The
other day, for the umpteenth time, a discussion on Facebook
ended with the charge that churches of Christ claim they are the
only ones going to heaven, that it is “their way or the
highway”…Such extreme and emotionally charged accusations are
usually the sign of a bankrupt position which is not credible on
its own.
And, for the umpteenth time, and for those who retain a sense of
decency and intellectual fairness, let me offer some thoughts.
1)
There are many kinds of “churches of Christ”. If one looked hard
enough, he could probably find “churches of Christ” that did not
believe in the resurrection of Jesus, that followed no divine
pattern, and that were separated from the most extreme
“scriptural teachings” by name only. In the very nature of the
case, there is no central voice of “churches of Christ” so one
labors in vain to substantiate this charge.
2)
All churches today, right or wrong, are made up of “people” –
flawed, biased, sometimes bigoted and judgmental, often worldly
and carnal, temperamental – people. And individual “people” have
no standing in speaking for “churches”. What a given person
might opine, or even what a local group might hold collectively,
cannot provide grounds for a universal accusation.
3)
The charge is false! At least, among members of the “church of
Christ” I am familiar with. No one that I know claims to be
perfect – which is another way of wording the charge! In the
past for sure, and in days to come, likely, we have all been
mistaken about scriptural truth at one time or another. But,
there is ABSOLUTE spiritual truth, and it “cannot be broken”
(John 10:34)
4)
I don’t know ALL truth, but I know SOME truth – The truth that I
KNOW applies to both you and I, and it is the same for both of
us. Usually such folks are claiming a “flexible” truth -- you
have “yours” and I have “mine”…which is neither scriptural nor
reasonable. One thing members of the “churches of Christ” (at
least those who are familiar to me) do that makes them different
– they search for truth at all costs, are willing to surrender
their point of view if it contradicts truth, and work to bring
all others to that truth. But we can’t have that, can we?
Other Articles
by Aubrey Belue
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Get Thee Behind Me Satan
Two Visions of the Church
The Exculpatory Rule
It's Not How You Feel