The Church of Christ

So much is being said and written about human denominations called "churches" that many seem never to have learned that Christ has a church at all. Sometime after the death of John the Baptist, Christ asked his disciples who they said he was. Peter said: "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:16; 14:1-12.) Peter thus confessed the rock bed, fundamental truth of Christianity.

"UPON THIS ROCK"

Christ said: "Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:18.) Christ is. the foundation of the church. "Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:11.) Catholics are wrong in teaching that Peter is the foundation of the church. Hence, we must dig "deep" through the rubbish of human tradition and doctrines of men in order to build on Christ, the "Rock." (Luke 6:47, 48.) To build upon any other is to build on the sand. (Matt. 7:24-26.) We build upon Christ by hearing and doing what he says do. (Luke 6:4648.) This also puts one in the church built upon Christ, the Rock. No one can build upon Christ and not be a part of the church, the superstructure built on him. The foundation is not too large for the church. 'Hence, there is not even a toe hold for one to rest on Christ outside of the building, or church, erected upon Christ, the Rock.

CHRIST, THE BUILDER

Any church not built by Christ is not his church. He said: "I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18) Any church built by some man would be in competition with the church built by Christ. No man has any divine authority to build a church. And it is presumptuous sin for any man to think he could build a better church than the Lord. Neither can any man improve upon the church which the Lord built. The prophet said Christ, the "Branch," would "build the temple" of the Lord, which is called the church. (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 2:20-22.) We can take the seed, the word of God, and reproduce congregations like those in the New Testament. (Luke 8:11; Mark 4:14.) But no man has any right to start a religious body. Christ prayed for the unity of all who believe on him. (John 17:20-22.) Certainly he did not want us to start the more than two hundred sects and parties called churches in our country. There is a call to return to the church built by Christ and unite in it (Eph. 4:3-6.)

"WILL BUILD" IN FUTURE

"I will build" my church is future tense. (Matt. 16:18.) This promise to build his church was during his personal ministry, and after the death of John the Baptist. (Matt. 14:1-12; 16 : 1 8.) Hence John was never a member of the church of Christ. He lived and died before Christ built his church. The church was only in preparation before the cross. It was not built in the days of the Old Testament saints. Christ did not say, "I have built my church," he said, "I will build my church." He did not even say, "I am building my church" (present tense); but he said, '11 will build my church." (Matt. 16:18.) Hence, the church was not built during the personal ministry of Christ before the cross. Christ as the foundation stone had to become a “tried stone 'before he could be laid in Zion (Isa. 28:16). Hence, the foundation wag not laid until Christ preme test in his death and resurrection and was proved the son if God with power. (Romn.1:4.) The stone had to rejected before being laid. (Acts 4:11, 12; Mark 8:31.) calls Pentecost the "beginning." (Acts 11:15; 2:1-4.) This when the Lord began to add to the church such as Were being saved. (Acts 2:36-47.) To preach Christ is to lay the founda. tion. (1 Cor. 3:8-11.) But they were not permitted to preach Christ before the cross. (Matt. 16:20.) This brings us to the Great Commission and the execution thereof to find the church in operation as such. The old law lasted to the cross. (Col. 2:14.) The true church began in A.D. 33, in Jerusalem, after the New Testament went in force. (Heb. 9:15-17; 10:9,10.)

“BUILD”--NOT MERELY EDIFY

When the Lord said he would build his church, he did not mean to merely edify or enlarge it. His reference to the founda• tion shows that he meant to build his church from the foundation. He said: "Upon this rock I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18.) No one would have been so foolish as to think he would have to take it off the foundation to merely edify it. Also he would have used the past and present tenses if he meant to merely edify it, for he had edified his disciples by his teaching, and was right then doing so. But this was not building the church. 'He said I "will" build my church. Hence, he meant he would establish his church .

"MY CHURCH"

Christ did not build a church for John the Baptist, nor any other man. He said: "I will build MY church." (Matt. 16:18') It is therefore, the church of Christ. "Feed the church of the I-ord which he purchased with his own blood." (Acts 26:28' R. V.) The church is called "his" body. (Eph. 1:22, 23; Col 1:18,24.) Congregations of this church are called "churches Of Christ" and "churches of God." (Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 11:16•) It belongs to both. Christ said to the Father: "Mine are thine and thine are mine." (John 17:10.)

CHURCH NOT DENOMINATION

Christ did not build sects, denominational religious parties, and denominations. Christ did not build the denominations called churches in our country. Certainly he did not thus cause all such confusion after having prayed for the unity of all why believe. (John 17:20-22.) "God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor. 14:33). Christ built only one church and men built the denominations (Cor. 14:33.) Christ He said built he only would one build church'his "church," singular in number. (Matt. 16:18.) The church called "his body," and he certainly did not have a plurality 0 bodies over which to be head. Paul said: "There is one body' and "but one body," (Eph. 4:4; | Cor. 12:20.) To be the church of Christ a congregation must be identical with "churches of Christ" in the New Testament, in name. doctrine, and practice

GATES OF HELL NOT PREVAIL

The Lord said: "The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it." (Mat.. 16:18.) The word "hell" here means Hades, the abode of departed spirits. The "gates" of hell meant death— the way into Hades. Hence, death could not prevail against building the church. Though he would be crucified, God would not leave his soul in Hades. He would rise and build his church. Or, if this be not the idea, then death would never render the church extinct. Part of the family of God, the church, exists in heaven. (Eph. 3:14, 15; 1 Tim. 3:15.) We do not cease to be members of the church at death, like they do in the denominations and sects of men, the lodges, and suchlike.

"GIVE THEE THE KEYS"

Christ pictured the church as a house when he said: "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'i (Matt. 16:18.) Then with the door, or way of entrance, in mind, he said: "And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom." (Matt. 16:19.) Christ gave the apostles the keys, or power, to open the way or make known the terms of membership in the church. This he did on Pentecost. (Acts 1:6-8; 2:1-4.) Peter, being a charter members of the church when the Spirit came, preached Christ, or laid the foundation. (Acts 2:22-36.) Vnien sinners asked what to do, Peter turned the key and you can almost hear it "click" as he said: "Repent, and be baptised every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38.) Then we read that "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:41, 47.) This is the church of Christ. Those who do likewise now are added to the same church. All such should continue in the truth. (Acts 2:42; 2 John 9.)