BIBLE STUDY 160: THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Germaine Charles Lockwood

Before the creation of the world, God purposed to have a called out holy people, a congregation, -- a people who would believe and obey Him, -- a people who would walk in His ways. God foretold through His Jewish prophet Isaiah of Jerusalem that these called out people would be from all nations, not only from Israel but also from all other nations. Isaiah 2:1-3.
 
Jesus the Messiah told His apostles that He would build His church. Jesus said: “I will build my church.” Matthew 16:18. Yes, Jesus foretold that He would build His church. When He said this, the church was not yet in existence. It was yet future. Messiah Jesus intended to build His church, and He did. It was the plan of God before the creation. The word Messiah is from the Hebrew word Meshiakh. From Greek the word is Christ. Messiah or Christ means the anointed one, our king, lord and high priest. Jesus Christ built His church just as He said that He would.

In the Bible in the book of Acts, we find the history of the beginning of the church of Christ. In Acts chapter 2, we read that on the Day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus, 3,000 Jews believed in Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of God. They repented and were immersed, baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. That was the beginning of the church of Christ. 

Acts 2:47: praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47.

People who are saved are added to the church of Christ by the Lord. Who are the saved? Jesus said in :

Mark 16:16:  He who believes and is baptized will be saved, . . . Mark 16:16.

So then, people who believe the gospel of Jesus and are baptized are saved, and then the Lord adds them to His church. Acts 2:47. Read also 1 Corinthians 12:13.

The word church in Greek is Ekklesia, which means called-out. People are called-out of sin to be gathered together to Messiah the Son of God. Ekklesia is translated congregation or church. Those who are called out of sin and belong to Messiah are the congregation of Messiah, the church of Christ. The church of Christ is the people of God. The church of Christ is made of the people of Christ, not buildings.

In Acts 20:28: . . . the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Acts 20:28.

(God and Christ are one. John 10:30.) Notice that the church of God was purchased by His own blood, the blood of Messiah Jesus. The church cost the blood of Messiah Jesus. The church of Christ belongs to Christ. He paid for the church with His own blood. The church of Christ is made up of people who have become children of God, Christians, through faith in Christ, repentance, confession of faith in Christ, and baptism- immersion into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. The blood of Christ takes away our sins when we believe and are baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Acts 2:38. Rom. 6:3-17. Hebrews 10:22.

The church in Jerusalem grew to be about 5,000 Jewish men plus women. Acts 4:4. A church was started among gentiles in Caesarea. Acts 10. After churches were started in other cities, then elders were appointed in each church. Acts 14:23. 

We find in the Bible that the church of Christ is made up of local churches. In Romans 16:16, we read, “churches of Christ,” and in 1 Corinthians 1:2, “church of God.”

The Epistle to the Ephesians in the Bible teaches us much about the church of Christ. We read that God gave Christ to be head over all things to the church.

Ephesians 1:22, 23: And He (God) put all things under His (Christ’s) 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. Ephesians 1:22, 23.

Jesus the Messiah, the Christ, is head over all things to the church. The church is His body. He is the head of His body which is His church. There is only one head of the body of Christ and that is Christ. How many bodies does Christ have?

Ephesians 4:4: There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; Ephesians 4:4.

How many bodies does Christ have? Ephesians 4:4 states that there is one. The body of Christ is the church of Christ. Ephesians 1:22, 23. Christ has only one Church. Christ is head over all things to the Church which is His body. Headquarters is in heaven where Christ is seated on the throne at the right hand of God. Eph. 1:20. Each local church is under Christ, with no human organization over local churches.

Ephesians 5:23: For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the savior of the body. Ephesians 5:23.

Yes, Christ is head of the church, which is His body. Christ is savior of His body. Since Christ is Savior of His body, then you need to be a member of His body, His church. The Lord adds the saved to His church. He is the savior of His body. Christ purchased His church with His blood. You can be saved and added to His church.

You should not belong to a religious organization or church that has a human head such as a president, patriarch or pope. You cannot read in the Bible about Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Anglican, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational, Baptist, Methodist, or Mennonite churches. These churches are not in the Bible. You need to become a member of the church that you can read about in the Bible, the church of Christ, the body of Christ.

God accomplished His eternal purpose in Christ Jesus our Lord. God made known His many kinds of wisdom by the church. The church that you read about in the Bible is a display of the wisdom of God. God planned His church before the creation of the world, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:10, 11: to the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 3:10, 11.

The church of Christ is His blood bought, saved body. Jesus Christ built His church. He gave us His specifications, His plan, His pattern for His church in the New Testament of the Bible. If we study the New Testament and follow it, we will have His church. You can have a church of Christ meeting in your community, looking to Christ as Lord, savior and head of His church.

Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephesians 5:25-27.

The church of Christ is the bride of Christ. He has only one bride. To belong to another church is spiritual adultery. It is wrong to follow a pope, a patriarch, or a president in another church. Become a Christian in the church of Christ, his bride.

Will you be called to the marriage supper of the Lamb? Christ is the Lamb of God.
Revelation 19:6-9 prophesied about the marriage of the Lamb.

Revelation 19:9: Then he said to me, “write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” Revelation 19:9.

God calls you by the Gospel of Christ. Christ died for our sins. He was buried. He rose again the third day. Yes, this is the good news, the Gospel. God calls you today. 

Ephesians 1:7: In Him (in Christ) we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace. Ephesians 1:7.

Acts 2:38: . . . “Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38.
		
1 Corinthians 12:13: For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free -- . . . 1 Corinthians 12:13.

Amen!