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Section 5: Will you go back to the Bible to find the church belonging to Christ?
I. The church is comprised of those who have been called out of the world and have been
baptized into Christ.
· In order to be a member of the Lord’s church, one must be added by Him.
Acts 2:47
47Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And
the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
· Those who have been added by the Lord saved themselves by submitting to the Lord’s
gracious words of salvation.
Acts 2:40
40And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying,
Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
· To be saved by God’s grace is to be obedient to His instructions; therefore, those who the
Lord added to the church were baptized for the remission of sins.
Acts 2:38, 41
38Then Peter said unto them,
Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins
, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
41Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:
and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
· In order for one to be added to the church and in order to put on Christ one must be
baptized into Christ by being immersed in water based on a believing and penitent heart
that confesses Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Acts 8:36-38
36And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said,
See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? 37And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
Galatians 3:27
27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
· When one is baptized into Christ for the remission of sins, he has been called out of the
world to no longer serve sin, but now serves God as a priest for God’s own possession.
Romans 6:3-6
3Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
1 Peter 2:9
9But ye are
an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession,
that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
(American Standard Version)
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Do you understand the following: one cannot “join” the Lord’s church, but must be added to His body by Him; the church is made up of all those who were baptized into Christ based on their belief and confession in Christ; those in the church have been called out of the world to no longer serve sin but are now to serve God; and, all members of the church are priests being used for God’s own possession?
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YES
NO
II. Christ’s body is the church of Christ.
· Christ’s body is defined as His church.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church, 23Which is his body
, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Colossians 1:18
18And 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 preeminence.
· Since Christ’s body is His church, a name given to His body is the church of Christ.
Romans 7:4
4Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the
body of Christ
; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.
1 Corinthians 12:27
27Now ye are the
body of Christ
, and members in particular.
Ephesians 4:12
12For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ:
Romans 16:16
16Salute one another with an holy kiss.
The churches of Christ salute you.
Do you understand that the saved body of those baptized for the remission of sins is not defined as the Catholic church, the Presbyterian church, the church of St. Matthew, the church of the Nazarene, the Christian church, etc, but is defined as the church of Christ?
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YES
NO
III. Glory is given to the name assigned to a congregation that consists of those who have been
baptized for the remission of sins.
· God is to be the recipient of all glory, not man.
1 Corinthians 1:31
31That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
1 Corinthians 3:21
21Therefore let no man glory in men.
For all things are your's;
· Jesus Christ bought the church with His own blood; therefore, He is the rightful owner of
the church and has full rights to her name.
Acts 20:28
28Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers,
to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
·
Names have always signified ownership, for example: George’s house, Billy’s dog,
Greg’s wife; to re-name Christ’s body into another name (for example: Baptist church,
Methodist church, Lutheran church) is to transfer ownership away from Christ and
wholly to man.
Matthew 16:18
18
(…)
upon this rock I will build my church
; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Do you understand that one cannot have Christ without being a member of His body and that the name used to define the body of Christ must be that which glorifies God based on its approval by Christ?
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YES
NO
IV. Christ built only one church.
· Christ proclaimed that He came to build
HIS
church.
Matthew 16:18
18
(…)
upon this rock I will build my church
; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
· Christ said His church would be built with Him being the foundation based on the fact
that He is the Son of God.
Matthew 16:16-18
16And Simon Peter answered and said,
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God
. 17And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 18And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and
upon this rock I will build my church;
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
1 Corinthians 3:11
11For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
· The New Testament teaches us that there is only one church, only one body that belongs
to Christ.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
Ephesians 4:4
4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
· Many will believe there is one God; however, just as there is one God, the Bible also
teaches us that there is
ONE
church.
Ephesians 4:4-6
4There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.
Do you understand that Mark’s church, Luther’s church, Calvin’s church, the Pope’s church, John the “Baptist” church and any other church that is derived from man is not Christ’s church but the church that belongs to Christ is the one church He built?
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YES
NO
V. Christ is the head of the church and He has all authority.
· Christ is the head of His body, the church.
Ephesians 1:22-23
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
· Christ has been given all authority.
Matthew 28:18-20
18And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen
Do you understand that a “church” that is ruled by anyone other than Christ does not belong to Him since the one church that belongs to Christ has Christ as the only head and only authority?
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YES
NO
VI. Christ’s church is ruled by the doctrine that was delivered by Him through the writers and
apostles of the New Testament who were inspired of the Holy Spirit.
· Christ said that He would send the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit, to guide the
apostles into all truth
John 14:26; 16:13
26But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
(…)
13Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come,
he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
· From the very establishment of the church, members of Christ’s church continued in His
doctrine as given to the apostles through inspiration.
Acts 2:42
42And they
continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine
and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
· Only those that continue in Christ’s doctrine, as given in the New Testament, have Christ.
2 John 9
9Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
Do you understand that the following creeds are used to rule certain “churches”: the Baptist Church Manual, the Methodist Book of Discipline, the Catholic Church Catechism, the Lutheran Church Catechism, the Catechism of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Presbyterian Book of Church Order, the Episcopalian Church Book of Common Prayer, the Christian Science Church Manual, etc; and that these “churches” do not belong to Christ because they are being ruled by additional doctrine’s other than Christ’s doctrine as read in the New Testament?
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YES
NO
VII.
Denominational churches consider themselves to collectively make up the whole of
Christ’s church along with other denominations that all have opposing doctrines; this idea
that God approves of denominationalism as “a part of the whole” has originated from man
and is condemned within the New Testament.
· A verse often misapplied by denominationalists is John 15; however, Christ has taught
that individual Christians are members of His church,
NOT
that a multiplicity of different
types of denominational churches, all teaching different doctrines, make up His body.
John 15:5
5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
Romans 12:4-5
4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
1 Corinthians 12:12, 14, 17-20
12For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.
(…)
14For the body is not one member, but many.
(…)
17If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? 18But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. 19And if they were all one member, where were the body? 20But now are they many members, yet but one body.
· There is only
ONE
church that belongs to Christ.
Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things
to the church, 23Which is his body
, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.
(…)
4There is one body
, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling;
·
We must not do anything that goes beyond what Jesus Christ has authorized, and a
church is in sin when it is a church other than Christ’s.
Colossians 3:17
17And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
Do you understand that denominationalism is sinful?
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YES
NO
VIII. Those that are faithful members of Christ’s body will inherit the kingdom of heaven.
· Members are described as branches as Christ is described as the vine; moreover, branches
that do not abide in the vine do not bear fruit and are cast off and burned in hell.
John 15:6
6If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
Do you understand that only faithful members of the church of Christ will inherit the kingdom of heaven?
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YES
NO
If you will go back to the Bible, please type the following in the box below: “I will go back to the Bible and submit to the will of God which teaches me that Jesus Christ built one church and that only those that are faithful members of His body will inherit the kingdom of heaven.”
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