I Am NOT A “Church of Christ” Preacher
Categories: Bible Study LessonsIn the last few days I have been deluged with sectarian, denominational remarks. Most of these remarks have been out of the mouths of those who should have known better. One of the most bitter, cruel, malicious and ignorant is “Church of Christ Preacher.” Don’t misunderstand me; I believe there are some “Church of Christ Preachers” in the world today. The Divine, God, in His word, makes a radical and eternal distinction between the body of Christ, which is the church of Christ, and all other entities! Some religious groups call themselves “Church of Christ.” Abraham Lincoln once asked his cabinet, “If you call a dog’s tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?” They responded “Five.” To that Mr. Lincoln replied, “No, a dog has four legs. Calling his tail a leg doesn’t make it a leg.” On the other hand, the Divine, God, in His word defines “the churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16) and the only two things necessary to learning the characteristics of that one, exclusive, acceptable-to-God, church of Christ are: [1] reading the words of the New Testament (Hebrews 9:15-17; 10:9-10; and Ephesians 3:3-5); and [2] being intellectually honest (Luke 8:15). The New Testament sets forth the conditions for entrance into this one and only, exclusive, acceptable-to-God church. The New Testament sets forth the worship in which this one and only, exclusive, acceptable-to-God church may engage with Divine approval. All denominations are either apostate from this one and only, exclusive, original, acceptable-to-God church or apostate from some other apostasy. The church of Christ stands today as the one and only product of the one and only seed {the New Testament} that produces only after its own kind according to Divine law given in Genesis One and it has no hybrids (Galatians 1:6-9). This church ordains no ministers, preachers, elders, pastors, bishops, etc. Every member of the churches of Christ is ordained by the Gospel of Christ to be a priest of God (1 Peter 2:9). Every member of the churches of Christ is called by the Gospel (2 Thessalonians 2:14). Thus, while it is possible to be a “Church of Christ Preacher,” I am not one of those. As a preacher of the Gospel, God has obligated me to reject all such evil (2 John 9-11). Because I am a Gospel preacher God has obligated me to preach the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The truth is the New Testament and it alone (John 17:17). It is the word of Jesus (John 12:48), which came from God the Father (John 12:49-50) and was left to us by the New Testament apostles and prophets (Ephesians 3:5). This New Testament is the totality of God’s message to mankind on earth today (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The New Testament alone is the “all authority” (Matthew 28:18) of Jesus Christ. From the New Testament, the Gospel, we may not vary the tiniest little bit and still please God (Galatians 1:6-9). I am not even a “Church of Christ” member, much less a “Church of Christ” preacher.
[Editor’s note: Nor do we preach “Church of Christ” doctrine-we preach Christ and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2); nor are we “Church of Christers,” we are Christians (1 Peter 4:6); nor is the building the “Church of Christ,” we, the people, are the church of the Christ. Some do use “Church of Christ” as a denominational label; but let it never be said of us that we do such!]
I have some relatives and friends who have left the one and only, acceptable-to-God body of Christ and it is these who delight in using these sectarian phrases in my presence. They are cold, cruel, heartless, and lost. My heart hurts for them. My heart hurts to an even greater extent when I contemplate the effect they are having on their children, grand children and other extended family members, directing precious, impressionable souls into eternal damnation and doing it with joy, good feelings and unbounded arrogance against God and truth. In 1 Corinthians 4:6 God inspired Paul to write “…that in us ye might learn not to go beyond the things which are written; that no one of you be puffed up for the one against the other.” According to 1 Timothy 3:6 this, not abiding in the word of God, and becoming puffed up, is the very sin of the devil.
I am not a “Church of Christ Preacher.”