What does the Central Church of Christ believe? The simple answer is “the Bible”. We view the Bible as what it truly is: God’s message to people of all ages and cultures. A message from God is important enough to study carefully and follow.
More specifically we live by the teachings of the New Testament, as that is the covenant Jesus put into effect when He died on the cross (see Hebrews 8:6-13). We also study the Old Testament, for it teaches us valuable lessons and shows us the timeless nature of God (see Romans 15:4, 1 Corinthians 10:11). But when it comes to guidance on salvation, worship, and Christian living, we look solely to the teaching found in the New Testament.
This is how the earliest Christians arrived at their beliefs. Acts 2:42 tells us this about the first Christians: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (ESV). “The apostles’ teaching” is the same as what we call “the New Testament”, and that is our focus. We also imitate the example of Christians in Berea, described in Acts 17:11: “… they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”
Here’s the bottom line: We don’t believe concepts simply because a person tells us; we accept what they say only if we find that’s what the New Testament teaches. That fact will help you understand why people in our Bible study and worship assemblies always seem to be following along in their Bibles.
Christ has given us truth that will set us free (see John 8:31,32). As Jesus says in that passage, abiding in His word is what makes us His disciples. If the New Testament teaches it, we believe it!