SOUND DOCTRINE
Because of my conservative background in the Church of Christ, when I hear the words “sound doctrine,” I am reminded of the mindset that has been prevalent in most of the smaller Churches of Christ during my lifetime. It most always refers to the state of being precisely accurate in how “the church” is supposed to conduct worship services on Sunday morning, according to “the pattern” of the first century church. It has also encompassed a few issues surrounding those worship services like what kind of physical plant is acceptable (“ Family Life Center ” okay? Kitchen okay? Water fountain okay?) and how church funds can be used (Supporting Children homes okay? Helping non-members okay? Paying a preacher okay?).
Because of differing interpretations upon which parts of the first century pattern are acceptable (or required), most small towns have at least two Churches of Christ. We have four in our little town of 3,000. Though I believe the intent of the founders of these congregations was usually noble—trying to be exactly what God wanted them to be—I believe their efforts to follow the first century pattern were misguided.
In one sense they actually took the Old Testament template and placed it onto the New Testament to get their answers (When God said “gopher wood,” he meant “gopher wood” only; When he said “sing” he meant “sing” only.) They should have used the New Testament template to interpret the New Testament and left the Old Testament template alone.
In response to this, many would say “God is the same yesterday, today and forever.” And I would agree, God is the same. But the covenant he made with Abraham is different than the covenant he has made with us. It has changed. It is different. The old no longer applies.
Hebrews 9:1-10 (NIV) “[1] Now the first covenant had regulations for worship and also an earthly sanctuary. . . (a list of detailed regulations described in verses 2 through 9) . . .[10] They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings--external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
That new order is here and those external regulations no longer apply. There are no regulations for worship services in the new covenant. But man’s desire for a checklist has overridden his comprehension of the fact that God, on purpose, left it out. Therefore “we” have come up with our own set of regulations and called them the “five acts of worship.” And then, we’ve put tremendous pressure on people to conform to those five acts of worship and to do so in a worthy manner so they can be acceptable (to us and) to God. Otherwise they are guaranteed eternal damnation in Hell.
We've been wrong. I encourage each of you to just go back into the word and notice that there is no reference to “worship service” in the New Testament. Also notice that not one of the acts of worship is ever referred to as an “act of worship.” Notice that the scriptures we have used to require non-instrumental singing weren’t even written until AD 60—twenty-seven years after the establishment of the church. We are never commanded to partake of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of every week. The scriptures we’ve used to require four of the five acts of worship (Acts 2:42) were something the first century church did daily (as opposed to something they were required to do during a “worship service” on the first day of every week). And one of those acts, fellowship, we’ve skewed to mean “giving of our money.” We've totally ignored the other things the first century church did in the verses following 2:42. We've been remiss.
It’s time to take another look and to reassess our positions on these matters. We’ve been wrong. It's time to get it right. Dennis Ensor quicksand@dishmail.net
