Church History: The Reformation vs the Restoration

1
Church HistoryThe Reformation vs the Restoration

• And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter,
  and upon this rock I will build my church and
  the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
  (Mat 1618)

Salute one another with an holy kiss. The
churches of Christ salute you. (Rom 1616)
2
The New Testament Church
Death, burial, resurrection of Christ Mat 27, 28

• Jesus promises to build His church (Mat 1618)
• Men saved by the gospel (Rom 116)
• First gospel sermon (Acts 222-36)
• Church established saved added to IT (Acts
  238-41 47)
• Disciples continued steadfastly in the apostles
  doctrine (Acts 242)

3
New Testament Conversions

• Hear (Acts 222) Confess (Acts 837)
• Believe (Acts 837) Be Baptized (Acts 238,
  41)
• Repent (Acts 238)

4
New Testament Church Organization

• Evangelists Acts 218 2 Tim 45
• Elders 1 Tim 31-7 Tit 15-9 1 Pet 51-4
  Heb 1317
• Deacons 1 Tim 38-13

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou
shouldest set in order the things that are
wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I
had appointed thee If any be blameless, the
husband of one wife, having faithful children not
accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be
blameless, as the steward of God not selfwilled,
not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker,
not given to filthy lucre But a lover of
hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just,
holy, temperate Holding fast the faithful word
as he hath been taught, that he may be able by
sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the
gainsayers. (Tit 15-9)
5
Apostasy Foretold
Acts 2017, And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus,
and called the elders of the church.
Acts 2028-31, Take heed therefore unto
yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which
the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed
the church of God, which he hath purchased with
his own blood. For I know this, that after my
departing shall grievous wolves enter in among
you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own
selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things,
to draw away disciples after them. Therefore
watch, and remember, that by the space of three
years I ceased not to warn every one night and
day with tears.
6
Apostasy Foretold
1 Tim 41-3, Now the Spirit speaketh expressly,
that in the latter times some shall depart from
the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and
doctrines of devils Speaking lies in hypocrisy
having their conscience seared with a hot iron
Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain
from meats, which God hath created to be received
with thanksgiving of them which believe and know
the truth. Gal 16-9, I marvel that ye are so
soon removed from him that called you into the
grace of Christ unto another gospel Which is not
another but there be some that trouble you, and
would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though
we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we have preached
unto you, let him be accursed. As we said
before, so say I now again, If any man preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received,
let him be accursed.
7
Gradual Departure from the Word of God

• Presiding Elder
• Bishop
• Diocese
• Council of Bishops
• Country Bishops
• Arch Bishops
• Universal Bishop The Pope (606 A.D.)

What is the problem with these changes?
Pope Pius IX
8
Scriptural Authority
Mat 2123-25, And when he was come into the
temple, the chief priests and the elders of the
people came unto him as he was teaching, and
said, By what authority doest thou these things?
and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus
answered and said unto them, I also will ask you
one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise
will tell you by what authority I do these
things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from
heaven, or of men? And they reasoned with
themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven
he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe
him? Mat 159, But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of
men. Heb 139, Be not carried about with
divers and strange doctrines
9
Departure Brought Strange Doctrines

• Holy Water (120 A.D.)
• Infant Baptism (175 A.D.)
• Council of Nicea (325 A.D.)
• Latin Mass (394 A.D.)
• Purgatory (593 A.D.)
• Kissing the Popes Toe (709 A.D.)
• Transubstantiation (1000 A.D.)
• Celibacy of Priests (1015 A.D.)
• Indulgences (1192 A.D.)
• Auricular Confession (1215 A.D.)
• Sprinkling (1311 A.D.)

Kissing the Popes Toe
10
Protestant Reformation
Church of Christ (Acts 2) One church (Eph
44) 33 AD
Jehovahs Witnesses 1830
Church of England 1534
Adventist 1830
Baptist 1608
TODAY
Presbyterian 1560
Mormon 1830
Methodist 1740
Martin Luther 1517
Catholic church 606 AD
Over 3,000 mainline churches
1 Cor 110, Now I beseech you, brethren, by the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak
the same thing, and that there be no divisions
among you but that ye be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same
judgment.
11
Reformation vs Restoration
Reform 1. to put or change into an improved
form or condition b to amend or improve by
change of form or removal of faults or abuses 2.
to put an end to (an evil) by enforcing or
introducing a better method or course of action
3. to induce or cause to abandon evil ways.
Restore to bring back to or put back into a
former or original state. Restoration -
something that is restored especially a
representation or reconstruction of the original
form.
12
Restoration or Return Movement
Mistakenly, the beginnings of the churches of
Christ have been attributed to Alexander Campbell
in 1813. This has led opponents of the Lords
church to refer to members as Campbellites.
Nonetheless, churches of Christ have always
traced their origin to the first century church
identified in the New Testament (Acts 2). The
Return Movement within the United States does
acknowledge the contributions of men like James
OKelley, Elias Smith, Abner Jones, John Mulkey,
Thomas Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and
Walter Scottas these men recognized a need to
return to pure New Testament Christianity when
all were Christians and Christians only (Acts
1126).
13
The Seed of the Kingdom The Seed is the word of
God (Luk 811)
Bible Alone Christians Bible Catholic
Catechism Catholics Bible Methodist
Discipline Methodists Bible Baptist
Manual Baptists Bible Book of Mormon
Mormons
The Bible, when left alone, will produce
Christians and Christians only. Denominations
result when men mess with the seed!
14
Restoration or Return Movement

• The Principles of Restoration
• Recognition of Christ as the supreme authority
  in religion.
• Recognition of the New Testament as the only
  rule of faith and practice. This naturally does
  away with creeds and man-made authority.
• A proper distinction between the Old and New
  Testament.
• Recognition of the New Testament pattern for
  the church.
• The autonomy of the local church.
• The unity of all Christians.

15
Our Plea is for a Return to New Testament
Christianity

• Book, Chapter, Verse
• Everything the Scriptures Teach, Nothing the
  Scriptures do not Teach
• Call Bible Things by Bible Names
• Do Bible Things in Bible Ways
• Bible as Sole Source of Authority
• Back to the Bible