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“The Church Prior to the Restoration Movement”
In this series of articles, we will attempt to answer some supposed “Common Sense Questions a Church of Christ Preacher Cannot Clearly Answer” posted on the internet by a “Pastor David Martin” of the Solid Rock Baptist Church. You can find these questions online at http://www.biblebelievers.com/david_martin/martin_church-christ.html.
QUESTION #1: According to the history of the "Church of Christ," God used certain men to "restore" the New Testament Church in the early 1800's. Where was the true New Testament church before then? Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). What happened to the church and where was the truth it was responsible for preaching before God restored it?
Let’s break this down a bit and address each question and statement individually…
“According to the history of the ‘Church of Christ,’ God used certain men to ‘restore’ the New Testament Church in the early 1800s.” (DM)
Let’s first realize that there is no “history of the Church of Christ” document or creed to which we are obligated, which reminds us that we will often have to address those who make assertions about our beliefs and practices that are off base.
Some may believe that certain men involved in the Restoration Movement of the 1800s were “used” by God to restore the church, but the Bible never states directly that this would be the case. As we look at restoration history, we can certainly see that there were men during that period who had the right approach to Scripture, taught the truth, and brought many to the faith, so it is clear that God was at work in the spread of the gospel and growth of the kingdom as He always “gives the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:7).
“Where was the true New Testament church before then?” (DM)
While there are surely many members of the church who have erroneous ideas about the significance of the Restoration movement and what it meant for Christianity, we must understand that the church of Christ did not spring into existence in the 1800s.
It is true that the words “Church of Christ” became commonly used during that period to identify certain groups with common beliefs, teachings, and practices, but the Bible teaches that Jesus’ church began on the Day of Pentecost in the first century as recorded in Acts 2. On that day, the risen Christ was preached (14-39), the first men responded to that message (40-45), and God added those saved people to the Lord’s church (46-47).
Let us not be mistaken, Christians living today as well as Christians who lived in the 1800s belong to a church that is 2,000 years old, follow teachings that are 2,000 years old, and serve a Christ who rose 2,000 years ago. Anyone belonging to a different church, following different teachings, and serving a different Master is not of the one church that Jesus built!
“Jesus said that the gates of hell would not prevail against His church (Matthew 16:18). What happened to the church and where was the truth it was responsible for preaching before God restored it?” (DM)
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, “On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (New King James Version). Many have interpreted these words of Jesus to say, “There will always be Christians on the earth at every period throughout time until I come again, and if there are not then that means that Satan has won.”
Many have sought evidence for the existence of Christians directly prior to the Restoration movement of the 1800s, and with some success. It is very possible that there were groups of men and women throughout the centuries leading up to the Stone-Campbell movement who followed the New Testament pattern even amidst the religious monopoly of the Roman Catholic church.
However, it is not the position of this author that Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:18 necessarily implied that saved people would always inhabit the earth. Jesus’ reference to “Hades” steers our minds toward His death, as His body would be in the ground for 3 days while His soul went to the Hadean realm – His words in this context would mean that such circumstances would not stop Him from being resurrected, ascending to the throne, and building His church. Or perhaps in a more generic sense, Jesus could have been simply telling Peter that Satan would not ultimately defeat His cause, and the final victory would be for Jesus and His saved people.
There are a couple of other passages that may speak to this matter of Christians always inhabiting the earth. The first is Matthew 28:20 where Jesus declares at the end of His Great Commission, “Lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age,” which seems to refer to His presence throughout the spread of the gospel until the end of the world. When we pair that with 1 Timothy 3:15 where Paul identifies the church as “the pillar and ground of truth,” it becomes difficult for us to think that Jesus would allow a period of time where Christians would not be here to serve Him and uphold the truth.
Whatever the case, we are of a strong faith and understanding that knows that Christ will return one day and deliver the final blow to Satan, gaining victory over death. In that sense, the gates of hell will certainly not prevail against Jesus’ church!
