No Jesus' believer outside churches of Christ!
A. Jesus’ believer would respect Jesus’ desire!
1. Acts 2:47
… The Lord joined to the church daily such as should be saved.
2. From Matt.16:18
Jesus to Peter: I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church …
3. Romans 16:16
… The churches of Christ salute you.
4. This is Jesus forever desire!!! John 17:20-23
Neither for these only do I pray, but for them also that believe on me through their word;
that they may all be one; even as you, Father, in me, and I in you,
that they also may be in us: that the world may believe that you did send me.
And the glory which you has given me I have given unto them;
that they may be one, even as we (are) one; I in them, and thou in me,
that they may be perfected into one…
From above scriptures, normal minded people must come to this conclusion:
Jesus’ forever desire is that all his believers be in one church of Christ!
6. I say one who disregard Jesus’ desire is not a Jesus’ believer!
B. The name of a church represents a set of teaching!
1. According to what I know, it is a group of people thought out a set of teaching,
then with a desire to share that set of teaching with others,
thus they set up a church and came up a name of that church to represent that set of teaching!
2. According to what recorded in the book of Acts it is Apostle arrived at a certain place
share the one gospel! People heard the gospel message, believe Jesus is Lord and Christ,
repent and got baptized for forgiveness of their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit
and they gather together on Sunday to worship God and receive further teaching from the Bible!
A church of Christ is established!
3. The Lord bought this church, naturally it has to be church of Christ!
No one has the right to name the church!
C. Apostle Paul taught about this church!
1. Apostle Paul use husband and wife relation to describe the relation
between Christ and the church! Eph.5:22-32
Christ is the husband. The body of believers, the church is wife!
2. In case someone out there do not know the church is a body of believers on earth
please read Romans 12:4-5-->
Just as each of us has one body with many members,
and these members do not all have the same function,
so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
3. 2 Cor.11:2
The church is to be a pure virgin to Christ the one husband!
When a woman married Mr. Zhao, automatically she is called Mrs. Zhao!
As wife of Mr. Zhao she is to be satisfied with that name!
She cannot imagine or lift up a name saying I am also Mrs. Yao!
If she does, she is an adultery woman!
4. The church is the body, Christ is the head! Col.1:18
He’s the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning an the firstborn from among the dead,
so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
The body does not have its own separate name, it always go with the head!
This was why the churches in the book of Revelation only need to mention the name of location!
Because there were only one churches of Christ!
May the Lord bless you and keep you always!