by Wayne Robbins
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 “upon this rock I will build My church”. He would build His church, (singular) and that is the church that we should all strive to be a part of.
Just as Wal-Mart was founded by Sam Walton, so it is that every business and organization was founded by some person. The church we read about in the Bible far supersedes any man-made organization or business. But we ask the question; does it, too, have a founder?
When scripture is examined, we find in Acts 2:47 “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.” This verse makes it clear that Christ’s church was established both on earth and by God on the Day of Pentecost after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Acts 4, Peter says these words; Acts 4:11-12 “This is the 'STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED BY YOU BUILDERS, WHICH HAS BECOME THE CHIEF CORNERSTONE.' (12) Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Christ is the foundation of the church and He is also the founder because He is the one who purchased it. Acts 20:28 we read “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood”. Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 5:23 tells us “Christ is head of the church”. In 1 Corinthians 3:11 we read “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Christ built the church, He purchased it with His blood, and He is the head of the church. Christ is the only proper foundation of the church, and therefore, He is the founder of His church, not Martin Luther, John Calvin, Alexander Campbell, John Wesley, John Smythe, Joseph Smith, or any other man, but Christ and Him only. As Christians, the best way for us to identify the church is to simply call it “Christ’s Church” because He purchased it, He built it, and He is the head of it. “Churches of Christ” is found in the Bible Romans 16:16. If multiple congregations are referred to as “Churches of Christ”, then it is proper to call a single congregation a “church of Christ”.
Christians are not required by scripture to put a sign in front of the building where they meet. In order for people to properly identify the group of Christians in an area, we have chosen to identify ourselves with the biblical name, “Church of Christ”. We are simply striving to be the church that we read about in the Bible that Jesus Christ said He would build. As Christians, we want to glorify the name of Christ. Jesus Christ is The Name above all names Philippians 2:9-11. It is the only name that can bring salvation. In Acts 4:10 we read about Jesus Christ. Then we read in Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Why would any group of people who call themselves “Christian” start their own church and then give it a name other than one that glorifies the name, “Jesus Christ”? Christ built the church as He promised and purchased it with His own blood, therefore He is the founder and He gets the glory; Romans 16:16 … “The churches of Christ greet you.”
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