Churches of Christ,Disciples of Christ,Christian Church(Stone-Cam bell Restorationist ):Differences and Simila

Question

"Where the Bible speaks we speak,where the Bible is silent we are silent" : is it possible to do? How like Catholics and how different?How like Southern Baptists a how different? How like each other as Campbellites? What are the differences between the Church of Christ, the Boston Church of Christ, the Christ-ian Church, the more liberal Disciples of Christ.

Answer 1

It is very possible to speak were the Bible speaks & be silent where it is silent. According to Eccles., "There is nothing new under the sun."

My understanding is that the Christian church split from the church of Christ in the late 1800s or early 1900s. I don't know about the Disciples of Christ. The Boston (AKA Crossroads) movement happened in the 1980s & 1990s. At that time some with this belief broke away from the COC. I understand taht there is also a New york group that is a cult.

Here is some COC info: http://www.meridianvillechurchofchrist.org/modules.php?name=FAQ&myfaq=yes&id_cat=1&categories=
http://church-of-christ.org/who.html
http://www.housetohouse.com/hth/archives/v12/v12n3/v12n3p7a.htm

These appear to be good sources of Restoration Movement info:
http://www.therestorationmovement.com/
http://www.therestorationmovement.com/books.htm
http://www.getwellchurchofchrist.org/articles/0612%20Restoration.pdf
http://www.therestorationmovement.com/chlesson.htm
http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/restmov.html
http://www.mun.ca/rels/restmov/who.html

Article on the Boston church beliefs: http://www.apologeticspress.org/articles/180

This is an article that points out some differences: http://www.christiancourier.com/articles/read/the_restoration_of_first_century_christianity

Some more:
http://www.gospeladvocate.com/ga/gamar02b.htm
http://www.getwellchurchofchrist.org/articles/article0303.html
http://www.getwellchurchofchrist.org/articles/article0212.html
http://www.getwellchurchofchrist.org/articles/article0203.html

Here's a site I found by Googling Boston Movement: http://www.spiritwatch.org/icoc.htm
More info: http://hometown.aol.com/carol2180/boston.htm
http://www.unc.edu/~elliott/iccbib.htm

J.W. McGarvey and the Instrument - "2006 will mark the centennial of the official split between the Christian Church and the Churches of Christ. One key difference then and now is the issue of instrumental music in the worship. Two stories surrounding J. W. McGarvey are presented below in the hopes that we may learn from his experiences over 100 years ago." For the rest of the article click here: http://www.housetohouse.com/hth/gladtidings/2005/05-19-05/gladtidings05-19-05p3a.htm

This book is a good source: http://www.samsbookfactory.com/product_info.php?cPath=27&products_id=44&osCsid=d9c66c98e0c84e6960a15653093d2a3f

Answer 2

The difference between the Church of Christ and some of the others listed is answered in your own question, ""Where the Bible speaks we speak,where the Bible is silent we are silent"

Some of the others are not content to speak where the Bible speaks, be silent where the Bible is silent, do Bible things in Bible ways and call Bible things by Bible names.

The others, to varying degrees, have added man-made innovations to their doctrine and worship. These include, but are not limited to, instrumental music added to the "singing" that is authorized in the New Testament (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16-17), man-made organizations (national conferences, missionary societies, churches led by one pastor rather than a group of elders, etc), expanded role of women in leadership of worship (1 Timothy 2:12), and different plans of salvation.

We should listen to those who teach their doctrine and then search the Scriptures to see if it is true! (Acts 17:11)

Instead, many "after their own lusts" "heap to themselves teachers". Many "turn away their ears from the truth" and they turn "unto fables"! (2 Timothy 4:1-4)

"We ought to obey God rather than men!" (Acts 5:29) (See also, Matthew 28:18-20)

If our doctrine is the commandments of men, then our worship is "vain", or useless, in God's eyes. (Matthew 15:9)

Answer 3

Due to the fact that these
Christians use the Protestant Old Testament which is lacking 7 entire books 2 (Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus/Sirach, Baruch, I Maccabees, and II Maccabees), 3 chapters of Daniel and 6 chapters of Esther may be one of the reasons they ask catholics so many questions.

For the Sola Scriptura this is too bad .
In the 16th c., Luther removed those books from the canon that lent support to orthodox doctrine, relegating them to an appendix. Removed in this way were books that supported such things as:

prayers for the dead (Tobit 12:12; 2 Maccabees 12:39-45),

Purgatory (Wisdom 3:1-7),

intercession of dead saints (2 Maccabees 15:14),

and intercession of angels as intermediaries (Tobit 12:12-15).

The lesson, though, is this: relying on the "Bible alone" is a bad idea; we are not to rely solely on Sacred Scripture to understand Christ's message. While Scripture is "given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17), it is not sufficient for reproof, correction and instruction in righteousness. It is the Church that is the "pillar and ground of Truth" (1 Timothy 3:15)! Jesus did not come to write a book; He came to redeem us, and He founded a Sacramental Church through His apostles to show us the way. It is to them, to the Church Fathers, to the Sacred Deposit of Faith, to the living Church that is guided by the Holy Spirit, and to Scripture that we must prayerfully look.

Answer 4

Each congregation may vary presently on different issues; but I was raised in the Church of Christ, and was a deacon in it. The 7 deviations from God's word, I developed from that experience (see my profile currently); even though (to varying amounts), those deviations may apply to other Christian denominations also.

Answer 5

It is possible to "speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent". I'm going to give you a list of some websites that might help you: www.justforcatholics.org, http://en.wikipedia.org, http://www.piney.com/ChofChristName.html, www.bostoncoc.org, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_christ
Hopefully, these sites will help you.