Recently in our teens class, we reviewed broadly some of the history of the Church from the first century unto today. The four major divisions of that historical sweep are: the establishment of the church in the first century, the development of the Catholic and Orthodox churches, the Reformation Movement and formation of Protestant denominations, and the Restoration Movement beginning in the late 1700s in Europe and America. Our class also noted the major languages of Scripture from the Hebrew and Aramaic of the Old Testament, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures (the Septuagint, 250 BC), the Greek New Testament, the Latin New Testament (over 1000 years of history---Jerome’s Vulgate Version), and the English translations (for the West).

One caution about studying history is in order---it is not an easy endeavor. Many assumptions are made by all of us. Church history is broad and encompasses many generations. It is difficult to grasp the whole picture. Much study is required of any historian. Prejudices and bias influence our judgments. Everyone interprets history looking through his or her own glasses. One must be diligent to be objective.

For example: Some of the Jews rejected their Messiah when he came. (John 1:12.) Looking at the history of the Old Testament and the prophets’ writings, it is the Christian’s judgment of history that the Jews made a terrible blunder in rejecting the Christ. They do not agree, but they are left with unfulfilled Scriptures and no Messiah. Just as the Jews must look honestly at the decision that they have made, so must Christians in their divided state. What do we do with our history?

One decision that all of us have had to make is concerning the validity and the place of the Restoration Movement. Gospel preachers must accomplish two tasks: 1) preach the Gospel, and 2) make a plea for restoration of the New Testament church and gospel. The two actually go hand-in-hand. We must know the Gospel well enough that major departures from it are recognized. To preach the Gospel declares the truth and corrects any errors. There are many "sermons" by older preachers setting forth the restoration plea.

What made the Restoration Movement necessary? Is there a justification for it? If so, what is the place of restoration? Two major points can be made.

One point that everyone can surely agree upon is that since the fall of man in the Garden, there is an urgent need for man to be "restored" to his fellowship with God. This is the point of the Scriptures as a whole. God set in motion a plan to bring man back into his fellowship. It involved God maintaining his honor and holiness while graciously permitting man into his presence. To use the words of Paul, "To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." (Rom. 3:26.)

The Lord said to the church at Ephesus in Asia Minor through the apostle John, "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love." (Rev. 2:4.) In addition to those who have never been restored to God, there are believers who are in need spiritually of coming back to God (like the prodigal son - Luke 15). The Bible warns individual believers as well as entire churches of apostasy.

The Hebrew writer said to some, "Now the just shall live by faith, but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him. But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition, but of them that believe to the saving of the soul." (Heb. 10:38-39.) Note Paul's warning to Timothy, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of the devil." (1 Tim. 4:1.) And "For I know this that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you not sparing the flock; also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." (Acts 20:29-30.)

In this more general sense, every one who preaches the Gospel is a restorer if he preaches the need of individuals and churches to return to God. Therefore, the "restoration plea" is a valid one from that point of view. But there is something else that is at the heart of this plea. There is something more specific.

The Bible also teaches an apostasy, or a great falling away, of the church. There were many factors already at work in the first century that prompted biblical writers to say something about it. Here are some of those references:

"Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. . . . For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." (2 Thess. 2:3, 7.) These are admittedly difficult texts. But there are some things that are clear: 1) Paul is addressing the time of the Second Coming (2:1). 2) Something significant would happen before the Second Coming---an apostasy (2:3). 3) The movement toward that apostasy was already underway. 4) The Bible describes some traits of that apostasy.

Here is a partial list of that description: 1) The son of perdition sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

(2 Thess. 2:4.) Paul told them personally about this when he was in their presence; therefore, he does not go into more detail in writing. We would have benefited if he did. 2) One doctrine that they would teach is forbidding marriage. 3) Another false doctrine would be to abstain from eating meats. (1 Tim. 4:1-5.)

We know some religious bodies who hold to these doctrines. It is not necessary to be dogmatic about any one group. What is important to remember is: 1) There was an apostasy that began soon after the establishment of the church. 2) We should avoid those false notions that lead believers away from the truth and redemption.

Here is an interpretation of history that cannot be successfully denied. Over time, especially a long period of time (it has been two thousand years since the church was established), there will be many changes in what was originally practiced and taught in the church. Many layers of traditions will be added on, in some cases making it difficult even to recognize the original church. Doctrines will emerge in the opinions of men that are contrary to those taught by Jesus and the apostles. Whenever this happens, a restoration of the original gospel becomes necessary.

There are two important concepts in restoration. One is the restoring of the original likeness of the church and the Gospel that Jesus preached. No time in history was the church completely wiped out. Though it may have strayed far from the original likeness, religious bodies proclaiming Jesus as Savior have existed from the Acts 2 to this day. We should be grateful that such is true. Scriptures have been held as sacred throughout history. Many believers have suffered much for the faith. In our criticism of their errors, let us also be grateful for their steadfastness in preserving the Scriptures for us today. Will we be as steadfast as they were under persecution? Will we keep the Word for future generations? Another important concept is the bringing to life again that which has died. If a plant dies out in particular part of the world, it can come to life again if we have some seeds of that plant. Jesus said, "Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God." (Luke 8:11.) During the wintertime many plants die, but in the spring they come to life again from seeds planted in the earth. If we plant the Word of God, we will have the church today just as it existed in the day of the apostles. This is the restoration concept.

There are numerous difficulties facing anyone trying to restore the primitive faith of the Gospel. Many things about the Gospel are simple and easy to grasp; others are difficult. We should not leave the impression that religion is a simple issue. Many thorny problems face the American Restoration Movement. "Success" in the sense of accomplishing its desired goals has eluded us. We seem as far away now as they were in the beginning.

Problem #1: Understanding the original pattern. To restore something to what it was before obviously requires that the ones trying to accomplish that have a clear vision of that original body. This means that we have a good grasp of Christianity as taught by Jesus and the apostles. It is not an easy matter to be completely free of modern traditions in religion. We all are influenced by them to some degree. Most of us project back to the first century what we have come to accept as truth. Some see the apostle Peter wearing the Pope’s religious garments with thousands gathering to hear him speak eternal words of truth. Others see Paul and others being just like them. One preacher wrote that he believed Paul was a good Baptist. We can falsely assume that the way we serve the communion in these fancy utensils was the way the early church did it. Others see the apostles drinking from one cup at the table of the Lord.

Some openly deny the need even to go back to the first century. One preacher asked, Which of the churches in the first century would you like to be like? Corinth? Jerusalem? Ephesus? His point is that we should not even try to be like the church Jesus and the apostles established. If not, then what is our guide for who we should be? I answer that we should want to be like any of the first century churches with the corrections applied to them by inspiration! If it is wrong to "depart from the faith," then we should seek to maintain it and return to it.

Problem #2: What should we do with churches that are already in existence? The early restorers sought to unite these believers into one body by returning to the primitive Gospel. Alexander Campbell wrote, "First, nothing is essential to the conversion of the world but the union and cooperation of Christians. Second, nothing is essential to the union of Christians but the apostles’ teaching and testimony. Union and truth combined are omnipotent."

The ideal situation would be for all believers in the Lord to flow into one body, the body of Christ. Would it not be wonderful if all believers were called just Christians? If we could be just be humble enough to abandon all concepts and doctrines and practices that are not found in Scripture so that we could be one! Some will do just that; others will never do so. As a practical matter, we should know something about human nature here. Mankind is such that he is prone to go his own way. Each person must make a decision about his life and eternity.

The thorny problem with many bodies already in existence is trying to seek for truth and unity at the same time. Union and truth are omnipotent. But union without truth and truth without unity---regardless of which is cherished and which forsaken---one without the other is impotent.

Two segments of the Restoration Movement well illustrate this problem. The Christian Church and particularly the Disciples of Christ have emphasized unity while the churches of Christ have emphasized doctrine or truth. Both groups are faced with a perplexing situation. One group has desired unity and minimized truth. The result has almost been the extinction of that brotherhood---the Disciples. Our churches have so specialized in doctrine that we keep on dividing over what we hold as truth. If it is held as truth, then we cannot give it up just to be in unity with others. We have a high principle that cannot be sacrificed for unity with others who do not respect "that truth."

One way to hold these two significant items together---unity and truth---is not to see them as opposed to one another, but rather to see unity as a part of the truth of the Gospel. (Eph. 4:3, John 17:11, 20-21.) We have moved drastically from the vision of the restorers, Campbell and Stone. They desired unity on a worldwide scale. They respected other believers as fellow Christians, though in error to one degree or another. Jesus prayer in John 17 for unity applied to them and us. Since the failure of that vision to unite all believers, we have settled for unity within the brotherhood. This is a lofty goal---to be united among those who hold to what we believe to be truth. But this goal too has eluded us. We have fragmented as a brotherhood. Now some speak timidly about maintaining unity within a local congregation. Even that limited unity is under constant jeopardy. Local churches have forces tending to disrupt the unity of just a small number of believers.

See my unpublished paper: "The Kind of Unity The Restorers Sought," by William M. Worthey, presented to Professor Earl I. West, Harding Graduate School of Religion, April 1991.