Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 6
April 28, 1955
NUMBER 50, PAGE 6

"The Church Universal .... Concept"

Luther W. Martin, St. James, Missouri

For the past several days, this writer has been devoting his time to reading the very excellent work of Brother Earl I. West, entitled, "The Search For the Ancient Order." In his second volume of this work, Brother West deals with 'The Society Controversy' in chapter III. We copy at length, that which we consider to manifest some very sound reasoning on the part of Brother West:

"Some day somebody will do the cause of Christ a real service by taking the concept of the church universal, and giving it a thorough analysis based upon the scriptures and upon church history for the past two thousand years. The church is spoken of in the New Testament in a universal sense. There is a body of people characterized by the fact that they follow Jesus that comprise the New Testament church in its universal aspect.

"There are some things about this truly significant. It is significant, for example, that the church universal has never known but one officer — Jesus Christ himself, who is Head over the body, King over his kingdom. The apostles were the ambassadors of this King to the church universal. They were not officers of the church, were never appointed by the church and existed before the church did. The study of church history reveals the fact that every time men thought in terms of the church universal, they ended up by forming organizations which in their work substituted themselves in the place of Christ. (Emphasis mine, L.W.M.) Roman Catholicism is the highest embodiment of the church universal concept, and claims that its pope is the vicegerent of Christ on earth. So far as the church universal on earth is concerned, as viewed by a Romanist, the pope is virtually Christ.

"Protestantism thought in terms of the church universal, and set up synods and conferences. These synods and conferences have written creeds, created confessions of faith — in short, have made laws for the church universal, a prerogative that belongs to Christ. In the final analysis these synods and conferences assume the position of Christ over the church universal. Some, like the Baptist denomination, have tried to throw off the concept of the church universal for a time, and insist upon strict congregational polity. Yet they invariably thought in terms of the church universal and established associations which soon began to dictate to the local churches, a prerogative that again belonged to Christ. In the restoration movement, brethren thought in terms of the church universal, and with that concept formed a Missionary Society. (Emphasis mine, L.W.M.) Looking back on this history, as we can now, who can fail to see that this society became the master, and soon dictated to the churches, a prerogative which belongs only to Christ.

"That Christ intended for the world to be converted through individual congregations being established in every local community and thence, exercising a saving influence over that community seems too obvious for dispute. The plan the author of Acts lays down is that the gospel is to spread from Jerusalem, thence to Judea, then to Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth. The gospel radiated out, local congregations were planted, and exercised a saving influence upon the community. In one generation the gospel was sounded out to the whole earth, and that without a missionary society. It is an indictment, not against our organization, but against our individual religious fervor that the same is not done today. The only church organization known to the New Testament is that of a local church, not the church universal. (Emphasis mine, L.W.M.) The individual congregation of Christ's disciples is the only missionary society then known to the scriptures." (Vol. II, Page 55-57, The Search For the Ancient Order.)

Conclusion

Brother West has more capably expressed the New Testament principles in this matter than this writer is able to do. It is for this reason that we have quoted so copiously from his writings. However, the issues of 1866 and 1955 appear to be parallel. Of course, the details and specifics are somewhat different, but the underlying and motivating forces are one and the same. The Missionary Society was designed to correlate and coordinate the proclamation of the gospel on the part of many individual congregations. A nation-wide radio program, by whatever name you may choose to call it, is similarly designed to correlate and coordinate the proclamation of the gospel on the part of many individual congregations. If not, why not?