FAQs

The purpose of these questions and answers...

is to help people to better understand the church of Christ and why we do the things we do.  Our intent is one of love for the souls of men and women, and to help everyone we can to obtain heaven when this life comes to an end.  Should you, dear reader, have a subject or question you would like to discuss or have answered, please feel free to contact us and we will try to get back with you as soon as possible.

There are some principles of studying the Bible that must first be understood to correctly understand the scriptures.  First we must understand that God inspired men to write His word, that we could know His law and have a better life by following it.  God’s word is to be taken literally, unless context dictates differently.  We must also remember to whom these letters are written to better understand the context.  God’s word teaches us His will by means of direct statements which includes commands (thou shall, or shall not), divine examples (e.g. the church taking the Lord’s Supper, Acts 20:7), and by implication (e.g. Matthew 3:16 where “Jesus went up straightway out of the water”, implying He had to first go down into the water).  The church of Christ does Bible things in Bible ways, speaks where the Bible speaks, and is silent where the Bible is silent.  In so doing these things, we strive to be of the same pattern as the first century church we read of in scripture.

Thank you for visiting our website and may God bless you in your quest to learn the truth, “for it shall make you free” (John 8:32).

Frequently Asked Questions

The church of Christ believes the Bible to be the infallible word of God, written by inspired men. We have within the sacred scriptures, a revelation of the nature and mind of God, as well as a history of man. The sacred writ is also an instruction book for man regarding, how to live and most importantly how to obtain salvation for the eternal life to come after the physical death of the body. The Bible has repeatedly proven itself to be the word of God, through the fulfillment of prophecy, and the accuracy of history and archeology within its pages. We accept the Bible to be what it claims, and do not add to it or take from it for the sake of doctrine. The inspired writer Paul says in II Timothy 3:16, 17, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

The definition of a creed is “a statement of the essential beliefs of a religious faith: a set of guiding principles or beliefs (Webster’s Intermediate Dictionary).” We realize that in the denominational churches of today, there are a myriad of creeds and manuals defining what they believe and teach according to their philosophy of the Bible. In II Timothy 3: 16, 17, Paul in his instruction to the young preacher, says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” The church of Christ believes that the Bible is the all sufficient word of God, and the only creed book we need or want. In Galatians 1:8, 9, Paul warns, “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, as we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” Do you think God is serious about how we handle His word? We are commanded not to add to God’s word or to take from it (Deuteronomy 4:2; Revelation 22:18, 19; Galatians 1 :8, 9). If a church manual or creed contains more than the Bible, then it is wrong. If they contain less than the Bible then they are wrong. And finally, if they are the same as the Bible, then they are unnecessary! Please get back to the Bible and let it be your only guide, without the philosophies of men.

Christianity is the religion of Biblical authority. It (the Bible) is the standard by which we must answer all biblically related questions. A serious Bible student is not concerned about what he thinks or feels about the matter. I would contend that this is a very important question. The answer to it has eternal consequences. I need to know if Christ died for a multiplicity of churches. If the church is important in God’s scheme for saving man, then I need to know where I stand in regard to being in the church or one of the churches for which Christ died. That being the case we must go to the Bible to answer this very important question. In Matthew 16:18, 19 Jesus in speaking to Peter and the rest of the apostles said, “And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church: and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.” Jesus said, “I will build MY (emphasis mine bj) church.” “My” is singular. He also told the apostles that He would give them the keys of the kingdom. “Kingdom” is singular. Notice that the church and kingdom refer to the same institution and both are singular. In Matthew 3:2 we find that John the Baptist was preaching, “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In Mark 1:15 we find Jesus preaching a similar message, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye and believe the gospel.” In Mark 9:1 we find Jesus making this statement: “Verily I say unto you, that there be some that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom come with power.” In Luke 24:46-49 we find Jesus saying: “Thus it is written, and this it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.” Again in Acts 1:8, we find these words: “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth.” The kingdom was to come when the power came. The power came on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ; hence the church that Jesus promised to build is now in existence. In Acts 2:47 we find Luke recording these words: “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” Again we find the church referred to as singular. In Acts 20:28 again we find Luke recording these words spoken by the apostle Paul to the elders of the church at Ephesus: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers [bishops], to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” The church was purchased by the blood of Christ. It is His! He adds the saved to that glorious institution. Consider what Paul wrote to Timothy in I Timothy 3:15: “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Jesus promised to build one church/kingdom. He purchased it as He shed His blood on the cross. Jesus adds the saved to this one church. He makes no mistakes as to which church He adds the saved. Again consider what Paul wrote to the Ephesian brethren in chapter 4:4-6: “There is one body, and one spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.” In Ephesians 1:22, 23 Paul states: “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.” Now, after having read the above information, how can any serious Bible student contend that a person should join the church of his choice? With so much religious division all around us someone might be confused as to how to find the church that Jesus promised, died for and adds the saved. Again you must go to the Bible and look for the identifying marks of the faithful New Testament church. Ephesians 3:10, 11 teaches that the church was in the mind of God eternally. The apostle Paul again writes: “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.” The Lord’s church, the church of Christ, was prophesied, planned, prepared, and instituted. It was built by the proper builder, on the proper foundation, in the proper city at the proper time. It wears a scriptural name, has scriptural worship, scriptural organization, scriptural mission, and follows the proper guide–the plenary, verbally inspired, all sufficient word of God (II Timothy 3:16, 17).

If we had one of the apostles here today, would we believe his answer to this question? We do have, in the form of the inspired written word of God! After preaching a convicting sermon to the Jews about their sin, they (the people) then asked Peter, in Acts 2:37, what they must do to be saved. He proceeds to tell them in verse 38, “Repent and be baptized everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Peter answered according to the commands he was taught by Jesus in Mark 16:15, 16 which says, “And he said unto them, go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that be1ieveth and is baptized shall be saved: but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Peter also gives us a type and an antitype to baptism in I Peter 3:20, 21. In verse 20, he shows us the type, how that water saved eight souls, who were Noah and his family. Then in verse 21 he gives the antitype (the real thing), “The like figure where unto even baptism doth also now save us…” The apostle Paul, in recounting his conversion before a mob in Jerusalem, told that after seeing the Lord, he was instructed to go into Damascus, and it would be told him what he must do. Ananias, after restoring Paul’s (then Saul) sight, told him in Acts 22:12-15, what the Lord had planned for him. Then in verse 16, Ananias, says, “And now why tarriest thou? Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” This is how Paul says he was saved and by retelling of his conversion, he is teaching the audience what they must do to be saved. Paul states in Galatians 3:27, “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ.” So if we have not been baptized, we have not put on Christ! Baptism is how we come (figuratively) into contact with the blood of Christ. In Romans 6:3-5, we figuratively experience the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, through baptism. “We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life” (verse 4). After reading the words of Jesus, Peter and Paul on the subject of baptism, how could we conclude anything other than the absolute necessity of baptism? Every scripture on the subject of baptism (and there are many others), points to one’s salvation after being obedient to the word. Yes, the church of Christ believes baptism is a necessary condition (but not the only condition), for man’s salvation.

After obeying God’s word and becoming a Christian, He then adds us to His church (Acts 2:47), which He purchased with His own blood (Acts 20:28), and we begin a relationship with brothers and sisters of like faith. Within the church we have the wonderful opportunity to worship our Creator, to study with the brethren, to fellowship with the saints and to encourage and exhort one another. Why would we not want to attend the services of the church, and get our batteries recharged, so to speak? God gave Moses the Old Testament law, which instructed the children of Israel as to how and when He was to be worshiped. They had special feasts and days set aside to worship God, as well as the Sabbath. Today, the New Testament gives us instructions and examples of when to meet. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is: but exhorting one another: and so much the more as ye see the day approaching.” Yes, we do have an obligation to be faithful in our attendance and it is emphasized in verse 26, “For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.” God has offered up the ultimate sacrifice in the form of His only begotten Son, so our attendance seems miniscule in comparison. Our attitude should be that of David in Psalm 122:1, “I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord.”

Most denominational churches will agree that one church is as good as another, even though they teach conflicting doctrines. According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, by Barrett, Kurian, and Johnson (Oxford University Press, second edition, 2001), there are approximately 33,000 “Christian” denominations in the world! How many churches do we read of in the Bible? Only one! In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “…and upon this rock I will build my church (singular).” Paul the apostle teaches in Ephesians 1:22, 23, “And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body…” The church is Christ‟s body (singular) and He is the head of that body. In Ephesians 4:4, „„There is one body.” These passages all speak of only one church! John 17:20-23, Jesus prayed that we are all to be ONE, not many! Paul, conveys the same message in I Corinthians 1:10: “Now I beseech ye brethren, that by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” There was only one church established in the first century (not 33,000), which is symbolically represented as the bride of Christ in Revelation 21:2, 9; 22:17. Dear reader, Jesus is not a polygamist; He has only one bride (the church), of which He is the head over, and not some human organization. How then can we determine which is the Lord‟s Church? First, it should bear the owner‟s name; Christ did establish it, and a biblical name is given in Romans 16:16, “the churches of Christ…” (This is the plural form, representing the different congregations geographically). Secondly, the way in which we can tell the true church, is to open the Bible and examine the pattern and doctrine being taught. If it is not holding firm to the word of God, or if it has a church manual or creed, it is not of Christ (II Thessalonians 2:9-12). The church of Christ is the church of the New Testament and we are Christians only, seeking to follow only the word of God in structure and doctrine. We are a monarchy with Christ as our head, autonomous in structure, and with our headquarters located in heaven (not here on earth). We cordially invite you to visit us and examine the scriptures to see if these things are so (Acts 17:11). 

Women have very important and vital roles to fulfill in the work of the Lord’s Church; however there are limits as to when and how they can do this work. The question is not whether women are capable, but rather, do the scriptures permit such. I Corinthians 14:34, 35, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” In II Timothy 2:11, 12, “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” To “usurp authority” means to “domineer over”, or to exercise authority over (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). Women are not permitted, according to scripture, to take a lead in services where men are present. This command is not just to limit women, but to emphasize that men do have the responsibility to take charge and lead in the worship services! The Lord’s church does not have women preachers or women leading in the services. The Bible is very clear as to the roles of men and women in the church, and we do not have the authority to change it (Colossians 3:17). 

The definition of reverend is – “worthy to be reverend; entitled to reverence, to revere, to stand in awe of, to fear, to feel reverence” (Dictionary.Com). It first became habitually used in the 17th century as a title prefixed to the names of ordained clergymen, particularly within the Church of England (Encyclopedia Britannica). Never is it used in the scriptures in reference to a man! Psalm 111:9 – “He sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant forever: holy and reverend is his name.” This is the only time the word reverend appears in the Bible and the Psalmist is using it to describe God! Men introduced this term into the “religious” world, by attaching it to men’s names, not the Bible! What man is worthy to be revered, or stand in awe of? NONE! The preacher is called, preacher, minister, and evangelist in scripture, but we as members of the Lord’s body are also to be ministers (servants), and evangelists (proclaimers of the good news to others)!

Women have very important and vital roles to fulfill in the work of the Lord’s Church; however there are limits as to when and how they can do this work. The question is not whether women are capable, but rather, do the scriptures permit such. I Corinthians 14:34, 35, “Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.” In II Timothy 2:11, 12, “Let the women learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” To “usurp authority” means to “domineer over”, or to exercise authority over (Vine’s Expository Dictionary). Women are not permitted, according to scripture, to take a lead in services where men are present. This command is not just to limit women, but to emphasize that men do have the responsibility to take charge and lead in the worship services! The Lord’s church does not have women preachers or women leading in the services. The Bible is very clear as to the roles of men and women in the church, and we do not have the authority to change it (Colossians 3:17). 

The only Bible authorized music in worship to God is acappella singing. Ephesians 5:19 says, “Speaking one to another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.” This passage, along with Colossians 3:16, clearly tells us that we are to sing — not play. Some will contend that Greek word “psallo”, translated psalms, means to pluck or twang as an instrument. The definition is correct, but the assumption that it means mechanical instruments is incorrect. Let us allow the Bible to tell us what it means. The verse says we are, “to make melody in our heart”; there is the instrument God wants to hear. We are to pluck, or twang the strings of our heart, and to assume anything else is adding to God’s word. There is also the example of the apostles and the first century church, not ever using mechanical instruments. History tells us that the first time a mechanical instrument was introduced into the church was in the seventh century, where it was met with such opposition, that it was withdrawn. It was later introduced again in the ninth century, and even with strong opposition, was finally allowed into the services of the Catholic Church. The church of Christ does not use mechanical instruments in worship simply because there is no authorization for them (Colossians 3:17)! Mechanical instruments of music were introduced by men into their worship services — not by our Lord Jesus Christ who is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:22)! 

To answer this question, we must open the Bible to see what the Lord wants us to do in our worship to Him. I Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as ye eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord’s death till He come.” If nothing more had been said as to the frequency of the breaking of bread, then each congregation of the Lord’s body would be left to decide when they would observe this great memorial. But, we do have more, in the form of an apostolic example in Acts 20:7: “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.” This example gives us the necessary information as to the required frequency that our Lord wants in worship to Him with the breaking of bread; it is to be on the first day of the week (Sunday). Paul gives us another example, but this is in the form of a rebuke to the Corinthian brethren who had turned the Lord’s Supper into a common meal in 1 Corinthians 11:17-22. They were meeting together in one place (as the church is supposed to do, and on the first day of the week) for their worship unto God, and to partake of the Lord’s Supper. But, they had perverted this memorial, and some were even taking more than their share ahead of others and showing themselves to be gluttonous. Paul teaches, in verses 23-29, how that they should conduct themselves when partaking of this great memorial. Inspired examples of the first century church clearly show when the Lord’s Supper is to be observed, and the time is when the church comes together, in one place, on the first day of the week, to worship God. The church of Christ chooses to observe the Lord’s Supper based on divine example, rather than when men might decide it to be convenient. 

This is the most important question that any man or woman could ask, but just as important is what the answer is and how he or she will respond to it! There are many different doctrines in the world today and the question has to be, “Are they all correct?”, and if not, how can one know what the truth is? The problem is that men have developed many philosophies for life and the Bible, therefore they must use only those verses (out of context) to agree with that philosophy. I have heard of people tearing out pages and cutting verses from their Bibles so that there are no contradictions with their beliefs! Only when man decides to sit down with a reliable version of the Bible (KJV, ASV), and studies it without applying an “ism” to it, will he be able to understand what God’s word has to say on the matter. God’s plan of salvation is a simple one, but it does require obedience from man to obtain redemption. There are five different steps or conditions man must do in order to be saved according to the scriptures and these are listed be1ow. 1) HEAR: Romans l0:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” It is impossible to develop a faith without first hearing God’s word, which not only tells us what to do, but first has to convict us of our sin. James 2:14-26. teaches us that our faith must be obedient to be alive, otherwise it is dead. 2) BELIEVE: John 8:24, “…for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” Our Lord emphasized to His audience the necessity of believing Him to be the “…only begotten Son of God” (John 3:16). Jesus later points out that belief is a work of obedience in John 6:29: “Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.” 3) REPENT: Luke 13:3, “I tell ye nay: except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” If asked the question, what is repentance? Most people will answer that it is sorrow for past sins. This is only partially correct. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthian brethren, tells that godly sorrow is what leads to repentance (II Corinthians 7:8-11). It is not just a matter of sorrow, but actually a change of one’s “will”, that leads to true repentance. We must learn to say (and pray) as Jesus did in the garden, “Father…nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.” 4) CONFESS: Romans 10:10, “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” A person desiring to be a child of God cannot be ashamed or afraid to confess that he believes Jesus is the Son of God, to the world (cf. Matthew 10:32, 33). BAPTISM: Much of the “religious” world wants to stop at confession, and say that is all that is necessary to be saved, but the scripture says otherwise. In Acts 2:38 Peter answers the question of what to do to be saved, which was asked of him in verse 37: “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.” If baptism is not necessary, as some teach, then why are there so many scriptures to the contrary? A) Acts 10:48 — Baptism is commanded B) Acts 2:38 – Baptism is for the remission of sins C) Mark 16:16 – Baptism is authorized by Christ D) Acts 22:16 — Baptism washes away sins E) I Peter 3:21 — Baptism saves us More information is provided in the question “Is baptism necessary to be saved?” These steps are what God has demanded of man to do in order to be saved. No one step is any more important than another; to omit any one of them is an incompletion to God’s plan of redemption. When we follow and obey these steps, God will then “add” us to His church (Acts 2:47). This is just the beginning, not the end, for we must then be faithful and “walk in the light as he is in the light…” (I John 1:7) while here upon this earth and some day we can hear those words, “Well done good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:21).

In the Old Testament we read a prophecy by Isaiah about the coming of the church. Isaiah 2:2, 3 says, “And it shall come to pass in the last days, that in the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills: and all nations shall flow into it. And people shall go and say, come ye and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob: and he will teach us his ways and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of God from Jerusalem.” From this prophecy we learn that the church will have its beginning in Jerusalem. In Matthew 3 :2, John the Baptist is proclaiming, “Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John is referring to the church, which is soon to be established. The term “kingdom” is used interchangeably with the word “church”, which are one and the same. We can see this in Mark 9:1, where Jesus says, “Verily I say unto you, that there be some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” The kingdom will come in a few short weeks, on the day of Pentecost in the city of Jerusalem. Acts 2 illustrates this with the apostles being baptized in the Holy Spirit and preaching to the audience in tongues (preaching in a different language from their own). In verse 41, “They that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day they were added unto them about three thousand souls.” In verse 47, “the Lord added daily to the church such as should be saved.” This is the founding of the church, the founding of the kingdom with power, as Christ had foretold! To summarize, the church was prophesied hundreds of years earlier, and came to fruition about the year 33 A.D. in Jerusalem. As to its founder, that too is prophesied by Isaiah and in Ephesians 1:22, where we read that Jesus is the founder and head of the church. The founder is Christ and any other is not according to scripture. The founders name should also be its label over the door. Romans 16:16, “The churches of Christ salute you.”

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