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Some
historians have recognized that every reformation within the church
has been inspired by the
book
of
Romans. It was certainly the case with Martin Luther, moved as he
was by the great truth of Rom. 1:17, “The just shall live by
faith.” That a lowly monk, troubled by his futile efforts to
meet the demands of the law, should be moved as he was by a single
line, quoted by the apostle from an ancient prophet, indicates how
God’s word influences our lives when we are open to the
Spirit’s leading. It has no doubt happened to many of us, and
it is often but a single passage, or one new insight, that turns us
in a different direction. And it is often one of the great truths of
Romans. Someone was telling me recently that he noticed that when
one of our preachers “discovers the grace of God” he
begins preaching from the book of Romans.
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So
it was with Thomas Campbell, that genial Presbyterian who launched
“a movement to unite the Christians in all the sects” on
the American frontier. His
Declaration
and Address,
written
in 1804 in the attic of a farm house, is not only the greatest
document produced by the Restoration Movement, but it has rightfully
gained a place as a classic in the history of ecumenicity. Any of us
can look to it as a Magna Charta of Christian freedom. It was
written in a time of great unrest. Not only was Napoleon ravaging
Europe, to which Campbell makes a reference in the
Address,
but
the church was torn by strife and bickering in both Europe and
America. Campbell wrote in quest of peace. “Tired and sick of
the bitter jarrings and janglings of a party spirit, we would desire
to be at rest,” he wrote’, and then indicated that he
was in search of principles that would “restore unity, peace,
purity to the whole Church of God.”
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There
is that mentality among us that will have to forgive Mr. Campbell
for using the capital C. This remission of his went so far as to
take this form: “Our intention, therefore, with respect to all
the Churches of Christ is perfectly amicable.” What we now
call “the church of Christ,” with the small
c
mind
you, did not, of course, even exist back in 1804. Campbell supposed
that the Presbyterian, Baptist, and Methodist churches were Churches
of Christ, in spite of shortcomings that he wanted to help correct.
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And
notice where his idea of restoration began. He would
restore
unity,
peace, and purity to the whole Church of God. This shows that he
wanted restoration to be qualitative first of all. He wanted the
church to have a certain character-to be united, peaceful, pure -and
not simply to have certain forms.
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While
this important document is eminently scriptural, there are but few
direct references to the Bible. After all, one may quote a string of
passages without really being scriptural, just as he may set forth
concepts and principles that are deeply rooted in scripture without
actually quoting passages. But there is one passage that profoundly
impressed Mr. Campbell, and it is the one scripture that he refers
to more than once, and it is from the book of Romans.
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It
occurs in Proposition 2 of the
Address,
following
the most quoted lines of our Movement’s history, in
proposition 1: “The Church of Christ upon earth is
essentially, intentionally, and constitutionally one.” And
there is the capital C again, but you must bear in mind that Thomas
Campbell did not have the advantage of attending one of our Schools
of Preaching or Bible Colleges. Then in Proposition 2 he says:
“Although the Church of Christ upon earth must necessarily
exist in particular and distinct societies, locally separate one
from another, yet there ought to be no schisms, no uncharitable
divisions among them. They ought to receive each other as Christ
Jesus hath also received them, to the glory of God.”
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There
is the passage that fired a unity movement —Romans 15:7. The
way for us to be in separate churches and still be united, he is
saying, is for us to practice Rom. 15:7: “Receive one another,
therefore, even as Christ has received you, to the glory of God.”
That this verse had great influence upon his thinking is evident
from the fact that he returned to it after a few more pages: “But
how to love and receive our brother, as we believe and hope Christ
has received both him and us, and yet refuse to hold communion with
him, is, we confess, a mystery too deep for us.”
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As
Luther was touched by the profundity of a single line from Romans in
reference to salvation, so Campbell was influenced by a weighty
principle from the same book in reference to the unity of the
church. Luther came to see that it was faith,
faith
only
in
that it was by no work of righteousness that he could do, that would
liberate him from all the legalisms of his theology. A single line
from Romans fired the great Reformation. Little did Habakkuk realize
when he wrote that line,
The
just shall live by faith,
that
it would one day spark a movement that would change the world. Let’s
be careful never to despise the day of small things. That’s in
the Bible too, isn’t it?
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One
little verse, tucked away in the latter part of Romans, touched the
heart of a man who realized that the church would never be able to
unite on opinions, doctrines, or theology. Paul’s simple
analogy changed his thinking:
those
in the church are to receive each other on the same basis that
Christ received them.
This
is how we can be different from each other and disagree with one
another and still be united, by accepting one another just as Christ
has received us, with all our errors and hangups. Yes, all those
that Jesus receives are “in error” on some things and
probably a lot of things. The apostle, in that same great book, says
that it was while we were helpless and sinners that Christ died for
us.
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Many
a lost soul has walked the aisle to accept Christ to the tune of
that old hymn “Just As I Am.” Those pungent lines fit
all of us, “Just as I am! poor, wretched, blind—Sight,
riches, healing of the mind.” If Jesus received us while were
were poor so as to make us rich, and while we were blind so as to
give us sight, are we not to receive our brothers and sisters on the
same grounds? Rom. 15:7 convinced Mr. Campbell that we are. And
yet we go on in our self-righteousness taunting those who would
“fellowship brothers in error,” as if we had any other
kind. Aren’t you glad that Jesus received you while you were
in error? If we had to be right about everything before the Lord
would receive us, where would we be now?