See No. 1: “It Is Not Our Design To Form a Party”

* * * * * *

In the early 19th century, Alexander Campbell designed the theology of restoration. That theology was preached by Walter Scott and came to be called the “ancient gospel.” Restoration Movement churches, which include most Churches of Christ, independent Christian Churches and historically included the Disciples of Christ churches, have always held as fundamental the “ancient gospel.” Thus, Restoration Movement churches typically do not accept creeds, lengthy mission statements or detailed statements of beliefs. However, in this series, of which this is the second installment, we are attempting to briefly elucidate the beliefs of the Restoration Movement.

The “ancient gospel,” according to the Restoration Movement, is completely stated in numerous verses of the Scriptures, e.g.:

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” (NIV)

1 John 4:2: “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God…” (NIV)

Romans 1:4: “…[W]ho through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by His resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.” (NIV)

In short, the “ancient gospel” simply stated is that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of the Living God.

Churches of the Restoration Movement do not accept any other gospel, any other formulation of the gospel, or any embellishments of the ancient gospel. Sectarianism created several ecumenical and evangelical denominations, groups and parties. The fragmentation of Christ’s body into groups based on theological differences, political differences, and old rivalries separated believers from each other rather than creating a basis for the unity of believers. Restoration Movement churches, on the other hand, took the position that unity is possible, even among themselves, if based on the “ancient gospel,” but that everything else could be, or had to be, a matter of opinion or personal choice. See, H. Leo Boles, The Way of Unity (1939).

Many ecumenical and even many evangelical churches demand adherence to their creeds, hierarchies, traditions and theological constructs, including sometimes even additional or alternative books, as a condition of membership or even salvation itself. Restoration Movement adherents believe that the demand for allegiance to anything other than the “ancient gospel” is divisive because of the inability to accept anything other than the Scriptures as authoritative.

While they suppose this Christian faith to be doctrinal, we regard it as personal. In other words, they suppose doctrines, or religious tenets, to be the subject matter of this faith, we, on the contrary, conceive it to terminate on a person — THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF.

Robert Richardson, Bethany College, biographer of Campbell (1853), quoted, H. Eugene Johnson, The Christian Church Plea (1975) at 13 (emphasis in original). Campbell himself said,

But who is a Christian? I answer, every one that believes in his heart that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah, the Son of God; repents of his sins, and obeys him in all things according to his measure of knowledge of his will.

Alexander Campbell, Millennial Harbinger, 1837; quoted in The Christian Church Plea at 35 n. 39.

As the Restoration Movement has lost momentum during the last century, it has itself become sectarian, fragmented and polarized into groups claiming so strongly to be right that any dissent is seen as apostasy, or worse. Views have become so polarized that rational discussion is nearly impossible, much less shared worship. The defeat of the Restoration Movement and its ideals is not universal or complete, but it is so widespread that a sustainable hope for resuscitation into something that Campbell might recognize seems unlikely. While some local congregations overcome this trend, most have not, and thus, the Restoration Movement seems on the verge of being lost to history.

That would be a sad loss for Christendom because in its purest form, the Restoration Movement could make Christian unity possible once again and yet allow diversity in non-essentials to continue.