Chart: The Church of Christ Is, Is Not
I. church of Christ - general
II. Church of Christ - local
Conclusion: the body of Christ
the church of Christ is . . . . |
|
| 1) Planned and foretold by God. Ephesians 1:7-12; 3:9-11. Isaiah 2:2-3. |
1) Not from man's thinking. Isaiah 55:8-9. 1 Corinthians 1:20-29; 4:6. |
| 2) Promised and testated by Jesus. Matthew 16:18. John 20:30-31. Hebrew 9:13-17. |
2) Certified not to be invented by man. Galatians 1:11-24. |
| 3) Fulfilled through the Holy Spirit. John 14:26; 15:26. Acts 1:8; 2:33 |
3) Not named by or for man. Acts 4:12. Isaiah 62:2. 1 Corinthians 1:12-13. Acts 11:26. |
| 4) Preached and confirmed by the apostles. Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 4:17; Ephesians 2:20. Hebrews 2:3-4. |
4) Not what people say. Matthew 16:13-14. Acts 17:18-21; 18:12-13; 19:8-9; 24:15; Romans 14:16-17. |
| 5) Magnified in the new testament gospel. John 17:17. Romans 10:17. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Ephesians 3:4. Colossians 1:5. |
5) Not a sect or denomination. 1 Corinthians 1:10ff; 3:3; Ephesians 4:4-6. |
| 6) One body entered by Christians when they were saved. John 3:3-5. Acts 2:47. Ephesians 1:22-23. 1 Corinthians 12:13,20. |
6) Not, per se, of, by or for politics. John 18:36; 19:15; Colossians 1:13-20. |
| 7) Produced wherever scripture truth is obeyed. Luke 8:11. Matthew 18:20. 1 Peter 1:23. |
7) Not excepted due to fleshly earthly ties. Luke 14:25-33. |
| 8) Unchanging in terms of becoming a member. Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-17; hear, believe, repent, confess, baptism. Romans 16:16-20, 25-27. (see Goal Page @ salvation) |
8) Unlike feigning false prophets, it is not violent or unreasonable. Matthew 26:52; John 18:36; Roman 12:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:2. 2 Peter 2:1-3,16. |
| 9) Conducts worship in spirit and in truth. John 4:24. Matthew 15:7-9. |
9) Not requiring change for modernity (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 13:8), convenience (Acts 17:30; 24:25), or culture (Revelation 5:9; 7:9). |
| 10) Escape from hell - Mark 9:43b, Revelation 20:14-15; and, Bridge to heaven - 1 Peter 1:1-5, Revelation 21:27, Matthew 5:12. |
10) Not understood by world. John 15:18-19; 2 Corinthians 2:14-16. |
overcome confusion about the church, by understanding His word. 1 Peter 4:11
says, If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone
ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all
things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory
and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Titus 2:1,8 says, 1. But as for
you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 8. sound speech
that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed,
having nothing evil to say of you.
of Christ greet you." Many congregations (plural, see below) throughout the
land, were sending salutations by way of Paul the writer. But viewed in a
singular sense, it would be: church of Christ. This is the general, singular sense
of the word church, as found in Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:47;
Ephesians 3:21 and dozens of other times in the new testament. "General"
refers to the church worldwide. But it also means from generation to
generation. Thus, general, or universal, refers to the church worldwide and
until the end time. (Note: That use of "universal" has nothing to do with "every
one saved" sectarian "universalism", which contradicts the Mark 16:16.)
reference to the one body or church established by God on earth (Ephesians
1:22-23; 4:4; Colossians 1:24; 1 Corinthians 12:12,13,20). It is the church in
"all the world" (Mark 16:15), and "unto the end of the world" (Matthew
28:20). In 1 Corinthians 12:27, Christians are told: "Now ye are the body of
Christ, and members in particular." Hebrews 12:23 says: "To the general
assembly and church of the firstborn..." That is the church global, universal,
referred to as "general."
up our schoolteachers spent much time teaching us English Grammar. That
included capitalizing of proper nouns, or specific people, places and things. So
in the phone book you will find capitalized, the "ABC Church of Christ" (I like to
say, church of Christ at ABC). It is a specific congregation, and treated as a
proper noun in our grammar terms. Although there are times when, "We ought to
obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29), as long as there is not conflict we can
strive to speak with "the tongue of the learned" (Isaiah 50:4) in language.
city of) Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2), and the churches of (the region of) Galatia
(1 Corinthians 16:1). This last references would be like saying, the churches
(congregations) in Kansas. And notice in your Bible that Corinth and Galatia are
of course capitalized, but not "church." From Philemon 1:2, there was a local
congregation meeting in Philemon's house: "the church in thy house." In Romans
16:16, "the churches of Christ" means the congregations throughout the land. So
the church may be viewed general or local, as the following diagram shows:
the main two are: 1) church - general, all the saved everywhere; and 2) Church -
local, where members of Christ's body assemble themselves into congregations
for worship. Jesus Christ the Savior of the body is the one Head of the body, and
the members belong to Him - Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 6:15,20; 7:23. To
obey Christ's commands, members must be faithful in a local church, after being
added by the Lord (Acts 2:47) to the general church, the body of Christ.
#21-God's Word Says There Is One Body #22-One Body Is church of Christ #23-Church of Christ Not
Denominated #24-From Heaven Or Of Men? #25-Heaven Promised To Christ's Church