Legacy of Non-resistance in the Churches of Christ

[Once Again]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMPJuB6gXA


A lecture by Chuck Pike put online by the "Followers of the Way". It tells about the non-resistant beginnings of the Restoration Movement and how it lost its way after WWI.

Laura

[Josh]

Of particular note to me is that hanging on to their peculiar doctrine about salvation didn't do anything to keep them from going to war.

[Once Again]

I assume you are referring to the church of Christ belief that the Bible teaches that baptism is essential for salvation. I linked to this video because it gives a pretty accurate description of the mindset of many members of the mainstream church of Christ. Basically, none of us hold to nonresistance, we swear oaths, glorify military service and so on, like every other mainstream church. I certainly grew up believing the usual COC way.

Over ten years ago, my husband introduced me to the book "Will the Real Heretics Please Stand Up" by David Bercot. I did not normally read books about the Bible written by people outside the COC, but my husband encouraged me, so I read it. Later, I also read "The Kingdom That Turned the World Upside Down". It took me a while to get there, but I finally came to the realization that the Bible does indeed teach nonresistance, to not swear oaths, to not vote or do jury duty. Bercot was careful to give solid scriptural reasons for all the positions he took, including his position on baptism. If he hadn't stuck so carefully to the scriptures on that topic, I wouldn't have taken his other positions seriously.

What I'm trying to say, not very eloquently, is that I believe a certain percentage of mainstream COC members may be open to many of the fundamental conservative Anabaptist beliefs if approached the right way. I think this video may be helpful to CAs who interact with members of the Restoration Movement churches.

P.S. If a debate on baptism is wanted, please do it on another thread.

Laura

[KingdomBuilder]

Since your "discovery", have you remained as tied to the COC?

[Once Again]

Yes, we still attend a COC congregation. I am praying that one day it will be part of the Kingdom Christian movement.

[Ernie]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMPJuB6gXA

A lecture by Chuck Pike put online by the "Followers of the Way". It tells about the non-resistant beginnings of the Restoration Movement and how it lost its way after WWI.

Laura

I plan to be with Chuck and FotW this weekend. Anything you want me to ask him?

[KingdomBuilder]

I plan to be with Chuck and FotW this weekend. Anything you want me to ask him?

Tell em to come set up shop in central AR

[Once Again]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMPJuB6gXA

A lecture by Chuck Pike put online by the "Followers of the Way". It tells about the non-resistant beginnings of the Restoration Movement and how it lost its way after WWI.

Laura

I plan to be with Chuck and FotW this weekend. Anything you want me to ask him?

No, thanks. I do appreciate their youtube channel.

Laura

[Josh]

Yes, we still attend a COC congregation. I am praying that one day it will be part of the Kingdom Christian movement.

I think it would be wonderful to see this kind of genuine revival, and not just in COC but in other groups that once had a lot of nonresistance stances, like 1910s-era Pentecostalism.