Immutable Kingdom – Appendix V

The Immutable Kingdom – Appendix V

By Scott A. Klaft

A Never Ending Restoration

The names of the preachers of influence would change. The names of the schools of influence would change. The locations of sound, faithful, and strong congregations would change, but some things never change. Missions were sent over seas. Orphan homes were initiated, and sustained, with the benevolence of individuals within congregations. Debates were held both publicly, and in writing, sometimes within the church, as well as with the sects. World Wars were fought and won. The growth and regression of the church moved like the tide, but some things never change.

The principles upon which the churches of Christ began do not originate with the Campbell’s in the 1800’s, neither with Zwingli, Luther, or any other in earlier centuries. To assign some origin to a “church” other than that found in scripture is to denominate it as something other than the one belonging to Christ.

When any group of people, be they scholars, leaders, or individuals, come to a consensus that they will only do what the Bible specifically teaches, they have resigned themselves to principles that have their origin in the first century, and that of divine inspiration. Thus, if they have returned to the truth in theory, and their practices are conforming thereto, then they can be no other thing than that which the Bible calls them, a church of Christ.

It is admitted the human practice of true New Testament Christianity will inevitably fall short of Divine perfection as designed by the Almighty Creator. It is, nonetheless, the acknowledgement of the Bible as the only source of Divine knowledge, and the only reliable guide for faith and practice, which allows us to return to the approved pattern as God would have it.

Yet, how have we set our minds? The fact that independent thinkers with powerful minds were able to bring true churches of Christ back to prevalence in recorded history does not mean that we cannot drift once again. Have we not learned from the cyclical repetitions of liberty, sin, consequence, bondage, and repentance in the Old Testament as well as in our own history? How do we miss the fact that every one of us must be a Restorer?

Restoration of the church begins with me, and it begins with you. The church today, if it is to remain, must be first restored within us, and then we must train our young ones to restore it when it is their turn. The Restoration never ends.

The Restoration never ends because restoration is the whole essence of Christianity. The Lord came to the earth to restore man to his former place of favor with God. No honest heart who reads of Jesus Christ and His words can ignore the fact that He continually called men to return to the truth as it is taught in the scripture. It is love for truth and a willing return to it that enables a man’s faith that he may be restored to God’s favor; but, how many of us have that passion?

Lament not, dear brother or dear sister. The churches of Christ cannot be taken away; neither can they be destroyed, except by their own will to have it so. The glory of our Lord’s Body, the church, can never be diminished. Men may walk away from God, but the truth shall remain immutable, and immobile; and, all we have to do is return back to The Book that expresses those grand precepts to man. The mind of God expressed in the Word, and revealed in the flesh of Jesus Christ, has been restored to its original glory, there upon His throne. Trust in Him, and we shall never go wrong, we shall never be diminished.

Ultimately, as a society, the United States of America may only have been the mechanism by which God restored the true church into prominence. It is not impossible that the national privileges we now enjoy could be taken away so that our spiritual blessings may be better appreciated, but who can know such things? My prayer to God is that the church in every place will have whatever it needs to cast the light of God’s love, and to bring every thought into obedience of the gospel. Petition God for His blessings upon this country we love; but, always let be with the acquiescence of “Lord, thy will be done, and not mine”. Any struggles that come shall work out for good to God’s children, and for further opportunities of men to come to Him, just as history has shown us.

This concludes the series of The Immutable Kingdom.

Strive Excelsior!

Immutable Kingdom – Appendix IV

The Immutable Kingdom – Appendix IV

By Scott A. Klaft

Educational Facilities

As the veterans of the Restoration plea began to fade into history, there were a great number of men who intended to refresh the troop numbers. The church grew in strength and influence as the numbers of churches in any given area multiplied. Soon there was need for men to fill their pulpits. Missionary work had begun by men like John Moody McCaleb, making it abundantly clear the world needed more men to preach. As there were many schools already formed by the sects, the brethren understood the danger of allowing the young, future leaders to be influenced by their philosophies. The brethren realized a very conspicuous need for schools wherein the truth could be taught with free flowing clarity.

There had already been several schools established by men such as Alexander Campbell with Bethany College, Robert Milligan with Kentucky University, and even the school in Nashville headed by David Lipscomb. For the most part, however, these schools could either not accommodate for the need, or the young people could not travel the distance. More schools were needed, and the brethren stepped up with the funds to create them. Jesse P. Sewell was instrumental in this regard.

Since new schools were springing up in many places, the old debate over the missionary society renewed once again. It seems that no matter how old some issues become, there are always means of resurrecting them. Many highly respected and influential preachers such as J. D. Tant saw these schools as a usurpation of the work given for the church to accomplish; and, therefore, these schools were a type of sect. Meanwhile, other spiritual and intellectual giants such as R. L. Whiteside observed, “Some brethren oppose the Christian Colleges because the Bible is taught in them; the devil opposed them for the same reason.”

Time pushed on, and the curriculum of the schools expanded to teaching in all areas in academia. The Nashville Bible School led the way, striding forward in this new century. It was particularly well supported by the brotherhood and fund-raising preachers due to the tremendous influence of the Gospel Advocate periodical. There were, of course, ebbs and flows in the beginning; but, by the time David Lipscomb passed on to his reward, the school was well established, and the Board of Trustees decided to honor the man by renaming the school after him (despite Lipscomb’s previous refusal to do so while still alive to object).

Abilene Christian College began in Middle Tennessee, but moved to West Texas to accommodate the need in 1906. R. L. Whiteside joined the faculty in 1908. Had it not been for the work of Jesse P. Sewell, it was likely that many of the schools being established might have collapsed for lack of funds.

A. G. Freed left another school in Denton, Texas to join his former student, Nicholas Brodie Hardeman in establishing a school in Henderson, Tennessee. Attempting to buy the old, emptied Georgia Roberson Christian College building, they were refused by the seller. They determined then to open across the street. The National Teacher’s Normal & Business College, after the generosity of J. A. McAlister of Milan, TN, finally opened the doors in the fall of 1908 with more than four hundred enrolled, and one hundred of them in Hardeman’s Bible classes. In 1914, the well beloved and venerated seventy-one year old T. B. Larimore came to the school to spend the rest of his days as the head of the Bible department and preacher for the church in Henderson, resulting in considerable attention being drawn to the school.

Many other schools and missions began in the early years of the 1900’s. The Western Bible & Literary College in Arkansas; Cordell Christian College in Oklahoma; Lockney College and Bible School in Texas, Gunter Biblical & Literary College in Fort Worth; Alabama Christian College; Thorp Spring Christian College, and many others, were established throughout the United States. Some survived. Some with new names; others did not survive at all.

(Next Week: The Conclusion of the Series)