“Now I beg 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. For it has been declared to me of you, my brethren, by those who are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now, this I say, that every one of you says, ‘I belong to Paul; I belong to Apollos; I belong to Peter and I belong to Christ.” Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? I thank God that I baptized none of you, but Crispus and Gaius, lest anybody should say that I had baptized him in my own name.” – I Corinthians 1:10-14
Imagine this scenario in the First Century
Christianity using Jesus’ twelve Apostles:
1.Paul
– Church of Christ.
2.Peter
- a Catholic.
3.Matthew
- an Anglican.
4.Andrew
- a Methodist.
5.John
- a Presbyterian.
6.Judas
- a Cherubim and Seraphim.
7.Philip
- a Pentecostal (father of all Pentecostals).
8.Thomas
- a Jehovah’s Witness.
9.James
(Son of Zebedee) - a Latter Day
Saints.
10.Bartholomew
– an Adventist.
11.Simon
the Zealot – a Neo Pentecostal.
12.James
(Son of Alphaeus) – a Baptist.
We all know that this was not true because God is not the “author of confusion” (I Corinthians 14:33).
There is no gainsaying the fact that we live in an era of multiplicity of Churches. In Nigeria alone there are more than ten thousand independent churches. Conscientious and concerned believers in Christ have had causes to ask:
1. Is
this this way things were in the First Century during the days of Jesus Christ,
His Apostles and Disciples?
2. What is the Church of the Bible and how can I identify her?
In the days of the Apostles, the CHURCH was ONE. What we have today is foreign to what obtained then. There were no multiplicity of churches, only a plurality of congregations (Romans 16:16). All the apostles and early Christians stood for “One Faith, One Baptism, One Lord, One Body, One Hope and Father” (Ephesians 4:3-6). They were all enjoined to “Mark and avoid anyone who would seek to cause divisions contrary to the doctrines they had received and to avoid them” (Romans 16:17). They were also enjoined to “contend earnestly for the Faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude v.3).
Understanding the New Testament Church is central to understanding true Christianity. In New Testament Scripture, Church was not an-all-comers affair.
When Jesus promised to establish His Church, He did not mince words when He said, “I will build my Church” (not “Churches).” Matthew 16:13-18 says:
“When Jesus came to the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, ‘Who do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, ‘Some say that You are John the Baptist: some, Elijah and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.’ He said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ And Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon, Son of John because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you, ‘You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.’”
The first time the word, “Church” ever occurred in the Bible is in Matthew 16:18. When Jesus spoke, He did not refer to Church in plural sense (“I will build my Churches”), but in singular (“I will build my Church”). This Church started on the Day of Pentecost and has remained so till date.
In tracing the
Church, the Bible speaks of the Church in three forms:
1. The
Church in Prophecy.
2. The
Church in Preparation.
3. The Church in Existence.
THE CHURCH IN PROPHECY
The Church in Prophecy was when prophets spoke of the coming kingdom. For instance, Isaiah 2:2 – 3 says:
“And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many peoples shall go and say, ‘Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.”
In his prophetic declaration, Isaiah said that Jehovah’s House would be built on top of the mountains. God’s House refers to the Church, the “Ground and Pillar of the Truth” (I Timothy 3:15). He further indicated that the Word of Jehovah would spring from Zion (Jerusalem). At Luke 24:46 – 47, we read:
“And said unto them, ‘Thus it is
written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the
third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his
name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
Jerusalem was the birthplace of the Church (Acts 1:8; Acts 2:1-5). Not Rome. Not England. Not Nigeria or anywhere in Africa, Europe or Asia.
THE CHURCH IN PREPARATION
While the Church was in Preparation, Jesus spoke of the coming kingdom. At Mark 9:1, He told some of His disciples who were with Him:
“…Verily I say to you: some of you who are standing here with me shall not taste of death until you have seen the Kingdom of God come with power.”
In New Testament, the terms, “Kingdom” and “Church” are used interchangeably. Colossians 1:13 says:
“Who has delivered us from the power of darkness, and has translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.”
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told His Disciples:
“You shall receive power when the Holy Ghost comes upon you, and you shall be witnesses of me both in Jerusalem, in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
The Church was to start in Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem it started.
THE CHURCH IN EXISTENCE
The Church in Existence speaks of the Church in Reality. On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Ghost came to inaugurate the Church. Acts 2:1-47 regales us with evidence of what transpired and how, in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophetic declaration that, “…all nations shall flow unto it” (Isaiah 2:2), sixteen nations were in attendance. Acts 2:41 says that about three thousand souls were saved and became members. In fact, Acts 2:47 says, “Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.”
From Acts 2, the Church has remained in existence till today. However, certain challenges had bedeviled her. There were internal squabbles as well as external interferences (especially persecutions and doctrinal corruptions), which greatly affected her existence and spread.
BASTARDIZATION OF NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY
The bastardization of New Testament Christianity began with the persecution orchestrated by Emperor Nero, who, in his quest to rebuild the City of Rome had set it on fire. Rather than accept responsibility, he decided to accuse Christians of doing so. This precipitated mass persecution of Christians and Christianity. Several Emperors sustained this policy until Emperor Constantine whose mother was a Christian, but himself was not. It was said that during his military campaign to become the Roman emperor, he saw a sign of the Cross in the sky on his way to Rome under which it was written, “By this conquer.”
Since the Cross is a symbol of the Christian Faith, he pledged that should he succeed, he would make Christianity a State Religion. He succeeded. As he had pledged, he made Christianity a State religion. By this act, Hell was let loose and Christianity became an all-comers affair. This gave way to State-controlled church, in this case, Roman State-controlled Church. This led to the emergence of Roman Catholicism. Because Rome was the political and military powerhouse of the world then, the empire promoted her own brand of Christianity as against the God-ordained Christianity. In Romish Christianity, the streams of Christianity and Roman paganism flowed together to form a confluence - Catholicism.
There is no gainsaying the fact that Catholicism is a confluence of Christianity and Paganism. In Catholicism, you find elements of Christianity and paganism.
While these were happening, True Christians left and continued the practice of New Testament Christianity, albeit in their few numbers. They could not compete with State-sponsored and promoted Catholicism and with the passage of time, continued to dwindle. They were found in various countries and continents across the world. As Jesus had promised, “The Gates of Hades shall not prevail against the Church” (Matthew 16:18c).
From around 400AD till early 16th Century, there was spiritual and religious darkness, which permeated the global landscape. Several efforts were made by individuals and groups to cause a renaissance, but were stifled by Romanism. These continued until Protestantism sprang up led by the like of Martin Luther.
Protestantism opened the space for questions and robust debates. These gave way to the emergence of the Restoration Movement, which sought and seeks to restore the New Testament Church to what she was in the Bible.
RESTORATION
MOVEMENT AND THE CALL FOR NEW TESTAMENT CHRISTIANITY
At Jeremiah 6:16, we read:
“Thus says the LORD, ‘Stand in the ways, see and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.…”
Going back to the “Old Path” to ask for the “Good way” and to “Walk in it” is God’s call for people to back to how things were.
Reformation Movement
is different from Restoration Movement.
The mantra of the Restoration Movement has remained:
1. “Let the Bible speak.”
2. “Let us go back to the Bible.”
3. “Speak where the Bible speaks, and
silent where the Bible is silent; call Bible by Bible names and do Bible things
by Bible ways.” (I
Pet. 4:11; Isaiah 8:20).
4. “No creed, but Christ.”
Restoration of
the New Testament Church implies going back to:
1. Organizational
structures.
2. Doctrinal
practices.
3. Worship patterns.
God is pattern-oriented. Everything He does is done according to pattern and requires same from those who are to do His Will (Hebrews 8:5). Because the Ark of the Covenant was not carried according to God’s established pattern, but a “New cart” was invented to carry it, God struck Uzzah and he died (II Samuel 6:3-8). The Nation of Israel had to go back to the Scripture to discover the pattern and was able to carry the Ark of the Covenant successfully. I Chronicles 15:13-15 tells us:
“Because we did not carry it the way the LORD had prescribed at the first time, He was angry at us because we did not seek Him accordingly after the due order. So, the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel. And the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.”
If you really want to serve God, serve Him as He commands (cf. Exodus 8:27), not as you wish or as someone else has arranged.
ORGANIZATION
The New Testament Church is non-denominational. Each congregation is autonomous. There is no central government with an overall human head (No “General Overseer”). No physical headquarter. The Headquarter of the Church is where the Head of the Church is (Philippians 3:20; John 14:3). Jesus Christ is Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23).
Each Congregation of the Church of the Bible is led by a plurality of Bishops (Pastors, Presbyters, Overseers, Elders, Shepherds (Philippians 1:1; Acts 14:23).
DOCTRINAL PRACTICES
The doctrinal stance of the New Testament Church is anchored on the Doctrines of Jesus Christ. II John 9 – 11 says:
“Whosoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ, does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. Therefore, if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house, neither bid him Godspeed because anyone who bids him Godspeed is partaker of his evil deeds.”
The Church is not guided by the teachings of Moses, Old Testament Prophets, the Psalmist, etcetera because those people are no longer speaking for God today. Hebrews 1:1 says:
“God, who in sundry times and in divers manners spoke in time past to the fathers through the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us through His Son, Whom He has appointed heir of all things and through Whom He also made the worlds.”
That Jesus is the only One Who speaks for God and whose teachings the Church is guided by today is further reinforced by what transpired at the Mount of Transfiguration. Matthew 17:1-5 tells us:
“After six days, Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain and was transfigured before them. As He was being transfigured, His face shone like the sun, and his clothe became as white as the light. Then Moses and Elijah appeared to them and talked with him. While they were talking, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here: if you want, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them and a Voice out of the cloud, said, ‘This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.’”
Any doctrine that was not taught by Jesus and His Apostles are not subscribed to by the New Testament Church. For instance, payment of tithes, and the use of musical instruments in worship were not taught by Jesus and His Apostles.
Tithe Payment
Tithe payment is not a Christian practice, and so the Church does not subscribe to it (Numbers 18:24-26; cf. Hebrews 7:5, 11-12, 16).
Does the church you attend practice Tithe payment? If she does, then it is not doing God’s Will.
Musical Instruments
Musical instruments was never God’s idea in worship. He had accused King David of their inventions (Amos 5:23; cf. 6:5), which David accepted he did (I Chron. 15:16; I Chron. 23:5). Acapella (singing without accompaniment of instruments) is the New Testament practice (Matthew 26:30; I Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:19; Hebrews 13:15).
Does the church you attend employ the use of musical instruments in her worship? If she does, then it is not doing God’s Will.
Plan of Salvation
To be saved, the Church follows the Biblical pattern of salvation: Hear the Gospel, Believe the Gospel, Repent of your sins, Confess faith in Jesus Christ and be Baptized into Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and then added to the Church (Acts 2:47).
Does the church you attend teach Bible’s Plan of Salvation? If it does not, then she is not doing the Will of God.
WORSHIP
Worship is the outward expression of an inward sense of praise. Worship is central to the Church’s activities on Earth. The New Testament Church worshipped God daily. Acts 2:42, 46 tell us:
“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. ... And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart.”
Elements of the corporate worship life of the New Testament Church include:
1. Prayer. 2. Teaching. 3. Preaching. 4. Singing. 5. Weekly Observance of the Lord’s Supper. 6. Giving voluntarily to support God’s Work.
Does the church you attend worship God according to New Testament pattern? If she does not, then she is not doing the Will of God.
DOES
THE NAME OF THE CHURCH YOU ARE A MEMBER MATTER?
What was the
first century church called? How were the early disciples designated? Was she
called:
1. Pentecostal
even though she started on the Day of Pentecost?
2. Methodist even
though she follows Biblical methods?
3. Baptist even
though she practices Biblical baptism?
4. Catholic even
though she is Catholic (universal) in scope?
5. Jehovah’s Witness even
though she witnesses for Jesus?
6. Deeper Life even
though she encourages people to live deeper Christian life?
7. Assemblies of God even though she assembles regularly?
Because Jesus established His Church (Matthew 16:16-18), Purchased Her with His Own Blood (Acts 20:28), and is Head over Her (Colossians 1:18), the Church is not called after the name of a person or a group of persons; the Church is not named after a concept. She practices what He commands and answers the Name of Her Owner. Romans 16:16 says:
“Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.”
Why would men set aside Jesus’ Name, and designate themselves by human heroes (example, Lutheran)? Or name themselves after some form of organization (example, Presbyterian)? Or adopt titles according to some individual point of doctrine they espouse (example, Baptist)?
MY APPEAL TO YOU
Would you not want to be member of the Church of the Bible? Is it not possible today to be a part of the original church without any affiliation to a church organism that has adopted merely some of the elements of Christianity?
You may be zealous for God, but if your zeal is not backed by knowledge, you are zealously mistaken. Romans 10:1-3 says:
“Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved. For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.”
Let us go back to Jerusalem where true Christianity began and can be found (Luke 24:47). True Christianity is not found in the church that started in Rome, Germany, America, England, Africa or Nigeria but in Jerusalem!
God bless you as you make the most important
decision of your life today!
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