McEwen church of Christ

Jesus was the greatest teacher to walk on this earth, and He often used parables to illustrate His lessons. A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.

One of His most famous parables was "The Two Builders" (Matthew 7:24-27). He spoke of two builders who built their houses, and the only difference between these builders was the foundation that each used. For Jesus said that the wise builder constructed his house on a ROCK, but the foolish builder constructed his house on the SAND! When the powerful wind, rain, and storm came, the house on the rock stood, but the one on the sand was destroyed.

What was the spiritual lesson? The house built on the ROCK illustrated those who follow the teaching of Jesus by doing His Father's will. However, the house built on the SAND illustrated those who did not follow the teaching of Jesus and were not doing His Father's will.

Famous Architect With this parable of Jesus on our minds, let us imagine a story about a world famous architect. This man spends many years drawing a complete blueprint for a perfect house. In his work, he makes every effort to specify detailed measurements for every single thing to be built into this house.

When the blueprint is completed, he turns it over to a faithful builder who follows every detail of the blueprint and the architect is one hundred percent pleased with the house. In the future, when this same blueprint is exactly followed, all houses built by its instructions and measurements will be the same.

But let us suppose further that many years into the future, various builders begin to make changes. For as they follow the original blueprint, they also begin to add certain things while deleting others. Consequently, in time, the houses built from these distorted plans were changed and very different. Now, if it were possible to bring back the original architect to see the corrupt plans, do you think he would be pleased with all these changes?

Surely he would be displeased, feel cheated, and without respect! Well, you can be assured that this example illustrates the same thing that happened to the blueprint of Christ's church!

Jesus, the Son of God, left heaven, spent some years on this earth teaching, and announced His plans to build His church. Before returning to His Father in heaven, He even paid the ultimate price of death and purchased His church with His own blood (Acts 20:28). Then He left behind for all to follow the perfect blueprint for His church. He even gave many warnings in the Bible against anyone who would change it.

Therefore, when this original blueprint for unity was followed in the first century, congregations of His church could be found in many places of the world such as Philippi, Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, and Jerusalem. Unity was present, and when some in the church at Corinth introduced division, Paul rebuked them. He wrote to them:

"Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment" (1 Corinthians 1:10).

In spite of the many warnings against changes, during the following centuries, just like the builders in the illustration, there were those who made changes to the blueprint for His church.

Organization Changed

The first major change to occur was a change in the organization of the church. The original blueprint called for a plurality of men to oversee and feed each local church.

To describe the function and work of these men, they were referred to as Elders, because they were older and more mature men. They were called Bishops and Overseers, because they were to care for and oversee the church, God's spiritual flock.

Likewise, they were referred to as pastors and shepherds because they were to tend and feed the flock. Paul gave the following instruction to the elders at Ephesus:

"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

Preachers were not called Pastors, but were called Ministers, preachers, and evangelists.

Also, the blueprint called for appointing deacons who were chosen to serve under the elders. Both the elders and deacons had to meet specific qualifications that are recorded in God's divine blueprint. Each local church had a plurality of both elders and deacons. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi:

"Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:" (Philippians 1:1).

One elder or bishop in any church did not have authority over the other elders or bishops. Also, each local church was separate in the sense that it did not have any authority over any other congregation of Christ's church.

However, man did not like the organization of the church as specified in the blueprint, and therefore over the centuries changed it. In 325 AD, man wrote a human creed called the Nicene Creed.

These changes continued, and by the fifth century, a Universal Bishop was appointed (compared to the Roman Emperor), to rule over all other Bishops in all the churches.

Then Cardinals were appointed to be under the Universal Bishop, and these compared to the Advisors. In fact, the changed organization that finally developed resembled the organization of the Roman government of that day.

Thus, the change in the organization of God's blueprint opened the door for many other changes. For the Bible was taken from the general population and the corrupt leaders of the church of that day told them what they should believe.

However, by the 17th century, there were various ones who decided that something very bad was wrong and there was a pressing need to reform the corrupt church. In fact, the time came when there were so many changes that the church built from the original blueprint, could not be recognized!

Therefore, something had to be done! Some suggested that the corrupt church should be reformed, but carrying out reform was not easy. In fact, there were many years of struggle and even blood shed during these years.

Now let us ask, "How do you suppose Jesus, the divine architect felt about all these changes? Here is His answer . . .

"But why do you call Me �Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46).

But the time finally came when reform of the old corrupt church began. However, as they considered the many changes that had been made throughout the centuries, they became divided!

Now let us ask, "Over what things were they divided?" They were divided over the many changes that had been made to the original blueprint. They were divided over what things should be removed and what things should be kept.

What was the outcome of this? The outcome produced religious division, human creeds, and man-made denominations! Why did this happen? Because they tried to reform a corrupt blueprint instead of restoring the original one that Jesus gave!

Fortunately though, during the passing of years there were those who became wise enough to see that this kind of reform was wrong. And to make things right, they decided to destroy the corrupt copies of the blueprints that they were following, and resolved to return to the original blueprint from Jesus. What were the results that followed?

The true church of Jesus that He purchased with His own blood was restored. For example, they restored the same organization of the church with Elders to oversee the flock, deacons to serve under the oversight of the elders, and evangelists to faithfully preach only the word of God.

Also, they replaced names that man had invented with only names that related to Christ and His church. Since the church belongs to Jesus, they concluded that surely He wants His church to be called by His name.

Christ Related Names

For example, Jesus referred to the church as My Church. After Peter confessed Jesus to be the Son of God, Jesus 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).

It was also simply called "The church." In the same chapter where Luke records the beginning of the church, Acts 2, Luke records in verse 47:

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

The New Testament church was also called "The church of God." Paul addressed the church at Corinth with these words:

"To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:" (1 Corinthians 1:2).

The church was also referred to as "The church of the living God." Paul wrote the following words to Timothy

"but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15).

Here, he referred to the church as the House of God, and the church of the living God.

Then the author of Hebrews refers to the church as "The church of the Firstborn." He wrote: "to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect," (Hebrews 12:23).

Finally, Paul addressed the local churches as the "churches of Christ." To the church at Rome, he wrote: "Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you" (Romans 16:16).

It is obvious to see that these various descriptions relate to Christ.

Also, the new birth of "water and the Spirit" was restored! This birth that included water baptism for salvation was honored and restored because Jesus taught:

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God" (John 3:5).

Likewise, Peter's commandment for sinners to "repent and be baptized . . .for the forgiveness of sins" was restored (Acts 2:38).

The apostle Paul's statement on the way one gets into Christ was also restored: "For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27).

Worship according to the truth of the original blueprint was also restored. For example, singing in worship was done by singing, "psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" from the heart (Ephesians 5:19). No mechanical instruments were used since such were not mentioned in the original blueprint.

The Lord's Supper was observed EVERY first day of the week (every Sunday) just as the Christians did in the first century. This was done on the first day of the week as Luke verifies: "Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight" (Acts 20:7).

Also the preaching during worship services contained ONLY the word of God as Paul instructed Timothy: "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching" (2 Timothy 4:2).

The original blueprint was also followed in their giving from cheerful hearts motivated by love, as they had been prospered. Paul instructed the church at Corinth: "Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given orders to the churches of Galatia, so you must do also: On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come" (1 Corinthians 16:1,2).

Goal For Restoration

When all had as their goal to "Speak where the Bible speaks, and to be silent where the Bible is silent," there was unity in teaching and practice.

This same unity is possible today. Remember, the religious world is NOT divided over WHAT the Bible says, but rather what the Bible DOESN'T SAY!

May we ask, "What about the church of Christ today?" Even though some today have departed from the goal of restoring the blueprint of the church that Jesus built, it is a fact that the mainstream churches of Christ still seek to return to, and to restore from God's word, the original blueprint of Christ's church.

Would you please consider seriously the importance of just being a New Testament Christian based on the teaching of God's word? And would you think about how essential it is to be a member of the church that follows God's divine blueprint?

Remember, your soul is the most important thing you possess in this life. In the words of Jesus: "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mark 8:36, 37).