What Are The Churches Of God?

by F. McCormick | Category: What Are The Churches Of God? | Apr 1953

This is a pertinent question to-day, because of the gross misuse of the term which is a scriptural one, but is erroneously applied by many to organizations which are themselves fundamentally unscriptural. Strange to say, in America this term has even been adopted as the name of a political party. In the British Isles it is used by various religious organizations.

What confronts people in general is the difficulty of discriminating between the reality and the counterfeit. The enemy of God and men has ever sought to confuse the issues of truth, and we confess that, to the unitiated, it must be very bewildering to be faced with the claims of various bodies to the title, "The churches of God".

If the term be used merely for identification purposes to designate a certain religious body, it is valueless unless that organization accepts and practises those fundamental doctrines proper to the churches of God as revealed in the Scriptures. It is easy to use a name, even a scriptural one, but if in truth there is no correspondence to the pattern given in Scripture, it is a misnomer, a sham.

Again, it is often found that scriptural names and terms are used, which, when enquiry is made, will not bear the interpretation placed upon them. For instance, how often is the term "The church of God" used to describe the sum total of a]l believers in Christ on earth?

Where in Scripture is the term so used?

Alas, we live in days when many of these things are taken for granted, passed on from parents to children, from teacher to scholar, and often the new generations arising do not appreciate the importance of these matters sufficiently to cause them, like the Beroeans, to examine the Scriptures daily, to see whether these things are so (Acts 17. 11).

If the words and terms used by the inspired writers of the word of God mean anything at all, they are to the believer of paramount importance, and it is incumbent upon us to ponder diligently the meanings of the words used by God to describe those things which are designed for our blessing, and His glory.

In seeking therefore to judge who are the rightful claimants to the title "the churches of God", we can only decide by comparing such with the scriptural pattern. If from the Scriptures churches of God are shewn to be the only place on earth where corporate testimony for God can exist, then all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ have a responsibility to be in them in order to fulfil God's present purpose.

In approaching our subject it is well to remind ourselves of the purpose of the death of Christ. It was not only to save us from the consequences of our sins, great and glorious though this was, and for which we shall for ever praise Him, but we must remember also that He "gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity (lawlessness) and purify unto Himself a people for His own possession, zealous of good works (Titus 2.14)."

It is well to ask ourselves whether we conform to that purpose of Christ's death. Is it not self-evident that all around us there is moral and doctrinal lawlessness, a self-choosing of individual believers doing that which is right in their own eves, and also of companies of believers doing the same, which has resulted along the course of time in a multiplicity of sects. This was not the purpose of the death of Christ, in fact, it is a practical denial of that purpose for which He died, for which He also prayed,

"That they may be perfected into one"

"Sanctify them in the truth: Thy word is truth" (John 17. 23, 17). This is further borne out in John 11.52.

Many well-meaning evangelical Christians see in the purpose of the Cross nothing more than the salvation of the sinner, they thus fail to apprehend the fulness of that glorious work: for God

"Willeth that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2.4).

In the light of the Cross, we therefore appeal to fellow-believers in Christ to examine the Scriptures as to the divine purpose for His children, and prayerfully consider, What are the churches of God?

There are many so-called churches to which it would be entirely wrong to append the words "of God". The sects of Christendom are legion, but it is not our purpose to inquire into the historical rise of these denominations, suffice to say that as such they are condemned root and branch in the Scriptures as "heresies", parties, or sects, which are "works of the flesh" (Galatians 5.20), being outside of, and contrary to, the divine unity as seen in "the churches of God".

Much confusion exists in the minds of many believers relative to what is called "church truth", because there is failure to discern the distinctions between what is called "My Church" (Matthew 16.18) (referred to in Ephesians 1.21, 22, as "the Church, which is His Body" and "the Church" in chapter 5.), and "the church of God" in any given place. Many expositors try to fit truth pertinent to the church, and churches of God, into the framework of "the Church .... His Body," and therefore fail to get a clear conception of either, and, strange as it may seem, among these are some who actually use the term "the churches of God" to describe their organization. The differences between "the Church .... His Body" and a church of God, have been consistently pointed out in these pages over a great number of years, for it was discernment of this truth which caused us to take our place in separation and obedience, and to give effect to those truths relative to the divine order of God's house, which is composed of churches of God fitly framed together.

"In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2.21, 22).

For the sake of our new readers, and for the reconsideration of others, we give briefly a few of these differences.

There were, and are, many churches of God. A plurality of churches seen

"In Judea" (Galatians 1. 22;

The Church-His Body is one. There 1 Thessalonians 2. 14). "Of

is one Body. Ephesians 4. 4; Galatia" (Galatians 1.2; 1 Corin- 1 Corinthians 12.18.thians 16.1). "In Asia" (1 Corin-

thians 16.19; Revelation 1.4,11).

"Of Macedonia" (2 Corinthians 8.1).

"I will build My Church" (Matthew

16.18)."I laid a foundation" (of the church

"He shall baptize you in the Holy of God in Corinth) (1 Corinthians

Spirit" (Matthew 3.11). 3.10). "I planted, Apollos watered"

"For in one Spirit were we all baptized(verse 6). "Let each man take heed

into one Body" (1 Corinthians how he buildeth thereon" (verse 10).

12.18).Human instrumentality. Possibility

The work of Christ alone. No possi- of failure.

bility of failure.

"I persecuted the church of God, and

"The gates of Hades shall not prevailmade havock of it" (Galatians 1. 13).

against it" (Matthew 16.18).See Acts 8.3.

Persons may be excommunicated from

Persons cannot be expelled from it. a church of God for certain sins.

He will present the Church to Him-(Matthew 18.15-18).

self without spot or wrinkle or anyFor immoral conduct (1 Corinthians

such thing (Ephesians 5.27).5.), or being heretical (Titus 3.10; 1 Timothy 1.19, 20).

A church of God is complete in its own

locality (1 Corinthians 1.2; Gala-

The Church ... His Body is not tians 1.13; Acts 8.1). It may cease

complete. It is dispensational, and to be (Revelation 2.5). At death

inclusive of all saints from Pentecost a person ceases to be in a church of

to His coming to the air. Death God, and can no longer serve with

does not affect membership of the others in observing the command-

Body (1 Corinthians 12. 13; ments given to a church of God-

Ephesians 5.27). the remembrance of the Lord Jesus,

etc. (Acts 2.41, 42).

Bishops or overseers are responsible

Christ is the Saviour or Preserver ofto "take care of the church of God"

the Body (Ephesians 5.23).(1 Timothy 3.5; Acts 20.28).

Other points of difference might be noted, but these should suffice to save the reader from confusing things which differ.

All in the Church His Body are in it eternally ; it is an unconditional union of all members with the living Head from the moment they put faith in Christ as Saviour. Not until all members are joined to the Head will that Church be complete. He will then present it to Himself without blemish.

F. McCormick | Apr 1953
What Are The Churches Of God?