CAMPBELLITES and PENTECOSTALS

By Pastor Charles Perkins

Co-Editor of the Flaming Torch

“The churches of Christ salute you.”  (Romans 16:16b)

 The term “The Church of Christ” is not found in the Bible. It was coined by the followers of Alexander Campbell. (1788-1866). Alexander’s daddy, Thomas Campbell, was a Presbyterian minister. Alex read the Bible and decided baby sprinkling was for the birds (cardinals) so he became a Baptist. Along the way he fell out with the Baptists because they did not believe in baptismal regeneration, although they did “dunk” believers in Christ rather than sprinkling them as babies. Alex thought water baptism was a part of being saved. This is known as baptismal regeneration and is a false doctrine.

Being ignorant of dispensational truth, the Campbellite religion knows nothing about “rightly dividing the word of truth.”  Being a Campbellite Deacon, before I was saved, and having preached in a Campbellite church, I must say there are many kind and dedicated people who have been deceived by the false doctrines of Campbellism.

My grandmother was a Campbellite.

Another branch of Campbellites is the Disciples of Christ, Christian Church.  This group split with the “Church of Christ” decades ago over church musical instruments. One group said yes to pianos and organs and the other said no, but pitch pipes are okay. J

One of their popular sayings is, “we speak where the scripture speaks and are silent where the scripture is silent.” Of course this is a lot of baloney but it makes them feel better to say it, since they learned it from some guy before them. What they mean is “we are the true church and we follow the Bible as it is in the New Testament.” Campbellites pay very little attention to the Old Testament. It is almost as if it were not really a part of the Bible. Someone has rightly called them: “Southern Catholics.” They take communion every Sunday morning very ritualistically although they do not teach transubstantiation.

Alex and his followers started their theology in the wrong place as all false cults do.

For instance, the Church of Rome starts its entire false religion at Matthew 16:18 which puts the blame for the whole ungodly mess (mass) on poor old saint Peter! (They think Peter was “the Rock” and the first Pope). Ha! (1Cor. 10:4)

The Campbellites start their theology with Acts 2:38. When you pin them down, they jump to Mark 16:16. Then they peel out for 1Peter 3:21. After this they will roam over to Romans 6:4. Finally, after you continue to expose their ignorance of the Bible, they will take a big leap to Luke 3:3 or John 3:5. After all of this, they usually will end up back at

Acts 2:38. This is what is known as circular reasoning.

For the purpose of this article we will deal mostly with their favorite verse: Acts 2:38  “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

Pentecost is one of the seven Jewish Feasts called the feast of weeks.  Exodus 34:22 “And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year's end.”  Since the Campbellites and the Pentecostals are pretty much oblivious to the Old Testament, they could not begin to get Acts chapter two right. Every year there has been a day of Pentecost. Since Acts chapter two, nothing has happened.  Moses parted the Red Sea. It was a one-time event. Elijah called down fire. It was a one-time event. The Pentecost in Acts chapter two was a one-time event.

The Campbellites and Pentecostals plow into a Jewish holiday and start grabbing verses as if they applied doctrinally to them in the Church age. This is suicide when trying to rightly divide to word of truth.

2 Tim 2:15  “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

IN ACTS CHAPTER TWO:

1. No one is said to be praying.

2. All present are pork abstaining Jews from 16 different countries.

3. There was a rushing mighty wind from Heaven not a lot of hot air from a blubbering idiot.

4. Peter’s message is aimed at the “men of Israel”(verse 22) not a bunch of Gentile water lilies.

5. Nobody spoke in “UNKNOWN” tongues.

6. The tongues were spoken by only “Galilaean Apostles.”

7. The tongues were audible languages, not a lot of silly women, jabbering and rolling on the floor. (1Cor. 14: 34)

8. The tongues were for a sign to the Jews.  (1Cor. 1:22; 14:22)

9. The second coming of Christ and His kingdom is being offered.

10. None of Joel’s prophecy was fulfilled because the House of Israel turned down Peter’s offer of the Kingdom. However, 3,000 people got saved.
11. Peter’s message contains nothing about a blood atonement for sins.
12. The question: “what meaneth this?” in verse 12 is not answered until verse 33
13. This is that” of verse 16 is about what is going to happen (future) not what has already happened. (past)
14. Nobody is asking how to get saved. The question is “what shall we do?” v.37 (Luke 3:10-17)
15. Peter is preaching basically the same message that John the Baptist preached BEFORE THE CROSS!
16. "For” in Acts 2:38 MEANS “because of” not “in order to get”.

Israel got their sins remitted and forgiven in the O.T. on the basis of the blood of the bulls and goats but not “TAKEN AWAY.” (Exodus 34:7; Hebrews 10:11-13) These sins were transgressions of the law of Moses. They were only remitted on a temporary basis and the transgressions still had to be paid for by blood that could “TAKE AWAY SINS.”

When The Lord Jesus Christ showed up, John the Baptist pointed at Him and said “Behold, the Lamb of God, that “TAKETH AWAY” the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)

Speaking of the Lamb of God, Paul wrote:  “Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” (Romans 3:25) Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

Man could not be justified and God could not be just on the basis of animal blood.

When Peter told the men of Israel they had crucified their Messiah but God had raised Him up, the Jews said, “men and brethren, what shall we do?” They did not ask the question that the Philippian jailer asked: “what must I do to be saved?” When Peter told them to repent and get baptized “for the remission of sins” the baptism was a picture of judgment to come if they didn’t obey, because the price of their transgressions had now been paid for with the precious blood of Christ. And if they did, God would send Jesus back to set up His kingdom after Joel’s prophecy about the tribulation was fulfilled.

Acts 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord; Acts 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

1 Pet 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

1 Pet 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

Now if all of this sounds too complicated, that is why God told you to “study” and “rightly divide” the word of truth. Don’t be like a Campbellite and every time you see the word water, in the Bible, think BAPTISM! And don’t be like a Pentecostal who every time he reads Acts 2:38 he thinks it is a verse to get the Holy Ghost. You could obey Acts 2:38 and get “BAPTIZED” in every river and lake in Wisconsin until every loon and frog could call you by your first name and you would still go to hell like a Pope that didn’t make it to purgatory! Water Baptism does not save nor wash away any sins. It does not take away sins. It does not keep you saved nor help keep you saved. It does not place you into “the Church of Christ nor in the Pentecostal Church nor any other Church. It places you in WATER! It pictures your identification with the Saviour who died on the cross , was buried, suffered the judgment of God, and rose again for our justification.

“Of those on earth, only three are born of water, outright: a mosquito a tadpole and a Campbellite!”  

Please send all objections or other correspondence to