Liberal Churches of Christ ( “Institutional” ) Liberal Churches of Christ ( “Institutional” ) ? Conservative Churches of Christ ( “Non-institutional” ) What is the difference?

What do these terms mean? These terms have been used since the 1950’s “Liberal” is in reference to how some brethren use the scriptures; not strictly following the pattern of the Bible; allowing unauthorized changes to be made (“progressives”) “Institutional” refers to human institutions (businesses) built and maintained by some local churches to do the work of the local church

What do these terms mean? “Liberal brethren” appeal to scripture but they… misuse the scriptures misunderstand expediency apply passages concerning individuals to local churches invent “good works” without authority

What do these terms mean? “Conservative” refers to the commitment of some brethren to strictly follow, protect and preserve the Bible pattern without changing its instructions (Col. 3:17; 2 Tim. 1:13; Heb. 8:5; 2 Jn. 9-11; Rev. 22:18-19) (“non-progressives”) “Non-institutional” refers to the refusal to build and maintain human institutions (businesses) through which the local church will do its work “Anti” is the term “liberal” brethren use to describe “conservative” brethren. We are not “anti” in the way they use it (like “anti-cooperation” or “anti-orphan”). We are against (“anti”) acting without Bible authority!

Local Church Organization Liberal brethren $$ send funds $$ from the local church Human Institutions Missionary Society (evangelism) College (edification) Orphan Home (benevolence) to do work Conservative brethren $$ use funds $$ from the local church to do work Acts 11:26 (edification) Acts 11:29-30 (benevolence) Acts 13:1-3 (evangelism) A human institution is added to the NT pattern

Local Church Organization a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to… Expediency: the Bible does not say “how”… we are not given the exact method of how to do local church work Answer We are not told exactly how, but we are told who (the local church) is to do the work; we are told the organization which is to do the work (the local church) - it’s who, not how The local church, not a human institution, does its own work and uses expediencies to do it’s work

Local Church Organization a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to… In loco parentis (the orphan home is “in place of the parents,” a restored home) Answer a family is a home a human institution (board of directors) is not a “home” a facility or dwelling place is not a “home”

Local Church Organization a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to James 1:27 and brand the conservative brethren as “anti-orphan” or “anti pure religion” the church can do what individuals can do the church is not excluded the church can practice pure religion

Local Church Organization a search for authority Answer (James 1:27) the immediate context applies to the individual, not the local church collectively (begin in verse 23 and note the singular nouns and pronouns) liberal brethren are not consistent … may churches own a business (1 Thess. 4:11-12)? the local church is excluded if the passage is silent about the church the local church (collectively) must first be given authority to care for orphans

Local Church Benevolence Liberal brethren $ give church funds $ to needy saints and to non-saints 2 Corinthians 9:13 Galatians 6:10 Conservative brethren $ give church funds $ to needy saints only Acts 2:44; 4:32; 6:1ff; 11:29 Romans 15:26 1 Corinthians 16:1-2 2 Corinthians 9:1ff 1 Timothy 5:16 General benevolence to all people is added to the NT pattern

Local Church Benevolence a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to 2 Corinthians 9:13 Answer the word “men” is italicized and added the context refers to “all” Christians (8:2-4; 9:1,12; Rom. 15:26) “Liberal” brethren appeal to Galatians 6:10 the immediate context refers to individuals was Paul a church? “good” is defined by God’s word (Eph. 2:10)

Local Church Cooperation Liberal brethren $$ send funds $$ from many local churches to one sponsoring church eldership Herald of Truth, Foreign Evan. “One Nation Under God” disaster relief start other churches to do work Conservative brethren $$ send funds $$ from one local church directly to do work C C C C A sponsoring church organization is added to the NT pattern Benevolence Acts 11:29 Rom. 15:25 Acts 24:17 Evangelism 2 Cor. 11:8 Phil. 4:15ff

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the one sponsoring church eldership; i.e. the elders are in control, not a board of directors (human institution) Answer Yes, but the sponsoring church elders have been placed in an unscriptural role; i.e. overseeing the money and work of many churches instead of one (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:2) – this is centralized control

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the need for cooperation; they brand the conservative brethren as “anti-cooperation” (“anti” brethren don’t want to cooperate; against cooperating in preaching) Answer We “cooperate,” but the NT pattern is concurrent cooperation (each church sending directly to the need), not collective cooperation (many churches sending to one church who then sends out money to the need)

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the great commission of Matthew 28:19-20; without some sort of cooperative effort this cannot be carried out Answer Yes, we preach the gospel to every creation, but we must follow the pattern No sponsoring church is found in the NT… did those Christians carry out the great commission? Yes, without a sponsoring church

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to 2 Corinthians 8:19-23 Answer The “messengers” took the money from the churches directly to the need The “messengers” exercised no centralized control as the sponsoring church elders do

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to Acts 11:29-30; money was sent to the elders who then forwarded it to the needy brethren (from one church, to another church, then distributed to the needy individuals) Answer The elders that received the money were the elders among the needy brethren

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to no specific directive (an exclusive pattern) for how preachers are to be supported Answer The specific pattern of sending directly to the preacher is found in scripture; all other arrangements are excluded

Local Church Cooperation a search for authority “Liberal” brethren say that they are still in control when they voluntarily turn the money over to the sponsoring church elders Answer Oversight and autonomy is lost Voluntarily turning over control does not make the new arrangement authorized (consider parents turning over their children to another, or husband turning over his wife to another)

Local Church Fellowship Liberal brethren $$ use church funds $$ to build and maintain “Fellowship Halls” kitchens used for social and recreational use Conservative brethren $$ use church funds $$ to build and maintain a place to assemble for worship Acts 20:7 1 Cor. 11:33 Hebrews 10:25 Social and recreational uses of the building are added to the NT pattern

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to Acts 20:7-11; Paul ate a “fellowship meal” Answer Paul ate, but we are not told anything else Where is the “Fellowship Hall” built and maintained by the church treasury in this passage?

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to 1 Corinthians 11:22ff and say the problem was selfishness and worldliness during the Lord’s supper; keeping the worship spiritual Answer Liberal brethren do not eat a common meal during the Lord’s supper; this is not the issue The assembly in the building is for spiritual worship purposes; this excludes social purposes

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to “love feasts” (2 Pet. 2:13; Jude 12); these “love feasts” are the same as “fellowship meals” today Answer The “love feasts” were meals, but there is no evidence concerning (1) what the meals were, (2) who ate the meals, or (3) whether a church, from its treasury, planned and purchased the meal and the place to eat it

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to “fellowship;” meals are one way Christians have “fellowship” together Answer The word “fellowship” (Gr. koinonia), when used of churches, always refers to spiritual communion or join-participation in spiritual activities If Christians want to eat together fine; they do it at home (Acts 2:46; 1 Cor. 11:22,34) The “fellowship meal” is the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 10:16), and the “fellowship hall” is the auditorium where we worship (1 John 1:6-7)

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to early Christians meeting in homes; they also ate in those homes Answer There is no evidence that these early Christians took money from the church treasury to buy a social meal for the church or build a “fellowship hall” onto the house that they were meeting in

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the church building not being holy or “sacred” Answer Yes, the building is not holy or sacred (the materials), but its use must be limited to the purpose authorized in the NT (Col. 3:17) The time spent in the assembly for spiritual purposes is a sacred occasion

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the water fountain; if you can’t eat in the building, you can’t drink in it either Answer The building may contain anything necessary to carry out the command to assemble for spiritual worship (water fountain, restrooms, heating/cooling, lights, etc.)

Local Church Fellowship a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the preacher’s house; anti brethren say you can eat in the preacher’s house bought by the church, but not the building; anti brethren are “silly” and “ridiculous” Answer the preacher, supported by the church, may do what is right to do in his own home including eating

Local Church Work Liberal brethren $$ use church funds $$ to do social and recreational works social reform recreational activities business operations secular education domestic services Conservative brethren $$ use church funds $$ for authorized works only * * * Evangelism (Matthew 28:19-20) Edification (Ephesians 4:11-16) Benevolence (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 6:1-6) Social and recreational works are added to the NT pattern

Local Church Work a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to individual action; what the individual Christian can do, the local church can do Answer the individual and the local church can do only what each one is authorized to do the individual and the local church do not always do the same things (1 Tim. 5:16) may churches vote, start a business?

Local Church Work a search for authority “Liberal” brethren social and recreational activities are used to reach people for evangelism and edification Answer the gospel is used for evangelism (2 Tim. 4:2,5) the gospel is used to edify people (Acts 20:32) Jesus did not use social and recreational activities to draw people (Jn. 6:27,44-45); neither did the first NT church (Acts 2:14ff); neither should we!

Local Church Work a search for authority “Liberal” brethren appeal to the “good works” they are doing Answer “good works” are defined by God in His word, not by man (Eph. 2:10) a work can be “good,” but not authorized for the local church

What is next? Mid-1800’s to Present Day (digression) early 1900’s 1950’s and 60’s 1960’s and 70’s 1980’s and 90’s Missionary Society Colleges Orphan Homes General Benevolence and Sponsoring Church Fellowship Halls Social Recreational Activities Instrumental Music Baptism Not E. Unity with Denominations “Some shall fall away from the faith” … 1 Timothy 4:1-2 Acting without Bible authority leads to further digression… What’s next? How far will you go?

What do we need today? A Plea For Honest Study Respect Bible Authority Handle Aright the Bible Keep an Open Mind Resolve to Follow Truth Stand for Truth without Carnal Fighting & Bitterness Teach on Authority Generic and Specific Authority Proper use of Expediencies Respect the Silence of the Scriptures NT Commands, Approved Examples and Inferences Follow the Pattern