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Doctrinal Discussions
These studies examine the traditional doctrines held by the Church of Christ to see if they are actually taught in the scriptures. This is not an "anti-Church of Christ" site. I was reared in the Church of Christ and have preached in the Church of Christ since 1968. My desire is that we walk righteously before God, not according to traditions of men. Bernie Parsons
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Gospel Meeting Vs. Revival
Bernie Parsons - 08/20/02
On the one hand, I don't like "splitting hairs" over unimportant
issues. On the other, I have discovered through research that most of our traditional
doctrines had their roots in some by-gone confrontation. Upon a little reflection, I
sometimes reject the "winning" side of an argument. The use of --and the
practice of--the term "gospel meeting" is one such instance.
It first caught my attention in the early 1960s, when one over-bearing local
preacher made an issue out of it during a sermon. He soundly condemned the concept of--and
the phrase--"revival" as being unscriptural, saying that the idea of a
"gospel meeting" was what we ought to be advocating. (I suspect his dislike of
"revival" was because members of denominations sometimes use that phrase to
describe their weeklong meetings.)
He reasoned thusly: a revival signifies that the local church is dead, while
a gospel meeting is a series of assemblies in which certain basic subjects are taught.
These usually include, and are generally limited to: the so-called "Five Step Plan of
Salvation", the necessity for baptism, and why the Church of Christ is the one true
church.
My exception to his reasoning is based upon the scripture. First of all, the
church often is in bad need of revival. To revive means "to bring to life
again", and that is quite scriptural.
1 Corinthians 11:28-30 "But let a man examine himself, and so let him
eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily,
eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this
cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep."
Romans 13:11-14 "And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof."
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 "Be
not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin
not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame."
Ephesians 5:11-17 "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to speak of those things which
are done of them in secret. But all things that are reproved are made manifest by the
light: for whatsoever doth make manifest is light. Wherefore he saith, Awake thou that
sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye
walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are
evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord
is."
Revelation 3:1-3 "And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write;
These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy
works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be watchful, and
strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works
perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou
shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee."
By the preceding verses, we are made painfully aware that the church is often
asleep, or dead, and in need of reawakening, or revival. This is indeed a scriptural
concept, contrary to the opinion of some. A series of assemblies directed toward this
reawakening, or revival, of the church fits well with what the Bible teaches.
On the other hand, the concept of a gospel meeting is not scriptural, having
no foundation at all in the Good Book. The scriptures teach that the assemblies of the
church are for the edification (building up, strengthening) of the body of Christ.
1 Corinthians 14:19 "Yet in the church I had rather speak five
words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten
thousand words in an unknown tongue."
1 Corinthians 14:23-26 "If therefore the whole church be come
together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are
unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and
there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is
judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on
his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth. How is it then,
brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a
tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying."
Notice that in the above passages, there is a qualification: if an
unbeliever were to come into the assembly of the body of Christ, he would be convinced by
their edification of one another. In other words, the assembly was for the Christians, but
unbelievers were not forbidden to attend an assembly.
Ephesians 4:11-16 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets;
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the
saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till
we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a
perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth
be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by
the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But
speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even
Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh
increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."
The reason for the teaching is to edify--build up--the body of Christ, His
church. So the assembly is intended for the growth and strengthening of the Christians.
Was a "gospel meeting" ever scheduled, promoted, held, or described
in the scriptures? No!
On the contrary, rather than holding a special meeting in which potential
converts are asked to attend to "hear the gospel", the disciples of Christ are
told to take the gospel to the world! The gospel meeting is the opposite of the
"Great Commission" given to the apostles.
Mark 16:15-16 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and
preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved;
but he that believeth not shall be damned."
The gospel will not be preached to every creature, unless it is taken to them
wherever they are. Few non-members attend the "gospel meetings". Fifty years ago
a series of meetings was considered successful if many were converted to the Lord. Thirty
years ago, a single baptism during a weeklong series of meetings was hailed as a success.
Now, getting a non-member to even attend one of these meetings is considered a success.
Sad how we have lowered the bar on our expectations!
We need to take the gospel to the world, not attempt to lure the world into
an assembly meeting (“gospel meeting”). This, I reason, is one of the primary
reasons--among others-- that the churches of Christ are losing members faster than we are
replacing them.
The holier-than-thou attitude that I hear from some my brothers and sisters
is appalling, and very anti-Christ. “You won’t catch me in the company of
sinners!” “You won’t see me where sinners congregate!” “I
associate only with members of the church!”.
Luke 5:30-32 "But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his
disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus
answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are
sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Luke 7:31-48 “And the Lord said, Whereunto then shall I liken the men of
this generation? and to what are they like? They are like unto children sitting in the
marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have
not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine; and ye say, He hath a
devil. The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man,
and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!
But wisdom is justified of all her children.
And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the
Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a
sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster
box of ointment, And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with
tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed
them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This
man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that
toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have
somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and
the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me
therefore, which of them will love him most?
Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him,
Thou hast rightly judged.
And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I
entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet
with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss: but this
woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou
didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but
to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. And he said unto her, Thy sins are
forgiven.”
Luke 15:1-10 “Then drew near unto him all the publicans
and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This
man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an
hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the
wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it,
he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his
friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which
was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that
repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a
candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she find it? And when she hath found
it, she calleth her friends and her neighbours together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I
have found the piece which I had lost.
Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God
over one sinner that repenteth.”
We must take the gospel to the world, as Jesus instructed the apostles and early disciples. If we were to “be about our Father’s business”, we might see more conversions to the body of Christ.
Acts 8:44 "Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.”
Colossians 1:23 "If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and
be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was
preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a
minister;”
Where did the preaching of the gospel take place, to whom was it presented,
and on what occasions? It was preached everywhere, to everyone, at any time. It was
preached in crowds, and one-on-one; it was preached in public places, and in secret; it
was preached in the synagogues, and the temple; it was preached on the mountainside, the
seaside, the river bank, and the desert places; it was preached in prison; it was preached
before Jewish priests, Jewish kings, Roman governors, and members of the house of the
Roman emperor; it was preached to the heathen idol worshippers right in their place of
worship; it was even preached in a rolling chariot!
Wherever the unsaved were found, it was preached. There was no call to a
special series of “gospel meetings”! The gospel was taken to the people:
whoever, whenever, and wherever they were! We would do well to follow the example the
apostles and early disciples, and get the word out to the world!
Luke 10:2 "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray
ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his
harvest.”
Amen!
Love, in Christ,
Bernie
