Ron Halbrook

God created the spirit or soul of man in His image so that we can have fellowship with Him for time and eternity.  God as “the Father of spirits” creates all of us innocent, and He creates us with free will so that we can choose to obey or to disobey Him (Heb. 12:9).  “Lo, this only have I found, that God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions [i.e., sinful plans and schemes]” (Eccl. 7:29). “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).  Sin breaks our fellowship with God, but He sent His Son into the world to die as a perfect sacrifice so that we might have forgiveness and be reconciled to Himself.  “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa. 53:6).  The Bible records the promises and fulfillment of God’s plan to send his Son to live among men, to die for our sins, and to be raised from the dead as our Savior and Lord.

Jesus spent his life teaching lessons to prepare sinners to understand and receive forgiveness of their sins.  John the forerunner announced the presence of Jesus in these words: “Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world” (Jn. 1:29).  Jesus explained his mission in similar words: “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Lk. 19:10).  He spoke and taught as God on earth, the very source of truth and salvation: “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (Jn. 14:6).  His word alone frees the sinner from his sins, as Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (Jn. 8:31-32).

When Peter confessed, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” Jesus responded by saying that upon this great bedrock or mountain of truth he would call sinners unto himself as the way of salvation, or, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:16-18).  The Greek word translated “church” refers to a number or group of people called out from one location, situation, or relationship into another.  Christ would call the sinner out of his sins and alienation from God into a new, living, spiritual relationship with God.  Through the preaching of his Apostles the church of Christ or kingdom of God would come into existence, i.e., men would be forgiven of their sins, be reconciled unto God, and thus enjoy fellowship with God (Matt. 16:18-19).

After dying on the cross as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world, Jesus Christ sent out his Apostles as eyewitnesses of his resurrection to proclaim the good news of salvation: “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mk. 16:15-16).  All the world must know that the Savior has come!

The Beginning of the Church of Christ

After Jesus Christ ascended back to heaven, he sent the Holy Spirit to guide his Apostles in proclaiming the gospel to all the world, beginning in Jerusalem in Acts 2.  They preached the death and resurrection of Christ, showing that he is now sitting on his throne in the new kingdom of God.  Sinners were urged to receive salvation: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38).  Three thousand people were immersed in water under the authority of Christ on that very day, and then others were added day by day: “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:41, 47).  The church of Christ had now come into existence as men entered the way of salvation in Christ by obeying the gospel of Christ.

The church of Christ is not a man-made organization subject to the desires and demands of men, but it is a spiritual relationship and divine organization under the sole headship of Christ.  God raised him from the dead and “put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23). Therefore, the original church of Christ has no denominational ties, no denominational name, no denominational creed, and no denominational organization.

Churches of Christ from place to place are united in faith and practice by a simple devotion to Christ as the Savior and the only head of his church.  Because of this devotion to Christ, his individual followers wear his name as “Christians” (Acts 11:26; 1 Pet. 4:16), and Christians who join together to serve him under his authority from place to place wear his name as “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16).  In their individual capacity or in their congregational capacity, they wear no additional human names such as Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, or any other.  In fact, they were forbidden to embrace such human names and loyalties because this practice would only divide the people of God who are united in Christ (1 Cor. 1:12-13).

The Teaching of Christ: The Only Creed

The teaching of Christ is the only creed in the church of Christ.  Because of their unreserved devotion to Christ, these first Christians and churches of Christ regarded his word as final and conclusive on all matters, not subject to review or revision by anyone.  The only rule of faith and practice is the Bible itself, with the New Testament as the full and final revelation of the gospel of Christ.  The New Testament records “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Jude 3).

We cannot add anything or subtract anything from the original teaching of Christ, including what he revealed while on the earth and what he revealed through his Apostles after he returned to heaven.   Jesus promised to reveal “all truth” to the Apostles he chose in the first century (Jn. 16:13).  He fulfilled that promise in the first century.  Thus, he revealed “all things that pertain unto life and godliness,” and the Apostles wrote this revelation in the books of the New Testament so that we may “have these things always in remembrance” (2 Pet. 1:3, 15).

Therefore, in order to follow the original gospel of Christ, we must preach and practice all that is taught in the New Testament and only what is taught in the New Testament. “If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God” (1 Pet. 4:11).  If we add anything or subtract anything from the original gospel, we fall under the anathema of God: “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” (Gal. 1:8-9).

The original gospel of Christ included the proclamation of the life, death, resurrection, ascension, and rule of Christ at the Father’s right hand (Acts 2:22-36; 1 Cor. 15).  The original gospel of Christ included the record of the conditions or steps necessary for men to receive salvation from all past sins and to enter into fellowship God: faith in Christ, repentance from sins, confession of Jesus as the Christ, and immersion in water for the remission of sins (Matt. 28:19; Mk. 16:15-16; Acts 2:38; 8:26-40).  This original gospel included the instructions Christ revealed for the work, worship, and organization of Christians united as local churches under his rule (Matt. 28:20; 1 Tim. 3:14-15).

The Work, Worship, & Organization of the Church

The New Testament records the work of churches of Christ as evangelism, edification of the saved, and benevolence to destitute members of the church (1 Thess. 1:7-8; Eph. 4:11-12; Acts 2:43-44).  The instruction for worship “in spirit and in truth” includes Christians meeting to share the Lord’s Supper every Sunday, to give into the treasury of the church every Sunday, to pray, to teach God’s Word, and to sing (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:1-2; Eph. 5:19).

The pattern for the organization of churches of Christ reveals that local leaders should be appointed in each congregation to oversee its work and worship. These leaders are called elders or presbyters (because of spiritual maturity; Acts 14:23), shepherds or pastors (because they guard and lead Christians like a shepherd cares for sheep; Eph. 4:11), and overseers or bishops (because they manage and oversee the affairs of the local church; 1 Tim. 3:2).  These terms are not different offices but refer to the same office of leadership under Christ in the local church (see “elders,” “overseers,” and “feed” or shepherd in Acts 20:17, 28).  These men are assisted by special servants called deacons.  Elders and deacons are appointed when they meet specific qualifications given by Christ in the New Testament (1 Tim. 3).

The New Testament reveals no central headquarters, boards of directors, district overseers, archbishops, or super-organization over local churches, but only independent local churches under the direct authority of Christ.  Evangelists or preachers along with other teachers proclaim the gospel to the lost and edify Christians, but without claiming supervisory power over them.  Preachers have no legislative, executive, or judicial powers but are authorized simply to “preach the word” of truth (2 Tim. 4:1-5).

The Original Gospel Revealed & Confirmed in the First Century

The original gospel of Christ was fully revealed and fully confirmed by the miracles of the first century (Mk. 16:15-20; Heb. 2:1-4).  All of the miracles recorded in the New Testament were actual, historical events and they prove beyond all reasonable doubt the truth of the deity of Jesus Christ and the truth of all things taught in the New Testament (Jn. 20:31).

According to Paul the Apostle of Christ, the miracles would continue as the means by which the truth was to be revealed and confirmed little by little, line by line, part by part until the process of revelation would be completed.  “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away” (1 Cor. 13:9-10).  “That which is perfect” is identical to “the perfect law of liberty,” “all things which pertain unto life and godliness,” and  “the faith which was once delivered unto the saints” (Ja. 1:25; 2 Pet. 1:3; Jude 3).

At the end of the first century, the miraculous process of revelation and confirmation ended because it had fulfilled its purpose.  The miraculous gifts involved in this process were done away, just as the Word of God had promised.  The genuine miracles recorded in the Bible do not continue today because God is not revealing and confirming new truth.  “All truth” is contained in the New Testament (Jn. 16:13).

The Original Gospel Changed by Men

In the passing of the centuries, many people have made many changes in the original teaching of the gospel recorded in the New Testament.  Teachers have appeared claiming faith in Christ but denying the reality of his miracles, denying his atoning death, and denying his literal resurrection.  The steps or conditions for receiving salvation have been changed, with religious bodies teaching the opposite extremes of salvation by baptism only (infant baptism) or salvation by faith only (before and without immersion in water).

The work of the church has been expanded to include virtually every kind of human endeavor from politics to economic reform to secular education to recreation, but Christ revealed nothing in his word to authorize such activities in the name of the church. The original pattern of worship has been altered by subtractions (not sharing the Lord’s Supper every Sunday) and additions (instrumental music, dancing, and drama).  The organization of the church has been changed with all kinds of centralized boards, conventions, and headquarters totally absent from New Testament teaching.  Christ never ordained a Vatican with its pope or a denominational headquarters with its president.

Denominational names abound which identify the human organizations, human leaders, and human loyalties of the various religions formed when men departed from the original church of Christ, such human names as Roman Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Lutheran, and hundreds of others.

Seeking the True Way of Salvation

In the light of these things, what should we do today if we are seeking the true way of salvation?  We should recognize Jesus Christ as the original and only Savior, and learn from him about the original gospel, the original plan of salvation given by Christ, and the original church of Christ.  If we lay our sins at his feet, they will be forgiven and we will be reconciled to God.  The Savior offers salvation to all men: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mk. 16:16).

If we abandon all religions, religious practices, and human names not authorized by him, we can serve Christ individually as “Christians” and meet from place to place as “churches of Christ” just as occurred in the first century.  We will restore and follow his original teaching in the New Testament about the work, worship, and organization of the church.

When Christ raises the dead and delivers his people to an eternity of fellowship with God in heaven, we will hear his welcome words, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).

[Published in Truth Magazine, May 4, 2006]