The church of Christ was established on Pentecost day, A.D. 33, as we read in Acts 2. Every saved person was added to the church (Acts 2:47), thus the church is composed of all Christians on earth, and every saved person is in it. The members of the church were called "Christians" (Acts 11:26, a name which the Lord gave (Isaiah 62:2)). All names of human origin are condemned (1 Corinthians 1:12,13; Acts 4:12).

"The Word of God is the seed of the Kingdom" (Luke 8:11). This seed produced Christians when first planted. If we plant the same seed today, we will reap the same product. The life is in the seed. If there were not a Christian on earth today, you might become one by believing, repenting, confessing your faith in Christ, and being baptized. If there were not a church of Christ on earth, we might start one by obeying the Gospel the apostles preached. Paul went to Corinth and preached the Gospel and "many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized" (Acts 18:8). Paul later addressed them as the "church of God" and "the body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 1:2; 12:27).
Nineteen centuries have passed since the beginning of the church, but we still have the same truth. We have today the same church unchanged in name, doctrine, organization, faith, and practice. We dare not use any creed except the New Testament (2 John 9). We must not add to our worship any doctrine or commandment of man (Matthew 15:9). Our plea is for unity - not simply union in diversity - but for all time on the platform given in God's Word (Ephesians 4:4-6). We plead no merit of our own - only the merit of Christ's shed blood and of His holy Word. The New Testament is the inspired Word of God and is superior to any human confession of faith (2 Timothy 3: 16, 17). Will you not join with us, in standing on the solid rock of God's Word?

By George W. DeHoff