Unified Through God’s Word

Next Part Built Upon Which Rock?—Peter the First Pope?

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, “…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” (I Tim. 3:15). In the end, no other definition, devised by men, is acceptable. This definition of the Church Christ built will guide us throughout the remainder of this booklet. 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 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 same 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” (Jn 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 (Jn 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” (Psa. 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? And how is that unity achieved?

First, notice this early picture of God’s Church. 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” (Ac 2:42), “…all that believed were together” (Ac 2:44) and “…they, continuing daily with one accord…did eat their meat [food] with gladness and singleness of heart” (Ac 2:46). From these verses, we clearly see that the Church Christ built was unified—in agreement—over doctrine, and together. Notice Ac 2:47: “And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.” In the Church Christ guides and directs, He is the One who adds to it, building it!

Only One Body

The New Testament speaks of the Church of God as the same thing as the Body of Christ. This introduces remarkable understanding.

In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul recorded that the Church had many separate members (brethren), yet was like various parts of the human body, in that these members were connected. Carefully study I Cor 12:12 to 14 state, “For as the BODY is ONE, and has many members, and all the members of that ONE BODY, being many, are ONE BODY: so also is Christ. For by ONE Spirit are we all baptized into ONE BODY…For the BODY is not one member, but many.”

When one is converted—has repented, been baptized and received the Holy Spirit—this verse reveals that he has actually been placed into the Body of Christ as well as into the Church of God. Many have been confused by what this means. In other words, exactly what is the Church or Body of Christ into which one has been baptized?

The context of chapter 12 uses the analogy of hands, feet, eyes, ears and the mouth to show how different parts of a human body are connected within the same person. Paul continues, “But now has God set the members every one of them in the BODY, as it has pleased Him. And if they were all one member, where were the BODY? But now are they many members, yet but ONE BODY” (I Cor 12:18-20).

Let’s understand what this means. The “Christian” world teaches that the Body of Christ—Jesus’ Church—consists of many denominations, fellowships or “communities of believers,” said to all be connected by the “Holy Spirit” working in believers wherever they are affiliated. (Many, many sources attest to this thinking.) But this is totally contrary to what the Bible teaches about the Body of Christ. This substitute—counterfeit!—idea asserts, in effect, that Christ and His Body are divided among many groups or organizations. We will see that this is not true.

I Corinthians 12:31 cannot be “spiritualized away” by human reasoning. It does not describe an amorphous, disconnected, “spiritual” body of disagreeing people and organizations throughout professing Christianity. Any foot, eye or ear that is taken from a human body dies! No severed body part can live for very long without blood supply and the connective tissue necessary to secure it to the body. God created the human body, so He obviously understands the analogy that He inspired.

For further proof of the meaning of body, consider two additional scriptures, written to two separate congregations under Paul’s leadership.

Notice his statement to the Colossian congregation: “And He [Christ] is the head of THE BODY, the Church” (Col 1:18). Now see his instruction to the Ephesian congregation. Speaking of what God placed under Christ’s control, Paul wrote, “…and gave Him [Christ] to be the Head over all things to the Church, which is HIS BODY” (Eph 1:22-23). The Bible definition of the Body of Christ is the Church! They are the same.

In chapter 4 of Ephesians, Paul admonished the brethren to be “Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is ONE BODY [Church], and ONE Spirit, even as you are called in ONE hope of your calling; ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE God and Father” (Eph 4:3-6). Again, there must be no confusing the all-encompassing unity and agreement that this verse requires of God’s people. Recall how Christ prayed for this kind of oneness and unity.

A few verses later, Paul described the importance of a faithful ministry, actively working with and teaching Christ’s Church. Carefully read and understand the following lengthy, important passage: “And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the BODY OF CHRIST: till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: that we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; but speaking the TRUTH in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ: from whom the WHOLE BODY fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of THE BODY unto the edifying of itself in love” (Eph 4:11-16).

The Church is a type of Christ’s own Body and, as its Head, He governs, directs and builds it, adding to it daily. These verses describe it as being UNIFIED in both doctrinal truth and love. (See the inset later in the booklet to understand how these two overarching points work together.) In phrase after phrase, this passage demonstrates that the entire Church (“whole body” and “every part”) must be walking together in complete doctrinal agreement under Christ’s authority. And He works through His true ministers to keep the Church from drifting into “every wind of doctrine.”

Why Many Groups?—Some History!

The next two sections form related insets, the first to help the reader understand why the supposed Christian world has so many differing churches.

The universal church, cantered at Rome, and teaching the false doctrine of the trinity, has always taught that the Body of Christ was solely composed of those within that church. Even though the Roman church taught doctrines that were almost entirely the tradition of men, their understanding that Christ led one undivided, organized spiritual Body, identified in a single church, was largely correct. Their error was connecting this key doctrine to themselves instead of to the true Church of God, led by the true Jesus Christ (II Cor. 11:4).

Let’s understand this by tying together several critical elements that clarify the thinking of the Protestant Reformers. When they rebelled against Rome, they were obviously no longer part of that church, and thus had departed from what they previously believed to have been the sole Body of Christ. They knew that Paul taught, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body” and “For the body is not one member, but many” (I Cor. 12:13-14).

The entire world of Christendom is able to read this passage, and others, about the Body of Christ. All of these had to be reconciled with the fact that they had now left the Roman church and its authority. But here was their problem: They had to come up with a teaching compatible with converts and believers supposedly being truly baptized, but now into a divided, competing and multiplying picture of denominations that is the Protestant world. They had to reconcile the idea of “one Body of Christ” with the reality of hundreds of Protestant denominations—and other groups—with more appearing all the time. They were forced to conclude Christ’s Body is composed of many organizations, denominations, fellowships and “communities of believers.” But this is utterly false!