Who doles out enormous amounts of relief to down and out sinners in order get them to hear some preaching and come to church? Why, that's the Salvation Army of course.

That’s the twentieth century answer. In the twenty-first century it's "Move over Salvation Army, here comes the Churches of Christ!" A Fort Smith, Arkansas TV station reported that an organization associated with the West-Ark Church of Christ sent a 40 foot container with about $100,000 worth of supplies for residents of American Samoa affected by the November, 2009 tsunami. For two days running in March, 2010 Haiti Christian Relief, connected to the Pleasant Valley Church of Christ in Little Rock, Arkansas made the front page of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette for its relief work in Haiti following the earthquake. Christian Chronicle headlines were not about evangelistic efforts around the world but about Churches of Christ sending relief aid to disaster victims around the world. The mainline Churches of Christ are not a whit behind the chiefest of social gospel denominations.

Justification

Of course our brethren in mainline (institutional) Churches of Christ would argue that these are evangelistic efforts. By the way, the parallel continues, because so does the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army was started by William Booth in 1865 to evangelize impoverished people in England, and it has not changed its focus, message, or methods.

Arguments used over forty years ago to justify church support of orphanages led to the acceptance of these social gospel relief efforts. Brethren misapplied Galatians 6:10 to the benevolent work of the church, even though the passage is obviously directed to individual Christians. If this passage applies to the church, which it doesn't, all people, even the vilest of sinners, are proper subjects of church benevolence.

But, beginning in a debate with Mack Deaver in 1991, I have repeatedly encountered the argument that "Benevolence is a means of evangelism," until today this is the primary argument I encounter from institutional brethren to justify general benevolence by the church. The end result? Mainline Churches of Christ are out social gospeling the Salvation Army!

Everybody Loves Us!

Wow! "Church of Christ" is no longer a dirty word! Of course the news media and even the public at large react favorably to these relief programs. After all, that's what they've done for decades! "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you" (John 15:19). Brethren, have you joined the world?

Benevolence a Means of Evangelism?

Is benevolence a means of evangelism? In the first place, the argument itself demonstrates ignorance of the nature of authority. Benevolence is one kind of work, and evangelism is another work, just as singing is one kind of music and playing is another. One work (benevolence) is no more authorized as a means to another work (evangelism) than one kind of music (playing) is authorized as a means to another (singing). Papers, radio programs, pulpit preaching, and home Bible studies are means (methods) of evangelism (taking the good news of salvation in Christ to the lost); but benevolence (material assistance to the needy) is another work.

Contradicts Scriptural Teaching

Furthermore, Jesus, our perfect example, refused to use benevolence as an enticement to the lost. He miraculously fed five thousand men besides women and children as proof of His claims (John 6:1-14). But when they sought Him for bread the next day, He refused to feed them and exhorted them to seek everlasting life rather than perishable bread (John 6:26-27). The Master never used benevolence as an attraction.

The apostle Paul observed, "for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). Kingdom blessings are spiritual, not material. The Lord's church is not a glorified Salvation Army. We must not lead people to believe otherwise by enticing them with benevolent aid (cf. Romans 8:5-8).

The New Testament limits the benevolent work of the local church to the relief of needy saints (Christians) (Acts 2:44-45; 4:32-35; 6:1-4; 11:27-30; Romans 15:25-26; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-4,12-14; 9:1-2,12-14; 1 Timothy 5:3,9-10,16). We dare not violate this divine pattern (Colossians 3:17; 2 Timothy 1:13; 2 John 9).

Are We Different?

If we rely on food and clothing to attract sinners to hear some gospel, what do we offer that is any different from denominations? How do we make the Lord's church distinctive from churches of men? How can we expect to compete in giving material help to sinners? If we offer hamburgers, the wealthy denominations will give steaks. We have only one thing to offer that no denomination does - the truth that leads to salvation (John 8:31-32).

Conclusion

The first century church evangelized the entire world in one generation (Mark 16:15; Colossians 1:5-6,23). How did they accomplish so daunting a task? They "went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).

Mainline Churches of Christ are taking relief efforts to down and out sinners everywhere. What's the result? From 1945 to 1980 the church of Christ was perhaps the fastest growing religious body in the United States. Since 1980 the Lord's church in this country has actually lost membership (http://www.christianchronicle.org/article2158685).

Brethren, let's get back to the way the first century church did it.