THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
“What Are the Differences Between the Church of Christ and Other Religions?” [Part 1]
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST. Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now, Ben Bailey.
Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the church of Christ and modern religious groups today? Some would say that there is little to no difference at all. Others would say that the only difference is the type of music used and the name of the church. What is the difference is between the church of Christ and modern religious groups? Let’s go to the Bible and examine this subject from God’s Word, for there are significant differences seen in the New Testament between the church of Christ and other religious groups that exist today. Please understand that we are not saying that we are smarter than anyone else, or that we have a greater intelligence. That is not the case at all. We can all come to the Bible to see what God has to say on this subject. We are not saying that we are the only ones who are sincere, honest, and zealous in the matter. There are many people who are zealous and sincere in what they do, but it is possible to be sincere and not be right with God. In Romans 10:2, the apostle Paul spoke of some of his own countrymen who had a “zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.” We are not saying that we are the only ones who are zealous. Nor are we saying that we are the only ones who have the truth. Jesus said in John 8:32, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” We know that we have the truth with us today because Jesus also said that God’s Word is truth. Anyone who has the Bible has the truth and can live it in their lives. So what are the differences?
Today, we are going to look at four differences that exist between the church of Christ and modern religious groups. The first major difference is in the structure of authority. The structure of authority that we find in the New Testament is not like the structure of authority that we find in much of the religious world today. For example, in the New Testament there is no earthly headquarters of the church. God did not establish a place like Rome, Salt Lake City, Utah, or Springfield, Missouri, where people could go and call that the headquarters of their religious organization. We know one thing: Jesus is King of the kingdom. Revelation 19:16 teaches us that Jesus is “King of kings and Lord of lords.” We know that Jesus is the Head of the church (Eph. 1:21-23). Therefore, the headquarters must be where the King is. Where is Jesus reigning from today? The Bible says in Hebrews 1:3 that Jesus sat down “at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus is reigning from Heaven today. In Matthew 16:19, Peter was given the keys to the kingdom, and he was told by Jesus, “Whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” If Jesus is in Heaven reigning, then that is where the headquarters are for the church of Christ, emanating from the throne of almighty God. There are no regional offices that dictate doctrines, policies, or practices for the church that you read about in the New Testament. The reason is that we today have the Word of God, which gives us everything we need to live the life we need to lead. The Bible teaches us in Psalm 119:89 that God’s Word is already settled in Heaven. The matter has already been discussed, and God has already decided on it. We know that we have God’s Word with us today. The Bible teaches us that God’s Word gives us “all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us” (2 Pet. 1:3). If God’s Word is already settled in Heaven, and if we have within that Word everything we need, then there does not need to be a religious body in some town or area that dictates to others how to believe.
The structure of the Lord’s church is different because there is no group or body that tells us how to vote, believe, or practice in religious areas. We do not vote on matters in the church about which you read in the New Testament. We do not tell people how to believe. Instead, we come to the Bible to see what God says, and then we follow what we find within the pages of the Scriptures. This is an important principle today, because so many think that we need to vote on religious matters. They think that we need to come to an agreement on it, and that whatever the majority thinks, that is what we need to do. The Bible says in 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” That is what is so wonderful about the Bible. It is God’s Word, and it provides us with everything we need to be complete. God does not lie. The Hebrews writer said in Hebrews 6:18 that it is impossible for God to lie. God is not a God Who changes His mind. In Malachi 3:6 we read, “I am God, and I do not change.” The important thing for us to know is that the Word of God is living and powerful for us today. It is a living Book that tells us how we should live and act, and how we should worship as the Lord’s body.
This is where this topic becomes very relevant to modern religious groups today. Many groups today are now voting on matters such as homosexuality. Will we allow homosexuality inside this religious group? Can we allow our leaders and our members to practice that. Some say yes; some say no. The problem is that these people are voting on that, but they are not going to the Bible to see what God says. In Leviticus 18:22, and in Romans 1:26-29, we learn that it is an abomination before God, that it is unnatural, that it is vile, and that God condemns it as sin. Since that is the case, and since we can find this in the Word of God, why would anyone ever need to vote on it? God has already had the final word on the matter. Many today are voting on women’s roles, especially things like whether women can preach, be in places of authority, or be in places of leadership. Some say yes; some say no. But the good thing about it is that God has already decided on this matter. The text of 1 Timothy 2:11-12 makes it clear that “does not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.” The Bible says that women should not do such things. Regardless of whether men vote on it and say “yes,” or whether they say “no,” we know that God’s Word stands and is what we must follow in our lives today. Such things as euthanasia and abortion are also being voted on in the religious world. God has already spoken on such matters. Life is valuable and is not to be destroyed. Proverbs 6 makes it clear that abortion, for example, is the killing of the innocent. Thus, in the church about which you read in the New Testament, we do not vote on practices or doctrine because God has already decided on the matter and we simply need to follow His will.
The structure of the church in the New Testament is unique because each congregation is autonomous and self-governing. As you look in Acts 20:25-29, you will see that Paul taught that the elders were to be shepherds of the flock. They were to govern it in matters of option, and they were to feed the flock in order to turn the people toward the Word of God. As you look at the Scriptures, you will find that elders are to have authority in matters of option and expediency. God has given them the right to be shepherds over the flock, as 1 Peter 5:1-4 teaches. The church is autonomous and self-governing. We learn in Philippians 1:1 that there are bishops, deacons, and saints in every congregation. That is the structure of authority that God gives to the church, and we as His people must follow it.
The church in the New Testament in unique in its structure in the sense that Jesus Christ is the Head of the church. Jesus is the only Head of the church about which you read in the New Testament. He is the only Head that has ever existed or that ever will exist. This is very important because many today will say that there is another head, and that there is another religious leader on Earth today who is the head of the church. But that is not true according to the Scriptures. We learn from the Bible that Jesus established the church. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Jesus not only built the church, but also is its Founder. In 1 Corinthians 3:11 the apostle Paul said, “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” From Ephesians 5:25 we learn that Jesus is the Savior of the body. He gave His own precious blood for the church (Acts 20:28). He is the One Who died for it, and He is the One Who paid the ultimate price to purchase it. We must remember today that He is the Head of the church about which we read in the New Testament. Paul made that clear in Ephesians 1:22-23 when he wrote that Jesus is “the Head of the body, which is the church, the fulness of Him who fills all in all.” Thus, in religious matters we must turn to Christ because He has all authority. And the church is governed in matters of option and expediency by elders in each local congregation.
But there is a second significant difference between the church about which you read in the New Testament and modern religious groups. The source of authority is very different. We must not look to creed books or manuals produced by men for what we believe and practice. Someone has rightly said, “If a creed book contains more than the Bible, it contains too much. If it contains less than the Bible, it contains too little. If it contains the same as the Bible, why have it?” That is so true. If the Bible gives us everything we need for life and godliness, then why would we want to go to any other books? God’s Word contains the final revelation on these subjects. Revelation 22:18-19 tells us that we are not to add to or delete from God’s Word, lest the woes found in the Book of Revelation should fall upon us. We are to do only that which is authorized by Scripture. Colossians 3:17 reminds us, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” As we think about creed books and manuals, there is no use for those today. We simply need to come to the Word of God and do what it says in order to follow God’s will. The Bible is the only book that can save us. Romans 1:16 says that the Gospel is “God’s power unto salvation.” It is what saves us. It is where the message of salvation is found. And it is what tells us of the message of hope. James said that we should “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save our souls” (Jas. 1:21). Thus, today we should not turn to creeds and manuals, but instead to the Book of Books, the Bible, as our only guide in these matters. It is the Bible to which the church is to turn because it contains all the things that we need in this life. We are told in 1 Peter 4:11 to “speak as the oracles of God.” Whatever God has said, we must say. And whatever He teaches us in the Bible, we must be willing to follow. We must go only by that which is authorized in God’s Word. Jesus said in Matthew 28:18 that all authority had been given to Him in Heaven and on Earth. Today, He expects us to follow that authority, and not to add to or take away from His word. The Proverbs writer said, “Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Prov. 30:6). Paul wrote to Christians in 1 Corinthians 4:6 in order to provide guidelines for them so that they could be sure to do what was right. He urged them “not to go beyond that which is written.”
How can we know that we are doing right, and that we have the correct source of authority for what we do in religion? We can know that if we do not go beyond what is written in the pages of the Bible and if stay strictly with God’s Word. If we have a “thus saith the Lord,” then we can know that we are doing what is pleasing to the Father. When it comes to authority, the only way that you can know and do the will of God is to come to the Bible. Psalm 119:11-12 teaches us that a young man can cleanse his way and know that he is right by coming to the Bible, by doing God’s will, by putting God’s Word into his heart, and by living it every day. The psalmist said in Psalm 119:105 that God’s Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. As we think about the matter of authority, we need to remember the words of Jesus’ mother as recorded in John 2:5 when she said to the servants regarding Jesus, “Whatever He says to you, do.” Today, may we do only that which is authorized by the Bible. May we come to the Scriptures and follow the teaching we find there. This is one of the things that makes the church about which you read in the New Testament unique. We try to do only that which is authorized in Scripture and for which we have a “thus saith the Lord.” Jesus said in John 12:48, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.” When we stand before God on the Day of Judgment, we are not going to be judged by what others have told us. We are going to be judged by what God said in the Bible and by what He has said that we must do according to His will. The Bible is the only book we have from God by which we can know His will for our lives. To know God’s will, we must study the Bible diligently. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15 that we should “study to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” We need to be like those Christians in Acts 17:11 who “received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
The structure of the Lord’s church is different from other religions of today. The source of authority (the Bible and it alone) is different. And the name of the church also is different. The names “church of Christ” or “church of God” are not necessarily titles, but are instead descriptions of ownership. “The church of Christ” indicates that the church belongs to Christ. “The church of God” indicates that the church belongs to God. Both of these names are scriptural designations for the church. In Romans 16:16, Paul wrote, “Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you.” Because in the city of Rome there were many different congregations, they were called “the churches of Christ.” They were the congregations that belonged to Christ. In 1 Corinthians 1:1-2 and in 2 Corinthians 1:1-2, the apostle Paul refers to the church as “the church of God.” The church owes its allegiance to God because He is the One Who set the plan in action. We must call the church by names that are authorized. If we are not going to go beyond that which is written, and if we are going to call Bible things by Bible names, then we must look to the Scriptures for the name of the New Testament church. In 1 Timothy 3:15, the church is referred to as “the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” In Hebrews 12:27-29, the church is referred to as “the general assembly of the firstborn.” There are biblical designations for the church, and we must use them in order to give God and Christ the glory. This is important, because to give the church any other designation does not give the glory and honor to the One Who died for it. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said to Peter, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Earlier in that chapter, Jesus had asked His disciples, “‘Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?’ And they said, ‘Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets’” (vss. 13-14). He then said to Peter, ’But who do you say that I am?’ Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (vss. 15-16). Jesus acknowledged that Peter was right, and told him that upon that fact He would build His church. The church is built upon the fact that Christ is the Son of God. If Jesus has said, “I will build My church, why would we want to call it by anyone else’s name? Jesus owns the church. It is His, it is singular, and it must give Him the glory. What if we named the church after some other person’s name, or after some other act that we find in the Bible? Who receives the glory if we do that? The person or the act does. However, God has not authorized that in the Bible. Rather, He has told us to call the church by biblical names. The church owes its allegiance to Jesus. Acts 20:28 tells us that Jesus purchased the church with His own blood. Who paid the price? Who gave His life for the church? Who hung on the cross to save mankind from sin? Jesus did. He is the One Who paid the ultimate price, and as a result we must give Him the ultimate glory when it comes to the name we use for His church. We find clear evidence in the Bible that we should not call the church by men’s names. It is wrong to do that. Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13 that he had heard that there were contentions among the Christians. But he urged that there be no divisions, and that they all speak the same thing so that they would “perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” Paul wrote, “Each of you says, ‘I am of Paul,’ or ‘I am of Apollos,’ or ‘I am of Cephas,’ or ‘I am of Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” (vss.12-13). The principle that Paul was teaching is that we cannot be a follower of some man and still be a part of the body of Christ. Paul stressed that there should no divisions among Christians. Today, we should not call the body of Christ anything that is not authorized in the Bible. This is a very serious difference between the church about which you read in the New Testament and modern religious groups today.
A fourth and final difference between the church of the New Testament other religious groups today is the plea for unity. The plea for unity among churches of Christ is very different. We frequently hear it said, “Choose the church of your choice,” or “The road to Heaven is all-inclusive.” But that is not true. The Bible does not teach that there are many different choices and churches. Nor does the Bible teach that there are many paths on the road to salvation. The Bible makes it very clear that there is just one church. Ephesians 4:4 tells us that there is “one body.” If we can understand what the body is, then we can understand Paul’s point. Earlier in Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul said that Jesus is the Head of the church, which is “His body.” “The church” and “the body” are used as synonyms. If there is one body, and if the body is the church, how many churches did Jesus build? Jesus built only one church. Remember Matthew 16:18? Jesus said, “I will build my church” (singular). Jesus built the church upon a singular rock—the rock of His status as the Son of God.” He established only one church. This is what we see throughout the New Testament. There was not a multiplicity of religious groups that existed. There was one body because that is the way God set it up. In Ephesians 2:14-16, we learn that God has brought both Jew and Gentile together in that one body. The oneness of the church is something that is seen throughout the pages of the New Testament. In Colossians 1, we are told that there is one body. In 1 Corinthians 12:13, we are told that we are baptized into “the body.” There is but one kingdom, and the kingdom and the church are the same.
Today, we must realize that there are not numerous different religious groups so that we can “choose the church of our choice.” We also must realize that the road to Heaven is very restrictive. God has made one way and one way only for salvation. Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus is the only way we can get to God, and the only way we can please Him is to do His will. Some today suggest that all a person has to do to be saved is to “say a sinner’s prayer” or “place your trust in Jesus.” The rest does not really matter. Do that, and you will be fine. But Jesus said in Matthew 7:21, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Jesus said in John 14:15, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” So today we must understand that God has a set plan and a set way for us to achieve salvation. We must follow only His path. Hebrews 7:25-26 teaches us that Jesus is not only the Author of our eternal salvation, but that He is able to “save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He ever lives to make intercession for them.” In Old Testament times, people went to the temple to offer their sacrifices. We are told in Hebrews 10:2-4 that the blood of bulls and goats can never take away sin. Jesus Himself became our sacrifice so that we could have the hope of Heaven. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” May we never follow the multitude in what we do in religion. In Matthew 7:13-14, we learn that many are going down the wide and easy way. But that way does not lead to Heaven. The road to Heaven is difficult at times. It is restrictive. God has a set pattern that we must follow, and we must do His will and follow His teaching. I am reminded of the words of Christ in Luke 6:46 as He spoke to certain Jews who said unto Him that they wanted to do right and wanted to follow God’s will. Jesus responded by asking, “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say?”
Are you a part of the New Testament body today? Are you a part of the Lord’s church? There are real differences between the church about which you read in the Bible and the modern religious groups that we see in existence today. The structure for authority is different. In the Lord’s church, we do not follow men or hierarchies. We follow only the true source of authority—the Bible. We call things by Bible names, and we do only those things that are authorized in God’s Word. When it comes to unity, we plead with people to come back to the Bible and to do what God says. Jesus Himself prayed for unity. In John 17:20-21, Jesus said, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 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 sent Me.” The only way to achieve such unity is through the Word of God. If you are not a New Testament Christian, why not become one today? Believe that Jesus is the Son of God—so much so that you are willing to change your life and turn from sin to God. Confess Jesus as your Savior and be baptized in water for the forgiveness of your sins. Once you have done that, then you must live a faithful live to Jesus every day, knowing that you have Heaven promised as your home. It is our prayer that you will accept this message from Scripture, and that you will always live your life in accordance with His will.
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
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1. In Romans 10:2, the apostle Paul spoke of some of his own countrymen as having “zeal without knowledge.” What did he mean by that statement?
2. According to Ephesians 1:22-23, who is the head of the church about which you read in the New Testament?
3. According to In Matthew 16:19, from where does this head govern His church?
4. What important information does 2 Timothy 3:16-17 contain which shows us that God’s Word is adequate as our sole source of authority in religion?
5. According to Acts 20:25-29, who is to shepherd God’s church on Earth?
6. What is discussed in this lesson as the thing that makes the structure of the New Testament church unique?
7. What piece of information does Acts 20:28 contain that shows how important Christ is to the church?
8. What information is contained in 1 Peter 4:11 that impacts the church’s source of authority?
9. What, according to Psalm 119:105, are we to use to “light our way” in religious matters?
10. Proverbs 30:6 explains something we are not to do in regard to God’s Word. What is that “something”?
11. In 1 Corinthians 4:6, what did Paul instruct Christians not to do?
12. What does the text of 2 Timothy 2:15 say that we should do?
13. From Matthew 16:18, we learn that Christ built how many churches?
14. What point was Christ making in Matthew 7:21?
15. What point regarding the name of the church was Paul making in 1 Corinthians 1:10-13?
16. According to Luke 6:46 and Matthew 7:21, how important is it for us to obey Christ and Christ only?
17. For what did Jesus pray in John 17?
18. How does Ephesians 4:4-6 emphasize the concept of unity?
19. In what four ways is the church of the New Testament different from religious groups today?
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