Is the Church of Christ a Cult?

One man jokingly wrote that a cult was any group he didn't like. He was pointing out the tendency to use prejudicial or inflammatory language to describe those with whom we disagree. People sometimes throw the word cult around out of fear of the unknown and as a way to avoid open-minded investigation.

Of course, there are religious cults that are spiritually, emotionally, and sometimes physically dangerous and damaging. Deciding what is a cult and what isn't can be difficult because there is not one, all encompassing, definition which can be applied in every situation. While using care to avoid unsafe religious groups, we also need to resist the temptation to label as a cult any group we aren't familiar with or which seems different from what we are used to. Because some people are unfamiliar with the church of Christ they have wondered if we are a cult.

Here are some reasons why we do not fit the cult description:

We do not have a human leader. Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22).

We do not claim to have special revelation (knowledge) which others do not have-- we believe the Bible is our sole authority (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Reason from Scripture is used in teaching, not pressure, manipulation, or control tactics (Isaiah 1:18).

Every member is to study and understand God's word, not following any man or group ideology (1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 Timothy 2:15).

We do not isolate ourselves, but are to be in the world while not being of the world (John 17:14-15; Matthew 5:13-14).

We are not closed minded, but are willing to "test all things" (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

We are not antagonistic, but believe, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men" (Romans 12:18).

Zeal is expressed in ways controlled by God in the Scriptures (Romans 10:2).

Without exception, we are committed to God's high standard of morality, refusing to compromise anything revealed in the New Testament.

Being a follower of Christ has always been about faith based on personal study and investigation. True faith and its expression may seem strange, even extreme, to those who are unfamiliar with faith as revealed in the New Testament. Different or devoted does not mean cultic.

Our desire to do what is right in the sight of God must drive us to search for and find His true will as revealed in the Bible. These are the people you will find in God's true church. A cult tries to decide for you-- God's people want you to look to God in His word to decide for you!

David Diestelkamp
davdiestel@yahoo.com
Reprinted from THINK on These Things, 37.2

The church of Christ in Norwalk, Ohio

Thank you for reading the electronic version of our bulletin, Good News for Norwalk. If you live in Norwalk or happen to be traveling in the Norwalk area, we would certainly love to have you visit one of our assemblies!

Our location:

386 North Edgewood Drive (just off US 250 just north of Norwalk's city limits)
Norwalk, Ohio 44857

Our assemblies:

Sunday morning assembly: 10:30am
Sunday evening assembly: 6:00pm

Our Bible studies:

Sunday morning Bible study: 9:30am
Wednesday evening Bible study: 7:00pm

For More Information

If you have any questions or comments about anything you have read here, or desire more information, please contact our evangelist, Ethan Longhenry, at evangelist@norwalkchurch.org.

Please click here to return to the 2006 archive of Good News for Norwalk, or click here to return to the main page of Good News for Norwalk. Thanks!