NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY

Welcome to Friends and Family Day here at Warner's Chapel Church of Christ. We thank you for coming and encourage you to stay for the congregational meal provided next door in our Annex Building. You may not be familiar with the congregation so this article will provide a little background information.

Warner's Chapel was established in about 1880 by a group of people desiring to return to the New Testament pattern for the worship and organization of the church. This effort was not something new in the nation or in North Carolina. From the late eighteenth century onward, men were advocating a religious restoration rather than a reformation. For about five hundred years many had advocated a reformation of the existing church, but the result was further division among professed believers and the multiplication of doctrines taught as recorded in the various creeds and confessions of faith used in the churches. This effort came to be known as the Restoration Movement.

Early on the men calling for restoration saw one important result of returning to the Bible alone and that was unity. No longer would people be divided over manmade doctrines. They resolved to "speak where the Bible speaks, and remain silent where the Bible is silent." The Warner's Chapel congregation continues the commitment of those first members to the goal of restoration. What changes were required in religious thinking and practice by this return to the New Testament alone?

The organization of the church is one major change. Most of the churches recognized with the Reformation Movement have an organization with an earthly headquarters where doctrinal positions are determined and handed down to the local churches. In the recent past, many newspaper articles followed the debating and voting of several bodies on such issues as premarital sex and homosexuality.

In churches of Christ, the headquarters is in heaven where the head resides (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18). The decision on questions of moral issues as well as doctrinal are settled by the New Testament. Each local congregation is independent from all others. We may cooperate with each other, and advise each other, but cannot impose or interfere with the other's decisions. Each congregation should be overseen by elders (Acts 14:21-23; 20:17-31; Philippians 1:1). The qualifications for these men are found in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. The elders are assisted in the work by deacons (Philippians 1:1) and their qualifications are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The evangelist or preacher is also involved in the work of the church as the proclaimer of the word of God (2 Timothy 4:1,2). His qualifications and work are outlined primarily in the books of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus.

Another change involves baptism. Many churches baptize infants and small children but the New Testament teaches one must first believe then be baptized (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 2:38,41). No where does the New Testament indicate one should be baptized and then come to faith later.

There are many other areas affected by the decision to return to the New Testament as the sole authority in matters of religion. If you are interested in what these are, we will gladly arrange a time to sit down and open the Bible and determine what it teaches.

- Denton Landon