Not as many are familiar with the history of the Restoration Movement in America where men like Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, and others persuaded people to go back to the Bible. Those who are from this heritage are familiar with the slogan, “speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where the Bible is silent.” The idealism behind this statement is the same appeal we should all support, but even among those who do, there is still confusion and division. Luther expressed similar sentiments throughout history. The “preached Word” was his emphasis and he never intended his supporters to form a separate denomination from the institutional pattern. Zwingli made similar appeals in his writings. It asserts the grand and noble task of putting aside our traditional marks of identity that make us uniquely different from others, and return to the tradition of Jesus Christ and His apostles. It implies that we would all be New Testament Christians – just Christians, as long as the same gospel seed was planted in each person. There should be no need to qualify the “kind” of Christians as if to suggest God approves of the division that recognizes “Baptist Christians,” or “Methodist Christians,” etc. Even in Paul’s day, the same sectarian spirit divided people around who baptized whom. Paul addresses it with these words,
“For when one says, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not men? What then is Apollos? and what is Paul? Ministers through whom ye believed; and each as the Lord gave to him. I planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither he that plants anything, neither he that waters; but God that gives the increase. Now he that plants and he that waters are one: but each shall receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow-workers: ye are God’s husbandry, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:4-9). Again, he wrote, “Now this I mean, that each one of you says, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul” (1 Cor. 1:12-13)?”
He explains that he was thankful that he had baptized only Crispus, Gaius, and the household of Stephanas so that no one would say that they were baptized in his name (1 Corinthians 1:14-16). Such division was against the tradition of our Lord and His apostles (cf. Romans 16:17-18). Only one person died for us and He alone should define who we are – “Christians.” All disciples of Christ should come out from among them (denominations) and be separate (cf. 2 Cor. 6: 17-18). However, even among those who came out of the Restoration Movement, there are traditions and teachings of the church that supersede what is written. We will examine some of them, later.