THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
(extensive)

What is the church of Christ ?
Can Christ’s church exist today ?
Is the church of Christ Important ?
What are its distinctive marks ?
Need I be a member of it ?

· Historians and Scholars Regarding The Church of Christ
When Historians and Scholars write about “the church” of history they often refer to it as “the church of Christ.” Certainly this is a most appropriate as well as Scriptural designation for Christ’s Church.

· Affirmation Regarding The Church of Christ
Some 2000 years ago the church of Christ was established and today it can have the same names, worship, terms of membership and organization. As we seek this church of Christ we will have to go back...way back, back past all the dark and dismal ages of apostasy, and back past the low level of human wisdom with their doctrines and commandments. Back, yes, but back to the very fountainhead of the river of truth. And yet upward! Upward to Heaven to see the church as it was in the first century as designed by God Almighty and brought into fruition by His own Son.

· Jesus And The Church of Christ
The only church of Christ that we should be interested in learning about is the one that Jesus Christ the very Son of God Himself built. As recorded by a New Testament writer Jesus said, “I will build My church.” He said this directly following the bed-rock confession given by the disciple Peter - specifically, that Jesus was “the Christ , the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16-18).

What the passage teaches: First, “I will build my church” shows that the church was to be built by Jesus. Second, “I will build My church” shows that it was to be done sometime in the future. Third, “I will build My church” shows that it would take some “work” on the part of its builder. Fourth, “I will build My church” shows that whenever this church was built it belonged to Christ. Fifth, “I will build My church” shows, by the meaning of the word church, that it would be made up of “called out” people from the world.

· The Purchased Price Of The Church of Christ
We learn from the book of Acts, chapter 20 and verse 28, that the purchase price for the church was the precious life-blood of the Lord: “...the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” This was the “work” required on the part of its builder! (Jn. 17:4). It cost the shedding of blood - of Jesus’ own blood. As we measure the value of an item by what it cost, how important this church of Christ must be!

The church does not save, but the church is made up of the saved: In his essay to the church at Ephesus the apostle Paul beautifully put it in these words:
“ For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does for the church. For we are members of His body...this is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:23-32). The song writer so touchingly puts it - “From heav’n He came and sought her To be His holy bride; With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.”

· The Beginning Of The Church of Christ
The great church of our Lord Jesus Christ was eternally purposed: “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Eph. 2:10-11).
And when Jesus came to this old earth He was about to “accomplish” that “eternal purpose.” Promised He, “I will build My church.” After the shedding of His blood at Calvary (paying the price for “the church”), after His resurrection, after spending 40 special days with His disciples on earth, after His ascension to Heaven (taking with Him, spiritually speaking, the offering of His blood before God’s throne; Heb. 9:23-26;10:11-14) all things were ready for the church of Christ to be a reality.

Whenever the full gospel of Christ would be preached (the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus) and people would respond to this gospel, those who did so would in fact be “the church of Christ.” And so it was. In Acts chapter 2 we read of the first gospel sermon ever preached (2:22-40). Those who responded to this gospel message were “added to the church” by “the Lord” (2:47). From that time on we read of the church of Christ in the present tense (Acts 8:1; Co. 1:13). What happened in Acts 2 was referred to as “the beginning” (Acts 11:15). The church of Christ began in the city of Jerusalem in the year 33 AD following the Death, Burial, Resurrection and Ascension of Christ. The day the church began...the birthday of the church of Christ, was on a Jewish Feast Day, the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1ff).

· The Only Head and Foundation Of The Church of Christ
“ And He (Christ) 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.” “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:22-23). “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus.” “...members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone” (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:19-20; 2 Pet. 1:6). Jesus has “all authority” both “in heaven and on earth” (Mt. 28:18). “See that you do not refuse Him who speaks...from heaven” (Heb. 12:25). The head of the church, Jesus Christ is quartered in His headquarters in Heaven; which is the only headquarters of His church - the church of Christ.

· The Apostles and Prophets In The Church of Christ
The original apostles of Jesus Christ and the New Testament prophets are still very important in the church of Christ. Those original apostles and prophets wrote down the
messages they received from the Holy Spirit, and we have their record in our possession in the New Testament. Paul wrote “how that by revelation He made know to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:” (Eph. 3:3-5).

Continual revelation is not taught in the Scriptures; God’s New Testament word constitutes “all truth” (Jn. 16:13; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 3; 2 Jn. 9). Apostolic succession is not taught in the Scriptures; The word of the original apostles’ is sufficient (1 Cor. 14:37; Gal. 1:6-10). The apostle Peter made preparations for “these things” that he taught while he was alive to be available to the church of Christ and to all “after (his) decease.” And it had nothing to do with any successor to him. It had everything to do with leaving a written record of the “present truth” (2 Peter 1:12-15; 3:1-3). In God’s providence we have that “truth” in the 27 books of the New Testament (Mt. 24:35). The church of Christ has the same apostles and prophets by means of this written document, the last will and testament of Jesus Christ (Heb. 9:15-17). It is complete, thorough and sufficient. A God inspired Book (2 Tim.3:16-17).

The only way the Holy Spirit of God teaches and convicts anyone today is through the final revelation He gave to mankind (Jn.16:5-15; Acts 2:37; Eph. 6:17), through the written or preached gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16-17; 10:14-17). Because of the love of sin and error, Jesus said that such will “not come to the light” (Jn.3:19-2). Paul put it about the same way in 2 Thess 2:11-12. Many will “perish” and will not “be saved” because they “...did not receive the love of the truth,...”

· The Means of Reproduction Of The Church of Christ
Jesus said “the seed is the word of God” (Lk 8:11) and He also talked about “the word of the kingdom” (Mt. 13:19). The word is the seed that propagates the kingdom of God, the church of Christ. Therefore in any age, place or time the same “kingdom” can be forthcoming by simply taking the same seed or word of God and planting it into “honest and good hearts” (Mt. 23:15).

It is important that we sow only the pure “seed” and that we beware of any “tares” (Mt. 13:24-25). For Jesus said “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Mt. 15:12; 7:15-29; Ps. 127:1). “Tares” come today in many shapes and sizes: Creeds, Manuals, Catechisms, Curriculums, Articles of Faith, Extra Books such as: the Book of Mormon, Material from the Watchtower Society, So-called Inspired Writings from the Seventh Day Adventists, Eastern Religions, The Koran; and all other religious that take their teachings from any other source than from the Bible alone.

The New Testament warns of apostasies, false doctrines, human philosophies, etc. “Now the Spirit expressly says that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own consciences seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth” (1 Tim.4:1-3). “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the traditions of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ” (Col. 2:8). Jesus said “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons on Your name, and done many wonders in your name?’ “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Mt. 7:21-23; see also verses 13-19).

· Membership In The Church of Christ
On the very first day that the church came into existence (as noted previously), when the gospel of Christ was preached, when those who heard that gospel were so convicted and convinced they asked “what shall we do?,” the apostles’ immediate answer to those honest souls was “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...” (Acts 2:38).

The record continues to tell us that from this sermon some “three thousand souls were added...”. They were “added” when they “gladly receive his word (and) were baptized” (Acts 2:41). “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (2:47).

The very same answer should be given to all today: “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins...” This is exactly what Jesus had commanded before His return to Heaven. “He who believes and is baptized will be saved...” (Mk. 16:16; Mt. 28:18-20; Lk. 24:46-47). And this is exactly what we read in the book of Acts that others did in obedience to the precious gospel: 8:12-13; 8:35-40; 9:1:18; 10:47-48; 16:11-15; 16:25-34; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16.

From Acts 8:35-39; Rom.6:3-4; Col 2:12 and from the Greek word itself for “baptism” we understand that water baptism for the remission of sins is to be by total immersion. “Buried with Him in baptism.” Any church claiming to be a church of Christ needs to practice the primitive form of baptism - by immersion; and baptism “for the remission of sins.” “Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord”
(Acts 22:16). It is at the final act of obedient-faith in becoming a Christian that our sins are cleansed or washed away by the blood of Jesus . That final act is water baptism. (Mt. 26:28 with Acts 2:38). Following one’s baptism he or she is to be “faithful unto death” (Rev. 2:10).

· The Universal Church of Christ
In the universal sense the church of Christ consists of every member belonging to Christ the world over, both dead and living (Heb. 12:22-24). In the universal sense the church of Christ has not been given any apparatus for organization. No diocese. No connected societies. No central church. It is, if you please, an organism: Christ is “the head of the church” (Col 1:18) and each member responding to their head Jesus Christ, acts independently of the whole body but toward a common goal of the whole body (Eph.4:16). The only tie that binds Christians in the universal church is love. “Love the brotherhood” (1 Pet. 2:17). “to Him (God) be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:21). Being of the human race, we will perform the milk of human kindness to all as we have the opportunity and means (Lk. 10:25-37); but as Christians under Christ we will even go the second mile in regard to the same (Mt. 5:41; Gal.6:10; James 1:26-27).

·The Local Church of Christ
In the local sense the church of Christ consists of every member belonging to Christ in a given place: The individual congregations such as “the church of God at Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2) or “the churches of Christ” (Rom.16:16).

In the local sense the church of Christ does have organizational features. It has been given obligations and duties which allow it to function as a unit or as one. Being composed of local members (and elders and deacons when qualified men are appointed - Phil. 1:1) the local church of Christ has a treasury (1 Cor. 16:1-2), it can appoint special servants and duties (Acts 14:23; 6:1-3; Rom. 16:1-2), it is to carry out functions that only could be carried out by a local church (1 Thess. 5:12-14; 1 Pet. 5:1-3), it can discipline its own members (1 Cor.5:4-5), it has, as it were, a mail address - “to the church at...”; “the church in your house,” etc. It can technically be described as an entity...a body politic, i.e., a group of Christians acting as one. It is totally autonomous and independent.

In the local church, when fully developed, there are to be elders or overseers, deacons or special servants and, of course, all the other “saints” or members (Phil. 1:1: Acts 14:13). The elders are those who are to be specially qualified (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9) to “pastor” or “shepherd (feed) the (local) flock of God” (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). The deacons are to minister in duties of a more menial type (Acts 6:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:8-13). A preacher’s work is to contribute to the evangelizing of the world as well as to “instruct the brethren” (1 Tim.1:3;4:6; 2 Tim. 4:1-5). All the members are to co-operate and work together for the great Cause of Christ under the supervision of their overseers (Heb. 13:17; Eph. 2:10). As the great apostle Paul suffered and sacrificed “for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Col. 1:24), so should every child of God (to some degree) today.

· The Work Of The Church of Christ
God has assigned work to be done by each local church of Christ. Not to be done through any Centralized concept or Human Institution such as: Schools (“Christian” or otherwise), Missionary Societies, Benevolent Societies, Sponsoring Churches, etc. But work to be done by and through the local church and it only.

The divine record reveals that the local church is to (1) preach the gospel as far and as wide as it possibly can - Phil. 4:15-16; 1 Thess. 1:8, etc., (2) teach and edify itself in the gospel/doctrine of the Lord Jesus - 1 Cor. 14:26, 40; Acts 20:7, etc., and (3) relieve the needs of its members who are truly in need - 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Rom. 15:25-17; 2 Cor. 8-9; 1 Tim.5:16, etc.
When every local church of Christ is doing its work, in this manner there is co-operation among the churches of Christ. When each church is operating at the command of the Great Commander to a common goal and work of all the churches of Christ, this is co-operation, concurrent co-operation.

Conspicuous by its absence is any reference in the divine record of the local church engaging in any recreational or sporting functions, business ventures, fund-raising bazaars or enterprises, inter-church rallies, day-care centers, entertainment pageants, music spectacles, showy exhibitions, secular events, special holy days (Gal. 4:10-11), etc.
The heaven-designed church of Christ is a spiritual body. It is not only divine in origin, but it is also divine in nature. By means of the gospel His church has been “called” to a better work ...to a much higher and holier work than that of the secular and social (2 Thess.2:13-14). Peter wrote that as Christians we are to “... proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:9). And Paul penned “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1:13).

The Government has its realm of activity in God’s plan (Rom. 13; Mt. 22:17-21); the Community/Society and Business Enterprises have their functions as God arranged it (Rom. 13:7-10; Eph. 4:28; Mt. 5:46-47; Lk. 8:5; Acts 18:1-3; 28:1-2, etc.). But the church of Christ has been assigned by God a very special and unique roll (Mk.16:15). God desires that the church be the church, and that it not be a glorified glee club or any other such thing.

· The Worship To Be Practiced By The Church of Christ
Unlike present day practices in most of our modern denominational churches the worship of the early church of Christ was simple and uncluttered. It simply consisted of prayers, singing, hearing the word of God read and lessons delivered from it, “first day of the week” giving of our means to the Lord for His Cause and “first day of the week” partaking of the Lord’s Supper - as Jesus lovingly requested “in remembrance of Me. ” We can read all this in these passages as Acts 2:42; 12:12; Eph. 5:19; Col 3:16; Acts 20:7; 1 Cor.16:1-2; 10:16; 11:23-16. Christians who truly love the Lord will heed the Hebrew writers admonition: “not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together...” (Heb. 10:25).

By every Christian in each local church of Christ worshipping God “from the heart” (Jn. 4:24; Rom. 6:17) in the above described ways, those churches were doing “...all in the name of the Lord Jesus” (by His authority- Col. 3:17) and were “observ(ing) all things I (Jesus) have commanded...” (Mt. 28:20). Worshipping God “in spirit and in truth” (Jn. 4:24; 17:17).

We need to notice that in the worship of the New Testament churches of Christ there were no liturgical rites, no candles, no special orchestra, choir or singers, no instrumental improvising, no dazzling entertainment, no robed priests, no solemn-mood-setting contrivances, no incense, no confessional booth, no special-days activities, etc., etc.

· The Life-Style Of The Church of Christ
The life-style of Christians is not to be characterized by asceticism (“extreme self-denial as a measure of personal and esp. spiritual discipline” - Webster; like a hermit life or a “neglect of the body” life - Col. 2:23) nor is it to be driven to enjoy extreme luxuries.

Certainly those who are members of the church of Christ are not to be seeking sensual and sinful - worldly pleasures; on the other hand, they are not to be so detached from this life that they would, in Paul’s words “have to go out of the world” (1 Cor. 5:10).

The following references are given for further study: Rom. 12:1-2; Chapters 4-6 of Ephesians; Colossians 3; 1 Peter 2:11-12; 4:1-4; 1 John 2:15-17; Matthew 11:18-19, and many others. Marriage regulations and responsibilities are clearly stated not only for the church but for all people (Mt. 19:1-9; Rom.7:1-3; 1 Cor. 7; Eph. 5).

· The Priesthood Regarding The Church of Christ
Jesus Christ is our “High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens” (Heb. 8:1). Every Christian is a priest with the wonderful privilege of going direct to God the Father through Jesus Christ. “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus” (2 Tim.2:5). “you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5,9).

Those who are the evangelists, ministers, overseers and deacons (special servants) in the church of Christ are not to be elevated to any Clergy rank. Those performing such duties
are not to be titled as Reverend, Holy Father, Pastor, or with any other title of adoration which separates them from the rest of the members. All religious titles such as “Father” are forbidden by Jesus. The Savior says “you are all brethren” (Mt. 23:8-9). Brethren of equal standing before God. We are “all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal.3:26-29; 1 Tim. 2:5). As God made “no distinction between” Jew and Gentile insofar as the terms of salvation are concerned (Acts 15:9), He wants us to make no distinction as regards class.

· Biblical Designations For The Church of Christ
Names, designations or appellations are important for the identification of anyone or anything. There is a lot in a name! In the New Testament of the Lord Jesus the names of the church that we read therein, have special significance. They show ownership and relationship. First of all by the Savior’s own promise found in Matthew 16:18 we understand that since the universal church was to be built by Him, a proper designation for His church would be the church of Christ. And in Romans 16:16 we read of a number of local congregations being referred to as “the churches of Christ...” Of course then just one congregation would be a church of Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:2 the church at Corinth is called “the church of God, “ and in 2 Thesssalonians 1:4 a number of local congregations are called “the churches of God.” Since many churches are designated “churches of God” and from Scripture we learn that one congregation is termed “the church of God,” the same would be true with regard to “the churches of Christ.” In Acts 20:28 the church at Ephesus in some versions is called “the church of the Lord.” Other than the church being referred to as His “kingdom,” His “body” and God’s “house”” (Col. 1:13,18; 1 Tim. 3:15), the only other reference is to “the church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven” (Heb. 12:23). In this text the idea is that of the church consisting of those who are children of God, and not that in any way the church belongs to Christians. Therefore the church should not be designated as the Christian Church or the Brethren Church.

In modern day Christendom and Denominationalism there are a multitude of names such as - The Lutheran Church, The Baptist Church, The Presbyterian Church, The Roman Catholic Church, The Methodist Church, The Alliance Church, The Mormon Church, The
Adventist Church, The Mennonite Church, The Pentecostal Church, etc., etc. Some seem to come nearer to the truth by giving to their churches such names as - The Open Bible Church, The Bible Chapel, The Gospel Hall, etc., but in so doing they too are rejecting the God-given names. Others appeal to names that they feel will attract more people like - The United Church, The Community Church, The Highway Church, The Friendly Church, The Victory Church, Praise The Lord Church, etc., etc. In so doing they are a testimony to the dislike of the designations that God has given. Question? What is wrong with wearing only the names that God has given and that show both ownership and relationship to Him and to His Son Jesus Christ?

The only new name (Isa. 62:2) for those who are His people as it relates to them in an individual capacity is the name Christian. It is used of those belonging to Jesus three times in the New Testament (Acts 11:26; 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16). This name given by God Himself gives both honor to Christ and indicates servitude to Him by His humble servants who proudly wear this name and this name only.

Today we see many divisive (1 Cor. 1:10-13) names which give honor to some man or to some special doctrine (Biblical or not). Names like - Lutherans, Mormons, Mennonites, Methodists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Adventists, etc., etc.

These human names are symptomatic of a deeper sin - a loyalty to party doctrines and cherished traditions. They must wear them to identify their unique positions. But they stand foursquare against Jesus’ High Priestly prayer for Unity as found in John 17:20-23. Hardly can any claiming to be followers of Christ be “one” when they designate themselves by names other than the God-given ones and practice things he did not teach.

· The Original Church of Christ
Is it possible today to see the original church of Christ in all the above ways? Yes! In fact there are congregations of Christ throughout the world today that are striving to be nothing more and nothing less than churches of Christ. Churches with no human-in-origin names, doctrines, policies, hierarchies, creeds, manuals, baptisms, works, organizations, etc. God has given us a blueprint to follow so that in any age the same church of Christ can exist. As an apostle (one sent) of Christ Paul said that Christians are to look to “my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church” (1 Cor. 4:17; 9:1; 11:1).

The plea to you dear friends is to obey the precious gospel of Christ. “Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.” (Acts 2:38). In so doing you will automatically become a member of the Lord’s universal body, the church of Christ. For “the Lord added (and will add) to the church daily such as were (or are) being saved” (Acts 2:47). Then “join” yourself to a sound, faithful, local church of Christ (Acts 9:26). The size of a local church is not the important thing, but your membership in a local church of Christ is very important.

“ Let party names and creedals fall; and Jesus Christ be all in all”
The true church of Christ is “Heaven sent, Blood bought and Spirit filled.”

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