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Which Church is Right? (Part 2)
Which Church is Right? (Part 2)
In the last article we ended by noting that Ephesians 4:4-6 lists seven “one”s. We learned from that passage that there are exclusives even within “Christianity.” This leads to the question…
What is the One Church?
There is only one true church — the church Jesus promised to build (Matt. 16:18), the one that began on Pentecost (Acts 2). It is called the “body of Christ” (1 Cor. 12:27; Rom. 7:24).
Those who believed, repented, and were baptized on Pentecost were added by the Lord to the church (Acts 2:36, 38, 41, 47). The one church is not made up of churches bearing the same name; it is made up of individuals who are part of the body of Christ.
Are All Denominations United?
Jesus prayed for unity among believers (John 17:20-23). Today there are literally thousands of Christian denominations. Is this the unity Jesus prayed for?
There are several major differences between denominations over fundamental issues of how to serve God, such as: how to get saved, the function of the local church, and what constitutes sin. These subjects are spiritual essentials that must be agreed upon in order to have the unity that Jesus prayed for.
Paul warned the church at Corinth, “Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Cor. 1:10).
Scriptural unity is accomplished only through single-mindedness in spiritual essentials and through strict adherence to N.T. doctrines, practices and attitudes. Since this doesn’t describe the various denominations in the world, we conclude that denominations are not all united.
How Do I Identify a Scriptural Local Church?
In order to find a church you can read about in the Bible, there are at least five things to consider:
- Its name. If a church calls itself by a name that isn’t found in the N.T., there is a good chance that other aspects of that church are manmade as well.
- Its organization. In the N.T., each local church was independently governed by its own elders and deacons (Philippians 1:1). Anything different is manmade.
- It’s worship. There are five acts of collective activity authorized in the N.T. for a local church: preaching, communion, praying, singing, and giving money (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 16:1-2). Anything different is manmade.
- Its mission. The mission of the church is limited by the N.T. to the following three things: 1) benevolence to needy saints, 2) edification of saints, and 3) evangelism of lost souls (Rom. 15:26; 1 Ths. 5:11; Phil. 4:15-16). Anything different is manmade.
- Its doctrine. The conditions for salvation as taught in the N.T. are belief, repentance, confession and baptism (Acts 2:38; 8:37-38). Anything different is manmade.
What matters most is whether a person is devoted to the Lord from the depths of his soul. An individual can find the right church without finding God on a personal level. What we must do is find both!
