Posted on 09/28/2015 11:55:25 AM PDT by damonw
There is the commonly heard CoC 5 step plan of salvation which is “Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess, and Baptism“. But this is by no means the standard CoC plan of salvation. Many CoCers include living a faithful christian life, growing in the faith or continuing in the way of Jesus as a 6th step. And Walter Scott originally had 6 steps in his plan of salvation which he said was “Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Remission of Sins, Gift of the Holy Spirit and Eternal Life”. But before he had 6 steps Scott only had 3 steps in his plan and they were “Believe, Repent and Be Baptized”. Scott later made his steps of salvation into a “five finger exercise” that was easy enough for kids to remember and use, which was “faith, repentance, baptism, remission of sins, gift of the Holy Spirit.” And today many CoC’s argue over if there should be a sixth step and what that sixth step should be if so. This causes much division within the CoC with many saying other CoC’s are not the real church.
Even if you do the the plan of salvation, which ever one it is, then according to many hardline CoCers your still not saved unless you adhere to their “5 acts of worship” which are “singing, giving, preaching, praying and taking the Lords supper”. And this is where division really comes to bear in the CoC. Many CoC’s think that if other CoC’s do not worship just as they do then they are not really a part of the One True Church or saved.
One CoC writer named Cecil Hook list 100 issues that have caused splits and divisions within the CoC in his book Free In Christ. Hook then goes on to say there are 11 “big” issues “over which we have created open divisions, aligning brethren in different sectarian, exclusive groups“. Those issues are “1. use of Sunday School classes. 2. use of women teachers. 3. use of multiple communion cups. 4. premillennialism. 5. congregations cooperating in evangelism through a sponsoring church. 6. supporting Christian orphanages from the local treasury. 7. speaking in tongues. 8. cooking and eating in the church building. 9. the “located minister” system. 10. the use of instrumental music in worship. 11. the use of missionary, benevolent, and other types of societies or organizations to carry out Christian activities“. You can see the CoC becomes legalistic and divides over many non-essential issues.
Another CoC writer named Jay Guin says in his book Do We Teach Another Gospel “You see, in teaching that certain doctrines other than the gospel are essential to salvation, we’re effectively saying that to be saved, you not only must hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized, you must also join a congregation with a scriptural name, with a scriptural organization, and with a scriptural pattern of worship. Thus, if your home church has an elder who might not be properly qualified, or your church does something in worship that might lack authorization, you must change congregations or else lose your soul! I know Christians who have left their local congregation and take communion weekly at home rather than risk damnation by joining an unscriptural Church of Christ” (pg 57). Guin then concludes that the harline CoC does indeed teach another Gospel saying “I fail to see how insisting on these rules as conditions to salvation is any different from insisting on circumcision as a condition to salvation. Either way, you’re insisting on obedience to a law in addition to the gospel. The gospel is meant to take us away from legalism, and the imposition of any rule as a requirement for salvation—even a single morally neutral rule—beyond the gospel is a return to legalism and damnation” (pg 57). All these different CoC “Gospels” can be wrong but they cannot all be right. Also see this Wikipedia article to learn more about the 3 big splits in the CoC.
RELATED POST: VIDEO: Church of Christ Preacher Illustrating How Divided and Legalistic The CoC Is
It is divided.
I got a headache just reading that.
I’m surprised they’re not arguing over whether Adam and Eve had bellybuttons.
What’s next? Dividing over the color of the carpet?
Jesus made salvation easy enough for a child to understand. These men are too religious to receive Christ as little children.
Interesting. You can add the loosey goosey teaching in some C of C Bible Colleges and have big issues on other end of spectrum. Trying to emulate liberal churches.
It’s sad but I have heard of churches splitting over the color of the carpet,, not CoC’s though. It was a baptist church in the 80’s
How infinite is the number of Baptist churches?? Free Will, Missionary, Southern, Northern, and on and on.
For some “Christians”...you’re only saved by a building.
I’m saved by Christ’s finished work on the cross and his promises to never forsake those who believe in Him and His redemption plan for all.
Just about every denomination has it’s kooks that would rather rely on feelings, man’s rules, and membership.
Interestingly, the Charismatics and WOF’s are probably the worst offenders.
What’s the purpose of all these threads you’ve posted about the church of Christ?
Isn’t it obvious?
There is at least one cult version.
The International Church of Christ (ICOC) http://www.icoc.org/
http://www.cultwatch.com/icc.html
As soon as you let humans into anything, you are going to have divisions, disagreements, pulling and tugging.
Its a human thing. Even something as relatively straightforward as the Bible, whoever reads it, someone else will quibble about some minor issue. Humans are just that way.
But just as God gives us grace, we need to extend grace to each other. And we need to keep a sense of proportion. Some disagreements are important; some are not. Some are worth separating over as the Holy Spirit leads and some simply are not. If you can forgive your brother’s doctrinal shortcomings in areas that are not make-or-break you also trust that God will overlook yours, which you surely will have. The body of Christ is a big noisy family; we are going to be arguing with one another all the way to the grave and, who knows, right on through eternity. God made us this way, I suspect he is used to us.
the Christian Church of Christ is non denominational
Paul rebuked Peter a few times.
Salvation should be straight forward and agreed to by all Christians though.
We attended CoC when we first moved to Houston.
They were so liberal my wife told the minister flat out we could not attend a church that liberal.
Minister, who had a flavor saver goatee and kinda looked like the guy from the band Everclear, said no problemo and directed us to a slightly less leftist church.
Now the newer church we go to does odd things too, like giving a “shout out” to the new pope.
I had to leave, both of them. Small town SE of Dallas.
Most of the COC denoms are liberal as is the DOC.
Denominations are usually separated by how they are governed, not doctrine.
In my experience, I have never been controlled or brain washed, although, there have been times that my mind needs a good washing. Over the years, the ICOC has grown and changed as needed, and has seen some bad times, but also some very good times.
The amount of lives that have been changed for the better, through the ICOC or through its benevolent arm, HOPE Worldwide, across the country and around the world has far outweighed the criticism that some give.
So...in my opinion and experience...not a cult. Although, first century Christians were also called a cult, so maybe it's not so bad.
not from my experience.....ive seen split after split first hand over doctrine...all ‘using the clear word of God’ from the bible.
perhaps your experience was different....
and i bet if you spoke to the C of C folks, they will tell you it is biblically based.......as the holy spirit has guided them thru their study of His word.
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