What Is A Church Of Christ?
By John Hendrix
In a previous article we answered the question, " What Is 'The Church Of Christ'?" In that article we stressed that Jesus had only one church (Matthew 16:18) , and that it was undivided and undenominated (1 Corinthians 1:12-13.
But in one place, Paul spoke of many churches:
The churches of Christ greet you. (Romans 16:16)
He also spoke of churches in different locations in his letters, and Jesus spoke of different churches throughout Asia (or Asia Minor) in Revelation 2 and 3. Having been assured that there is "one body" (Ephesians 4:4), what are these different churches?
You may remember that the Greek word translated "church" in our English Bibles was a
general term in use in those days. It simply meant "assembly"
(
Ekklesia
, Strongs # 1577). In those days the Greeks usually used the word for political or
township gatherings. The word is also used in the New Testament in
Acts 7:38 referring to the moving band of Israelites on their way to
Canaan. The word is even used in Acts 19 for a mob in Ephesus
(verses 32, 39 and 41).
The word "church" could have many different applications.
We did see in a previous article (referred to above) that there is a special, single assembly—church—that belongs to Christ (Matthew 16:18) , for which He died (Ephesians 5:25), and that consists of the saved (Acts 2:47). It has many more traits besides, but this description will suffice for now.
This "general assembly and church of the Firstborn"
(Hebrews 12:23)
—allow me to call it the One church—is worldwide and even includes those Christians who
have passed away (for they are still among the saved). God also saw the need for local
gatherings of Christians who could depend upon one another for mutual edification:
And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking
the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some, but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
These assemblies are ordained by God, organized by Holy commandment
(Philippians 1:1>,
Titus 1:5), and the Apostles of Jesus established and edified them in many
locations
(Acts 8:14;
Acts 13:2-3;
1 Corinthians 4:15;
Colossians 4:15
The Bible distinguishes between these local assemblies of God's people and the One church.
The leaders of the local assemblies are its elders, also called pastors and bishops
(1 Timothy 5:17,
1 Peter 5:1-4),
while the leader of the One church is Christ
(Colossians 1:18
The local church, being ordained by God, has certain God-given instructions it must obey.
Among these include:
Assembling regularly
(Hebrews 10:25)
Assembling on the first day of the week
(Acts 20:7
Caring for the spiritual needs of the members
(1 Thessalonians 5:14)
Caring for its physically needy
(Acts 4:34-35
Spreading the word of God
(1 Thessalonians 1:8)
Financially supporting God's "spiritual" laborers like preachers
(1 Timothy 5:17-18)
Considering the example of Paul
(Acts 9:6)
and the important work of the local congregation, God wants His children to join
themselves to a local church.
"Will any church do?"
) to take the Lord's Supper (1 Corinthians 11:17-34)
No. Obviously I cannot be a member of a local church if doing so requires me to engage in sin. If the church does not accept the authority of God (no matter what it may call itself), if the church does not worship God in the manner authorized by Him, if the membership of that church are not even Christians (through ignorance or obstinance), if joining the church requires fellowship with evil (Ephesians 5:11), then I cannot be a member of that church and please God.
So we must all examine the congregation of which we are a member and be sure that it truly is "a church of Christ."