The Importance of the Name of the Church

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The world’s churches have a host of different names, which are derived in various ways. These include the particular doctrines they teach, the names of the men who founded them, the humanly-devised type of church government that they espouse, their location, or their intended scope and size, such as universal or catholic, this latter to be thought of as all-encompassing.

On the night of His betrayal, Christ prayed for His Church. Here is what He said: “Holy Father, keep through YOUR OWN NAME those whom You have given Me, that they may be one, as We are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them IN YOUR NAME.… I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through Your truth: Your word is truth” (John 17:11-12, 14-17).

There are twelve separate places where the New Testament records that the true Church has been kept in the name of the Father—God. Five refer to the entire Church, or body of Christ, as a whole. Another four speak of a specific local congregation, while using the same term “Church of God.” This may refer to the Church of God at Judea or Corinth, etc. Three other references speak collectively of all the individual local congregations combined. All these references use the term “Churches of God” (Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; 10:32; 11:16, 22; 15:9; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:13; 1 Tim. 3:5, 15; 1 Thes. 2:14; 2 Thes. 1:4).

In the modern age, for corporate reasons, the Church may use an additional descriptive name to distinguish itself from other “Churches of God”—those merely appropriating God’s name, but not obeying His commandments, believing His true doctrines or doing His Work. Herbert W. Armstrong, the twentieth-century leader of the Church, chose the name Worldwide Church of God and before that, Radio Church of God. We have chosen the name The Restored Church of God.

Just as various mainstream denominations may have a few correct doctrines mixed with much error, some appropriate to themselves the name of God’s Church. This book will later explain why some few churches may even have a significant amount of truth, but choose to accept a variety of false doctrines. Only one church on the face of the earth has the correct name and teaches all the additional many true doctrines that the Bible teaches! We read how Christ prayed in John 17:1-26, “Sanctify them through Your TRUTH: Your word is TRUTH.” The Church that Christ uses, directs and guides is sanctified—set apart—by its belief of the plain truth of God’s Word!

To review, in addition to carrying the name “Church of God,” we have seen that the true Church has come out of the world, is small and persecuted, even to the point of being hated by it. This Church is then also set apart from the world by its BELIEFS and PRACTICES—which are in complete agreement with the truth of the Bible!

Unified Through God’s Word

Men have their own differing definitions of what the Church actually is, but only the Bible definition—God’s definition—matters. Read it for yourself. Paul wrote to Timothy the evangelist, “… that you may know how you ought to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of THE TRUTH” (1 Tim. 3:15). In the end, no other definition, devised by men, is acceptable. This definition of the true Church Christ built will guide us throughout the remainder of this chapter. God’s Church has and teaches “the truth.”

We have discussed how this world’s churches are in confusion, divided by endless disagreement over doctrine and practice. Amos 3:3 asks, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” The answer is NO!

This world’s churches do not practice the principle of “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God” (Luke 4:4), exactly as written. Instead, since they follow the many differing traditions of men, endless disagreements separate, divide, and create more and more churches of men. They generally do not “walk together,” because they do not “agree”— either with each other or God!

God’s Church is different. Many New Testament verses show that the Church that Christ built is unified—with all its members and congregations walking together in complete agreement with each other, and with God and Christ.

An important point, demonstrating the unity of the true Church, emerges from Christ’s prayer in John 17:1-26, on the night of His betrayal. He prayed, “And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified [set apart] through the truth.… That they all may be ONE; as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be ONE in Us: that the world may believe that You have sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them; that they may be ONE, even as We are ONE: I in them, and You in Me, that they may be made perfect in ONE; and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them, as You have loved Me” (John 17:19, 21-23).

These are powerful statements! Christ intended that His Church be unified—“one”—no less than were He and His Father! There is no room for disagreement in a Church that is this unified. These verses describe a perfect oneness through the truth—the same kind of oneness that the Father and Christ enjoy. It is this kind of unity that allows true Christians to be “in” them—be in Christ and the Father (John 17:21).

Even in the Old Testament, David was inspired to record, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in UNITY” (Ps. 133:1).

We now must examine several New Testament passages to see if, in fact, this kind of wonderful unity was apparent after the New Testament Church actually formed. Did God’s true servants teach and administer this kind of agreement?

On the day of Pentecost, gathered in “one accord” (Acts 2:1), when the New Testament Church came into existence, 3,000 converts were baptized. They formed the very beginning of Christ’s building of His Church. The initial description given was “And they continued steadfastly in the APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE and FELLOWSHIP” (Acts 2:42), “… all that believed were together” (Acts 2:44) and “… they, continuing daily with one accord … did eat their meat [food] with gladness and singleness of heart” (Acts 2:46).

From these verses, we clearly see that the Church Christ built began in unity—agreement!—over doctrine, and together. Now verse 47: “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). In the Church the true Jesus Christ guides and directs, He is the One who adds to it, building it!

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