Articles
Misconceptions About the "Church of Christ"
When many hear the name "Church of Christ," more than not they have some misconceptions about who we are. Here are some misconceptions that need to be reexamined and understood correctly.
Some view us as a denomination that thinks we are the only ones going to Heaven and that we think so because we call ourselves "Church of Christ." There are a few things that need to be addressed from that:
1) When it comes to who will be saved, we do not have any kind of arrogant, prideful, "better than thou" mindset. Many think that we are this way because we strive to declare what is truth from God's Word and what is not. Here is what we believe:
Matthew 7:21-23 - Jesus said "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and cast out demons in Your name, and do many mighty works in Your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.'"
This is what Paul said about Christ’s Gospel: Galatians 1:6-12 - "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man's gospel. For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."
Finally, notice Revelation 22:18-19 - "I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."
We strive to speak where the Bible speaks, and remain silent where the Bible is silent. We believe that all who obey and teach aright what the Bible says will go to Heaven. But if we see that someone is teaching or practicing something that is not in accordance with Scripture, what are we suppose to do? Ignore God's Word? Say it doesn't matter? We love people. We want them to be saved. If we see someone who is not following aright the Word of God, we HAVE to say something! It is out of love and not arrogance or pride.
2) We do not believe that we are right just because we call ourselves the "Church of Christ." Many think that we believe that as long as we go to a church building that has "Church of Christ" on the sign we'll be saved. That's just not true. There are plenty of Biblical names that we could use: "church" (Acts 2:47), "churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16), "church of God" (1 Corinthians 1:2), "churches in ___________ which [are] in Christ" (Galatians 1:22), "the body [of Christ]" (Ephesians 1:22-23), "saints in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 1:1), "church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15), "church of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:23), and anything else found in Scripture. What matters is what happens on the inside. A church can have a Biblical name on the outside but be unbiblical in practice and teaching on the inside. The reason we in Zephyrhills call ourselves the "Zephyrhills Church of Christ" is because we are simply striving to be a church that belongs to Christ. We use His name to show who we are, Christians, followers of Christ.
3) We are not a denomination. Many have the misconception that we are a denomination like everyone else. That is not true. A denomination is any church that was started by a man or men with certain doctrinal beliefs that are peculiar to them (which in many cases do not match up with Scripture) such as: Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Pentecostal, etc. Every denomination can be traced back to its starting point and the man who started it. We are striving to be a part of the Lord's church as found in Scripture and not part of a denomination started by man. Now, granted, there are groups out there who call themselves "Church of Christ" that are part of the denominational world by what they teach and practice. We here in Zephyrhills and elsewhere are simply going back to the New Testament to follow the teachings and examples of the Lord's church as built and authorized by Him. Nothing more, nothing less.
I hope that this will help to clear up these misconceptions that any may have about these things. If you would like to discuss these further or if I have left any out, please feel free to contact us here at the Zephyrhills church of Christ and we will be more than happy to study these things together from God's Word. You can write to us @ 5444 4th St, Zephyrhills FL 33542 or check out our Facebook page and contact us through it. You can find our times of services and other info at zephyrhillschurch.com. You’ll also find articles and sermons on our website as well.
Let us all strive to be like those found in Acts 17:11 - "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." To GOD be the glory, great things He has taught us!
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