I. Salvation is important. Jesus said so. While in human form, Jesus spoke the message God wanted (John 8:28-29). Also, He told the disciples He would send the Helper to guide them into all truth (John 16:13). True to His promise, the Holy Spirit came with power in Acts 2, enabling mostly uneducated men to preach in His name and to perform great signs and wonders.
If one were to take an unbiased reading of the New Testament with the intent to understand it, then people should know what needs to be done for salvation.
But here’s an example: people quibble over the need for baptism. Some say it’s an outward show of an inward feeling. But the Bible never says that. There’s plenty of evidence that one must be baptized for salvation. If Jesus said it to be so, it must be a command for baptism. (Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16).
The apostles preached baptism in Acts 2:38. Peter and the others said, “Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.’” Further on in Acts, people were being baptized as the terminal point in salvation. The Jews, accepting this teaching, received the word and were baptized. Salvation is important!
II. It was the plea of those in the late 1700s and into the early 1800s that all sectarian names be dropped and that they follow only the Bible as their guide. Here’s a summary of events.
1790s: James O’Kelly, a Methodist preacher, broke away from the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1792 over disputes about church governance. By 1794, his Virginia and North Carolina followers adopted the name “Christian Church,” emphasizing a return to biblical simplicity.
1801: Barton W. Stone, a Presbyterian minister, was influenced by the Cane Ridge Revival in Kentucky, a massive camp meeting that sparked widespread religious enthusiasm. This event led Stone and others to reject denominationalism and form the “Christian” movement, focusing on unity and New Testament practices.
1807–1809: Thomas Campbell, a Scottish Presbyterian minister who immigrated to Pennsylvania, began advocating for Christian unity based solely on the Bible. In 1809, he published the Declaration and Address, a foundational document for the movement, rejecting sectarian divisions. His son, Alexander Campbell, joined him and became a leading figure.
1832: A significant milestone occurred when Barton W. Stone’s “Christians” and Alexander Campbell’s “Disciples” formally united in Lexington, Kentucky, marking a key moment in consolidating the Restoration Movement.
The movement gained momentum through the 1820s and 1830s, spreading across the American frontier, particularly in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (now West Virginia). By the mid-19th century, it had grown significantly, with membership estimates rising from about 25,000 in 1832 to nearly 200,000 by 1861. Its emphasis on restoring the “primitive church” resonated with the era’s spirit of independence and anti-traditionalism following the American Revolution.
All the folks back then were Christians by faith, repentance, confession, and baptism. God’s plan was followed, and we’ll see them in heaven. If willing, people can read the Bible as their only guide in all spiritual things.
By: Garland Van Dyke
Where: Matthews St. church of Christ, Bay City, TX 77414
Contact us: PO Box 1522, Bay City, TX, 77414
On the web: www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchrist/
