What Are the Problems With Church of Christ Doctrine?

Churches of Christ have no single creed office. The Piedmont Church of Christ in Farmville, Virginia, reprints an essay by Batsell Barrett Baxter that treats immersion, a cappella singing, and the New Testament as the only creed as required. Catholic texts teach Scripture and Tradition together. This page quotes both and does not decide which account is right.

Key Points

• Baxter’s essay, on the Piedmont Church of Christ page (1), says, “We have no creed book except the Bible,” and “we strive to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.”
• The same page calls the plea “primarily a plea for religious unity based upon the Bible” and “a plea to speak where the Bible speak and to remain silent where the Bible is silent.” The grammar “speak” is the page’s own.
• On baptism it glosses the Greek baptizo as “to dip, to immerse, to plunge,” cites Romans 6:3–5Romans 6:3–5 · King James Version^6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ^6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ^6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:Romans 6:3–5 · King James VersionOpen source (3) as a burial, and says infant baptism is not practiced. “Faith must always precede baptism.”
• On worship it says “acappella singing is the only music used in the worship,” and that the same principle “eliminates the use of instrumental music, along with the use of candles, incense, and other similar elements,” citing Ephesians 5:19Ephesians 5:19 · King James VersionSpeaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;Ephesians 5:19 · King James VersionOpen source (4).
• The Catechism of the Catholic Church, 82 (2), says the Church “does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone.”

What Is the Churches of Christ Plea?

The Farmville page prints Baxter’s essay under the heading “Who are the churches of Christ and what do they believe in?” It is one congregation’s page. It is not a vote of every congregation that uses the name.

We have no creed book except the Bible. We believe that the New Testament is our authority in religious matters. Therefore we strive to speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.

The distinctive plea, in Baxter’s words on that page: “It is primarily a plea for religious unity based upon the Bible.” He calls it “a plea to speak where the Bible speak and to remain silent where the Bible is silent in all matters that pertain to religion,” and “a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ for all that is done.” “The method is the restoration of New Testament Christianity.”

On the Bible the essay says, “The original autographs of the sixty six books which make up the Bible are considered to have been divinely inspired, by which it is meant that they are infallible and authoritative.” “A pronouncement from the scripture is considered the final word.” Is Sola Scriptura Biblical? quotes Westminster, Baptist, Anglican, Catholic, and Orthodox texts on that question. It does not decide.

On Christ the essay says yes to the virgin birth, and “Christ is accepted as the only begotten Son of God, uniting in his person perfect divinity and perfect manhood.” That sentence confesses divinity and manhood in one person. The Nicene confession that Jesus is God is Is Jesus God? and The Trinity.

What Do They Say About Baptism?

The essay glosses baptizo as “to dip, to immerse, to plunge.” It says immersion was the apostolic practice and that only immersion matches Paul’s burial language in Romans 6:3–5Romans 6:3–5 · King James Version^6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? ^6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ^6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:Romans 6:3–5 · King James VersionOpen source (3).

On infants: “No. Only those who have reached the ‘age of accountability’ are accepted for baptisms.” “Faith must always precede baptism, so only those old enough to understand and believe” are received. The sentence on the page continues into that age limit. Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation? quotes a 1997 Church of Christ minister’s FAQ beside the Catechism, Westminster, and Baptist texts. What Does the Bible Say About Infant Baptism? is the infant question. Those pages do not pick a side.

What Do They Say About Worship and Music?

acappella singing is the only music used in the worship. This singing, unaccompanied by mechanical instruments of music, conforms to the music used in the apostolic church and for several centuries thereafter (Ephesians 5:19). It is felt that there is no authority for engaging in acts of worship not found in the New Testament. This principle eliminates the use of instrumental music, along with the use of candles, incense, and other similar elements.

The Lord’s supper, on the same page, is “a central part of the worship” each Lord’s day, with Acts 20:7Acts 20:7 · King James VersionAnd upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.Acts 20:7 · King James VersionOpen source (5). “Unless providentially hindered, each member considers this weekly appointment as binding.”

On prayer: “God the Father is considered the only one to whom the prayers may be addressed.” Christ is the mediator, and “All prayers are therefore offered through Christ, or in the name of Christ.” The page says prayers are not addressed to the saints. Is Praying to Saints in the Bible? quotes the Catholic and Protestant texts on that practice.

On the intermediate state the essay says the absence of a scriptural reference to “the temporary place of punishment from which the soul will eventually be released into heaven prevents the acceptance of the doctrine of purgatory.” Is Purgatory Biblical? quotes the Catechism on purgatory beside the churches that reject it.

How Does That Compare With the Catholic Church?

The Catechism does not treat the New Testament as the only source of certainty.

As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, “does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence.”

That is paragraph 82. Paragraph 80 says Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture “come together in some fashion to form one thing.” Catholic vs Protestant and What Do Catholics Believe? set those paragraphs beside Protestant confessions. The Catholic hub lists the Church’s own doctrine pages.

Baxter’s essay and paragraph 82 are two different accounts of authority. This page does not declare one of them the problem and the other the fix.

Do These Pages State a Rule for Women?

The Farmville reprint does not state a rule for women in the assembly. This page does not add one. A search for “rules for women” is not answered by a sentence this essay does not contain.

The essay also does not use the word fundamentalist. What it does use is the restoration plea, the sixty-six books, immersion, a cappella singing, prayer through Christ, and the rejection of purgatory.

Are These Congregations One Denomination?

The essay says there is no creed book except the Bible. Congregations that share the name are not a body with one headquarters in this text. Quoting Farmville is quoting that congregation’s reprint of Baxter, not a letter from every church that uses the name.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Do Churches of Christ Believe?

The Farmville page says the New Testament is the authority, Christ unites perfect divinity and perfect manhood, baptism is immersion of a believer, worship singing is unaccompanied, and the Lord’s supper is each Lord’s day.

What Is the Controversy?

The controversy in these texts is the plea itself: unity by restoring New Testament practice, with no creed book except the Bible, set beside churches that receive creeds, councils, and Tradition. The pages above quote both. They do not award the controversy.

How Do Churches of Christ Differ From Catholics?

Baxter’s essay refuses a creed book besides the Bible, instrumental music, prayer to saints, infant baptism, and purgatory. Catechism 82 receives Scripture and Tradition with equal reverence. What Bible Do Catholics Use? is the Catholic list of books.

The Churches on This Site

• Christianity
• Catholic
• Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?
• Is Sola Scriptura Biblical?
• Common Arguments