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WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. “INSTITUTIONALISM”. Introduction: The Church is faced with division everyday, it comes in many forms, but one we are battling against more and more these day is institutionalism. What is institutionalism? Well

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WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

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  1. WELCOME TO THE CHURCH OF CHRIST

  2. “INSTITUTIONALISM” Introduction: The Church is faced with division everyday, it comes in many forms, but one we are battling against more and more these day is institutionalism. What is institutionalism? Well Webster’s Dictionary defines institutionalism as an Organization devoted to the promotion of a cause or program. Today we want to look more closely at what institutionalism is and how it affects the church. For this we will have to go back to it’s beginning

  3. “Institutionalism first became a problem for the Church in the late 1800’s” In1841, Alexander Campbell (a gospel preacher) who was one of the restoration movement leaders wrote a 28-installament series of articles on the “Insufficiency of the Bible and the Church”. He said I quote “You can’t govern the Church with just a book” un quote (that book being the Bible). A society was formed in Cincinnati in Oct, 1849, The American Christian missionary society. Alexander Campbell was opposed to this organization at first. But relented after he was elected its first president. The sin of this society is that it replaced the God appointed leadership ,(the Elders) of the Church with a board of directors in some organization created by men.

  4. “INSTITUTIONALISM” Local churches Missionary Society PREACH

  5. “God’s Design” Let’s reference the Bible on this subject. Phil 1:1 gives the organization of the church. Also we see the works of the church are: A. Preaching: Mark 16:15, Acts 20:32, 1 Thess 1:8, 2 Tim 4:2, Acts 20:7 B. Limited Benevolence: Only for Saints: Acts 2:44-45, Acts 4:32-35, Acts 6:1-6, Acts 11:27-30, Rom 15:25-31, 1 Cor 16:1-3, 2 Cor 8, 2 Cor 9, Limited in Nature: 1 Tim 5:16, 2 Thess 3:10 C. Edification: Eph 4:11-16

  6. “God’s Design” Local churches PREACH The result of changing God’s design was a division in the church in the late 1800’s which ultimately lead to the formation of a denomination called the Christian Church

  7. “INSTITUTIONALISM” Again we see a Division of the Church over a similar Issue in the1950’s and 60’s, But now the issue was not Evangelism, But benevolence & the work of the church. This division didn’t happen overnight It crept in slowly. How did it start? (With all good intentions) It started when individual brethren started supporting orphans and orphan homes such as; 1909 Tennessee Orphan home 1914 Potter Orphan home 1927 Boles home 1928 Tipton home

  8. Individual Christians What do all these homes have in common (their supported by individuals, which we see nothing wrong with this . James 1:27 Orphans This is a generic individual command, authorizing individuals to help orphans, nowhere else in the New Testament do we find a passage for helping orphans

  9. However In 1930 a strong push for these institutions to be funded and or operated by local churches began. • By 1933 the gospel advocate had a series of articles to support this new idea. • Local churchOrphans home Orphans • II.Sin begets sin. Then in 1938 G.C. Brewer made an appeal to put the Abilene Christian college in the church budget.

  10. III. By 1947 N. B. Hardeman said the colleges and orphanages stand or fall together IV. In the 1950 many debates took place, Religious papers were starting to advocate & refute the institutionalism; Local churches were dividing over it. V. In 1960 the division was clear. The two major questions. Is the support of orphans and colleges a work of the church or not? (This is where we start to see)

  11. “Two Different Attitudes” On one side there was a “liberal” approach to the Bible which said. The silence of the Scriptures is permission to act. (It doesn’t say we can’t) II. The other more conservative approach to bible authority was where the Bible is silent we should be silent, in other words without book chapter or verse don’t act.

  12. “Two Different Attitudes” III. Since brethren were losing the silence of the scripture argument, they then appealed to Galatians 6:10 for their proof text.

  13. “INSTITUTIONALISM” Local churches Local churches Missionary Society PREACH PREACH

  14. “INSTITUTIONALISM” Local churchOrphans homeOrphans Orphans

  15. “CONCLUSION” Now that we see how good ideas can destroy God’s church we need to ask one question; Do we have authority to add to or take away from God’s word? If so where is the book chapter and verse, I would like to see it. Because we only get authority three ways from the scriptures by Direct Statement/ Command, Necessary Inference, or Approved Example.

  16. God’s Plan of Salvation Hear the Word: Rom. 10:17 Believe the Word: John 8:24 Repent of Sins: Luke 13:3 Confess Christ: Rom. 10:10; Acts 8:37 Baptism for remission of Sins: Acts 2:38

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