About the New Testament Church
What’s so different about the Church of Christ from the various religious organizations of today? The Church of Christ was founded in the first century and has continued to this day because people have separated themselves from the various man-made religious institutions and returned to following the pure and simple New Testament pattern as is found in the Bible. We do our best to adhere only to the Bible as our source of religious authority (1Peter 4:11). We are opposed to all departures from the original biblical pattern (1 Corinthians 1:10). The Church of Christ still wears the same name as the first century Church, teaches people what they must do to be saved (Acts 2:37), and worships in the same manner as the Church did in the days of the apostles (John 4:24). The name “Church of Christ” is descriptive of Christ’s ownership of the church (Matthew 16:18) and is not descriptive of some man-made denominational institution. There is only one Church (Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:4), and every person who has obeyed the plan of salvation is a member.
The idea of more than one Church with various doctrines and forms of worship has never been in God’s plan. Divisions in the Church only came about years later. The very oldest denominations did not begin until several hundred years after Jesus established his Church. Many man-made denominations have begun only within the last 125 years. The Bible foretold of departures from the original plan. (I Timothy 4:1-3, II Timothy 4:3-4, Acts 20:29-30, II Thess 2:3)
The only guide for faith and practice of those early Christians was God’s Word by the inspired preaching of Apostles. Today we have the Bible and can know what doctrines and practices are based on biblical principles. If we compare ourselves, our beliefs, and our actions to what is written in God’s Holy word we can know the truth. The Bible is the inspired, authoritative, all-sufficient word of God. (II Timothy 3:16-17) The word “Church” (“Ekklesia” in the Greek) literally means “To Call Out”. The Church in the New Testament Scriptures refers to” A Called Out Body of People.” The Church includes all the saved who have been called out of the world into God’s service.