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The church of Christ

The church of Christ dates back to the days of the New Testament (Romans 16:16). It was founded by Christ on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2), just ten days after He ascended back to heaven. In the years that followed it rapidly grew to fill Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria, and finally the whole world (Acts 1:8; Colossians 1:23). It was first established in America in the late 1700s.

BELIEFS

We believe the Bible teaches that sinners are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), which includes belief in Christ, repentance, confession, and baptism (John 3:16; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-10; Titus 3:5-7). The church of Christ is organized with elders, deacons, preachers, and members as in New Testament times (Philippians 1:1). We believe Jesus is the Son of God (John 20:30-31), the Bible is inspired of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and that Jesus will return to take His kingdom (church) home to God (1 Corinthians 15:24). We emphasize sincere worship in accordance with God's Word (Matthew 15:8-9; John 4:24), every-member evangelism (Acts 8:4), godly living (Titus 2:11-12), love for one other (John 13:33-34), and helping those in need (James 1:27). We believe religious unity is possible in a day of division by simply following the New Testament pattern and putting aside human creeds and traditions (John 17:17-21).

History

A common question asked is, "When did the church of Christ begin?" Someone once contacted us asking about the existence of the church prior to the late 1700's in the Americas. A response to this question is as follows:

In my opinion, it is presumptuous to say there were no Christians in the Americas before the (late) 1700's. Anyone with access to the New Testament would have the opportunity to read it and obey the precepts found therein and thus be added to the Lord's church (Acts 2:36-47). Perhaps it would be better to say, "there is no record of the existence of the Lord's church in the Americas prior to the late 1700's." A lack of record does not necessarily indicate a lack of existence.

For example, there are little or no records of the Lord's church in the year's following the Nicene Council (early 4th century AD) and the close of the dark ages. However, this does not mean the church did not exist anywhere on earth during this time. Again, anyone with access to the New Testament could learn what to do to be saved (Mark 16:15-16) and how to conduct his personal and spiritual affairs (2 Peter 1:3).

It is my understanding that records dating to the 11th century exist in the Vatican Library that show the Catholic church persecuting those who practiced believer's immersion in order to receive remission of sins (like the Bible teaches). Those who rejected the heresies and traditions of Catholicism and embraced the teachings of the New Testament would certainly be Christians, members of the Lord's church. There is also evidence of the existence of the Lord's church in the United Kingdom dating back at least to the mid-16th century.

Additionally, in recent years American missionaries have gone into areas where there was thought to be no church (e.g., China), only to find that people had risked their lives to obtain a copy of the Bible and were practicing New Testament Christianity. This should open our eyes to the possibility that anyone with a Bible could do the same at any other time and location.

I believe Jesus' promise concerning the continuity of the church in Matthew 16:18 means the church would always exist in reality, and not just in potential because the word (the seed of the kingdom, the church - Luke 8:11) would always be present.

However, I suspect that the motivation behind your correspondence concerns what it means to be a Christian. In brief, the Bible teaches that all accountable people must do the following in order to be saved:

1. Hear the word of God and believe it -- Romans 10:17; Matthew 15:10. Specifically, this includes faith in the perfect life and deity of Jesus (John 8:24), His death on the cross for our sins (1 Cor 15:3), and His resurrection from the dead (1 Cor 15:4).

2. Repent of my sins -- Acts 2:38, Acts 17:30

3. Confess my faith in Jesus -- Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:10

4. Be immersed in water to received remission of sins (Acts 2:38), to wash away my sins (Acts 22:16), to be saved (Mark 16:16; 1 Pet 3:21). Baptism in water culminates the washing of regeneration by which we are saved by the mercy of God and justified by his grace (Titus 3:3-8).

5. Live a life of faithfulness unto death (Matthew 10:22; 2 Timothy 4:6-8; Revelation 2:10; Hebrews 10:38-39). Through faithful living we remain in contact with the cleansing power of Jesus' blood (1 John 1:7).

House to House Heart to Heart exists for the world to learn more about the Bible, the Lord, and the church. To God be the glory.

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Jay Leno 9-6-05 (Left click to stream, Right click > Save As to download)

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