Developing Our Aim
W. Carl Ketcherside
[Page 1] |
In previous issues we have pointed out the shame and sin of sectarianism. We believe that those who love the Lord can no longer indulge in the dubious luxury of factionalism and the party spirit. But how to free ourselves and our brethren from the labyrinth created by several generations of partisan indoctrination and traditionalism is a matter of no small concern. It is one thing to say that "The Church of Christ" must be transformed and become the church of Christ; it is an entirely different thing to suggest the means by which the change can be wrought. The problem is augmented by the fact that man is resistant to change. He clings by nature to the familiar and habitual, he resists alteration or conversion.
All of us in this generation have been affected and conditioned by circumstances we did not create. Our fathers divided and separated and bequeathed to us a perplexing and embarrassing legacy of animosity and dissension. We have been reared in factional fraternities which isolated and insulated us from contact with other believers. We sought security behind walls of human construction and judged faithfulness to God by conformity to the clan. It would be easier to dwell apart "in the peace of our self content," but it is not safe to do so, since we must give account to God for the responsibilities we refuse to face. We have a definite and positive responsibility to wage peace among the discordant elements of God's children. "Blessed are the peacemakers!"
One of our greatest difficulties is created by a false sense of loyalty to the party! Many whose deep sensibilities recoil from perpetuation of the narrow concept of a religious clique among believers, are deterred from any overt declaration, and continue to pay lip service long after they are convinced of the utter futility of converting the world to a partisan position. They are restrained by fear that those with whom they have always been associated will regard them as traitors and castaways. They cannot stand the thought of proscription and ostracism. It was this same spirit which kept alive the senseless feuds in the mountain areas, with each succeeding generation convinced that it must uphold the family honor by shooting down those whose only error was in being born to another family.
In such feuds it was frequently true that those who prolonged the conflict were regarded as heroes by the ignorant and unthinking, and there were always some who sought notoriety as leaders of the clan. The same spirit obtains in religious strife, and those who pose as champions of orthodoxy and guardians of
[Page 2] |
We need congregations today whose members will pioneer in exploring avenues of Christian unity! Pioneers are generally courageous and daring. They are but a small minority in any society. They are frequently dissatisfied with their present lot, and willing to risk everything to better it. Yet it is these trailblazers whose sacrifices make it easy for others to follow. We should not regard the disunity existing in the Christian realm as normal or desirable. It is abnormal and deplorable. But it will not get better by sighing, wishing, talking, or writing about it. There must be those who are willing to do something tangible and positive toward ending the situation. So long have we taught unity and practiced division that it will be a new experience and a thrilling adventure to share with others in experiments leading to closer cooperation in the Spirit.
If a few congregations become truly non-sectarian in practice, as most of them claim to be in profession, we will then have living examples of the practicality of God's design for those who love Him. We must get it off the lips and into the lives of men and women, so we will have a vital demonstration that is visual. What is required of such a congregation of saints? What must the members think? What must be their attitude? We venture to suggest a minimum basis upon which such an effort must be undertaken.
This picture is not regarded as sufficiently practicable by most of the breth-
- There must be a thorough conviction that the party spirit and factionalism are sinful. There must be an abhorrence of that disposition which divides, separates, and segregates God's people!
- There must be a recognition that all of us have been allied with a party or faction, and that not one of the congregations in such a party is "the faithful church," nor, are all of the congregations composing such a party, when taken in the aggregate, "the faithful church." So long as we defend, apologize for, and rationalize that our group is the church of our Lord, to the exclusion of all other persons, and that our brotherhood is the one body, no one else being a member thereof, we will only continue our own brand of sectism.
- We must humbly and freely confess to God our sin and the sin of our fathers; their sin in cleaving the body into splinter groups, our sin in perpetuating the schism and division which they bequeathed to us. When Nehemiah learned of the trouble and shame of the survivors of Jerusalem who escaped from exile, and when he was apprised of the broken walls, he wept and mourned for days, and continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven. He said, "Yea, I and my father's house have sinned." It was his broken and contrite heart which prompted God to use him as his instrument in rebuilding the walls.
- There must be a firm resolution to make the congregation a haven of rest for all of God's children regardless of color, nationality, economic status, or previous condition of sectarian servitude. To that end it must be made known that no test of fellowship will be made which God has not made a condition of salvation. Love for each other in Christ will be the cementing principle and will transcend and overshadow all differences of opinion. Unity will not be achieved as a program, but obeyed as a command.
- The doctrine of the "priesthood of all believers" will be made a living reality, not a mere theoretical goal. Every Christian will be regarded as a minister, and when the saints assemble for edification, each will be allowed to contribute from his fund of knowledge and experience for the upbuilding of his fellows, as each will be expected to contribute from his funds for the relief of the needy. There will be no clergyman hired to "preach to the church," and to "lay down the law," but the brethren will be "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another" (Romans 15: 14).
[Page 3] |
It has been my lot recently to work with several congregations where most of the brethren feel a deep sense of responsibility on these issues. They now realize that the church of God is a much greater and more majestic entity than the segment to which we have belonged, and they are seeking to "grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ." They recognize that it is one thing to be built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Jesus as the chief cornerstone, but it is quite another thing for "the whole structure to grow into a holy temple in the Lord." They regard growth as a continuing and continuous process, so they can never claim to have "arrived" or to be perfect.
These saints regard every sincere immersed believer in the Lord Jesus Christ as a child of God. They invite all such who come among them to sit at the Lord's table and share with them in sweet communion, or fellowship. If an immersed believer is currently in the Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, or some other religious organization, they do not debar him from the communion of the body and blood of the Lord, but regard him as a brother unfortunate enough to be in a human party. They invite him as a brother, not as a Methodist, Baptist, or Presbyterian, to break bread with them. They recognize that God receives us as individuals when we are immersed upon our faith, and they receive others as God has received us. They believe that the new birth transcends all party lines, and while they regard it as a tragedy of the deepest dye that men who love Jesus should be separated into such parties, they do not consider that they would relieve the situation by creating another party under the title "The Church of Christ."
We ought to be positive and plain, and not evasive, in an expression of our convictions. We will gain nothing for Christ by concealing our views in order to be popular with a particular segment or group. "We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways; we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God" (2 Cor. 4: 2). Perhaps I can best make my own position clear by direct answer to a few of the multitude of questions which we receive in an ever increasing volume of mail. These opinions represent only my individual and personal views. I do not speak as the representative of any faction or splinter party. You do not need to accept or concur with my expressed views for me to love and respect you. My affection for you will not be lessened one bit if you cannot, in good conscience, agree with my answers.
As a prelude I may state that most of my readers know that I hold very firm convictions against the use of instrumental music in the corporate worship of the church of God. I even refrain from singing where it is employed because of my conscience. I am also opposed to every human organization created to do the work of the ekklesia of God. I feel that all such exist as a reflection against the wisdom of God, and are hindrances to the fulfillment of His work and purpose on earth. This brief statement will help our new readers to grasp the significance of the following questions which we have winnowed from the grain of many communications.
[Page 4] |
In closing, let me again state that these answers represent only my own thinking with reference to some of the problems we face. It may be that I do not fully comprehend the nature of the problems, and my proposals may not conform to the ideas of the readers. You need not agree with what I have written in order to be loved and respected. You will be my brethren in the Lord even though you may feel that I am mistaken about all of these matters under discussion. I do not have all of the answers, I know, and some that I think are correct may prove to be otherwise. But while I cannot plead infallibility or unerring judgment, I have resolved that I will be second to no one in my love for the brotherhood of those for whom Jesus died and who have acknowledged His sovereignty over their lives. Pray for me as I do for all of you. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!
- How do you regard members of the Christian Church? They are my brethren in the Lord Jesus Christ, as is every other person who has been immersed into Him upon the basis of faith, thus being born again.
- Do you fellowship them? The word of God does not use the word "fellowship" in this manner. Fellowship is a state or condition which we have or hold in common with others. The fellowship in Christ is a state into which we are called by the Good News. All who are born again are in that state, and I am in that fellowship with them, having been called out of the world.
- If a member of the Christian Church came to your meeting would you call upon him to pray, or otherwise participate? Certainly so, if it did not prove embarrassing unto him. I would not do so simply to make a show or demonstration of fellowship, for it seems to me that our worship of God should be on a higher plane than a mere public exhibition of our charity. But I do not have any half-brothers in the Lord. Abraham said of Sarah, "She is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother," but those who are children of God are born of my Father, and Jerusalem which is above, is the mother of us all. I would not call upon such a person because he is a member of the Christian Church, any more than I would call on a person because he was affiliated with one of the many factions bearing the title "The Church of Christ," but I would call upon either of them because they are brothers in the Lord, in spite of the various parties with which they are unfortunately affiliated.
- Does this not constitute endorsement of what you deem to be an error in their position and practice? Not at all. Endorsement means sanction. No one sanctions what he disavows or disapproves. If I only recognized and called on those to pray whom I considered to be free from all error, I could not call upon any one that I now think of, and would have to quit praying myself.
- Would you teach in a Christian Church if invited to do so? Indeed I would, and I do. Further, I will teach in a Jewish synagogue, a Roman Catholic cathedral, or anywhere else that God opens up a door for me to go. I would prefer teaching in such a place as to teaching among those with whom I am affiliated, because there are many among the brethren who are teaching these latter, but the others have no one setting forth the things we believe to be important. I will not go breathing fire like a twentieth century dragon, but remembering that "the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to every one, an apt teacher, forbearing, correcting his opponents with gentleness."
- Does not such association actually constitute approbation of error? Of course not. Our questioner is like the scribes and Pharisees who made the mistake of thinking that Jesus endorsed the lives and practices of the publicans and sinners by associating with them, and even eating with them. No man can be charged with sanctioning what he does not approve. Paul did not sanction all the Jews taught in some of their synagogues, nor condone all of the practices of the philosophers at Areopagus, but he associated with them, and stated his convictions to them. One does not become a sinner merely because he teaches sinners.
- Suppose that a small Christian Church and a small Church of Christ exist in the same village. The former decides to forego the use of the instrument for the sake of peace and to join
forces with the latter for more effective witness in the community. What would they have to acknowledged?Nothing, except a desire to labor together for the sake of our blessed Lord, and both groups should acknowledge this. Such an arrangement would be the uniting of two groups of brethren, not the acceptance of aliens by one group, nor the converting of one group by another. Both groups would have to be very charitable until they became welded together in one cohesive unit!
[Page 5]- Should not those who have used the instrument be required to acknowledge it is a sin, before being received? If so, the "Church of Christ" is guilty of making a test of fellowship where God has made none. No one should ever be asked to acknowledge a thing is a sin when he does not believe it to be such. A group who would willingly give up instrumental music in public corporate worship for the sake of unity demonstrates a greater degree of love for the brethren and for the unity of all believers than if they became convinced that the use of the instrument was sin. It ought to be easy to quit sinning, and there should be no other motive for doing so than the fact that one loves God, and recognizes that sin is an offense against His majesty and authority. But for brethren to give up a practice of long standing and traditional association which they do not see is a sin, and simply because they love the unity of all believers more than they love their practice is a demonstration of love in the first magnitude. We ought not to be little enough to reject those who are big enough to do such things!
- Under such circumstances, will we not have some in our congregations who do not think instrumental music is wrong? We will no doubt have many such brethren, and in Saint Louis where I live, we do have a number of them.
- Do they not cause you anxiety or trouble? No, because we love each other, and are happy to be able to work and worship together as one in Christ Jesus our Lord. We have not received them because they believe instrumental music is right, and they have not received us because we believe it is wrong, so the right or wrong of instrumental music is not, therefore, the ground of acceptance, and cannot constitute the ground of rejection. We have received them as the Lord has received us. We do not regard ourselves as either "The Church of Christ" or "The Christian Church" in the modem sectarian sense in which those terms are used by two rival parties, but we are the church of God, composed of saints, all of whom are weak, imperfect, and struggling to help each other overcome their imperfections.
- Isn't this a kind of cheap and easy way to achieve unity? Really, that is a three-fold question. Unity is not something to be achieved, but is a command to be obeyed. We are under a divine injunction to "Mend your ways, heed my appeal, agree with one another, live in peace." One does not achieve baptism, nor formulate a program of baptism. He is commanded to be baptized, and he either obeys the command or he does not. We have not achieved unity, or formulated a program of unity, but are just obeying the command to "agree with one another and live in peace." We are doing so because of respect for the authority of Jesus who told us to do it. It is not at all easy, but requires more forbearance, restraint, and patience, than to be separated and divided. The reason many husbands and wives separate is because it is easier to live apart than together. But the alternative to spiritual peace in our world is so frightful that we feel we must work in unity regardless of how hard or difficult the task. It is not cheap. We are misrepresented and falsely accused by many, including preachers who once partook freely of our hospitality, but who are resentful that we refuse to be partisan spokesmen and champions any longer. Anyone who seeks to rise above party politics will pay a fearful price. No, it is not cheap!
- Do all among whom you go reciprocate your feelings? Not at all. I visit many congregations, some of which
use instrumental music, most of which do not. Many of these seem uncomfortable by my presence. They would not think of calling upon me to address the Father in their audience. But I feel nothing except a deep sense of compassion for them, and I can pray for them as did Hannah who "was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard." I know from experience what factionalism and the party spirit do to the heart, and while I am far from being free of all its residue, I am, at last, at the place where I can rejoice when truth is proclaimed regardless of the proclaimer or his motives. It was a long, hard struggle to arrive at that juncture, and required much meditation, prayer, and confession.
[Page 6]- Do some with whom you have labored think you have become soft and compromising? Only the more charitable ones feel that way; others think I have lost my mind, gone insane, and betrayed the cause. One brother told me that he knew how the rest of the twelve must have felt when Judas Iscariot sold his Lord. He naturally felt that he was one of the rest of the twelve. A preaching brother in Colorado told me in the presence of a number of other brethren that if he had learned he was wrong on as many things in attitude and teaching, as I had admitted, he would retire from all public service in the church and never attempt to preach or teach again. He recommended I do that, but not being amenable to his discipline, I will continue in my weak way to advocate the unity of all believers as the sole basis for bringing the world under the benign government of our Lord and King.
- The previous questions deal primarily with division in the disciple brotherhood, but is this view of the problem too limited? I think so. We must never forget that the Restoration Movement was launched by persons in the Presbyterian, Methodist, and Baptist parties, with a view to uniting all Christians, and when it began there was no "disciple brotherhood." If we restore the Restoration, we will need to go back beyond the formation of the "disciple brotherhood" and take up where the movement was sidetracked, or derailed, and recapture the original spirit and purpose.
- Do you honestly feel that God has children in the various sects today? If He does not, He probably never had, and if He never had, there was no church of God for centuries until Alexander Campbell arrived. It is inconceivable to me that for the greater majority of the time since He ascended to heaven, Jesus has been a shepherd without a single sheep, a king without a subject, a head without a body, or a Saviour who saved no one for seventeen hundred years. Yes, I think there may be many children of God scattered among the various sects.
- If someone who had been immersed, but had been associated with a sect, presented himself for membership with the congregation where you worship, would you accept him? Indeed we would, and thus heed the divine injunction to "Receive one another, therefore, as Christ has received you, for the glory of God." We would not demand that such a person be immersed again, even though at the time of his immersion he did not fully understand all of the blessings which accrued from the act. Baptism is not a test of knowledge but of faith, and the faith which it tests is faith that Jesus is the Son of God, not faith in baptism.
- Suppose an entire congregation of Baptists decided to divest themselves of their partisan tendencies, and join forces with you. What would you require of them? I would accept their decision in good faith and welcome them without further ado. I wish all of them would decide to become Christians only, and I wish my brethren would all allow them to do so, without constructing human barriers in their pathway. It is as wrong to make "Church of Christ" Christians as it is to make Baptist Christians, or any other brand. We need to let those who are called of God by the gospel be what God called them to be. "There let them remain with God" (1 Cor. 7:24).
[Page 7]- Is not such a course revolutionary in the Restoration Movement? Indeed not! In 1804, Barton W. Stone made a trip to Meigs County, Ohio, for the purpose of immersing William Caldwell, a Presbyterian minister. He was invited to preach to the Separate Baptist Association. He reported, "The result was that they agreed to cast away their formularies and creeds, and take the Bible alone for their rule of faith and practice; to throw away their name 'Baptist' and take the name 'Christian'; and to bury their Association and become one with us in the great work of Christian union. They then marched to the stand where we were preaching, shouting the praise of God and proclaiming aloud what they had done. We met them, and embraced each other in Christian love."
In 1826, Sidney Rigdon was minister of a Baptist church in Mentor, Ohio. He read Christian Baptist and adopted its teaching on restoration. In the spring of 1828, he visited Walter Scott, at Warren. Upon his return nearly the whole church accepted cordially the doctrine of the Lord, exchanged their "articles" for the new covenant as the only divine basis for Christ's church, and abandoned unscriptural titles and church names, choosing to be known simply as disciples of Christ.- Do you see any favorable indications leading you to hope for better conditions? Yes, I do see a great many! The whole religious world is being made acutely conscious of the sin of division. What was once condoned as an indication of spiritual strength is now vociferously condemned as a symptom of weakness. A very auspicious and encouraging atmosphere has been created for discussion. One who advocates the unity of all believers and the realization of the divine purpose in one body is no longer regarded as an agitator or a disturber. It has been my privilege to discuss the problem with some of the eminent clergymen in our area, and all of these interviews have been on a very high level. Even though we may disagree with the means proposed for implementing the ecumenical movement, we can thank God for the spirit of concern which gave it birth and we can utilize the opportunities afforded by it for mutual discussion of the tragedy of division, and also for suggesting some things which we hope will lead to better days.
- Are you aware of the criticism leveled at you because of your emphasis upon these problems? Yes, I probably know more about that than anyone else! A few months ago a preaching brother wrote me that he had heard from one of "the most talented and dependable evangelists among us" who is alleged to have said about me, "He has ridden the fellowship hobby so long he has probably forgotten how to convert a soul to Christ." The preaching brother who wrote me accused me of offering nothing spiritual, but only "long winded theses on philosophy, politics, and history.
I discount such intemperate utterances, realizing that they are spoken in intensity of feeling. "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." These brethren are good men. They want to do right, but they are victims of the party spirit, which always places in the worst light one who will not conform. They are acting toward me exactly as I once acted toward others. I am merely being paid back in my own coin for the years of partisan littleness which characterized my life. They are frightened and fearful that if we succeed in restoring unity the faction with which we have always been allied will sink into oblivion in the greatness and majesty of the kingdom of heaven. They regard this as the church losing its identity. I regard it as the church regaining her homogeneity, and would gladly see every faction disappear to regain the oneness for which Jesus prayed. Indeed, I know of no other way to secure it
With many brethren, nothing is spiritual unless produced under the party label. The apostle wrote, "Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from good will... the former proclaim Christ out of partisanship" (Phil. 1:15, 17). The attitude and pur-pose of proclaiming Christ needs to be considered. I know of no better way to show my love for our blessed Lord than to labor diligently to try in my feeble way to help answer his prayer for the unity of all believers. I shall not be deterred from this serious calling by reckless and unfounded statements, "for it is all for your sake, so that as grace is extended to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
[Page 8]- What can those who love the Lord do to help in this great effort to restore the spirit of the Restoration movement? They can cultivate a spirit of philanthropy and benevolence toward all men; they can study their Bibles daily with unveiled faces; they can pray God to raise up men to help rebuild the walls of Zion and to repair the breaches; they can make available the plea for restoration to all of the honest hearts in the communities where they reside, by mailing them proper reading matter which will challenge their thinking and arouse them from sectarian complacency. The child of God need not be afraid to go anywhere that men talk about Jesus, or to read any thing, or discuss with any one. Indeed, he will seek opportunities to broaden his influence and extend his contacts. Salt and leaven can only work effectively when they directly encounter that which they are to effect. Neither can accomplish its purpose by remote control or through isolation. "Conduct yourself wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer every one."