Willow, Okla. church of Christ

Willow, Okla. church of Christ Preaching New Testament Christianity

07/17/2026

A Timely Warning
Cled E. Wallace
Paul was suffering much anxiety of heart over the spiritual state of the Corinthian saints. “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears” (2 Cor. 2: 4). They were restless and threatening to break out of gospel bounds. “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve in his craftiness, your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity and the purity that is toward Christ” (2 Cor. 11: 3). Many today, even in the church, have “itching ears” for something more than the simplicity of the gospel. There is no prominent item of New Testament teaching which has not suffered because of the pious profanity of some religious busybody who imagined he could improve it somewhat. The simple gospel is still “foolishness” to many and “a stumblingblock” to others.

In the early days of the church the simple proclamation of the gospel led men and women to believe in Christ, repent of their sins, confess Jesus as Christ, and submit to baptism. They were then considered Christians, members of the body, the church. “But when they believed Philip preaching good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.” (Acts 8: 12.) “For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ.” (Gal. 3: 26, 27.) “Now ye are the body of Christ, and severally members thereof.” (1 Cor. 12: 2’7.) These members of the body were associated together in various localities in independent “churches of Christ” for work and worship.

The organization was very simple. Each congregation had its “bishops and deacons” and members. Its mission was fulfilled in the simple program of edifying itself, looking after the needy, and preaching the gospel to the lost. The worship of God in these assemblies was so simple that we note the absence of all gaudy ceremonialism. It does not remind us of the “carnal ordinances” of either popery or Judaism. The New Testament does not mention “the holy sacrament” in discussing the Lord’s Supper, nor is there any burning of incense or instrumental music in the prayer or praise of the New Testament churches. The simplicity of the New Testament order should be scrupulously observed by Christians today.

We are hearing too much about organizing Friday Night Clubs and Endeavor Societies and Ladies Aids and other symptoms of displeasure at the “simplicity and purity that is toward Christ.” In some religious circles a man does not amount to much who is satisfied to be just a Christian and a normal member of a local congregation of others like him. A man with a New Testament who starts out to worship and obey God, serve his fellows, and finally reach heaven, will not find it a stunt-performing program. A lot of the frenzy and fuss of modern religion is a bid for the attention of men rather than the glory of God. The warning of Paul is still a timely one.

Is it is a Partisan Use of the Term?
What are you in religion? “I am a Christian.” Is that a partisan use of that term? It is a New Testament term. It was not used in a partisan sense there. It is not so used now so long as you mean by it what was meant by it in the New Testament, all that was meant by it in the New Testament, and nothing less than was meant by it in the New Testament. Because of the divided condition of religious people, it may be necessary to explain with some care that Christians in the New Testament were the disciples of Christ, saints of God, and brethren in a common, spiritual family known as the church of God. What church do you belong to? “I am a member of the church of Christ.” Is that a denominational use of a religious term? Not if you mean by it all and nothing less or more than was meant by it in the New Testament. For obvious reasons it may be necessary to explain that the church of Christ in the New Testament was the body of Christ, which included all Christians. They were members of it because they were Christians, and Christians because they were members of it. God added all the saved to the church, when they were saved and because they were saved. There was no such thing as being saved and not being a member of the New Testament church. If our explanations do not go over, it is a good idea not to run the risk of becoming sectarian in an attempt to make the matter any plainer than the New Testament does. It would still be a pretty plain book if sectarian goggles had never been manufactured. Don’t be afraid to say: “I am a Christian, and therefore a member of the church of Christ.”

What is a Denomination?
There are hundreds of denominations in the United States. What is a denomination? You will get your information outside the New Testament. The simple order of the New Testament includes individual Christians made such by the preaching of the gospel. They all belonged to, were members of, “the church, which is his body,” the church of the Lord. There were congregations of them in various localities. These local bodies had elders, deacons, and members. Christians were not much handicapped in New Testament times trying to wiggle around under official board piles. Sometime this side of the New Testament the idea of a religious body larger than a local church and smaller than the whole body of Christ took objective form. If some Christians were at liberty to thus organize themselves into a denominational ecclesiasticism then others could do likewise. It is named and organized after the order of a partisan brotherhood. It may be named after some man, as the Lutheran or Wesleyan denomination; or after some form of church government, as the Presbyterian denomination; or after some ordinance in religion, as the Baptist denomination; or carry the name of method, as the great Methodist denomination. But this is all contrary to the Scriptures.

God did not intend for any of His people to emphasize some truth above other truth and make it the creed of a partisan brotherhood. If so, then a man would have to be a member of all the denominations to be in possession of all properly emphasized truth. As it is, a man can take a New Testament, believe what it teaches, do what it commands, be just a Christian, and a member of nothing but the body of Christ, which includes all Christians, and not be a member of a denomination at all. It will not rob a denomination of its sinful character to make an adjective out of some Bible noun and call it the “Disciple Church” or the “Christian Church,” or even apply to it the title, “Church of God” or “Church of Christ.” The thing itself is wrong, regardless of what you call it; and if it is called by a Bible term, the term is misused. The only fool-proof way to steer clear of all denominational affiliations is to refuse to be anything but a New Testament “sort” of a Christian and refuse to belong to anything in religion but the body of Christ.

Christians were not classified and sorted after the order of their partisan preferences in New Testament times. In the nature of the case, denominationalism could never be right unless it should become right and consistent for all Christians to belong to all of them, and then, in the nature of the case, denominationalism would cease. If a man is satisfied with the New Testament in his faith and practice, no unscriptural terms will have to be invented to describe him, nor will it be necessary to use Scriptural terms in an unscriptural sense to do it. “Hold the pattern of sound words which thou hast heard from me in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 1: 13.)

06/02/2026

The Church of Christ
Nana Yaw Aidoo
The church of Christ originated in the mind of God (Eph. 1:4; 3:8-11) and existed in the promises, types and prophecies of the Old Testament until it was actualized in Jerusalem around A.D 30. The inspired historian affirmed that the church of Christ existed two thousand years ago. When sinners heard the gospel, believed it, repented of their sins, confessed their faith in Jesus Christ and were baptized unto the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; 16:30-34; 18:8), they were described as “added to the church” (Acts 2:47).

The church of Christ came together “on the first day of the week” to break bread (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:20-30), give of their means (1 Cor. 16:2; 1:2; 4:7), pray (1 Thess. 5:17-18), study God’s Word (Heb. 5:12-14) and sing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). There were no mechanical instruments of music, choirs, solos, singing groups, skits, handclapping, and women preachers or teachers (1 Tim. 2:11-14) in the worship of the church of Christ.

The church of Christ was organized with Christ as the Head (Col. 1:18) and Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 2:25; 5:4) and with men serving as elders or subordinate shepherds (Acts 20:28). There were elders in every church (Acts 14:23; Phlp. 1:1) in every city (Tit. 1:5) when men were available, overseeing the work of the churches in which they were members and only the churches in which they were members (1 Pet. 5:1-4). Deacons and preachers served under the oversight of the elders in the church of Christ.

The churches or congregations were one and united by a common faith or message (1 Cor. 1:10; Phlp. 3:16; Jude 3). There was no earthly headquarters or a national secretariat and the congregations were responsible to no hierarchy. They formed no para-church organizations to do the work of the church but letting the church do its work, Christ received “glory in the church” (Eph. 3:21) and not in a man-made organization.

The church of Christ was non-denominational, being neither Catholic nor Protestant. The members were one body (Rom. 12:5) and were nothing but Christians only (Acts 11:26). The apostles of Christ were all members of the church of Christ.

The church of Christ exists today and you can be added to it. The seed of the kingdom or church, which is the Word of God (Matt. 13:18-19; Luke 8:11) when sown in the hearts of men two thousand years ago, and obeyed by these men, constituted them members of the church of Christ. Today, if we would believe what they believed and practice what they practiced, we would be nothing but members of the church of Christ.

Why not investigate the church of Christ today?

06/02/2026

Proxy Christianity
Jerry C. Brewer
By and large, “Christianity” is practiced in "Mainstream Churches of Christ" by proxy—much like the Mormons who baptize by proxy for the dead. This allows the dead to be baptized without getting into the water, and certainly places no responsibility on them. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines proxy as “the agency, function, or office of a deputy who acts as a substitute for another.”

Within "Mainstream Churches of Christ" is a myriad of proxies that individuals have substituted for their own responsibility. They believe that by sending some kind of “contribution” to a radio or television evangelistic program (however small) they are fulfilling the Great Commission. They substitute and assign their individual responsibility to something (or someone) else. The means of conversion is no longer an individual effort to study God's word and teach it to others. It is now a corporate project and the only effort made by individuals is to throw money at it.

Whenever there is a clamor for “church growth” or the cry goes up that “we are not growing,” so the remedy is usually some kind of proxy “program” to accomplish that end. Churches “hire” a preacher to preach as the proxy for individual members who should be teaching others. Churches “hire” a “Youth Minister” to teach and entertain the young people—a proxy for parents Eph. 6:4). Some churches even hire an “Outreach Minister” as a proxy for personal, individual efforts to teach others.

When the disciples were scattered from Jerusalem they “went everywhere preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). That was individual effort, not preaching by proxy. They had no organizations or “ministries” to which they could contribute a few mites and call that “preaching the word.”

Many of us well remember a time when churches of Christ were the fastest growing religious group in the United States. There was no secret to that growth. Individual Christians were then known as “walking Bibles” because they studied and knew the Scriptures. They then made individual efforts to teach their neighbors publicly and from house to house as Paul did (Acts 20:20). Their house to house efforts were called “cottage meetings” in which great numbers learned the message of salvation and became Christians. Their public efforts in Gospel meetings also reaped a great harvest of souls for the Lord, but large numbers of those began with individual efforts. In 1952, my Grandfather and two uncles were among the 25 who were baptized into Christ during a summer meeting of the Taylor church of Christ—a country church south of Elk City, Okla. Those were largely the result of individuals teaching their friends and neighbors all year long and the preacher coming along and reaping the harvest in a Gospel meeting.

But over the years, Christians have been brainwashed by money-collecting proxies organized to do what the individual child of God should be doing. Hence, money is the medium of evangelism. Although it is unspoken, and perhaps not even in mind, that philosophy says that a person can “buy his way into heaven.” In all of this, the idea that Christianity is to be practiced by corporate proxy predominates and far fewer souls are saved by the blood of the Lamb.

The same kind of attitude took root among Christians in the 19th century. The remedy then was an organized proxy for individual effort—the Missionary Society. In Volume 1 of his work, The Search for the Ancient Order, Earl Irvin West wrote “...the history of the church has well shown that the less zeal and devotion there is in the church, the more institutionalism and human organizations are needed” (1:170). West wrote that Benjamin Franklin also addressed that point:
..Franklin attempted to get at the very root of the weakened condition of the brotherhood...If the cause was languishing, it was so only because the preachers were not as fervent as they once were. He says, “If preachers lament that the cause languishes, let them cease scheming about some organization unknown to the New Testament, and go into the field and labor for the Lord’s sake, and for the Lord’s name, as brethren did years ago, and as we are doing now, and as certain as God is the author of the Bible, we shall prosper...Preaching is what is needed, fervent, soul-stirring preaching, exhortations, entreaties and impressive persuasions with the people to turn to God, and be saved.” Unquestionably, Franklin was hitting at the real cause. The history of the restoration movement shows that the less devotion men have to Christ the more they stand in need of human organizations (1:212).

Franklin and West zeroed in on the problem. The perceived need of human proxies to do the work Christ left for us, rises as individual devotion to Christ falls. The same problem today—Christianity by proxy—is manifested in the unnumbered, inane “ministries” touted on websites of mainstream churches. It has never been the responsibility of the church or its “ministry” proxies to fulfill individual responsibility.

God does not save in groups. He saves one at a time. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20) and “He that believeth, and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). No proxies for the soul that sinneth or He that believeth. Jesus' parable of the talents teaches individual responsibility and our accounting in the day of Judgment shall be as individuals (Rom. 14:12). I cannot “buy” a proxy to do my work on earth for Christ, and I will certainly have no proxy to stand before the Judge of all the earth.

06/02/2026

Alcohol’s Promises
Author Unknown

I have some promises I’ll make to you,
If you will do what I want you to.

The more that you consume of me,
The more then will your losses be.

Here are the promises to you I make,
And I promise, the promises to never break:

I promise to take your money, your home,
And all you can get in the way of a loan.

I’ll take your character, your reputation, too;
Your good name, I’ll take from you.

Your friends I’ll take from you one day,
Your family from you I’ll turn away.

I’ll take your car, I’ll take your wealth
I’ll take your job, I’ll take your health.

I’ll take your watch, I’ll take your chain,
I’ll cause you to stay out in the rain.

I’ll take your credit, I’ll take your bail,
I’ll cause you to sleep in a dirty jail.

I’ll cause you regret, remorse, and pain,
I’ll cause your name to go down in shame.

I’ll bring you misery, I’ll bring you woe,
I’ll bring you trouble more than you know.

I’ll take your clothes and pawn them too;
The necessities of life, I’ll take from you.

I’ll take from you days, I’ll take from you years
I’ll double the flow of your bitter tears.

I’ll take your heart, give you one of stone;
I’ll cause you to walk through life alone.

I’ll take your desire to live aright.
Your light of day, I’ll turn to night.

I’ll cause you to dishonor your mother and dad,
I’ll take all the pleasure you could have.

I’ll turn your love for your friends to hate,
Your desire to repent will come too late.

Your road to despair for you I will pave;
I’ll cause you to fill a premature grave.

I’ll put you in an institution for the insane,
and normal thinking I’ll not let you gain.

I’ll cause you to murder your best friend,
I’ll trouble your mind to the very end.

I’ll bring you contention, I’ll bring you strife;
I’ll finish with you by taking your life!

06/02/2026

Death Comes To All
Jerry C. Brewer

Death is the common denominator of all men. Rich and poor alike must some day walk through the valley of the shadow. That truth is expressed in these lines from the classic poem, Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant: “All that wealth, all that beauty e’er gave await alike the inevitable hour, the paths of glory lead but to the grave.”

Death is an appointment that every man, woman and child upon the earth shall keep. That is plainly stated by the Hebrews writer who said, “...it is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27). Death isn’t a pleasant thing to think about, so many people simply ignore it. And not only that, but they have some strange ideas about death that are not found in the Bible. For instance, many people think that death automatically makes a person a Christian and sends him to heaven. But that’s not true. As one dies, so he remains for all eternity. One who dies in sin is forever separated from God’s presence. Jesus demonstrated that fact in His account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31. He said there is a great gulf fixed between the wicked and the righteous dead that can never be crossed after death.

Neither is death extinction. The good and the bad continue to exist after death. Of both, Jesus said, “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment,” but “the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46). And the apostle Paul further said that God will recompense tribulation to the wicked and rest to the righteous when Christ returns in judgment (2 Thess. 1:6-9).

Death is an appointment that is both certain and uncertain. According to Hebrews 9:27 it is certain in that all shall die. But it is uncertain in that no man knows when that hour shall come to him. Death is certain for all men, but its time is always uncertain and life, at best, is brief. “For what is your life? It is even a v***r that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (Jas. 4:14).

But there is hope of life after death for Christians. For them, death is the end of labors and trials which will be rewarded (Rev. 14:13). However, the key to eternal rest is faithfulness in this life. One’s eternal destiny is sealed at death. There is no “second chance.” Now—in this life—is the time to prepare for death by believing in Christ (John 8:24), repenting of our sins (Luke 13:3), confessing our faith in Christ (Acts 8:37), being baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38) and living a life devoted to Christ. Death will come to all of us. Are you prepared to meet God?

06/02/2026

Cornelius Condemns Us
A.E. Emmons, Jr.
Cornelius is by no means the greatest character mentioned in the New Testament, but he is no doubt one of the most interesting. He was a man of unusual ability and character, as well as the first Gentile to become a Christian. According to Acts 10:1 he held a responsible position as Captain of the Italian Band under the Roman government. At the time Cornelius is first introduced to Bible readers he is not a Christian, but his traits of character are enough to put most of us to shame. Acts 10:2 mentions four of his outstanding traits.

1. “A devout man.” Cornelius was filled with devotion to God. I know this is true because the Bible says so, and the Bible does not pass out compliments promiscuously or carelessly. Devotion implies ultimate faith in God, and a willingness to obey all of His commandments. There are only a few who can meet this standard of Cornelius.

2. “One that feared God with all his house.” It is one thing to fear God, but it is entirely another thing to be able to influence all others about you to do likewise. In this respect, Cornelius reminds us of Noah who was able to save his own family from destruction in the flood. There are many who fear God, but have not the influence or ability to lead others to fear Him.

3. “That gave much alms to the poor.” The word much should be emphasized in this passage and put in contrast with our own loose, casual, and haphazard way of giving alms today. This certainly implies that he had a big, sympathetic heart for his fellows.

4. “And prayed to God always.” This is said of Cornelius several years before Paul recorded the commandment to “pray without ceasing.” A man like Cornelius does not need such a commandment. It is part of his nature to pray to God.

Indeed these are wonderful attributes for the Holy Spirit to ascribe to one man. Where is the man today about whom the Holy Spirit could say as much? According to human ideals and standards, the search for a perfect man would stop at the house of Cornelius. But, as is frequently the case, inspiration, judging by the Divine standard, tells a different story.

The reader of this story should not lose sight of the fact that, with all these fine traits of character, Cornelius was not a Christian, and hence was not a saved man. We know this is true because God took the trouble to send an angel who told Cornelius to contact a gospel preacher. Cornelius must have realized this too, because when Peter came and inquired why Cornelius sent for him, Cornelius said the angel told him to send for Peter “Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:13-14). From this part of the story we get the profound lesson that devotion and goodness alone will not save a man. Even Cornelius realized that something else was necessary.

When Peter arrived, after making the journey from Joppa, he found Cornelius had gathered an audience consisting of his kinsmen and near friends to hear him (Acts 10:24). Here's another fine characteristic of this great man. Cornelius was about to receive something of great value, and he wanted his kinsmen and friends to share it with him. How anxious we ought to be that our friends and relatives have ample opportunity to hear the gospel preached.

Cornelius condemns many people today because he wanted to hear the right thing. In Acts 10:33 he said, “Now, therefore, we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things that have been commanded thee of the Lord.” If he had been like some I have met in my lifetime, here's about what would have taken place: He would have taken Peter off to one side and said, “Now brother Peter, we are glad to have you come, and we are expecting a good meeting. But there's one thing I want to warn you about. I have invited my relatives and close friends to come to the meeting, and they are here, and they are all of a different religious persuasion from yours. Now this community is full of prejudice, and I think it is best to stay off too much doctrinal sermons lest you offend them.”

Somehow I wish that such had been done there. I would like to read the verbal barrage which the tempestuous Peter would doubtless have loosed against such a spineless suggestion. How different from the actual picture! Without hesitation, he declares himself ready to hear all—no restrictions, no limitations.

As Peter began to speak all things commanded of the Lord, the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and the other Gentiles as He had on the apostles in the beginning (on Pentecost). True to the purpose for which he had been sent, and seeing that God had also chosen the Gentiles to receive the gospel of Christ, Peter commanded them to be baptized in “the name of Jesus Christ” (Acts 10:48). Nothing is said about Cornelius arguing that baptism wasn't necessary to his salvation. Herein he condemns many today who say they want to do the Lord's will but object to baptism as a command of the Lord. Cornelius was baptized without doubting the Lord's words.

The Bible reveals nothing more of Cornelius. We have no record of him as a Christian. But I am sure that if he carried these fine traits of character which he possessed into the church he was a great and mighty power for God. May God hasten the day when this world will have more men with the character, conviction, honesty and readiness to hear the word of God like Cornelius.

05/11/2026

HOW THE BAPTISTS VALUE THE CHURCH
Charles A. Holt, Jr.
Baptists have a difficult time when it comes to teaching about the church. They will affirm that the church is a non-essential and useless institution as far as man's eternal salvation is concerned, and that one can be saved “regardless of church membership.” Yet they turn around and stress with might and main the importance of being a member of it—and they mean the “Missionary Baptist Church.” They try to make Baptists of all possible. They truly will compass land and sea to make one proselyte to their denomination. They do not hesitate to proselyte members of other churches and would, if possible, do away with all other churches. They are really wedded to their sectarian order.

It is hard to reconcile the place of honor, dignity and importance that they have given the church in their more serious moments, with their teaching that the church is a non-essential, unimportant institution. Mr. Kirkland, in our debate, affirmed that all true believers are saved “regardless of church membership.” The church, according to this, is of no value as far as man's salvation is concerned. With this in mind, let us look at how important this useless, non-essential church is according to the Baptists. This should help all to see how inconsistent their teaching is.

In a little booklet, Baptist Doctrine (a study course used in Baptist churches of Kirkland's brand), written by E. C. Gillentine, there is a chapter on “The Church, its Dignity and Identity.” Mr. Gillentine says:

"By 'Dignity' of the church we mean the high-ranking position of honor which is given to the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in the sacred scriptures; its elevation of rank its moral worth; and the many wonderful qualities possessed by it which are worthy and inspire or command the respect and reverence of all God's children" (P. 32).

This sounds like he thinks the church is of some value and importance. Yet it cannot be of any value or importance relative to man's salvation. It has no place in his being saved, his staying saved, or his final entrance into heaven—according to Baptists. One can stay out of the church, and just so he believes Jesus Christ is God's Son, he is saved and bound for heaven regardless! Nothing of value can be gained by being in the church. Now look at how important Gillentine says the church is.

First, he says, “It is the purchase of Christ's blood, Acts 20:28.” That is exactly what the inspired Paul said in the passage cited. Is the “purchase of Christ's blood” of no value? Does it have no part in man's salvation? This is what Baptists would have us believe. What did Christ purchase with His blood? The church! Did He purchase a useless institution, that has absolutely no connection with man's salvation? Really can anyone believe such? The church is as valuable as the price paid for it, which makes it of equal value with the blood of Christ. All who are in the church are “blood-bought.” This is not true of any outside the church. The Baptists say that the church “is a congregation of baptized believers.” Hence, baptized believers are the ones who are blood-purchased the ones “washed in the blood of the Lamb.” One is not purchased with Christ's blood before he enters the church. If so, Christ did not and could not purchase the church with His blood. If one has ten dollars and purchases a pair of shoes with the money, he cannot use the same purchase price to buy something else once it is spent. Everyone can see this, and should be able to see the same with reference to the church. The purchase price of the church was the blood of Christ. If one is purchased or redeemed by the blood of Christ, he is in the church; if he is in the church, then he has been redeemed by the blood. If there was no other passage to set forth the value and the indispensable place of the church, this one passage is enough.

Mr. Gillentine says further that the church is “the light of the world,” and “the salt of the earth.” Yet one does not have to be a part of the light of the world or the salt of the earth to be a Christian. He can refuse to be such and it effects not his eternal welfare, so say Baptists. He can join any of the many human churches that he pleases, which will keep him from being a part of “the light” and “the salt,” and be saved regardless.

Next he says that the church is “the body of Christ—Christ is the head and the church is His body, Eph. 1:23.” Then the body of Christ is useless! It has nothing to do with the salvation of man! Can one be a Christian and not be a member of the body of Christ? The New Testament says the church is the body of Christ as plainly as words say anything (Eph. 1:23; Col. 1:18,24). There is one body (Eph. 4:4), and every Christian is a member of it. All who are Christians have been baptized into that one body, and in that one body they all drink into one Spirit. (1 Cor. 12:13) No man can be a Christian and not belong to the church, any more than he can be a Christian and not belong to Christ, for the reason that the church is the body of Christ. If a man can be a Christian out of the church, he can also be a Christian out of Christ. A man's relation to Christ defines and determines his relation to the church, for the reason that the church is the body of Christ. If a man is in either Christ or the church, he is in both; if he is out of either, he is out of both. Can one be a Christian out of Christ? Certainly not (Cf. 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:10).

Furthermore, Christ is the head of the body—the church, and no man can be a Christian without being a member of the church, unless he can be a Christian without having Christ as his head. Every man over whom Christ is head is a member of the church because Christ is the head of the church. To say a man can be a Christian and not be a member of the church is to say he can be a Christian and not have Christ as his head.

We learn also that Christ is “the Savior of the body” (Eph. 5:23). That which Christ saves is the body over which he is the head—the church. If a man can be a Christian and not be a member of the church, he can be a Christian and not be saved. To be saved, one must be a member of the church because Christ is the Savior of the body. He does not save those who are out of the body. All who are in the body are saved, and all who are out of the body are not saved. To get into the body is to be saved, and to be saved is to get into the body. That is why we read that the Lord added to the church daily "such as were being saved." (Acts 2:47—R. V. marginal reading). So the body of Christ is of vital importance, the teaching of Baptists notwithstanding.

Mr. Gillentine further says of the church, that it is “the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on earth” “a school for religious instructions” “a field for service.” “It is a witness of the Lord on earth.” Though the church is all of this, one does not have to be a member to be saved! He does not have to work in the field of service. He can spend his life working in the devil's field, outside the church—the field of the Lord, and still be saved. One need not enter the “school for religious instructions.” Stay in the devil's school, heed his instructions, that is all right—so says Baptist doctrine! Who can believe such? In spite of all such confusion and error, the honest heart can, by taking God's word as his guide, see through all such to the glorious truth regarding the importance of the church.

Gillentine also says that the “church of Christ is the House of God on earth, 1 Tim. 3:15.” This statement is certainly true. It is the church of Christ that is God's house, and not the human institution known as the Baptist Church. This should be apparent to any discerning person. God's house is God's family. The word house is used to mean family. Nearly all Baptist scholars admit that the church is God's family. J.M. Pendleton and A.T. Robertson are two outstanding examples.

Now, if the church is God's family—and it is—where are God's children? Can one be a Christian and not be a child of God? Can one be a child of God and not be in His family—the church? Surely not. God has no children outside of His family. Therefore, all of God's children are in His family, the church. Thus, the importance and absolute essentiality of the church of the Lord is seen.

“The Baptist Church—The Bride Of Christ”
In the above I set forth the Baptist teaching concerning the church and how they value it. In this, I want to discuss the church as “the bride of Christ” from the Baptist viewpoint. Let us begin with a quotation from the booklet by Mr. E. C. Gillentine, called Baptist Doctrine. On page 14, discussing the subject of “The Church, its Dignity and Identity,” we find this:

"The most highly honored position, and the most dignified place spoken of concerning the dignity of the church is that she is called the Bride of Christ, John 3:29; Rev. 2-9-10; 2 Cor. 11:1-2; Eph. 5:23-27. The church is now the Bride of Christ, but when He returns He will take her unto Himself and then she will be His wife...Christ is not a polygamist—He will marry but one woman. He will have but one wife; He will marry but one church. It is a wonderful joy to anticipate being a part of the bride of Christ and participating in the marriage feast with Him and Ms church."

Be sure to read the above statement carefully. The church is the bride of Christ according to Baptist doctrine and this is the “most highly honored position” of the church. Yet, according to Baptists, the bride of Christ is not essential and has absolutely no connection with man's salvation. One does not have to be, yea, does not even need to be a part of the bride of Christ to be saved. Mr. Kirkland affirmed in our debate that “all true believers are saved regardless of church membership.” What is so wonderful about the church being the bride of Christ, if it is wholly useless as far as man's salvation is concerned?

Mr. Gillentine says that the church is now only the prospective bride of Christ, and when Christ comes the second time He will take her unto Him as His wife. Baptists think that Christ is not now married to His bride. This is simply the “engagement period.” The marriage is something that is supposed to take place in the next age—the millennial age. Of course, this is not true, but I will not take time now to discuss this angle. Gillentine says, “It is a wonderful joy to anticipate being a part of the bride of Christ and participating in the marriage feast with Him and His church.” Why is it such a wonderful thing to anticipate? It is wholly useless as far as man's salvation is concerned.

Mr. Kirkland had no little trouble explaining about the bride of Christ in our debate. It proved to be most troublesome in the light of his proposition. I asked him if one had to be a part of the bride of Christ to be saved. He answered in the negative. Then I kept asking him to tell us about the marriage feast of Christ and His bride. I asked him if the Baptist Church is the bride of Christ. He said, “Yes,” in so many words. Now since Christ is to marry His bride and His bride is the Baptist Church, and since “He will marry but one church” according to Gillentine, what about those who are not a part of the Baptist Church—which is supposed to be the bride of Christ? Will they be saved? If so, can one be saved and never be married to Christ? What about the Methodists? They are not a “part of the bride of Christ” if the Baptist Church be that bride. Will they be married to Christ? Will they get to enter the marriage feast? If so, on what condition and why? There is not a Baptist preacher that can explain this. Christ will not then marry Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, etc. He will only “marry one church” and that church is the Baptist Church! Those in these other churches are certainly not members of the Baptist Church, therefore, are no part of the bride of Christ, and will never be married to Him. That is Baptist doctrine for you! Actually Baptists teach that the Baptist Church is the only true church and that they are the only ones right, the only ones who will be married to Christ.

According to Baptist doctrine, if people of all the other churches will be saved, then they will be saved without being a part of the bride of Christ. Only Baptists enjoy this exalted position. Only the Baptists are to be married to Christ as His bride and hold this “most highly honored position.” If any Methodists make it they will only be attendants at the wedding! None can enjoy the place of dignity of the Baptists. The Methodists, Presbyterians, and others will not enjoy heaven as fully as the Baptists. Let Mr. J. E. Cobb, a Baptist scholar, tell us about these others. On page 11 of his New Manual For Baptist Churches, he says:

"God's children who, in the gospel age, are misinformed and misguided, and do not unite with the true church, or with a true church, will not be, in some mysterious way, injected into its membership in the coming age. Those who, because of misinformation or misguidance, refuse to become attached to a true church will suffer loss in the age to come. God, in His divine word of truth, has revealed the true way and the true church, but if one allows prejudice, misinformation, or misguidance to keep him out of the true church, God is not responsible, but He will hold the individual responsible for his gullibility."

Thus, we can see that Mr. Cobb holds out some small hope for those of God's children who are not in the Baptist Church, but says that they will not be “in some mysterious way injected into its membership in the coming age.” Hence they can never be a part of the bride of Christ and share with the Baptists all the exalted privileges and blessings thereof. “God's children” in all these other churches are “misinformed and misguided,” and because they are not members of the Baptist Church they “will suffer loss.” They will have to suffer for their “gullibility.” They will only have a second-rate salvation and not a real first-class salvation like the Baptists! In other words, one can be saved out of the Baptist Church and make it to heaven, but his salvation is not as full and complete as it would have been had he been a member of the. Baptist Church—the bride of Christ, and thus been able to participate in the marriage feast. Only by being in the Baptist Church can one really enjoy the fullness of heaven and eternal glory. That is Baptist doctrine.
After all then, according to these Baptists, it is important that one be in the church— the Baptist church at that—if one really expects to share fully in the joy of heaven. The Baptist Church is “the true church,” and one must be in it to fully enjoy heaven. All the Methodists, Presbyterians, and others, are “misinformed and misguided” and “gullible.” They are members of false churches. They have allowed “prejudice, misinformation, or misguidance” to keep them out of the true church. But the Baptists will be generous to them. They will let all the others come in, but they cannot participate in the marriage feast as a part of the bride of Christ, and they will all “suffer loss.” They will have only a second-rate salvation and not be able to as completely and fully enjoy heaven as the Baptists.

Such is the inconsistency and the absurdity of this man-made theology as taught by the Baptists. People need to learn the truth about such.

Address

Willow, OK
73673

Opening Hours

10:45am - 11:45am

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Willow, Okla. church of Christ posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category