Church history, as we observed last week, can be divided into four periods: 1) The Age of the NewTestament Church, 2) The Age of Apostasy and Departure, 3) The Age of the Protestant Reformation, 4) The Age of Restoration. It is about this last period that I wish to write a little more this week.
Restoration assumes apostasy, departure, and change from the original. The New Testament predicted that such would occur, and it did. But in time a plea began to be made to return to the original—to go back to the church as it is described in the New Testament.
Three things about restoration in the realm of religion are worthy of note: 1) the restoration principle, 2) the restoration plea, and 3) the restoration movement. The restoration principle is easy to comprehend. It simply says that to whatever extent apostasy and corruption have occurred restoration needs to take place. People frequently restore an old car, an old house, or an old piece of furniture. Religiously, the restoration principle refers to the concept of restoring to the present age Christianity as it was in the beginning, Christianity as described on the pages of the New Testament, Christianity before it had been modified and corrupted by the doctrines and commandments and traditions of men.
The restoration plea is the setting forth of the restoration principle, the call for a return to the original. The apostle Peter, in effect, made the restoration plea when he urged: "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles [word, hf] of God" (I Peter 4:11a).
As the result of articulating the restoration principle (making the restoration plea), a restoration movement comes about. As people realize wherein departures from God's original way have occurred and are motivated by a sincere desire to return to Him and His way, a movement back to Him takes place. People can see the reasonableness of going back to the original order of things—the New Testament order.
The Bible gives validity to such a plea and such a movement. In the long ago, God's Old Testament people—Judah—had departed from Him. Through the prophet Jeremiah the call went forth: "Thus says the Lord: 'Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls.' " Sadly, however, "they said, 'We will not walk in it.' " (Jeremiah 6:16). That same reaction toward the "old paths" of original New Testament Christianity is often witnessed today.
To restore and practice New Testament Christianity in its purity is what faithful churches of Christ are about today. We believe that "the seed is the word of God" (Luke 8:11), and that it will produce in the twenty-first century what it produced in the first century—undenominational Christians, people who are members of the spiritual body of Christ, the church of which we read in the New Testament. We are committed to speaking where the Bible speaks and remaining silent where the Bible is silent, to calling Bible things by Bible names and doing Bible things the Bible way. We have no hierarchy, no earthly headquarters, and no creed book or church manual written by men. Christ is our only creed and the Bible is our only guide. We believe with all our hearts that we can be the true and faithful church of our Lord in the present age. We invite all to come with us as we strive to go back to the Bible, back to the God of the Bible, back to the Christ of the Bible, and back to the church of the Bible.
Speaking Schedule:
June 27: Hartsville Pike Church of Christ, Gallatin,TN
July 1: Cottontown Church of Christ, Cottontown,TN
July 11: Highland Heights Church of Christ,Lebanon, TN
July 29: Oak Grove Church of Christ, Red Boiling Springs, TN
Hugh Fulford
June 26, 2012
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