Brief History COG in America – 1960
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Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA, https://coggc.org/ Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA, https://coggc.org/ Section 1 - What Is the Church of God? Key Text - Ephesians 2:19-22 Introduction - Before going on to a study of the history of the Church of God, its doctrines, its personages, publications, churches, and conferences, let us consider the question, “What is the Church of God?" Our answers may have a bearing on its history. I - A Definition of the Church A. "Church, ekklesia, the common term for a meeting of the ekkletoi (those summoned) to discuss the affairs of a Free State, the body of citizens summoned together by a herald. The LXX transfers the term to the assembly of ‘the people of Israel,' whether summoned or meeting for a definite purpose (1 Kings 8:65), or considered as the representative of the entire nation. In the N.T. it denotes the redeemed community in its two-fold aspect. (1.) The entire community of all who are called by and to Christ out of the world, the Church universal, (2.) every Church in which the character of the Church as a whole is seen in miniature. The summoning is expressed by the latter part of the word, and out of by the first part...." -- Bullinger's Lexicon. II - The Church of God in its Twofold Aspect A. The church universal. 1. The household or family of God - Eph. 2:19b; 3:14, 13; 1 Tim. 3:15; Gal. 6:10; Heb. 3:6; John 14:2. a. We can get into the family of God only by correct faith and baptism into Christ. Gal. 3:26, 27; Acts 2:41, 47. b. All who qualify under the Gospel plan for entrance and membership in the Father's family are members of the Church of God. We may not know all of them. There are, no doubt, members of God's family from almost every nation. 2. The family or church bears the family name. a. Isra-el bore one of God's titles in its name, "Prince of God" or "Ruling with God." Hebrew "El" is one of Jehovah's titles, meaning "Mighty One." -- Young's Concordance. b. "The Church of God." Acts. 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:22; 13:9; Gal. 1:13; 1 Tim. 3:5. Plural - 1 Cor. 11:16. "Churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16) and "The sect of the Nazarenes" (Acts 24:3) are not used in a denominative sense, but as other terms for the same body. c. Bearing the Father's name is important to an heir. 3. The Church of God isn't a "denomination" as such. That is, it is not a name for the church, but is the church. "Denomination" also means, "a class, or society of individuals, called by the same name; a sect." – Webster’s dict.: A "sect" is, "In religion: a party dissenting from an established or parent church...One of the organized bodies of Christians; a denomination." - Webs. a. God's church is undenominational and nonsectarian. b. Denominations are a work of the flesh (Gal. 3:20), but are necessary in this age. 1 Cor. 11:18, 19. B. The local church. 1. A local body of believers who voluntarily meet together in some convenient place for worship, preaching, Bible study, and the keeping of the ordinances, comprises the local Church of God. a. Typical references to the Church of God in a local sense. 1 Cor. 1:2; 16:19; 1 Thess. 2:14; Rev. 1:4; etc. -1- Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA, https://coggc.org/ II - B. 2. Taking the name "Church of God" does not insure that a group is a part of God’s Church, Only to the extent that the local church faithfully follows the Word of God pertaining to organization, doctrine, and works, is a Church of God a part of the Chuch of God. Taking this name is a challenge, rather than a reason for smugness. Section 2 - A Brief History of the Church of God in America Our aim in this study of Church of God history shall be to make you aware of the rich heritage you have in the faith of your father’s, to try to develop in you an appreciation of your faith through a knowledge of the sacrifice and labor of your forefathers in the faith, and to challenge you to give yourselves as wholly to the study of the Word as they, and to show the same zeal in propagating the faith. The Early Church The history of the Church of God in the New Testament is available for all to read; its doctrines, its ordinances, and its organization. Even during the lives of the apostles there were false doctrines and teachers thereof who were the subject of concern & warning. (Acts 20:28- 31; Gal.1:6-9; 2 Tim.2:15-18; 1 John 4:l-3.) The Lord created no hierarchy in the church; He did not vest the power to declare or change doctrine in the church. Christ is the head of the church; the chief comer stone of the building, the church being founded upon His teachings and the teachings of the apostles. (Eph. 2:20.) Only that church which remains within the organization and teachings of the Head, and His apostles, can be considered the Church of God. It is amazing how soon churchmen turned from God’s Word to their own theories. As early as 180 A. D, men were speculating on a trinity of God. The Roman Catholic church was the first "denomination" to leave the Church of God, the Council of Nicaea in 325 A. D. being the first major break, when the Athenasian formulary was accepted' : and "nominal" Christianity became the State religion. The Catholic doctrines of sprinkling for baptism, the immortality of the soul, veneration of Mary and the relics, purgatory, infallibility of the Pope, 'etc. soon followed. Though the records are not very plentiful, there is evidence to show the existence of "heretics," the Church of God, in every generation. We know only what their enemies said of them, so it is often difficult, if not impossible, to gain accurate knowledge of their history. From the 14th century on, the record is well known, as Wycliffe 1324-1384, Tyndale 1484- 1536 (martyred), and Frith 1503-1533 (martyred) enter the scene, to be followed by the Reformation. The aim of the Reformers was the reform of the Catholic church, but mainly its practices. Therefore, we find the Trinity unquestioned by the majority, and though purgatory was denied, eternal torment was retained, etc. There were outstanding exceptions to the general rule, with such groups as the Lollards, and the various "Anabaptists" rejecting these beliefs. Many died at the stake for their beliefs, but their faith and principles survived until the time when men could freely believe and teach the truth. Literature from the 17th and 18th centuries on conditional immortality etc. is abundant, but the majority of churchmen never freed themselves from Catholic theology. The 19th Century With this background, we enter 19th century America, a fruitful field for the efforts of the Church of God. We are aware that our information is often spotty and there are areas where vie have no information whatever. -2- Church of God General Conference: McDonough, GA, https://coggc.org/ We would not attempt to pinpoint the time and place for the organization of the vidable and local Church of God in America. We do not wholly agree with the statement that, "actually, the Church of God appears to have sprung primarily from the William Miller movement of the 1840’s." (Pamphlet - "Church of God Its History, Its Organization, Its Belief’.’) We will admit that the Millerite movement served to attract attention to the doctrine of the Second Advent. The Millerite Movement Because of its effect on the Church of God, we site a few salient facts on the Millerite movement. Wm. Miller was born Feb. 15, 1782 near Pittsfield, Mass., the eldest of 16 children. He served in the war of 1812, and was a deist; he believed God existed, but was beyond knowing. He moved to Low Hampton N. Y. in 1815, end joined a Calvinistic Baptist church in 1816. In 1818 he came to the conclusion, from the application of the "day for a year" theory of prophetic time, that 1843 would see the return of Christ. In a statement of faith Sept. 5, 1822, he confessed this faith in 20 articles, including the following: (1) The Bible as a rule, (2) The Triune God, (3) Man in the image of Triune God, with body, soul, and spirit, (12) The earth the abode of the saints, (13) Destruction of the wicked, (14) Personal Second Coming of Christ, (15) Christ coming on or before 1843, (17) Resurrection of just and unjust, (18) Doctrine of election, (19) Baptism by Immersion. Entering public labor in 1831, he reported preaching 800 lectures from 1834 in October to June 1839, and from Oct. 1839 to April 1841, 627 lectures averaging 1 1/2 hours in duration and converted about 5,000 people. The "first General Conference" of advent believers was reportedly held at Boston in 1840, and a camp meeting was held at East Kingston New Hampshire in June 1842, with 7 to 10,000 people in attendance. Miller finally decided that Jesus would come between March 21, 1843 and March 21, 1844, and later said it would be Oct.