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Article 98 - Things About The Church

Some Things You Should Know About the Church

Jon Gary Williams

The church is called...

...the temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16)
...the bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-32)
...the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18,24; Ephesians 1:22-23)
...the kingdom of God's son (Colossians 1:13)
...the house of God (1 Timothy 3:15)
...the church of God (1 Corinthians 1:2)
...the church of the first-born (Hebrews 12:23)
...the church of the Lord (Acts 20:28)
...the churches of Christ (Romans 16:16)

The church was...

...built by Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:13-18)
...purchased by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28)
...built on Jesus Christ as the only foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11)
...not built on Peter, Paul, or any other man (1 Corinthians 1:12-13)
...composed of the saved, who are added to it by the Lord who saves them (Acts 2:47)

Members of the church are called...

...members of Christ (1 Corinthians 6:15; 1 Corinthians 12:27; Romans 12:4-5)
...disciples of Christ (Acts 6:1,7; Acts 11:26)
...believers (Acts 5:14; 2 Corinthians 6:15)
...saints (Acts 9:13; Romans 1:7; Philippians 1:1)
...priests (1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:6)
...children of God (Galatians 3:26-27; 1 John 3:1-2)
...christians (Acts 11:26; Acts 26:28; 1 Peter 4:16)

Local congregations have...

...elders (also called bishops and pastors) who oversee and tend the flock (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)
...deacons, who serve the church (1 Timothy 3:8-13; Philippians 1:1)
...evangelists (preachers, ministers) who teach and proclaim the word of God (Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 4:13-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-5)
...members, who love the Lord and each other (Philippians 2:1-5)
...autonomy, and is bound to other local churches only by the common faith shared (Jude 3; Galatians 5:1)

Jesus Christ...

...loved the church (Ephesians 5:25)
...shed his blood for the church (Acts 20:28)
...established the church (Matthew 16:18)
...added saved people to the church (Acts 2:47)
...is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 5:23)
...will save the church (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 5:23)

Man did not...

...purpose the church (Ephesians 3:10-11)
...purchase the church (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25)
...name its members (Isaiah 56:5; Isaiah 62:2; Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16)
...add people to the church (Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 12:18)
...give the church its doctrine (Galatians 1:8-11; 2 John 9-11)

To enter the church, you must...

...believe in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 11:6; John 8:24; Acts 16:31)
...repent of sins (Turn away from your sins) (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 17:30)
...confess faith in Jesus (Matthew 10:32; Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9-10)
...be baptized into the saving blood of Jesus Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 10:48; Acts 22:16)

Baptism requires...

...much water (John 3:23; Acts 10:47)
...going down into the water (Acts 8:36-38)
...a burial in water (Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12)
...a resurrection (Acts 8:39; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12)
...a birth (John 3:3-5; Romans 6:3-6)
...a washing (Acts 22:16; Hebrews 10:22)

In baptism...

...you are saved from sins (Mark 16:16 1 Peter 3:21)
...you have remission of sins (Acts 2:38)
...sins are washed away by the blood of Christ (Acts 22:16; Hebrews 9:22; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:21)
...you enter into the church (1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 2:41,47)
...you enter into Christ (Galatians 3:26-27; Romans 6:3-4)
...you put on Christ and become a child of God (Galatians 3:26-27)
...you are born again, a new creature (Romans 6:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17)
...you walk in newness of life (Romans 6:3-6)
...you obey Christ (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 10:48; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9)

The faithful church will...

...worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23-24)
...meet on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; Hebrews 10:25)
...pray (James 5:16; Acts 2:42; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
...sing, making melody with the heart (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)
...eat the Lord's supper on the first day of the week (Acts 2:42 20:7; Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 11:20-32)
...give, liberally and cheerfully (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-5; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

In New Testament times there was...

...one family of God (Ephesians 3:15; 1 Timothy 3:15)
...one kingdom of Christ (Matthew 16:18-19; Colossians 1:13-14)
...one body of Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:4)
...one bride of Christ (Romans 7:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-23)
...one church of Christ (Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 4:4-6)

The same church today...

...is guided by the same word (1 Peter 1:22-25; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
...contends for the one faith (Jude 3; Ephesians 4:5)
...pleads for unity of all believers (John 17:20-21; Ephesians 4:4-6)
...is not a denomination (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:1-6)
...is faithful to Christ (Luke 6:46; Revelation 2:10; Mark 8:38)
...wears the name of Christ (Romans 16:16; Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16)

You can be a member of this church...

A child of God...

...can be lost (1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 10:12; Galatians 5:4; Hebrews 3:12-19)

...is constantly cleansed by the blood of Christ as he walks in the light of God (1 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 1:5-10)

Jon Gary Williams
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