CHRISTIAN COLLEGES
Hugo McCord
A Christian college not only grounded me in New Testament Christianity, but also gave me a bonus: a willing and knowledgeable "helper" (`ezer, Genesis 2:18) for 67 of her 89 years.
However, a statement of the late and esteemed Charles H. Roberson, a Bible professor at a Christian college, is not optimistic:
[N]o institution of higher learning in our country that was 100 years old still stood for the principles that it was founded to promote (THE BIBLE MEDIATOR, June, 1999).
That sad history a student of Roberson "heard him" repeat "many times," but the student said to himself , "It couldn’t happen to good old _____" (Ibid.).
Later, however, that student, writing in 1985, had changed his mind, acknowledging that Robertson’s repeated observation was correct. The student wrote:
by 2006 one will never hear a defense of ‘verbal’ inspiration at ____, condemnation of instrumental music, lessons about the ‘falling away and the restoration of the church’ -- reaffirming the validity of the ‘Restoration Movement" -- nor the contention that the Church of Christ is the non-sectarian, non-denominational, exclusive, one true church (Ibid.).
In 2000, as in 2006, we ought to hear the following affirmations "loud and clear":
1. Baptism. Jesus "washed us from our sins in his own blood" (Revelation 1:5) "by the washing of regeneration" (Titus 3:5); "be baptized and wash away thy sins" (Acts 22:16).
2. Verbal Inspiration. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16): "we speak, not in the words which man’s wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth" (1 Corinthians 2:13).
3. Instrumental Music. "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men" (Matthew 15:9); "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips" (Hebrews 13:15).
4. The Falling Away And The Restoration Of The Church. "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first" (2 Thessalonians 2:3); "Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle" (2 Thessalonians 2:15).
5. The One True Church. "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18); "The churches of Christ salute you" (Romans 16:16); "he is the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:18); "But now are there many members, yet but one body" (1 Corinthians 12:20); "Is Christ divided?" (1 Corinthians 1:13).
Refreshing and uplifting would be a positive statement from the president of every Christian university and college that the sad history predicted by Charles Roberson and his student is not and will not be true of the university or college over which he presides.
8-1-00