No one will deny that the bible talks about a church. But whose church? Which church? What church? These questions, and many others, will be answered in time, but right now we want to find out what the church is.
Let us begin by pointing out what it is not. The church as described in the bible is not Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish. It is not denominational, inter-denominational, or sectarian. It is not a political organization, just another social organization, and neither is it a material meeting house. So if it is none of these, what is it?
The majority of people do not understand the church because the do not know what it is. Consequently, they do not understand the purpose of it, the importance of it, or the work of it. But the bible plainly tells us what it is. The word church comes from the Greek word ekklesia, which means “the called out.” So the church is a called out body of people, those who have been called out of the world and into the kingdom of God’s dear Son (Colossians 1:13) It is the spiritual body of Christ
(1Corinthians 12:27), made up of those who have obeyed Christ (Hebrews 5:8-9), and are therefore saved by him and added to his church (Mark 16:16; Act 2:47). Another way of putting it, the church consists of the followers of Christ.
The word church appears in the bible in two senses. First, it is spoken of in the universal sense. This is what Christ had in mind when he said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). There are many other verses where the word church is used in the same way, speaking of the church in a universal sense. That is, wherever the church may be found in the world, if it is the bible church, it is the church which Jesus said he would build. Second, it is spoken of in the local sense. For instance, when Paul was writing to the church at Rome, and speaking of the various congregations, he said, “The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16). He wasn’t speaking of a number of churches, in the sense of denominations, but rather a number of local congregations of the Lord’s church.
To further explain, you will note that the scriptures speak of the church at Corinth, the church at Ephesus, the church at Philippi, etc. (1Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1: Philippians 1:1). All of this is confusing to some people because they are accustomed to thinking of the church only in the terms of denominationalism. But you will not read of the first denomination in the word of God. In the foregoing cases, you have a number of congregations spoken of and each congregation is the Lord’s church in it’s church in its particular community, but all of them together compose the church universal. It is so simple when denominationalism is forgotten and one goes to the bible and sees the church as the Lord gave it .
To further help us to understand the meaning of the church, let us realize that the bible pictures the church as being:
The church is thus defined. Please study these matters in light of the scriptures and see for yourself. If you will see the church as God intended for you to see it, then your whole attitude will be changed, and perhaps even your life.
The
Coming of the Church
The church did not come into existence overnight. It was planned, prophesied, promised, and then established. The Bible shows all of this clearly.
First, the church existed in the mind of God. Paul declares this unto the saints at Ephesus. He said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.” (Ephesians 1:3-6) Please note that he is talking to the church at Ephesus and he says God had chosen them before the foundation of the world. That means that God was thinking about the church even before the world was created. That is, he was planning it at that time, and so it originated in the mind of God. How absurd then to belittle and underrate that which God planned from the beginning.
Second, the church was spoken of in prophecy on numerous occasions. Isaiah said, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:2,3). Joel stated, “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days” (Joel 2:28,29). Then Daniel pointed out, “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom in which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever” (Daniel 2:44). Now let us draw some conclusions:
1. The kingdom would be established in the last days.
2. It would be established in the mountains.
3. All nations would flow unto it.
4. The Lord would pour out his Spirit upon all flesh.
5. It would be established in the days of the fourth world empire.
6. It would consume all other kingdoms and stand forever.
Now, where is all of this fulfilled? Read Acts chapter 2.
Third, the church was promised. John said it was at hand (Matthew 3:2). That means it was near by or would soon be established. Christ promised, “And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “And He said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mark 9:1). “Then He said to them, Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:46-49). Now observe these facts:
1. The kingdom was near.
2. Christ promised to build it in spite of death.
3. Some of those who were with Christ would still be living at the time of its establishment.
4. It would come with power.
5. Repentance and remission of sins would be preached in his name among all nations.
6. It would begin in Jerusalem.
7. The apostles would be endued with power from on high in the city of Jerusalem.
Please keep all of these points in mind as we come finally to the establishment of the church and you will see all of this unfold.
If you read Acts chapter 2 very carefully, you will see why all bible scholars admit that the church was established at this time. The place was Jerusalem, the time was the last days, the days of kings of the Roman Empire, the power came, repentance and remission of sins were preached to all nations, and the church has been in existence ever since. So, the church that God had in his mind was established, the prophecies concerning it were fulfilled, and the promises regarding it were kept.
In Acts Chapter 2 we found that the Apostles were in the city of Jerusalem, Acts 2:1-6 said, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language” (Acts 2:1-6)
The record continues to tell of the many nations that were represented, “So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, whatever could this mean? Others mocking said, they are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams . . .And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:12-17, 21).
After showing that all that was happening was in fulfillment of the prophecies of old, Peter launches into his sermon. He shows how that Jesus was a man approved of God among them by miracles and wonders and signs which God did by him in their midst. Next he tells how that Christ had been taken and delivered up to the counsel and by wicked hands had been crucified and slain. Then he points out that God had raised him up, having loosed the pains of death. To convince his audience of this he quoted David to show that Christ lived, died, had been buried and resurrected, and had then ascended into heaven to sit upon the throne at the right hand of God.
Continuing, he said, “This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool. Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Then Peter said to them, “Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call. And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. . . And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:32-41,47).
In the foregoing passage of scripture the Lord’s church was established. You will notice that all of it took place in Jerusalem. The power of the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles. What took place was in fulfillment of the prophecies of old. Peter specifically said, “But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16), so there can be no doubt about this. Furthermore, since the prophets had said these things would happen in the last days, and since Peter said it was occurring as the prophet had said it would, then the church was established in the last days. All nations were present on that day as repentance and remission of sins were preached, and about 3000 were obedient, were saved, and added to the church. Therefore, Christ established the church in Jerusalem A.D. 33 and it has been in existence ever since.
How would you set out to locate a long lost friend? Naturally, you would gather all of the marks of identification and then begin the search. Only after finding the individual that matched every mark of identification, would you accept him as being the one that you were seeking. Likewise, there are many churches in the world. How can one know which is the right one, the genuine one? How can one know which one is Christ’s church? You must take all of the marks of identification and compare the various churches with them. Only after you find the one that matches every mark of identification can you be sure you have found the right one. But what are the marks of identification? Where are they found? The bible is the answer.
1. Christ established the church. “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18).
2. It had its beginning in Jerusalem. This is seen in Luke 24:45-49 and Acts 2:5.
3.
The date of origin was A.D. 33. This is also based
on Acts 2, with the church being established on the day of Pentecost.
4.
The church wore the name of Christ. Speaking of the various congregations,
Paul wrote, “The churches of Christ greet you” (Romans 16:16). He further says, in speaking to the church
at Corinth, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually”
(1Corinthians 12:27). But what is the
body? The church (Ephesians 1:22-23).
5.
Its members were called Christians. “And the disciples were first called
Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26).
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, You almost persuade me to become a
Christian” (Acts 26:28). “Yet if anyone
suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this
matter” (1Peter 4:16). And finally,
remember, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
6.
Christ is the only head. “And He is the head of the
body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in
all things He may have the preeminence” (Colossians 1:18).
7.
There is but one.
“There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called in one
hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4).
But what is the body? It is the
church (Colossians 1:18). Therefore if
there is one body and it is the church, there is but one church.
8.
There are terms for entering the church. These include faith (Hebrews 11:6),
repentance (Acts 17:30), confession of faith (Romans 10:9-10) and baptism (Mark
16:16). Once one is saved he is added
to the church (Acts 2:47). Also Romans
6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27; and 1Corinthians 12:13 teach that one is baptized
into Christ and his church. Through
obeying these commands one is said to be born into the church or the kingdom
(John 3:3-5).
9.
The worship of the church is peculiar. Christians are to assemble on the first
day of the week (Acts 20:7) to sing (Ephesians 5:19), to pray (Acts 2:42), to
study (2Timothy 2:15), to partake of the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7) and to give
(1Corinthians 16:2).
10.
The doctrine of the church is based on the Bible
only. It is accepted without
addition, subtraction, or substitution (Revelation 22:18-19). The bible is the one and only creed of the
church. Additional books or creeds are
rejected.
11.
The organization of the church must be according to
God’s plan. Christ is the head
(Ephesians 5:23) and each congregation is to have its own elders and deacons
(1Timothy 3; Titus 1). The Lord’s
church does not have any earthly head or headquarters and neither does it have
national or international man-made organization.
12.
The mission of the church is three-fold. Its work is to preach the gospel (Mark
16:15-16), to help those in need (Galatians 6; James 2), and to edify the
members (Hebrews 3:12-14).
13.
Each Christian must live the faithful Christian
life. We can not love the world
(1John 2:15; James 4:4), but must produce the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Only the faithful will receive the crown of
life (Revelation 2:10).
NAMES OF THE CHURCH
I.
There is something in a name.
1.
God believes there is something in a name.
(a) Abram’s
name changed to Abraham. (Genesis 17:5)
(b) Sarai’s
name changed to Sarah. (Genesis 17:15)
(c) Jacob’s
name changed to Israel. (Genesis 32:28)
(d) He
designated John’s name before his birth.
(Luke 1:13)
(e) He
designated Christ’s name before His Birth.
(Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:31)
(f) Christ
changed Peter’s name. (John 1:42)
(g) The
apostles gave a surname to Joseph.
(Acts 4:36)
(h) Saul’s
name was changed to Paul. (Acts 13:9)
2.
The apostolic Christians had a distinct name.
(a) They
“were called Christians.” (Acts 11:26)
(b) They
were to glorify God in that name. (1Peter 4:16)
II.
The names by which the church is called.
1.
In relation to God, the church is called:
(a) “The
church of God.” (1Corinthians 1:1-2)
(b) “The
churches of God.” (1Thessalonians 2:14)
(c) The
“kingdom of God” (2Thessalonians 1:5;
Mark 1:15)
(d) The “flock
of God.” (1Peter 5:2; Acts 20:28)
(e) The
“house of God.” (1Timothy 3:15;
Galatians 6:10)
2.
In relation to Christ, the church is called:
(a) “The
churches of Christ.” (Romans 16:16)
(b) The “body
of Christ.” (1Corinthians 12:27; Colossians
1:18; Ephesians 5:23)
(c) The
“kingdom of Christ.” (Ephesians 5:5)
(d) The bride
of Christ. (Ephesians 5:22-27)
3.
In relation to its members, the church is called.
(a) The
“churches of the saints” (1Corinthians
14:33)
(b) The “church
of the firstborn” (Hebrews 12:23)
4.
In relation to countries, the church is called:
(a) “The
churches in Judea” (Galatians 1:22)
(b) “The
churches of Galatia” (1Corintains 16:1;
Galatians 1:2)
(c) “
The churches of Asia” (1Corinthians 16:19)
(d) “The
churches of Macedonia” (2Corinthians 8:1)
5.
In relation to cities, the church is called:
(a) “The
church of Ephesus” (Revelation 2:1)
(b) “The
church of the Thessalonians”
(1Thessalonians 1:1)
(c) “The
church of the Laodiceans” (Colossian
4:16; Revelation 3:14)
If you are seeking eternal life in the kingdom of God,
you have to become a member of the Church of Christ.
You are invited to come and hear the truth, the gospel.
Be aware of imitation churches! The International Churches of Christ is the biggest deceiver of
earnest truth seekers. As stated
earlier, there is no earthly head office of the Church of Christ, Jesus Christ
is the only head of his church.
Every church that does not abide in the doctrine of God
and follow the bible only, is a denomination and is not of God.
2John 9-10