Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #5

Chapter 3 of Marshall Leggett’s book is the first of several short biographies of the men who were responsible for starting the Restoration Movement. The first biography is devoted Barton W. Stone, especially emphasizing his focus on using the name Christian to describe disciples of Christ. If you are interested in reading about Barton Stone’s life you can do so here.

This how Leggett finishes the chapter:

History credits Stone with being the one who restored the ancient name “Christian” to its proper place. He believed it was the name God had given to His people and the one around which they could unite. He pleaded for all believers to become Christians only (p. 32).

It is this issue that chapter 4 is devoted to, and therefore that is what the next post will be look at. Today I just want to focus on a tangent that I discovered in the chapter. This is what jumped out at me:

The census of 1800 showed that less than one out of twenty persons in Kentucky was a member of any church. This produced a spiritual and moral vacuum (p. 28).

The reason I found this interesting is the fact that we often think that we live in this time of great spiritual decline, and while that is true, the reality is that there have been times in the short history of the United States when the Church’s influence has been very minimal. In other words this should give us great hope because just as there have been revivals in the past we can experience revival once again.

For revival to happen what is required? What is required is for Christians, men and women who bear the name of Jesus, to truly follow Jesus in prayer, compassion, integrity, and proclaiming the truth. It is about truly being salt of the earth and the light of the world.

I want to leave you with this passage from 1 Peter:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation (1 Peter 2:9-12; ESV).

What Would Jesus Say to Me?

As I prepare to jump back into Marshall Leggett's book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal I want to remind us of a very important truth: we belong to God and what matters most in our lives is His will.

On page 19 Leggett writes:

Then something happened. The church began to lose its purity. The New Testament church penetrated the world, and it seemed that nothing could stop its momentum. No outside force, not even the power of Caesar, could blunt its progress. However, change began to evolve from within. Whereas the New Testament church had penetrated the world, its successors became penetrated by the world. It ceased to be the sect 'spoken against' (Acts 28:22) and became in vogue; not just in the world, but of the world. The church began to leave the plan Jesus had given.

I wonder what Jesus would say to us? If He sent us letters like the letter He sent to the Seven Churches of Revelation what would He write? I would bet that they would contain much of the same things. I think He would praise us for our willingness to stand up for right and wrong, but I think He would condemn us for leaving our first love. I believe He would be upset by the sexual immorality (from pornography to sexual abuse) that we have allowed to infiltrate our churches. I think Jesus would be upset at how much we have grown to be like the world rather than becoming like Him.

We can lose sight of what Jesus Christ has called us to do. Let's face it it is very easy to get distracted by politics, by technology, by church growth techniques, and by the latest Christian fad that the true mission of Jesus to make disciples of all nations can fall by the wayside.

When you couple distractions with an increasing uninterested public all of sudden we are trying to figure out how to keep the crowd rather than worshipping God, and we seek the advice of "experts" rather than seeking God's will.  What happens is that we begin to look increasingly like the rest of the world rather than the holy nation we were called to be.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. "Once you were not a people; now you are the people of God. Once you received none of God's mercy; now you have received his mercy." Dear brothers and sisters, you are foreigners and aliens here. So I warn you to keep away from evil desires because they fight against your very souls. Be careful how you live among your unbelieving neighbors. Even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world (1 Peter 2:9-12; NLT).

What God desires from us, more than a religion that is in vogue with the population and more than political agendas, are people who are wholly devoted to Him. People willing to live differently than the rest of the world, Churches willing to extend a helping hand to people, and Christians who give their passions, time, and money so that disciples are made of all nations.

I want to challenge you today to stop and take a look at your life and your church. Ask yourself, "What would Jesus say to me?" Take some time to pray asking God to show You His desire for your life and church. Consider if what you think is important is the same thing God knows is important.

The only way to be where God wants us to be, the only way we can remain pure, is to give ourselves to what God has commanded us to do. This requires us to understand what He has revealed about Himself in the Bible and trusting Him to show us where we need to be. We can be the People God wants us to be. It begins with out willingness to do things God's way rather than our way.

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #4

The Church is Jesus’ Church. He loved her and gave Himself for her. We always need to remember the place the Church has in God’s plan. To diminish the Church is to miss what God is doing in the world.

Yet, we also know that what Saint Augustine wrote rings true: “The Church is a whore and she is my moth-er.” The Church has not always been faithful to her first love, and yet without her we would not be part of God’s Kingdom today. It is through the Church that people experience the love and forgiveness of God.

Most of Chapter 2 of Introduction to the Restoration Ideal is a short Church history lesson. In this lesson author Marshall Leggett stresses just how far away the Church has gone from the ideal found in Scripture. Leggett writes:

“More and more, as time passed, Christians became secularized. One historian says, ‘the doors of the church were thrown open so wide, that the distinction between Christianity and the world was obliterated.’ Many Christians protested, but they could not stem the tide of secularism” (p. 19).

Secularism has destroyed the witness of the church because it prevents Christians from being salt and light in the world. It is hard to influence culture when Christians live no different from the rest of culture. The result of this reality is that the Church stopped looking to Christ Jesus as the Head of the Body and began doing things based on what seemed right by the standards of culture.

One of the consequences of secularism in the Church is the creation of numerous sects and denominations among the body of Christ. Our current Christian landscape reveals thousands of different groups that claim the name Christian, yet some are radically different from one another. In fact some groups are openly hos-tile to other groups.

It was to combat this disunity that brought about the Restoration Movement. Leggett writes:

“It is...a movement that began in the early part of the nineteenth century to seek Christian unit on a Biblical basis...It is called the restoration movement because it embodies the ideal to restore the essential marks of the New Testament Church to it pristine purity. It is founded on the premise that the true basis for unity is to return to the church as it was given to, and guided by, the apostles. Its adherents seek to be Christians and to follow the Bible only as they strive to be both Biblical and undenominational in faith ordinance, and live” (p. 24).

I agree with that sentiment except for the belief that there was a pristine New Testament church. The book of Galatians shows us that even among the apostles there was a struggle when it came to making disciples of all nations. In other words, and I think this is part of the beauty of the Church, is that the Church is constantly growing in her knowledge and application of Scripture.

The Restoration Movement is a response to the disunity in the Church and seeks to call people to be united in holiness and mission as we are guided by the Holy Spirit through the pages of Scripture. I think that is a very worthy calling, and I am glad to be a part of it.

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #3

Any true church is first and foremost Christ's church.  The apostle Paul wrote:

For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:15-23; ESV)

Jesus is the head and we who make up the Church are His body.  This is the point that Marshall Leggett makes in chapter two of Introduction to the Restoration Ideal. Leggett writes:

One cannot have an understanding of the New Testament and not be impressed with the importance of the church to Christ.  He loved it, gave himself for it, and purchased it with His own blood.  It was to be His body, the agency of salvation whereby peole would be reached with His gospel.

Christianity cannot be separated from the church.  This is seen in Acts 2:47, which says, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." One who accepts Christ is given no option to membership in His church.  He cannot become a Christian and then decide whether he wants to become a church member.  To the contrary, he is automatically added to that body of believers, that fellowship that seeks to serve Christ as its Lord.  It is his responsibility to become a supportive member of the priesthood of believers in the local congregation of the church (p. 17).

Why is Jesus the Lord, or the Head, of the Church?

The first reason Jesus is the Head of the Church is because it is upon faith in Him that the Church is built.  We don't believe that Jesus was simply a good man or an insightful teacher of spiritual truths, instead we believe that Jesus is the unique Son of God sent into this world to save us from Satan, sin, and death.  This belief manifests itself in obedience and action as we surrender to His authority.  Jesus is the Head of the Church on the basis of who He is.

The second reason Jeus is the Lord of the Church is because of His love for the Church.  The apostle Paul wrote; Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Ephesians 5:25; ESV). Jesus, by His sacrificial death demonstrated to us that He is willing to do whatever it takes to have a relationship with us.  Jeus loves the Church and wants what is best for us, and therefore we can trust Him to lead us with wisdom and with love.

This is important to remember because it reminds us that if we will surrender our agendas and expectations then Jesus will guide us to where He wants us to be.  Will we trust Jesus to guide our church families?  Unfortunately all too often individual Christians, and even whole church families, have responded with a no, and their agendas and their plans have torn Christ's Church apart.  May we  pray daily for unity to be restored to the Church, as we surrender to the Lordship of Christ Jesus.

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #2

What does an ideal church look like?  I think if we tried to answer this question we would get a variety of answers, for each person has a different image of what the church should be like.  Each one of us carry around certain expectations for the church family that we call home.

I think the key thought in the first chapter of Introduction to the Restoration Ideal is:

“It may be impossible to restore the church perfectly as Christ conceived it and as the apostles guided it.  It might always remain in the realm of the ideal.  But virtue will be found in striving for that goal or aiming for it” (p. 11).

There are three ideas that I want to pull out of this thought.  The first idea is that the ideal that is important is not our own personal ideals of what the church should look like, but the ideal of Christ Jesus.  As the apostle Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1:19-23 Jesus is the head of the Church, and we are His body.  That means that He has great say in what our church families look like and in what we do.  How do we allow Jesus to guide our church families?  I think we need to be people of the Book and know what expectations Jesus has laid down for the church.  An excellent place to start is Revelation 2-3 for in these two chapters we read Christ’s critique of seven churches, which can give us an idea of what He would say to us.

The second idea that I want to mention is we have to be willing to be flexible when it comes to the look of our church families.  Remember there are certain bedrock doctrines that we cannot compromise on, and if our church family is asking to make changes in these core doctrines we have to be able to stand firm on the truth.  Most of the time the issue in our church families is not one of doctrine but of style and purpose.  As we try to apply God’s mission to our lives and fulfill the ideal that Christ has for our church that means we might have to do things we are not entirely comfortable with, but we sacrifice our comfort in order to accomplish what God desires. This is why there is great virtue in pursuing the ideal, because it is often in these areas of sacrifice that we learn to trust God more and that we are able to experience Him at work in and through our lives.

The last idea is to remind us that there was never a time when the Church was perfect.  The Church has always been shooting for the ideal of what Christ has for it.  Even the early church with all the disciples failed to do things perfectly.  I don’t know if we fully appreciate the difficulty many of these men and women had as they moved from Judaism to Christianity.  The New Testament shares these struggles, like the struggle Peter had with accepting Gentiles into the community of God’s people.  Even after receiving a vision about God declaring all things clean Peter is still persuaded by people not to associate with the Galatians Christians (Galatians 2:11-14).  I think there are times when people in the Restoration Movement have  held the New Testament Church as the ideal, forgetting they were trying to figure things out as they were guided by the Spirit.  The goal isn’t so about making ourselves look like the early church as much as it is learning to be guided by Christ as we try to establish the “ideal’ church in our respective communities. It is the the headship of Jesus and not a some model of New Testament Christianity that is important.

In the New Testament, through the teachings of Jesus and His disciples, we are giving an ideal for the Church.  It is up to us, those who bear the name Christian, to adjust our lives and church families to match up with that ideal.  It might never happen, but we will be better off because we have made the effort.

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #1

One of the things I am very thankful about in my life is to be part of the Christian Church/Church of Christ, one of the branches of what is called the Restoration Movement.  It is within this movement that my thinking has been shaped and I have learned what it means to be a disciple of Christ Jesus.  For this reason it is something I like to talk about and introduce other people to because I think we have a lot to offer other Christians.  So to introduce more people to the Restoration Movement I thought I would take some time and blog through Marshall Leggett's book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal, now I did attempt this several years ago, but I thought I would give it another shot.  With this first post, before we get into the book, I would like to share a couple of my thoughts about being part of the Christian Church/Church of Christ.

The thing I have probably come to appreciate the most about the movement is that we don't adhere to any systematic theology.  We certainly have core doctrines that we hold on to, but there really is no such thing as "Restoration Movement Theology".  Since we don't have a systematic theology that has allowed me the freedom to read widely and really develop a theology that is my own, one that I can embrace, and one that is able to influence what I teach and how I live.  While the core doctrines of the Movement have provided a firm foundation for me to build upon, I have had the freedom to follow where the Holy Spirit led me.

Another aspect of the Christian Church/Church of Christ that I have really appreciated is that we are nondenominational.  Yes, there are certain doctrines that set us apart from other churches and so we form a loose brotherhood of churches, we do not have a denominational headquarters that oversees our local church families.  This has given us flexibility when it comes to reaching out into our various communities.  If you know me you know that I cherish that type of freedom.  The downside of not being a denomination has been that there has not been a group to come in and mediate when local church families were having difficulties, which have led to some very nasty and ugly church splits.  This is a sad reality for a movement that began as a unity movement.

A third reason I love the Christian Church/Church of Christ is because it is part of my journey of faith.  Not only did I grow up in a Church of Christ (Sutherland, IA), but I also attended a Christian Camp (Nebowa Christian Camp) growing up, and attended a Christian College (Nebraska Christian College).  I am currently preaching at a small Church of Christ (Storm Lake, IA) and I am making arrangements to return to seminary at Lincoln Christian Seminary (Lincoln, IL).  Most of the the Christians I have interactions with on a regular basis are part of this brotherhood of Churches and they have been a source of encouragement to me.

I hope that you will join me on this journey through the Introduction to the Restoration Ideal as we learn what this ideal is and why it is important to all our church families no matter what your faith tradition is.

Alexander Campbell

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #14

The third restoration movement founder profile Marshall Leggett shares is the profile on Alexander Campbell. Leggett makes the correct point in writing: “Alexander Campbell would emerge as the leader of the restoration movement” (p. 53). You can read a summary of the life of Alexander Campbell here.

The emphasis that Leggett gives to Alexander Campbell’s life is the call to return to the “ancient order of things.” This was a plea to restore the original practices of the church: weekly observance of communion, simple order of public worship, and independence of local church families under the guidance of a group of elders and deacons (p. 56).

I thought this story from Alexander Campbell’s life was interesting:

“However, his most famous debate came against an atheist, Robert Owen, who had called Christianity ‘an opiate of the masses.’ He had attempted to found utopian, communal societies, the most famous one being at New Harmony, Indiana. Owen sought to show Christianity as a scandal based on ignorance, and he expected Campbell to defend the established churches. However, Campbell rested his case upon the simple revelation of the New Testament. He asked and answered three questions, ‘What is man? Whence came he? Whither does he go?’ Another rout ensued. Owen turned over to Campbell the last part of the time allotted to say what he wished, and Campbell addressed the audience for twelve hours. At the end of it, he asked all those who believed in Christianity to stand. Almost everyone present arose. Then he asked all those who did not believe in the truth of the Christian religion to rise, and only three persons stood. The debate gave Campbell great exposure to and confidence from the religious world.” (p. 58)

He spoke for twelve hours! It is amazing that people stand around for all that. What is even more amazing is that he had in his head twelve hours worth of material. While it is true that people 200-150 years ago were ignorant of many of the things we know today, that by no means they were unintelligent or uneducated. I think you could make the case that in some aspects our ancestors were better educated than we are today. It boggles my mind that he went on to speak for twelve hours. Wow!

Christ-Centered

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #13

The founders of the Restoration Movement emphasized the importance of the Bible. For them the Bible was what guided and informed their faith. The reason they put that importance on the Bible because they believed that the Bible was indeed the written word of God.

What this means is that the Bible is Christ-centered. Marshall Leggett writes;

“The entire Bible is about Christ, as He is the culmination of God’s plan to bring men back to Him. But this in now way diminishes the importance of the Scripture. On the contrary, it reinforces its necessity. How could one have knowledge of Christ without the written Word that contains it? How could one know His love and will without ‘vehicles’ that carry that message? It would be like having music without notes and mathematics without numbers.” (p. 50)

It is though the Bible that we understand what God is doing. How else could we know about a single Jewish preacher in the first century, let alone the meaning of His death, or His resurrection. Only the Bible gives us what we need to know so we can put our faith in Christ Jesus.

Insight Into The Mystery

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #12

The principle of the Bible being the only rule of faith and practice for a Christian is, to me, the fundamental principle of the Restoration Movement. I think all the other principles are an extension of this one. While we might not (will not) agree with how to interpret the Bible, I think it is where we can find the unity Christ’s Body (the Church) needs.

In chapter 6 of Introduction to the Restoration Ideal, Marshall Leggett summarizes the importance of the Bible. Leggett writes:

“God solved a dilemma with the Bible. He wanted to reveal those musterions hidden in His heart. Musterion is the Greek word in the New Testament often translated as ‘mystery.’ However, it does not mean a mystery in the sense of a puzzle or a riddle. Instead, it refers to that which is hidden from finite understanding, beyond the range of natural apprehension. It would be a truth man’s mind could never conceive without Divine help.” (p. 47)

In other words, without the Bible, we could never accurately know who God is. We could get some idea that God exists, but His character, love, purpose, and plan would allude us. Instead of worshipping God, the Trinity, who would worship created things: things we can see or the evil spiritual forces that we can’t see. The Bible is important, because it reveals to us, in the best terms that we can understand, who God is and how He wants us to live.

As a Christian, I can never hold on to an idea of who God is, that is not supported by His word. The Bible is what I know God has revealed about Himself, the rest is just conjecture. It is for this reason that we need to be on our guard against people who dismiss or misuse the Bible. The best way for us to be on guard against such people, Satan being the number one abuser, is to familiarize ourselves with what the Bible says. If we are students of Scripture, then we will be less likely to be led astray. If we only have a casual understanding of the Bible then we will be pulled this way and that by people who sound like they know the truth.

The follower of Christ Jesus has a responsibility to be familiar with the Bible. Only the Bible offers us the words of truth that we need to have a solid foundation for our faith in God. The Bible opens up the mystery of God so we can understand who He is and how He wants us to live.

Thomas Campbell

Introduction of the Restoration Ideal #11

Returning to Marshall Leggett’s work Introduction to the Restoration Ideal we find ourselves in chapter 5, which is a short biography of Thomas Campbell. If you are interested in reading about the life of Thomas Campbell you can do so here.

The main contribution that Leggett says Thomas Campbell offered to the movement to restore the Church to the New Testament model is emphasis on the Bible as God’s Word. Thomas Campbell would say, “Persons can be Christians only if they would but follow the Bible only.” (p. 45)

In my mind that raises a very important question: How can we follow the Bible only? Again we have to remember the context of this statement. Thomas Campbell came from a time when there were deep divisions between between Christians. This mainly fell among denominational lines, and each wrote a creed or a confession that would emphasis their difference from other groups. So the main thought here is that Christians need to follow the Bible before they followed the creeds and confessions.

I think where this becomes very important for us today, in a Christian culture that isn’t creed based, but in a sense personality based, is to measure what we are taught and read against the truth of Scripture. Too many people pick a preacher or teacher they like, and they hang on their every word. When we do this our faith is based more on what these preachers and teachers say than it is on our personal knowledge of Scripture.

There are many good preachers and teachers out there who seek to be true to the Word of God, but we can’t build our faith on their good intentions. Remember the Bereans of Acts 17? They were commended because they searched the Old Testament Scriptures to make sure what the apostle Paul, the man who wrote much of the New Testament, said was true. Their faith wasn’t based on the personality of Paul, but the desire to know God’s truth. We can only know God’s truth when we are familiar with God’s word, the Bible.

A Common Name

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #10

Chapter 4 of Marshall Leggett’s book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal deals with the name God’s people should be known as. Leggett points out that in the New Testament there are several names that that God’s people were called.

The most common, used of 200 times, is the word brother or brethren. This is a good word to describe God’s people because it denotes the family relationship we are to have with one another. The Church is God’s family, He is our Father, and we are brothers and sisters.

Another term that was used for the followers of Jesus is the word disciples. This word represents the reality that God’s people follow Jesus. We are not just students, but we are devoted to following the example of Jesus in every area of life. We are His disciples.

Two other terms used to for the followers of Jesus are believers and saints. As followers of Jesus we believe in God, His promises, and in the person and work of Jesus. We are saints because we have been set apart, cleansed, and made holy by God.

Leggett goes on to write:

“But none of the names for Jesus’ followers in the New Testament fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy—except one—the name CHRISTIAN. It is a ‘new name, better than of sons and of daughters, an everlasting name that shall not be cut off’ (Isaiah 62:2, 56:5).” (p. 37)

In Acts 11:26 we discover that the followers of Christ were first called Christians in Antioch. Some people will tell us that the name Christian was first given to Christ’s Followers by enemies of the Church wishing to make fun of the disciples. But looking at the meaning of the word called one gets a very different picture. Leggett quotes H. A. Ironside to make his point:

“The Greek word translated ‘called’ really means, ‘oracularly called,’ or divinely called.’ The evidence bears that out. The disciples were first divinely called Christians at Antioch. This was God’s name for them. Now that the work of evangelizing the world had really begun, God said, as it were, ‘I am going to give you the name by which I want My people known’—and He gave them the name ‘Christians.’” (p. 37)

Now why is this important? Remember the Restoration Movement sought to restore unity in the Church. The reason the founders of the movement saw the name thing as important was because having a common name was a reminder of the similarities we share as followers of Christ. Yes, we maybe Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, or Evangelicals, but over all those we are Christians. Having a common name helps give us a sense of unity, in spite of our many differences.

The Bible Only as a Christian Only

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #9

Chapter 3 of Marshall Leggett’s book Introduction of the Restoration Ideal is a short summary of the life of Barton W. Stone, one of the men credited with founding the Restoration Movement. I am not going spend whole lot of time here. If you are interested in the life of Barton Stone you can read about him here.

One thing that caught my attention in this chapter was the lack of church attendance in the frontier of the United States. Stone spent part of his life as a minister in Kentucky. According to Leggett:

“The census of 1800 showed that less than one out of twenty persons in Kentucky was a member of any church. This produced a spiritual and moral vacuum.” (p. 28)

As the United States grew the Church was not always able to keep up. If the we are going to make an impact for Christ, then we have too make sure to go where the people are.

In summarizing Stone’s beliefs Leggett writes:

“Stone was determined to follow the Bible only as a Christian only. This was the foundation upon which he began to build a theology. He rejected total depravity, the Calvinistic doctrine that portrayed a person as helplessly lost until God chose to act upon him with His irresistible grace. Stone felt the Bible taught that man is neither good nor bad in infancy, but human nature possesses a predisposition to sin. He believed that man can and must act on his own behalf to gain salvation. He must hear the gospel, accept the gospel, and be obedient to the terms of the gospel. Stone concluded that Christian baptism was the immersion of a believer ‘for the remission of sins.’ He, himself, was immersed and preached that immersion was ‘ordained by the King.’” (p. 31)

Now it would be easy to chase the rabbit of total depravity and irresistible grace. I think the point that needs to be understood is that he made a commitment to following the Bible as a Christian. We have to remember that Stone, as well as the three other men who are credited with founding the Restoration Movement, came from a time when Christianity was deeply divided into different denominations by creeds and confessions. These creeds, rather than the Bible, were used as tests of fellowship. Stone wanted the Bible to be foundation of a disciple's faith rather than some man made creed. He also wanted disciples to known first and foremost by the name Christian rather than by a denominational name.

So rather than be sidetracked by Stone’s beliefs I think we need to ponder his commitment to the Bible only as a Christian only. We are not going to interpret the Bible the same, we are going to have disagreements, but if we understand that Bible is our source of truth and that we are all Christians, regardless or our denominational ties, then we are able to be committed to each other even though we might disagree.

Restoring to the New Testament Ideal

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #8

The Church is the Body of Christ. If we are going to follow Christ then we are required to be part of the Church, and the main way we show that we are part of the Body is our participation in a local church family. The Restoration Movement is focused on restoring the Body of Christ, the Church, to the ideal found in the New Testament. Much of this happens at the local level in individual church families. It is about what we believe and teach as well as how we live.

If we are part of Christ Body that means that we are separated from the world. Yes, we still live and participate in the world, but our lifestyle and our standards need to be different. Our church families should be loving communities where people can find acceptance, love, forgiveness, healing, help, and purpose. Leggett writes:

“The church as Christ conceived it became a beautiful fellowship as the disciples loved one another, bore each other’s burdens, and shared together. It possessed unity” (Introduction to the Restoration Ideal; p. 18)

Ideally this is what the Church should look like, but we well know that the Church has not always lived up to this standard. Even in the New Testament we read about divisions and false teachings that threatened to tear the church apart.

This has become a greater problem as the Church began to find acceptance in the world. Rather than living according to the Jesus’ standard, the Church has often adopted the standards of the world. Leggett points this out on page 19 when he writes:

“More and more, as time passed, Christianity became secularized. One historian says, ‘The doors of the church were thrown open so wide, that the distinction between Christianity and the world was obliterated.”

The Church as gone through times of secularization and reform. The inevitable result has been different denominations. It was this denominationalism that the founders of the Restoration Movement wanted to overcome. Having experienced the ugly side of denominationalism (which really isn’t apart of our landscape today) they came to believe that denominational sectarianism was a scandal to the movement of Christ Jesus (p. 22). While we may not experience the extreme sectarianism that was evident in Christianity in ages past, we can still see the damage that it caused as we study Church History. In this regard the Church has been her own worst enemy.

The Restoration Movement sought to restore unity and love among the many followers of Christ. In some aspects we are closer to this goal than we have ever have been before. A quick look at the Christian Bloggers link list I have will show us that we are far more accepting of people with a different faith heritage. That doesn’t mean that we still cannot benefit from the ideal of restoring the Church to the principles of the New Testament. What are these principles? Marshall Leggett ends Chapter 2 by pointing them out:

“This restoration movement can be introduced in several ways. But perhaps the best is through the central ideas of four of its early leaders. These early leaders of the movement, and the central ideas for which they stood, are:
Barton Warren Stone and the Ancient Name,
Thomas Campbell and the Ancient Book,
Alexander Campbell and the Ancient Order, and
Walter Scott and the Ancient Gospel.” (p. 24)

Part of the Body of Christ

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #7

At the end of June I began to blog through the book Introduction to the Restoration Ideal. Because of circumstances (one being misplacing the book) I have not gotten back since finishing chapter 1. In order to catch you up you can read my previous 6 posts here, here, here, here, here, and here.

Chapter 2 is entitled: The Church For Which Christ Gave Himself. The focal point of the Restoration Ideal isn’t individual Christians, but the Church. I believe this is one area that the Restoration Ideal could benefit Western Christianity. Evangelical Christianity that dominates our country focuses on our “personal relationship” with God. While it is true that the choices of faith are often personal choices God never intended for faith to be private. Spiritual maturity is the result of the Christians loving, serving, encouraging, help, and teaching one another. Author Marshall Leggett writes; “It is his (a new Christian) responsibility to become a supportive member of the priesthood of believers in the local congregation of the church” (p. 17).

It needs to be noted that unity and fellowship are not only essential for the maturity of a follower of Christ, but they are also essential for the Church to carry out her God given commission to make disciples. The Church is the body of Christ, and by working together we are able to continue the work of Jesus here on earth.

In a time of diverse opinions how can there be unity? We can find unity by focusing on the foundation of the Gospel: Jesus. Remember Jesus told His disciples that He would build the Church on the “rock” of faith in Him. Leggett writes:

“Christianity became founded upon faith in Jesus as the Christ, which means ‘the anointed one’ or ‘Messiah,’ and as the the Son of God. The apostle Paul would later say, ‘For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 3:11).” (p. 17)

Restoring the Church to the New Testament ideal requires us to see the Church as Christ’s Body, and not just an optional event to attend. If we can understand that we are part of Christ’s Body, not only will that remind us that an important task to complete, but it will also give us motivation to work for unity.

A Great Purpose

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #6

Marshall Leggett closes chapter one of his book, Introduction to the Restoration Ideal, with a series of questions:

“What can be more challenging to the young minister than the ideal that calls him to be both Biblical and undenominational in his preaching? Where can a new Christian find more motivation than in the ideal to be a Christian only? Where is there a better model for a church than to seek to restore the essential marks of the church of the New Testament? (p. 15)

I believe that in the Restoration Ideal we find a purpose for us to live. The restoration ideal has always influenced what I preach and what I write. There is something freeing about setting our sights on restoring the Church to the New Testament standard. This restoration begins with us as individuals. Leggett writes; “If you are looking for what will give meaning to your Christian service, let me introduce you to the restoration ideal” (p. 15). I hope you will continue to join me on this journey to discover the restoration ideal.

Christian Unity

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #5

The Restoration Ideal is an attempt to establish unity in the Church. In some ways I have been very encouraged as I have surveyed the Church. Even though we see a decline of church attendance in the west, we have also noticed that the divisions seem to be less severe. Denominationalism is less of an issue than it was when the Restoration Movement began in the early 19th century. It seems that even though this movement hasn’t been very effective at times (let’s be honest there have been times when we have been the source of division), God has been working to bring about unity.

Christian unity is something that Jesus wants for His Church. Why is unity so important? Marshall Leggett on page 13 of Introduction to the Restoration Ideal wrote:

“However, even Christian unity is not an end in itself, for, like the restoration ideal, it will remain a means to the real end. Notice Jesus’ prayer. Why did He want His followers to be one? He said, ‘that they may be one...that the world may believe that thou hast sent me’ (John 17:21). The purpose of unity was that the world might believe. It was evangelism.”

The importance of Christian unity is that it is evidence for the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we are united as a Church, then the message we have becomes more real and believable.

A Restored Church

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #4

The restoration ideal is to restore the modern church according to the New Testament standard. It is like taking a 200-year-old house and making the necessary adjustments to bring it up to code while staying true to the original design. You want to keep the original look while adding the modern comforts. To restore the New Testament Church means to keep the original principles, being true to the original design, while adopting modern ways of communicating and relating. In other words it isn’t about taking the church back 2,000 years, but using the 2,000-year-old design to meet modern expectations.

Marshall Leggett writes:

“Many believe that the church needs more than reformation or repair. That would be superficial. They believe it needs to return to the standard of excellence found in the New Testament church. It contained both the essential marks and the vitality to enable the church to fulfill its mission. A reformation, or repair job, would merely patch up obvious faults, and the church in our age needs more than this. It needs to be restored to what the original Builder intended. The ideal, the standard of excellence, the ultimate object of attainment, the model, can be found in the New Testament church.” (p. 12)

I think it is important to point out that in the New Testament we don’t discover one local church family that was perfect. It is obvious, just by reading many of the epistles, that the church 2,000 years ago struggled with problems. The ideal isn’t found so much in what a specific church was doing, but in the principles that the New Testament lays out for what the Church should be like. We are using the original blueprints as we do our restoration project

A Great Virtue

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #3

The ideal of the Restoration Movement is to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to what she was intended to be as described in the New Testament. Now this is most likely an impossible task, but just as value is found in struggling against sin and the constant effort to get rid of it from our lives, there is great benefit in struggling to restore the Church. I like what Marshall Leggett wrote on page 11:

“It may be impossible to restore the church perfectly as Christ conceived it and as the apostles guided it. It may always remain in the realm of the ideal. But virtue will be found in striving for that goal or aiming for it.”


Just because something may seem like an impossible goal doesn’t mean that it isn’t worth fighting for or working towards. I think many people would see the United States, as conceived by the founders, to be an impossibility. Yet, I think there is great benefit for people to work toward that ideal of liberty and Constitutional government.

A couple of benefits I think that are found in striving for the New Testament ideal of the church are:

1. A dedication to Scripture. Because we want to be like the New Testament Church we are constantly called back to Scripture to understand what they believed, how the lived, and how they worshipped. It bases what we do on God’s Word.
2. It helps clarify what is important and what isn’t important. It is so easy to lose our focus, but when we have a goal that we are striving for it helps us evaluate what is essential for us to do as well as what we believe. Rather than arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin we unite on what needs to be done.

It won’t be a failure if we never see the perfect church here on earth, because we will experience the benefits if we strive for it. The journey is just as important as the destination.

Slogans of the Movement

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #2

There are three slogans (mottoes) that have defined the Restoration Movement throughout the years, especially in the early years. Marshall Leggett briefly mentions these three slogans on pages 9 and 10. They are: “Where the Scripture speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent”; “In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love”; “Do Bible things in Bible ways, and call Bible things by Bible names.”

I want to briefly comment on these slogans. Each one has its strength and weakness, and divorced from the context that they were developed we may even their wisdom.

“Where the Scripture speak, we speak; where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent”
To appreciate this slogan we have to remember the context in which the Restoration Movement got its start. One of the things that fueled the Restoration Movement was the reality of a Church that was splintered into denominations and sects, and each had its own creed or confession to determine who a “real” Christian was. I don’t know if we in contemporary America can understand the division that was a reality in that time. These men called for people to return to Scripture, rather than their creeds and confessions. The rule of our faith and our practice must be found in the Bible rather than from tradition or theology.

While I think most Christians appreciate the call to return to Scripture, the weakness is found in developing an arrogance that is akin to what the apostle Paul wrote about in 1 Corinthians:

This is what I mean: Each of you is saying, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Apollos,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Christ.” (1 Cor. 1:12; ISV)

When this is your slogan it is easy to develop the arrogance of false of humility of following the Bible “alone”: “I am not a Calvinist; I am just a plain Bible-believing Christian” (as if Calvinist don’t believe the Bible).

If I could redo this slogan a little I would have it say: Scripture is our guide in how we live and what we believe.

“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, love”
This is my favorite of the Restoration Movement slogans. It reminds us that there are many things in which Christians can find unity. It also helps us remember that there needs to be grace in our dealings with each other. We are not going to have the same beliefs about everything, and there needs to be room and freedom to belief differently when it comes to those things that are not clearly stated in the Bible. And of course we are reminded to love each other. Just as the apostle Peter wrote: Above all, continue to love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8; ISV).

The problem we run into with this one is that we can’t agree what are essentials and non-essentials are. It is hard to extend liberty when we believe something is an essential doctrine. That being said there is no answer I can give to that problem except that we have to be patient and loving with people, and when we have a disagreement we have to do our best to explain our position. Love is still the best way to help people to discover the truth.

“Do Bible things in Bible ways, and call Bible things by Bible names”
This is the slogan I would just like to forget. Why? Because we live in a different time and culture. We don’t worship the same way, we don’t celebrate communion the same way, and we don’t have the same problems or concerns.

We need to remember that the Bible is our source of Truth: it forms what we believe and directs what we do. Yet, one the challenges that we face is taking the ancient principles found in Scripture and applying them to our lives. We will never be consistent in doing things the way they did them in the Bible, we will always allow our culture to influence how we do them. What we need to be consistent on is making sure the Biblical principles guide how we do things.

I would redo this slogan to say: The Bible gives us with the principles that form how we live and worship.

A Great Plea

Introduction to the Restoration Ideal #1

To begin his book, Introduction to the Restoration Ideal, Marshall Leggett shares the following story:

“Many years ago now, the Episcopal rector who ministered across the street from the First Christian Church in Canton, Ohio, crossed that street, visited the evening service, and responded to the invitation. Upon being immersed by P. H. Welshimer, he said, ‘Sir, you people have the greatest plea on earth. But you’re the stingiest with it.” (.9)

Leggett goes on to write; “This is the way I feel about the movement to restore the New Testament church to its pristine purity.”

I feel the same way. It could be that I am biased, having been part of the Christian Church/Church of Christ my entire life, but I do think we have a message, a plea, that needs to be heard throughout the universal church. It is a plea that calls us back to the New Testament and it is a plea that calls us to lay aside our differences and come together for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Over the next several weeks we will slowly look at sections of this book. My hope is to expose more people to the plea of the Restoration Movement, because the plea isn’t about a certain group or denomination of churches, but a plea to become the church that God wants us to be. Please join me as I ponder through the Introduction of the Restoration Ideal.