The church of “whose” choice?
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Searching the Scriptures
David A. Bass, Rockford Church of Christ
An often used phrase is “Join the church of your choice.” Even though this sounds good it is NOT in harmony with the Word of God!
In Matthew 16:18 Jesus said, “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.” Our Lord spoke in the singular when he said, “I will build my CHURCH.” He did not promise to build many “churches” so that we might choose the one of our choice; instead He promised to build “my church.”
The apostle Paul wrote, “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6). What is the “one body” that Paul refers to?
In Colossians 1:18 Paul writes, “And he is the head of the body, the church:…” We read in Ephesians 1:22-23, “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.”
According to both of these passages the “church” and the “body” are one and the same! To talk of “the church of one’s choice” is no different than saying, “Accept the Lord of your choice” or “the God of your choice.” The same passage that says that there is “one Lord” and “one God” says that there is “one body (church)” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
In I Corinthians 12:13,20 we read, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. (20) But now are they many members, yet but one body.”
In Romans 12:4-5 we read that there is but ONE body (church). Paul wrote, “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.”
Other designations in the Bible suggest the oneness of the church. For example, Romans 7:4 and II Corinthians 11:2 teach that the church is the BRIDE of Christ. How many brides does Christ have? If Christ has many churches (brides) then He is guilty of polygamy (which the Bible condemns).
In I Timothy 1:15 the church is spoken of as the (family) house of God. How many families does God have?
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ has only ONE church! In Acts 2:47 we read, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
No where in the Bible do we read of anyone being told to “join the church of his choice!” In the New Testament we only read of ONE church, and the only way to become a member of it was to obey the gospel and be added by the Lord.
In Acts 2 on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, Peter told his Jewish audience, “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (2:38). Verse 41 reads, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”
Are you a member of “Christ’s church?” Study your Bible and learn of the “church of ‘Christ’s’
choice!” We would love to study the Bible with you.
Visit the Rockford Church of Christ on Sundays at 9 a.m. for class and 10 a.m. for worship. We are located right down from Dollar General on Highway 231.
Search the Scriptures!
