church of Christ of being a cult. Now before I even address the question of the
church of Christ being a cult, let me first state that the person who made the
accusation does not understand the description, "church of Christ." In fact, any
time someone uses the phrase "church of Christ" in such a way demonstrates that
he or she really thinks that the church of Christ is a denomination. Such of
course is a misrepresentation because the church of Christ is not a denomination.
That phrase is merely a description for the people of Christ worshipping at some
location. I dare say that the person who made this accusation would call the
church that belongs to Jesus, a cult. So I am sure that when the accusation was
made, the individual in question assumed that in referring to the "church of
Christ" he felt like he was speaking of some denomination. With such in mind,
let's consider the matter further.
When one thinks of a cult, of what does one think? The first thing that pops
into my head is a single living charismatic person who controls everything his or
her devotees practice. You identify the cult by the name of its leader: David
Koresh, Jim Jones, etc. Of course, if having a single charismatic leader in and of
itself meant that you are a cult, then almost every denomination that is out there
would be a cult. The one man "pastor" system is one of the most common
practices among Protestant denominations. Some of these denominational
leaders even exercise cult-like power over their members. I heard a story of one
who told his members that singles who were part of that congregation had to get
the "pastor's" permission before they could go out for the evening. In sharp
contrast to this type of system, churches of Christ do not have a one-man "pastor"
rule. In contrast we have a plurality of men referred to as elders (also called
shepherds and overseers in the Bible, Acts 20:17, 28) which serve as the
leadership for the individual congregation. The preacher within churches of
Christ has no authority beyond teaching and preaching God's word. If the church
of Christ is a cult based upon this standard, then more so are the denominations.
The second thing that comes to mind is brainwashing. This is usually done by
isolating the cult members from the rest of society, controlling their
communications, and feeding them on an exclusive diet of whatever doctrine the
cult is propagating. Through this technique an individual can be programmed to
believe whatever the cult leadership wants the individual to believe. In contrast, I
personally know of no preacher or leader within the churches of Christ who
practice such a technique. In fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite and so we
preach. The Bible says that Christians need to be in the world in order to be lights
of the world (Matthew 5:14). In my preaching, I encourage our members to
participate in community activities such as civic organizations, pancake
breakfasts, volunteering at schools, enrolling children in baseball or soccer, or
being members of the local community center. Involvement in any wholesome
community activity is something which cults discourage their members from
doing. We also encourage our membership to question the preacher. Our
standard of right from wrong is the Bible and not some individual. If the preacher
is not preaching what the Bible says, then he needs to be questioned and
challenged. This is not how things work in many denominations. In many places,
what the preacher says, goes and if you challenge the preacher then your
allegiance is questioned. If the church of Christ is a cult based upon this standard,
then more so are the denominations.
The third thing that comes to mind is a group of people who claim to be the
sole proprietors of certain "mysteries," which if you want to understand what
they are, you must join their group. I would say that the Klu Klux Klan, the
Masons, and other "secret" organizations fall into this category. These exercise
cult like power among their members and encourage them to believe their
"mysteries." In contrast, the Bible teaches that anyone can come to a knowledge
of the truth (1 Timothy 2:4). This is what I preach and teach and most other
gospel preachers I know preach and teach the same thing. There are no
"mysteries" that you can only understand only if you attend the church of Christ.
In contrast, the Bible teaches that it is a book that can be understood just like any
other book can be understood, that it is not hard to understand, and that if we sit
down and read it, we can understand exactly the meaning that those who wrote it
intended (Ephesians 3:3-5). In fact, the Bible says that the mystery that once
existed in the word of God has now been revealed so that all can know God's
saving truth (Romans 16:25, 26). The Bible requires you to believe nothing but
the truth that is revealed within it and that is what I and most preachers I know,
teach. On the other hand, I have heard many a denominational preacher say that
the Bible cannot be understood and that in order to interpret it correctly you had
to listen to him and him alone. I have heard many speak about the "mysteries"
that are within the gospel and heard many say that they only have the key to
understanding them. If the church of Christ is a cult based upon this standard,
then more so are the denominations.
The bottom line is, there is no valid evidence to prove that the churches of
Christ are cults. So what is the motivation for individuals saying that the "church
of Christ" is a cult? Their motivation is simply this: they don't like the church of
Christ and they don't want others to listen to the preaching of the gospel. So, they
make up names and doctrines and ascribe them to the church of Christ as
"straw-men" in an effort to dissuade as many as possible not to listen to faithful
preachers, teachers, elders, and members. Their sole concern is to get you to
believe something about churches of Christ that is simply not true. Now judge for
yourself; is this the way a Christian behaves, or is this the way a cult member
behaves? Christians, true Christians, have nothing to fear from those who are
teaching the Bible. However, those who are not teaching the Bible have
everything to fear from those who are. I challenge you, dear reader, to examine all
the doctrines that all the different "churches" are teaching and compare them to
the Bible. You will find that the Bible is always right, and those who are following
the Bible are clearly recognizable. You will also find that there are many that have
gone astray. If the church of Christ is following the Bible in your community,
then become a member. If it is not, then find one of Christ's churches that are
faithfully doing so. In so doing, you will not go wrong, and will never be a
member of a cult. You will be a member of the church that the Bible talks
about, the church that belongs to Christ, the church of Christ.
Disclaimer: This article does not represent a defense of the International
Churches of Christ (ICOC). The author has not been and is not affiliated with
that religious group.
