Christian Standard Interview with Rick Atchley

Interview with Rick Atchley | Christian Standard Posted by Administrator on 7/21/11 

12.31.13  You have to believe Jesus that He does not pray for the WORLD and disciples are not OF the World: that is why worship is in the place of the Spirit in silence.  Assembly on the other hand is defined by Christ from the wilderness onward and the Campbells as a SCHOOL OF CHRIST: students are washed with water INTO the Word or into the school of Christ.

See David Young Minister North Boulevard Church of Christ in Murfreesboro, Tennessee

Consistent with the hostile attack from about 1890 to the present, David Young blasphemes the Holy Spirit OF Christ who defined a Church of Christ (the Rock) and in the Prophets radically condemning musical machines as having the power of sorcery or soothsaying (Miriam and the Levites).

Just our Tradition or Traditional 20 Times
Style or Styles 16 Times
Method or Methods 9 Times
Customs 2
A NEW Language 7 Times
Just our Heritage 2
Freedom 22 Times--is something WE give YOU.
Just our Opinions 11 Times
Pharisee 2
Continuity with the Past 2
Judgment 8

THIS PAPER WILL HELP YOU FLEE BABYLON whose Mother of Harlots (Revelation 17) uses "lusted after fruits" (Same as in Isaiah 8) as self-speakers, singers, instrument players and ALL religious craftsmen who were called PARASITES.

LINKS TO A FEW STEPS TO THE LAKE OF FIRE; FIXED LINKS 12.30

"RELIGION" REPLACING "SCHOOL OF CHRIST" AND: WORSHIP ANDROGYNY THE PAGAN SEXUAL IDEAL

BUT, DAVID YOUNG AND THE ELDERS SAY------

THE COMMAND IS TO SPEAK: THERE IS NO COMMAND TO SING AS PERFORMANCE

HOW RECORDED HISTORY NOTES THAT SINGING AS AN ACT WAS IMPOSED AFTER CONSTANTINE AND WAS DIVISIVE

THE COMMAND: SPEAK THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN.  NOTHING WRITTEN BY THE SPIRIT IS METRICAL OR TUNEFUL

ISAIAH 8  WHEN EMMANUEL COMES TO YOUR SCHOOL OF CHRIST YOU WILL NOT--CANNOT--PEEP AND MUTTER

CHRIST'S PURPOSE DRIVEN CHURCH DOES NOT BOAST ABOUT ITSELF.

ISAIAH 14  CHRIST'S WARNING OF THE SINGING AND HARP-PLAYING PROSTIITUTES CAST INTO "HELL"

A HUNDRED YEARS OF ATTACKS AGAINST CHURCHES OF CHRIST WHICH WILL NEVER IMPOSE INSTRUMENTAL IDOLATRY.

PROOF THAT ALL INSTRUMENTALISTS ATTACKS ARE BASED ON LIES OR IGNORANCE.

NUMBERS 11 THE REST OF THE STORY ABOUT MUTTERING AND MURMURING:  Violates Christ's outlawing vocal or instrument rejoicing or speaing your own words in Numbers 10

DAVID YOUNG STILL SAYS THAT ALL THINGS ARE LAWFUL?

THE "LEADERSHIP" IS PURPOSE-DRIVEN TO SOW MASSIVE DISCORD WHICH GOD HATES.

ELDERS AND DEACONS ARE THE ONLY VOCATIONAL "STAFF" IN A CHURCH OF CHRIST

The role of PREACHER as SENT Evangelist

ISAIAH 8: THOSE WHO DON'T PREACH THAT WHICH HAS BEEN PROVIDED ARE MARKED AS BEING WITHOUT LIGHT.

THE MARKS OF THE FINAL SHAKING AND THE END-TIME SHAKER.

The MARKS of the BEASTS (Zoe) and the INSECTS-PARASITES (LOCUSTS or musical worship teams)
 
THE FIREY DESTINY OF THOSE WHO SOW MUSICAL OR RHETORICAL DISCORD

"Lard wrote “the question of instrumental music in the church of Christ involves a great and sacred principle … That principle is the right of men to introduce innovations into the prescribed worship of God. This right we utterly deny” (Lard’s Quarterly, Vol. IV, No. 4).

While singing as an act had been divisive in 373 and the command is to SPEAK that which is written for our learning the practice of group singing was always accepted as a community activity and did not in the Restoration Movement deliberately sow discord.  It is part of the diversionary tactics to pretend that churches of Christ INVENTED and IMPOSED congregational singing: it is a mark of ignorance to call it "a cappella" which identified the small group "organum" or simple harmony of the Pope's castrate singers in the Sistine Chapel.

"However, others rose to defend the instrument. The champion of the instrument was Isaac Erret and the paper Christian Standard. Erret wrote “We may as well state now, that we intend to counsel against the use of instrumental music in our churches. Our object is to persuade brethren who favor such use to hold their preferences in abeyance for the sake of harmony … it is wrong to make this difference a test of fellowship or an occasion of stumbling.” (Christian Standard, May 7, 1870, page 148). source

It is clear that Erret called the use of the instrument THEIR PREFERENCE which will destroy harmony. However, he saw preference as a RIGHT which need not be exercised for the sake of the weak. The use of the instrument was clearly an INNOVATION which suddenly arose especially after the carpetbags were filled and the edifice wars began.  This refutes those who pretended that everyone thought that instruments were acceptable and the evil Churches of Christ arose to purge them from churches.  When you are an expert on PERSUASION (that sorcery word) the truth does not matter. All of the denominations at the time experienced the INTRUSION of something deemed wrong and divisive: Baptists were still being disturbed in the early 20th century.

"Joe T. Poe wrote from Texas “The old church in Huntsville has put the organ in and some of its best members out.” source

While the Disciples spoke only of the "organ" they also said that if the organ was used AS worship it would be sinful.  The organ, as in the history of the Catholics, set the tune. L.L.Pinkerton divisively imposed a melodeon because the singing was so bad.

H.T. Anderson: “There is no law against instrumental music in churches; therefore, those who use it are not transgressors” (Christian Standard, June 12, 1869, page 186.) Again and again instrumentalists said it was just a matter of preference. One brother, E.M. Schrock wrote to Ben Franklin and said “If you prefer to worship without an organ, it is none of my business; and if I wish to use an organ, it is none of your business.” Franklin replied “But suppose we both meet in the same congregation, how can this rule be carried out? Can you worship with it and we without it? No sir; if you worship with it, we must worship with it!” (ACR, Jan 1,1878, page 4).

The LEGALISTIC Law of Silence was invented to impose the organ as all honest students know.

“Just show me one verse that says ‘Thou shalt not have a piano or organ.’” Errett and his cronies, like Rick Atchley and others today, knew there was no such passage. However, what they failed to reckon with is that biblical silence never authorizes us to do anything.  source

Churches of Christ responded: "The LAW of Silence does not AUTHORIZE you to deliberately sow discord."  Of course, Bible students know that God was never SILENT about people who used the presumed-supernatural sounds of brass (bell-metal the serpent) or the twang of the bowstring as it sent a "singing" arrow and supernaturally killed an animal as if by magic.

The Christian Standard looms large in the Instrumental Controversy:

J. E. Choate and Adron Doran in The Christian Scholar note that:

In 1890 the first convention was called at Chattanooga to organize the state society. The only churches in the state of Tennessee were those who had already adopted the organ in their worship. The Christian Standard pumped up the news and "it is reported that the brethren in Nashville, Tennessee are desirous of entertaining our National Convention next year."

This of course was just two congregations. A survey showed that out of 2500 members in Nashville, less than one hundred wanted the society. Lipscomb noted that among the Society people "the Bible is as popular as last year's almanac."  "The supporters of the missionary society organized the Tennessee State Missionary Convention on October 6, 1890, with one purpose in mind, as stated by J. H. Garrison. He said at that time: "We will take Tennessee for organized mission work...within five years

The implication is that Churches of Christ in the South had NEVER been unioned with the Christians: that is not to disparage the Independant churches but to debunk the bunk used as psychologial violence to intimidate.

"Isaac Errett who influenced Campbell to sign over (extorted?) his copyright, had argued that it was absolutely necessary to the unity of the church to have unity of worship, and the latter could not be maintained unless the brethren all used one hymn book--Campbell's.

Accordingly, the Standard and the Society opposed vigorously the publication of any other hymn book. Lipscomb by selling a hymn book printed in Canada had been visited by some of the ire of these men." (West, p. 171)

The Rick Atchley interview is a perfect model to use in comparing the sudden intensity of a century-old attack against what became Churches of Christ.  The singular doctrine which gives rise to all others is and has been the refusal of Churches of Christ to impose the use of what they call instrumental music or instrumental praise. It might come as a shock to learn that the Church of Christ (the Rock) in the wilderness excluded "vocal or instrumental rejoicing" along with any self-speak.  The godly Jews continued to wait for Shiloh by attending a school of the Word on the rest days: this was called a holy convocation.  No Jew ever tried to connect music to a synagogue until the year 1815 in Germany. Lucky for the faithful the judge ruled that the liberal rabbi would have to LEAVE and pay for his own synagogue.  Modern faithful suffer the despoiling of their property and Christian family and let everything stolen.

Rick Atchley responds to questions which call for Biblical and historical responses which should cause people to stop "infiltrating and diverting" as they say to turn your church "into a theater for holy entertainment."  Rick and others justify it because as some say "we gonna save more souls."

Rick Atchley: As minister of the Word at The Hills Church of Christ, Rick Atchley leads a congregation that has expanded to three campuses in the Greater Fort Worth, Texas, area and ministers to 5,000 people each weekend.
        The Hills has a background as an a cappella church of Christ,
        but has transitioned over the past few years to include instrumental worship in most services.

Following in the steps of Max Lucado, Rick's church will be the MOTHER CHURCH. Doesn't that ring a bell?

The LOGOS speak words absolutely demands that you "teach that which has been written for our learning" and it absolutely outlaws any of the hypocritic arts and crafts.  As a theologian Rick Atchley composes sermons based on what he wishes to be taught as do most preachers but NOT of the Word. Postmodernism suggests that if Jesus lived in our culture He would have seen the need of musical and rhetorical performers.

SPEAKING IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE EKKLESIA, SYNAGOGUE OR CHURCH must be stripped of everything human talent can bring.  The works of human hands suddenly become the MEANS of worshiping God: waving, pointing, clapping, picking and grinning.

Logos, verbal noun of lego
        Opposite kata pathos [your experiences are filthy rags]
        Opposite music, poetry or rhetoric
        Opposite human reasoning
        Opposite Epagoge bringint in to one's aid, introduction
                Alurement, enticement, incantation, spell

Opposite Pathos  A. that which happens to a person or thing, incident, accident,
where this incident took place, unfortunate accident,
2. what one has experienced, good or bad, experience
II. of the soul, emotion, passion (“legō de pathē . . holōs hois hepetai hēdonē ē lupē” Arist.EN1105b21), “sophiē psukhēn pathōn aphaireitai”

Aristot. Nic. Eth. 1105b.20 A state of the soul is either （l） an emotion, （2） a capacity, or （3） a disposition; virtue therefore must be one of these three things. [2] By the emotions, I mean desire, anger, fear, confidence, envy, joy, friendship, hatred, longing, jealousy, pity; and generally those states of consciousness which are accompanied by pleasure or pain.

[3] Now the virtues and vices are not emotions because we are not pronounced good or bad according to our emotions, but we are according to our virtues and vices; nor are we either praised or blamed for our emotions—a man is not praised for being frightened or angry, nor is he blamed for being angry merely, but for being angry in a certain way—

Sophia, A. cleverness or skill in handicraft and art in music and singing, tekhnē kai s. h.Merc.483, cf. 511; in poetry, Sol.13.52, Pi.O.1.117, Ar.Ra.882, X.An.1.2.8,
in divination, S.OT 502

Opposite Poiein to excite passion, Arist.Rh.1418a12; V. Rhet., emotional style or treatment, to sphodron kai enthousiastikon p. Longin.8.1; “pathos poiein” Arist. Rh.1418a12; “

Poiein something you create: works of art, bring into existence, schemes, of poets, compose, write,4. after Hom., of Poets, compose, write, p. dithurambon, epea, Hdt.1.23, 4.14; “p. theogoniēn Hellēsi” Id.2.53; p. Phaidran, Saturous, Ar.Th.153, 157; p. kōmōdian, tragōdian, etc., Pl.Smp.223d; “palinōdian” Isoc.10.64, Pl.Phdr.243b, etc.;
b. represent in poetry, c. describe in verse, “theon en epesin” Pl.R.379a; epoiēsa muthous tous Aisōpou put them into verse, Id.Phd. 61b; “muthon” Lycurg.100.

The BEAST in Revelation is not a literal animal which you can resist:

Thērion , to/ (in form Dim. of thēr),  Trag. only in Satyric drama,
III. as a term of reproach, beast, creature,
mousikē aei ti kainon thērion tiktei” Meaning A New Style of Music or Drama
 
CONTRARY TO ALMOST ALL CHURCH MUSIC AND RHETORIC

Opposite Enthousi-astikos , ē, on,

A. inspired, “phusis” Pl.Ti.71e; esp. by music,

This is what must be sacrificed or "burned up" before we can worship IN SPIRIT (reasonable)and in truth.  Romans 12.

Arist.Pol.1340a11; “hē e. sophia” divination, Plu.Sol.12; “e. ekstasis” Iamb.Myst.3.8; “to e.” excitement, Pl.Phdr. 263d: Sup. -ōtatos Sch.Iamb.Protr.p.129 P. Adv. “-kōs, diatithenai tina” Plu.2.433c: Comp. “-ōteron” Marin.Procl.6.

II. Act., inspiring, exciting, of certain kinds of music, Arist.Pol.1341b34; “nosēmata manika kai e.” Id.Pr.954a36: Comp. “-ōtera, akousmata” Pl.Ep. 314a.

Rick Atchley:  Since graduating from Abilene (Texas) Christian University, Atchley has been in the preaching ministry for 33 years and has served The Hills for the past 22 years. He has written several books, including Together Again, a call to a restoration of unity within our unity movement which he coauthored with Bob Russell.

As proven by Alexander Campbell, Churches of Christ are not a denomination.  There is nothing to unite in the institutional sense.  That is why Alexander mocked the "handshake" in 1832 understanding that "restoration" mandated by the Spirit OF Christ and all aspects of Messiah's Rest is defined in the Prophets:

Isa 58:12 And they that shall be of thee shall build [aedificabuntur] the old waste places:
        thou shalt raise up the foundations [fundāmentum]  of many generations;
        and thou shalt be called,
                The repairer of the breach,
                The restorer [aedificator] of paths to dwell in.  [Rest]

Aedĭfĭco ,
1 Thessalonians 5.11 Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do.
altĕr-ŭter , I. One of two, the one or the other, either, no matter which

Fundāmentum , a foundation, ground-work, basis
“disciplina nixa fundamento veritatis,”

Paths: sēmĭta , the narrow way, of a way of life, course of conduct, etc.: “justitiae,” Vulg. Prov. 2, 8: “justorum,”

Sabbath does not mean Saturday but: intermission: Work outlaws "sending out ministers of God."

A primitive root; to repose, that is, desist from exertion; used in many implied relations (causatively, figuratively or specifically): (cause to, let, make to) cease, celebrate, cause (make) to fail, keep (sabbath), suffer to be lacking, leave, put away (down), (make to) rest, rid, still, take away.

The Greek Pauo means STOP the speaking, singing, playing and other activities defined as the laded burdens (forms of songs)

Dwell in: quĭes , I.  Lit., rest, repose, cessation from labor, from cares,
1.  A quiet life, a keeping still, neutrality between political parties:
“quietem capere,” to take repose, id. B. G. 6, 27:

Don't eat up the homes of widows: Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites in Ezekiel 33 speakers, singers instrument players.  Stealing the church family so you can do "theater for holy entertainment."

căpĭo  A. In gen., to take in hand, take hold of, lay hold of, take, seize, grasp,
to take up arms, i. e. engage in war or battle “cepit manibus tympanum,” Cat. 6, 3, 8:
captivus, a prisoner, captive:  b. To win, captivate, charm, allure, enchain, enslave, fascinate. Steal one's inheritance h2490 Chalal "play the flute, steal one's inheritance, pollute, prostitute.

“carmine formosae, pretio capiuntur avarae,
carmena tune, song, air, lay, strain, note, sound, both vocal and instrumental
Apollinem [Abaddon, Apollyon] concordant carmina nervis,”5. A magic formula, an incantation:

“dulcedine vocis,” Ov. M. 1, 709; [Pan the god was captivated by the reed or panpipe]

Cic. Deiot. 13.38 He, considering these things, and reflecting on them day and night, is so far from feeling resentment against you, (for he would not only be ungrateful, but even mad to do so,) that he attributes the whole of the tranquillity and quiet of his old age which he enjoys to your clemency.

fundāmentum futuri oratoris,” id. ib. 1, 4, 5; ground work, basis,
“narratio est quaedam quasi sedes et fundamentum constituendae fidei,”
“disciplina nixa fundamento veritatis, 

Jesus Christ died to give us Another Rest Day: no one worshipped on the REST day: they RESTED.

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath,
        from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight,
        the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him,
        not doing thine own ways,
        nor finding thine own pleasure,
        nor speaking thine own words:

For if Jesus had given them rest,
..........then would he not afterward have spoken of another day. Heb 4:8

The hard bondage as the Servicie of the Levites.

Organon , to, ( [ergon, erdô] ) I. an implement, instrument, engine of any kind (mostly post-Aug.), Col. 3, 13, 12.--Of military or architectonic engines )

Ergon  [Ergô] I.work, 1. in Il. mostly of deeds of war, polemê ïaerga, 3.a hard piece of work, a hard task, Il.: also, a shocking deed or act,
Polemeios: warlike, aoida war-note, of the trumpet, B.17.4
aoid-ê  5. = eppsdê, spell, incantation

A. instrument, implement, tool, for making or doing a thing
3.musical instrument,

Pauo
1. to make to cease or desist
2. to restrain a thing or person from something
3. to cease, to leave off
4. have got release from sin
1. no longer stirred by its incitements and seductions

The rest Jesus came to give us is:

Anapauo (g373) an-up-ow'-o; from 303 and 3973; (reflex.) to repose (lit. or fig. [be exempt], remain); by impl. to refresh: - take ease, refresh, (give, take) rest.

Ana: each ad every one must STOP it all. Jesus invites us to come "learn of me." You simply cannot be a Christian or a baptized believer and engage in ritualistic worship in the presence of God in Christ.

It is important that the rest has connections to STOPPING the arosal of anxiety through ANY ceremony which is peddled as having a spiritual effect over God or mankind!

pauô, bring to an end, stop or silence by death, take one's rest, cease, have done, of one singing or speaking.

Pauo means stop the polemos or battle, fight, war: stop levying war against another, anaireisthai or airô egeirein, kathistanai, epagein to begin a war; p. poieisthai to make war, -- opp. to p. anapauein, kataluesthai to put an end to it, make peace, all in attic

The singing which is to PAUSE to give rest is b. mostly of things, make an end of, stop, abate

Pauo means: STOP the: melôid-ia , hê, singing, chanting,

II. chant, choral song, melôidias poiêtês, lullaby, generally, musis

Pauo means: Stop the pain of: aoidê [aeidô]

1. song, a singing, whether the art of song, Hom.; or the act of singing, song, Il.

2. the thing sung, a song, Hom., etc.

3. the subject of song, Od.

SEE WHY PERFORMANCE MUSIC WAS/IS CALLED HERESY--SELF PLEASURE

IS THAT TOO HARD TO UNDERSTAND: IT IS A MESSAGE FROM CHRIST?

The NACC has matched Rick Atchley as PRO INSTRUMENTALIST with Bob Russell as PRO INSTRUMENTALISTS so guess which side wins.

It is NOT a fact that at the time the Reformed Baptists and Alexander Campbell held any Biblical doctrine in common with the Disciples of Christ-Christians.  It is a twisting of history for evil purposes that the NACC and a few always-instrumental preachers getting paid by a Church of Christ claim that Churches of Christ caused a sectarian division by leaving the Disciples of Christ.

THERE WAS NEVER ANY UNITY BETWEEN THE CHRISTIANS AND REFORMED BAPTISTS
1831 DISCUSSION OF UNITY

http://www.piney.com/Barton.W.Stone.Alexander.Campbell.Union.html

This is the "pre fabled union" in 1831: the denial of any kind of "union" in the Lunenburg quote was in 1837. Without passing judgment one way or another, the Reformers saw the Christians as just another denomination, and saw Barton W. Stone bent on forming a NEW INCLUSIVE denomination. Garrison proposed to include ALL OF CHRISTENDOM. That is why the Disciples have reached a dead end.  Theologians have a problem recognizing irony by Campbell or Paul

For our part, we might be honored much by a union formal and public,
        with a society so large and so respectable as the Christian denomination;
        but if our union with them, though so advantageous to us,
        would merge "the ancient gospel and ancient order of things"
        in the long vexed question of simple anti-trinitarianism, anti-creedism, or anti-sectarianism,
        I should be ashamed of myself in the presence of him whose
       "well done, good and faithful servant," is worth the universe to me.
                We all could have had honorable alliances with honorable sectaries,
                many years since, had this been our object.

Does he mean a formal confederation of all preachers and people called "Christians," with all those whom he calls Reformed Baptists? (rather reforming, than reformed;) or (as he represents them as prefering for a sectarianwhat shall be the articles of confederation, and in what form shall they be ministered or adopted? Shall it be in one general convention of messengers from all the societies of "christians" and "disciples," or one general assembly of the whole aggregate of both people? Shall the articles of agreement be drawn up in writing like the articles of the "General Union" amongst the different sects of Baptists in Kentucky? purpose the name) disciples. If so,

We discover, or think we discover, a squinting at some sort of precedency or priority in the claims of the writer of the above article, which are perhaps only in appearance, and not in reality; but if in appearance only, he will prevent us or any reader from concluding unfavorably by explaining himself more in detail than he has done.
        He says, "The reformed Baptists have received the doctrine taught by us many years ago." "For nearly thirty years ago we taught," &c. &c. From what source or principle these sayings proceeded, we do not pronounce sentence; but if they are mere words of course, and he intended to plead nothing from them, we would suggest the propriety of qualifying them in such a way as to prevent mistake.

I am, as at present advised, far from thinking that the present advocates of reformation are only pleading, or at all pleading, for what was plead in Kentucky thirty years ago, after the dissolution of the Springfield Presbytery. If such be the conceptions of brother Stone, I am greatly mistaken. That he, with others, did at that time oppose authoritative creeds, and some articles in them as terms of communion, and some other abuses, we are not uninformed; but so did some others who set out with him.

Our eagle-eyed opponents plainly see the difference between the radical and differential attributes of this reformation, which they ignorantly call a deformation, and any other cause, however unpopular, plead in the land. 

"The Christians" in some places, nay, in many places, are quite respectable in the eyes of those who contemn "the disciples" as unfit for good society. And I think the amiable editor of the Christian Messenger himself told me last winter,
        that even he and some of his brethren were considered by the orthodox as degrading themselves because they associated with us most "unworthy disciples?' 

Indeed, it was no mean proof of his christian spirit to see him so condescending to persons of such low degree in the estimation of the noble christians of the land. His willingness to fraternize with us in despite of the odium theologicum attached to our ancient gospel, I must ever regard as an additional proof of his unfeigned regard to the authority of Jesus as Lord, and his love to all them who esteem the reproach of the Messiah greater riches than all the treasures of Egypt.

Historians should understand the difference between Mythological History and True History.
Among the Greeks it was widely taught that rhetoricians, poets and music must not be permitted to write about true history. It was ok to lie about history when entertaining (only) but never in the schools or called assemblies (ekklesia).

---

THE 1832 UNITY MEETING J.F.BURNETT Stone and the Disciples of Christ (Reformers then)

Morrill, in "History of the Christian Denomination," says: [6]

"The 'union' itself was consummated on New Year's day, 1832, in Hill Street Christian Church, at Lexington, Kentucky, where representatives of both parties pledged themselves 'to one another before God, to abandon all speculation, especially on the Trinity, and kindred subjects, and to be content with the plain declaration of Scripture on those subjects on which there had been so much worse than useless controversy.'

The plain meaning is that they found common ground to occupy, threw away their divisive teachings and opinions, and acted as one. The men who at Lexington pledged themselves there and then gave one another the hand of fellowship,

speaking for themselves, and the churches they came from,
but not for all the churches or the denominations in Kentucky or the United States.

There was no voting, and no attempt at formal union, but merely a 'flowing together' of those like-minded. In token of that union Elder John Smith, of the Disciples of Christ, and Elder John Rogers, of the Christians, 'were appointed evangelists by the churches' to promote that simple unsectarian Christian work, which was adhered to by thousands; and Stone took Elder J. T. Johnson, a Disciple, as co-editor of The Christian Messenger.

"This 'union' did not change the status of any name or church or minister or piece of property.

At a later time Campbell made some public invidious remarks about the Christians, and it began to be claimed that they had joined or united with the Disciples. John [7]  Rogers says on this point:

'No one ever thought (at the first) that the Reformers, so-called, had come over to us, or that we had gone over to them; that they were required to relinquish their opinions, or we ours.

We found ourselves contending for the same great principles, and we resolved to unite our energies to harmonize the church and save the world. Such are the simple facts in the case."

The Christian Messenger (1832) says:

"It is common for the Christians to say, the Reformers have joined us--and no less common is it for the Reformers to say, the Christians have joined us.

One will say, the Christians have given up all their former opinions of many doctrines, and have received ours;  another will say, the Reformers have relinquished their views on many points, and embraced ours. 

These things are doing mischief to the cause of Christian union, and well calculated to excite jealousy, and to give offense. They can do no good--in fact they are not true. We have met together on the Bible, being drawn together there by the cords of truth--we agreed to walk together according to this rule, and to be united by the spirit of truth.

Neither the Christians nor Reformers professed to give up any sentiments or opinions previous to our union, nor were any required to be given up in order to effect it. We all determined to learn of Jesus, and to speak and do whatsoever He says to us in His Word. We all profess to be [8]  called Christians, being the followers and disciples of Jesus."

The Campbells and most people at that time defined church as a Society for study of the Word:

1. Church as defined by Christ in the wilderness and as Ekklesia or Synagogue was A School of Christ.
2. Worship was reading and musing the Word as is clearly defined by Paul, Peter and the pre-Constantine periood were singing as an ACT was imposed in c 373 and split the west church from the east.

Any additions would, as definitons demand, mark the imposers as heretics or sectarians.

---

1834  In The Christian Messenger for November, 1834, is quoted an article from the Millennial Harbinger (Campbell's paper) as follows:

"Or does he (Stone) think that one or two individuals, of and for themselves, should propose and effect a formal union among the hundred of congregations scattered over this continent, called Christians or Disciples, without calling upon the different congregations to express an opinion or a wish upon the subject?

We discover, or think we discover, a squinting at [14]  some sort of precedency or priority in the claims of the writer of the above article," etc.

It is well known that Mr. Campbell insisted upon immersion before believers were received into fellowship, to which Stone answered:

"We cannot, with our present views, unite on the opinions that unimmersed persons cannot receive remission of sins."

And though later on he came to believe in immersion in water for the remission of sins, there is no evidence that he ever made it a test of fellowship, without which he could not have been a member of the Disciples of Christ.

---

1837 Jenning, Walter W., Origin and Early History of the Disciples of Christ, p. 196, Standard proves that deserting to the Reformers is NOT a unity movement.

Although union was not so easily brought about elsewhere as in Kentucky, thousands of ''Christians" did join the Reformers. After referring to the union effected by Stone in Jacksonville, M. T. Morrill, the leading historian of the Christian Connection, made the following admission:

"Then followed a wave of ' Campbellism ' that swept the Christians off their feet, and aggregated about eight thousand accessions to the Disciples. No Christian churches long survived in Tennessee, their cause was ruined in Kentucky and never has regained its former strength or prestige. Of the Southern Ohio Christians a majority of the preachers embraced Campbeism prior to 1837, and only about one thousand church members remained. A man named C. A. Eastman, traveling through Indiana about 1846, reported that, 'In many places they [the Christians] have amalgamated with the Disciples, and are known only as the same people.' Several years later it was reported that on Stone's account conferences of the Christians had been dissolved and churches disbanded, and the people had become amalgamated with the Disciples."

The Statement: "The Stone-Campbell Movement" is a big fat lie. Before the forced introduction of the organ (only the organ, we promise) it would be possible to attend most of the groups on the frontier. H. Leo Boles said that such fraternal gatherings were possible until the Disciples got enmeshed with the Millerites and decided that THEY had to organize and go to Jerusalem and SAVE all of the Jews. 

THE BIG SPLIT OCCURRED WITHIN THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST WHILE THE CAMPBELLS WERE REFORMED BAPTISTS.  They  never in recorded history conceived of instruments or "machines for doing hard work" as being ethically having anything to do with the Assembly of Christ. Furthermore, the older ministers understood that instruments were always connected with people telling God that they would not listen to His Word.  Jesus identifies the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites: in the Ezekiel 33 version by Christ He names speakers, singers and instrument players. The MEANING was that they would not pay any attention to God. No one can dispute that preachers who make up their own text and singers who sing their own songs and instrumentalists historically known to "make the lambs dumb before the slaugher" are telling Christ in the Prophets and Apostles as the commanded teaching resource are SHUTTING the mouth of the victim. That is why musical religions was called "sacred violence."

William J. Nottingham Global Ministries. "My point here is that the first missionary society was the product of a long and intense process which generated considerable soul-searching. There were shared biblical principles and at the same time fundamental differences in theological opinion. Disagreement grew       concerning congregational ecclesiology,       commonality in mission with other Christians,       and also perhaps communion of the Holy Spirit. This tension would eventuate in separate bodies and institutions of the 20th and 21st centuries.  [Disciples and NACC] A full appreciation is probably hidden from us in the distance from ante-bellum times. But the nature of the Bible's authority,       the relatively new idea of the autonomy of the local congregation,       and the centrality of millennialist eschatology for these men and women, with men doing most of the writing which is left to us, seem to me to be mysteries that can only be observed from different angles and rarely entered into existentially by later generations like our own. This is evidenced in the decisions concerning missionaries growing out of this fervor leading up to the Cincinnati convention: Dr. and Mrs. James T. Barclay were the first. It was in their parlor in Washington, D.C., 1843, that the congregation had been organized which became the Vermont Avenue Church and in 1930 the National City Christian Church. They went to Jerusalem, not because of Acts 1:8 "beginning with Jerusalem" as a popular Disciples legend has it, but because it was taken for granted by Alexander Campbell and his followers that the Jews were to be converted before the return of Christ. That was a false assumption: the Millenial Harbinger's major thrust was not to SUPPORT Millerism but to defeat it.  Campbell denies that Jesus will return to Canaan.  Because the Church of Christ did not believe in William E. Miller [Ellen G. White].  You will notice that it was the Disciples who were tilted by Miller. The title of Campbell's journal proclaimed clearly the eschatology of the pre-Civil War spirituality, so neglected in our denominational memory by scholars and theologians since then. Notice that Campbell spoke of THE PROTESTANT THEORY: not his because he speaks where the Bible speaks and insists on a NEW HEAVEN and a NEW EARTH and that you could not convert people after the literal earth was burned up. In the Millennial Harbinger of 1841,        we read in what is called The Protestant Theory:       "The Millennium, so far as the triumphs of Christianity is concerned, will be a state of greatly enlarged and continuous prosperity, in which the Lord will be exalted and his divine spirit enjoyed in an unprecedented measure. All the conditions of society will be vastly improved; wars shall cease, and peace and good will among men will generally abound. The Jews will be converted, and the fullness of the Gentiles will be brought into the kingdom of the Messiah." The founding of the American Christian Missionary Society cannot be separated from the millennialist eschatology of the period See Alexander Campbell on the Second Coming to prove that you never believe "the doctors of the Law."  This takes careful reading to grasp that Campbell REPUDIATES any speculation. The Disciples followed the Millerites: not Campbell. nor from the pragmatism which required a foreign dimension to keep pace with other denominations or to outgrow them! D.S. Burnet's book The Jerusalem Mission and Dr. Barclay's book The City of the Great King make this clear, along with speeches and articles by various leaders like Isaac Errett. Barclay wrote in a journal The Christian Age: "The ACMS...resolved...      to make the first offer of salvation to Israel. . .      for the salvation of the Jews...      for upon the conversion and resumption of Israel ....rested the possibility of the return of Jesus.

What’s your history in the Restoration Movement?

Rick Atchley: My family was not from a particularly Christian background, but I had a grandmother who had a stubborn old faith. She’s the reason my father eventually came into the church. As long as I knew, she attended an a cappella church, but shortly before her death I found out her family had attended a church of Christ where they played the piano. When the preacher left they hired a new preacher who preferred not to use a piano, so they stopped using it and that’s how I ended up in the a cappella wing!

If they STOPPED using the piano it is not likely that he risked his job because he PREFERRED a cappella.  Congregational singing was the WING of most groups prior to the Civil war.  Therefore, it was NOT a wing of the Christian Church which did not begin to begin until 1927 as the NACC.

It is part of Rick Atchley's scholarly PERSUASION arts which intends to DISSOCIATE people by making them believe that "NO ONE BELIEVES THAT USING MACHINES IS A SIN."  That makes you fearful of saying that Genesis to Revelation says that instruments ARE the MARK of people who refuse to let Jesus do the talking.

Rick Atchley: So many of the battle lines drawn in the past have less to do with serious scriptural study and more to do with who trained you and what church you grew up in.

Wouldn't it be lovely to match Rick Atchley with an Alexander Campbell. This is another TRICK (sophistry) of persuasion saying that NO ONE WHO REJECTS INSTRUMENTS HAD DONE ANY SERIOUS BIBLE STUDY.

Those who IMPOSE something not required to be School of the Prophets and Apostles as the ONLY way to glorify or praise God in Christ are by definition called HERETICS of SECTARIANS.  A heretic in Romans 15 is one who creates SELF-pleasure or "creating mental excitement" which declares war with "using one mind and one mouth to speak that which is written for our LEARNING."  A "heretic" in Rick Atchley's PATTERNISM was the priest who "lifted up the lamb to cut its throat" while the PARASITE created the "laded burden" to take all of the fight out of the innocent lambs.  The only battle line drawn by Churches of Christ began shortly before the birth of the NACC.  The Christian Standard had helped send an evangelist to Tennessee pledged to 'Take Tennessee for the Society and organ party within ten years."

The Church of Christ has existed and recorded in all periods of history: they were too Bible literate to ever think about making instrumental noise when the CLAIM that they are assembling to Teach what Jesus commanded or to be APOSTOLIC.  CHURCHES of Christ have never BATTLED or drawn lines: everyone could and did attend the local "School of Christ" without being deliberately offended by people who thought that what THEY had to say or sing was more important than obeying the command to the elders to "teach that which has been taught." The only battles happens when people lie, cheat and steal the church houses of widows and working people to, as they boast, turn it into A THEATER FOR HOLY ENTERTAINMENT.  Atchley says that you could always hear the youth group JUST ROCKING.

The Battle lines over music happened because of musical idolatry at Mount Sinai.  The Jacob-cursed and God-abandoned Levites executed 3000 of the "brethren" because of this idolatry.  The Spirit OF Christ made it a death offense for any godly person who came near any of the sacrificial system. The Godly people were quarantined to their idolated towns and most never went to Jerusalem.  These isolated towns attended the Qahal, synagogue, ekklesia or Church of Christ in the Wilderness.  Consistent with the teachings of the Campbells (not the Stoneites) they assembled only to hear the Word of God READ by a leader of the isolated unit. God OUTLAWED vocal or instrumental rejoicing.

At Mount Sinai after the nation refused to hear the voice of God and demanded a human mediator, they immediately fell into musical idolatry of the Egyptian (etal) trinity.  The Levites volunteered to slaughter 3,000 of the offenders so it is no surprise that the "eagles" use the Levites as their authority for "worship leaders." In fact, they have lost all options.

Luke 16:29 Abraham saith unto him,
        They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
Luke 16:30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham:
        but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
Luke 16:31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets,
        neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

Moses promised another "prophet" like him as our last warning:

1Corinthians 10:6 Now these things were our EXAMPLES (pattern],
         to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
1Corinthians 10:7 Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as it is written,
        The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

Paizō

4. play on a musical instrument, h.Ap.206: c. acc., “Pan ho kalamophthogga paizōn” Ar.Ra.230; dance and sing, Pi. O.1.16.

5. play amorously, “pros allēlous”
"The triumphal hymn of Moses had unquestionably a religious character about it; but the employment of music in religious services, though idolatrous, is more distinctly marked in the festivities which attended the erection of the golden calf." (Smith's Bible Dictionary, Music, p. 589).

Rick Atchley uses as PATTERNISM the Goat Burning of Hezekiah's plague-stopping exorcism but he missed that the actual sounding was clearly by THE COMMAND OF DAVID the King.  So here is the problem.

1. Rick Atchley gets authority to deliberately sow discord for his own agenda by saying that God "commanded instrumental praise" and included the intimidation that "we had better not disobey."
   
2. His proof text proves that DAVID commanded the military Levites and not God. Christ in the prophets says that God did not command sacrifices or burnt offerings.
   
3. In Jeremiah 23 the Spirit OF Christ says that is DESPISING the Word of God which is blasphemy.
   
4. As there was no redemption for the musical idolatry at Mount Sinai, there can be no redemption for blaspheming The Holy Spirit of Christ.
   

Using one statement in 2 Chronicles 29 and the Temple dedication ritual with 120 ram's horns all blowing "one note" as God speaking to and through them:

1. David Faust  was sent to the once-Christian Colleges flying the "unity" flag but prepared with a "white paper" promoting unity by causing peaceable churches of Christ to sow discord and add instruments SO THAT we can be friends.

I . In the Old Testament the Lord didn't merely "permit" the use of musical instruments as aids to worship.
                He commanded their use.
2. In the old Testament the Lord didn't merely "permit' the use of musical instruments as aids to worship.
                He blessed their use.

3. Christ in the Prophets said of the lying pen of the Scribes (rhetoricians, singers, instrument players) Jesus called hypocrites:  Click for Jeremiah 7 and why Disciples never try to do a legalistic end run around the Word of God.

Jeremiah 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying,
        The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, 
        The temple of the Lord, are these. 

Jeremiah 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying,
        The temple of the Lord, The temple of the Lord, 
        The temple of the Lord, are these. 

Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel;
       Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices, and eat flesh. Jeremiah 7:21

     > For I spake NOT unto your fathers, nor  commanded them
             in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt,
             concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices: Jeremiah 7:22
     > But this thing commanded I them, saying,
            Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: (CENI)
            and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, (CENI)
            that it may be well unto you. Jeremiah 7:23

Jer 23:17 They say still unto them that despise me,
        The Lord hath said, Ye shall have peace;
        and they say unto every one that walketh
        after the imagination of his own heart,
        No evil shall come upon you.  "You can SOW discord and steal from the owners"

    Despise tthe Word of God of God and using your own words is:

Blasphēm-eō , pf.

A. “beblasphēmēka” D.18.10:—speak profanely of sacred things, “eis theous” Pl.R.381e; offer rash prayers, Id.Alc.2.149c; b. kata tinos utter imprecations against, Aeschin.1.180.

2. speak ill or to the prejudice of one , slander, “peri tēs emēs diatribēs” Isoc.15.2, cf. D.l.c., ib.82; “b. kata tinos” Isoc.12.65, cf. Arist.Fr.44; “hosa eis hēmas eblasphēmēsan” D.51.3; “b. tina” Babr.71.6, Ev.Luc.23.39, etc.: abs., Phld.Lib.p.8 O.:—Pass., to have evil spoken of one, “beblasphēmēmenous” Id.Vit.p.12 J., cf. 1 Ep.Cor.10.30.

3. speak impiously or irreverently of God, blaspheme, “eis ton Kurion” LXX Da.3.29(96); “eis to pneuma to hagion” Ev.Marc.3.29; eis ta theia Vett. Val.58.12; “tous theous” Id.67.20: abs., LXX 2 Ma.10.34, al., Ev.Matt.9.3.

4. Therefore, David Faust is defined by the Spirit OF Christ as blaspheming.

Would The Hills be considered an a cappella church of Christ or would you simply say it’s a Restoration Movement church?

Rick Atchley: The second. We call ourselves a “both/and” church, instead of “either/or.” You’ll see on our website we offer two worship options, but most of our services NOW use instrumental music. We also have one satellite campus that is completely instrumental and we’ll launch another campus this summer that will be completely instrumental.

John Calvin called for a Restoration of the Church of Christ. This meant removing all of the superstitions which had been added over the years.  Restoration meant to restore the BIBLE as the authority for faith and practice.  That excluded the use of the Instrument which the Catholics say was added because it was "common to all pagan cults."  The Stoneites did not call for any RESTORATION but rather that UNITY was the only requirement which excluded teaching doctrine: that which Jesus commanded to be taught. We quoted Campbell above to say:

Our eagle-eyed opponents plainly see the difference between the radical and differential attributes of this reformation, which they ignorantly call a deformation, and any other cause, however unpopular, plead in the land. 

"The Christians" in some places, nay, in many places, are quite respectable in the eyes of those who contemn "the disciples" as unfit for good society. And I think the amiable editor of the Christian Messenger himself told me last winter,
        that even he and some of his brethren were considered by the orthodox as degrading themselves because they associated with us most "unworthy disciples?' 

All of those attacking Churches of Christ despise and repudiate the very concept of RESTORATIONISM. Therefore, Rick Atchely rejects the CENI and uses God's radical repudiation of the Levites by turning them over to worship the starry host as the CENI to impose this instrumental soothsaying or exorcism into the School of the Word.

The half of Rick's congregation fled the property they paid for and the friends and family they were forced into conflict with by the presumptious pattern.  It seems logical that after a period of time ALL of the owners were forced to flee.  The BOTH/AND wackoism SOWED DISCORD among those who knew that instrumental noise was not part of their Bible WORD.  Therefore, those who did not accept the invitation to "get over it or get out" were not both/and but were convinced by the long list of false "proof texts" that it was ACCEPTABLE to sow discord and take over other people's property and push them out in the cold.

The PATTERN of the Purpose Driven is to collect the resources of a faithful Church of Christ and then OUT the hidden agenda to reject the Words of Christ for the Words and music of a Levitical Warrior Class. That INVESTMENT in the few cases was intentionally collected intending to establish INSTRUMENTAL institutions.  One doubts that the godly people of the Christian Church agree with this and probably do not know about it.

Both/and sounds a bit like the STRONG DELUSIONS God loves to send on people who despise His Word. A church is an ekklesia-synagogue: both in the Greek civil sense and therefore the Christian assembly WORSHIP is defined solely in terms of "giving attendance to the reading of the Word of Christ."  History note the obscenity of bringing any kind of rhetoric or music into the assemblies.  Neither in the civil or religious sense did any LEADER have the authority to decide what would be discussed to the point of a "syllogism" or bringing the thoughts of everyone to agree on the text IMPOSED by a higher authority. A Church of Christ is defined from the wilderness, by the practices of Jesus, by His command for the synagogue-assembly, by the epistles EXCLUSION of anything which would hinder the INCLUSIVE role of "using one mind and one mouth to teach that which is written for our LEARNING."  A Bible Student would understand that that all of the hypocritic or performing arts and crafts are EXCLUDED specifically.  The problem with strong delusions is that people are, as after the instrumental idolatry at Mount Sinai, made blind and deaf and they cannot even define words or quote a passage in context.

It sounds like your affiliation isn’t really defined by music.

Rick Atchley: Our sense of network and fellowship is more with the a cappella churches than the Christian churches. Our staff went to colleges founded by the a cappella churches, and the great majority of our church members with a Restoration background were members of a cappella churches. That’s really the pond we swim in, but we are quick to acknowledge our kinship with Christian churches.

And they were all trained where the Church of Christ influence has been displaced by denominational theologians most with a few bitter words for anything Churches of Christ have taught for these 2,000 years.

The Christian churches had their roots through OKelly to the Methodists-Anglicans-Catholics. Churches of Christ continued the CALL and practice of John Calvin who proposed a Restoration of the Church of Christ.  The Stoneite Restoration roots denied the atonement, denied that baptism was necessary, made the name of "Christian church" a test of any union, and adopted the practices of the Shouting Methodists as an ACT of liturgy as a spill over form Cane Ridge.  The Disciples were premillenniel and followed Miller in organizing a society to go to Jerusalem to save all of the Jews to ENABLE the return of Jesus. They insisted on a denominational organizational structure: Alexander Campbell denied the possibility because he claimed that Stone's pattern would demand a written creed.  The Christian Churches claim ownership of using "tradition or church councils, personal preferences and the Law of Silence as ways the Scriptures teach.  The NACC in part rejected in 1927 what Churches of Christ had NEVER united with. 

See the Disciples Pattern still defended by Rick Atchley insisting that where Christ was not foresighted enough to understand OUR culture then HE has the sole authority to use his boasted of "Persuasion" to strong-arm everyone else into submitting.

How did you make the transition to worship services with instrumental music?

You have to be under strong delusions to speak of Worship Services with any kind of music. All of Scripture and the Campbell's view of restoration was informed by the Spirit OF Christ in the Prophets and His making these prophecies more certain to the Apostles.

The Kingdom does not come with Religious observations. Who said that? Jesus said that even for the Church in the wilderness

Again, Christ in the wilderness defined the Church as a set-time-place to READ the Word of God and discuss it: even the Lord's Supper is a teaching or educating event.  Anything performed a religious observation or ritual is a sign of a DEAD BODY: that's when the ministry team will pick your bones and pick the purse of the widows.Latin:

Lk 17:20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

Observātiō ōnis, observo, a watching, observance, investigation: observationes animadvertebant, your searches for evidence: siderum.— Circumspection, care, exactness: summa in bello movendo.

Religious observations are carefully crafted to take control of all of one's attention. That is the worship concept with is to be directed only to God.

Tendo: In the pagan religions they gave lots of attention to tuning or playing their musical  instruments: cornu,” “barbiton,” to tune, “tympana tenta tonant palmis, stretching out their bow strings. To shoot, to hurl.
(b). To exert one's self, to strive, endeavor (mostly poet.
b. n partic., to exert one's self in opposition, to strive, try, endeavor, contend   “adversus, etc.,” id. 34, 34, 1: “contra,
Lucr. 6, 1195: “tormento citharāque tensior,” [Tendo]
2. In partic.: “nervum tendere, in mal. part.,” Auct. Priap. 70; cf. Mart. 11, 60, 3.—Hence, tentus, a lecherous man,

ēlŏquĭum , ii, n. id..

I. In Aug. poets, and their imitators among prose writers, for eloquentia, eloquence, * Hor. A. P. 217; * Verg. A. 11, 383; Ov. Tr. 1, 9, 46; id. M. 13, 63; 322 al.; Vell. 2, 68, 1; Plin. 11, 17, 18, § 55.—

II. In late Lat., declaration, communication in gen., Diom. p. 413 P.; Mamert. Pan. Maxim. 9: “eloquia pulchritudinis,” fine words, Vulg. Gen. 49, 21; id. Prov. 4, 20 al.

Lucr. 6.1195  Signs of death from lack of water:
The heralds of old death. And in those months
Was given many another sign of death:
The intellect of mind by sorrow and dread
Deranged, the sad brow, the countenance
Fierce and delirious, the tormented ears
Beset with ringings, the breath quick and short

Chorda II. Catgut, a string (of a musical instrument),
B. A rope, cord, for binding a slave : “tunc tibi actutum chorda tenditur,” Plaut. Most. 3, 2, 55

TRANIO
I will inform you. My master has arrived from abroad.

SIMO
In that case, the cord will be stretched for you; thence to the place where iron fetters clink; after that, straight to the cross.

Ringing: Cĭthăra , ae, f., = kithara, I. the cithara, cithern, guitar, or lute.
II. Meton., the music of the cithara, or, in gen., of a stringed instrument, the art of playing on the cithara

THE CHRISTIAN ANTITHESIS:

1Timothy 4:13 Till I come, give attendance [adtende] to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.

1Timothy 4:14 Neglect not the gift that is in thee,
        which was given thee by prophecy, [teaching]
        with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.
1Timothy 4:15 Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them;
        that thy profiting may appear to all.

3191.  meletao, mel-et-ah´-o; from a presumed derivative of 3199; to take care of, i.e. (by implication) revolve in the mind: — imagine, (pre-)meditate.

Because never in recorded history did PSALLO relate in any sense to MUSICAL MELODY Paul intends that we SPEAK the Word of God and sing and meditate on the Word of God.

Melet-aō , “tauta meleta” 1 Ep.Ti.4.15; esp. practise speaking, con over a speech in one's mind, “logaria dustēna meletēsas” D.19.255; “apologian” Id.46.1; also, deliver, declaim (cf. 11.5 b), “logous”

Logos 2. generally, account, reckoning, mē phunai ton hapanta nika l. excel
Opposite. ek tēs epagōgēs
Opposite. muthos, as history to legend, Ti.26e; “poiein muthous all' ou logous”
Opposite. epilogos,
Opposite. prooimion,
Opposite. phōnē, Arist.Pol.1253a14;
prose, Opposite. poiēsis,
Opposite. emmetra, ib.1450b15 (

l. pezoi, Opposite. poiētikē, D.H.Comp.6; Opposite. poiēmata, ib.15; “koina kai poiēmatōn kai logōn”

1Timothy 4:16 Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

lectĭo , ōnis, f. lego. I.  A gathering, collecting.
II. A reading, perusal; a reading out, reading aloud.
B. Transf. (abstr. pro contr.), that which is read, reading, text (post-class.)
“juris lectiones,” passages of the laws,

Rick Atchley: Moving from only a cappella to instrumental music is a pretty huge learning curve. There are a lot of issues involving sound, acoustics, staging, and wiring, and I’m thankful we had competent people who could handle those issues without needing a lot of input from me. Because we were a fairly large church, we had a talent pool of musicians who were already here. For the most part, we have been able to supply the musicians necessary for our services from our own members.

John uses the Greek TECHNE or craftsmen to define these skills: He calls them along with the musical performers SORCERERS.  Rick Atchley intends to use MECHANICAL means as PERSUASION and John and Christ (Isaiah 30) says that these will be CAST ALIVE INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE.

Must ye always rejoice, and go into my holy places continually, as they that keep a feast? and must ye go with a pipe, as those that rejoice into the mountain of the Lord, to the God of Israel Isaiah 30:29 LXX
Isa 30:30 And the Lord shall make his glorious voice to be hearrd
        and the wrath of his arm, to make a display with wrath and of anger and devouring flame:
        he shall lighten terribly, and his wrath shall be as water and bionent hail.
Isa 30:31 For by the voice of the Lord the Assyrians [in Jerusalem] shall be overcome,
        even by the stroke wherewtith he shall smit them.
Isa 3032 And is shall happen to him from every side,
        that they from whome their hope of assistance was,    
        in which he trusted, themselves shall war against him in turn with drums and with harp.
For thou shalt be required before thy time: has it been prepared for thee also to reign? nay, God has prepared for thee a deep trench, wood piled fire and much wood: the wrath of the Lord shall be as a trench kindled with sulphur. Isaiah 30:33 LXX

Sorry, but claiming that God in Christ NEEDS human talent is called presumptious LEGALISM: the Lucifer principle.  Didn't God say that He does not LIVE in houses built by human hands neither is He WORSHIPPED by the works of human hands. How is this theatrical MOVE ON which is defined as the worship of the Babylon Mother of Harlots (Rev 17) using lusted after fruits (same as in Amos) as speakers, singers, instrument players and craftsmen NOT a fulfilment of end-time prophecy.  Craftsmen specificially identify THEATER BUILDERS and STAGE MANAGERS.

2Thessalonians 2:1 Now we beseech you, brethren,
        by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
        and by our gathering together unto him,

Episunagōgēs had no praise service by direct command and minimal reverence.

As the antithesis of those who DO NOT want you to be saved:

2Thessalonians 2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled,
       neither by spirit, nor by word, [Logos contains no rhetoric, poetry, music]
        nor by letter as from us,
       as that the day of Christ is at hand.

Sal-euō , heartrending speech, waver, reel, cf. 12.31 (Phan.); huph' hēdonēs saleuomenē korōnē Sch.Arat.1009

hēdonē , Dor. hadona (or in Trag. chorus hēdona S.OT1339), hē, (hēdomai)
3. Pl., desires after pleasure, pleasant lusts, X.Mem.1.2.23, Ep.Tit.3.3, al.
pros hē. legein to speak so as to please another, dēmēgoreō dēmēgoros  II.to make popular speeches, to speak rhetorically, use clap-trap

Aggelos , ho, hē, A.messenger, envoy
2. generally, one that announces or tells, e.g. of birds of augury, Il.24.292,296; Mousōn aggelos, of a poet, Thgn.769; “aggele earos . . khelidoi”= the twittering of the swallow was prov. used of barbarous tongues by the Greeks khelidonōn mouseia bowers that ring with poetasters' twitterings, ib.93 (parodied from aēdonōn mouseia

1Corinthians 13:1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,
and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. 

La^l-eō , Mark of the Locusts

II.  chatter, Opposite. articulate speech, as of locusts, chirp, Theoc.5.34; mesēmbrias lalein tettix (sc. eimi), a very grasshopper to chirp at midday, [LOCUSTS]

III.  of musical sounds, “aulō [flute] laleō” Theoc.20.29; of trees, v.supr.1.2; “di'aulou [flute] ē salpiggos l.”[trumpet] Arist. Aud.801a29; of Echo,  magadin lalein sound the magadis,  [double flute]

Bromious A.sounding, “phormigx” Pi.N.9.8; noisy, boisterous, whence, II. Bromios , ho, as a name of Bacchus, 2. Adj. Bromios, a, on, Bacchic, E.HF893 (lyr.), etc.; B. kharis, of the Dionysia, Ar.Nu.311:

phorm-igx  A.lyre, freq. in Hom., esp. as the instrument of Apollo, “phormiggos perikalleos hēn ekh' Apollōn” Il.1.603, cf. 24.63, Od.17.270, Hes.Sc.203

GOOD NEWS: GOD IS SMART ENOUGH TO USE DEDICATED WORDS IF HE WANTS TO LISTEN TO SINGING WITH INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT.
Anti-psallō , A.play a stringed instrument in accompaniment of song, “a. elegois phormigga” Ar.Av.218.

Pind. N. 9 For, mounting his chariot of victorious horses, he gives the word to sing for the mother and her twin children... and divine song is suited to boasting. But we will wake the shouting lyre and the flute in honor of the very pinnacle of horse-contests, which Adrastus established for Phoebus by the streams of the Asopus.

Mŏvĕo , I. To move, stir, set in motion; to shake, disturb, remove,
A. Lit.: “movit et ad certos nescia membra modos,” “ut festis matrona moveri jussa diebus,” to dance, Hor. A. P. 232: by dancing (gesticulating),  “et fila sonantia movit,” struck, Ov. M. 10, 89: “citharam cum voce,” id.“tympana,” id. H. 4, 48; to disturb: “novis Helicona cantibus,” Manil. Astron. 1, 4: “signum movere loco,” to move from the place,

Psallo never in recorded history spoke of "musical melody." Part of the lying wonders to MOVE you is the Greek

Modos
2. The measure of tones, measure, rhythm, melody, harmony, time; in poetry, measure, metre, mode: “vocum,” Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9: “musici,” Quint. 1, 10, 14: “lyrici,” Ov. H. 15, 6: “fidibus Latinis Thebanos aptare modos,” Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 12: Bacchico exsultas (i. e. exsultans) modo, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 214 P. (Trag. v. 152 Vahl.): “flebilibus modis concinere,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 106: saltare ad tibicinis modos, to the music or sound of the flute, Liv. 7, 2: “nectere canoris Eloquium vocale modis,” Juv. 7, 19.—Fig.: “verae numerosque modosque ediscere vitae,” m

Ov. Met. 10.89
Sumtime a boay beloved of the God that with a string
Dooth arme his bow, and with a string in tune his Violl bring.
For hallowed to the Nymphes that in the feeldes of Carthye were
There was a goodly myghty Stag whose homes such bredth did beare,
As that they shadowed all his head. His homes of gold did shyne,
And downe his brest hung from his necke, a cheyne with jewels fyne.
Amid his frunt with prettie strings a tablet beeing tyde,
Did waver as he went: and from his eares on eyther syde

MARK OF SATAN MOVING MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
movit et ad certos nescia membra modos,”

1 Certus purpose driven, resolved, deliberate, PREDESTINATED from old (Rev 18)
2 Nescĭus an unknown thing, a piece of ignorance unknowing, ignorant, unaware, not understanding, unable II. An epithet of all those objects whose existence or reality is fixed, determined (hence in connection with definitus, Quint. 7, 10, 7; “with praefinitus,” Suet. Galb. 14)

The wise or Sophists (speakers, singers, instrument players, actors) are also PREDESTINATED: Jesus said that God HIDES Himself from them.

Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries WERE all nations deceived.

3 Membrum includes:  A Member Of the Church of Christ: “singuli autem alter alterius membra,” Vulg. Rom. 12, 5; cf. “the context: membra sumus corporis ejus,” i. e. Christ's, id. Eph. 5, 30.
4 Mŏdus , Musical Melody: you have to cut the word Limb from Limb to make melody
2. The measure of tones, measure, rhythm, melody, harmony, time; in poetry, measure, metre, mode: “vocum,” Cic. Div. 2, 3, 9: “musici,” Quint. 1, 10, 14: “lyrici,” Ov. H. 15, 6: “fidibus Latinis Thebanos aptare modos,” Hor. Ep. 1, 3, 12: Bacchico exsultas (i. e. exsultans) modo, Enn. ap. Charis. p. 214 P. (Trag. v. 152 Vahl.): “flebilibus modis concinere,” Cic. Tusc. 1, 44, 106: saltare ad tibicinis modos, to the music or sound of the flute, Liv. 7, 2: “nectere canoris Eloquium vocale modis,” Juv. 7, 19.—Fig.: “verae numerosque modosque ediscere vitae,” moral harmonies,

Citharam  1.the cithara, cithern, guitar, or lute
II. Meton., the music of the cithara, or, in gen., of a stringed instrument, the art of playing on the cithara,
And Voice

Cantus , ūs, m. id., I.the production of melodious sound, a musical utterance or expression, either with voice or instrument; hence, song, singing, playing,
2. With instruments, a playing, music: “in nervorum vocumque cantibus,”
B. An incantation, charm, magic song, etc.: cantusque artesque magorum. Ov. M. 7, 195; 7, 201: “at cantu commotae Erebi de sedibus imis Umbrae ibant,” Verg. G. 4, 471: “magici,” Col. 10, 367: “Haemoniis agitare cantibus umbras,” Val. Fl. 6, 448:
 
2Th. 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,
        except there come a falling away first,
        and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;

Judas was the "familiar friend" in Psalm 41 who would try and fail to triumph over Jesus: that is "vocal or instrumental rejoicing" when the assembly is ONLY for reading and understanding the Word. The Judas bag (he was a thief) was always attached to the spotted flute case held by the Judas Son of Perdition or New Wineskinner.

2Th. 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God,
        or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
        shewing himself that he is God.
2Th. 2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?
2Th. 2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.

2Th. 2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work:
        only he who now letteth will let,
        until he be taken out of the way.

Did the design of your worship center make a difference?

Rick Atchley: Most a cappella churches are built for sound to bounce off the walls because you get that great audio sensation of the sound reverberating as you sing. When you start to have bands, that’s a sound you don’t want. So we’ve had to be quite creative in how to get our people to accommodate that reality. We’re planning to remodel our primary worship sanctuary to better accommodate both kinds of worship.

Again, God is not worshipped in WORSHIP CENTERS built by human hands nor is He worshipped by the WORKS (legalism) of human hands.  The command for everyone to be SILENT so that everyone can come to a knowledge of the truth PRECLUDES bouncing sounds or worship sisters off the wall. The demand that the women keep silent demands that the men have holy PALMS to lift as proof of reading from the Word. If they let the WRATH or orgy break out then NO ONE can learn the TRUTH: What IS truth?

NOTICE THAT RICK ATCHLEY IS DEFINING A THEATHER FOR HOLY ENTERTAINMENT:

ALL OF THE HYPOCRITIC ARTS AND CRAFTS INTEND TO REPLACE LEARNING AS COMMANDED.  

Beginning as the Church in the Wilderness the PURPOSE was MATHEMA or learning which is opposite to THEMA.  This is the LYING WONDERS

-The-ama , Ion. theêma , atos, to, ( [theaomai] ) A. sight, spectacle,   orchoit' eu, theam' ên Pl.Com.130 ; Opposite mathêma, Th.2.39; freq. of a sight which gives pleasure, theamata kai akroamata hêdista parecheis X.Smp.2.2 , cf. 7.5; orchêseis kai theamata the seven wonders of the world,

-X.Smp.2.1  When the tables had been removed and the guests had poured a libation and sung a hymn, there entered a man from Syracuse, to give them an evening's merriment. He had with him a fine flute-girl, a dancing-girl--one of those skilled in acrobatic tricks,--and a very handsome boy, who was expert at playing the cither and at dancing; the Syracusan made money by exhibiting their performances as a spectacle.

-Xenophon, Symposium  II. [2] They now played for the assemblage, the flute-girl on the flute, the boy on the cither; and it was agreed that both furnished capital amusement. Thereupon Socrates remarked: “On my word, Callias, you are giving us a perfect dinner; for not only have you set before us a feast that is above criticism, but you are also offering us very delightful sights and sounds.”

-Thauma , atos, to/, Ion. (cf. thaumazo;): (v. theaomai): 2. in pl., also, puppetshow, toy theatre, mechanical devices,

ALL INTENDING TO SILENCE THE WORDS OF CHRIST IN SONG AND SERMON AND STARVE PEOPLE TO DEATH.

Thema is OPPOSITE to Learning.

-Math-êma , atos, to, ( [mathein] ) A. that which is learnt, lesson 2. learning, knowledge
-Math-esis , , h(, (mathein) A. the act of learning, getting of knowledge

-Amath-ema es, (mathein) b. of moral defects, unfeeling, inhuman, “a. tis ei theos” E.HF347.
2. of things, a. parresia boorish freedom of speech, E.Or.905; a. rhōmē brute force, Id.Fr.732; “a. dunamis” Plu.Demetr.42; a. phronema barbarous pride, E.Heracl.459.

Is there importance or value to a cappella worship?

Rick Atchley:  The people who love a cappella worship would say they have a stronger sense of the priesthood of believers when they worship that way, because they have a stronger sense of actually hearing the other worshippers—theirs is a strong sense of community. With instrumental worship, you’re most conscious of your own voice or of the person with the mic on stage, so there is less of a sense of the community worshipping together. I’m not saying the community is not worshipping together, there’s just less of a sense of it.

First, A Cappella defines the Pope's Castrated Opra singers imported where instruments were not legal in the only official mass in the Sistine Chapel.  Chapel is derived form Caper which was a Goat.

While self-compositions are explicitely OUTLAWED for the ekklesia-synagogue, those who grew up before the present spawn of theologians replacing Bible Students sang CONGREGATIONALLY whereas a cappella defines a "worship team" which was Rick Atchley's first effort to be missional by driving away the owners. Bible students do not use "machines for doing hard work" because they understand that they are OUTLAWED and always the mark of the work of Lucifer called by Christ "the singing and harp playing prostitute in the garden of Eden."

To say that NOT using noise-making machines is just TRADITIONALISM is what we call lying.  If the modern hermeneuts do NOT know or need to know how to read the text and define words, they should not slander their ancestors as transmitting a virus more deadly than HIV.

Does an a cappella worship service have a different feel to it?

Rick Atchley:  People who love a cappella worship often say there is less of a sense of a concert atmosphere in a cappella praise. My people don’t say that in a pejorative way;
        if they had a problem with instrumental worship they wouldn’t be here.
        If you have a bias against a concert feel you might prefer a cappella worship.

The usual threat is "get over it or get out." The Purpose Driven Perfidity is that we can loose up to half of the owners: not to worry, we can attract enough music lovers so that the budget will not suffer. In Romans 14 Paul OUTLAWED doubtful disputations which means "your preference." When God speaks humans do not get a preference about music.  No human being would be so despised and rejected that if they cam to be our TEACHER when the elders teach that which has been taught they could be so deluded that they would give everyone a preference about music while the teacher is on the podium.

Does a cappella singing represent more than the worship itself?

Rick Atchley:  You would probably get a hundred answers depending on whom you ask. For some it’s a symbol of sound doctrine and faithfulness,

because they operate on the hermeneutic that if the Bible doesn’t specifically authorize it, it’s not legitimate. That group of churches of Christ is a minority.

This is part of Rick Atchley's PERSUASION skills which you need ONLY if you trying to FORCE FEED something you know will not go down if you "teach that which has been taught." The CLAIM that God has been SILENT is to set up the false premise which gives THEM the right to speak and sow discord.

Most Disciples of the Word understand that INSTRUMENTS are used as weapons of deceit from Lucifer whom Christ called "the singing and harp-pleaying prostitute" in the garden of Eden to the Babylon mother of harlots in Revelation 17.  Churches of Christ follow the pattern that  IF IT IS NOT REQUIRED and if it SOWS DISCORD then it is not authorized.  If it hinders "teaching that which has been taught" then it is excluded by common reverence.

To say that a thing is authorized needs a COMMAND.  On the contrary the Bible repudiates all of the hypocrites and hypocritic arts and crafts as a PRELUDE to "use one mind and one mouth to teach that which is written."  No one in recorded history prior to the Disciples in 1878 tried to AUTHORIZE or even COMMAND instruments based on the PSALLO word.  Therefore, in non-Catholic or Anglican background (Christians) the MAJORITY repudiated any of the theatricl arts as corrupting even in their social lives. In fact, at first almost all of the Disciples denied that instruments were authorized.

Rick Atchley can only speak for those groups which still invite him to speak.  However, that represents only a tiny fraction of churches which PRETEND to speak where the Bible speaks.  Rick Atchley falls into a fatal tar pit when he claims that Churches of Christ invented the idea of respecting the Words of God in Christ.  In fact, Rick Atchley CLAIMS that Hezekiah's Goat Burning with the instrumental noise commanded by DAVID has God speaking to HIM saying that it is okey dokey to sow discord by forcing God to SAY what God abandoned the Jews to do: that is what Christ calls BLASPHEMING the Holy Spirit of Christ.  In the Prophets (only) Christ radically condemned all of the Civil-Military-Clergy complex as robbers and parasites.  In fact a sacrificial instrument player in all sacrificial systems were called in the Greek PARASITES. Their instrumental noise called PROPHESYING really means that they were soothsayers often lumped with Sorcerers as in Revelation 18.

Commands, Examples, Necessary Inferences defined throughout the Bible and most historic scholarship excluding the present hermeneuts who do not need to read the Bible.

Job 36:9 Then he sheweth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.
Job 36:10 He openeth also their ear to discipline,
        and commandeth that they return from iniquity.
Job 36:11 If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity,
       and their years in pleasures.
Job 36:12 But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword,
       and they shall die without knowledge.
Job 36:13 But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath: they cry not when he bindeth them.

[13] simulatores et callidi provocant iram Dei neque clamabunt cum vincti fuerint

sĭmŭlātĭo , ōnis, f. simulo, II., I. a falsely assumed appearance, a false show, feigning, shamming, pretence, feint, insincerity, deceit, hypocrisy, simulation, etc. (class. and very freq.; cf. imitatio). under pretence of a divine command, Tac. H. 2, 61 Mariccus, a Boian of the lowest origin, pretending to divine inspiration
 Simulatior . 

Job 36:14 They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

6945. qadesh, kaw-dashe´; from 6942; a (quasi) sacred person, i.e. (technically) a (male) devotee (by prostitution) to licentious idolatry:—sodomite, unclean.

Ef-fēmĭno , II.Trop., to make womanish, effeminate, to enervate: “fortitudinis praecepta sunt, quae effeminari virum vetant in dolore,” Cic. Fin. 2, 29, 94:
B. In mal. part., that submits to unnatural lust: “pathicus,” Suet. Aug. 68; Auct. Priap. 58, 2; Vulg. 3 Reg. 14, 24 al.—Adv.: effēmĭnāte , effeminately (acc. to A.), Cic. Off. 1, 4 fin.; Sen. Cons. ad Polyb. 36; V 

Christ in the prophets EXCLUDED all hypocritic arts and crafts: those would BOAST that God needed their help to carry out His will.  A Church of Christ is built upon (Educated) by the Prophets and Apostles: they do not perform "worship services" which is always the mark of the rise of the Mother Goddess (Revelation 17) and her emasculated, effeminate clergy (Rev 18) John called SORCERERS [speakers, singers, instrument players] who would be cast alive into the lake of fire.

And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits (Old, empty wineskins), and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter (these people used musical devices and said that the gods lived inside of them): should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead? Isaiah 8:19

To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word,
it is because there is no light in them. Isaiah 8:20

Yiddeoniy (h3049) yid-deh-o-nee'; from 3045; prop. a knowing one; spec. a conjurer; (by impl.) a ghost: - wizard.

"In Isa 8:19 the 'obhoth and yidh'onim are spoken of those who 'chirp and mutter." These terms refer to the necromancers themselves who practiced ventriloquism in connection with their magical rites. In Isa 29:4 it is said 'Thy voice shall be as an 'obh, out of the ground.'... They are stamped in these passages, as in the Witch of Endor narrative, as deceivers practising a fraudulent art. By implication their power to evoke spirits with whom they were in familiar intercourse is denied." (Int Std Bible Ency., ency, p. 690)

Incanto    

Rick Atchley:  Most churches of Christ are not anti-instrument, but they are pro a cappella. And there’s a difference—some churches sing a cappella because they think it’s wrong to sing otherwise, but most sing a cappella because it’s their preference.

That's what members of HIS church identified as an INTIMIDATING STYLE: At ACU he calls it a course in PERSUASION.  Machiavelli, Lebon, Hitler and Hegel knew that you have to stamp peoples belief system into the mud before you can RESTRUCTURE them into your own image.

That's utterly false: Most churches of Christ refused to be UNIONED with the NACC who spend most of it's life trying to seduce a few silly preachers into breaking the ice.  Only a tiny few congregations all PURPOSE DRIVEN for several decades fell into the false teaching.  Most of those preachers have been spawned on theology because places like ACU have ceased to be a School of the Word. A student of the Word looks for truth and does not seek legalistic end runs or outright lies to intentionally sow discord.  No one prior to the Disciples in 1878 thought that there was a single Command, Example or remote inference of any of God's people who ever "congregated for group singing with or without instruments."

Most Bible taught members of The Church of Christ simply refuse to BEGIN to do what they  had never done since the fall from grace at Mount Sinai. Any minimal Bible student KNOWS that it is hard to find a large body of text which does not prove that INSTRUMENTS are the identifying mark of people who refuse to teach or allow to be taught "that which is written for our learning" and commanded by the elders to "teach that which has been taught."

How do a cappella churches handle the music issue outside of the Sunday morning worship service?

This question proves that most clergy (with no role and no dole) do not understand that the assembly is defined by Christ in the wilderness forward to the Campbells who understood that

Church is A School of Christ
Worship is Reading and Musing the Word of God

We might enjoy a good banjo with bluegrass but understanding REVERENCE we would die of shame if we thought that we could please God with a banjo player ESPECIALLY when Jesus Christ now tasked as The Holy Spirit and ONE mediator commanded that we make room for an hour or two a week to listen to what He has told us.

That was the ONLY meaning of the Holy Convocation which came to be held every REST day once Israel was settled in the land:

 

Both Jews and Gentiles were WISE UNTO SALVATION because that PATTERN never changed for the godly people:

Acts 15:21 For Moses
        of old time
        hath in every city
        them that preach him,
        being read in the synagogues every sabbath day.

That PATTERN never changed until the time of Jesus who endorsed the synagogue which EXCLUDED any kind of musical disturbance.  Paul and Peter define that as the INCLUSIVE pattern after they have EXCLUDED all of the performers and performers. I am sorry that you are not able to define words and are prevented from obeying the ONE PIECE PATTERN by deceptive pastors as "kings set over us."

Rick Atchley: Many a cappella churches of Christ use instrumental music for youth and children.
        They go to conferences, they listen to instrumental music on the radio,
        they have a great love of instrumental praise,
        but in their corporate worship they have a great love for their a cappella heritage.

It is NOT a fact that MANY churches of Christ use INSTRUMENTS for their youth and children. It IS true by design that when they go to conferences their parents do not know that their CHILDREN are being betrayed by their "senior pastor."  Instruments are called LIFELESS or Carnal Weapons: they do not have breath and cannot PRAISE.

Many youth rallies hire bands to perform, and many of our Christian colleges have instrumental concerts. It’s about a preference.

Nimrod and all more literate people understood that if you want to DERANGE the youth you hard wire them to listen to the "gods" speaking through instrumental sounds. The Laded Burden Jesus died to remove is "spiritual anxiety caused by religious rituals." If they listen to music 24/7 wouldn't it be evil to charge a huge ticket price to make sure that they could not "give one hour" as Jesus pleads?

Rick Atchley: The era of the progressive Church of Christ is over.

Back in the 80’s you could go to any major city, especially in the South, and you could find a progressive Church of Christ — and if they would preach grace, and if they would put words on a screen, and if they would let divorced people place membership, they would grow.

The generation of Boomers has enough denominational loyalty that they’re going to find the least legalistic

Well, we discipled the children of those progressive churches
        for a whole generation to grow past us Boomers.
        They never heard the sermons we heard.
        They never heard the rationale for a cappella music.

We sent them to youth rallies and Church of Christ events
        with some of the finest Christian bands in the world.
        We discipled our children to leave our Movement!

John warned about Rick:

Revelation 18:22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;
Revelation 18:23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee:
        for thy merchants were the great men of the earth;
        for by thy sorceries [pharmakon]

were all nations deceived.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers [pharmakon], and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

The Christian Standard and the NACC have caught them one fine christian! It took Rick Atchley PURPOSEFULLY deceiving a congregation with the assistance of the NACC for more than a decade. Finally, a "spirit" told Rick Atchley that he had procrastinated long enough.  That must have been some impotent "spirit" since The Holy Spirit is named Jesus Christ the Righteous and He finished His mission in the flesh. Even then Rick Atchley promised never to impose instruments in HIS church on Sunday: when he went back on his purpose driven purpose and was challenged his response was: "that was then and this is now."

What motivated the addition of a service with instrumental music at The Hills?

Rick Atchley followed Chris Seidman and Max Lucado and the WHITE PAPER presented by David Faust of the NACC.  The agenda of the HERMENEUTS began soon after the NACC was removed from the Disciples in 1971.

Rick Atchley:  I think the primary reason we made the change was we thought it would be a more effective way to reach our community for Christ. There was a missional motivation. We were trying to think like missionaries. The missionary tries to use the language of the culture he’s trying to reach and redeem it for the gospel.

I believe that recorded history proves that Rick Atchley took the money from Churches of Christ but had a childhood impulse to MOVE other people's property into the column of the Christian Church.  One doubts that a Christian Church would trust their youth with one who purposes to build and then diverty.

The direct command to the missionaries is very clear and the false teachers simply claim that there is no commands that applies to them:

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying,
        All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Strong Delusions is the only thing that can explain why people living off widows and honest workers cannot tolerate the direct command of Jesus Christ. Did Jesus command, example or infere the RADICAL change from the Synagogue which excluded preachers, singers, players or other noise makers.

Change is hard. How did you work through that substantial change with your congregation?

Change is rather easy: most people had rather be entertained and "worship" or give attention to performers althougt they  probably would not pay the high ticket price to attend Rick Atchley's venue.  Just find a command, example or inference that God wanted to call people OUT of their rest to WATCH people "move them into the presence of God."  End of argument.  Rick Atchley is some kind of PERSUASION guru but not good enough to keep the 6400 members to dribbling to about 4500 when the heretical "worship team" and "deaconesses" were imposed to about 3500 after the instruments were added. We checked the bulletins and not the retrospective preacher claims.

Rick Atchley:  In the first place, I had been very clear for many years that we were not going to take an anti-instrument position in our church, so there was no doctrinal hurdle to overcome. When we made the decision, we knew we would have to explain why WE were making the decision,
        so I led the church through some teaching on why we were making the change we made.

It would always be a good idea to be CLEAR before you collect the money for which there is no Law of Giving BEFORE you announce your agenda.

WE means Rick Atchley since many of the elders and owners felt intimidated by a professor who teaches PERSUASION.  After those who differ leave then WE can say that WE are agreed to lie about every "instrument" passage in the Bible and church history.  Rick also brought in David Faust and his White Paper listing all of the "instrument passages" and convincing that if David commanded the Jacob-cursed and God-abandoned Levites to make noise while the burned the NOT commanded goats, then THAT MEANS that God is commanding them to do what God EXCLUDED in the Church beginning in the wilderness.  Rick boast about that decade-long REFUSING to be loyal to those who paid him and warming the waters to BOIL THE FROGS may account for the fact that he had followed the Rubel Shelly pattern of doing and end-run around the older members and raising up a new generation more easily deceived.

How did you tackle that?

Rick called in David Faust and foisted all of the passages which mention and instrument and then claimed that if David commanded the Levites to stand in ranks and EXECUTE anyone who came near the not-commanded sacrificial system then GOD commanded HIS church to do "instrumental praise" again with the intimidation that "we will not be disobedient."

Rick Atchley:  I felt like I had to answer two important questions.

The first was, “Is worship with instruments biblical?”
        Even though there were very few people in MY church who had a problem,
        I felt I had to equip them to have this discussion with others.

That's utterly false: based on the numbers of people now in the church there has been no more violent and deliberate sowing of discord among most congregations: even the few who followed the pied piper, massive discord happened and unity was achieved by forcing the owners to "cast themselves out of their own synagogue." 

Again church is A School of the Word: the RESOURCE says Jesus is to command and observe what I HAVE COMMANDED you. Peter includes the prophets by the Spirit OF Christ and the prophecies made more certain by Jesus and left for our memory by the eye-- and ear--witness Apostles. You would need a COMMAND to use instruments to make it BIBLICAL. Then, you would have to HIDE the absolute flood of information repudiating musical performances or musical performers called PARASITES in all religious ceremonies. Christ defined the future Assembly both inclusively and exclusively.

Ephesians 2:20 And are built upon [Educated] the foundation
        of the apostles and prophets,
        Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

In Psalm 41 and especially the preserved copy at the Dead Sea defines in agonizing details how Satan would attack.

Isaiah 50 has Christ defining the SMITERS and PLUCKERS who would as Judas friends (Revelation 14) would try to defeat Jesus with instrumental mocking.

Isaiah 55 clearly defines both inclusively and exclusively of His Words which provide spirit and life.  Peter uses many of the same concepts to dare anyone to teach beyond the written memory of the Apostles who were eye and ear witnesses. This is a quick study for today. If that awas not enough authority He defines the true Rest for the future church to exclude personal pleasure or even speaking your own words.  "Teach that which has been taught" should be warning enough.

Isaiah 58 has Christ urging a restoration and, as in the church in the wilderness, and Paul for the assembly forbidding seeking our own pleasure or even speaking our own words. 

One might guess that if Rick Atchley took a body count of those members from about two decades agon he would find that he had as they say "infiltrated and diverted" and evolved the members into being instrumental idolaters. Even now, it is perfectly clear that a cloud of discord exists within the members who have remained.

There may be no other subject covered from Genesis to Revelation than God's warning that criminals like Jubal had learned how to use brass metal (the meaning of the SERPENT) and convinced the people who owned all of the cattle as a gift from God to bring them to HIS new institution and He would sell them BACK after keeping them safe.  This is an old Babylonian Tablet proving that the "enchanters" were the children of the Devil.

Rick Atchley:  The second was, “Is it expedient?” Just because it’s OK to do something doesn’t mean it’s wise. I felt that I had to make the case that it’s a wise missionary move to incorporate instrumental music as a strategy to reach our community.

It's gonna be pretty hard to CLAIM that there is some command to set up a "worship center" as a way to let the evangelists come in out of the cold.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Matthew 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Can a cappella worship be a hindrance to evangelism?

Rick Atchley:  A cappella done well can be a powerful experience; done poorly it can have a great hindrance to outreach. But I think those in the Christian church would agree it’s the same for instrumental worship.

Doubtful disputations and SELF-pleasure and the LOGOS command EXCLUDES personal powerful experience: that would be legalism. 

Is it just the style of music that defines the churches of Christ, or does it go beyond that?

Rick Atchley: Our a cappella commitment has been a hindrance for churches of Christ in one way:

Rick Atchley:  we’re known more for what we don’t than what we do. Even though many of our churches are active in the community, if you ask people [about them] the first thing they say is, “They don’t use instruments.” It’s a great frustration in many areas that we’re known for what we don’t do. I don’t want the identity of my church to be for what we don’t do.

One can be pretty certain that the WHINING is generated by preachers who eat up the widow's living but are disloyal to what she hired him to defend. The MUSIC word almost demands that you MOVE the body in symphony or clapping as dancing. We are known for NOT dancing but WE are literate enought not to induce the BODY WORSHIP by taking control over people's defensive mechanism by using "machines for doing hard work mostly in making war."

We are called a CULT that teaches baptism FOR the remission of sins but WE don't intend to be shamed into denying baptism just so we can attract more people to being unfaithful.

Jesus warned that HE spoke only what the ONE God breathed (spirit) into Him. He gave the Apostles only what the father spoke to Him. He warned that if THEY spoke only what He commanded to be taught then the WORLD would hate them and hurt them.  Jesus didn't even pray for the WORLD or the COSMIC worship.

Rick Atcley and all of the SEEKER evangelists (A favorite Hitler word) simply are not willing to put their lives in harm's way:

Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that,
        denying ungodliness and WORLDY lusts,
        we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
        in this present world;

Jesus doesn't even PRAY for the World in the worship experience folly:

Kosmos ,  metaph., of ornaments of speech, such as epithets, Id.9.9 (pl.), Arist.Rh.1408a14, Po.1457b2, 1458a33; hadumelē k. keladein praise, Pi.O.11 (10).13 (s.v.l.).

Pind. O. 11 My tongue wants to foster such themes; [10] but it is by the gift of a god that a man flourishes with a skillful mind, as with anything else. For the present rest assured, Hagesidamus son of Archestratus: for the sake of your boxing victory,

        I shall loudly sing a sweet song, an adornment for your garland of golden olive,
        [15] while I honor the race of the Western Locrians.
There, Muses, join in the victory-song; I shall pledge my word to you that we will find there a race that does not repel the stranger, or is inexperienced in fine deeds, but one that is wise and warlike too.

Kosmo-krator epith. of ouranos, Orph.H.4.3; “Zeus Mitras Hēlios k. Dam.Pr.131; hoi k. tou skotous toutou the cosmic rulers of this sinful world, Ep.Eph.6.12; “hoi k. hoi ta hupo selēnēn stoikheia dioikountes”
3. Astrol., ruler of the kosmos
-Helios  II. as pr. n., Helios, the sun-god, Od.8.271, etc.; nē ton Hē. Men.Sam. 108; hupo Dia Gēn Hēlion, in manumission-formula, POxy.48.6, 49.8 (i A.D.), IG9(1).412（Aetolia), IPE2.54.10(iii A.D.); [“Hēlios doulous eleutherous poiei” Artem.2.36; identified with Apollo, Carm.Pop.12, E.Fr.781.11; with Dionysus, D.Chr.31.11, etc.

2. Hēliou astēr, of the planet Saturn, v.l. in Pl.Epin.987c, cf. D.S.2.30, Theo Sm. p.130H. (I.-E. sāwelios, cf. Cret. abelios, Lith. sáulė, Lat. sōl.）

I know you took some flak from other a cappella churches. Were there churches that were supportive?

Rick Atchley:  I took a little flak in my church—some people left. We probably lost about 200 members because of our move.

Rick spent more than a decade sending out FLAK against churches of Christ.  Everyone knew that he was sowing discord and twisted ever Bible passage to turn it to a sign of JUDGMENT into a claim that he was GUIDED into planning to sow discord and offend thousands of little ones.

Again, we note from the Bulletin claims:

Rick Atchley is some kind of PERSUASION guru but not good enough to keep the 6400 members from dribbling to about 4500 when the heretical "worship team" and "deaconesses" were imposed to about 3500 after the instruments were added. We checked the bulletins and not the retrospective preacher claims.  With THREE congregations going instrumental the claim is 5000 but the bulletin count is about 460: some mission effort. Rick won't list the numbers at HIS venue.

Rick Atchley:  Some were personally uncomfortable with the move

and some left because it created extended family disturbances—they didn’t personally have a problem, but their parents did.

We never saw a dip in offering or attendance, so the Lord replaced those people.

Godly people report that there was an effort to put INSTRUMENTS above FAMILY. Didn't I hear that on one of the tapes?

How about beyond The Hills?

Rick Atchley: As far as the broader community of churches of Christ, I took a tremendous amount of flak. I got some of the most poisonous, vile, ugly e-mails you can imagine for several months. It was almost daily. I had websites put up about me. One college had a session in their lectureship to rebuke me. However, the support I received from churches of Christ was much greater than the criticism. Much greater. I would say for every negative e-mail I got I would get five that were positive. It’s just people who are negative get more exposure. People don’t create a website to support you, they create a website to attack you.

When Rick says that God COMMANDED INSTRUMENTAL praise or any kind of performance music in the School of Christ; and someone quotes the story line out of which the NACC list of "instrument" passages occur or quote the historic scholars which they misquote, Rick calls that ATTACKING him. 

Rick Atchley has a website and HAD a wide audience to ATTACK the non-instrumental church of Christ: I have a long list of RACA words used by those who thought that they were going, with the NACC help, to RESTRUCTURE ALL churches of Christ to being instrumental. Rick has fueled dozens of BLOGGERS who repeat exactly what he tells them to say. And if you question them you will get lots of vile attacks. Rick will never respond because he doesn't have to.

Rick Atchley was part of the Rubel Shelly Jubilee movement which thought that they were going to be a commercial success and lead all churches into A New Style of Worship (they boasted), Women in Ministry and becoming ECUMENICAL.  He has been a favorite at many of the lectureships and has been USED by the NACC to try to attract "a cappella" preachers to their lectureships. They thought that the tiny number of disloyal preachers represented ALL churches of Christ and they INTENDED to establish unity by forcing everyone to CONFORM or CONFIRM. The history of the "unity meetings" were always recognized as a way to try to convince churches of Christ that they sected OUT of the Christian Churches which itself sected out in 1927-1971 for many of the same reasons churches of Christ were NEVER united with any organization larger than the local congregation.

Rick Atchley: I still have more invitations to speak in churches of Christ than I can say yes to. I still feel valued and affirmed and esteemed by my fellowship. The truth is the part of the fellowship that wrote me off after we made the move [to instrumental music] had already written me off simply for fellowshipping with Christian churches and attending events like the North American Christian Convention.

Rick will always be used as a way to increase the attendance: Hey, Ricks debate over the law of silence with three empty chairs is worth the ticket price.

Our move has emboldened other churches of Christ to contemplate making the same move and many are doing that.

Only a handfull who were part of the effort to RESTRUCTURE all churches of Christ. The FEW who have discussed it or "gone all the way" have produced the same massive sowing of discord and, as in my little town, just thinking about cause a STINK in the whole county: the thought that men would deliberately build buildings and get the finances in hand and THEN suddenly decide that We (the false preacher) have decided that WE will take your property and turn it into a theater defined as the LYING WONDERS produced by people who are delusional and are therefore PREDESTINATED.

What has been the value of building relationships between the instrumental and a cappella fellowships?

Rick Atchley: There have been several benefits. One, it was good for us just to have an awareness of each other, to recognize our commonalities, and to have greater understanding of some of the strengths of each fellowship. [It was good] to have some of our people know of a wonderful opportunity like the North American to attend. Another has been an effort to call both streams back to the original vision of the Restoration Movement to be a unity movement. Finally, in some cases it has been a way for churches to partner together to accomplish the mission of God.

We have commonalities with lots of people: the one cuppers for instance.  That does not mean that we have enough time to kill to hold unity movements demanding that everyone conform or confirm, attend, endorse and support.  Christian church members do not have the time or inclination to try to be a three places at the same time: if they are gainfully employed as students and teachers why should anyone demand that they be so arrogant that they feel the need to say YOUR OK, I'M OK.

The only UNITY the Campbells called for was to restore the Bible as the sole authority for faith and practices.  If everyone followed the command to preach the word by READING the Word in a synagogue-like systematic way then everyone would be UNITED in action. However, it is absolutely false that the Campbells had any intention of uniting with the sects: he said that the Christians had showed us how to be divided but no one has shown us how to be united.  The Campbell "stream" was never united with the Stoneites or the Disciples of Christ.  There must be CHRISTIANS in all of the sects and if so they should COME OUT OF BABYLON. While Campbell preached for Baptists he would have been a hypocrite if he felt the need to be ORGANICALLY BONDED in creed and deed.  "Individuation" is a new hate word where the theologians insist that everyone must be in the same community which spells commune. Shelly says individuals have no right to read, interpret or speak the Word outside of the COMMUNITY reading.  Campbell rejected that and repudiated a clergy system chained to the pulpit which chains the Bible

Have you experienced that kind of partnership?

Rick Atchley: We have a great relationship with Compass Christian Church, Colleyville, Texas. Drew Sherman and I swap pulpits. Then you have Chris Seidman from Farmers Branch Church of Christ, Dallas, Texas, a church that had a non-Sunday school background. Here are three churches, with three distinct backgrounds, all three of us are partnering together to do mission work in East Africa where none of those traditions make sense.

I was given a White Paper from Farmer's branch daring me to dispute the idea that God commanded instrumental music.  He was one of the earliest and while Max Lucado claims to have had a vision to remove Christ from the public confession and IMPOSE musical instruments, we know that he was reading off Chris Seidman's white paper which seems to have originated with maybe O.E. Payne as the first effort to prove that PSALLO commanded the use of instruments. So the band of brothers seems rather smallish.

To say that things like NOT using instruments and NOT bonding with the world is JUST YOUR TRADITION is really a big lie: it is a lie because it repudiates all of the Bible and church history and because it is told with the intention of hurting others or for personal gain. These "missionaries" assume that people in the rest of the World not mind-damaged by music can NOT read the Word for themselves.

Do you think the efforts to come together had wide-ranging success?

Rick Atchley: Some ministers tried to reach out to a cappella churches and were rebuffed. Some churches might have thought, I have better things to do than to reach out to an a cappella church. It may have only been important to some people, but it did do some good and I’m thankful for that. I’ve heard wonderful stories of cooperation that give me hope for the future.

They have reached out not understanding the nature of the Church and the first commandment included groups as small as ten families commanded to READ and REHEARSE the Word of God.  A disciple of the english language and the Bible does not have any need to develop a tradition of NOT USING MACHINES when the purpose is to "use one mind and one mouth to speak that which is written for our learning." If one cannot understand that simple pattern and intends to "see godliness as a means of financial gain" or occupation then it is proven that God has sent them strong delusions that they believe their own lie: if you tell it long enough then you CANNOT recover from being hard wired.  God forces you into that "locust" or "muses" separated group marked by replacing the Word with musical and theatrical performances.  IF a person thinks that their own imagination is more valuable than the Word which as "once for all delivered to the saints"

Usually they have reached out trying to convince people to 'unite' with them by being convinced that God can be worshipped in houses built by human hands or by the WORKS of human hands. It would be a waste of time since they can find no command, example or remote inference that God needs you to assemble and sing your own songs and make instrumental noises.  No one is so remotely pagan or archaic that they did not believe that the gods could be attracted and convinced to give them STUFF because they beat on a stick or a piece of brass or bell-metal which is the meaning of the serpent or musical enchanter in the garden of Eden.

What is the appeal of the independent Christian church to you?

Rick Atchley:  Perhaps the thing from Christian churches that has inspired me the most is Christian churches have shown that our core doctrines and pleas can still be winsome and effective in reaching people. Our high view of Scripture, high view of baptism, belief in local autonomy, governance through elders—these things can still have a powerful, winsome appeal to our community. Christian churches have reminded churches of Christ that we don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed by the ideals of our movement.

Wow, only latter day theologians are ashamed of our ideals of the Jesus Christ Movement.  Perhaps without exception the tiny number which have been subverted into using the performing arts (hypocrite) have been very successful without "worship tems" (a blasphemy) or people beating on instruments of delusion.  However, the usual purpose driven plan is to get the new property well financed and then divert the monies to the hidden agenda of a false teacher who knew that he could not "out" his agenda until he had "boiled the frogs." That is one of the oldest tools of deceivers.

We Noted that Barton W. Stone accused the Campbells of the same thing:

Our eagle-eyed opponents plainly see the difference between the radical and differential attributes of this reformation, which they ignorantly call a deformation, and any other cause, however unpopular, plead in the land. 

"The Christians" in some places, nay, in many places, are quite respectable in the eyes of those who contemn "the disciples" as unfit for good society. And I think the amiable editor of the Christian Messenger himself told me last winter,
      that even he and some of his brethren were considered by the orthodox as degrading themselves because they associated with us most "unworthy disciples?'

What would be your message to the Christian churches?

Rick Atchley:  Personally, I hope Christian churches don’t just drift into kind of an undefined, ambiguous Evangelicalism that has no real distinct message any more. I think the call to let the Bible be our guide and let Christ be our unity is still a good thing. Our movement is just part of the kingdom of God, but I believe God raised up our movement to strengthen the kingdom of God.

The Father God (just one) breathed (spirit) into Jesus whom He made to be both Lord and Christ. Jesus as the SON had absolutely nothing of his own to say: neither dit the spirit  OF God have anything to say.  This was the UNITY for which Jesus prayed.  As Jesus spoke the WORD to the Apostles the command was to unit people by speaking the same words.  If everyone PREACHES the same word by READING the same word then everyone will be UNITED without any need for a money sucking institution.  There can be no UNITY IN DIVERSITY. In Ephesians 4 the gifted men were first to SILENCE the cunning, crafty sophists (speakers, singers, players) before they could TEACH that which is written.

The Kingdom of God is the Church of Christ: Jesus of Nazareth was made to be both Lord and Christ. He was given the full authority of God or theos.  He is kuios and as such the Church of God is the Church of Christ "who shed his blood."

Whatever "distinctive" under which a group was organized they ALL called themselves the Church of Christ.

Barton W. Stone was the first person who assigned ownership (of) to the name Christian.

As we have noted the kingdom of God is within you: don't GO to any religious observation which claims to be holding religious services as worship when th eonly worship concept is to "give attendance to the reading of the word for comfort and doctrine.

Ac.8:12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things
............ concerning the........kingdom [Church] of God,
............ and the ................ name of Jesus Christ,
............ they were baptized, both men and women.

Acts 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock,
        over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,
        to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The body of Christ is the Church of Christ.

Unto the

CHURCH OF GOD [Theos] which is at Corinth,
        to them that are sanctified [baptized into] in Christ Jesus,
        called to be saints, with ALL that in EVERY place
        call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord [Kurios], both theirs and ours: 1 Cor 1:2

Colossians 1:13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness,
        and hath translated us into the kingdom [Church] of his dear Son: [Christ]
Colossians 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Colossians 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:

Colossians 1:18And he is the head of the body,
        THE CHURCH who is the beginning,
        the firstborn [Christ] from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 
Colossians 1:19 For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;

Col 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you,
        and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ
        in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church:

That defines the Church of Christ

2Pet. 1:11 For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly
        into the everlasting kingdom [Church] of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

OF is a preposition and the Church OF Christ means the church which BELONGS to Christ.

Christian Church or Followers OF Christ speaks of those FOR WHOM Jesus shed His blood to purchase HIS Church.

That is why the Campbells had NO intention of uniting as a group with people who refused to honor the PERSON but confessed or honored the redeemed.

One becomes a disciple by being baptized or washed with water INTO the Word or into the School of Christ. Only such baptized believers are called a Christian.   The Kingdom of God, therefore, is not Rick Atchley's to DEFINE. Besides, most workers do not have the time or inclination to affirm, approve, attend and support in a unity movement.

No one should be so arrogant as to CONCLUDE those who are ashamed and removed the name of CHRIST from their public confession are part of that kingdom. Only those who are baptized are added to His Church by Christ and has their spirits translated into that heavenly kingdom.

To prove the INTIMIDATION it is an absolute fact that Rick Atchley would not "fellowship" a Chruch of Christ which continues to exercise the right to say that Scripture from beginning to the end and most recorded Pre-disciple history proves that the pretended "instrumental worship" is a sin and excludes the overwhelming majority of congregations of the Church of Christ.  Rick Atchley has lots of bloggers to give an answer whereas HE will never need to take note of or respond to honest Bible Studensts.  Nor would he or any instrumental church permit anyone to simply read the context out of which the "instrument" proof texts are dragged.  Without exception ALL of those proof texts point to people who have been "turned over to worship the starry host" instead of the Creator of the hosts. For goodness sake, can you get a Phd without reading what Stephen said about Amos and Mount Sinai?  Try to find Acts 7 and read it and see how words were defined in Stephen's educational culture.

Brad Dupray is president of Church Development Fund, Irvine, California.

5.18.13

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