A GLORIOUS NEW ISSUE

It may not be a new issue in terms of the history of the church at large, but it is new within Church of Christ circles. And what an issue it is: salvation by grace apart from works of law. Indeed, that was the issue with the reformers in their confrontation with the Roman church that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. But up until now our folk have made issues of methods, whether in reference to missionary societies and instrumental music, or congregational cooperation and Sunday Schools. Weighty doctrinal issues have not mattered all that much to Churches of Christ and others of the Stone-Campbell movement. That grand old historian, W. E. Garrison, was right when he said that the Campbellites have argued about methods rather than doctrine. Well, after all, Chalcedon and Nicea are a long way from Nashville and Dallas!

But these days there is something new, and I will risk calling it good news. Believe it or not, some of our brethren are now challenging each other to debate the issue of salvation by grace. If this is hard to believe, it may be even more incredible that this elegant altercation is taking place within our “right wing,” if I may be allowed to do a little categorizing. Actually it is the far right wing, those brethren who call themselves “conservative” and are called “antis” or more commonly the “anti-Hearld of Truth” persuasion, who make up five or six percent of Churches of Christ, and who are now completely separated, insofar as fellowship is concerned, from the others.

This means that the debate is largely among themselves, for as Churches of Christ are generally withdrawn from all other denominations so are the sub-groups within Churches of Christ withdrawn from each other. It is a case of one’s world shrinking more and more as per the demands of legalism. It is not surprising that our people might rediscover the dynamic of God’s grace and the true meaning of the gospel through one of our right wing sub-groups. Just as the most powerful voice for moral and political freedom today is not a Britisher or an American but a narrow confines that Alexander Solzhenitsyn to be free, so that he could eventually write, Russian. It was in very discovered what it means Thank you, prison!

That seems to be happening to many of our people these days: they are discovering freedom within the prison of legalism, a prison that encircles the entire Church of Christ world. It is consistent with history that this should find special expression within one of our most obscurant segments. Where was Luther when he found the grace of God except on his knees doing penance on a cold floor. It will not be too great a price to pay, as did Solzhenitsyn, to say Thank you, legalism if we learn the mercy and grace of God.

Perhaps I should add that I am indirectly a part of this set-to, for in the books that have been published, the articles written, and the debates conducted my name is listed among the “Neo-Calvinists,” along with that of Carl Ketcherside, on whom of course it is always open season. But it is really the “antis,” the wayward “antis,” those who are misbehaving, that they are after, for they are fellow party members while we are not. Brethren have difficulty in putting Carl and me in the right pigeon hole. That leading “antis” would list us along with their errant comrades, who probably would not have us in their churches, only shows that we should leave pigeon-holing to the pigeons. But I take it that they are more interested in discrediting their own than in crediting us.

The latest chapter in this dispute is that the “grace-unity heretics” (an unlikely label for a people who began as a unity movement!) are fighting back, taking their stand for grace and challenging their persecutors to put up or layoff. Not unlike Martin Luther in his crucible for the grace of God, these “Neo-Calvinists” (a surprising label indeed!) have issued propositions for debate. They have nailed their theses to the cathedral door! Since this is a new dimension in Church of Christ controversy some of the propositions may interest you. They are far different than those dealing with cups, classes, organs, societies, lesson leaves, etc. Two of them are especially revealing.

“The scriptures teach that God justifies sinners by grace through faith in Christ, apart from works of the law.”

“The scriptures teach when the ungodly believes in Christ as Savior and is baptized in His name for the forgiveness of sins, God imputes, reckons, puts to his account a righteousness of God or the righteousness of Christ.”

We can thank the “antis” for pinpointing the essence of Church of Christism. In two propositions, along with a third that follows, they are at the taproot of what ails us as a people. We are saved because we have been baptized and faithfully comply with “the five acts of worship.” We are righteous because of what we have done --- faithful church attendance, even on Wednesday night. We are, like the Roman church, a salvation by works church, and the propositions are admitting what we really believe and practice. We are righteous because we are right! No wonder our people are insecure in trying to be righteous by their own righteousness, scared to live and afraid to die!

The other proposition that prosecutes us is: “The scriptures teach that fellowship in Christ allows for diversity and disagreement among Christians.” This should not be confined to the “antis,” for the Churches of Christ were born and bred on the premise that we have to see everything alike. We have even disfellowshipped our own Christian Church brethren over instrumental music.

Thank God for our heretics that are standing up for what is obviously the gospel of Christ, salvation by faith apart from works, and that we are righteous, not because of what we have done but because of what Christ has done. And for recognizing what is clearly scriptural, that we are to receive one another even as Christ has received us, warts and all. --- the Editor