Radio Sermon 46 <Back to Table of Contents>
The "Christian Church"
The Christian Church is another denominational body whose doctrines and practices should be examined by scripture. In this lesson we will study the origin, doctrine, and some practices of the Christian Church. We will compare them to scriptural teaching. The Christian Church, like all other denominations, is divided and sub-divided into a number of different groups. Some of these groups are more conservative than others; others are more liberal.But first, the West End Church of Christ presents these fifteen minute sermons each Sunday. We have only one reason for doing it -- we want to preach the truth of God's word without being restricted by human doctrines, creeds, and wisdom. That is why we repeatedly ask anyone who listens to communicate with us if you do not agree with what we teach on this program. This is not done out of a spirit of dare, or challenge, but in sincerity and in the interest of being absolutely right about the most important issue of this life and of eternity.
The Christian Church traces her roots back to what is commonly known as "The Restoration Movement." That movement began in the early 1800's here in our country as many in denominationalism sought to make a return to the New Testament in all essentials of doctrine, practice, and worship. Names such as Thomas Campbell, Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, L.L. Pinkerton, and others are associated with this effort.
The "Restoration Principle" held forth the noble ideal of a complete restoration of Christ's church, His gospel, and the true worship of God in all essential elements. Slogans such as "We speak where the Bible speaks, and are silent where the Bible is silent," or "We do Bible things in Bible ways, and call Bible things by Bible names," expressed that ideal. While it is doubtful that any who espoused this principle ever consistently applied those slogans, the motivation was very pure and worthwhile.
As the "movement" grew, more and more denominationalists forsook their sectarian views and became part of this fast growing group of sincere people. But with the growth came problems. The introduction of those problems within this "movement" proved to be, not only the downfall of the effort, but also the origin of what we know today as "The Christian Church."
While there are numerous errors both in teaching and practice found in the Christian Church, our limitations make it necessary to focus on but two. They are Missionary Organizations and Instrmental Music in Worship.
The first step in defecting away from the New Testament pattern came in the form of missionary organizations which amalgamated local churches together into one unit. Some of those called "pioneers" in the "restoration movement" became very interested in rapidly spreading this new principle which was being so successful. The first step led them into the formation of a Missionary Society. James DeForrest Murch described it. "The idea of organized cooperation on state and national levels was now much in the minds of leaders of the new reformation. In 1845, D.S. Burnet, of Cincinnati, led in the organization of the American Christian Bible Society 'to aid in the distribution of the sacred Scriptures without note or comment, among all nations.' It was opposed by a certain reactionary element on the ground that it was a society and not a church." Christians Only, page 148.
Earl West added, "The term, cooperation, obviously indicates a working together for some specific purpose. The great question among the pioneers was, how and in what manner can the various congregations work together to convert the world? The scope of this question at first limited itself to districts, then to states, and then to the entire brotherhood. Consequently, district cooperation meetings were among the earliest held, but one soon reads of state meetings and then finally of brotherhood attempts at cooperation which were realized in the formation of the American Christian Missionary Society, the latter being the greater of the two." Search for the Ancient Order, Volume *, page 151.
The missionary society concept was basically wrong. It was conceived, not from scriptural authority, but from human wisdom. Those who devised it were seeking a medium through which congregations could act in concert. This ignored the independence and autonomy which God set up in each local church. Elders were told to tend only one flock (local church) and that was the one over which they were overseers (I Peter 5:1-4). The only organized body one reads of in the New Testament is the local church (Philippians 1:1). Any organization larger or smaller or other than the local church is unathorized by God.
A very feeble argument is made for such missionary societies. The advocates of it say that the great commission authorizes any method of carrying the gospel into the world. This ignores the fact that organizations are methods of combining churches -- not carrying the gospel to the lost. The missionary society was not and is not a method of preaching -- it employs methods. It is purely a method of church cooperation and one that exists with no scriptural sanction at all.
The second defection came with the introduction of instrumental music into the worship. In 1859, in Midway, Kentucky, L.L. Pinkerton introduced a melodian into the local church. It is said he first adopted its use in a Sunday School class. A firm and conservative gospel preacher named Benjamin Franklin publicly took issue with Pendleton's practice. In reply to the criticism, Pendleton wrote: "So far as known to me, or, I presume to you, I am the only 'preacher' in Kentucky of our brotherhood who has publicly advocated the propriety of employing instrumental music in some churches and that the church of God in Midway is the only church that has yet meade a decided effort to introduce it." The Life and Times of Benhamin Franklin, pages 409 - 411. Instrumental music in worship was not known in the "restoration movement" before Pinkerton.
Authority is the problem -- not music of any kind. Instruments of music in worship exist with no divine grant from God. The authority of Christ is sacred and inviolate. When Jesus spoke for the last time on earth to His disciples, He said, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth" (Matthew 28:18). There are only three ways that this absolute and complete authority from Christ is established.
First, there is a direct statement or command.
Second, there is an approved apostolic example.
Third, there is a necessary inference.
All three of these methods of establishing Christ's authority can be implied by studying the Lord's Supper. First, Jesus authorized His disciples to eat unleavened bread and drink fruit of the vine in memory of His suffering and death (Matthew 26:26-27; I Corinthians 11:24). That is the basis for the observance of the sacred feast. But when to observe it can only be learned by reading the record of how the disciples put this into actual practice. "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight" (Acts 20:7). This is a record of what they did, obviously under the tutelage and supervision of the apostles. The apostles had been given the commission directly from Christ to "teach them to observe all things I have commanded you..." (Matthew 28:20). The frequency, or how often it should be observed, is learned from necessary inference. A necessary inference is a deduction that is required by facts. Acceptance of certain facts will demand acceptance of certain implications. In this case, since every week has a first day, and since the church of the Lord in the first century observed the feast on the first day of the week, every first day of the week is implied for observing the Supper.
To take the last thought one step further, and to learn how necessary inferences differ from fair or ordinary inferences, notice the baptism of Christ. Matthew records the event by reporting on the trip Jesus made from Galilee to the Jordan river where John, the baptist, was baptizing. When John agreed to baptize Jesus, the record only says, "Then Jesus, when He had been baptized, came up immediately from the water; and behold the heavens were opened to Him..." (Matthew 3:16). If Jesus "came up...from the water," He had, of necessity, to have gone down into the water. Even though nothing is said of His going down into the water it is necessarily inferred. One cannot in any sense come up out of something into which one has not gone down.
When we diligently read the New Testament we find a complete lack of information on the use of instruments in congregational worship to God. It cannot be authorized by direct statement, approved apostolic example, nor necessary inference. Upon what basis then is it authorized, if indeed it is?
Christian Church preachers invented the expression "the law of expediency" as authority for instrumental music in worship, along with a host of other things. Where do you read of church buildings, electric lights, tuning forks, song books, pews, etc. in the New Testament? This is a legitimate question and one that must be addressed.
There are things that are not specified in the word of God that are perfectly legitimate to use in serving God. Some things in this category "expedite" the carrying out of God's requirements of His people. Take the case of Noah. He was commanded to build an ark (Genesis 6:14-16) and told the dimensions and materials he was to use. But nothing was said of the tools that would expedite the construction of the ship. Noah was not at liberty to add to the ark as he saw fit, nor substitute other wood for the goferwood. God specified the kind of wood and dimensions He chose.
The same principle applies today. We are authorized to sing praises to God. Please take time out to read the following passages of Scripture (Matthew 26:30; Acts 16:25; Romans 15:9; I Corinthians 14:15; Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 2:12; James 5:13). All of them specify singing as the kind of music associated with worship in the New Testament church. That is parallel to the kind of wood Noah was commanded to use.
But what kind of singing, or how are songs to be sung, is not so specific. Psalms, hymns, and "spiritual songs" are to be sung, but there is obviously some choice involved. The church could then and now sing either Psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs. Furthermore these songs could be sung using harmony, responsive choruses, or in any particular order. So long as the only kind of music involved is vocal (singing) nothing is added to the worship when song books, tuning forks, harmonious parts, etc. are used. These latter things are expedients, in the category of Noah's tools.
Please study the following diagram.
The Rule of Expediency
Hebrews 10:25 ASSEMBLING is authorized The Place is Espedient
Matthew 28:20 TEACHING is authorized Methods are espedients
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 GIVING is authorized Baskets or buckets are expedients
In all the above cases, a passage of Scripture authorizes an action. But no such passage exists for playing instruments of music in worship to God. If so, where is the passage? A building is an expedient place to assemble, commanded by the Lord. Methods of teaching are authorized by the command to teach. Collection baskets are authorized by the command to contribute. Song books, etc. are authorized by the requirement to sing. But what does a piano or any other mechanical instrument expedite? It certainly does not expedite singing. In those places where it is used, the singing is subdued, or forgotten, when the soft and melodious tones of the organ fill the "sanctuary."
If the Lord had simply said, "Make music," and let it go at that, any kind of music would satisfy the command. But, in point of fact, He didn't. He specified singing. And those who walk by faith limit their musical worship to singing, offering "the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks His name" (Hebrews 13:15).
We offer this final thought. Consider the history of instrumental music in worship. It was never a part of the New Testament church, and no early saint used it. But much later, during the "dark ages," it found its way into an apostate religion. Here is the historical record, given by the inimitable Philip Schaff.
"The use of organs in churches is ascribed to Pope Vitalian (657 - 672). Constantine Copronymos sent an organ with other presents to King Pepin of France in 767... "The attitude of the churches to the organ varies. It shared to some extend the fate of images, except that it never was an object of worship...The Greek (catholic) Church disapproves the use of organs. The Latin (Roman Catholic) church introduced pretty generally, but not without the protest of eminent men, so that even in the Council of Trent a motion was made, though not carried, to prohibit the organ at least in the mass." History of the Christian Church, Volume IV, page 439).
The use of instruments of music in church worship is not. authorized by Christ. The only authority for it comes in two forms. First is Roman Catholicism, and second is personal preference. Those who disregard the authority of Christ say, "I like it, I want it, and I will have it." There is no other authority for it anywhere. To get instrumental music in worship one must go beyond the teaching of Christ, for it is not within those sacred precincts.
If you have any question at all about this topic, or if you would like extra study materials on it, contact us.