t
I
CHIUsTtAN iiRHAtb.
4
children of God and joint heirs with to meet together on the first day of
Jesus Christ. - Their sins have been each Week to break bread and to
washed nway in the blood of Jesus exhort one mother to faith and
EDITOR:
which alone can cleanse from all good works. Of course, as these
J. F. FLOYD
sin. If these continue faithful to| saints were scattered over many
.jua»<iuci>;,l.l^ni.l..(xn difl’erent jalanibituf.
eternal life. Now in view of this the sea it was impossible for them
The One Church
blessed promise, what more could all to meet at the same place on
That the Church ox Christ exists we desire and what else could we every Lord's day, and hence those
somewhere at the present time we ask ? If a person is in this Church in one city, town, or community
think no one will call in question. of Christ, has lieen saved, made a would organize themselves into local
Daniel teaches us that the kingdom child of God, an heir of heaven ami bodies, appointing their own officers
. untimsnreiyrnt-tli«"
of God, which evidently has refer ’’TrA’nrpromise of eve rias ting" life, lie’
ence to the Church of Christ on needs nothing inore. Then in the Lord’s house^. occording to the
earth, shall never be destroyed, that light of these facts the question Divine directions. These assem
it shall break in pieces and con arises, if being in the one Church is blies of the saints were often called
■sumo all otherkingdoms...and.....that, sufficient, what use have we for Churches of Christ, and in this sense
it shall stand forever. The Savior more than one ? For example, if it and this only is there more than
also taught us while he was among be admitted that a person can be one Church of Christ. But as these
men that the gates of hades should saved according to - God’s regular local congregations were ail alike in
not prevail againt his Church. If order of things without being in the creed, name, faith and practice,
these passages mean any thing they Presbyterian church, then what they were simply the One Church
teach us that the Church is still ex use have we for the Presbyt of Christ meeting in different places
isting on earth and that it can be erian church? If a person is for worship. When these sacred
found and enjoyed by all those who saved just as well without being principles are better understood by
will seek and enter according to the in the Methodist church, then why the people there will be less con
will of God. But what we wish to have such a church ? If a person fusion in the religious world.
say mere particularly is that there- can be saved outside of the Baptist
What Shall We Preach
"is hut One Church of Christ. church, then why contend so earn^
Though there l>e churchej many estly fo£ the existence of such an
When we ask, wlmt .shall we
and teachers many, yet there is but organization-? And just so through pleach ? we use the ¿'ironoun “ we ”
. one Church of which Christ is the out the whole catalogue of denomi to include all the true disciples of
head, an<l but one Flock of which national churches. If we can be Christ In one sense these are all
he is the Shepherd, There was a saved without being in any of them to be preachers. We are told that
church before the birth of Christ, and can enter the Church of Jesus the disciples who were at Jerusa
but it was not his Church, and there Christ without joining any of them, lem when they were scattered
— were churches during the lifetime then they are not only uselessbut- "iibTO'iUTlX’ent eVTii^wtfeRr^n’EictTt^
of the apostles, but they were not absolutely worthless. Thusendeth the word. The disciples of Christ
churches of Christ. From the mere denominationalism. But how is it arc also commanded to let their
fact then that many churches exist with the One Church ? Have we a light shine so that others may see
now is no evidence that there is promise of salvation without being it and be benefited by it. Hence
more than one church of Jesus a member of it ? If So, where is we not only include those who min
Christ. Daniel did not say that such a promise to be found ? Then ister publicly to the people but all
the God of heaven would establish as we can not be saved outside of who are able to preach in any other
kingdoms, but he declared that he it, the Church of Christ becomes a way, for there are many ways of
Would set up a kingdom. It was necessity, and the only necessity so doing this good work. It is not
not said to Peter that upon this far as churches are concerned, under expected that all preach from the
rock I will build my Churches, but the broad heavens for the salvation pulpit; but those who can not do
the Savior spoke of but one Church. of sinful men and women. When this because God has not endowed
Hence Paul could truthfully say to men therefore are spending their thepi with this faculty are none the
the Ephesians, “ There is one body precious time ami wasting their en less required to preach. They can
and one Spirit, even as ye are called ergies in building up denominations do'this in a private and individual
in one hope of your calling; one and sectarianism they are engaged wayr-“Neither is it required that
Lord, one faith and one baptism,” in that which is a positive detri all the members of the body preach
etc. Now as there is but one true ment to the cause of our Master- by word, for even in this simple
Church of Christ there is but one and it would be far better if they method of instruction some may
entrance into that Church. There would give their time to the de not be very skillful. But there
are not many ways of salvation, struction of all sectism and to the. are none who can not preach in
but the Bible knows of but orle firm establishments of the one true deeds and by a living example, and
way. All men are to l»e saved, if religion of the Christ and his apos there are none who are not posi
saved at all, upon precisely the tles.
tively required to do this. If we
But
in
order
not
to
be
misunder
same conditions. Hence every one
can do nothing more than let our
stood,
we
must
remember
that
while
•who enters the Church of Christ
light emanating from a daily Chris
must enter at the same door and faith and obedience were all that tian character simply shine out to
xsomply with the same condition of were required to constitute a person the world, we must do that much,
~enTfaHcii"3tlPwhohave done tillsa Miiembes of tlif* .I'hnjjctbof (• /IM
■
for If’this light existsT i1"will sTupe^ .
not only in the the Church of Christ that in order to’be edified and to‘ and if it has gone out, we cease to ,
and made members of his one body, worship God acceptably, as Chris be Christ’s disciple. Seeing then
but they have been saved! made tians it became necessary for them that all are to be preachers in some
C hristian H erald .
'I
’
'
- "c
•
’
____ •
<•' .
sense, the question arises, What
shall We preach ? We must evi
dently preach something that will
benefit and save the people, for if
wtHlo not preach in this sense then ■
it. is xli flic 111I. tn a-»hgn a gxx* I
for our preaching at all. Neither
will it do to simply preach that
which will tend to lienefit and
elevate the people in this world
only intellectuallyrsocially, and mor
ally, for while this is all very good
AS A <sblid foiincbitroiTTw—
that which is better, yet it does not
go far enough. We must have a
preaching that will take hold of the
soul of a man, and lift it jQ.uL oL.a___
state of sin and rebellion against
God, wash it and make it whit? in
the blood of the Lamb and save it
with an everlasting salvation. All
the philosophy of a Bacon, the logic
of an Aristotle, the science of a
Darwin and the eloquence of a
Cicero that the world has ever
hesird or learned can not do this.
Dlpre must be a moral and a spir-
i tiial influencebrought to Lear upon .
the mind, the heart and tlm-xoul .of.. —
the man in order to convict and
save him. Hence we need a preach
ing and a power that are far reach
ing ami that can search the inner "
man. Now let us turn to the
Scriptures and by a few brief para
graphs learn what all must preach.
We have seen that we must preach
something that will save people,
and that this something mnst be a
moral and a spiritual power affecting
the heart and the soul of the sinner.
But what is this power ? Paul says
the “ Gospel is God’s power unto
salvation to every one. who believ-
eth, to the Jew first, apd also to the
Greek.” As then the Gospel of
Christ is the power that saves, it
follows that this is the Gospel that
must l>e preached. Hence Christ
commanded his apostles, saying,
“go ye into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature;
he that ljelievcth and is l*aptized
shall !>e saved, but he that believeth
not shall be damned." As this is
the only power God has ordained
for the salvation of the world, it is
necessary that it I mj preached to
every creature. And again, Paul
says to the brethren at Corinth that
he was “ determined not to know
any thing among them save Jesus
Christ and him crucified.” This is
what the great apostle preached,
and this is what all are required to
pi each.
must pi'ftfcCh “ that TTe
died according to the Scripture^ that
he was buried, and thAt he arose
again the third day according to the