Did Alexander Campbell Start A Church?

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   When discussing the subject of the church of Christ, we sometimes hear the comment made that the church of Christ was started by Alexander Campbell. Mr. Campbell was a well-known preacher in America in the 1800’s; but did he start the church of Christ or any other church for that matter? The answer is no. Yet, the teaching that Mr. Campbell established a church is made because people do not know the simple teaching of the New Testament concerning the church.

                   To begin, Alexander Campbell could not have started the church of Christ. This is because folks like Mary, Peter, James, John, Phoebe, and Paul were among the members of it (Matt. 16:18; Acts 2:47; I Cor. 12:28; Rom. 16:1, 16; Heb. 12:28; Rev. 1:9). Saved people were added to the Lord’s church beginning in Acts 2:47, and continue to be added to it to this day. Alexander Campbell did not live in the first century. Nor did he die to purchase a church (Acts 20:28). Mr. Campbell lived from 1788 to 1866. In other words, he was born almost 1800 years after the Lord’s church was established in Acts 2.

                   Have you ever been to Paris, Kentucky and visited the Cane Ridge meeting house? If not, you need to go there and look at one of the grave markers in the cemetery. In the cemetery, you will find the grave marker of William Rogers. Mr. Rogers’ headstone looks like many others of that era except for the inscription found upon it. William Rogers’ headstone reads as follows: “Born in Campbell Co., Va., July 7, 1784, removed with his father to Cane Ridge, Bourbon Co., April 1793. United with the Church of Christ at Cane Ridge in 1807.”

                   A significant date mentioned on the headstone is 1807. This is because 1807 was two years before Alexander Campbell came to America from Ireland and three years before he preached his first sermon in America. How could Alexander Campbell have started the church of Christ if William Rogers was already in it in 1807?

      Further, in Celina, TN, there is a church of Christ who can trace the congregation’s beginning back to 1805. How could this be possible since Mr. Campbell wasn’t even in America at the time? The answer, of course, is that it is possible because Mr. Campbell didn’t start the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16). The church of Christ began in this country when Christians came here simply preaching and teaching about the church found in the Bible! As was noted above, such things happened long before Alexander Campbell was in this land.

                   Mr. Campbell did much in his life to spread the gospel, but there is nothing the church of Christ does or practices that had its beginning with Mr. Campbell, or any other man (Gal. 1:6-9). The church of Christ follows what Christ has revealed in the New Testament (Jn. 12:48). If you’re interested in knowing more, contact me.

Keep It Simple …

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   The above statement is the “motto” of a friend of mine. When it comes to the preaching and teaching of God’s word, he tells me often, “Keep it simple.” This sentiment was impressed upon my mind even further when a lady said she had learned that the main problem that high school students have today is not which church to go to, but whether or not to believe in God in the first place. Think about it: We live in a society that has so pushed God aside that the lady who talked with me said she knows high school students who need to be convinced about the very existence of God!

                   This sister’s observation told me that, yes, it is necessary to “keep it simple” as I preach. It also tells me that I need to be preaching and teaching these “simple” sermons not only to the teenagers but also to the PARENTS of those teenagers! After all, children are the students of their parents. Therefore, if parents are not doing their job and exposing their children to God, the Bible, to truth, etc., then how can we expect them to know these things? God has placed the responsibility of teaching primarily with parents (Gen. 18:19; Deut. 6:6-9, 11:18-21; Eph. 6:4; II Tim. 1:5; etc.).

                   Furthermore, when I think about the statement, “Keep it simple,” I find that this does not mean make things simplistic, or speak down to people. Rather, it places responsibility on the teacher to make sure things are said in such a way that folks can understand. One does not need to be a “Greek scholar” to go to Heaven. We do not need to have Ph.D. degrees in order to understand the Bible! The apostle Paul said, “Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ” (Eph. 3:4). Jesus encouraged the reading and searching (studying) of Scriptures, for He knew that in so doing, mankind can understand the truth and can follow it (Jn. 5:39, 17:17; Rev. 1:3). Not only did He state this truth, but He lived it (Acts 1:1)! Bear in mind, that when Jesus spoke, “the common people heard him gladly” (Mk. 12:37). Those who listened to Jesus were often the “unknowns,” the “rejected,” and “the general population.” In contrast, the social “elites,” and their ilk like the Pharisees and Sadducees, did not like Jesus. In fact, they conspired against Him to keep Him from preaching (Jn. 11:47-53). After Christ’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension, the apostles continued preaching His simple message (Acts 2, etc.). When they preached that simple message, the “elites,” and “educated” people marveled, at their words, noting, “...they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13).

                   Therefore, to “keep it simple” means to do as Jesus and the apostles did. Can we think of any better examples to follow than Christ and His apostles when one today wants to communicate God’s will in the best way? I can’t! Generally speaking, men have a tendency to complicate the things they are involved in, whether it be a physical or spiritual endeavor. Yet, our Lord knows how to “keep it simple.” Let us follow that example!

What A Day May Bring …

Jarrod Jacobs 

                   Solomon wrote, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring” (Prov. 27:1). I remember a time in my life where I saw three people pass from this world in one month alone. Have you ever had a month like that? These deaths affected me, and each death caused me to “lay to heart” (Ecc. 7:2) what happened. In fact, each time one dies, it testifies that we have no lease on life.

                   God has never promised us a long life; nor has He promised us freedom from worry or problems. In reality, there are very few things we can count on in this life. We are not promised a safe drive home. We are not guaranteed that a home appliance will never fail. We are not promised that we will never get sick. We are not sheltered or immune from tragedy striking our homes in one form or another. When we recognize this, we will begin to appreciate the truth spoken by Solomon in Proverbs 27:1!

                   In a world of uncertainty, God has given us some promises which are sure and steadfast. For instance, God has promised never to leave or forsake His children (Heb. 13:5). God has also promised a Judgment Day in which the righteous will be rewarded, while the wicked will be punished (Rom. 2:7-11; Matt. 25:46; etc.). Not only is God and His judgment unchanging, but we can also take comfort in the fact that His word is unchanging. Man’s word changes often, and the things men say today may not be the same thing he says tomorrow. Yet, God’s word does not change!

                   David knew this and stated, “Forever, O LORD, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens” (Ps. 119:89) While on earth, Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” and His word “thoroughly furnishes” men for “every good work” (I Pet. 1:4; II Tim. 3:16-17). Since this is true, does it not give us hope and comfort when we know that His word is unchanging?

                   In a world that changes often, we find that the only settled and sure thing is God and those things related to Him! We do not know all the things that could happen in a day. Men can lie to us. Disease can ravage a family. Sometimes, people make selfish decisions which end up having an effect on us. No, we do not know what will happen in a day. No one can predict this.

                   Yet, for all of this, God is constant and consistent. He loves us and wants the best for us. He sent Christ to die (Rom. 5:9). He has given us His word to follow (Jn. 12:48). It leads us to Heaven. Seeing that this is the case, may this week be the week that we stop trusting in ourselves and trust in the Lord (Prov. 3:5). In the course of a day or a week, our lives can change in profound ways. Let us therefore, trust in God and hold to His unchanging hand while the storms of life rage!

Why 99.9% Just Won’t Do

Jarrod Jacobs

                   Is it truly necessary that we go for “zero defects” in things that we build, or in other areas of life? Why isn’t 99.9% defect-free good enough? Please look at the list below. According to Jeff DeWar, Quality Consultant at QCI International, this is what life would be like if things were correct or “defect-free” only 99.9% of the time.

If We Settle for 99.9%, We Have to Accept:

• One hour of unsafe drinking water a month.
• Two unsafe plane landings per day at O’Hare International airport in Chicago.
• 16,000 pieces of mail lost by the U.S. Postal Service every hour.
• 20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions per year.
• 500 incorrect surgical operations each week.
• 50 newborns dropped at birth by doctors.
• 22,000 checks deducted from the wrong bank accounts each hour.
• 32,000 missed heartbeats per person per year.

(Source: Inc. Magazine, Article by Martha Mangelsdorf)

                   I first saw this list a few years back, but I think its overall theme is a valid one. Please reread those points. Hopefully, we can see that in addition to physical problems that are caused by only accepting “99.9%”, so also there is a spiritual application we can make. When we are not intent on giving God 100% in His service, we are asking for problems!

                   I want to be clear that I am not saying that there is a way for man to “earn” his way into Heaven. That is not the point or purpose of this article. No man can “earn” such a gift (Rom. 6:23b). At the same time, we need to recognize that God expects folks to give their all (100%) in service to Him (Lk. 17:10) daily! The Bible reveals that since Christ died for us, we need to live for Him (II Cor. 5:14-15; Rom. 12:1-2)! Christ gave His all; why do we think we can be accepted with any less than our all? The apostle Paul understood this and declared that he was, “crucified with Christ,” and that he lived his life, “by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). Friend, are you living for Christ and living by faith? If not, why not?

                   When one becomes a Christian (Mk. 16:16), this one becomes a bond-servant to Christ (Rom. 8:16-18). As such, this means that we love and serve Him totally — 100%! Sadly, Satan wants folks to lower their standards and be negligent in the work of the Lord, even if it is just a “little bit.” When we are tempted to do this, I hope we will look back to this little “checklist” and see the dangers posed when we settle for even 99.9% rather than 100%. If such danger is posed in our society when we settle for less than 100%, how much more spiritual danger do we expose ourselves and others to when we settle for less than 100% in our commitment and faithfulness to God (I Cor. 15:58)?

                   “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” These two verses remind us of the supremacy of Christ. He is head over all things (Matt. 28:18; Col. 1:18). God gave Christ this position, and we need to respect it (Eph. 1:20-21). At the same time, we see how the body (church) is the “fullness of him that filleth all in all.” This speaks of a special relationship wherein Christ is in us, but we also are in Him (Jn. 6:56, 15:4-7, 17:21; I Jn. 3:24; etc.)! This relationship is possible for those who are baptized into Christ (Gal. 3:27). No one can say that the church has little or no importance! Some want to tell us to emphasize Christ and not the church. How can we do this in light of passages like Ephesians 1:22-23? Christ stands supreme as the head over His church, and at the same time, the church is His body! We can be a part of it and enjoy the fellowship in Christ today when we submit to His plan of salvation (Acts 2:38, 47)!

– Jarrod Jacobs