The guys at churchesofchrist.wordpress.com have written a great article dealing with the unscriptural exclusiveness of folks like Johnny Robertson, Norm Fields and James Oldfield. Go over and take a look!
9 thoughts on “A Great Article from churchesofchrist.wordpress.com”
The ironic thing is I am taking their own lessons and turning them back to them – but please note I do so because I wish to see them REALLY desire and teach unity.
The defininition of denomination according to a dictionary says a religious body. If there are at least 2 denominations there are 2 seperate religious bodies. This is not scriptual for God’s word says there is one body and one head. Ephesians 1:22,23, Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:4. That one body is the Church that Jesus the one head promised to build Matthew 16:18. Men and women all over the world who obey the word of God without adding or subtracting make up the one body. When you accept, promote, teach or establish a deneomination you are adding to the word of God which God himself condemns. Galatians 1:6-9, 2Jn 9-11…
John, which of the 25 sects within the coC do you belong to?? You guys are more split than the denominations you condemn – get real!
See this is what I can’t understand in some ways. There is no way again to get 25 out of ONE Body and ONE Head. There might be plenty of imitations but no duplications. Either you are or you’re not. Here is your very simple example: Jesus said many would come in his name and there have been many since Jesus who claimed that they were him. Does that make 25 or more Jesus’ or is there still only one Lord (Ephesians 4:5)
Well me and you both know the answer to this. 24 Might look, act, talk, walk…, like him yet only one can really be him. Well what about the Church which is his body. Back to Ephesians not only does it say there is one LOrd but it says,
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling;
5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism,
6 ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Yes many might have the name do SOME of the same things but christ only built one Church (Matthew 16:18) made up of men and women all over the world who obey his Gospel without adding or subtracting from the ONE faith by the way if you look that up that’s not personal faith but a system of belief. That’s right God’s word says there is only one system of belief or way to do things that is his way. And that is as real as I can get for you.
We must learn how to put God’s word first and not the opinions of man.
John, which of the 25 sects of the “Church of Christ” is the right ONE?
You are absolutely right-God’s Word should always come first over any man’s opinion-which is the problem of declaring that only those who are in a “Church of Christ” have found THE truth and worship THE right way because of many things God never mentioned or condemned. When you boil it down, we are a denomination, too. BUT, we can still belong to the CHURCH that Christ adds us to, His body, the worldwide believers who are found in Him. THAT is what is referred to in Ephesians about one body, and one faith-because we are serving the ONE God and Father who is in ALL.
Isn’t it odd that they never want to “tell” us which one of the 25 sects they belong to. The reason being is because they do not want to admit that they are so broken up into “denominations”. The truth is they are more split that those they condemn. The CofC one cuppers say they are the “one” church and don’t fellowship with the many cuppers, and the many cuppers say they are the “one” true church and they don’t fellowship with the one cuppers. And there are so many other things that they split over as well. We have many other church of Christ churches in our area and you never hear Johnny and crew talk about them. Oh, that’s right, he was fired from one of them and he now says they are not a true church, and also says the one in Chatam isn’t a church of Christ church either – I guess because they don’t agree upon some things i.e., denominated into sects
Actually, Randy, you are a little mistaken about the divisions and their fellowship with one another…
A “many cupper” church would happily fellowship with a “one cupper” if only the “one cuppers” would allow it. Generally, the more “liberal” views easily fellowship the more “conservative” views (labels used only for clarification…you understand I think)…but “conservative” views tend to not fellowship “liberal” ones.
But, then, we have another issue to consider…if I cannot in good conscience worship with a group that I believe is worshiping unscripturally (for example), I can still maintain a sense of unity (although this is, admittedly, not often done) by accepting them as my brothers and sisters in Christ. Do I think they are mistaken? Absolutely…but surely I am mistaken in many areas as well, and surely I should expect God to give grace to them if I expect Him to give it to me.
Here’s the main issue…sometimes division is necessary (2John 9-11), but sometimes mercy is necessary (Jude 22-23). It is the mercy we tend to neglect, but that doesn’t mean division is always wrong. Not everyone who claims to be a part of the church is (Matt 7:21). Perhaps “25 sects” are the result of too little mercy…perhaps a number of these are necessary divisions. There is a time for both.
Answering the Church of Christ 
The ironic thing is I am taking their own lessons and turning them back to them – but please note I do so because I wish to see them REALLY desire and teach unity.
The defininition of denomination according to a dictionary says a religious body. If there are at least 2 denominations there are 2 seperate religious bodies. This is not scriptual for God’s word says there is one body and one head. Ephesians 1:22,23, Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 4:4. That one body is the Church that Jesus the one head promised to build Matthew 16:18. Men and women all over the world who obey the word of God without adding or subtracting make up the one body. When you accept, promote, teach or establish a deneomination you are adding to the word of God which God himself condemns. Galatians 1:6-9, 2Jn 9-11…
John, which of the 25 sects within the coC do you belong to?? You guys are more split than the denominations you condemn – get real!
See this is what I can’t understand in some ways. There is no way again to get 25 out of ONE Body and ONE Head. There might be plenty of imitations but no duplications. Either you are or you’re not. Here is your very simple example: Jesus said many would come in his name and there have been many since Jesus who claimed that they were him. Does that make 25 or more Jesus’ or is there still only one Lord (Ephesians 4:5)
Well me and you both know the answer to this. 24 Might look, act, talk, walk…, like him yet only one can really be him. Well what about the Church which is his body. Back to Ephesians not only does it say there is one LOrd but it says,
Eph 4:3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
4 There is ONE body, and ONE Spirit, even as ye are called in ONE hope of your calling;
5 ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism,
6 ONE God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Yes many might have the name do SOME of the same things but christ only built one Church (Matthew 16:18) made up of men and women all over the world who obey his Gospel without adding or subtracting from the ONE faith by the way if you look that up that’s not personal faith but a system of belief. That’s right God’s word says there is only one system of belief or way to do things that is his way. And that is as real as I can get for you.
We must learn how to put God’s word first and not the opinions of man.
John, which of the 25 sects of the “Church of Christ” is the right ONE?
You are absolutely right-God’s Word should always come first over any man’s opinion-which is the problem of declaring that only those who are in a “Church of Christ” have found THE truth and worship THE right way because of many things God never mentioned or condemned. When you boil it down, we are a denomination, too. BUT, we can still belong to the CHURCH that Christ adds us to, His body, the worldwide believers who are found in Him. THAT is what is referred to in Ephesians about one body, and one faith-because we are serving the ONE God and Father who is in ALL.
Isn’t it odd that they never want to “tell” us which one of the 25 sects they belong to. The reason being is because they do not want to admit that they are so broken up into “denominations”. The truth is they are more split that those they condemn. The CofC one cuppers say they are the “one” church and don’t fellowship with the many cuppers, and the many cuppers say they are the “one” true church and they don’t fellowship with the one cuppers. And there are so many other things that they split over as well. We have many other church of Christ churches in our area and you never hear Johnny and crew talk about them. Oh, that’s right, he was fired from one of them and he now says they are not a true church, and also says the one in Chatam isn’t a church of Christ church either – I guess because they don’t agree upon some things i.e., denominated into sects
Actually, Randy, you are a little mistaken about the divisions and their fellowship with one another…
A “many cupper” church would happily fellowship with a “one cupper” if only the “one cuppers” would allow it. Generally, the more “liberal” views easily fellowship the more “conservative” views (labels used only for clarification…you understand I think)…but “conservative” views tend to not fellowship “liberal” ones.
But, then, we have another issue to consider…if I cannot in good conscience worship with a group that I believe is worshiping unscripturally (for example), I can still maintain a sense of unity (although this is, admittedly, not often done) by accepting them as my brothers and sisters in Christ. Do I think they are mistaken? Absolutely…but surely I am mistaken in many areas as well, and surely I should expect God to give grace to them if I expect Him to give it to me.
Here’s the main issue…sometimes division is necessary (2John 9-11), but sometimes mercy is necessary (Jude 22-23). It is the mercy we tend to neglect, but that doesn’t mean division is always wrong. Not everyone who claims to be a part of the church is (Matt 7:21). Perhaps “25 sects” are the result of too little mercy…perhaps a number of these are necessary divisions. There is a time for both.
I agree totally with what you are saying CT.