The Church of Christ

[rfournier103]

There’s an ecclesiastical community out there called the “Church of Christ”. They claim to be the one true Church that Christ founded in the first century, and were ‘underground’ until they were ‘restored’ in 1830. They claim to have Apostilic Succession, and are apparently a Sola Scriptura community.

churchofchrist-tl.org/index.cfm

What do we know about them? Can anything be proven historically about them? I am dying to learn more.

 

[Traverse]

Hey, that’s me!

We don’t claim to have been underground. At least I don’t. Mostly we just claim to have been around all along. After all, the gates of hades will not prevail against the church.

The link you share is some people using the name, but aren’t really us. Really there are plenty that use the name and we get mixed up with everyone. You’ll notice that website, in fact, doesn’t even list that many churches on their map. My congregation certainly isn’t on there. So hey, maybe this isn’t me and I can’t be helpful.

It is the belief of the church I attend that Christ established one church, that the gates of hades will not prevail against it, and that our teaching is derived from scripture. We have a plurality of elders (or bishops/overseers) per congregation, as well as deacons. We do not have any positions not mentioned in scripture because we see scripture as sufficient for every good work, as scripture itself states.

 

[CB_Catholic]

There’s an ecclesiastical community out there called the “Church of Christ”. They claim to be the one true Church that Christ founded in the first century, and were ‘underground’ until they were ‘restored’ in 1830. They claim to have Apostilic Succession, and are apparently a Sola Scriptura community.

churchofchrist-tl.org/index.cfm

What do we know about them? Can anything be proven historically about them? I am dying to learn more.

Google is your friend. There are a number of denominations with the same name, though.

I believe there are some members of CAF who converted to The Catholic Church from the CoC and tell their stories. You might want to search the forums.

 

[rfournier103]

Google is your friend. There are a number of denominations with the same name, though.

I believe there are some members of CAF who converted to The Catholic Church from the CoC and tell their stories. You might want to search the forums.

I did. Maybe they can contribute to this thread too for others to see.

 

[rfournier103]

Hey, that’s me!

We don’t claim to have been underground. At least I don’t. Mostly we just claim to have been around all along. After all, the gates of hades will not prevail against the church.

The link you share is some people using the name, but aren’t really us. Really there are plenty that use the name and we get mixed up with everyone. You’ll notice that website, in fact, doesn’t even list that many churches on their map. My congregation certainly isn’t on there. So hey, maybe this isn’t me and I can’t be helpful.

It is the belief of the church I attend that Christ established one church, that the gates of hades will not prevail against it, and that our teaching is derived from scripture. We have a plurality of elders (or bishops/overseers) per congregation, as well as deacons. We do not have any positions not mentioned in scripture because we see scripture as sufficient for every good work, as scripture itself states.

Does your community have a website?

 

[SteveVH]

Hey, that’s me!

We don’t claim to have been underground. At least I don’t. Mostly we just claim to have been around all along. After all, the gates of hades will not prevail against the church.

Very true, the gates of hell will never prevail. How do you trace your faith tradition back to the Apostles historically, or do you claim this? In other words, what do you mean your church has “been around all along”?

It is the belief of the church I attend that Christ established one church, that the gates of hades will not prevail against it

Catholics believe the same thing.

and that our teaching is derived from scripture.

Catholic teaching is derived from the Apostles. We are not a “Bible Church”, we are an Apostolic Church and the Bible is our Holy Book. It is this Church that preserved the sacred writings down through the centuries and which proclaimed to the world that they were the word of God.

We have a plurality of elders (or bishops/overseers) per congregation, as well as deacons. We do not have any positions not mentioned in scripture because we see scripture as sufficient for every good work, as scripture itself states.

Just curious, do you have priests? Very biblical.

 

[jrtrent]

What do we know about them? Can anything be proven historically about them? I am dying to learn more.

It appears to be one of several groups that formed following the teachings of Joseph Smith. The “about” tab on their website gives a lot of information. There is a Church of Christ in my small town, but it’s not affiliated with the Church of Christ you gave a link for. If you want more information, there’s contact information at their website.

churchofchrist-tl.org/contactUs.cfm

 

[SteveVH]

It appears to be one of several groups that formed following the teachings of Joseph Smith. The “about” tab on their website gives a lot of information. There is a Church of Christ in my small town, but it’s not affiliated with the Church of Christ you gave a link for. If you want more information, there’s contact information at their website.

churchofchrist-tl.org/contactUs.cfm

Joseph Smith? Are you trying to say they’re an offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)?

That would be a new one for me.

 

[rfournier103]

Would the REAL Church of Christ please stand up?

 

[rfournier103]

It appears to be one of several groups that formed following the teachings of Joseph Smith. The “about” tab on their website gives a lot of information. There is a Church of Christ in my small town, but it’s not affiliated with the Church of Christ you gave a link for. If you want more information, there’s contact information at their website.

churchofchrist-tl.org/contactUs.cfm

That IS the one I gave the link for.

 

[andrewstx]

There’s an ecclesiastical community out there called the “Church of Christ”. They claim to be the one true Church that Christ founded in the first century, and were ‘underground’ until they were ‘restored’ in 1830. They claim to have Apostilic Succession, and are apparently a Sola Scriptura community.

churchofchrist-tl.org/index.cfm

What do we know about them? Can anything be proven historically about them? I am dying to learn more.

When I read the link it turned out that this one of many mormon offshoots and not related to the sect(s) commonly known as the churches of Christ. The bit about the gathering in Independence MO was a dead give away.

 

[pablope]

Hey, that’s me!

We don’t claim to have been underground. At least I don’t. Mostly we just claim to have been around all along. After all, the gates of hades will not prevail against the church.

The link you share is some people using the name, but aren’t really us. Really there are plenty that use the name and we get mixed up with everyone. You’ll notice that website, in fact, doesn’t even list that many churches on their map. My congregation certainly isn’t on there. So hey, maybe this isn’t me and I can’t be helpful.

It is the belief of the church I attend that Christ established one church, that the gates of hades will not prevail against it, and that our teaching is derived from scripture. We have a plurality of elders (or bishops/overseers) per congregation, as well as deacons. We do not have any positions not mentioned in scripture because we see scripture as sufficient for every good work, as scripture itself states.

But that church Christ established, as per the creeds…has four marks…One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic…so how do you meet all four?

And the first christian communities did not have Bibles.

 

[jrtrent]

That IS the one I gave the link for.

Yes, I only mentioned the church in my town to second other posters’ comments on the large number of groups using the Church of Christ name.

Did you contact the Church of Christ you provided a link for and ask them any questions? If you’re dying to learn more about them than they already offer on their webpage, that would seem a good place to start.

 

[jrtrent]

Joseph Smith? Are you trying to say they’re an offshoot of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons)?

Yes. Their website says:

“The apostasy was complete in 570 AD when the Lombard invaders destroyed the last vestige of the Roman Empire and allowed the rise of the power of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. The result was the removal by God of the authority of the priesthood and the world entered into a period that is called the “Dark Ages”, spiritually if not physically. . . [The] “restoration” occurred in 1829-1830. . . An angel sent from God revealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. the location of an ancient record which contained the history of God’s working with the inhabitants of the American continent, and he was given the ability to translate that record. This record became known as the Book of Mormon.”

 

[LegoGE1947]

Yes, I only mentioned the church in my town to second other posters’ comments on the large number of groups using the Church of Christ name.

Did you contact the Church of Christ you provided a link for and ask them any questions? If you’re dying to learn more about them than they already offer on their webpage, that would seem a good place to start.

There is the United Church of Christ which is quite liberal in their theology.

 

[rfournier103]

Yes. Their website says:

“The apostasy was complete in 570 AD when the Lombard invaders destroyed the last vestige of the Roman Empire and allowed the rise of the power of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. The result was the removal by God of the authority of the priesthood and the world entered into a period that is called the “Dark Ages”, spiritually if not physically. . . [The] “restoration” occurred in 1829-1830. . . An angel sent from God revealed to Joseph Smith, Jr. the location of an ancient record which contained the history of God’s working with the inhabitants of the American continent, and he was given the ability to translate that record. This record became known as the Book of Mormon.”

That’s quite a bold statement.

 

[Ridgerunner]

It’s extraordinarily difficult to really say anything definitive about the Churches of Christ because they’re not all the same. The are very quick to tell a person that they are not a “denomination”,and recognize no authority beyond their own congregation.

Some have certain rules concerning music at their services. Some allow it. Some forbid it. Some have rules concerning the use of one or multiple cups for their communion. Some insist that only one cup be used for all, while some insist that individual cups be used. Individual congregations can be extremely idiosyncratic.

It can get confusing. I was once tangentially involved in a lawsuit between two congregations of the Church of Christ over a church building and piece of land. The original donor had specified that if ever the congregation quit doing those things (like the music and the cups…whichever side he took of it) the land should go to the next nearest congregation that believed as he did. Well, one congregation claimed the one with the land restrictions had departed from the true teachings, and that they should own the land and building.

The poor judge had to get a lot deeper into Church of Christ liturgical rules than I’m sure he ever imagined he would.

So, you really can’t say anything about the “Church of Christ” and have any real certainty that it applies to all.

Oh, at least the C of C people I know abhor Mormonism, and call it a “cult”. They weren’t started by joseph Smith, but by a near-contemporary of his whose name, I believe, was Campbell. There is some evidence that Joseph Smith admired and envied Campbell and patterned much of Mormonism on Campbell’s structure and teachings. So there is a common root there, but not much more.

 

[CB_Catholic]

It appears to be one of several groups that formed following the teachings of Joseph Smith. The “about” tab on their website gives a lot of information. There is a Church of Christ in my small town, but it’s not affiliated with the Church of Christ you gave a link for. If you want more information, there’s contact information at their website.

churchofchrist-tl.org/contactUs.cfm

I think rather, this group is an offshoot of the Restorationist Movement, also known by some as the Campbellites, whereas Joseph Smith founded what is known as the Mormons, The Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints . I believe the Mormons originally called themselves the Church of Christ.

bible.acu.edu/crs/doc/cblt.htm

 

[rfournier103]

One thing I have noticed in all this is that the current state of Christianity stems from conflict over authority. Or… lack thereof…

 

[LegoGE1947]

One thing I have noticed in all this is that the current state of Christianity stems from conflict over authority. Or… lack thereof…

Every individual seems to be their own authority. Much like in the Book of Judges. “There was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.” (JUDGES 21:25)