There has always been a great misunderstanding about the church that Christ built. Many believe that the church is something that it’s not. Let’s consider a few things that the church isn’t.
The Church Isn’t Plan B
Premillennialists believe that the church was never supposed to exist. If the Jews hadn’t rejected Christ, the kingdom would’ve been established, the thousand-year reign of Christ would’ve commenced, and Jesus never would’ve built the church.
There are several problems with this theory, not the least of which is that both the prophets and Jesus tell us that the kingdom would be established in the first century (Daniel 2:44; Mark 9:1). We know from the inspired writings of the New Testament that the kingdom was in existence at that time. Paul told the brethren at Colossae that they had been translated into it (Colossians 1:13). How can someone be translated into something that doesn’t exist? John wrote, “I John, your brother and partaker with you in the tribulation and kingdom and patience which are in Jesus, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus” (Revelation 1:9). He was already in the kingdom. Instead of the church being an afterthought, the Bible says that it’s a part of God’s eternal plan (Ephesians 3:10-11). Furthermore, the church (the redeemed of God) work for the glory of God in their daily lives: “unto him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:21).
The Church Isn’t Made up of Denominations
The word denomination is defined as “a name or designation, especially a general name for a category”. Religiously, a denomination is an “organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices” (Webster). A denomination, then, is something that’s set apart into a category, separated from others of its kind. It’s a part of the whole.
The church isn’t a part of anything. It’s the whole or entire people of God. It’s made up of all the saved. When a person obeys the gospel of Christ, he or she is automatically added to the church by God Himself (Acts 2:47). What church? The church that Jesus built and that belongs to Him. That’s why the church is referred to as the church or God (1 Corinthians 1:2) and the church of Christ (Romans 16:16). It’s a designation of ownership.
Biblically, the church is made up of individuals, not churches. From an organizational standpoint, a denomination is a church of churches, something never seen in the Bible. The church is simply composed of people — God’s people, wherever they may be found.
This is important to understand because many believe that all denominations make up the church. The problem is the church is never viewed as such in the New Testament. Denominational churches didn’t even exist in the first century, so how can they be a part of the church you read about in the Bible? What’s really interesting is that there were “denominations” among the Jews of Jesus’ time (Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, Essenes, etc), but Jesus didn’t align Himself with any of them. The point is that the New Testament church is composed of people, not denominational churches. The people that make up the church are those who have truly obeyed the gospel. Since denominational churches don’t teach the right plan of salvation, they can’t be composed of the saved.
The Church Isn’t a Social Club
The religious world today leaves the impression that the church is a social club. Denominational churches spend their money on building gymnasiums, fellowship halls, and life centers, where the main emphasis is on physical things. They have basketball and softball teams and classes teaching everything from sewing to aerobics. They teach mechanics and other secular skills, donate blood, and some even have tattoo parlors. Many denominations offer academic classes that can lead to GED diplomas. The social gospel has become so embedded in the minds of people that most would read this and think that there’s nothing wrong with these things. Many would conclude that any church not engaged in these kinds of social programs isn’t a very good church.
The church you read about in the Bible never used the Lord’s money (the treasury) to finance fun and frolic, recreation, or entertainment. The work of the church, that is, the local church, is limited to benevolence for saints, evangelizing the lost, and spiritual edification. Romans 14:16-17 says, “Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit”. That’s the only work the church is allowed to do today.
Are you a member of a church that has the characteristics of the New Testament church, or are you a member of a denominational church that doesn’t look anything like what you read about in the Bible? The choice is up to you. Find the church that’s what the Bible says it is — the church that really belongs to Christ because it does His will: “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17).
Adapted from Don Wright
