This document seeks to address common misunderstandings about Churches of Christ by clarifying their actual teachings on several topics: 1) It asserts that Churches of Christ do not teach "water salvation" but rather that baptism is part of obeying God's command for salvation and that faith and baptism work together. 2) They do believe in and follow the Old Testament but are no longer under its rules and regulations, instead being under Christ. 3) They do believe in conversion by the Holy Spirit, but that it works through the Word of God rather than direct encounters. 4) Music is not prohibited as it was under the Old Law but is a matter of Christian liberty rather than

1. Common
Misunderstandings of
Churches of Christ
Setting the Record Straight

2. That We Teach “Water Salvation”
 Salvation in the water, not the blood of
Christ?
 Fact: Blood applied when baptized –Acts 2:38;
22:16; Col.2:12
 Faith only: Salvation in the faith, not the
blood of Christ?
 Just as faith is a CONDITION for obtaining
salvation…
 Baptism is part of the faith CONDITION.
 1 Pet. 3:21; Acts 2:38; 22:16; Mk.16:16

3. Don’t Believe In The Old
Testament
 Believe all the stories and prophecies.
 Believe the Jews had to obey Moses’ law.
 Where are the critics’ animal sacrifices?
Sabbaths? Do they not believe the OT?
 We are no longer under the rules and
regulations of the OT.
 We are now under Christ. Col.2:11ff;
Gal.3:24f; 2 Cor.3:4ff

4. Don’t Believe In Holy Spirit
Conversion
 Spirit through the word. Jno.16:13; 17:17;
Acts 2
 The gospel is the Spirit’s “POWER” to
convict and convert us. Rom.1:16
 Does not the Spirit reach our hearts
through His “sword”? Eph.6:18
 Rejecting claims of direct HS encounters is
not a rejection of the Holy Spirit

5. David Had Music; They Don’t
 David also had animal sacrifices, kept
Sabbath, and all other Jewish feasts. Why
don’t our critics?
 What law was David under?
 What law are we under today? Matt.28:18
 Shadows of Old Law not imposed today.
Col.2:16f

6. Think They Are The Only One’s
Saved
 Clarify. What mean? Only members at
Gardendale?
 Only those who do the will of God.
Matt.7:21f
 Who all is also saved? Mormons?
Catholics? Episcopalians?
Isn’t it better to judge WHAT is right,
than to try to judge who all is possibly
right?

7. Started By Alexander Campbell
 Did not start the universal church. Jesus did.
Matt.16:18
 Did not start the 1st century “churches of Christ”.
Rom.16:16
 Did not start the Gardendale church of Christ.
 I’m not a part of anything else, and refuse to be
a part of anything started by Alexander
Campbell.
 How can a person be just a Christian today?

8. Teach Salvation By Works
 What mean? Works = EARNINGS? Or
Works = Obedient Faith?
 In first case, we cannot earn salvation.
Rom.4 and Eph.2:8
 In the second case, we must demonstrate
obedient faith. Phil2:12; Jas.2:14,17,24
 Do they teach salvation by disobedient
faith?

9. Condemn Everybody Else
 All are condemned already by sin.
 We can only help by teaching truth.
 Truth condemns wrong behavior, whether
we teach it or they teach it.
 People condemn themselves by refusing
to listen and obey.
 If denominationalism is wrong, shouldn’t
we say so? Must we keep the truth quiet?

10. Prejudice is Self-
Imposed Blindness.
False Accusations Are
Designed To Promote
Prejudice

11. Only the Truth Will
Set Us Free