The church of Christ was established in the first century and is made up of believers in God, his sacrificial son Christ, and followers of God's word. The church was prophesied in the Old and New Testaments as the kingdom of God that would be established and reign eternally (Dan. 2:44; Isa. 2:2-3; Mark 9:1).

The purpose of the church would be to make God's wisdom known to all mankind (Eph. 3:10); glorify God (Eph. 3:21); do good unto all men and show God's benevolence (Gal. 6:9-10); edify fellow believers (Heb. 10:25); and preach the saving gospel to every creature (Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Rom. 1:16). Christ's church also is a haven for fellowship among believers who share the common beliefs, faith and unity in Christ's blood (Acts 2:44ff; Eph. 4:4-6). The church of Christ enjoys this fellowship with God, Jesus, and others of like precious faith (1 John 1:7).

Since there is but one way to God (John 14:6), Christ's church seeks to follow God's revealed path in the inspired words of the Bible. It is because of this purpose that we seek to speak where the Bible speaks and remain silent where the Bible is silent. We want to do all that we can to respect the inspired word of God as complete and authoritative in every facet of life.

No. The church of Christ is a direct continuation of the church established in the first century by Christ.  The church was established in Acts 2 when the first believers were baptized and gathered together in worship and communion (Acts 2:41, 47). When Christ said he would establish His church, he used the singular form of "church." There was no intention that many bodies of believers begin that teach many varying doctrines and creeds.  The church seeks to follow only God's word so that the oneness of the church may be continued.

The church of Christ has no earthly headquarters. When Christ established His church, thus the headquarters became heaven where God and Christ sit as the head of the church (Matt. 16:18; Matt. 28:18ff; Eph. 1:22-23). The Lord has established a governing pattern for us while we are on earth. Elders are to be appointed according to qualifications given in scripture (1 Tim. 3:8-13; Tit. 1:6-9). The elders (also referred to as bishops, pastors, overseers, shepherds, or presbyters) are the ones who shepherd the local congregation's work and are responsible for the souls of their sheep (Acts 20:29-31; 1 Pet. 5:2; Heb. 13:17).  Usually the Lord's church has preachers or ministers who bring sermons, help visit the sick and shut-in, and help carry out some of the day-to-day activities in the local congregation.  However, the ministers are not any different than other members (unless they are also elders) and are not the governing leaders for the congregation.  They would still submit to the authority of the eldership in the congregation (Acts 20:28).

Instrumental music is not used in worship because the Bible does not give the authority to use such in worship music. The commands found in the New Testament that creates the pattern for a Christian's worship only include singing to the Lord and one another (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16).

Yes. When Peter was asked on the day of Pentecost what was needed for them to be saved, he answered "Repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). The immersion into water precedes the promise of forgiveness of sins. Other verses also support this fact by showing that the order in which we follow God's commands directly affects whether we receive the promises of obedient actions (Mark 16:16: Acts 22:16; Rom. 6:3-4). The act of baptism mirrors the death, burial and resurrection of Christ, and only when we rise out of the water as a new creature can we know that our "old man of sin" has been crucified with Christ and done away with (Rom. 6:6).

No, the Bible does not condone women leading in the worship assemblies when there are Christian men present to take such leadership roles. The Bible specifically instructs women not to usurp the authority of man (1 Tim. 2:8-15; 1 Cor. 14:34). This authority stems not from cultural norms or traditions but from the created order (1 Tim. 2:13-14).

All who are obedient and faithful to God's Word and commands will inherit eternal life in heaven. Jesus went to prepare a place for those who will be faithful in their Christian life (John 14:1-6). It is an eternal house, not made with human hands (2 Cor. 5:1). Only those who are obedient and faithful to God will inhabit this spiritual resting place(Rev. 2:10; 22:4). Salvation, and thus eternal life in heaven, will be granted to those who obey God (Hebrews 5:9). Consequently, in order to go to heaven we must be faithful to all commandments given by God in His Word -- including the steps of salvation, faithfulness in our lives, and obedience in the commands of worship. When we stray in any area of our lives, we fall away and are separated from God (Is. 59:1-2). We must strive for perfection in our Christian lives, and when we fall short we must remember to repent and turn back to God in forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

Any sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). We cannot save ourselves (Jeremiah 10:23). It is through God's gift of His only Son that we can have redemption (John 3:16). Jesus is the sacrifice for our sins and died for all to be saved (Eph. 5:2; Heb. 9:15). This blood shed on the cross cleanses us of our sins (1 John 1:7-9). We accept this free gift of salvation by obeying the necessary commandments of God. It is not our actions which save us, but our obedience which accepts God's free offer of salvation.

The Bible states that we must hear the Word of God in order to have faith (Rom. 10:17). When we hear the Word of God, we will believe in the truth and our faith will begin. Without faith or believing, it is impossible to please God(Heb. 11:6). When we truly believe in the truth and understand what God wants us to do, we will quickly repent of our sins, changing our heart and mind from the things of the world (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30). We will also realize that we must confess God before men (Matt. 10:32-33; Rom. 10:9-10). We will be baptized - immersed - in water for the remission of our sins (Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 22:16; 1 Pt. 3:21).

After baptism, we still must remain faithful to God and His commands in the New Testament so we will not fall prey to Satan (Rev. 2:10; Matt. 10:22; 1 Cor. 15:58). However, if we sin, we can turn from our sins in repentance (Acts 8:22), confess our sins to God and others (1 John 1:9) and pray to God for forgiveness of those sins (Jms. 5:16).

The Bible does not approve of homosexuality in any form or fashion and condemns those who go against God's creation (Matt. 19:4-5; Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 2 Ths. 2:12; Lev. 18:22).

Read some of the articles below for a Biblical response to the questions:

Does the Bible Approve of Homosexuality?
Biblical Evidence Against Homosexuality
Hate Crimes, Homosexuality, and Preaching the Gospel
Is Homosexuality Acceptable?
The Homosexual Hubbub


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