Fundamentals of the Faith
The
church
Part 4
Question
1:
►What is the
church?
►Colossians 1:18
And he is the head
of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from
among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
►Colossians
1:24
Now I rejoice in
what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in
regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the
church.
►Ephesians 1:22-23
And God placed all things under his feet and
appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
►Ephesians 5:23
For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the
church, his body,
of which he is the Savior.
►1 Corinthians 12:27
Now you are the body
of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Answer to
question #1: The church is the body of Christ. The
church is people who follow Christ. It is NOT a
building!
►Acts 2:38-41
Then Peter said unto them, 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. For the promise is unto
you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the
LORD our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort,
saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word
were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.
Question 2: Referring to the above passage (Acts
2:38-41)▲
►What does the word, “them”
refer to in the sentence, “and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.”?
Answer to
question #2: The word, “them” refers to the church.
Question
3:
►How are people added to the church?
►1Corinthians 12:13
For we were all baptized by one Spirit into
one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one
Spirit to drink.
►Romans 6:4
We were
therefore buried with him through
baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised
from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new
life.
►Acts 2:41
Then they that
gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three
thousand souls.
Answer to
question #3: People are added to the church through baptism.
Question 4:
►Now if the church is the body, then according to the Scriptures, how many bodies (or churches) are there?
►Ephesians
4:4-5
There is one body and one Spirit—just
as you were called to one hope when you were called— one Lord, one
faith, one baptism
Answer to
question #4: According to Scripture—there is one church.
*Footnote-
Do not confuse “church” with “congregation”. Just because there
is one church does not mean there is only one congregation. There
are countless congregations of the Lord’s Church, but together,
collectively, they all make one body, or, one church. In the book
of Revelation, there are 7 churches, that is, 7 congregations of Christ’s
church.
Question
5:
►According to
Scripture, does God want division among His people?
►1 Corinthians 1:10-15
I
appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree
with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may
be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's
household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is
this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow
Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I
follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you
baptized into the name of Paul? I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you
except Crispus and Gaius, so no one can say that you were baptized into my
name.
Answer to question #5: Of course not!
Question
6:
►Is it God’s will
that I attend church regularly?
►Hebrews
10:25
Let us not give up meeting together, as some
are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all
the more as you see the Day approaching.
Answer to
question #6: Yes.
Question
7:
►But with thousands
of different denominations, which church should I attend?
Answer to question #7:
Here are some things to look for in searching for a church:
►One that follows God’s plan of salvation as revealed in the Scriptures
►One that is bearing fruit
►One that follows the pattern of worship as recorded in Scriptures
►One that follows the example in Scripture of how we
should live our daily lives
►One that is devoted to the
1) apostles' teaching, (the
apostle’s teaching is found in the preceding verse, Acts 2:38-41)
2) to the fellowship,
3) to the breaking of bread
4) and to prayer. (Acts 2:42)
“…I will
build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail.”
--Jesus–Matthew 16:18
For further study:
The power of darkness, the kingdom of
light, and baptism
“All the churches of Christ send greetings.” --
Romans 16:16
Click here to find a congregation of Christians
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Fundamentals of the Faith
Study Outline
Introduction | Part
One: The Foundation of Truth—the Word of God | Part Two: Discipleship | Part Three:
Heaven, Hell, Sin and Salvation | Part Four: The Church | Quiz