Which church is the right church?

 

 

HUGH'S NEWS & VIEWS

 

WHAT I AM AND AM NOT RELIGIOUSLY

 

It is hard for some to grasp the biblical concept of Christianity. The Christians of whom we read in the New Testament were not a sect or a denomination. There was but one body of believers in New Testament times (Ephesians 4:4), and that is all there still is in God's sight today!

 

Read carefully and reflectively the following. Remove your denominational spectacles and seek to see the one body of Christ (the church) as it is depicted in the New Testament.

 

I am a member of the church of God, but I am not member of the Church of God denomination.

 

I am a disciple (learner/follower) of Christ, but I am not a member of the Disciples of Christ denomination.

 

I am a Christian, but I am not a member of what is known as the Christian Church.

 

I am a follower of the Nazarene, but I am not a member of the Nazarene denomination.

 

I am a member of the church that began on the day of Pentecost as recorded in Act 2, but I am not a member of the Pentecostal denomination.

 

I am a member of Jesus' catholic (universal) church, but I am not a member of the Catholic denomination.

 

I am a member of Christ's universal church (see the previous point), but I am not a member of the Universalist denomination.

 

I am a baptist (one who has baptized/immersed many people), but I am not a member of the Baptist denomination. (Note: John was called the Baptist because he baptized people, not because he was a member of the Baptist Church).

 

I am a member of a church that follows Bible methods in carrying out the Lord's will, but I am not a member of the Methodist denomination.

I am a member of a church that has presbyters/elders/bishops/pastors (all of these terms refer to one and the same function) in local congregations, but I am not a member of the Presbyterian denomination.

 

I am a member of a church that has a plurality of bishops (from the Greek episkopos; see the preceding statement) over local congregations, but I am not a member of the Episcopal denomination.

 

I am a member of a church that adheres to congregational autonomy, but I am not a member of the Congregational denomination.

 

I am a member of the church of which Christ is the chief cornerstone, but I am not a member of the Cornerstone Community Church (or any of the other multiplicity of Community or so-called independent churches that dot the religious landscape today).

 

I am a member of the church of Christ, but I am not a member of some denomination that calls itself or thinks of itself as the Church of Christ Church or the Church of Christ segment of the universal body of Christ. (Note: I am not a "Church of Christ" as one may be a Baptist, or Methodist, or Presbyterian, etc. Question: Did the members of Christ's church in the first century speak in these ways about their religious affiliation? Did any of them ever say, "I'm Church of Christ"? Read through your New Testament and see how they did speak of themselves, and then ask yourself, can we be today what they were then? If not, why not?).

 

I am a Christian and a Christian only, a Christian who has never joined any denomination. I am what the early disciples were called first at Antioch (Acts 11:26) and what King Agrippa was almost persuaded to be (Acts 26:28). I did what they did (or could have done) to become a Christian.

 

When I was saved from my sins by obedience to the gospel, the Lord added me to the one church of which we read in the Bible, THE church, the LORD'S church (Acts 2:47; I Corinthians 12:13). This church was not and is not a denomination or a confederation of denominations. This church was established by Christ, not by any man or group of men somewhere this side of the New Testament (Matthew 16:18).

 

Christ purchased this church with His blood (Acts 20:28). He is the one and only head of this church, and it needs no earthly head or headquarters (Colossians 1:18). He is the one and only foundation of this church (I Corinthians 3:11). This church is not man's or of man; it is of Christ and belongs to Him.

 

This church is the spiritual body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), and there is but one body, and therefore there is but one church (Ephesians 4:4).

 

It is this body/church that Christ will save eternally (Ephesians 5:23).

 

Hugh Fulford