Restoring The New Testament Church
Conformity To An Ideal
Whatever the particular discipline, true conformity both demands and produces exactness and exactness demands a standard. The thinking of Campbell following this line when he suggested, "Were we, then, in our Church constitution and managements, to exhibit a complete conformity to the apostolic Church, would we not be, in that respect, as perfect as Christ intended we should be?"
A later Christian preacher stated what every restorationist must suppose when he said, "In the beginning the apostolic church, as founded by Christ, was in faith, doctrine, organization, government, worship, terms of administration, terms of fellowship and unity, just what He would have it be" (James C. Creel, "Plea to Restore the Apostolic Church"). The problem then becomes the determination of what elements found in the church during New Testament times were "as founded by Christ." The problem shifts from "Shall we restore the New Testament Church" to "How shall we determine what part of the New Testament Church was divine in origin and what part was human?" It was likely the awareness of this problem which led the early restoration pioneers to their convictions of "faith" and "opinions." (A consideration of their views on that subject is to follow in a later article.)
Thomas Campbell believed not only that the New Testament constitutes a "Pattern" for churches today, but that such a conclusion was the only obvious one from a careful study of Scripture. In the "Declaration and Address," he stated:
We...have overtured to our brethren what appears to us undeniably just and Scripturally evident, and which... supposes the existence of a fixed and certain standard of Divine original, in which everything that the wisdom of God saw meet to reveal and determine...is expressly defined and determined; between the Christian and which, no medium of human determination ought to be interposed."
In carrying out this noble aim, the proper use of words can be very helpful. Since Babel, men have found that very many of their difficulties could have been avoided by the use of language commonly understood by all concerned. The most certain technique is for all to "speak as the oracles of God." Alexander Campbell described that in these words.
We choose to speak of Bible things by Bible words, because we are always suspicious that if the word is not in the Bible, the idea which it represents is not there; and always confident that the things taught by God are better taught in the words, and under the names which the Holy Spirit has chosen and appropriated, than in the words which man's wisdom teaches (Christianity Restored, p. 125).
(The truthfulness of Campbell's statement suggests the constant need and propriety of "cleansing our speech" and of careful studies of words and terms as used in Scripture. If such studies are made in the proper spirit of inquiry, and their results made known in honest humility, schism can not result. The converse follows also.)
Many who are historically linked to Thomas Campbell, both of conservative and liberal minds, would not follow him to the extent expressed by him when he said: "The New Testament is as perfect a constitution for the worship, discipline, and government of the New Testament Church, and as perfect a rule for the particular duties of its members, as the Old Testament was for the worship, discipline, and government of the Old Testament Church, and the particular duties of its members" ("Declaration and Address").
Many who happily enjoy the historical glory associated with the name "Disciples of Christ" do not like to remember that Thomas Campbell said concerning the first Apostolic congregations, "It is in an exact conformity to their recorded and approved example, that we, through grace, would be desirous to promote the erection of Churches" (Ibid.).
Some of the reasoning involved in a practical application of this principle is seen in a comment by Alexander Campbell regarding Acts 20:7.
The Apostles taught the churches to do all the Lord commanded...Whatever acts of religious worship the Apostles taught or sanctioned in one christian congregation, they taught and sanctioned in all christian congregations, because all were under the government of one and the same King. But the church in Troas met upon the first day of the week, consequently all the churches met upon the first day of the week for religious purposes.
Ideal Vs. Real
To one who desires to please God, it is usually not difficult to determine what the Apostolic churches did. But, as already been pointed out; it is "not enough to determine even definitely what is the truth in any given case, but we must also determine what that truth will be when it passes into human experience" (W. T. Moore, "The Church of the Future"). It is possible to forget that "the intelligent and conscientious student...must... note carefully the difference between the Divine ideal of the church...and the human real church as it is shown...since the day of Pentecost" (Moore). It was this very difference, between the will of God for the church (his people) and the conduct and beliefs of those people, which led to the writing of most of the New Testament. Only problems can arise if this difference is not realized. If one wants to speak of "example," then, it is good to deal with "approved example." This is a reminder — not a new thought by any means.
Is it too benevolent to say with W. T. Moore that "the church in history simply illustrates the struggles of human weakness to reach the perfection of the Divine?" For much of the church's history indicates a very feeble "struggle," if any at all.
No one has ever advocated liberty in matters of opinion more fervently than Thomas Campbell. Yet many have seemingly forgotten that he also stated that "differences in religious profession and practice originate in...departure from what is expressly revealed and enjoined, and not in...strict and faithful conformity to it, which is the thing we humbly advise for putting an end to those differences" ("Declaration and Address").
Though they began in search of the "Holy Unity," the Knights of Restoration came to believe that that treasure was dependent on another — conformity to the positive and plain will of God. They advocated "unity by conformity," and this is where their ideas of the restoration of the New Testament church originated. 'Restore it," they said, "then conform to it, and we will all be united."
The subsequent history of the "restoration movement" is a commentary on the validity of their plan, and suggests once again that the New Testament itself should be constantly re-studied on the topic of unity — as well as all others.
— 944 S. Geyer Road, Kirkwood, Mo. 63122