The document provides an overview of the Church of Christ based on biblical teachings. It examines prophecies of the church from the Old Testament and traces its establishment by Jesus Christ. Key aspects of the church discussed include its origin through Jesus' sacrifice, its scriptural names like "Church of God" and "Body of Christ", its hierarchical government structure with Christ as the head and elders overseeing members, and its prescribed worship practices and works as outlined in the New Testament. The overall purpose is to define the church as the New Testament church found in the Bible alone, without additions from men.
The document provides an overview of the Church of Christ based on biblical teachings. It examines prophecies of the church from the Old Testament and traces its establishment by Jesus Christ. Key aspects of the church discussed include its origin through Jesus' sacrifice, its scriptural names like "Church of God" and "Body of Christ", its hierarchical government structure with Christ as the head and elders overseeing members, and its prescribed worship practices and works as outlined in the New Testament. The overall purpose is to define the church as the New Testament church found in the Bible alone, without additions from men.
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Simply From The Scriptures: Bible Study: What Is The Church of Christ?
The document provides an overview of the Church of Christ based on biblical teachings. It examines prophecies of the church from the Old Testament and traces its establishment by Jesus Christ. Key aspects of the church discussed include its origin through Jesus' sacrifice, its scriptural names like "Church of God" and "Body of Christ", its hierarchical government structure with Christ as the head and elders overseeing members, and its prescribed worship practices and works as outlined in the New Testament. The overall purpose is to define the church as the New Testament church found in the Bible alone, without additions from men.
The document provides an overview of the Church of Christ based on biblical teachings. It examines prophecies of the church from the Old Testament and traces its establishment by Jesus Christ. Key aspects of the church discussed include its origin through Jesus' sacrifice, its scriptural names like "Church of God" and "Body of Christ", its hierarchical government structure with Christ as the head and elders overseeing members, and its prescribed worship practices and works as outlined in the New Testament. The overall purpose is to define the church as the New Testament church found in the Bible alone, without additions from men.
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Volume 1
Simply from the Scriptures
Special Issue
What Is The Church of Christ? Welcome to the Richmond area. We invite you to come worship with us. But first, an introduction. Please take a little time to learn more about us.
As you read this bulletin we hope you recongize us to be the New Testament church found in the Bible. We do not have any confusing denominational structures or additions of men. Do you desire to be a Christian and only a Christian, without having to wear a prefix or suffix? If so, please read on!
Come where Visitors are Always
Welcome! Let us begin our study by examing the church of Christ as mentioned in Old Testament prophecy. As we can see, the KINGDOM of Old Testament prophecy is the CHURCH in the New Testament fulfillment (Matt. 16:18-19). Consider the following amazing prophecies that were made hundreds of years before their realization. Truly, the Bible is inspired by God!
The Church in Bible Prophecy
760 BC Kingdom to Go to ALL Nations (Isaiah 2:2-3)
710 BC Word of the Lord to Go to ALL Nations (Micah 4:1-2)
425 BC John the Baptist to Come and Prepare for the
Coming Kingdom! (Malachi: 3:1; 4:5-6)
1 Peter 1:10-12 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and
searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.
Hebrews 12:28-29 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be
moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: For our God is a consuming fire. The Origin Of The Church Next, we need to take a look at the origin of the church. Because of sin, mankind needed a Savior - a way to be made righteous and justified in the sight of God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was offered up as the perfect sacrifice, that through His shed blood, all mankind might have the opportunity to have their sins remitted. The church is composed of those who, by faith, have obeyed the gospel of Jesus. One is added to the church by God Himself after being washed with the blood of the Lamb by being baptized for remission of sins!
Jesus Christ 1) Builder (Matt 16:18) 2) Buyer (Acts 20:28) 3) Owner (Matt 16:18) 4) Foundation (1 Pet 2:6) 5) Head (Eph 1:22-23) 6) Savior (Eph 5:23)
As we have seen in the Old Testament prophecies, there would be a time and place that the church of Christ, of the Kingdom of God, would be established by its founder, Jesus Christ. After Jesus’ perfect life, His betrayal, His suffering and death where His cleansing blood was shed, and His resurrection and ascension to His throne at the right hand of God, the church was then established in Jerusalem at the day of Pentecost in approximately 33 AD. The Origin Of The Church -----------Acts 2---------- Previous to After Pentecost Pentecost The Bible speaks The Bible speaks of the Kingdom in of the Kingdom in the FUTURE the PAST TENSE TENSE
See the See the
Following Following Passages: Passages: Dan 2:44, Dan 7:13-14 Acts 2:47, Acts 5:11 Matt 3:1-2, Mark 1:14- Acts 8:1, Acts 11:22 15 Acts 13:1, Acts 14:27 Matt 16:18-19, Mark 9:1 Col 1:13, Rev 1:9 Luke 24:46-49, Acts 1:8 This spiritual kingdom, the body of Christ, will remain until Jesus comes again to deliver it to the Father in Heaven.
Church/Ekklesia/Εκκλησια Now that we know that Jesus established the church, we must answer the question what is the meaning of the word “church?” The definition is shown below:
"Church" Means: That which is Called Out
If the word “church” means “called out,” from what are they called out? Children of God are called out from among the world to put on Christ and walk in newness of life, no longer slaves to sin! Please see the following verses that demonstrates 1) what calls us and 2) the purity of the church:
Attributes of the Church:
2 Thessalonians 2:14: Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:25-27: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
Scriptural Names For The Church
If our goal is to find the church of the Bible amid all of the religious confusion in the world today, we must make up our minds to search for and accept only the teachings about the church that we can read about in the Bible. Take, for example, the NAME of the church. If we were going to buy a Chevy, we would not purchase a car with a Ford emblem, and visa versa. If we are looking for the New Testament church, we would not look at a church whose name is foreign to the Bible. We would search for the names God Himself has chosen, not a name that honors some man. Below you can see some of the Scriptural names we find in the Bible for the church. Does your church wear a name from God, or from man?
1) The Church (At least 65 times)
2) Church of God (Acts 20:28) 3) House of God (1 Tim 3:15) 4) Church of the Living God (1 Tim 3:15) 5) Church of the Firstborn (Heb 12:23) 6) Church of Christ (Rom 16:16) 7) Body of Christ (1 Cor 12) 8) Kingdom of God (Col 1:13) 9) Temple of God (Eph 2:19-22) The Government Of The Church Continuing our search for the church of the Bible, let us now turn our attention to the government of the church. Just as God has called His church by certain names, so also He has established a form of government for the church. Please see the chart below for the proper organization of the church as God would have it. Is your church organized as God has designated, or do you have special conventions, councils and other additions of men?
Christ (ALL Authority)
Matt 28:18; Eph 1:22; Col 1:18 T Elders (Oversee the Flock) Do NOT Legislate! 1 Tim 3, Titus 1, 1 Peter 5 (Deacons to assist the elders & congregation) T Members of the Body 1 Corinthians 12, Acts 2:41-47 The Worship Of The Church Another identifying mark of the New Testament church can be seen in how God is worshipped. The issue really is, does God care how I worship him? The answer, as seen in the two passages listed below is a resounding “YES!” This being so, please also notice in the chart below the acts of worship that the first century church engaged in:
Our worship IS Governed
John 4:24 “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” Matthew 15:9 “But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men”
THE FORM (PATTERN) OF Lord’S DAY WORSHIP
1) Prayer (Acts 2:42; 1 Tim. 2:8) 2) Edification (Acts 2:42; Matt. 28:18-20) 3) Singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16) 4) Lord’s Supper (1 Cor 11:17-34; Acts 20:7) 5) Giving (1 Cor. 16:1-2; 2 Cor 9:6-8) Please notice that things that are entertaining to man, such as special choirs, instruments of music, and using carnal means to draw a crowd, are not found in the worship of God. Does your church worship according to the Will of God, or men? The Work Of The Church Next, let’s notice the work of the church. Just as in name, government, and worship, God has expressed His divine will concerning how the church does its work. The church is a SPIRITUAL KINGDOM, and has the responsibility to carry out the work that Jesus has authorized. The church is not in the business of entertainment, nor is it a global “Red Cross” type relief organization. The church simply and humbly serves God in the way that God desires. Please see the chart below to learn more about the God-given work of the church:
OUR WORK IS GOVERNED
Col. 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. 1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 2 Tim. 2:5 And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.
The last of the identifying marks of the church of Christ, the church of the Bible, that we will examine is doctrine, or teaching. You may have noticed that many churches utilize creeds and constitutions in addition to the Bible. The church we read of in the Bible uses only the one faith, the one truth, the one gospel - God’s revealed will as recorded in our Bibles: Ephes. 4:5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, Jude 1:3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Galatians 1:8-9 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. 2 John 1:9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
No Corruption! Just God’s Will! No Creeds!
No Doctrines of Men! No Cults! Does your church follow the will of God as in the Bible, or something else?
By this point in our study you may have noticed there are many things that are different and possibly unique about the Lord’s church, the church of Christ. You may be thinking this “denomination” really tries to follow the Bible and the Bible only. While we do try to love Jesus more and more everyday, and our obedience to Christ is a fruit of that love and of a growing faith, it needs to made very clear that… The Church is NOT:
We mean no personal offense in making this matter clear, but we also desire not to be misunderstood on this point. The church of Christ, the body of Christ, is the very church that Jesus built in the Bible!
Remember the identifying marks of the church? We noticed the church in the Bible was established by Jesus Christ in approximately 33 AD. Therefore, any church established AFTER 33 AD is, quite frankly, ANOTHER CHURCH. Let’s quickly take a look at the various origins of some of the popular denominational churches of our day and compare them to Jesus’ church that we read about in the Bible: The Kingdom of Christ (the church of Christ) came with POWER in 33 AD In what year was the… “Baptist church” started? 1607 AD 1574 years TOO LATE! “Methodist church” started? 1739 AD 1706 years TOO LATE! “Presbyterian church” started? 1536 AD 1503 years TOO LATE! “Catholic church” started? 606 AD 573 years TOO LATE! “Pentecostal church” started? 1914 AD 1881 years TOO LATE! “Lutheran church” started? 1520 AD 1487 years TOO LATE! “Episcopal church” started? 1534 AD 1501 years TOO LATE! “Mormon church” started? 1830 AD 1797 years TOO LATE! Please notice these organizations, no matter how honest or sincere they may be, are not the church of the Bible! Please do not take our word for it. Examine these matters for yourself. Open your Bible and compare your church with the church you see in the scriptures. Remember to take a close look at the signature features:
✔ The Name of the Church (1 Tim 3:15, Rom 16:16)
✔ The Gov't of the Church (1 Tim 3, Titus 1:5-9, 1 Pet 5) ✔ The Worship of the Church (John 4:24, Matt 15:8-9) ✔ The Origin of the Church (Acts 2) ✔ The Doctrine of the Church (2 John 9-11, Gal 1:8-9) Jesus tells us of a wide way and a narrow way (Matt 7:13-17). The wide way is the way that many people have chosen to take. The problem is, this way leads to eternal destruction. Jesus said to beware of the false prophets that will lead you down this wide, alluring, yet treacherous path. Instead, fix your eyes on Jesus, and He will show you the narrow path that leads to eternal life! Resolve to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and be ever grateful that by the grace and mercy of God we have the opportunity to be redeemed and justified in the sight of God by the precious blood of Jesus Christ! However, after this realization, you then must ask yourself, “How do I contact the blood of Christ that my sins may be washed away? How can I be made clean and spotless in the sight of God?” Please follow the stair-steps up on the next chart to understand how: You may be asking, besides remission of sins (which is HUGE!), what other blessings are there for me by being added to the church of Christ by God through obedience to the gospel? Since God tells us that we must believe that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him (Hebrews 11:6), we joyfully list some of the blessings that are available ONLY in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 1:3)
Blessings in Christ 1) Prayer to God Through Jesus! (Romans 8:34: Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1) 2) Remission of Sins Committed AFTER obeying the Gospel! (Acts 8:22-24; 1 John 1:9) 3) Spiritual Fellowship with those of Like-Faith! (Acts 2:42) 4) Victory in Jesus Over Death and Satan! (1 Cor 15:54-57) 5) The Hope of Walking With Our Perfect and Loving God Throughout All Eternity! (Rom 8:18, 23-25; 2 Tim 4:7-8; John 14:1-3; Rev 21:1-7) The saints in Richmond would like to express our sincerest gratitude for your interest in spiritual matters. Please Come visit us anytime! You are Always Welcome!
