God's Church
THE CHURCH BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST
God's Church
THE CHURCH BELONGS TO JESUS CHRIST
Are all churches part of God’s church? StudyJesus.com is obviously biased, believing the Bible to be the only inspired Word of God. Thus, any study of God’s church we might offer will focus on God’s Holy Word as the primary source of information.
God’s church is Bible based, and its members know when it began, and they practice only what God instructs. So, the “template” available to us in our study begins in Acts 2. Of particular note is verse 47: “…praising God and having favor with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” In other words, the Lord does the adding, not man. There is no spiritual power in a membership list developed by man. Obviously, the Lord knows who is and who is not in His church. If we follow the Bible examples, always keeping in mind that the foundational basis for all that is done in matters of the church is God’s Word, the Bible, then we have the assurance by His grace that we, too, are added.
In the past we have concluded that there are twenty-two Biblical designations for the Lord’s church1. However, after a more in-depth study of every verse that mentions the church, we have come to realize that one distinguishing earmark of the Lord’s church is this: it’s namelessness.2 The King James Version of the Bible refers to Christians as the “church” 112 times, as follows: (1) Jesus calls it “my church” one time [Matt. 16:18], a phrase showing ownership, not a name of the church. (2) It is called “the church” 95 times [beginning in Matt. 18:17], with no name attached. (3) It is called the “church of God” 12 times [beginning in Acts 20:28], a phrase denoting ownership: Jesus and His Father are co-owners [John 17:10] – not a name for Jesus’ church. (4) Some Christians were called “the churches of the Gentiles” [Rom. 16:4], a phrase describing non-Jewish members, not a church name. (5) The phrase “the churches of Christ” occurs one time [Rom. 16:16], a phrase that denotes ownership, not a name for Jesus’ church. In parallel, the phrase “the horses of John” tells who owns the horses, not the names of the horses. (6) The phrase “the churches of the saints” occurs one time [1 Cor. 14:33], denoting the character of Christians, not a church name. (7) The phrase “the church of the firstborn” occurs one time [Heb. 12:23]. It is not uncommon to find those who think that the word “firstborn” in Hebrews 12:23 refers to Jesus, as in Romans 8:29; Colossians 1:15, 18; and Revelation 1:5, but in Hebrews 12:23 the word “firstborn” is plural, meaning the “firstborn people,” a figurative expression describing the elevated position of Christians. The King James translators knew that the word in the Greek is plural, and so they wrote about “the church of the firstborn which are written in heaven” using the plural verb “are.” Thus the phrase “the church of the firstborn” is a complimentary designation of church members, not a church name.
There are thirty-nine meeting places mentioned in the New Testament where the Lord’s church gathered together3.
The church, the body of Christ, is the “people,” not bricks and mortar or a name on a mail box or a sign, or attached in some way to a building of some type. Jesus did not want division. He said: “ask not only on behalf of these but also on behalf of those who will believe in Me through their work, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in Me and I am in You, may they also be in Us, so that the world may believe You have sent Me. The glory that You have given Me I have given them, so that they may be one, so that the world may know that You have sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me” (John 17:20-23).
The Lord’s statement is clear and very strong. Consider also 1 Corinthians 1:10-13: “Now I appeal to you by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you be in agreement and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose … Has Christ been divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?”
Since Christ is one, the church that belongs to Him must also be one. Christian unity derives from the cross of Christ. Therefore, the church that Christ died for is intended to be non- denominational by its very nature and purpose. One cannot claim to be non-denominational and then proceed to denominate himself. We are keenly aware that divisions exist, but they exist because of what man has done – not because of what God intended.
But who are these people who are members of the Biblical church, “the Lord’s house,” the “church of the Living God,” or “kingdom” of God? What distinguishes God’s church from hundreds of other churches existing today?
The phrases, “the Lord’s house,” “church of the Living God,” and “kingdom,” raise a number of questions. This designation can either express the height of human arrogance and religious bigotry or it speaks of a profound humility before God and a genuine respect for what His Word says about the Biblical church. And so we ask the question: “What or who is the church that belongs to Jesus Christ?”
One may remark that we have assumed too much by asking such a question. But perhaps it will help us find answers to questions, such as: Are all churches part of God’s church? Are all churches uniquely joined to Christ? If not, then how can we know the Biblical church? How can we find God’s church?
First, we suggest that the church belonging to Jesus Christ was divinely planned. Seven hundred years prior to Christ’s appearance on the earth, Isaiah predicted and described the coming “Lord’s house.” Regarding this coming event, 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 about 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 of 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” (2:2-3).
It is significant that shortly after the announcement in the New Testament that the “last days” had come (Acts 2:16-17), the Apostle Paul explained what Isaiah’s “the Lord’s house” was: “These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, and the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14-15).
Similarly, the Old Testament prophet Daniel, prompted by God’s spirit while in Babylonian bonds, depicted a “kingdom” to come sometime in the future: “And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom 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” (2:44).
When Jesus did appear, the concern of God’s prophets for “the Lord’s house” – “church of the living God,” the “kingdom” – was not forgotten. In fact, Jesus renewed these hopes and pointed even more definitely to the time of their fulfillment. Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, preached this coming kingdom as a central emphasis in his ministry of preparation for the Christ. Matthew wrote: “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (3:1-2). After His temptations in the wilderness, Jesus began His public teaching on this note: “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matthew 4:17). This decisive announcement was the heart of Jesus’ teaching, especially to the nation of Israel who should have been in great readiness for Isaiah’s “Lord’s house” and Daniel’s “kingdom.” At one point during His ministry, Jesus promised: “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).
Throughout the New Testament the kingdom of God, the house of God, and the church are identified as one and the same spiritual reality. When Isaiah predicted “the house of God,” he was describing the same thing that Daniel promised in the phrase “the kingdom of God.” And as we have already seen, the New Testament defines the “house of God” as “the church of the living God” (1 Timothy 3:15).
Both the kingdom of God and the church are mentioned in one very significant incident in Jesus’ life. On one occasion Jesus inquired of His disciples, “Who do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13) After receiving a variety of wrong answers, He asked: “But who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15) As usual, the Apostle Peter was quickest to reply: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus responded: “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you but my Father who is in heaven. And I also 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. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19, ASV).
Several significant truths are taught in this conversation recorded in the Gospel of Matthew: (1) The main point of the conversation is Jesus’ identity. Unless He is God’s Son nothing else, including the church, is important. (2) The truth that He is the promised Son of God and Savior of men is divinely revealed. (3) This discussion of His divinity led naturally and consequentially to Jesus’ discussion of His church, which would be founded on the revealed fact of His divine Sonship. (4) Jesus uses interchangeably the terms “My church” and “the kingdom of heaven.” (5) We therefore conclude that insofar as that eternal realm will ever be known on earth – prior to Christ’s return and the final judgment – the church is the kingdom of heaven. In other words, Jesus promised, as He had done from the beginning of His ministry that the church was just around the corner.
The Church’s Reality: The New Testament demonstrates the validity of these predictions, promises, and pictures of Christ’s church by revealing its presence among men. Approximately ten days after Christ’s ascension into heaven, the Apostles preached in Jerusalem by the direction of the Holy Spirit (John 14:26; 16:13; Acts 1:4-8; 2:1-4). At the conclusion of their messages that fateful day, about three thousand people accepted the apostolic presentation of Christ (Acts 2:36-47). Luke describes what happened: “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 be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:37-38).
We are then told: “They who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41). The last thing we are told of these early converts introduces the fact of the church’s existence on earth: “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47, KJV). Throughout the rest of the inspired Acts of the Apostles, we read of a revealed, established, existent, and vital “church” that belonged to Christ (Acts 8:1; 9:31).
What was it like? What essential nature did the church that belongs to Jesus Christ have? How are we to properly think of it? Pre-eminently, the Biblical church is “the body of Christ.” “And He is the head of the body, the church, Who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He might have the pre-eminence. I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ for the sake of His body, which is the church” (Colossians 1:18, 24).
This we see more clearly when we learn that Christ ruled the church. In the Apostle Paul’s words: “And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Ephesians 1:22-23). It had many features similar to the human body, which Paul explains in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27. The church’s diverse membership with varying abilities and talents all find unity within her (Romans 12:4-8).
Isaiah’s prophetic description, mentioned earlier, matured into the reality of the church as “the Lord’s House.” Paul explained to Timothy that “the house of God” was “the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15). Not a physical but a spiritual “house” or building, the church was constructed of “living stones,” that is, Christians; all of whom constituted the great priesthood. This is how the Apostle Peter describes the church: “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 Peter 2:5).
Nature of the Church: So, we have learned that God’s church does, in fact, belong to Christ. Jesus paid for it with His blood shed on a cruel cross. This true nature of God’s church is described in the twenty-two Biblical descriptions of the church, stated earlier. Contrary to the confused contemporary scene, the early years of Christianity did not know the denominational titles and labels that now are so widespread. The Biblical church was a united body of people who belonged to God and to His son, Jesus Christ, both in local communities and on a worldwide scale.
How the Church Originates: The intense organization patterns that are warp and woof of our life were unknown in the first hundred years after Christ’s life. One might ask: “How did the church begin?” “By what power was it established?” “By whom was it founded?” As simple as it may appear, the Lord’s church came into being when people submitted to Christ.
Examine carefully the Biblical records of the church’s birthday on that Jewish Pentecost, after Christ’s return to heaven. First, the Apostles received divine guidance according to Christ’s promise (Acts 2:1-4). Second, the crowd gathered anxiously to hear some explanation of the phenomenon surrounding the Holy Spirit descent (Acts 2:5-13). Third, the Apostles preached the new message of Christ (Acts 2:14-36). Fourth, many in that audience responded out of troubled hearts (Acts 2:37). Fifth, they were directed to respond to Christ in repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of their sins (Acts 2:38-40). Sixth, the audience response resulted in about three thousand conversions that day (Acts 2:41, 42). Seventh, the “church” thereby came into being and is so described in Acts 2:43-47. What happened that day? The church came into being when these men and women submitted to Christ.
This emphatic beginning was ratified by the presentation of the Gospel – Jesus Christ as Savior – in Samaria (Acts 9:20). After citing these three areas of missionary enterprise, the inspired historian pauses to record the church’s existence in each of these specific areas: “Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied” (Acts 9:31). This Biblical principle, the church of Jesus Christ always exists where and when men obey Christ, is nowhere held in more brilliant relief than when seen in Paul’s first travels among the Gentiles. Commissioned by “the church” at Antioch (Acts 13:1-3), Paul and Barnabas set out to preach Christ in new territories to the West.
Their first journey is described, city by city, in Acts 13 and 14. After first presenting Christ in the communities mentioned, Paul and Barnabas then retraced their steps “appointing elders in every church” (Acts 14:23). Just a few days earlier, there was no knowledge of Christ; now “the church” was being “set in order” with the appointment of God-ordained leaders or “elders.” In other words, the church comes into being when we submit to Christ.
Is it possible that such a principle could be applied in our day? Consider: Christ is still alive and powerful, and men can still submit to Him as they did in the first century; therefore, the church that belongs to Christ still comes into being by that same submission. It is precisely this point that makes the modern day church that belongs to Jesus Christ unique.
Biblical Information about the Church: The Bible offers us unusually explicit information about the church. We know how it worshipped every week, i.e., singing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 13:15); earnest prayer (Acts 2:42; 12:6); remembering Christ’s death each Sunday in the Communion or Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 10:16; Luke 22:19, 20; Acts 20:7); and giving of a portion of the members’ material wealth (1 Corinthians 16:2).
We also know how God’s church was originally governed. Elders and Deacons exercised important tasks (Philippians 1:1). The words qualification and duty are at the core of Biblical elders. These spiritual, moral and personal qualities of life are given in two of Paul’s epistles: 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 (see 1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 2:5-9; Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
The Biblical standards by which deacons were chosen are also given by Paul in 1 Timothy 3:8- 13. Deacons are truly “servants” within local congregations of Christians, working along with all other members under the spiritual leadership of the elders or bishops (Acts 6:1-6).
The Church Today: With so many different religious organizations it is indeed amazing and exciting to realize for the first time that a fully developed, sufficiently organized, and thoroughly operative church of the New Testament could either exist or be developed today.
Remember our principle, stated earlier: In Biblical days the church that belonged to Christ came into being when people submitted to Christ. The question we asked then, is pertinent now: Since Christ is still living and powerful, and since men can still submit to Him as the Bible directs, will not the church that belongs to Christ come into being by that same submission today, as then?
We have learned in this study that the church is no more or less than all the saved. At Pentecost, when the Gospel was first preached fully and when men obediently responded in repentance and baptism (Acts 2:38), God made them all members of His church or His family (Acts 2:47). When the Apostle Paul talks about the church as the body of Christ, he explains: “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He pleased” (1 Corinthians 12:18). Throughout the New Testament we learn that God so acted whenever and wherever men and women obeyed Jesus Christ. All who bow in troubled concern and submit to the apostolic directions given on the Day of Pentecost, become members of the church that belongs to Christ, by God’s divine actions in their obedient lives. As the Bible tells us: “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let everyone be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38).
God’s church – the church that belongs to Christ – accepts without question the necessity of implementing only those objectives set forth by Christ for His church – evangelism of the lost, edification of Christians, and benevolent involvement with the needy were the imperatives Christ gave His church (Matthew 25:32-45; 28:18-20).
Aware of the clearly revealed worship of New Testament days, the church that belongs to Christ is committed to like worship – respecting God’s will and glorifying Christ. Our Savior said: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:23, 24).
Critical Observations: StudyJesus.com received this email message: “I think there are a lot of faults in the church today, especially the one that I am a member of and preach for. From my view, the church is too narrow-minded; too Bible bound, too introspective, too sectarian, and is segregationist in practice. The church today is not inclined to a life of sacrifice and suffering and is weak because of opulence, materialism and pleasures. It is not inclined to a life of study and worship making it vulnerable to unstable doctrine and guilty of superficial and stereotyped worship. Also, it is not inclined to a life of personal evangelism, almost totally unaware of the lost. The church today is not inclined to a life of benevolent involvement, compartmentalizing Christianity. It has lost sight of the footprints of the one who went about doing good and who said, ‘Come, follow Me.’”
Such personal feelings are deeply troublesome and heartbreaking – especially coming from a preacher. “The Passion of The Christ” movie presented vivid pictures of the pain and agony Jesus suffered for us – establishing His church with blood! As a result, it is difficult to be objective or analytical about the Lord’s church – any more than a husband can be objective about his wife whom he loves dearly.
For example, if one says a man’s wife is too short, the husband will probably say, “No, she is petite and lovely.” Or, on the other hand, an objective person may say of someone else’s wife, “She is extremely tall and unsightly.” The husband says, “No, she is stately and possesses classical beauty.” The loving husband is not looking at his wife through objective eyes, but through eyes of love. When that occurs, beauty is in the eye of the beholder! This is the way we are about the church. When we look, we see loveliness, beauty, and grandeur. We are not objective because we are part of the church. And, when we hear criticisms about the church we find it difficult not to become militantly defensive.
For instance, when one says the church is narrow minded our reaction is, “contend earnestly for the faith” (Jude 3). When one says the church is too Bible bound our reaction is “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16). When someone criticizes the church for being too introspective our reaction is, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who of the household of faith” (Galatians 6:10). When one says the church is sectarian our reaction is, “Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord” (2 Corinthians 6:17a). When someone says the church is segregationist in practice our reaction is, “But the segregation is de facto, not dejure.”
While there is no doubt merit in some criticisms, we believe that such criticisms would be misdirected if applied generally to the church at large. In other words, such faults might reflect local, provincial, or regional traits instead of a general church characteristic. For example, the “Bible bound” charge may reflect the way outsiders see the Lord’s church in the “Bible belt” across the South. The “sectarian” charge may reflect the way outsiders view the Lord’s church in the North or Northwest, where mainline denominations have been entrenched so long.
However, we, too, see four of the faults mentioned by the preacher, as generally characteristic of the 21st century church, thus becoming the bases for more valid criticism of the church at large. As the preacher suggested, they are: (1) the church at large is not inclined to a life of sacrifice and suffering, meaning we are being weakened by opulence, materialism and the pleasure syndrome. (2) The church at large is not inclined to a life of study and worship, meaning we are becoming vulnerable to unstable doctrine and guilty of superficial and stereotyped worship. (3) The church at large is not inclined to a life of personal evangelism, meaning we have not yet caught the personal joy of salvation in Christ and we are not yet conscious that every accountable person is lost, if not in Christ. (4) The church at large is not inclined to a life of benevolent involvement, meaning we have compartmentalized our Christianity. As the preacher so touchingly points out, we have “lost sight of the footprints of the one who went about doing good and who said, ‘Come, follow Me.’”
So, here is the question: How do we face and overcome these four basic faults? We humbly suggest the following: [a] Lack of sacrifice and suffering may be overcome by denying self (Luke 9:23) and serving all (Mark 10:43-45). [b] Lack of study and worship may be overcome by hungering and thirsting after righteousness (Matthew 5:6) and longing for God (Psalm 42:1- 2). [c] Lack of personal evangelism may be overcome by developing the concern that Jesus showed (Matthew 23:37) and cultivating a love for the lost, as Jesus demonstrated (Matthew 9:36-37). [d] Lack of benevolent involvement may be overcome by having the compassion that Jesus had (John 11:35), using what we have to help others (Matthew 10:42), and remembering to whom Jesus made the statement, “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).
Correcting faults is never easy, because it requires changing our attitudes (Philippians 2:4) and our priorities (Matthew 6:33). Conclusion: Christ is contemporary! In the words of Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” We have no right to alter God’s Word (Galatians 1:6-9). Where the New Testament provides: (1) a clear command from Christ; (2) an obvious conclusion from general Biblical truths; or (3) an authoritative first-century example, then we must respond in respectful awareness, because: “Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The church that belongs to Jesus Christ will make the humble but determined plea, “Let us all submit to, and be governed by, the Holy Word of God.” Let us seek to restore and obey Christ’s call, in the identical manner that men obeyed Him in New Testament times – by trusting, believing and honoring the will of God without hesitation. Let us intelligently and continually seek the truth of God – making God’s unmistakable truth the beginning and the end of our service to Him, whether in personal life or in all facets of the church’s life. By this kind of obedient submission we will be the church that belongs to Christ, because we are men and women who belong exclusively to Him.
(Bible text is the New King James Version. Renderings from other translations are so noted.)
Footnotes:
1 Unless otherwise listed, The New American Standard Bible is used – the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22, 23); the church of our Lord (Acts 20:28, ASV); churches of Christ (Romans 16:16); church of the saints (1 Corinthians 14:33); church of the firstborn (Heb. 12:23); the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9; see Ephesians 5:22, 23); the family of God (Ephesians 3:15); the flock of God (1 Peter 5:2); the fold of Christ (John 10:16); the general assembly (Hebrews 12:23); God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9); God’s husbandry (1 Corinthians 3:9, KJV); God’s heritage (1 Peter 5:3, KJV); the Jerusalem above (Galatians 4:26); the new Jerusalem (Revelations 21:2); the house of Christ (Hebrews 3:6); the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15, KJV); the household of God (Ephesians 2:19); the pillar and support of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15); a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5); the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17); and the church of God (1 Corinthians 1:2).
2See the last lesson in this series titled, “Earmarks of the Lord’s Church.”
3 See Acts 12, 16, 18, 28; Romans 16; 1 Corinthians 16 where the following meeting places are mentioned: Rhoda’s Gate, Lystra, Iconium, Jerusalem, Galatia, Troas, Mysia, Bythynia, Macedonia, Samotracia, Neapolis, Phillippi, Thyatira, Lydia’s House, Jailor’s House, Athens, Justus’ House, Syria, Ephesus, Antioch, Phrygia, Alexandria, Achaia, Melita, Publius’ House, Syracuse, Rhegium, Puteoli, Apiiforum, Rome, Judea, Priscilla & Aquila’s House, Narcissus’ House, Ephesus, Stephanas, Corinth, Crispus’ House, Cenchrea, and Caesarea.
