Quote:
Originally Posted by ScarletWren
Wow, still this thread is going on. How funny. I went to a cofc for many many years and yes, it is a denomination, but just like Lutherans and Baptists, there must be 'flavors' within but nothing concrete since there is no governing board. Every cofc I attended had at least an organ and a piano. The summer camp I attended usually had someone who played the guitar to accompany our singing by the campfire. There were evening services and special services where people played guitars, saxophones, clarinets, etc. No divorced person was excluded from participating in any type of service. A few of the churches allowed women to contribute to the worship service and sometimes a woman missionary was at the pulpit during the message time. Usually it was more in the form of a report of the missionary activity but at times there was at least an altar call.
I do believe there is misinterpretation of scripture within that church. I believe this about all organized churches. I am thankful for experiencing much love and witnessing stupid squabbles, even some of which I was involved in, to my chagrin. We are all human, flawed and imperfect but with God, who doesn't know the meaning of impossible, there will be complete harmony and unity in Him.
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And how is it ScarletWren that you think the cofc is a denomination? Denomination suggests a fraction or part of the whole. The Lord's Church and denominations are absolutely incompatible with each other. The Church of Christ is the one body of Christ. "There is one body," (Ephesians 4:4), "... for His body's sake, which is the church," (Colossians 1:24). So you see, there is one body and the body is the church. So how many churches are there? Think it over!!....
The Church of Christ is a divine institution because it belongs to Christ. The Lord Himself made the promise to build it. God's prophet Isaiah had foretold in prophecy about its establishment in Isaiah 22:24. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, "Upon this rock, I will build my church." It was really established on the first day of Pentecost after Christ's resurrection from the dead when 3,000 souls believed the gospel preached by Peter and were baptized into Christ that same day. (Acts 2:41).
The Church's one foundation, Is Jesus Christ her Lord. She is His new Creation, By water and the word From heaven.. He came and sought her, to be His Holy Bride.. With His Own Blood He Bought Her And For Her Life He Died.
The church of Christ is not a denomination and neither is it a name above a door...!
Until now, the Bible convicts all men of sin, and the wages thereof being a second death. (Romans 3:23, 6:23; Revelation 21:8). Yet God has promised to save only those who obey the Gospel of Christ (Romans 1:16; Hebrews 5:8-9). The gospel has these facts to be believed: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ in man's place. When one from the heart obeys the gospel, he enters the Lord's body, and hence becomes a member of the Lord's church(the Church of Christ) - 1 Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:24. Concerning the gospel, God commands us to:
Hear - Romans 10:17
Believe - Acts 18:8
Repent - Acts 2:38; 17:30-31
Confess - Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9
Be baptized (by immersion) - Romans 6:3-4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 22:16.
The church of Christ adheres to and teaches the original and only one true Doctrine or Gospel of Christ... This is not a denomination...! Almost all are divided in the way to worship God. They have gathered up to themselves many different and distinct forms of worship. Worship must be "in spirit and in truth", says Christ. (John 4:24). In the New Testament Church, we notice, true worship consists of the following:
Communion (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 11:23-30)
Preaching (Acts 2:42; 20:7)
Giving (1 Corinthians 16:1-2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7)
Praying (Acts 2:42; 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Singing (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16)
Since God does not bring about confusion, He gave designations by which the church might be known. The following are but a few of them:
Christ called it:
"My church" (Matthew 16:18)
"The Kingdom of God" (John 3:5; Luke 22:16)
The Apostles called it:
"The Church" (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22)
"The Church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2)
"Church of Christ" ( Romans 16:16)
"House of God" (I Timothy 3:15)
"Household of faith" (Galatians 6:10)
"The Kingdom of God's dear Son" (Colossians 1:13)
"A Kingdom which cannot be shaken" (Hebrews 12.28)
"The church of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:23)
The church of Christ came into existence long before any denomination was even thought of. It is 100 percent of Divine origin and design. Ephesians 3:9-11 --- “And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ: To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:” Could anyone successfully claim that the modern monstrosity known as “denominationalism” is a product of the omnipotent Mind of God?
It is clearly taught in the Bible that the church of Christ is not a denomination. Christ only promised to build his one church. In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build my church". The word "my" is a possessive pronoun expressing ownership and the word "church" is singular meaning one. Christ never promised to build any of the hundreds of different denominations we see in the world today. These are creations of men. A denomination is a part of a whole. The church that Jesus built is not a part of anything, but is complete within itself. The Lord’s one true church is not divided or denominated. None of the many various denominations in the world today make up the church Jesus promised to build.
The church belongs to Christ. It is his. Romans 16:16 says, "The churches of Christ greet you". The term "church of Christ" is a descriptive phrase, not a denominational title. Jesus built the church that carries his name. It is the only church the Lord claims. The church of Christ does not wear a denominational name and its members are called only Christians. Even by their names the various denominations do not even claim to belong to Christ. Their names glorify other men, places, and things. They seem to be ashamed of the Lord. No glory is given to the Lord. We do not have the right to wear a religious name of one who was not crucified for us.
Jesus purchased the church with his own blood. The apostle Paul told the elders of the church in Ephesus to, "Feed the church of the Lord, which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28 ASV). Christ did not die for any of the denominational churches we see in the world today. He only died for his one church. Since Christ only purchased his church with his own blood, then whose blood purchased the many different denominational churches? The church, which Jesus bought with his own blood, is not a denomination and is not made up with any of the denominations. It is to have no fellowship with any of the denominations because we are commanded to "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them" (Ephesians 5:11). We are to give no help or encouragement to the denominations as they promote their false doctrines. "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds" (2 John 10-11).
There is but one church for which Christ died. The Bible says, "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were call in one hope of your calling" (Ephesians 4:4). The one body is the Lord’s one church. God gave Christ "to be head over all things to the church, which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23). The Lord only has one church. The church of Christ is the bride of Christ (Revelation 21:9). If Christ has more than one bride then he would be a polygamist.
How does one become a part of the only church that belongs to Christ? We read in Acts 2:47, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as were being saved". The Lord has never added saved people to a denomination. The Lord adds only those who are saved according to his terms to his church. Also the Lord adds no unsaved people to his church. What are the Lord’s requirements for one to be saved and added to his church? Jesus says, "He that believes and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). The denominational world laughs at Christ’s requirement to be baptized (immersed) in order to be saved. Because of this the denominational world remains lost and cannot be a part of the Lord’s church. The Bible says, "Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it" (Psalms 127:1). There are many people who are laboring in vain in their denominations.
"For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and he is the Saviour of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). Christ is not the head of the many different denominational bodies, but if he were he would be a freak of one head with many bodies. Also notice that Christ is "the Saviour of the body", his one church which is the church of Christ. Christ has only promised to save his one body. Jesus says, "Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up" (Matthew 15:13). All those who are in the many different denominational churches will not be saved since they do not belong to Christ. There will be many surprised people on the Day of Judgment who will be lost, but it will be too late then.
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