Dilemma

[John81]

We've helped someone, and their family, see the error of the RCC, come to Christ, leave the RCC, and begin attending the only non-RCC church they have around, which is a Church of Christ.

 

This is in South Africa. Does anyone know how close the Church of Christ in South Africa is to how they are in America?

 

For instance, I know some denominations in parts of Africa are far more conservative biblically than are their American counterparts. So much so, they rebuke their denominational churches in America for their liberal, unbiblical practices and even send missionaries to America.

 

In any event, are there any specific things I should warn them to guard against while they are in the Church of Christ? From what they've said, the pastor there preaches from the Bible.

[DaveW]

Baptismal regeneration.
It is the official stance of CoC, and is often taught in a disguised way.

[Salyan]

Don't know what the similarity is between SA and Cameroon as far as churches... but where I was visiting, most of the non-RCC churches (including evangelical and Baptist) taught a works salvation. You have to believe and be baptized and be constantly confessing sin in order to be forgiven.

[John81]

Thankfully they fully understand salvation, are already born again, and recognize that anything other than salvation by grace through faith is unbiblical.

 

I've heard others say similar things that even some of the Baptist churches over there either teach outright works based salvation or that works are necessary to maintain salvation (which is just another form of works based salvation). I think much of this is due to the influence of the native heathen religions and the RCC. No excuse of course, but it does seem some churches which should know better have adopted this in response to the expectations of the locals who seem to have a difficult time grasping a "religion" that doesn't require something on their part.

[JerryNumbers]

Baptismal regeneration.
It is the official stance of CoC, and is often taught in a disguised way.

 

Right, they surely do, especially outside of Sunday school & preaching services, as do many others. They have a different way of saying it when speaking to the public.

 

I've known many of the coC over the years & most of them will not discuss salvation issues.

 

Once I was listing to a coC service on a local TV channel & the preacher said, "We have to be honest, the Baptist, the Methodist, the Assembly of God's, the Pentecostals, & all of those other churches, their member will go to Hell, the only way to enter Heaven is to be baptized into the churches of Christ."

 

There was a church full of 'Amen's!'

 

And the preacher stayed on that subject for the rest of the sermon & at the end invited anyone that wished to go to Heaven to come forward & be baptized into the churches of Christ.

 

And many other Protestant churches do the same way, yet their radio & TV preaches does some hiding trying to win people over by deceit.

[DaveW]

Friends of mine go to CoC and when we have talked with them they talk about saved by grace through faith.
But when the husband got baptised they invited us to his baptism party (!) afterwards and they were all saying things like "Congratulations, now you are safe."
So they taught saved by grace, kept by baptism...............

[John81]

I appreciate the input, but as I've said, they are already saved and fully understand biblical salvation.

 

Is there anything else that might be something they need to guard against?