THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH


“And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18, ASV).

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

  1. The word church comes from “ekklesia” which means the called out (Thayer).
  2. It is the body of Christ (Colossians. 1:18).
  3. It is the family of God (I Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:19).
  4. It is the kingdom of God and Christ (Ephesians 5:5).
  5. It is the pillar and ground at the truth (1 Tim. 3:15).

WHAT IS IT CALLED IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?

  1. My (the Lord’s) church (Mat 16:18).
  2. The church (Acts 8:1).       
  3. The church of the Lord (Acts 20:28).
  4. The church of God (I Corinthians 1:1, 2)
  5. The churches of Christ (Romans 16:16).
  6. The body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12).
  7. The church of the firstborn (Hebrews 12:23).

WHAT ARE THE MEMBERS CALLED?

  1. Disciples (Acts 20:7).
  2. Saints (I Corinthians 1:2).
  3. Beloved of God (Romans 1:7).
  4. Brethren (Col.ossians1:2).
  5. Sons of God (Romans 8:14).
  6. Children of God (I John 3:1).
  7. Heirs of God (Romans 8:17).
  8. Royal Priesthood (I Peter 2:9).
  9. Christians (Acts 11:26, 1 Peter 4:16).

Are You Wearing These Scriptural Names Only?

 

WHEN WAS THE CHURCH ESTABLISHED?

  1. In the last days in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2:2-4).
  2. In the days of these Kings (Daniel 2:44).
  3. It was “at hand” in John’s day (Matthew 3:1-2).
  4. The disciples prayed for its coming (Matthew 6:9-10).
  5. Christ said: “I will build” it (Matthew 16:18).
  6. It was to come during the lifetime of some of the disciples
  7. (Mark 9:1).
  8. The disciples had not entered it [before the death, burial, and resurrection of the Christ and Acts 2] (Matthew 18:3).
  9. Just before his death Christ said: “The kingdom of God shall come” (Luke 22:18).
  10. The kingdom was to come with power (Mark 9:1). The power was to come when the Spirit came (Acts 1:8).
  11. All of these requirements were fulfilled on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:1-4).

HOW CAN ONE ENTER THE CHURCH?

  1. Hear the gospel of Christ (Romans10:13-17).
  2. Believe in Christ (Acts 16:31).
  3. Repent of past sins (Luke 24:47; Acts 17:30).
  4. Confess faith in Christ (Romans 10:8-10).
  5. Be baptized into Christ (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3). Thus, one is born into the family of God (John 3:5).

WHAT CONSTITUTES BAPTISM?

  1. Water (Matthew 3:11).
  2. Much water (John 3:23).
  3. Going down into the water (Acts 8:38).
  4. A burial and a resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12).
  5. Coming up out of the water (Acts 8:39; Matthew 3:16).

 Are You A Member of New Testament Church?

 

WHERE IS SALVATION?

  1. Salvation is in Christ’s church, because it is the blood bought institution (Acts 20: 28; I Corinthians 6:20).
  2. Salvation is in the church, for Paul affirmed that Christ would save the church (Ephesians 5:23). No promise to those outside.
  3. Salvation is in the church, for it is there that man is reconciled unto God (Ephesians 2:16). Man must be reconciled to God.
  4. Salvation is in the church, because that is the group that Christ will present unto Himself. (Ephesians 5:27)
  5. Man cannot be saved out of the church, because God adds all the saved to it (Acts 2:47). The requirements of salvation and church membership are the same.
  6. The church is the family of God and certainly one cannot be saved out of God’s family (I Timothy 3:15). To say that God has children out of His family would be to charge Him with spiritual adultery.
  7. Take the children of Israel as a type: (I Corinthians 10:2-6).
  • Crossing the Red Sea was a type of baptism (I Corinthians 10:2).
  • Israel in the wilderness was a type of the church (Acts 7:38).
  • Crossing the Jordan River was a type of death.
  • The land of Canaan was a type of heaven.
  • They had to pass through the wilderness [a time of proving Deuteronomy 8:1-3] (church) to get into Canaan (heaven).
  • Therefore, we must pass through the church to enter heaven at last.

 Are You Seeking Salvation in the Right Place?

 

WHAT IS IN CHRIST – THE CHURCH?

  1. Forgiveness of sins (Ephesians 1:7).
  2. Salvation (II Timothy 2:10).
  3. Redemption (Colossians 1:14).
  4. The grace of God (II Timothy 2:1).
  5. All the promises of God (II Corinthians 1:20).
  6. All spiritual blessings (Ephesians 1:3).

Can one be saved without these blessings? They are all in Him, His body, the church. (Ephesians 1:22, 23; Colossians 1:18) How then does one get into Christ where these blessings can be enjoyed (Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27)?

(above adapted by John Rose from a tract)