Thomas Campbell as been regarded as “the architect of the Restoration Movement.” He was the one who really got the ball rolling for this movement to begin. Thomas is best known for his work among The Christian Association of Washington. This group was not a church, but was a group of church reform advocates. Thomas Campbell wrote a document called The Declaration and Address to identify the purpose of this association. That document became the single most influential document of the entire Restoration Movement. Thomas Campbell said some of the most famous words of the entire movement in describing the basic principle of this group. Here’s what he said:
“Where the Bible speaks, we speak. Where the Bible is silent, we are silent.”
This principle was one of the most earth shattering statements of the Restoration Movement. In fact, it was so shocking that one man responding by saying, “Mr. Campbell, if we adopt that as a basis, then there is an end to infant baptism.” Thomas Campbell’s reply was, “if infant baptism be not found in Scripture, we can have nothing to do with it.”
Too many people who wear the name “Christian” today aren’t speaking where the Bible speaks, and are speaking loudly where the Bible is completely silent. If we want to be true biblical Christians, we must base everything we do out of the Bible. We must take the Bible as our only guide, and speak where it speaks, and be silent where it is silent.
Thomas Campbell was one of the most influential preachers of the Restoration Movement because he based everything he did on this principle. We need more people today like Thomas Campbell who will speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent.
—Kolton Ballance
Creating Ballance 