HOW MANY CHURCHES DID CHRIST BUILD?

"How man churches did Christ build?" is a question in some circles with as many answers as man has been able to devise. Man is not always the best source of information. Man may be called upon to testify to most anything. However, there is one witness on whom we may rely: God, His Word. Just how many churches does God's Word say He built?

Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18). The Jews, when speaking of the same thing, referred to it as a sect. "For as concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against." (Acts 28:22). A sect is a body of persons adhering to a particular religious faith, sometimes a party regarded as deviating from the general religious traditions. His church is a body of people banded together by a common belief: the divinity of Jesus, that He is the Son of God. The great body of Jews rejected the divinity of Jesus, thus referred to His church, His body of disciples, as a sect.

"So we being many, are one body in Christ." (Rom. 12:4,5). And "he is the head of the body, the church." (Col. 1:18). These statements were made to those who believe in the divinity of Jesus.

These believers were referred to as a building (1 Cor. 3:9), the reason being "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master-builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1 Cor. 3:10,11).

Paul said again, "For I determined to know nothing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified." (1 Cor. 2:2). As long as this is preached, men believe it, and are obedient unto His commands, they are builded on that foundation, or constitute the building. The house of God is the church. (1 Tim. 3:15).

When nothing else is preached there can be but one body, as the apostle says in Eph. 4:4. We have noticed that the body is the church, and Christ is its head. For there to be more than one body there must be something else preached, believed, and obeyed. As long as Christ is preached, men believe it, and obey His law of induction into that body, they are one body, and it would be impossible to be more.

Belief in the divinity of Jesus Christ gives us hope in the promises which He made. We have only one hope. That hope is anchored in that which is within the veil, into heaven itself. We have only one hope, a hope of life after awhile. "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as you are called in one hope of your calling." There can be no more bodies than hopes.

True, there are many churches in the world today. There are many different seeds being planted. Each seed brings forth after its kind. Christ gave only one seed, the Word of God. When something other than the church of Christ is produced some seed other than the Word of God has been planted. Jesus said, "I will build my church," not churches. All of His followers are in one body.

There is but one house, one body, or one church which was built by Jesus. He only promised to build one. "Upon this rock I will build my church." It's His body, His bride, as as the church is subject unto Christ, so must the wife be to her husband. Christ is not a bigamist. He has only one bride. John the Baptist said in Jno. 3:29, "He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled."

Friends, do not be deceived, the Lord built only one church.

By: Lowell Head in CHRISTIAN APPEAL.

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