The Unique Position Of The Church Of Christ
The church of Christ has ever held a unique and peculiar position because we have ever respected the Bible as the word of God, and recognized every part of it as law, complete and perfect to do what God had in mind, to those to whom it was given. Hence we have recognized the Old Testament as being law to the children of Israel to serve as a schoolmaster to bring them unto Christ. (Gal. 3:24, 25) And we have recognized the New Testament as the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2), given for the purpose of demonstrating Christ to the world, and telling men how they might be saved by the blood of Christ through obedience to his commands (Heb.5: 8, 9), and revealing what God has in store for them that live faithful to his commands. Thus we have recognized the New Testament as the law of God for this age. It is complete and perfect to tell men how to please God in this last dispensation. Some have chosen to call the New Testament the blue print of the church for all generations until the end of time. This conception of the position of the New Testament is correct. Paul said, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." (2 Tim. 3:16, 17) Since the scriptures furnish us unto all good works, it is evident that any work to which they do not furnish us is not good.
Thus down through the years the church of Christ has consistently refused councils, creeds written by men, party names, sectarian spirit, ecclesiastical machinery, and all of the denominational functions that are in the world, choosing rather to walk as the Word of God directs, doing Bible things in Bible ways and calling Bible things by Bible names. The apostle Peter said, "If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever." (1 Peter 4:11) The church of Christ is trying to do this in this age, hence our peculiar and unique position in the world.
It is this position that causes us to accept the New Testament at face value not discounting any of its commands or relegating any of them to the realm of "Nonessential." Thus when Christ said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned." we accept both belief and baptism as essential to salvation. When Peter told the Jews on the day of Pentecost that in order to be saved they must repent and be baptized (Acts 2:98), we believe that repentance and baptism played an equal part in their salvation. When Paul tells us that we are the children of God by faith because we have been baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:26, 27), we accept it without controversy. Friend, why not accept the position of the church of Christ, accept the New Testament at face value, obey it, let the Lord save you and add you to his church, and thus be just a Christian, a member of the church of Christ, and then help us spread this unique position into all of the world.