12 6. The Church—What Is It?
6. The Church—What Is It?
INTRODUCTION In Matthew 16:18 Christ says: "Upon this rock I will build my church." We begin now a series of lessons about the church of Christ. The thought before us is:
What is the church? ITS PROPER NAME By "proper name" is meant that name by which it must be known, or that name by which it must be called. It is called "the church of God" and "churches of God" in the following places: l Cor. 1:1, 2; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Gall. 1:13. These passages speak of the church in the universal sense, including all of God’s children in any locality or on the earth, and also as local congregations. It is always used in the singular in the first sense and the plural in the second sense. In Matthew 16:18 Christ speaks of it as "my church." In Acts 20 28 it is spoken of as "the church of the Lord," in its universal sense, and in Romans 16:16 as "churches of Christ," in the local sense. There are more than forty local congregations in Nashville, and because of this fact we speak of "the churches of Christ in Nashville"; but when we speak of all the redeemed on earth or in any one section, we must speak of them as "the church of God" or "the church of Christ." This is the way the Holy Spirit used these expressions, and we dare not add to nor take from them. BY RIGHT OF PURCHASE
Suppose Mr. Smith buys a lot and on it builds a house and moves into it. If someone should ask you, "Whose house or home is that?" what answer would you give? You could give but one—viz.: "Mr. Smith’s home." It is his by right of purchase, and this fact demands this answer. You could not answer, "It is Mr. Brown’s home," or give it any other name and tell the truth. Of course, you could speak of it as "Mrs. Smith’s home," because all that belongs to Smith also belongs to his wife.
Just so does Jesus declare that what belongs to him belongs to his Father also. "All things that are mine are shine, and shine are mine," declares Jesus in talking to his Father in prayer. (See John 17:10.) In Acts 20:28 we have the words: "The church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood." And in Matthew 16:18 he says: "Upon this rock I will build my church." The church belongs to Christ by right of purchase. And think of the price he paid! And you can argue and reason forever, but never can you suggest a better way to speak of the church, when the proper name is to be used, than the way in which the Holy Spirit has spoken of it—viz., "church of God," "church of the Lord," or "church of Christ." These expressions are in harmony with every fact or truth connected with the church.
NOTHING IN A NAME
It is contended that there is nothing in a name; hence, people who so believe are exceedingly indifferent about the name they give the church or even themselves as individual disciples. Let us look into this now and see.
If there is nothing in a name, God did a useless thing the day he made Adam and Eve and "called their name Adam, in the day when they were created." (Genesis 5:2.) If there is nothing in a name, why did God name these two souls?
If there is nothing in a name, why did God change Abram’s name to "Abraham" and Sarai’s name to "Sarah"? "Neither shall thy name any more he called Abram, but thy name shall be called Abraham." "As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be." (Genesis 17:5; Genesis 17:15.) But why change their names if it be true that there is nothing in a name? We are not looking into the meaning of these names nor ascertaining why God made the change. We are merely emphasizing the fact that to assume that there is nothing in a name is not only erroneous, but reflects on God by making him do things there is nothing in.
If there is nothing in a name, God sent an angel all the way from heaven to earth on a useless mission to change Jacob’s name to "Israel." "And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel." (See Genesis 32:27-28.) Hence, the Bible calls the twelve tribes that descended from the twelve sons of Jacob "the twelve tribes of Israel," not "the twelve tribes of Jacob." Why all this if there is nothing in a name? Would it not be better to let names stand as God has seen fit to use them and stop this practice of choosing human names and trying to defend them?
Some have contended that "Christian church" is a proper name, on the ground that it is Christian in contradistinction to pagan. On identically the same grounds the Catholics could justify calling it "the Holy Catholic Church." "Catholics" means universal. And certainly the New Testament contains the idea of the universality of the church. The words "catholic" and "Christian," when so used, are simply adjectives. These words are nowhere in the New Testament used as the proper name of the church. Whatever there may be in them of merit, certainly is comprehended in the name used by the Holy Spirit—viz., "church of God," "church of Christ." No man can improve on the way the Bible speaks of things.
DESCRIPTIVE TITLES OF THE CHURCH
It is called "the house of God." (1 Timothy 3:15.) As a building, our Lord is its rock foundation (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 3:11), and his disciples are known as "living stones" built upon him, the immovable rock (1 Peter 2:5; Hebrews 3:6).
It is called "the body of Christ." (Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18; Colossians 1:24.) As such, Christ is declared to be "head over all things to the church" (Ephesians 1:22-23), and his disciples are declared to be "severally members thereof." ( l Cor. 12:20 27.) We have just one Lord. This Lord has just one body, or one church, through which he works to bless the world. (See Ephesians 4:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-20; 1 Corinthians 12:25-27; Romans 12:4-5.) It can break itself up into factions and parties, but such is rebellion against Christ, the head. 1 Corinthians 12:20-25 says: "But now they are many members, but one body. . . .That there should be no schism [faction] in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another." How can you break the church up into factions, or parties, and keep the members from having more care for the members of their own party, or faction? God’s way is the best way. Christ prayed that we be one, as he and the Father are one. (See John 17:20-21.) The Spirit pleads in 1 Corinthians 1:10, "Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment."
It is called "the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 16:18-19; Hebrews 12:22-23; Hebrews 12:28.) As such, Christ is the King and the disciples of Christ are its citizens. (Psalms 2:6-7; Acts 13:32-33; Ephesians 2:19.)
It is called "the sheepfold." (John 10:16.) As such, Christ is the "good shepherd" and his disciples are the sheep. (John 10:11; John 10:14; 1 Peter 2:25.)
It is called a "family." (Ephesians 3:14-15.) As such, God is the Father, Jesus is "the elder brother," and all his faithful disciples are declared to be "joint heirs" with him. (Matthew 23:9; Galatians 4:6-7; 1 John 3:1-2.) "The Jerusalem which is above," spoken of as the church, is declared to be "the mother of us all." (Galatians 4:26.)
It is called an "army." As such, Christ is our Captain (Hebrews 2:10), and every disciple a soldier (2 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 10:4; Ephesians 6:10-20; Revelation 19:11-16) .
And, last, the church is spoken of as "the Lamb’s bride." (Revelation 19:6-9; Romans 7:4; 2 Corinthians 11:1-2; Ephesians 5:22-32.)
THE MATERIAL OUT OF WHICH THE CHURCH IS BUILT The church is not the house in which its members meet. Such a building is only "a meetinghouse," or place where the church meets; but this material building is not the church. (Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24.) The church at Corinth was said to have "come together into one place" (1 Corinthians 14:23), and the Jerusalem church was "scattered abroad" (Acts 8:1). The church is a living, loving, serving, walking, singing, praying institution; as an army, fighting sin and Satan. (1 Timothy 6:12; Ephesians 6:12). As a bride, we must bear fruit. (Romans 7:4.) As a building, it is God’s habitation. (Ephesians 2:22.) As a body, we take orders from Christ and no one else. (Ephesians 1:22-23.) The church was typified of or foreshadowed by such buildings as the tabernacle of Moses and Solomon’s temple, both of which were made of the most precious material obtainable. They were types of God’s house today, which is the church. And this house has as its foundation Jesus Christ. Can you think of anything more precious? It has as its superstructure the souls of men and women purchased by the blood of Jesus and declared to be living stones built on this foundation. Just one soul is worth more than all the wealth in the earth. This precious material put in the tabernacle of Moses and Solomon’s temple was not to teach us to build magnificent church houses.
Let us remember that Christ is "head over all things to the church"; hence, no gospel or doctrine but his can we teach. (Galatians 1:6-9; 2 John 1:9-10.)