Missionary society

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Churches of Christ Divided In mid 1800s

• Issues
• Missionary Society (1849)
• Instrumental Music (1859)
• Result
• Formation of Christian Church (1900)
• Later Disciples of Christ (liberal)

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Churches of Christ Divided In mid 1900s

• Issues
• Sponsoring Church (Herald of Truth)
• Orphan Homes
• Colleges in Church Budget
• Social Gospel (Recreation)
• Result
• Split among churches 1955-1965
• Institutional churches of Christ

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Divisions WithinThe Church of Christ

1. Missionary Society (1849)
2. Instrumental Music (1859)
3. Colleges in Church Budget (1938)
4. Orphan Homes (1950s)
5. Sponsoring Church (1950s)
6. Social Gospel (1960s)

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DivisionsWithinThe Church of Christ

• The Social Gospel

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The Social Gospel Defined
A Great Shift
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The Social Gospel Defined

• A great shift (Spiritual to Social)
• Purpose of Gospel Message improve social
  circumstance of man
• Includes Churches involved in
• Colleges
• Schools / Day care
• Fellowship halls
• Bus Ministry
• Gyms ball teams
• Gimmicks to draw crowd

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The Social Gospel

1. History Behind It

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1. History Behind It

• Born into Denominational Circles in late 1800s
• Problems of society following the Industrial
  Revolution
• Crime
• Poverty
• Inequality
• Drunkenness
• Etc.
• Many churches sought to fix the social ills

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In the 1870s and 1880s the leaders of American
society suddenly realized that they were faced
with overwhelming social problems. The industrial
revolution in this country raised problems in
business and political ethics, employer-employee
relationships, economic competition, and the
nature of poverty and its remedy which shocked
many American social philosophers out of a
well-worn complacency. No less serious were the
social maladjustments connected with the
unparalleled rise of high cities. Slums,
drunkenness, prostitution, organized crime,
juvenile delinquency, abject poverty, and all
other problems sprawling, filthy cities were
convincing realities that demanded that something
be done. Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, March
23, 1960
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Out if this setting came the social gospel
movement. Religious leaders were not the first to
delve into these social evils but in the late
1870s and in the 1880s increasing numbers of
them from almost every denomination began to
offer suggestions for the solution of the new
Americas social dilemma. Dr. David Harrell,
FCC Lectures, March 23, 1960
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1. History Behind It

1. Born into Denominational Circles in late 1800s
2. Crept into the Restoration Movement

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Conservative Denominations Got Involved In
Social Gospel
By the 1880s social gospelism had invaded the
restoration movement. Leaders of the Disciples of
Christ, still Biblically conservative at this
junction, such as Isaac Errett, Richard M. Bishop
of Cincinnati, and Frederick Power of Washington
D.C. participated in the earliest organized
efforts of the social gospel leaders in the
United States. - Dr. David Harrell, FCC
Lectures, March 23, 1960
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1. History Behind It

1. Born into Denominational Circles in late 1800s
2. Crept into the Restoration Movement
3. Issues of 1950s /1960s Made Two Shifts

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The Mirror of a Movement Churches of Christ as
seen through the Abilene Christian College
Lectureship
Although not directly involved with the social
gospel tensions in the mainstream of national
thought, some of the basic questions of the
larger debate were essentially the ones at stake
in the Abilene tributary What is the extent of
the churchs social responsibility? How can
efforts at social betterment be related to the
problems of individual salvation? Will the
church forsake its spiritual purposes by becoming
inordinately encumbered with social services?
Among churches of Christ, these infectious
questions gathered, festered, and erupted into
one bitter, benevolent issue In what way can the
church scripturally provide for the needs of
widows and orphans? (pp. 330-331)
1965
William S. Banowsky, Ph.d.
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The Mirror of a Movement Churches of Christ as
seen through the Abilene Christian College
Lectureship
The benevolent battle among churches of Christ,
then, was very definitely, if indirectly, related
to the social gospel war being waged in
contemporary protestant ism. (p. 328)
The overtones of the social gospel movement
endowed the more sequestered conflict with a
flavor of national relevancy. There is ample
evidence that the Lectureship was the
brotherhoods most forceful and continuing voice
urging a broader conception of the churches
social responsibility. (pp. 341-342)
1965
William S. Banowsky, Ph.d.
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1. History Behind It

• Born into Denominational Circles in late 1800s
• Crept into the Restoration Movement
• Issues of 1950s /1960s Made Two Shifts
• Started with Food Fun
• Fellowship Halls
• Church Kitchens
• Bus Ministry
• Gimmicks to bring crowds
• Fun days

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Ridgedale Church of Christ Chattanooga, TN
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10-01-97
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1. History Behind It

1. Born into Denominational Circles in late 1800s
2. Crept into the Restoration Movement
3. Issues of 1950s /1960s Made Two Shifts
4. Started with Food Fun
5. How Far it has Gone

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Southwest Central Church (Houston, TX)
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Issues that Separate Us Now
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Issues that Separate Us Now
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Issues that Separate Us Now
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Issues that Separate Us Now
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Fourth Ave Franklin, TN
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The Differences Now
Were Orphan Home Sponsoring
Church Colleges
Are Orphan Home Sponsoring Church Colleges Fell
owship Halls Social Programs Involvement in
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The Social Gospel

1. History Behind It

1. Problems With Social Gospel

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1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. No authority

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How Authority Is Established
Acts 15
VV. 13-21 James appealed to direct statement
from Amos 9
Command / Statement
V. 12 Paul Barnabas appealed to example of
their work miracles
Approved Example
VV. 7-11 Peter appealed to events at Cornelius
house infers
Necessary Inference
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Church Involvement in Social, Recreation
Entertainment
None
Command / Statement
None
Approved Example
None
Necessary Inference
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1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. No authority
2. Not a social message or mission

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Not a Social Order
Not a Social Gospel
The Church Is Not A Social Order Rom. 1417 John
1836 1 Pet. 25
The Gospel Is Not A Social Gospel John
626-27 Rom. 116-17 1 Cor. 118, 21 22-5
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1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. No authority
2. Not a social message or mission
3. Fails to distinguish the individual and church

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Distinction in Individual Church
Work Role Money Liberties
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A Difference In The Individual The Church
1 Tim. 516
If any man or woman that believeth have widows,
let them relieve them, and let not the church be
charged that it may relieve them that are widows
indeed.
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Christian Acts 1126 1 Pet. 416 Church of Christ Rom. 1616
Own Widows 1 Tim. 516 Widows Indeed 1 Tim. 516
Buy Sell Jas 413 Free will offering 1 Cor. 161-2
Name
Work
Finances
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1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. No authority
2. Not a social message or mission
3. Fails to distinguish the individual and church
4. Adds to the work of the church

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Threefold Work

• Equipping of the saints
• Means repair, put into order make complete
• Eph. 416 edify itself

• Work of ministry
• Means serve used of benevolence (Acts 6 2 Cor.
  8-9)
• Acts 61-6 1 Tim. 516

• Edifying of the body
• Means build up (ASV) increase by teaching
• 1 Tim. 315

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The Social Gospel

1. History Behind It

1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

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1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

1. The issue

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The Use of a Church Kitchen

• Not Talking About
• A place to prepare LS
• Place to wash LS trays
• A place for taking care
• of needy saints

Are Talking About Church providing
a place for meals for Social recreational Purpos
es. Fellowship halls Family
Life Centers Muti-Purpose Blds
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Eating In The Building The Issue
Was Not Is the bld sacred? Can one eat
inside the Building? Can one eat on church
property?
Was Is Can the church have a common meal for
social and recreational purposes?
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1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

1. The issue
2. Common meals are individual matters

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Common Meals Individual Matters
1 Cor. 11
20 When ye come together therefore into one
place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. 21
For in eating every one taketh before other his
own supper and one is hungry, and another is
drunken. 22 What? have ye not houses to eat and
to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and
shame them that have not? What shall I say to
you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not.
More than an abuse of the Lords Supper!
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1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

1. The issue
2. Common meals are individual matters
3. No authority for church social recreation

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There Is No

Command
To authorize the church to arrange / support a
common meal for social and recreational purposes
Example
Necessary Inference
If there is, where is the passage?
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Aids Are Authorized Within The Command
Command Aid
Eat Bread 1 Cor. 11 Table, plates
Baptize Matt. 2819 Baptistry, heater
Build an ark Gen. 614 Tool, Animal
Sing Eph. 519 Books, Tuner
Contribute 1 Cor. 16 Basket, Account
Meals for social rec. purposes (???) Kitchen, Fellowship Hall
Question Where is the Authority?
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1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

1. The issue
2. Common meals are individual matters
3. No authority for church social recreation
4. Not the work of the church

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Work of the Local Church Evangelism (1 Tim.
315) Edification (Eph. 416) Benevolence (1
Tim. 516)
Social / Recreation (?? Where is the passage ??)
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A Church Kitchen
Is not the work of Evangelism Is Not the work
of Edification Is Not the work of Benevolence
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1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

1. The issue
2. Common meals are individual matters
3. No authority for church social recreation
4. Not the work of the church
5. Difference in incidentals and planned

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Incidental Matters While At Building
Planned Sponsored By the Church
Talk about politics Sell / deliver a sold
item Seek medical advice Eating on property
Political rally Church in business Church
hospital / clinic Church kitchen / dinner
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The Social Gospel

1. History Behind It

1. Problems With Social Gospel

1. Kitchens, Fellowship Halls Eating in Bld.

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