What Are The Churches Of God?

by J. MCCORMICK | Category: What Are The Churches Of God? | May 1953

A church of God is a conditional unity of obedient disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ; it exists on the basis of continued obedience "to the faith ... once for all delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3.), under the Lordship of Christ. Its fundamental requirements are

(1)Receiving the word (faith in Christ and acknowledgement of His Lordship) (Acts 2.86).

(2)Baptism in water (Matthew 28.19; Acts 2.41 ; 10.47, 48).

(3)Adding, not to the Church His Body, but to those who were together by divine authority (Acts 1.4), awaiting the promise of the Spirit by whom they would be empowered for service, which came to pass on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2.1, 4).

The order is clear, and there are no non-essentials. Acts 2.41, 42 was the order for that day, and is still the order for this day. Some professing to be gathered out are content to make water baptism non-essential, or optional, thus disregarding the plain command of the Lord and the teaching of His apostles. We make bold to say that a church of God cannot exist, except where there is observance of these requirements. Moreover, a church of God is brought into being for a purpose, and continuing stedfastly "in the apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers" are requisites to its proper functioning. Here again, it may be observed, that some misusing the term "church of God" receive unbaptized believers to the breaking of bread, flouting the divine order, and setting up a system which can find no warrant in Scripture. The breaking of bread is one of the things a church of God continued stedfastly in, and in a church of God all were baptized believers.

From the scriptures mentioned above and others, it will be seen that in churches of God divine rule was expressed through overseers. Such were to tend, feed, rule, and care for the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made them overseers. In Scripture overseers are seen in plurality, "know them", "esteem them" (1 Thessalonians 5.12, 13), "obey them" (Hebrews 13.17); "the elders ... . among you" (1 Peter 5.1, 5). This is in striking contrast to what is often found among some appropriating the term "the churches of God" to-day, where the term "Pastor" so and so, "the Pastor", are referred to. When Paul was at Miletus he did not send to Ephesus for the Pastor. No, he "called for the elders of the church", for they were to "take heed.... unto all the flocks ....to feed the church of God" (Acts 20.17, 28).

It is clear from 1 Peter 5. that there was one elderhood exercising oversight throughout the five provinces to whom Peter wrote (1 Peter 1.1), in their allotted charges, for churches of God are not independent units, but are parts of a greater whole described in 1 Corinthians 1.9 as "the Fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord". They were linked together in truth and love as "a spiritual house", "a holy priesthood", "a royal priesthood", "a holy nation", "the people of God", "the Flock of God" (1 Peter). Throughout the whole there was unity of doctrine and practice, rule and government, and we repeat, the supreme test as to the right use of the term "the churches of God" is whether the claimants conform to the pattern.

The churches of God have a divine origin, they are not born out of troubles which have caused endless divisions among God's children, nor are they born of human choice or wisdom. They are born of God, through revealed truth received and practised, resulting in believers being found together in one thing, responding to the claims of our one and only Lord. God asks for nothing less than this. His call is to all His children

"Wherefore Come ye out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch no unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be to you a Father, And ye shall be to Me sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty" (2 Corinthians 6.17, 18).

J. MCCORMICK | May 1953
What Are The Churches Of God?