The Word Abused . . .

“ THE BROTHERHOOD’S FINEST HOUR”

According to a report out of Gainesville, Florida recently, which has been published in numerous journals, “the brotherhood” (referring only to Churches of Christ, I presume) had its finest hour. And there was cause for rejoicing, for two congregations, previously at outs with each other, are now at peace. Some of the language in the report, however, reveals woeful ignorance of the nature of fellowship, such as: “The difficulties have been completely corrected, making fellowship once again possible.” Since when is fellowship contingent upon there being no difficulties? And what is one congregation doing “withdrawing fellowship” from another congregation in the first place?

The brethren who assembled for the smoking of the peace pipe, including numerous preachers from across the country, might have done better to have excused themselves on the grounds that it was none of their business. And that would have been a good speech also for the “offended” congregation: Brethren, since we really believe in congregational autonomy, in deed as well as word, we hereby acknowledge that this whole affair of your work and worship has been none of our business, and we will henceforth take care of our congregation and leave you to run yours.

That still might not have been our finest hour, but it wouldn’t have been bad. Surely it is with tongue in cheek that my brethren talk and write about how the Churches of Christ believe in congregational autonomy, for in almost any city all the “loyal” churches will jump on an innovative congregation like a cat does a June bug. They’ll even spell out the demands for “restoring fellowship,” which might include firing a certain preacher or banning particular guest speakers. It is nearly always the clergy that calls the shots. In Gainesville they came from far and wide preachers from distant states and foreign countries — to get the thing settled for the local churches! If a group of our preachers can get together like that, draw up a statement on what constitutes sound doctrine and issue the same to “the brotherhood,” strongly implying that their word is the final court of appeal, then we must at least be more forebearing toward Episcopalians and Roman Catholics when they assemble and issue ecclisiastical norms. What do they say about when the shoe is on the other foot … ?

Our finest hour in Gainesville assures us, for instance, that “Miracles have ceased and do not exist in the lives of men today.” They settled that after only two days of talks! We are also told that “The Bible does not authorize women to lead the public services in singing, prayer or preaching.” We presume that they are prepared to show us where the Bible authorizes men to lead in prayer and singing! Acts 5:24 has the gathered saints, men and women alike, “lifting their voices together to God” and praying. The same is in Acts 12:12 where many saints gathered in the home of Mary in prayer for the imprisoned Peter — “many were gathered together and were praying.” According to the Gainesville edict brothers and sisters can’t do that. Some man has to lead them!

One reason the sisters in the Gainesville churches will no longer be encouraged to be naughty and address the Father even in devotionals and “soul talks” is because of Romans 14. “In the spirit of Romans 14, since the practice has become a source of controversy and division in the brotherhood, we will forego the practice in all congregational activities …” If Rom. 14 imposes this upon the sisters, then we may expect the brothers to no longer support Herald of Truth, divide into classes, or use multiple cups, for all these things, plus many more, are “a source of controversy and division.”

That is hardly “the spirit of Romans 14,” for in that chapter Paul makes it clear that a to each his own attitude should prevail. The carnivorous can keep on eating meats and the vegetarians can keep on being vegetarians without either of them passing judgment on the other. The spirit of that chapter is “Let everyone be fully convinced in his own mind” (verse 5). That allows for diversity, while Gainesville is insisting upon conformity. Using Rom. 14 as a mandate for conformity in matters of opinion, that is something! But you will notice that those who use (or abuse) the scriptures that way are never willing to apply the same logic on themselves. Now that “the 14” have gone on record that sisters should no longer pray aloud even in devotionals because of Rom. 14, we’ll inform our “conservative” brethren that they have at last won their point about Herald of Truth. Since it is a matter of controversy and represents our latest fission, all they need do is appeal to “the spirit of Rom. 14.” They in turn would have to surrender the Sunday School. The Sunday School brethren would then have to give up multiple cups …If that is what Rom. 14 is talking about, then none of us could ever have any freedom to do as he thinks best so long as somebody objected to it.

As for a sister in Christ praying in meetings, I think Rom. 14 comes nearer teaching me that it is before her own master that she will stand or fall, that she doesn’t have to give an account to me nor do I have to stand in for her, and that I should leave her alone and mind my own cotton-pickin’ business.

You would think that this proposition would be as safe and sound as Abilene and Nashville combined, with Searcy thrown in for good measure: “Christian fellowship must be extended to all persons who have been baptized for the remission of sins.” But even that did not pass the test in Gainesville. That must be improved to say “Fellowship must be extended only to all persons who obey, Jesus in becoming Christians and who live the Christian life.” That addendum sounds innocuous enough, but “If you know Suzie like I know Suzie,” then you’ll know what the old gal means when she speaks cryptically.

Our Christian Church brothers have been baptized for remission of sins, as have many Baptists and others — and other Church of Christ folk like “liberals” and premillennialists and charismatics. So the addendum is an “escape valve” for Church of Christ sectarianism, for “obeying Jesus” and “living the Christian life” really means being a faithful Church of Christ member the party that “the 14” belongs to! The “escape valve” allows them to reject a brother that uses a piano or supports a missionary society. Oops! I almost said Herald of Truth!

A sectarian is one who “fellowships” only those of his own sect. The mother church in Gainesville was “offended” that her grandchild, a congregation evolved from the one that she had spawned, was getting out of line on this point, viewing fellowship in Christ as embracing all who have been baptized into him. One thing that a sectarian church cannot bear is for a next of kin to become non-sectarian. So they called in the preachers and got it all fixed up, giving us our finest hour.

Here is one more ringer that comes out of that great moment: “The Holy Spirit does not in any way lead or direct Christians today separate and apart from the word of God.”

Just like that! I marvel at the arrogance of the clergy. I think of the pope making poor old King John do pennance out in the cold, with his knees buried in the snow. The clergy not only dares to rule kings, nations and churches, but they’ll even tell the Holy Spirit what He can and cannot do.

How can men who claim to know the scriptures make such an irresponsible statement as that? The Spirit does not in any way lead apart from the word! An explanation of what “apart from the word” means would be interesting. Does it mean that the Spirit leads only in terms of what He actually says in scripture? Rom 8:14 says, “As many as are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”How much of the New Testament did those Romans have? Verse 26 says that the Spirit helps us in our weakness and that He prays for us. How can this be only through the word?

So, if “the 14” are right, one can’t believe that the Spirit might lead him to the woman he should marry, the child he should adopt, or the job he should take. The Spirit can’t lead us to reach for a particular book that He wants us to read or cause us to meet the person that will bring us closer to Jesus. He can’t cause the right person and the right idea to get together in history. He can’t lead a Thomas Campbell to write the Declaration and Address or a Barton Stone to pen The Last Will and Testament of the Springfield Presbytery. He can’t cause a Raccoon John Smith, discouraged and disheartened, to ride 17 miles by horseback to hear Alexander Campbell, the man who set him free in Christ. The Spirit can’t lead a lost brother to you or to your congregation where he will hear words that will bring him back home.

This is the sin of Church of Christism. Arrogance amidst impotency. A dead and powerless religion. No wonder the majority of us are scared to live and afraid to die. The only concept we have of the Holy Spirit is in terms of quoting prooftexts. God, pity us! May He teach us that “the kingdom of God does not consist in talk, but in power” (1 Cor. 4:20).

And so we have it — “the brotherhood’s finest hour.” A dozen of our papers have said its so. Maybe that depends on what “the brotherhood” means. If I had a vote or two, I would name Oct. 31, 15 17, the day Luther nailed his theses to the castle door, igniting the Reformation. Or perhaps June 12, 1812 when the Campbells were immersed into Jesus in Buffalo Creek, near Bethany, firing the American Restoration Movement, even if they didn’t then realize it was for the remission of sins (which I suppose ,excludes them from “the brotherhood”!). Or I might select Christmas, 1831, when the Stone-Campbell movement became united in Lexington, Ky.

If my choice were ancient, the brotherhood’s finest hour may have been “the sixth hour” in Caesarea, about 38 A.D., when Peter dreamed of brotherhood on that housetop, and then came down and made his way to “the dogs” that God said were clean. If my choice be from recent history, I would go to July 4, 1966, in Bethany, where eight different factions of the Church of Christ gathered around the Lord’s table in the old Campbell church, singing When All God’s Children are One.

I might even be naive and name the hour in 1939 when Brodie Hardeman wrote a letter of apology for his part of a feud with Foy Wallace. They were both heroes of mine in those days, and brother Hardeman was always my dear friend. I sat there as his student when he read us the letter. I was touched. It was a great moment.

Wittenberg, Lexington, Bethany, Caesarea. But who am I to question the glory of Gainesville? The women, like the blacks, have been put in their place. So has the Holy Spirit. A church has been saved from apostasy, and it will now “fellowship” all the right people and none of the wrong people. Yes, of course. Our loyal papers say so, and what is this little journal to suggest otherwise. Gainesville, Florida, Nov. 11, 1975 was the finest hour for — “the brotherhood.” — the Editor