01.23. The Restoration
Fundamental Bible Studies
Lesson 23 Topic: The Restoration Scriptures to study: Luke 8:11; Ephesians 1:22; Matthew 28:19 f; Romans 16:16
All over the world men saw that it was almost impossible to reform the Catholic church and purge it of its abuses. Protestantism presented little that was better. Men were divided into scores of different denominations each with its own little uninspired creed, human name and teaching doctrines not found in the Bible. In different parts of the world men began to ask: “Why do we have to be either Catholics or Protestants? Why should we be Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians or any other ‘ite’ or ‘ist’? If we will believe the same things the apostles preached, obey the same commandments and wear the same names why will that not make us the same thing?” Good men knew that religious division is a sin, that Christ wants all His followers to be one. They knew that we can never become one except by uniting on the Bible. Many men who never heard of one another led movements back to the Bible and thus restored in their communities the New Testament church.
Some Restorers
In far-off Scotland the Haldane brothers as early as 1775 insisted that men should disregard denominational lines and be Christians together standing on the Word of God. James O’Kelly, a Methodist preacher of North Carolina, led a movement about 1790 which resulted in the establishment of a congregation taking the New Testament as its only guide. Dr. Abner Jones, a Baptist preacher in Vermont, about 1800, established churches in Vermont and New Hampshire with the same aims as James O’Kelly. Barton W. Stone, a young Presbyterian preacher, at Old Cane Ridge meeting houses near Cane Ridge, Kentucky, became confused over the doctrine of foreordination. He could not reconcile it with such Scriptures as 2 Peter 3:9; Acts 17:30 and Revelation 22:17. He began preaching anyone who would obey the gospel could be a Christian, that men did not have to belong to any denomination but could be Christians and use the Bible itself as their guide. His work was successful! A Scotch Presbyterian father and son, Thomas and Alexander Campbell, were led about 1809 to proclaim, “Where the Bible speaks, we speak; where the Bible is silent, we are silent”. Alexander Campbell was born in Ireland about 1786. He came to the U.S. in 1809. He preached in Pennsylvania and Virginia (now W. Va.) for the Presbyterians. He was immersed on June 12, 1812, on a simple confession of faith in Christ. Because Matthias Luse who baptized him was a Baptist, it is often said that Campbell was a Baptist. But that is not so, Campbell was never a member of the Baptist Church. He stated he had no more idea of joining the Baptists than of joining the Muhammadans. He made the good confession as did the eunuch in Acts 8 and was baptized. Campbell was just one of many different religious leaders who wanted to restore NT Christianity. He preached far and wide and was well known as a national figure. He struck such blows against human doctrines that though he died in 1866, men who are members of denominational churches slander his memory to this day. He founded no denomination. Churches of Christ were already in existence. He was simply a prominent figure who called for people to go back to the New Testament as their only guide in religion. He was neither the first nor the last to do this. He was a scholar of the scriptures and influenced many by his debates and publications. It would, however, be a sin to wear his name or to preach any doctrine originated by him. The Restoration Movement Today
We are conscious of our great frontier heritage - - and great preachers of past generations - - but we depend on nothing save the New Testament itself for our faith and practice. If there were not a single Christian nor a single New Testament church on earth today, we might take the New Testament and start one immediately. When one believes and obeys the commands given in the New Testament, he will be a Christian. When a group of these people met to worship that would be a church of Christ. When several of these congregations had been started, they would be churches of Christ (Romans 16:16) Suppose a New Testament were cast upon a deserted island, an island with no contact with the outside world. Suppose these people believed and obeyed the commands of the New Testament. WHAT WOULD THEY BE? The Word of God is the seed of the kingdom (Luke 8:11). When that seed was first planted it produced Christians (Acts 11:26) who formed themselves into “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16). If we plant the SAME seed today, we will get the same product. If not, why not? We do not determine if a congregation is a church of Christ by attempting to trace its history. That has nothing to do with it. Such is determined by whether or not She is loyal to God’s Word. Digression has frequently grown up within the church. Doubtless, it will do so in the future. There will be false teachers and men whose lives are false. Our loyalty is to the New Testament. Each congregation is independent of every other congregation and should see that it follows the New Testament. The number of members, the size of its contributions and the magnificence of its buildings have nothing to do with whether or not a church belongs to the Lord. There is no organization connected with the Lord’s church except just the local congregations. We judge the church, therefore, by its loyalty to the New Testament. When we go into any community we should find a congregation exhibiting the marks which we studied in Lesson 8. If we cannot find one, we should start one.
1. What is wrong with Protestantism? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
2.What did the Haldane brothers encourage in Scotland? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 3.Who was James O’Kelly? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
4. With what did Barton W. Stone have difficulty? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
5.What famous motto was used by the Campbells? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 6.When was Alexander Campbell baptized? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 7.Was Alexander Campbell ever a Baptist? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 8.Did Alexander Campbell establish any denomination? _ _ _ _ _ 9.Would it be sinful to wear Campbell’s name? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
10. Do “We” believe or preach any doctrine that originated with Campbell? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
11.Can one be a Christian exactly like the people in the New Testament? _ _ _ _ _ _ How? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 12.What is the seed of the kingdom? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
13.How may we determine if a church really is the New Testament church? _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 14.What should we do when we go to any community today?
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The Restoration Movement has not ceased. It continues today. EACH ONE OF US has a part in this great work. Let us not shirk our obligations and responsibilities.