Why do we use the term, "the church of Christ?" Christ promised to build His church (Matt. 16:18), He died for it (Eph. 5:25), and He is the head of it (Eph. 1:22-23). If Christ promised it, built it, died for it and is the head of it, what would you call it?
The church has no name. The term, "the church of Christ" is a designation of ownership, like the phrase, "the farm of John Omollo." "The church of Christ" is not the name of the church, but simply a phrase designating ownership. In fact, we do not capitalize the word "church" because it is only a part of that phrase.
The church of Christ has no name. It did not need one to distinguish it from others because when Christ built it there was only one true church. And since He has never established another on earth, there remains only one true church of Christ today---the one you find in the New Testament.
What are members of the church of Christ called? They are called the same thing they were called in the New Testament. Members of the church of Christ are simply Christians. Isn't that peculiar in our day? When asked what he is religiously, if a person replies "Christian" today, he is usually asked, "What kind of Christian?" But there were no kinds of Christians in the New Testament church. They were not "Paul-Christians," "Peter-Christians," "Apollos-Christians," or any other kind of Christian.
The name "Christian" is a proper name given by God to His people (Acts 11:26) and is the only name found in the Bible for Christ's followers and the only name in which God can be glorified (Acts 26:28; 1 Pet. 4:16).
Why do members of the church of Christ worship as they do? Because the worship in which we engage is authorized by Christ in the New Testament. Remember, we must have His authority for all we do in word (teaching) and deed (practice).
We pray to the Father in heaven during our worship and those prayers are led by men because that's what the New Testament authorizes (1 Tim. 2:8).
We freely give of our money upon the first day of the week to support the work of the church in carrying the gospel to the world. We do this because this is what we are authorized to do in the New Testament (1 Cor. 16:2). We refuse to engage in fund-raising activities such as cake sales, car washes, bazaars, carnivals or other worldly ways of raising money because they are not authorized in the New Testament. Neither do we beg money from those who aren't members of the church of Christ. We do not expect non-members to support our work. That responsibility belongs exclusively to us.
The gospel is preached in our worship by men in order to teach those who aren't Christians and to edify the church (Acts 20:7). Males preach because females are expressly forbidden to speak in public worship. Thus it is a sin for women to preach (1 Tim. 2:11-12).
We observe the Lord's Supper on the first day of every week because that is the inspired apostolic example we have in Acts 20:7. The disciples met to remember Christ's death and suffering as He commanded them to do (Matt. 26:26-29).
We sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to praise God and edify each other (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16). We do this without the accompaniment of mechanical instruments of music because God specified the kind of music He wants in those two verses---singing. To play a mechanical instrument of music in worship adds an element which He never authorized and is rebellion against His authority.
Why do we insist upon baptism for the remission of sins? Because that's the plain teaching of scripture. "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins..." (Acts 2:38). "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:16).
New Testament baptism is immersion in water for the remission of sins. If you had water poured or sprinkled on you for baptism, you were not baptized. Baptism requires a "going down into the water" and a coming "up out of the water" (Acts 8:38-39), and Paul says we are buried with Christ in baptism (Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12).
We do not baptize babies because no such practice is authorized in the New Testament, nor was it practiced by any church in the New Testament. Baptism is "for the remission of sins," and babies have no sins to be forgiven. They are born pure and innocent.
Come see for yourself. We preach only Christ and Him crucified.
