The Church and Scripture
Just what is the Church of Christ? You have probably heard that term used to refer to the wide body of denominations that believe in Jesus Christ. In the United States alone, these bodies number more than 220, with over 300,000 congregations! Pretty impressive, isn’t it? Well, let’s see.
Despite the various Christian traditions that exist in our world today, Scripture teaches that there is actually only one church. That church was established, built, and is owned and directed by Christ (Matthew 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18). That one church follows his one word — the Bible — as its sole guide in all matters of faith and practice (Psalm 119:1-7; Luke 6:46; 2 Tim. 3:16-17).
According to Scripture, God did not create denominational traditions or human creeds and opinions; rather, he commands his one church to abide in his one word and honor him (Matt. 15:1-9; 7:24-28; 1 Cor. 1:10-13). This is the one church of Christ we read about in the New Testament. Whether the congregation was in Ephesus, Corinth, Galatia, or Rome — they were all members of the same one body (Eph. 4:4; Gal. 3:26-28). In short, the Church of Christ is that same body you read about in your Bible.
Please do not misunderstand. It is not our desire to denigrate other religious groups; they are comprised of wonderful people of deep faith who do tremendous amounts of good in our world. Our goal is to simply move away from the religious traditions of human beings and lift up Christ and his truth in order that all people might be drawn to him. If you are looking for a place of truth, acceptance, and mission, we invite you to investigate the West Broad Church of Christ, or the Church of Christ in your area. Remember, friend: tradition and personal feelings are one thing, but God’s word is quite another (Matt. 15:7-9). Please let us hear from you, and let us know if we can serve you in any way.
