THE ONE TRUE CHURCH OF CHRIST
Part 1
Today, many people are truly
confused about religion because there are tens of thousands all over the world
calling themselves as Christian religion. What makes the people even more
confused is the fact that each one claims to be the true Church of Christ. However,
how can we identify the one true Church of Christ?
WHAT IS THE CHURCH OF CHRIST?
PERHAPS MANY ARE wondering if
what is the Church of Christ. How and why it existed? Let us see how the Holy
Scripture or the Bible answers these questions.
How the Church
of Christ emerged?
The Church of Christ was
established by the Lord Jesus Christ. He explicitly 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.” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)
The Lord Jesus Christ said, “I
will buil My church.” Thus, there is the Church of Christ because the Lord Jesus
Christ established this Church.
How many
Church did Christ established?
Matthew 16:18 proves
not only that the Lord Jesus established His Church, but also that Christ
established only one Church:
“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.” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)
The Lord Jesus said
“I will build My CURCH.” He did not said “I will build My churches.” Hence,
there is only one true Church established by the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostles
of the Lord Jesus also testified that there is only one true Church:
“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 4:4-5 NKJV)
Apostle Paul
said, “There is one body.” Apostle Paul Himself explained what He meant when He
said “There is only one body.” In other writings of Apostle Paul he explained
that the “Church” is the “body of Christ”:
“And He is the head of the body, the church...”
(Colossians 1:18 NKJV)
Thus, when
Apostle Paul said “There is only one body,” he meant “there is only one Church”
having “one hope, one faith and one baptism.”
What is the name of the one true Church?
The one true Church
established by Christ is called “Church of Christ.” Even Catholic authorities testify
that the Church established by Christ is called “Church of Christ”:
“In
regard to Matthew 16:18 – St. Cyprian speaks of the building of the Church of
Christ, and designates the Church the ‘Church of Christ’…” (Dr. Ludwig Ott. Fundamentals
of catholic Dogma. Nihil Obstat: Jeremiah J. O’Sullivan, D.D. Censor Deputatus.
Imprimatur: Cornelius Rockford. Illinois: Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., 1954,
p. 274)
According to this Catholic book,
Cyprian, one of the early Catholic Church fathers, explained that Matthew 16:18
speaks of the building of the Church of Christ. He also explained that Christ
designated the Church He established as “Church of Christ.” Another Catholic
book has this to say:
“5.
Did Jesus Christ established a Church?
“Yes,
from all history, both secular and profane, as well as from the Bible
considered as a human document, we learn that Jesus Christ established a
Church, which from the earliest times has been called after Him the Christian Church
or the Church of Christ.” (Cassily, Francis B., S.J. Religion: Doctrine and Practice for use in Catholic High Schools.
12th and revised edition. Imprimi Potest: Charles H. Cloud, S.J. Provincial of
the Chicago Province. Imprimatur: George Cardinal
Mundelein, Archbishop of Chicago.
Chicago: Loyola
university Press, 1934, p. 442-443.)
Even Protestant authorities also testify
that the Church established by Christ is called “Church of Christ”:
“Christ
prophesied the establishment of a new congregation or church, a holy
institution that will continue His works on the world. Matthew 16:18. This is
the Church of Christ.” (Pearlman, Mayer. Knowing
the Doctrines of the Bible. Gospel Publishing House, p. 349)
Thus, both Catholic and
Protestant authorities testify that Matthew 16:18 is referring to the
establishment of the “Church of Christ.”
Why Church of
Christ?
Matthew 16:18 did not only answered
why there is the Church of Christ (the Lord Jesus established it) and how many the
Lord established (only one true Church), but also it answered the question “why
Church of Christ.” Let us again quote Matthew 16:18:
“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.” (Matthew 16:18 NKJV)
The Lord Jesus said, “I will
build My church.” take note that the true Church is built and owned by the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is only right that this Church is called after the name of the
founder and owner. Thus, why “Church of Christ”? Because the founder and the
owner of this Church is Christ.
This fact shows to us that if a church
is not called “Church of Christ,” that church is not founded by Christ. How can
a church claim that their founder is Christ if they are not called after the
name of Christ or in the name “Church of Christ.”
And because Christ said “My
church,” then those churches not called after the name of Christ or not in the
name “Church of Christ,” thus they cannot claim that they are of Christ or they
are His church.
The name “Church of Christ” is
important not only to identify which churches is the one true Church established
and owned by Christ, but also this guarantee us that this Church is the only
one that will truly be saved by Christ come Judgment Day. Acts 4:12 has this to
say:
“Nor is there
salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12 NKJV)
Therefore,
what is the Church of Christ?
The Church of Christ is the One
True Church the Lord Jesus Christ established and will be saved come Judgment
Day.
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