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Restoration: Christian or Campbellite?
By Willie Alvarenga
INTRODUCTION
Christian or Campbellite?
Oh, what a question this is!
Brethren and friends, any honest and diligent student of the Word would never answer “Campbellite” to this question.
Why?
The answer is simple: The Bible nowhere authorizes this title to be used in reference to those who follow Jesus Christ.
The Bible teaches that we are to speak as the oracles of God (1 Peter 4:11), we are also commanded to speak sound doctrine (Titus 2:1), and we are also told to hold on to the pattern of sound words (2 Timothy 1:13).
Therefore, using correct reasoning, we could not use the title “Campbellites” to refer to Christians because the Word of God does not provide authority for this action.
We are reminded by the words of the apostle Paul,
“And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17, NKJV).
If we want to be true to the authority of the Scriptures, we must continue to reject any artificial titles which give men the glory and not our Lord Jesus Christ.
The title “Campbellite” denotes a follower of Thomas or Alexander Campbell, men who during the late 1800s called people back to the pure Christianity of the Bible.
These men had great intentions and wanted to help people live a life free of man-made religions.
Their plea was to call people back to the Bible.
However, just because they did this, does not mean that we are their disciples, and be called “Campbellites”.
Sadly to say, many today are calling members of the church of Christ “Campbellites”.
Notice the following statements from people who have no respect whatsoever for the authority of the Scriptures.
THE ACCUSATION:
SOME PEOPLE REFER TO MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST AS “CAMPBELLITES”
The following information was taken from Brother Curtis Cates’ lecture back in 2006 at the Spiritual Sword Lectures:
The attempt to belittle the restoration plea is not just recent.
C.R. Nichol fifty years ago wrote of a sectarian preacher who, in a debate with brother E.A. Elam (which debate brother Nichol heard at eleven years of age), called brother Elam and his brethren “Campbellites.”
Mr. Ogle charged,
These people whom Mr. Elam represents, with himself, make great claims to being the church Christ established, whereas the facts are that as a church they are some eighteen hundred years too young to be that church.
Mr. Alexander Campbell is the ecclesiastical father of the church of which they are members, and it still has on its swaddling clothes.
They have as their slogan the words of a Mr. Thomas Campbell, the father of their religious sect (Nichol, 768-769).
Notice the following information from a Baptist preacher:
In his 101 questions for Campbellites, pastor A.A. Davis of the First Baptist Church of Nowata, OK., asked the question: What are Campbellites?
His answer was: These are known as "The Church of Christ," or "The Disciples of Christ," which believe that Water Baptism is essential to salvation in Jesus Christ.
A Baptist publication called Calvary Contender (June 15, 1999) chastised the magazine Christianity Today for accepting an ad from Harding University of Searcy, AR.
They argued that Harding is a “Campbellite” church of Christ school.
They went on to say that the church of Christ is considered a cult in some regards because it allegedly teaches a “works salvation”.
Notice what the Wikipedia Encyclopedia has to say concerning the title “Campbellite”:
Campbellite refers to any of the religious groups historically descended from the Restoration Movement, a religious reform movement in the early 19th century in the United States.
The major groups are: The churches of Christ, the Christian church (Disciples of Christ), the Independent Christian churches/churches of Christ, the churches of Christ non-institutional.
Brother Wayne Jackson, in his article entitled, “Alexander Campbell and Christ’s church” wrote the following,
Robert Owen, the English “Free-thinker” who came to America to establish a movement of “social reform,” was, according to A.B. Barret, the first man to employ the epithet, “Campbellite” (The Shattered Chain, 32).
Those who so enjoy utilizing this misnomer are indebted to infidelity for it.
Not many years ago, students from the Brown Trail School of Preaching, were involved in a door- knocking campaign.
As they were visiting the community where they were evangelizing, someone came to the door and accused them of being Campbellites.
Also, a graduate from the Brown Trail School of Preaching had a discussion with a preacher about the title “Campbellite”.
This preacher argued that we need to be called “Campbellites” due to the fact that Alexander Campbell had so much influence upon the churches of Christ and was the one who started the church.
Brethren, this is the kind of mentality that prevails in the minds of many people, even preachers of today.
We need to go back to the Bible and call things by Bible names.
We need to go back to the Bible and get our facts straight.
The list continues on and on about how some people believe that we, members of the body of Christ, are called “Campbellites” and not Christians only.
One thing that I would like to make clear is the fact that just because some publication, magazine, encyclopedia or man says that we are “Campbellites” does not make it so.
Just because I say that a cow has five legs does not make it so.
Anyone who accuses members of the body of Christ of being “Campbellites” need to go back to the Bible and learn what God calls those who follow Christ.
WHY DO PEOPLE REFER TO US AS “CAMPBELLITES”?
Let me share with you some reasons why I believe people call us by the name of “Campbellites”
1.
They have no respect for the authority of the Scriptures (Colossians 3:17; 2 Timothy 1:13; 1 Peter 4:11).
2. They have decided to accept what others say about this matter and not what the Bible teaches (Jeremiah 6:16).
3. Some of our members are quoting more what Alexander Campbell said than what the Bible teaches (1 Peter 4:11; Titus 2:1).
4. Some people just cannot accept that we are Christians only.
They refuse to accept the evidence that is before them.
5. Some people just want to ridicule members of the body of Christ (Acts 2:13).
6.
Others simply do not have knowledge of what the Scriptures teach about who a Christian is.
I am sure we can list more reasons why some people call us “Campbellites”; nevertheless, I believe these reflect what people have in their minds.
It is my prayer that they will consider the evidence that is found within the pages of the New Testament.
In the rest of this lesson I would like to offer several reasons why we are not “Campbellites” but Christians only.
I hope that this information would clarify any doubts that people may have in their minds.
One thing I can tell you for sure is that if a person is honest to the evidence, such person will accept it; but, if they are not, then, they will refuse to reason correctly about the evidence under consideration.
WE ARE CHRISTIANS:
REASONS WHY WE ARE CHRISTIANS AND NOT “CAMPBELLITES”
It is my prayer that all of those who will read this information will accept it with an open heart.
I trust that you will have an honest attitude concerning the evidence that is about to be presented.
I ask that you please consider this information with an open Bible.
We are Christians not “Campbellites” because we follow Jesus Christ and not Alexander or Thomas Campbell
Yes friends, we are followers of Jesus Christ and not Alexander or Thomas Campbell.
The name “Christian” comes from the Greek word CRISTIANOS.
This word denotes one who follows Christ, not Alexander or Thomas Campbell.
Just because Alexander or Thomas Campbell taught some things that we believe are right does not mean that we are their disciples.
Everything we believe and teach, we do, not because Alexander Campbell taught it, but because God said it in His Word.
Everything that Alexander Campbell taught from the Bible was there even before he was born.
Every faithful Christian will follow the doctrine of Christ and the apostles, and not the doctrines of men, which are condemned in the Scriptures (Matthew 15:7-9; 2 John 9-11).
Every faithful member of the body of Christ will follow His teaching and not the human creeds which abound in our days.
We follow Jesus Christ and not Alexander Campbell because He is the only way to salvation (Acts 4:12; John 10:9; 14:6).
The apostle Peter made it very clear that we are to follow Christ because He is the only one that can save us.
Neither Alexander Campbell nor other man can give us the salvation that we need.
We are Christians not “Campbellites” because this is what the Bible calls us
When one studies the New Testament, especially the book of Acts, one will realize that the Bible describes those who follow Christ as Christians, and not “Campbellites”.
The name “Christian” is found 3 times in the New Testament.
Notice the following passages of Scripture:
“And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch.
So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people.
And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26, emp.
added)
Notice the second passage that tells us how the followers of Christ were called,
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian’” (Acts 26:28, emp.
added)
The third passage to be considered was written by the apostle Peter and shows how the followers of Christ are described:
“Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (1 Peter 4:16, emp.
added)
As we can see, the Bible uses the name Christian to describe the followers of Christ.
The Bible nowhere uses the names Baptist, Campbellites, Luterans or any other man-made names that we hear today.
We are called Christians because this is what God says in His Word.
It is our desire indeed to always follow what the Bible teaches, and not what men, in their false doctrines, teach.
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