TEN TRUTHS YOU MAY NOT KNOW AND MAY NEVER WANT TO KNOW 6

By Nana Yaw Aidoo

TRUTH 6: Jesus Christ Built Only One Church

Somewhere in Caesarea Philippi, Jesus Christ promised to build His church on Peter's confession that Jesus is "...the Christ, the Son of the Living God" (Matt.16:16-18). Our Lord said; "...I will build My church...". It is His church and not the church of any man. Our Lord did not say, "I will build My churches" but "My church". Certainly, no one would read such a statement and conclude that Jesus built more that one church?

Also, in Acts 20:28, it is written that Jesus purchased the church with His blood. How many churches did Christ purchase with His blood? Just the one. He purchased only His church with His blood and not the church of any man.

In the epistle to the Ephesians, Paul noted that the church is the body of Christ (Eph.1:22-23). His "body" and not His "bodies". Having noted this fact, Paul went on to emphatically state that there is "one body" (Eph.4:4). Therefore, there is only one church. No book in the bible exalts the Lord's church the way the book of Ephesians does and all who study it would do so to much profit.

Notice if you would that Paul in Ephesians 4:4-6 mentions seven things that are singular in nature. Would anyone contend that the "One Spirit" means many spirits, the "One Lord" means many lords and the "One God" means many gods? Why contend then that the "one body" means many bodies? There is only one church/body, just as there is only one God and Father of all.

Further, the church is represented as being "one fold"; "...there shall be one fold and one shepherd" (John 10:16). Christ did not say there shall be "many folds" having "one shepherd" but "one fold and one shepherd". Does this not proscribe denominationalism?

Moreover, our Lord has only one family. It is called "the whole family in heaven and on earth" (Eph.3:15) and also, "the house of God, which is the church of the living God" (1 Tim.3:15). The exlusiveness of this language is seen in the use of the definite article. Who would dare accuse God of having more than one family, thereby reflecting negatively on Him?

Also, the church is represented as being the bride of Christ (Eph.5:22-32). Paul in making this point quoted Genesis 2:24, where God joined only one male and one female together in marriage. Christ is joined in marriage to one bride, just as Adam was joined in marriage to one woman. Christ can't be a polygamist can He? However, if all the churches in the world are of and for Christ, then we have to conclude that our Lord is a polygamist.

The case for there being only one church can be made and proven, just as sure as the bible is God's word. In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul mentioned that the church is named after Christ. Thus, in Paul's letter to the church at Rome, He called all the various local congregations of this one church, "the churches of Christ" (Rom.16:16). Even when He called it "the church of God", he made sure to add "which He purchased with His blood" (Acts 20:28). Who shed His blood if not Christ? Thus once again, Paul was referring to "the church of Christ".

Some contend there is nothing in a name. Yet these people won't give their children names like "Judas Iscariot" or "Jezebel". There is something in a name. The name Christ. And that which is in the name Christ is "salvation" (Acts 4:12). There is no salvation in man-made names and the names of men.

Others contend that all the other churches make up "the church of Christ". If so, then the sin is even greater for the Lord has said, denominating ourselves after human names and not speaking as the oracles of God (1 Pet.4:11) is sinful and carnal (1 Cor.1:10-13; 3:3-7). Besides, if all man-made churches make up "the church of Christ", should God not have at the very least revealed this to us (Deut.29:29)? How then can we say such names like "The Baptist Church", "The Methodist Church", "The Pentecostal Church" etc. make up "the church of Christ" when God Almighty has said no such thing? And if this is so, which denomination were Peter and Paul? The Catholic Church or the Adventist Church?

Only one is the true church of Christ and it needs be noted that it can be identified today. It's a matter of identity and that being the case, similarity won't do. The Pig and the Cow have got some similarities between them but the similarities do not make the Pig and the Cow identical animals. Thus, similarity does not prove identity. The church which is the Lord's church must be identical in every regard to the descriptions of the church given in the New Testament. To falter in even one is to falter in all (Jam.2:10).

Therefore, a church is "of Christ" if it has the right founder/builder, the right origin/starting place, having started in the right period, the right entrance requirements, the right doctrine, the right work/mission, involved in true and spiritual worship and has the right name.

Those who think it doesn't matter the church one is a member of, must believe that a person can be saved in a church that was built by men, just as he can be saved in the church that was built by Christ. We however don't hesitate to point out that the church is the fulness of Christ (Eph.1:22-23), reconciliation with God can be found only in the body which is the church (Eph.2:16) and that the great mystery of salvation that was revealed to all via the apostles, concerns not Christ alone but "Christ and the church" (Eph.5:32).

The one question that all in denominational churches would struggle to answer on the judgement day is this; "Is Christ divided?" (1 Cor.1:13).

If you didn't know this truth, hopefully you do now.

God bless us all in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

(To be continued...)