Allegedly, this made the pagan feel more comfortable in his new

“Christian” environment The Roman Church makes no apology for the fact that she can modify her doctrine as the times or culture changes Many can remember when it was considered sinful for Catholics

to eat meat on Friday Today, it is not even a matter of conversational interest among many.

The Protestant sects, in actual practice, subscribe to a similar “evolutionary” approach to Christianity For example, a popular creed book states:

“It is most likely that in the Apostolic age when there was but ‘one Lord, one faith, and one baptism,’ and no differing denominations existed, the baptism of a convert by that very act constituted him a member of the church, and at once endowed him with all the rights and privileges of full membership In

that sense, ‘baptism was the door into the church.’ Now, it is different “(Hiscox, p 22; emp WJ).

Why is it different? Who made it so? Certainly not God Rather, arrogant men have assumed they have the right, and the wisdom, to renovate the divine scheme of redemption The very attitude is an atrocity Not only has mainstream denominationalism contended that it is permissible to change the original forms and ceremonies of New Testament doctrine, it has even radically altered its concept of morality Several decades ago there could not be found a solitary religious body, remotely professing Christian principles, that would endorse homosexuality Now, the defenders of sodomy are disgustingly numerous.

If Christianity may be re-designed with reference to its religious dogma, why not re-write its moral code

as well? The very idea is absurd.

The early Church went through various stages of imperial persecutions and during this period theorganization of the church began to undergo a gradual change which marked the beginning of agreat apostasy The apostles had definitely foretold that a falling away would take place Theyhad even warned that false teachers would arise from within the church, even from among itselders, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them.1

In view of the predictions of the apostles, it is interesting to notice that the first departure fromthe New Testament pattern which history records did take place through the action of someelders of the church of the Lord

CHANGE IN ORGANIZATION

Sometime during the second century the practice was introduced of selecting one of the elders to preside over the meetings as a permanent president This elder was called the "bishop" to distinguish him from the other elders The New Testament applies the terms "elders" and "bishops" to the same men in the church No distinction was made among them in rank or authority

When this distinction in name was introduced, of course it was followed by a distinction of authority The presiding elder of a city church was soon recognized with more authority than the presiding elder of smaller churches

The bishop came to be recognized as having greater voice in the affairs of the church than other elders The authority of the bishop increased until each bishop was assigned a definite territory was called a diocese In some cases the diocese was so large that one bishop could not look after it, and this situation called for a division of the territory In this way, another class of officer was created He was called the

"Chorepiscopus" or "Country Bishop." His rank was midway between the "City Bishop" and the elders There were five leading Bishops, or Patriarchs as they were called They lived in Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople.

Various questions and problems would arise and it was thought necessary for the Bishop and Presbyters or elders to meet and discuss them This gave rise to the practice of calling occasional conventions This idea grew until these conventions took on the nature of permanent institutions and were known as Synods and

Councils They were called synods by the Greeks and councils by the Latins Those who attended these

meetings gradually became legislative bodies with power to decide issues and make decrees for the churches.

The Council and Synods were presided over by the bishops of the churches from the chief cities This naturally augmented the power of these Bishops The position of president of a council soon came to be regarded as an office within itself The situation called for a name to distinguish this officer from other bishops in the church So a new name in church organization was added to the already growing list of

unscriptural offices and officers Those who presided over the councils were called metropolitans.

Up to the fourth century these Councils or Synods were held in the various provinces over which the Metropolitans ruled and each Metropolitan was independent of all the other Metropolitans in the government of his province (In) 325 A.D the emperor Constantine called the first General Ecumenical Council This Council was composed of Commissioners from all the churches of the Christian World and represented the Church Universal 2

The ecclesiastical rulers who were placed over these larger districts were called patriarchs, which means

"chief fathers." At first there were only three patriarchs; at Rome, Alexandria and Antioch Later, the bishops of Jerusalem and Constantinople were made Patriarchs, making five in all.

A study of these facts of history should serve as a solemn reminder that small beginnings in the wrong direction may result in wide departures from the truth of God The organization of the church underwent

so many changes that it held no resemblance to the New Testament pattern God’s way was for each congregation to have elders and deacons The elders were also called bishop, pastors and presbyters.

As the movement began away from this simple plan, first we see one elder distinguished from others as the bishop; then there were city bishops and country bishops; next there came the metropolitans; then the patriarchs This brings us to within one step of the pope who gained power over both church and state.

Of this changes in the organization of the church, Mosheim says,

Hence, it came to pass that, at the conclusion of this century (4 th Century), there remained no more than a mere shadow of the ancient government of the church Many of the privileges which had formerly belonged to the presbyters and people were usurped by the bishops, and many of the rights, which had been formerly vested in the universal church, were transferred to the emperors, and to subordinate officers and magistrates 3

DOCTRINES WHICH CONTRIBUTED TO APOSTASY

1 Arianism Sometime around AD 33, Christ Jesus, the son of God was crucified, ushering in the

close of the Old Covenant and initiating a new basis for a relationship with God through the New Testament After Pentecost, congregations of the Lord’s church were established and the gospel was spread throughout the world During the first couple of centuries, the church endured persecution and grew quite quickly As is always true concerning the church comprised of human beings, challenges began to arise from within Controversies began to challenge the unity of the autonomous congregations of the Lord’s people On of the largest of those challenges became known as the Arian controversy (Arianism).

Arias tried to use reason to understand the nature of Christ He asserted that Jesus was a sort of lesser god, higher than men but not equal with God the Father Arias got hung up on the concept

of Jesus being “begotten” of the Father Since the Father was never created, the son (“begotten”) had an origin and was thus less than the Father This challenged the basic New Testament theology of atonement, since for Jesus to take our place he had to be God/man.

2 Asceticism Rigid self-discipline by which the spirit was able to overcome the flesh It held the

idea that the more one suffered and denied himself, the nearer he was to God This doctrine led

to the building of monasteries where monks lived isolated from the world Others formswere fasting, poverty, and later celibacy

3 Montanism Taught during the 2nd and 3rd centuries, Tertullian, who was converted toChristianity in 201 or 202, was said to be its leader Montanists taught the possibility ofmiracles, revelations, prophecies and gifts of the Holy Spirit They were among the first

to teach the theory of a 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth They were strongadvocates of asceticism

4 Ebionism This was a doctrine held by Jewish Christians They held to the Old Testament

and considered themselves God’s chosen people and better than the Gentiles Themoderate ones were charitable to the Gentiles and considered them members of thechurch The other group was more rigid and would have no fellowship with Gentiles.They considered Christ a prophet but not the Son of God They considered the command

of fleshly circumcision still binding as well as others parts of the Law of Moses Much ofthe problems Paul and the early church had was because of this group

5 Gnosticism This was a combination of Christianity and paganism It was an attempt to

answer the origin of God, the world, etc,, and to explain the existence of good and evil.They believed that all matter is evil and hence God and matter are opposed to each other

It was popular in the 2nd century but had all but disappeared by the 6th century

DISTINCTION BETWEEN CLERGY AND LAITY

Another departure from the New Testament pattern which gradually took place along with the changes of church organizations was the distinction between preachers and other members of the church By the close of the Second Century the idea began to take shape that the ministry possessed the attributes of the priesthood This idea borrowed support form Judaism

The effect was that the clergy came to be exalted in the popular opinion as a higher order and was separated from the laity This idea has manifested itself in various ways and to varying degrees in the different religious groups down through the years It is because of this that preachers and religious leaders

have dared to wear such titles as father and reverend which belong only to God.

When we consider the arrogance and the utter lack of humility which characterizes many who stand in the pulpits of out land today, we cannot help but recall the unassuming nature and the deep humility which filled the lives of such men of God as Peter and Paul When Peter arrived at Caesarea and was met by Cornelius, who fell at his and worshipped him, he raised him up saying, "Stand up, I myself also am a man." 4

When the multitudes of Lystra made ready their sacrifices that they might offer them in worship to Paul and Barnabas as gods, these gospel preachers rent their garments and sprang forth among the multitudes, crying out and saying, "Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good tidings, that ye should turn from these vain things unto a living God." 5

The apostles and other New Testament preachers being our example, there is nothing at all in the divine record to justify the practice of having preachers to dress differently from other members of the church and of giving them glorious titles which the Bible ascribes to God.

THE COUNCIL OF NICEA

Since this lesson brings us to the close of a distinct period in church history known as the Ante-Nicene Period, it is well to close with mention of the Council of Nicea.

The three outstanding controversies of doctrine which marked this period are known to history as:

1.The Arian Controversy, which had to do with the doctrine of the Trinity, especially the relation of the Father and the Son;

2 The Appolinarian Controversy, with reference to the nature of Christ;

3 The Pelagian Controversy over questions relating to sin and salvation As has been pointed out, the method of attempting to settle such controversies was to call the church together in councils At these councils the votes were cast by bishops Their decisions were bound upon the lower clergy and the laity.

In an effort to calm the trouble which had resulted from the Arian Controversy, Constantine called a council of the bishops which met in Nicea in Bithynia, 325 A.D It was attended by 318 bishops and was presided over by the emperor Constantine Creeds were introduced as a basis of compromise But the final result was the adoption of a formal statement of faith now known as "The Nicene Creed." "The Council adjourned about the middle of August ‘The Creed of Creeds’ had been born; Christianity had become the state religion; and civil and ecclesiastical governments were joining hands." 6

The Emperor Constantine (he was the one who made Christianity the only religion of the Roman empire, giving birth to the “Holy Roman Empire”) called elders from churches all over the world to attend a

conference to deal with the growing heresy The Council took place at Nicea in A.D 325, and it is accredited by most historians as the beginning of the Roman Catholic church.

Once at Nicea, since elders from all over were in attendance, many other issues were discussed and voted

on Arianism was pronounced as heresy, but in addition some twenty canons (church rules) were established One cannon (number 15) made it illegal for bishops, priests, or deacons to pass from one church to another The Council of Nicea established a precedent in many ways For instance, until that time each congregation had multiple elders that ruled autonomous congregations Heresies can spread through autonomous congregations because of the lack of external “control” or church hierarchical government Each congregation sent an elder to the council, and that elder became the representative of his congregation to the council These representative elders became known as bishops (another word for elder in the Bible, but a word we do not use much) and this “head elder” relationship set the precedent for church hierarchy.

Over the next several hundred years, the hierarchy of the Catholic (the word means “universal”) church grew into the complex system that we see today As you can see, the initial reason for the council was to get control of a controversy and to make it more difficult for such heresies to grow among individual churches It is here that we must take note of how digression away from God’s design usually begins At the root of much heresy is pragmatic human reasoning that is intended to solve a practical current issue

In 313 A.D Constantine issued his Edict of Toleration which officially put an end to the persecutions against Christianity by a pagan government Christianity had won the victory over heathenism, but no sooner than rest came from persecution by heathen hands, a new conflict arose There arose a series of controversies within the church over doctrine

Instrumental music was first introduced into worship, not as a theological issue, but as a pragmatic one:

“the singing was so bad that it even scared away the church mice.” The priest that introduced it was merely trying to enhance church growth (not scare off visitors) because his small congregation sang so poorly

While we can applaud his intent, his departure from scripture in his search for pragmatism is deplorable Today, the same justifications are offered in churches of Christ: the church will not grow without it, for that is what the culture seeks Please also note that both of these pragmatic decisions are based upon unbiblical perceptions New Testament assemblies were not oriented toward the lost, but toward God How singing sounds to the lost is not an issue That is why evangelism happened in the streets, not in the assembly That is why they evangelized them and then let God add a newly regenerated mind to the

church (a mind now ready to worship God His way)

By the 1500s, during the Renaissance, the Roman Catholic church had wandered so far away from the Biblical pattern that several men attempted to reform the Catholic Church That movement was known as the Reformation Movement Men like Martin Luther and John Calvin were Catholic priests who wanted

to see the Catholic Church return to basic Biblical teachings These men spent their lives trying to bring about a reformation of Catholicism They still considered themselves Catholic when they died It was not their desire to start splinter churches, it was their followers who did that

They were known as Protestants because they were protesting the apostasies of the Catholic church Most

of the mainline “Christian” denominations in our country began during the Reformation By the late 1700’s there grew a frustration with the lack of progress in the Reformation (to reform the Catholic church) but also a frustration with how many splintered “Christian” denominations had arisen in protest to Catholicism

You must remember that the control that the Catholic hierarchy had been able to exert for centuries appeared to many more like unity than the dozens of spin-off denominations that had resulted from the Reformation Many, including men like Campbell and Stone, began to conclude that what the world

needed was a restart from scratch, not a restructuring of what was so far from the pattern That gave birth

to the American Restoration Movement

The Restoration movement began as a unity movement Campbell was not trying to start another reformation, because he was not trying to reform the Catholic church Nor was he trying to reform the denominations of the day Rather, he called all of them to give up their creeds , etc., and to join the movement to restore simple New Testament Christianity He believed that the authority of the Bible alone could unite Catholics, Protestants, and all under one truth He envisioned there being only one church in the world, the body of Christ, which simply spoke where the Bible spoke and added nothing where the Bible was silent.

Many today, especially in these times of ecumenicalism, view the Churches of Christ as a separatist movement, whose members are working hard to be unlike anyone else Most young people in churches of Christ are not aware that the Restoration Movement began as a unity movement In the 1800’s and early 1900’s the Restoration Movement grew quickly At the turn of the twentieth century, due to division over such issues as missionary societies and instrumental music, The Restoration Movement divided into Churches of Christ and Christian Churches Not long after, the Christian Church divided into the Christian Church and the Christian Church Disciples of Christ All three of these groups have their roots in the same Restoration Movement.

Because the Catholic church was almost monolithic for 1200 years, restoration was not a concept that church folks had In fact, it was the lack of continual, ongoing restoration that led to apostasy Such is always the case When churches stop restoring, they wander away from truth It is inevitable As we will see in lesson three, not long after the apostle Paul started a church he started restoring it When restoration comes to an end in churches of Christ, apostasy will soon follow As we shall also see, in some of our congregations restoration has already ceased Because the Catholic church did not practice restoration, and because the reformation churches were attempting to reform a broken system, the world had not seen ongoing restoration since the time of Paul Therefore, many equate restoration with Churches of Christ When we speak of restoration, many of us equate the word with the American Restoration Movement When we think restoration, many of us think of Campbell and Stone As we shall see, there is inherent danger in equating the two We shall learn in the next two lessons that restoration is a process that God has been involved in ever since man was expelled from the Garden of Eden The main theme of all scripture is a restoration theme.

Reference

1 Acts 20:28-31; 2 Tim 4:1-6; 2:1-12

2 George A Klingman, Church History For Busy People (Cincinnati, 1928), 13

3 John L Mosheim, An Ecclesiastical History, Ancient And Modern From The Birth Of Christ To The Beginning Of The Present Century, 6 Vols., Archibald McClain, ed (Philadelphia, 1797),

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

#4 Restoration in the Old Testament

When we use the word restoration in churches of Christ, what often comes to mind is the two hundred plus years of association with the American Restoration Movement Many of us associate the term restoration with people like Alexander Campbell or Barton W Stone In truth, restoration is not new to the Restoration Movement.

God began restoring to himself a holy nation from the moment that Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden Restoration is the main theme of the Old and New Testaments This lesson will focus on the theme of restoration as presented throughout the Old Testament The lesson outline contains many scriptures that set forth restoration notions from the Old Testament These are by no means the only ones And you will not be able to cover all of the ones listed in one class period You will have to highlight certain ones and refer to others in order to cover the material contained in this lesson.

One of the reasons that we equate restoration concepts with the movement rather than as a natural process, is because for thousands of years (under Catholic and Protestant influence) restoration ceased to

be a part of the ongoing practice of the church, although it is demonstrated in scripture One of the most

important things that the American Restoration Movement restored was the focus on the need for continual restoration in the Lord’s church.

That is a process that must still be ongoing today Please point out from your Old Testament survey how lack of continual restoration always led to apostasy and falling away.

T HE B IBLICAL P LATFORM

The fact is, the Bible teaches that when the Creator establishes a system of religion, its obligations are to remain intact until God Himself provides evidence that it no longer is operative No one is to presume to modify the divine arrangement The Old Testament emphasizes this principle repeatedly.

Surely no clearer example of this concept can be found than that of the sad case of Jeroboam I, the premier king of northern Israel His apostasy from the Mosaic pattern is carefully documented in 1 Kings

13 Note the following:

1 He changed the object of worship from the invisible God to golden calves, which were to

represent the Lord

2 The monarch switched the sacred center of devotion from Jerusalem to Bethel and Dan

3 Priests could be selected from tribes other than Levi

4 A new feast was inaugurated to rival the feast of the tabernacles.

Modern “Jeroboams” doubtless would endorse these alterations as quite refreshing; after all, we can’t be stifled by “traditionalism.” Jehovah’s attitude, however, was radically different In approximately twenty- one passages the Old Testament refers to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who “made Israel to sin” (cf 1 Kgs 14:16) Innovation is transgression!

Read and discuss these Old Testament examples of restoration :

Genesis 3:22-24; Revelation 22:1-5

(Genesis 3:22-24) "And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." {23} So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which

he had been taken {24} After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life."

(Revelation 22:1-5) "Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb {2} down the middle of the great street of the city On each side

of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations {3} No longer will there be any curse The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him {4} They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads {5} There will be no more night They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light And they will reign for ever and ever."

1 Why was man removed from the garden?

2 What became of the tree of life?

3 When will the wonderful situation of the Garden be restored?

Judges 2:11-23

(Judges 2:11-23) "Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD and served the Baals {12} They forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of Egypt They followed and worshiped various gods of the peoples around them They provoked the LORD to anger {13} because they forsook him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths {14} In his anger against Israel the LORD handed them over to raiders who plundered them He sold them to their enemies all around, whom they were no longer able to resist {15} Whenever Israel went out to fight, the hand of the LORD was against them to defeat them, just as he had sworn to them They were in great distress {16} Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them out of the hands of these raiders {17} Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them Unlike their fathers, they quickly turned from the way in which their fathers had walked, the way of obedience to the Lord's commands {18} Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the LORD had compassion on them as they groaned under those who oppressed and afflicted them {19} But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt than those of their fathers, following other gods and serving and worshiping them They refused

to give up their evil practices and stubborn ways {20} Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel and said, "Because this nation has violated the covenant that I laid down for their forefathers and has not listened to me, {21} I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died {22} I will use them to test Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the LORD and walk in it as their forefathers did." {23} The LORD had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua."

1 When Israel turned to idols, what happened to them?

2 When Israel was oppressed and cried out to God, what did He do?

3 Describe the restoration role of the judges.

2 Chronicles 34:8-10, 18-21, 31-33

(2 Chronicles 34:8-10) "In the eighteenth year of Josiah's reign, to purify the land and the temple, he sent Shaphan son of Azaliah and Maaseiah the ruler of the city, with Joah son of Joahaz, the recorder, to

repair the temple of the LORD his God {9} They went to Hilkiah the high priest and gave him the money that had been brought into the temple of God, which the Levites who were the doorkeepers had collected from the people of Manasseh, Ephraim and the entire remnant of Israel and from all the people of Judah and Benjamin and the inhabitants of Jerusalem {10} Then they entrusted it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the Lord's temple These men paid the workers who repaired and restored the temple."

(2 Chronicles 34:18-21) "Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given

me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king {19} When the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his robes {20} He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Abdon son of Micah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: {21} "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the remnant in Israel and Judah about what is written in this book that has been found Great is the Lord's anger that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written in this book.""

(2 Chronicles 34:31-33) "The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and keep his commands, regulations and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, and to obey the words of the covenant written in this book {32} Then he had everyone in Jerusalem and Benjamin pledge themselves to it; the people of Jerusalem did this in accordance with the covenant of God, the God of their fathers {33} Josiah removed all the detestable idols from all the territory belonging to the Israelites, and he had all who were present in Israel serve the LORD their God.

As long as he lived, they did not fail to follow the LORD, the God of their fathers."

1 What did Josiah do with the money the Levites collected?

2 What did Josiah do when the lost book of the law was read to him? Why?

3 Describe the restoration that Josiah led when he discovered the book of the law.

Ezra 1:1-11 ; Chapter 3

(Ezra 1) "In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: {2} "This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: "'The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah {3} Anyone of his people among you may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem {4} And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.'" {5} Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites everyone whose heart God had moved prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem {6} All their neighbors assisted them with articles of silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with valuable gifts, in addition to all the freewill offerings {7} Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god {8} Cyrus king of Persia had them brought by Mithredath the treasurer, who counted them out to Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah {9} This was the inventory: gold dishes 30 silver dishes 1,000 silver pans 29 {10} gold bowls 30 matching silver bowls 410 other articles 1,000 {11} In all, there were 5,400 articles of gold and of silver Sheshbazzar brought all these along when the exiles came up from Babylon

to Jerusalem."

(Ezra 3) "When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, the people assembled as one man in Jerusalem {2} Then Jeshua son of Jozadak and his fellow priests and Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and his associates began to build the altar of the God of Israel to sacrifice burnt offerings on it, in accordance with what is written in the Law of Moses the man of God {3} Despite their fear of the peoples around them, they built the altar on its foundation and sacrificed burnt offerings

on it to the LORD, both the morning and evening sacrifices {4} Then in accordance with what is written, they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles with the required number of burnt offerings prescribed for each

day {5} After that, they presented the regular burnt offerings, the New Moon sacrifices and the sacrifices for all the appointed sacred feasts of the LORD, as well as those brought as freewill offerings to the LORD {6} On the first day of the seventh month they began to offer burnt offerings to the LORD, though the foundation of the Lord's temple had not yet been laid {7} Then they gave money to the masons and carpenters, and gave food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre, so that they would bring cedar logs by sea from Lebanon to Joppa, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia {8} In the second month

of the second year after their arrival at the house of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Jeshua son of Jozadak and the rest of their brothers (the priests and the Levites and all who had returned from the captivity to Jerusalem) began the work, appointing Levites twenty years of age and older to supervise the building of the house of the LORD {9} Jeshua and his sons and brothers and Kadmiel and his sons (descendants of Hodaviah ) and the sons of Henadad and their sons and brothers all Levites joined together in supervising those working on the house of God {10} When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD, the priests in their vestments and with trumpets, and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with cymbals, took their places to praise the LORD, as prescribed by David king of Israel {11} With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the LORD: "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid {12} But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy {13} No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise And the sound was heard far away."

1 Through whom did God lead the restoration of the temple?

2 Who restored the holy vessels of the temple?

3 Why did the temple need to be rebuilt? Why had it been destroyed?

4 Why did the altar and sacrifices need to be restored?

Nehemiah 1:1-4; 2:11-16; 4:6

(Nehemiah 1:1-4) "The words of Nehemiah son of Hacaliah: In the month of Kislev in the twentieth year, while I was in the citadel of Susa, {2} Hanani, one of my brothers, came from Judah with some other men, and I questioned them about the Jewish remnant that survived the exile, and also about Jerusalem {3} They said to me, "Those who survived the exile and are back in the province are in great trouble and disgrace The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates have been burned with fire." {4} When I heard these things, I sat down and wept For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God

of heaven."

(Nehemiah 2:11-16) "I went to Jerusalem, and after staying there three days {12} I set out during the night with a few men I had not told anyone what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem There were no mounts with me except the one I was riding on {13} By night I went out through the Valley Gate toward the Jackal Well and the Dung Gate, examining the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken down, and its gates, which had been destroyed by fire {14} Then I moved on toward the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but there was not enough room for my mount to get through; {15} so I went up the valley by night, examining the wall Finally, I turned back and reentered through the Valley Gate {16} The officials did not know where I had gone or what I was doing, because as yet I had said nothing to the Jews or the priests or nobles or officials or any others who would be doing the work."

(Nehemiah 4:6) "So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart."

1 What did Nehemiah do when he learned of the state of Jerusalem? Why?

2 What was the first thing that Nehemiah did when he got to Jerusalem?

3 Why was the wall rebuilt?

Job 42:10-17

(Job 42:10-17) "After Job had prayed for his friends, the LORD made him prosperous again and gave him twice as much as he had before {11} All his brothers and sisters and everyone who had known him

before came and ate with him in his house They comforted and consoled him over all the trouble the LORD had brought upon him, and each one gave him a piece of silver and a gold ring {12} The LORD blessed the latter part of Job's life more than the first He had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand donkeys {13} And he also had seven sons and three daughters {14} The first daughter he named Jemimah, the second Keziah and the third Keren-Happuch {15} Nowhere in all the land were there found women as beautiful as Job's daughters, and their father granted them an inheritance along with their brothers {16} After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years; he saw his children and their children to the fourth generation {17} And so he died, old and full of years."

1 What did God do for Job at the end of his travail?

2 Was Job restored to a place as good as where he started?

Jeremiah 1:11-19 ; 3:11-14; 33:6-9

(Jeremiah 1:11-19) "The word of the LORD came to me: "What do you see, Jeremiah?" "I see the branch

of an almond tree," I replied {12} The LORD said to me, "You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is fulfilled." {13} The word of the LORD came to me again: "What do you see?" "I see a boiling pot, tilting away from the north," I answered {14} The LORD said to me, "From the north disaster will be poured out on all who live in the land {15} I am about to summon all the peoples of the northern kingdoms," declares the LORD "Their kings will come and set up their thrones in the entrance

of the gates of Jerusalem; they will come against all her surrounding walls and against all the towns of Judah {16} I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me, in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made {17} "Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them {18} Today I have made you a fortified city, an iron pillar and a bronze wall to stand against the whole land against the kings of Judah, its officials, its priests and the people of the land {19} They will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD."

(Jeremiah 3:11-14) "The LORD said to me, "Faithless Israel is more righteous than unfaithful Judah {12} Go, proclaim this message toward the north: "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD, 'I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful,' declares the LORD, 'I will not be angry forever {13} Only acknowledge your guilt you have rebelled against the LORD your God, you have scattered your favors

to foreign gods under every spreading tree, and have not obeyed me,'" declares the LORD {14} "Return, faithless people," declares the LORD, "for I am your husband I will choose you one from a town and two from a clan and bring you to Zion."

(Jeremiah 33:6-9) ""'Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security {7} I will bring Judah and Israel back from captivity and will rebuild them as they were before {8} I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me {9} Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.'"

1 Why was Jeremiah called by God?

2 Did Jeremiah have a message of restoration through repentance?

3 Does God take joy in restoring His people?

Ezekial 3:4-9 ; 11:16-20

(Ezekiel 3:4-9) "He then said to me: "Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them {5} You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel {6} not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you {7} But the house of Israel

is not willing to listen to you because they are not willing to listen to me, for the whole house of Israel is

hardened and obstinate {8} But I will make you as unyielding and hardened as they are {9} I will make your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint Do not be afraid of them or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house.""

(Ezekiel 11:16-20) ""Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Although I sent them far away among the nations and scattered them among the countries, yet for a little while I have been a sanctuary for them in the countries where they have gone.' {17} "Therefore say: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I will gather you from the nations and bring you back from the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you back the land of Israel again.' {18} "They will return to it and remove all its vile images and detestable idols {19} I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh {20} Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws They will be my people, and I will be their God."

1 Did God predict that His people would listen to Ezekial’s message?

2 Did God promise restoration for His people if they would follow Him?

Hosea 1: 1-9 ; 2:14-23

(Hosea 1:1-9) "The word of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and during the reign of Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel: {2} When the LORD began to speak through Hosea, the LORD said to him, "Go, take to yourself

an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the LORD." {3} So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son {4} Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call him Jezreel, because I will soon punish the house of Jehu for the massacre at Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel {5} In that day I will break Israel's bow in the Valley of Jezreel." {6} Gomer conceived again and gave birth to a daughter Then the LORD said to Hosea, "Call her Lo-Ruhamah, for I will no longer show love to the house of Israel, that I should at all forgive them {7} Yet I will show love to the house of Judah; and I will save them not by bow, sword or battle, or by horses and horsemen, but by the LORD their God." {8} After she had weaned Lo-Ruhamah, Gomer had another son {9} Then the LORD said, "Call him Lo-Ammi, for you are not my people, and I am not your God."

(Hosea 2:14-23) ""Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her {15} There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt {16} "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.' {17} I will remove the names of the Baals from her lips; no longer will their names be invoked {18} In that day

I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air and the creatures that move along the ground Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety {19} I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion {20} I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD {21} "In that day I will respond," declares the LORD "I will respond to the skies, and they will respond to the earth; {22} and the earth will respond to the grain, the new wine and oil, and they will respond to Jezreel {23} I will plant her for myself in the land; I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one ' I will say

to those called 'Not my people, ' 'You are my people'; and they will say, 'You are my God.'""

1 What did Hosea’s marriage to Gomer represent? Why?

2 What did Hosea’s children’s names mean? Why did God have him name them such?

3 Would God “allure” an adulteress back to himself? Would He forgive her and restore her or would she remain a slave?

Joel 3:18-21

(Joel 3:18-21) "'In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water A fountain will flow out of the Lord's house and will water the valley

of acacias {19} But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people

of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood {20} Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations {21} Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.' The LORD dwells in Zion!"

1 Why does most every book of prophesy end with a message of restoration?

2 Is God an optimist? Why or why not?

Amos 2:4-8 ; 5:4-8; 9:11-15

(Amos 2:4-8) "This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back

my wrath Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, {5} I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem." {6} This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Israel, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath They sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals {7} They trample on the heads of the poor as upon the dust of the ground and deny justice to the oppressed Father and son use the same girl and so profane my holy name {8} They lie down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge In the house of their god they drink wine taken as fines."

(Amos 5:4-8) "This is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: "Seek me and live; {5} do not seek Bethel, do not go to Gilgal, do not journey to Beersheba For Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will be reduced to nothing." {6} Seek the LORD and live, or he will sweep through the house of Joseph like a fire; it will devour, and Bethel will have no one to quench it {7} You who turn justice into bitterness and cast righteousness to the ground {8} (he who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns blackness into dawn and darkens day into night, who calls for the waters of the sea and pours them out over the face of the land the LORD is his name "

(Amos 9:11-15) ""In that day I will restore David's fallen tent I will repair its broken places, restore its ruins, and build it as it used to be, {12} so that they may possess the remnant of Edom and all the nations that bear my name, " declares the LORD, who will do these things {13} "The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills {14} I will bring back my exiled people Israel; they will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit {15} I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them," says the LORD your God."

1 Was Israel and Judah’s downfall inevitable?

2 Does every human being fall away from God?

3 Does God always given fallen people a promise of restoration if they will turn to Him?

A study of Church History/Restoration Movement

The Early Church

Attention has been called to the divine pattern for the church as it is revealed on the pages of the New Testament The church as we see it in the New Testament was just as God wanted it It was characterized by unity of doctrine, organization, worship and work Various New Testament writers sounded a note of warning that a great apostasy would take place-men would depart fromthe faith, speaking perverse things

We now turn to secular history and begin the arduous task of tracing the development of various circumstances and ideas which presented themselves after the close of the New Testament period The particular period of church history in which we are interested in this lesson is what isknown as "The Ante-Nicene Period." By "Ante-Nicene period" is meant the period between the close of the New Testament and the Council of Nicea (325 A.D.) at which the Nicene Creed was adopted

THE CONDITION OF THE ROMAN WORLD

At the time that Christianity had its beginning, the Roman Empire was ruled by men placed at itshead by the army The population consisted of three classes: the wealthy, the slaves, and the middle class of free-citizens The wealthy lolled in luxury, being served by their salves

The poorer classes only lived for bread and circuses The circuses were brutal, debasing, and bloody; The nation groaned under heavy taxation that went for such a waste and

extravagance The state came first, the home had little place in Paganism Women were

considered as chattel property : and little children were often cruelly mistreated : and if born deformed, or their parents did not want them, they were exposed to die, or killed.1

Most of the emperors were cruel, wicked and extravagant "It was into such a morally

degenerate, sensual and cruel world that Christianity was thrust, to conquer and raise to a fit place in which to live."2

PERSECUTIONS AGAINST THE EARLY CHURCH

During the New Testament period of the church its members were subjected to various attacks bythe enemies of Christianity At the first, the source of persecution was the Jews But, when the Roman government began to recognise Christianity as a religion separate from Judaism, it was regarded as an illegal religion Christians then came under the fire of heathen persecutors

In the life-time of the apostles, the two main waves of persecution which swept over the church

at the hands of heathen rulers were waged by Nero (A.D.89-96)

Of the persecution by Nero, Fisher says,

The first marked instance of heathen enmity on record was the persecution under Nero It is described by the Roman historian Tacitus From his account we see that the Christians were then well known as a distinct sect Nero, who was justly detested for his brutal tyranny, in order to avert form himself what was, perhaps, a groundless suspicion of having set Rome on fire,

accused the Christians of having kindled the flames which had laid in ashes a great part of the city.3 Fisher quotes form Tacitus who tells how a "vast multitude were convicted And in their death they were made the subjects of sport, for they were convered with hides of wild beasts, andworried to death by dogs, or nailed to crosses, or set fire to, and when day declined were burned

to serve for nocturnal lights."4

The persecution of the emperor Domitian reached its height about A.D.95 Domitian is described

by historians as a cruel and worthless ruler with a jealous temper He caused hundreds of

believers to be put to death Among those who perished was his own cousin Many were

banished and the property of others was confiscated

SOME PRINCIPAL PERSECUTORS AND SOME PROMINENT MARTRYS AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE NEW TESTAMENT PERIOD

It will be impossible to mention and discuss all heathen rulers who had a part in persecuting the follower of Christ during this period Reference will be made to some of the principal ones

About 111 A.D Pliny, governor of Bithynia, wrote letters to the emperor Trajan calling his attention to a problem that had been created in his district by the increasing number of

Christians He called Christianity a "superstition" and expressed concern because so many had become Christians that the temples of the heathen gods were almost forsaken Those who made their living by selling animals to be sacrificed to heathen gods had suffered great loss in business.Pliny desired instructions as to how to treat these Christians Trajan replied that they were to be left alone unless they were prosecuted by accusers who would given their names If convicted, they were to be given an opportunity to renounce their faith in Christ If they refused, they were

to be punished While this appeared to be lenient in a way, at the same time it laid the way open for wholesale persecutions by unscrupulous men who were willing to accuse and testify against the Christian falsely

One of the most prominent martyrs under the reign of Trajan was Ignatius of Antioch While being taken to Roman he exhorted Christians on the way and prayed that he might have the honor of dying for Christ He was thrown to the wild beasts in the Roman amphitheatre about

108 A.D Fox’s Book of Martyrs says that as Ignatius heard the roaring of the lions, he shouted:

"I am the wheat of Christ: I am going to be ground with the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found pure bread."5

Marcus Aurelius, who reigned from 161 to 180 A.D., is described as a just and virtuous ruler, andyet he poured out bitter persecutions upon the followers of Christ He was determined to restore the ancient religious practices and the old Roman way of life He regarded the Christians as innovators and, therefore, sought to suppress them by force He used many cruel means in putting believers to death

A prominent martyr during his reign was Polycarp He was brought before the governor and called upon to curse the name of Jesus Christ His reply was: "Six and eighty years have I served

him, and he has done me nothing but good; and how could I curse him, my Lord and Saviour!"6

Whereupon, he was burned to death (155 A.D)

The followers of Christ were persecuted by emperor after emperor through the years, some fierce, others mild A period of peace from persecutions was introduced by the reign of Gallineus

in 260 A.D which lasted for about forty years During this period, large expensive church buildings were erected and the church became rich, its members worldly and contentious

The most formidable and systematic of all the persecutions of this period was the last one which was waged by Diocletian in 303 He was a man of great talents as a statesman and was a

conservative Roman He "determined to exterminate Christianity and to reinstate the ancient system of worship."7

Hurlbut describes the drastic measures of Diocletian in the following statement:

In a series of edicts it was ordered that every copy of the Bible should be burned; that all

churches-which had arisen throughout the empire during the half-century of comparative rest from persecutions-should be torn down; that all who would not renounce the Christian religion should lose their citizenship and be outside the protection of the law In some places the

Christians were assembled in their churches, which were set on fire, and burned with all the worshipers within their wall.8

Rest came to the church from persecution by heathen emperor in 313 A.D When Constantine issued his Edict of Toleration "By this law Christianity was sanctioned, its worship was made lawful, and all persecution ceased, not to be renewed while the Roman Empire endured."9

REASONS FOR THESE PERSECUTIONS

Upon first thought it might be regarded as strange that a body of religious believers so harmless

as the followers of Christ should be the object of such bitter wrath as that which was poured out

by these heathen rulers But a reflection upon certain facts and circumstances will help one to see why this occurred

1 Heathenism welcomed many gods The Romans were noted for their multiplicity of gods

Christianity, however, opposed all worship except to the one God, Jehovah.

2 Idol worship was interwoven with all phases of life among the Roman citizens Christians refused

to offer sacrifices to these false gods Consequently, they were branded as atheists and enemies of their fellowmen

3 Emperor worship was required of all, Christians refused to "bow down" before the emperor’s image For this reason they failed to pass the chief test of loyalty to the State

4 After the destruction of Jerusalem, Christianity came to be regarded as an offspring of Jewish fanaticism

5 The secret meetings of the Christians, a they assembled in the caves and catacombs for worship, aroused suspicion Wild rumors spread abroad as to the real purpose of these meetings

6 Christianity looked upon all as equals It made no distinction between masters and slaves This, of course was contrary to the spirit of the Roman world

7 Business interests often caused Christians to be persecuted When those who made and sold images saw their business hindered because multitudes were turning from idol gods to serve the living God, they sought to suppress Christianity

8 Another cause of persecution against believers was superstition They were charged with causing famines Pestilences, and plagues in the land

9 The influence of pagan philosophies which were propagated by the Stoics and Epicureans caused men to look down upon Christianity because it was accepted by the common and unlettered class,

and because it preached a system of faith and did not prove anything on philosophical grounds Modernists object to Christianity on the same ground today-that it is a system of blind faith Those who reject Christ as the Son of God may profess great learning and depth of thought as they talk glibly of the blindness of Christianity But, it should be remembered that this idea is not a new discovery with them; they borrowed it from pagan philosophers!

BEHAVIOUR OF CHRISTIANS UNDER PERSECUTION

Under the terrors of persecution, there were many who lacked the courage to endure and so renounced their faith in Christ to save their lives Thousands, however, held their faith as dearer than their lives and all earthly things These suffered untold agony, and many died rather than to deny Christ who died for them The meekness and undaunted faith and courage of those

Christians under persecution became more than a match for all the armed power of Rome Their example is an inspiration to Christians in all ages to stand firm in the faith Persecutions of today may be in different forms from those suffered by early Christians, but regardless of whether it comes in the form of bodily harm, ridicule, or slander we must endure Christ suffered for us; Why should we not be willing to suffer for him?

• Fox’s Book of Martyrs, William B Forbush, ed (Philadelphia, 1926), 8

• Fisher, History of the Christian Church, 48

• Ibid 50

• Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church (Philadelphia 1933), 56

• Ibid 57

#4 The Church During the Dark Ages

The Development of Papal power

When Rome lost her place as capital of the world by the founding of Constantinople as the capital of the Roman Empire in 325 A.D., she began to assert her right to be the capital of the church

The five presiding bishops who lived in Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Rome were called "Patriarchs." The Patriarch at Rome took the title of "papa, father," afterward modified into "pope." A bitter battle for power was waged among the patriarchs This battle finally narrowed down to a contest between the pope of Rome and the Patriarch of

Constantinople as to which should be the head of the Church

In 588 A.D the Patriarch of Constantinople, John the Faster, assumed the title of "Universal Bishop of the Church." This was bitterly contested by the pope of Rome In 606 A.D., the

emperor took the title of "Universal Bishop" away from John the Faster and conferred it upon Boniface III then Pope of Rome Thus papal supremacy was formally introduced

The date, 606 A.D really marks the beginning of what is now known as the Roman Catholic Church, in a fully organised state, with the pope of Rome as its head.

THE CULMINATION OF PAPAL POWER

The growth of papal power was gradual The popes took the place of the Roman emperors as the rulers of Italy and later during the time of Charlemagne assumed the power of crowning the kings of Europe As the power of the pope increased, it met with resistance on the part of many kings and princes Bitter controversies occurred One of the most notable of these took place between Henry IV of Germany and Pope Gregory VII, or Hildebrand

Among other acts of discipline which he directed toward Henry’s councellors who had been guilty of simony Henry IV, feeling keenly the threat of his own power, called together the bishops of the Holy Roman Empire and compelled them to depose Gregory as pope The pope then exercised his power and absolved all of Henry’s subjects from allegiance to him Since the pope had great power over the people, Henry was left without a kingdom In order to be forgiven

by the pope and reinstated as king, Henry was forced to lay aside his royal garments and make a journey over the Alps in the dead of winter and approach the pope in his palace at Canossa After being forced to stand outside the castle for three days, with his bare feet in the snow, he was admitted into the pope’s presence on bended knees

"Another famous instance occurred later during the time of Pope Innocent III, who deposed John

as King of England for opposing the Papal authority."1

Innocent III believed that he was the "Vice-regent of God upon earth."2 He believed himself to bethe successor to St Peter and that he possessed "authority, not only over the church, but over the world."3

CATHOLIC CLAIM FOR THE POPE TODAY

At this point, we raise the question as to the power that is claimed by the Pope of Rome today Does the pope still consider himself the successor to St Peter? Does he still believe that the authority to rule over the world in both religious and civil affairs rightfully belongs to him? Doesthe Catholic Church still believe that such power should be exercised by the pope, or have Catholics changed? The only fair way to answer this question is to allow Catholics to speak for themselves Archbishop James Cardinal Gibbons states:

The Church did not die with Peter It was destined to continue till end of time; consequently, whatever official prerogatives were conferred on Peter were not to cease at his death, but were to

be handed down to his successors from generation to generation The Church is in all ages as much in need of a Supreme Ruler as it was in the days of the Apostles

Nay, more; as the church is now more widely diffused than it was then, and is ruled by frailer men, it is more than ever in need of a central power to preserve its unity of faith and uniformity

of disciple Whatever privileges, therefore, were conferred to Peter which may be considered essential to the government of the Church are inherited by the Bishops of Rome, as successors ofthe Prince of the Apostles; just as the constitutional powers given to George Washington have devolved on the present incumbent of the Presidential chair.4

The January, 1946, issue of The Converted Catholic Magazine carried an article entitled "Pope

Pius XII" which began as follows:

The Prompta Bibliotheca, an official Roman Catholic almanac published by the press of

Propaganda Fide in Rome, in its article under "Papa," state: "The Pope is of so great dignity and

so exalted that he is not a mere man, but as it were, God, and the Vicar of Christ The Pope is of such lofty dignity that, properly speaking, he has not been established in any rank of dignity, but has been placed upon the very summit of all ranks of dignities He is likewise the Divine

Monarch and Supreme Emperor, and King of Kings The Pope is of so great authority and power that he can modify, explain or interpret even divine laws."

Regarding the power which the pope would like to exercise over the whole would through the

Catholic Church, the same issue of The Converted Catholic Magazine continued:

There is nothing incidental or accidental about the aims and activities of the Roman Catholic church It uses expediency to gain its ultimate aims while biding its time to entrench itself in a democratic country like the United States Pope Leo XIII set forth this expedient policy in his instructions sent to the bishops of the United States in 1888: Although on account of the

extraordinary political conditions today it may happen that the Church in certain modern

countries acquiesces in certain modern liberties, not because she prefers them in themselves, but because she judges it expedient that they should be permitted, she would in happier times resumeher own liberty

As to Pope Leo’s statement, The Converted Catholic Magazine offers the following comment:

The ‘liberty’ here intended is the traditional power of the Catholic Church to impose its dogmaticauthority upon the entire world Again in his encyclical Longinqua Oceani (Jan 6, 1895), Pope Leo warned the bishops of America as follows: It is necessary to destroy the error of those who might believe, perhaps that the status of the Church in America is a desirable one, and also the error that in imitation of this sort of thing the separation of Church and State is legal and even convenient

In view of the facts of history and of the official claims of the popes down through the years, it istimely, that a warning be sounded Such a note has been well expressed in the following

quotation:

Our democracy was founded upon the idea of freedom of worship and a complete separation of church and state These two institutions have entirely different spheres and the spheres of

distinction are defined by the Constitution Any tendency to bring church and state together must

be viewed with alarm on the part of all lovers of freedom This account for the protest of many Protestants who viewed with dismay the move of this government to send an envoy to the Papal Court as a representative of this government If the Catholic head is thus recognised when being only a figurehead as an earthly ruler, why not recognise every religious group in this country thus?5

PETER WAS NOT A POPE

It is evident to the casual student that the whole foundation of Catholicism rests upon the pope and his authority Remove the power of the pope and Catholicism crumbles It is further evident

to the casual student that the authority of the pope rests upon the one proposition as to whether Peter was a pope Catholic claim that Peter was the first pope and that the pope of Rome today is the successor to Peter

Refute the erroneous claim that Peter was the first pope, and you have destroyed the authority of the pope of Rome With his authority gone, Catholicism comes crashing down when viewed from a scriptural standpoint

Peter was not a pope because Christ, and not Peter, is the basic foundation of the church Jesus said to Peter, "And I also say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."6 To interpret this statement of Jesus to mean that He would build His church upon Peter is a mistake for two reasons: 1 It ignores the

difference in the two words rendered Peter and rock.

The name ‘Peter’ here means "a stone"7 and in the masculine gender "Rock" here is feminine and refers to the foundation upon which Jesus built his church "Petros" which means "a stone" isone thing, and "Petra" which means a "ledge of rock" is another Jesus did not say nor mean to say that his church would be built upon "a stone", but upon a solid "ledge of rock".8

Peter had just confessed that Jesus was the Son of God Peter was to be as a stone in preaching the gospel of Christ, but the church was to be built upon the bedrock foundation fact of the divinity of church 2 To say that Christ promised to build his church upon Peter is to contradict aplain passage of scripture Paul said: "For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."9 If Peter was the first pope, then he was the foundation upon which Christ built His church but, if Peter was the foundation of the church, then Paul was an imposter because he declared that Christ is the foundation and the only foundation upon which men can build their hopes If Peter was the foundation of the church, to say that he must have successors

is to say that a foundation succeeds a foundation under a building!

Peter was a married man,10 but popes do not marry!

Those who recognise the authority of the pope dare not rebuke him for his conduct It is evident that Paul did not regard Peter as pope because he rebuked him without any mention of his

1 Holy Water-said to be especially blessed and sanctified by the priest.

2 Penance-the infliction of punishment in expiation of, sin and as evidence of one’s penitence.

3 Latin Mass.

4 Images of Saints and Martyrs.

5 Extreme Unction-Annointing the body those thought to be dying.

6 Purgatory.

7 Instrumental Music in the Worship-This is still not used by the Greek Catholics.

8 Transubstantiation By prayer of hope or priest, the bread and wine of the Lord’s Supper are said to be changed to the literal flesh and blood of Christ

9 Celibacy-the popes and priests are forbidden to marry This doctrine was prophesied in I Tim 4:1-3

10 Indulgences "The doctrine of indulgences, or of the authoritative remission of penances by the

substitution for them of prayers, benevolent gifts, or other forms of devotion and self-sacrifice, was universally accepted." 13

11 Auricular Confession-Confessing one’s sins into the ears of the priest that they may be forgiven

12 Sprinkling for baptism

Thus far, in this series of lessons, we have seen how far man will go into error when he cuts loose from the New Testament pattern for the church The world today needs to learn that we must walk by God’s word alone in religion or our worship and services becomes vain and

useless We should reject all doctrines that cannot be found in the Bible

References

1 Frank Pack, Lessons in Church History (Chattanooga, 1940), 18

2 John McClintock and James Strong, Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Cyclopedia, eds., 12 vols (New York, 1891), IV 591

3 Fisher, History Of The Christian Church, 192

4 James Cardinal Gibbons, Faith of Our Fathers, 94th Revised and Enlarged Edition

13 Fisher, op cit., 15

A study of the Restoration Movement

#5 The Reformation

At the close of the "Dark Ages", Papal authority in religious matters was in full swing

everywhere Papal domination was sought and gained even in political affairs In many instances,the Catholic Church resorted to carnal warfare in order to increase its power The masses were in total ignorance of the Bible It was truly the "Dark Ages."

Simony, the custom of selling church offices to the highest bidder, was a universal practice Miscellaneous moneymaking schemes, such as indulgences and confessionals, were a source of rich profits to the church "While the Papacy tightened its grip upon the Catholic Church, and set itself against all reform of any kind, there arose some dissenting voices, who protested against the immorality among the clergy and spoke strongly against papal interference in political affairs."1

BEGINNINGS OF RELIGIOUS REFORM

Gleams of light began to shoot through the darkness as individuals made attempts to reform the Catholic Church D’ Aubigne calls these movements "Protestantism before the reformation."2

Fisher speaks of them as "Reformers before the reformation."3

At this time we shall call attention to five of these early movements which arose for reform in thechurch However, the world was not ready for them and they were repressed with bloody

persecution

1. The Albigenses became prominent in Southern France about 1170 A.D They were opposed to traditions as authority in religion; they were opposed to the doctrines of purgatory and image-worship They recognised authority of the New Testament and circulated it to the extent of their ability They were extirpated in a great slaughter as the result of a call for a crusade against them by Pope Innocent III

2. The Waldensians were founded by Peter Waldo about A.D 1170 Waldo was a merchant

of Lyons who appealed to the Scriptures in his opposition to the practices of the Roman Catholic Church The Waldensians were noted for their zeal for purity of life Under the fire of persecution, they left France and found hiding places in the valleys of Northern Italy

3. John Wycliffe (1324-1384) was an Englishman by birth; he was a graduate of Oxford University History calls him "The Morning Star of the Reformation" because he was the first to distinguish himself in fighting against the Catholic Church along certain lines Some of the things which he opposed were the authority of the Pope, the doctrine of Transubstantiation, and auricular confessions The greatest work of Wycliffe for the enlightenment of the world was the translation of the Bible into the English Langauges.4

"Excluded from Oxford in 1382 he retired to Lutterworth where he died Years after his death his enemies had his body dug from the grave and burned and his ashes scattered on

a brook that flowed into Avon River Wordsworth later celebrated this in his EcclesiasticalSonnets by symbolising the spread of his doctrine to all the world as the waters of the ocean washed all the shores with his ashes."5

4. John Huss (1369-1415) was an outstanding reformer who lived in Bohemia A priest of

the Catholic church, he became a disciple of Wycliffe With great zeal he exalted the Scriptures above tradition and human dogma and opposed the tyranny of the clergy He fiercely denounced the sale of indulgences He was summoned to the Council of

Constance and tried as a heretic Although he had been promised safety by the emperor,

he was burned to death in July, 1415

5. John Wessel (1420-1498) was a reformer of less renown than Wycliffe and Huss

However, he attacked Catholicism in some of its principle features He avowed many of the same beliefs which were later taught by Luther.6

6. Jerome Savonarola (1452-1498) lived in Florence, Italy He denied the authority of the pope and make a bitter fight against the immorality of the clergy Fisher states: When the pope found that he could not bribe the powerful preacher with the offer of a cardinal’s hat, nor reduce him to silence by repeated admonitions, his excommunication void, as contradictory to the wise and just law of God He was finally arrested While in prison hewrote a tract on the fifty-first Psalm in which he set forth his ideas of justification He was tried, condemned, and on May 23, 1498, he was burned to death in the square at Florence in front of the church where he preached so long

FORCES WHICH PREPARED THE WAY FOR THE REFORMATION

As already pointed out, these early efforts at reform were soon repressed for they were somewhatpremature in view of the governing circumstances However, certain forces were in action duringthis period which were serving to prepare the way for a far-reaching movement which today is known as the Protestant Reformation or Revolution Let us give brief notice to a number of thesecauses