Expert: Marvin Howard - 10/8/2008

Question
Some presbyterian churches are reformed as are many other people in many other denominations.  The reformed theology stems back to the Reformation and John Calvins reiteration of certain truths.  My question is what is the exact history or evolution of the Church of Christ denomination?

Answer
Hi!

Rebecca, before we can continue, I must first correct a misunderstanding you hold. The churches of Christ are not a denomination, though there are denominations that use that same, Biblical designation.

Before I can answer your question properly, I must give you the history on how catholicism started, how it divided from the church, and how it is different from the church Christ built. I do apologize that this will be long, but there is no other way for anyone to arrive at a proper understanding.

The church and catholicism did not completely and officially part ways until 533 A.D. It was during this year when Justinian renamed himself John II, and declared himself to be “Lord of the church” in place of Jesus. Nevertheless, the split actually began before the end of Scripture. In 1st Corinthians 1:12, we find Paul’s condemnation of the church of Cephas (Peter) which continues today as catholicism; alongside the church that is of (belongs to and came from) Christ (c.f., Romans 16:16). Until this time (533) the church and the apostates were still loosely connected and there was no need for the church to hide, even though sporadic instances of persecution to the death already existed. After 533, the church went into hiding from catholicism (as prophesied in Revelation 12:6) as catholicism became more militant; connected with and following the examples of the Roman Emperors.

The first known, Christian martyr at the hands of catholicism was a Spanish elder/bishop: Priscillianus. He was murdered by the apostates (ironically it was catholicism calling him an apostate or heretic) in 385; some 148 years before the two bodies finally parted ways officially. With the length of communication times in the fourth century (hampered by modes of travel across great distances), and the fact that this death occurred only 4 years after the Nicene council (where catholic doctrine was first codified from 325 to 381) was fully dismissed, we cannot be sure exactly which doctrines of catholicism he fought. However, since the false doctrines were relatively few (as catholicism had not fully digressed and is actually still digressing), it is likely that it was all of them.

We know that Priscillianus was evangelistic in nature from history. After the split, Germany was highly catholic, as evidenced by this being the point of origin of protestantism, specifically Germany being the home of Luther. Whether Priscillianus founded a congregation of the church of Christ in Trier (where he died in western regions of the Rhineland or modern day Germany) prior to his death cannot be proven, though it is highly likely as other, later congregations in that region came from somewhere.

The ideas of sprinkling in place of immersion and infant baptism were first put forth in 150 A.D. (at least 54 years too late to be Scriptural). It was not made official doctrine in catholicism until about 400, when it gained enough popularity and practice. Priscillianus was killed just 15 years before it became official; while it had already become widely accepted. That Priscillianus rebaptized people (while still in Spain) showed that he did not accept their rhontism, “ῥαντίζω - rhantizō,” (sprinkling/pouring/aspersion) as baptism.

From 385, we next come to the years 415 to 428. Instead of Spain and Germany, we find the same practices and beliefs in England. The catholic bishop Germanus complained that Cassian was ignoring the edicts of catholicism, and preaching “heresies” which were actually the truth from Scripture. Take special notice, we have evidence that churches of Christ (at least by practice) were extant and in opposition to the doctrines of catholicism, now in 2 (if not 3, if you count the home of Priscillianus) different nations in Europe, 100 years or more before the prophesied split in 533.

Even though the “Church” of England (later including American episcopalianism) began in 1534, it retained much of catholicism. Catholics viewed it simply as a schism on par with Eastern Orthodoxy, rather than full blown apostasy. The martyrdom was therefore sporadic. This allowed England to remain a hotbed of Christian activity and even survive the extermination of Christianity throughout the rest of Europe (c.f., http://www.traces-of-the-kingdom.org).

One point which must be understood and remembered is that “church of Christ” is not actually a name. Rather, it is simply a description. The church is nothing more than a term meaning, “the called out.” The church is comprised of the people that are called out of the world. The “church of Christ” is simply those people who are called out of the world, and belong to Christ. Its use as an identifiable designation only came about to distinguish the church from the myriad, false religions that claim to be the same thing.

Also, you must remember that the church was going into hiding from catholicism. They, being predominate (though wrong), wrote the history. Their history is rife with groups of people who they thought to be apostates. Many of these groups actually spoke the truth, even though it differed from catholicism.

For these reasons, the history of the church is hard to trace. We did not always refer to ourselves solely as “churches of Christ.” Since there was no common designation, catholicism used there power of the pen to label us as many different things, believing they had eradicated their problem (the true church). These designations were based upon the false charges aimed at the church. They could not conceive that they failed and that we would “pop up” again in another location. The catholics therefore believed they were dealing with several different problems. Additionally, the catholics lied about charges of false doctrine to gain quick convictions and sentences of death. Therefore, much of that which was leveled against us is different in each location. They used whatever false charge they thought would work best in any given location. These made us appear to the world to be several, smaller splinter groups. Congregational autonomy (the Scriptural way of church organization) makes it hard to prove otherwise, especially at earlier times in history.

The earliest point in time (outside of the Bible) where congregations, who referred to themselves specifically and regularly as “churches of Christ,” can be found is in the year 1052. Catholics at that time referred to us as “Anabaptists,” or in other words, “rebaptizers.” (Note: This is not to be confused with a branch of the baptists, which came later, though they chose that designation for themselves.) The location is central Germany; specifically named is Lorraine (later Alsace-Lorraine). There are “several congregations” of the churches of Christ who are renounced by archbishop Cambrai of catholicism. They practiced and preached the same doctrines that we practice and preach in the church today. Only the expedients and traditions are varied. If there are several congregations already in 1052, then they obviously started much earlier. This is why I believe that in spite of the heavy catholicism in the area that Priscillianus must have started at least one congregation there prior to his death.

Between 1118 and 1518 the catholics and the German Emperor took turns (depending on who was in power) martyring Christians as they were discovered. About 4,000 (all throughout Central Europe) died as a result of persecution during these four centuries. That is 400 years and 10 martyrs per year.

Thus, the churches of Christ in Alsace-Lorraine are partially responsible for the influence that led Martin Luther to break from catholicism. Specifically, even though Luther likely never heard of our teachings (elsewise he would have left catholicism to become a Christian rather than try to change catholicism), Luther did object to the way the Christians were murdered by catholicism. This (along with the practice of indulgences) caused him to question the catholic faith, and later seek to change the things he knew to be wrong (although he missed many, yea the majority). The result was his 95 theses in 1517. In fact, Luther was hereafter suspected by catholicism of being “in close connection with the heretical churches of Christ in Alsatia” (the region of Alsace). Nevertheless, the churches of Christ in Europe, because of protestantism, now faced persecution from two sources; both catholicism and protestantism.

The year 1146 brings evidence of churches of Christ, in full fellowship with the churches of Christ in Lorraine, located in The Netherlands.

Next, between 1518 and 1538, we find evidence of churches of Christ in the Palatinate (a region also on the Rhine River, now a part of Germany), Austria, Moravia, and in the center of Germany. In 1525, we find evidence of churches of Christ in Yugoslavia and Switzerland.

Luther was a threat. When he founded his “church” in 1520, catholics knew they had a problem. Churches of Christ were mistakenly lumped together with them. Catholics were running scared, and killing everyone (Christian and protestant alike). Catholics were no longer satisfied with killing Christians as they were accidentally found; now they were actually hunted. In Alsace-Lorraine alone, out of nearly 100,000 members of the churches of Christ, about 42,000 were burned for not renouncing Christianity in favor of catholicism. This massacre occurred from about 1525 to 1536. Instead of just 10 a year as before, this is nearly 4000 a year! Circumstances were similar everywhere. The result was the near extermination of the church in Europe.

By 1595, The Christians in Alsace-Lorraine numbered merely 1,000. Most congregations had been extinguished. Congregations in Moravia, though severely depleted in membership, managed to flee to Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, and Crimea. By 1799, Eulogius Schneider (a catholic priest) beheaded the last three martyrs in Europe for not participating with Napoleon in the French Revolution. Of special note of this date, it is 23 years after the American Revolution (1776) and only 6 years after 1793 (which is 1260 years after the break of the church with catholicism).

The one good thing that came from the resulting Reformation was the desire for religious freedom. This was first realized in The United States. This allowed the church to emerge from its hiding exactly 1260 years after it had entered the Dark Ages in 533.

I want to recap my repeated references to the years 533, 1776, 1793, and 1799. In 533, Justinian declared himself “Lord of the church,” in place of Christ (completing catholicism’s break and forcing the true church into hiding). In Revelation 12:6, the church was prophesied to remain in this hiding condition for 1260 prophetic days. In 1776, the American Revolution began, giving religious freedom to us. In 1793, just 17 years later (and 1260 years after 533), the church was to emerge from hiding. In 1799 (just 6 years after the church’s emergence from its prophetic hiding), the church in Europe died (and is now awaiting us to carry them the Gospel, and religious freedom). With these thoughts in mind, take notice of the first year on the list of “Restoration Movement” (not to be confused with the “Reformation Movement”) fathers.

James O’Kelley – 1793

Abner Jones – 1801

Elias Smith – 1802

Thomas Campbell – 1809

John Mulkey – 1809

Christian Herman Dasher – 1819

John Taylor – 1827

Alexander Campbell – 1826

Wade Barrett – 1832

Jesse Londerman Sewell – 1842

This was a period of great awakening. Each of these men was independent of the others. Even among the Campbell's (father and son), both did this without the other knowing; and worried about how to tell the other.

The first year of the “Restoration Movement” matches the prophecy of Revelation 12:6. There is no way this is all coincidence. The “Restoration Movement” and the modern day reemergence of the churches of Christ is foretold in the Bible, where it also states there is only one church. Where does that leave the other institutions that claim to be churches?

If the churches of Christ were involved and present at the Council of Nicea where the canon was recognized, beginning in 325, then we had an equal hand in that process and can trust it as true. It was not tainted by the false doctrines of catholicism. The churches of Christ are not part of a new religion founded by either Thomas or Alexander Campbell. We are not even a new religion founded by James O’Kelly. The American Restoration Movement did not plant a new religion; it is not an American institution. Rather, it Providentially planted an existing concept (albeit independently), and new branches of an institution, of the church already extant but dwindling in Europe. We have existed alongside catholicism throughout history, and have as much right to the Scriptures (if not more by virtue of handling them aright) as any other religious group.

Though much maligned as being a new religious group founded by the Campbell's, or even Barton Stone, such is far from true regarding the church.

Rebecca, I apologize for the untimely response. I am in the middle of Mid-Terms in my college classes, and am not checking my mail as often as normal. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is any other information with which I might can help you.

In His Service,
Marvin Howard