124 The United Church

The United Church THIRD YEAR— SUBJECT 17 The United Church

(READ EPH. 4) 1. One God. 1 Corinthians 8:6.

2. One Lord. Ephesians 4:5.

3. One Spirit. 2 Corinthians 12:18 4. One Faith. 2 Peter 1:1.

5. One Hope. Hebrews 6:18-20.

6. One Baptism. Ephesians 4:5.

7. One Body. 1 Corinthians 12:20. The apostle, Paul, in writing to the church at Ephesus exhorts them to strive to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. In this unity he mentions seven single items, and it is just as unscriptural to argue that we have two or more of each of these as it is to argue we have two or more Bible churches. Paul says there is one God and no one can please God if he argues there are more than one. He says there is one Spirit, one hope; one Lord, and one faith.

Any man would be condemned if he should go out and argue that we have more than one of any of these. He says there is one baptism, but some, not being satisfied with God’s law, argue that we can practice three or four baptisms and be on the safe side. Not only is this taught, hut it is a popular idea that there are many churches, and while no church holds all the good, yet there is enough good in each church to save almost all who belong to them. To argue that men could have looked at some other snake than the one Moses made; that men could have gotten into some other ark than the one Noah made; that Naaman could have been healed in some other river than the Jordan, is just as reasonable as it is to argue that men can be saved out of the church that Jesus purchased with his own blood.

QUESTIONS 1. How many Gods?

2. How many Lord?

3. How many faiths?

4. How many hopes?

5. How many Spirits?

6. How many baptisms?

7. How many bodies?    8. How do you know this? Pleas give proof.

9. How do you know one church? Please give proof 10. How do you know the church Christ established?

11. What church did Christ establish?