The Church With No Creed

By T. F. McNabb

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     The American Church of Christ missionary had only been at his mission station a little over two months. In that short time he had seen encouraging progress. A building had been erected. The people had gathered and listened to his preaching. Some had believed in the Christ and had submitted to baptism by immersion. A neat "Church of Christ" sign had been painted, and nailed over the door of the building.

     The missionary had carefully taught the people the Five Steps to Salvation and the Five Acts of Worship. He had even made a large chart with these individual steps and acts conspicuously printed thereon, to better illustrate his points. To make sure the people knew these well, he also had the Five Steps and the Five Acts of Worship mimeographed and given to each worshiper to place in his Bible. One sister from a Calvinist background thought the Five Steps to Salvation looked suspiciously like a creed, even though the missionary stated over and over that the Church of Christ had no creed. It reminded her of the Five Points of Calvinism (abbreviated T.U.L.I.P.) which she had been taught once by some Reformed missionaries. But since the Church of Christ missionary said he had no creed, she accepted his statement with good faith.

     Then something happened: The missionary received a cablegram from America that his father had died, and he would have to return immediately to take care of settling the estate. This could take up to two years, and the missionary had no replacement. But he appointed elders, men of apparent capable leadership and good moral qualities, and told the people he would have to be leaving them. Some requested that since he had not completed his teaching instructions, that he leave some books or Bible study outlines for them. The missionary replied that they did not need any commentary books or man-made instructions. "Just take the Bible," he advised. "After all, the Bible is our only creed. We speak where the Bible speaks, and we are silent where the Bible is silent." He admonished them to study the Bible, and take the New Testament as their only rule of faith and conduct. That was all they needed.

     Two years passed by, and the missionary wrote the native leaders that he was returning to his post to take up his missionary assignment where he had left off.

     Arriving at the airport in the foreign capitol city, he looked out the window of the plane and saw a group of the Christians from his mission station awaiting his arrival. Apparently the number of Christians had increased manyfold since his absence, and he was glad. As he departed from his plane, some of the Christians rushed up to him and planted a kiss upon his cheek. This embarrassed him greatly, as he knew this was not particularly a local custom. Later he asked one of the brethren why he had been greeted with a kiss. The answer was: "We were obeying Paul's instructions to 'Greet the brethren with an holy kiss.'" "What a silly interpretation," the missionary murmured under his breath. "I hope that doesn't happen again!"

     When the missionary was visiting some of the Christians, he was surprised when they brought out a basin of water, girded themselves with a towel, and offered to wash his feet. "What in the world is the meaning of this?" he queried. "Well, we have been obeying the command of the Lord to wash one another's feet. We feel it is following our Lord's example, and

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we want to do as He taught His disciples." The missionary at first refused to submit to having his feet washed, but one of the brethren spoke up and said, "Our Lord said to Peter 'If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.'" The missionary reluctantly submitted to having his feet washed, but he was inwardly thinking how he was going to have to do some real teaching here. These people had surely missed the point!

     While he was visiting in another home, some of the Christians came by with a loaf of bread. The Christians broke the bread together, had prayer and then went on their way. "What is the meaning of this?" the puzzled missionary asked again. "Well, we are told that the early disciples continued steadfast in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and prayers, and we have been doing just that." "Horrors!" thought the Church of Christ missionary, "They ought to know that means the communion on Sunday morning, and not literally breaking a piece of bread in somebody's house!"

     The missionary sought to straighten the people out by beginning a series of Bible studies. When the matter of feet washing was brought up, he told them that such was only a local custom and Jesus could not have meant that was for anyone except the disciples. He told them that back in America, no Church of Christ he knew about actually practiced that--only a few small sects such as the Primitive Baptists. None of the prominent denominations even thought of doing such a thing. One elder remonstrated by saying that they were still going ahead and obeying the Lord's command to wash one another's feet. Just because the Primitive Baptists back in America do this, would be no valid reason why they should reject such; and, furthermore, they could care less if the prominent denominations did not practice this.

     As for greeting one another with a holy kiss, the missionary told them that times and customs had changed. A hand shake was sufficient now, and, besides, kissing would spread germs. "But you told us before you left for America to take the Bible just like it was," one of the Christians objected. "But the Church of Christ in America does not take this literally; you would be thought of as silly if you greeted somebody with a holy kiss," the missionary emphasized. The people told the missionary they could care less about what the American Church Church of Christ people did; they preferred doing what the inspired apostle Paul told them to do.

     By this time the missionary was visibly agitated with those whom he had originally taught, who had incorporated such unorthodox teachings into their faith. Matters were made even worse, when at a church board meeting the missionary learned that a few of the members had been having prayer meetings in their homes, and some were even claiming a closer personal relationship to the Holy Spirit, to the extent that they spoke in other tongues for spiritual edification. "This is the last straw!" the missionary shouted, rising out of his chair in obvious anger. "You folks have taken on the most bizarre interpretations I have ever heard about." He asked the elders if they had disfellowshiped the heretics who claimed to have spoken in esthetic languages. The elders replied: "Well, we see no reason to disfellowship them. They have believed, been baptized, become members of the body of Christ; they attend the house of the Lord regularly, give of their means, partake of the Lord's supper, and they have never caused any dissension among the saints. Furthermore, here is where Paul said, 'Forbid not to speak with tongues.""

     "Listen, you people have tried my patience beyond all endurance," the missionary stormed. "I see there is no hope for you, and I am going out and start another group, where the people will know the true gospel. Furthermore, I am shaking the dust off my feet here with you people, for the Bible says, 'But though...an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.' (Galatians 1:8) And, also,

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we are told that 'if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God- speed. For he that biddeth him God-speed is partaker of his evil deeds.' Since you have perverted the gospel of Christ as we have been taught, I am having nothing to do with you from henceforth."

     The Christians were very sad to hear such talk from their missionary. They tried to reason with him, but they saw it was to no avail. Their hearts were crushed because he was going out to start a rival work, when their work was still so weak, and the few Christians there were having a difficult time in witnessing before an unbelieving community.

     But the missionary would not listen. As he strode toward the door, he warned: "And I want you to know, I am sending a letter to the Solid Rock, our leading paper published by the Solid Rock Publishing Company at one of our state capitols. This goes out to most all the brethren who have sponsored me and who believe as I do. I am telling them to immediately remove your church from our Church of Christ foreign missions directory. I am having them warn the brethren that you are unsound and teaching heresy."

     As he drove off in his jeep, the missionary thought he heard one of the elders saying, "What was that you told us about the Church of Christ having no creed?"

     (Editor's Note: The author, Chaplain (Lt. Col) Talmage F. McNabb, resides at 11310 Sage Valley Drive, Houston, Texas 77034).