From: Pilgrimpub@aol.com
Sent: Monday, August 01, 2005 6:27 PM
To: Mentonebay@aol.com
Subject: ANY SCRIPTURE FOR "WALKING THE AISLE"? [08/01--2005]
IS THERE ANY SCRIPTURAL AUTHORITY FOR
"WALKING THE AISLES"? [08/01--2005]


In a message dated 8/1/2005 3:33:51 PM Central Daylight Time, Brother James writes:

DEAR  BRO ROSS  ARE THERE ANY  BOOK, CHAPTER AND VERSES FOR WALKING THE AISLE?? THIS HAS NEVER BEEN AN ISSUE IN COC [Church of Christ] BUT SHOULD BE IF THEY TRULY JUST GO BY THE BIBLE. -- JAMES


Dear Brother James:

It is always good to hear from one who is so knowledgeable of the COC from the "inside." When will you be down this way to visit us again? We always enjoy your visits.

Yes, it does seem that the Church of Christ ought to give "book, chapter, and verse" in view of their PATTERNISM doctrine, shouldn't they? I suppose they use their hermeneutic called "necessary inference" to justify that.

The fact is, whenever a person wants to make a public confesssion of his faith in Christ, or he wants to be baptized, or wants to join to the church, or wants to make a renewed public committal of his life to the Lord, there must of necessity to be some way of making that known. Some of the brethren who are outright against all forms of using an invitation nevertheless have alternative methods for the very same ends which are served by the invitation system in most Baptist churches of my acquaintance.

We cited in the past the fact that in London, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones used what I called the "office system" where persons would come after the service to line up outside his office to be interviewed in regard to their need. Someone also emailed me to say that George Whitefield, in his day, had slips of paper passed out and people could write their requests (or whatever) on those pieces of paper.

C. H. Spurgeon and D. L. Moody were known to use inquiry rooms and after-meetings where Christian workers and ministers would talk to people. Both Spurgeon and Moody encouraged "personal work" by Christians. For example, in the matter of dealing with potential converts after a sermon, Spurgeon  had Christian workers who called themselves his "dogs,." who like bird-dogs went after the wounded game. Spurgeon said:

"There is a wonderful work to be done in those lobbies, and in those pews, after a service. There are some dear brethren and sisters who are always doing it; they call themselves my 'dogs;' for they go and pick up the birds that I have wounded. I wish that they might be able to pick up many tonight" (Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Volume 38, Sermon #2282, page 549). 

Whatever the form or method, the same basic ends are in view as in the invitation, that people may confess their faith in Christ, or make their other needs and interests known. But since there is no one "authorized" method specified in Scripture, we would be going beyond what is written to oppose any method which is a convenient way of accommodating people who want to make am obedient response to the Word of God on confession of faith, baptism, church membership, or some other need.

As for the abuse of a method, this of course could happen in any given situation or method. There is simply no fool-proof method of racking up a perfect score when it comes to the validity of professions of faith. There have always been false professions, even in New Testament accounts of some professors. -- Bob L. Ross

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