INTRODUCTION

The apostle Peter wrote, “Wherefore I shall be ready always to put you in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and are established in the truth which is with you. And I think it right, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance” (2 Pet. 1:12-13). Even though they were grounded in the truth, he perceived a need to remind his readers of lessons that they had already grasped through previous study. Today’s preachers and teachers should not forget to satisfy that same need. Times have not changed since the first century to the degree that Christians have no need to be reminded of truths that they may have initially learned months or years before.

There is also the ever-present danger of allowing, through neglect, the foundations of our faith to be eroded away by the constant barrage of untruth that is so prevalent in our culture (Heb. 2:1-4). Rudimentary Bible doctrines have been misunderstood and distorted through the centuries to the degree that many modern Christians seldom give it even a passing thought. Therefore, it is imperative that we make sure to maintain a firm grasp on those principles – and see that our children learn them.

If we are not teaching our children at home the fundamental principles of Bible doctrine, then we are setting them up to be lost to false religion. Whether parents teach their children about God or not, they are being taught about Him everyday. It may be their friends, the television, newspapers, movies and magazines that are doing that teaching, but you may rest assured that someone is teaching them something – and 99% of it is wrong. Practically everyone in our culture has an opinion about God and/or religion. As we interact with them through the daily proceedings of life, we are exposed to a multitude of damnable heresies. If parents are not instilling within the minds of their children the principles by which they can distinguish truth from error, then those children are being prepared for nothing but eternal misery.

Especially must we be diligent in our teaching about the church of the Lord. Many in our culture have viewed the mess that is “Christendom,” with all of its division, hypocrisy, and contradictory doctrines, that they have decided that “organized religion” is for the birds. Oftentimes the statement is made, “Give me Jesus, but not the church.” Many have decided that they can have a healthy relationship with the Lord without taking part in His church. This idea has been embraced so tightly by our culture for so long that it has begun to rub off on some members of the church of Christ. It is often stated like this, “I’ll take the man, but not the plan.” In other words, some Christians are becoming ashamed of the church of Christ. In the face of such attitudes, it is essential that we consider the sublime topic of the church of Christ, and the reasons why we should not – yea, dare not – be ashamed of it.

WHAT DO WE MEAN BY “CHURCH OF CHRIST”

One of the distinguishing characteristics of the church that Christ established is its use of Biblical terminology when referring to itself. Even a casual study of the Bible reveals that God cares about such things.

Now I beseech you, brethren, through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfected together in the same mind and in the same judgment. For it hath been signified unto me concerning you, my brethren, by them that are of the household of Chloe, that there are contentions among you. Now this I mean, that each one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos: and I of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul crucified for you? or were ye baptized into the name of Paul (1 Cor. 10:13)?

Without doubt, God would be sorely displeased if a group of Christians started calling themselves the church of Paul, Apollos, Cephas, Bill, Janet or Eddie. The church belongs to Christ (as will be pointed out in more detail later), and it is right for it to wear His name. I doubt that Don Walker would approve of my name being on the deed to property that he paid for. How must Jesus feel to see people who claim to be a part of His church calling themselves after the names of men. In the New Testament we find a number of different terms that the Holy Spirit chose to refer to the church collectively. Among them are:

	The body of Christ (Eph. 1:22)
	The bride of Christ (Rev. 21:2)
	The house of God (1 Tim. 3:15)
	The kingdom of God (Rom. 14:17)
	The church of God (1 Cor. 1:2)
	The church of Christ (Rom. 16:16)

There are also descriptive terms denoting God’s children as individuals. Among them are:

	Christians (Acts 11:26)
	Disciples (Acts 11:26)
	Saints (Rom. 1:7)
	Children of God (Gal. 3:26)
	Brethren (Gal. 6:1)

What a contrast to the way we hear people speak today! An important matter to understand regarding this point pertains to the use of the terminology, “church of Christ.” That term is used in the Bible (Rom. 16:16) to designate Whose the church is. It is right to so designate ourselves, and we should not be ashamed to use those words in that way. “Church of Christ” is not a denominational title that is on par with other denominational titles (i.e., Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, etc.).

But a word of caution is in order. Sometimes our language can be used to perpetuate a misunderstanding extant in the religious world at large and in some sectors of the church. It is possible to use Biblical terminology in a way that hinders a correct understanding of Bible teaching (e.g., the term “baptism” used to denote sprinkling, the term “church of God” describing a denomination, etc.). Christians are sometimes known to say things like, “He’s a church of Christ preacher.” Or, “He’s church of Christ.” When we use the terminology that way, given the denominational concept of the church that most people possess, our language gives the impression that we believe ourselves to be just one denomination among many. Denominationalists view the term “church of Christ” as just another denominational name – for they think that we are just another denomination. We sometimes accommodate and help perpetuate that misunderstanding.

For example, in conversation with a sectarian, it might be said, “My brother is a Baptist preacher.” In response, we say, “My brother is a church of Christ preacher.” Or, it might be said, “I’m a Baptist. What are you?” To which we respond, “I’m a church of Christ.” In that conversation, the impression is given that the Christian is a member of a denomination (the church of Christ denomination) that just has a different name than their denomination. That’s the way they view the terminology.

It would be just as Biblical, and I think preferable, to answer such questions as “What are you?” with something like, “I’m a Christian.” Or, “I’m a member of Christ’s church.” Or, “I’m a member of the church you read about in the New Testament.” By answering thusly, it draws attention to the fact that you believe that there is a serious distinction to be made between what they claim to be and what you claim to be. It takes the conversation out of the realm of denominational names and titles, and gets into the realm of what constitutes a Christian.

It is less confrontational to answer “I’m church of Christ,” because we know that such terminology, used in that way, with their denominational concept of the terminology, will illicit less objectionable responses than if we answer in some other way. So we just give in to the denominational concepts of false religion. There is not a single distinctive name in the Bible denoting the kingdom collectively or its individual members. The Holy Spirit chose to use various descriptive terms. It would do us well to cultivate into our language the use of all the terms in the Bible denoting the body of Christ.

There would be nothing sinful about calling ourselves by any of these descriptive terms. By doing so in conversation with others, doors will be opened to further study because denominational people have no concept of these terms when properly used. If we are not ashamed of the church of Christ, we will be willing to incorporate into our language all of the appropriate terms that the Holy Spirit chose to use in depicting the church.

Now let us turn our attention to the features of the church that give us reason not to be ashamed of it. I am not ashamed of the church of Christ because…

IT IS A PART OF GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSE FOR THE SALVATION OF MANKIND

God, being eternal, is not bound by the constraints of time (Isa. 46:9-10; Matt. 24:36). Therefore, He knew before the creation that man would choose to sin. But let us be sure not to equate His foreknowledge of man’s sin with His being the cause of it. There is a vast difference between God arbitrarily causing something to happen and His foreknowledge that someone will exercise his freedom of choice to do that thing. God did not cause man to sin, but He knew that man would exercise his freedom of choice and commit sin. That being so, God devised in eternity a plan to save mankind from the consequences of his own sins.

In the second chapter of 1 Corinthians Paul wrote concerning the gospel message that he taught the Corinthians when he first came through their city and established the church there (1 Cor. 2:1-5; cf. Acts 18). He describes the nature of God’s soul-saving gospel thusly,

We speak wisdom, however, among them that are fullgrown: yet a wisdom not of this world, nor of the rulers of this world, who are coming to nought: but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, even the wisdom that hath been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds unto our glory (1 Cor. 2:6-7).

He refers to the gospel as God’s wisdom in a mystery. The word “mystery” in the Bible does not mean something “mysterious” or “spooky.” The term refers merely to something hidden, and was often used in descriptions of the gospel. Note Paul’s words to the Ephesians,

How that by revelation was made known unto me the mystery, as I wrote before in few words, whereby, when ye read, ye can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ; which in other generations was not made known unto the sons of men, as it hath now been revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit (Eph. 3:3-5).

Colossians 1:26-27 further describes the mystery as “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

The gospel plan for man’s redemption, which includes the church of Christ, was a “mystery” in that it was something hidden for a time, but has now been revealed by the Spirit through inspired men. Paul’s point in 1 Cor. 2:7 is that this mystery was something that God had planned before the world was created. Peter expressed the same point when he wrote,

Knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ: who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of times for your sake (1 Pet. 1:18-20).

Christ’s death was no unforeseen accident. It was according to God’s predetermined plan. Revelation 13:8 speaks of Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (KJV). It is right to thus speak of Christ when one understands that God intended for Christ to die since the time He created the plan.

The most powerful passage in this regard is Ephesians 3:10-11 where Paul wrote, “To the intent that now unto the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places might be made known through the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The church was not God’s afterthought. It is not a booby prize that present-day Christians are stuck with until Christ sets up something better. The church is not “plan B.” It has been a part of God’s plan from eternity.

Understanding this point sets the stage for a correct view of the church, the Bible, as well as a correct view of history itself. The events of history have not been left entirely to man’s efforts. God has been the Architect behind world history. The Bible reveals from Genesis 1 forward how God intervened in the history of the world in order to fulfill the plan He created in eternity. That plan has always included the church. If this were the only reason not to be ashamed of the church of Christ, it is enough. But, read on.

IT WAS FORETOLD BY THE PROPHETS

Daniel’s Prophecy of the Church. When King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon took the Jewish people captive beginning in 606 BC, Daniel was one of the young men taken in that year. He would come to be a mainstay in the palace of the Babylonian kings throughout the 70 years that God’s people would be in Babylon. God used this great man to prove to pagan rulers that there was but one, true God. One of the ways that God used Daniel was by giving him the power to interpret dreams. Daniel 2 finds the great prophet exercising this power to reveal the meaning of the image in Nebuchadnezzar’s haunting dream.

Verse 1 tells us that Nebuchadnezzar had dreams that troubled him so much that he was losing sleep. He wanted desperately to know what meaning there was in the dream. In order to find out the meaning of the dreams, the king called for all of his magicians and sorcerers to come in and help him out. All the king had to do was tell them what he dreamed and they would give an interpretation (2:4), which was pretty safe activity. If the dreamer himself had no idea what the dream meant, how could he question the judgment of another? One cannot recognize error unless he knows truth.

But the king wanted something from them that he had never asked before. He wanted them to first tell him the content of the dream, then give the interpretation. If they were unable to fulfill that request, they would be cut into pieces and further be memorialized by having their homes turned into public outhouses (2:5). After some bantering back and forth, the “wise men” finally say,

There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter, forasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other that can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh (2:10-11).

Through as series of events, Daniel finally comes to the king and assures him that no human being has the power, in and of himself, to fulfill his request. What the magicians had said earlier was true. But, “there is a God in heaven” (2:28) that can reveal the meaning of the dream. Here is what Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream:

He saw a great image made of different kinds of metals (2:31). The head of the image was made of gold; its chest and arms were made of silver; its belly and thighs were of brass (or bronze); its legs were of iron, and its feet were a mixture of iron and clay (2:32-33). Next the king saw a stone “cut without hands” strike the feet of the image, causing it to fall and break into pieces. This stone then grew in size becoming a mountain that filled the whole earth (2:34-35).

Here is how Daniel interpreted the dream: The head of gold represented King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian Empire. All the good things that the king possessed were viewed as gifts from God (2:38). The chest and arms of silver represented the kingdom that would come after the Babylonians (2:39). We can look back into world history and find out which one it was – the Medo-Persian kingdom. It overthrew the Babylonians in 539 BC. The belly and thighs of brass represented the kingdom that would come after the Persians. We know it as the Macedonian (Greek) Empire led by Alexander the Great. He conquered the Persians in 331 BC. The legs of iron and the feet of iron and clay represent only one kingdom, the fourth kingdom (2:40-43). We know that to be the Roman Empire, which came to be the dominate power in 63 BC and continued until about 476 AD. It would be a strong kingdom, crushing anything that got in its way. But it would have its weaknesses, too. It would be a divided kingdom (“partly strong and partly broken”). It would mingle itself with others, but the mixture would not mix well, causing the foundation to deteriorate.

Verse 44 is the key to entire dream. In the days of “those kings” (Roman kings) God would set up His own kingdom that would stand forever. This kingdom was represented by the stone that grew into a mountain. Let us never forget that Daniel stopped counting kingdoms at four. There is no mention of a 5th, 6th, 7th or otherwise. It is during the days of the fourth kingdom that God would establish His own. How this prophecy fits into God’s scheme of redemption is simple: either God set up His kingdom in the days of the Roman kings, or Daniel was a false prophet – period. But Daniel wasn’t a false prophet, for Jesus himself quoted from Daniel and referred to him as a true prophet (Matt. 24:15). So there must have been a kingdom established in the days of the Roman kings (cf. Mark 9:1). But whatever it was, it was certainly not a political one (John 18:36).

When you consider the preceding evidence in light of the wording of Daniel 7:13-14, we are forced to conclude that Jesus received His kingdom (i.e., took His place as king over it) when He ascended to the Father after His resurrection. That is exactly how Peter described the situation in Acts 2:22-36 at the time the church was established. The only institution that could possibly fit the criteria of this prophecy is the church, described in Daniel-like fashion by the writer of Hebrews as “a kingdom that cannot be shaken” (12:28).

Isaiah’s Prophecy of the Church. Isaiah lived about seven centuries before the birth of Christ. But even that far into the future he was able to see a picture of the coming kingdom and what life would be like in it. For the purposes of this study we will analyze verses 2-4 of Isaiah 2 by considering six component parts: what, when, where, who, why and how.[1]

What is the prophecy about? Some have supposed that this is a prophecy regarding the rebuilding of the literal temple in Jerusalem as a preparatory act that will precede the beginning of the millennial kingdom on earth. Since it has already been noted that the pre-millennial concept of the kingdom of God is false, we are forced to conclude that Isaiah is speaking of something else. The prophet is speaking about the establishment of the Lord’s church, which is referred to in the New Testament as the “house” of God, and as “a holy temple” for the Lord’s dwelling place (Eph. 2:19-22). In addition, Paul told Timothy that the “house of God” is “the church of the living God” (1 Tim. 3:15). Peter further described the church as “a spiritual house” in which Christians now serve God (1 Pet. 2:5).

When was this prophecy to have been fulfilled? Isaiah said that it would be “in the last days,” which is a phrase that refers, not to a special time of tribulation right before the second coming of Christ, but to the last age of time – the Christian age – that began on Pentecost and will continue until God brings an end to the world (cf. Acts 2:16-17). In addition, Peter’s explanation in Acts 11 of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles (Acts 10) supports this view. The apostle suggested that this event represented a “like gift” (11:17) to what the apostles received “at the beginning” (11:15). At the beginning of what? The Christian age, or “the last days.”

Where was the church to be built? Clearly Isaiah names Jerusalem as the place that God’s kingdom would be established, which is exactly where the apostles were gathered when they preached the gospel and 3,000 obeyed the truth (cf. Luke 24:47-49; Acts 1:4-5; 2:1ff). Any attempts to claim that the church started somewhere else are claims that do not stand the test of Scripture. In addition, why would anyone want to associate themselves with a church that claims to have been started at some other time and some other place?

Who is to enter, or “make up” the church? Under the Law of Moses, only the priests of the Jewish religion could enter into the “house of God.” Gentiles were restricted to an outer court that didn’t come close being inside the actual temple. By way of contrast, Isaiah predicted that “all nations” would be allowed into this house of God. In other words, the church would be open to Jew and Gentile alike. There is no room in the church of the Lord for racial prejudice. The old saying is true: “All men stand on level ground at the foot of the cross.”

Why was this church to be established? So that men would “walk in his (God’s) paths” and enjoy all the blessing that come from so doing. However, man seems to be inclined to walk according to his own desires – an attitude that has always led to spiritual ruin (cf. Judges 17:6; 21:25; Jer. 10:23). Until a man is willing to submit humbly to the only One who can truly guide him home to heaven (John 14:6; Acts 4:12), he will have no hope of redeeming his sinful soul.

How does a man find access into the church? He must take the first step to know God’s will. The one seeking God will be the one to say, “Come, let us go up to the house of God.” God is not going to force anyone to obey Him. Nor is God simply going to save a man whether he likes it or not. Conversion happens only when a person allows himself to be taught. Isaiah says, “he will teach us of his way.” Jesus said, “…and they shall all be taught of God. Every one that hath heard from the Father, and hath learned, cometh unto me.” (John 6:45). Christianity is taught and learned, and those who are not willing to expend the necessary energy to know the truth and be obedient to it, will not find the salvation that they desire.[2]

There is not a religious body in existence today that can lay claim to being the fulfillment of those prophecies except the church of Christ. May we not be ashamed of that.

IT WAS BOUGHT BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS

Read carefully the words of Paul in Acts 20:28, “Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood.” Paul had gathered the elders of the Ephesian church together to give them instructions for the last time in person. He encouraged them to pay close attention to themselves and to those over whom they had the oversight. He refers to Christians collectively as “the church of the Lord” and described the church as those purchased with the blood of Christ. Other passages in the Bible use the same terminology.

Knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 1:18-19).

And they sing a new song, saying, ‘Worthy art thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou was slain, and didst purchase unto God with thy blood men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them to be unto our God a kingdom and priests; and they reign upon earth’ (Rev. 5:9-10).

Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Why did Jesus allow Himself to be arrested? Why did He allow Himself to be mocked, beaten and spit upon? Why did He allow soldiers to drive nails in His hands and feet? Why did He allow a sword to be thrust into His side? Why all the suffering and bloodshed, when one word from His lips could have brought 12 legions of angels from heaven to stop it all? To purchase the church! In the face of such truths, how could anyone thumb his nose at the church say, “Give me Jesus, but not the church?” How could anyone who claims to love Jesus and claims to have the desire to please Him stare at these simple truths and say, “Give me the man, but not the plan?” It is impossible to have Jesus without having His church. It is impossible to stake a claim to the man without also staking a claim to the plan. Jesus did not shed His precious blood and give His sinless life for nothing. He did all of that to purchase His church. It is the height of either ignorance or arrogance to claim that one can take Jesus, but not His church.

IT IS COMPOSED OF THE SAVED

Let us remind ourselves of the events in and around Acts 2, the first Pentecost Day after the death of Jesus. Just before He ascended back to heaven, Jesus told His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4-5). The first four verses of Acts 2 give the details of the fulfillment of Christ’s promise to them. They were all (the apostles) filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in languages that they had never before studied, being guided in their speech by the Holy Spirit (2:4). Peter preached the good news of Jesus Christ to them (2:22ff), in which he offered them the abundantly available evidence that proved his statements about Jesus being the Messiah of the Jews. In verse 36, Peter concluded his sermon in much the same way that he began it, “Let all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye crucified.” To that statement, the people asked, “What shall we do?” (v. 37). Peter answered clearly, “Repent and be baptized” (v. 38). Verse 41 says that those who gladly received his word obeyed it. That day, some three thousand souls were added to the church (v. 41), and the Lord continued to add to their number on a daily basis those that were being saved (v. 47).

That having been duly noted, notice again in verse 47 who was being added to the church – those that were being saved. When a person obeys God’s plan for the salvation of the soul, God Himself adds that person to the church – just like He did in Acts 2. A person cannot be saved without being a member of the Lord’s church. To say that one can be saved and be pleasing to God without being a part of His church evidences, again, a lack of understanding about the salvation process. To be ashamed of the church is to be ashamed of salvation in Christ, for the church and the saved are one and the same.

CONCLUSION

We have reached a point in history in which many Christians brazenly do things for which they ought to be ashamed, and are ashamed of things that they should defend. Such should come as no surprise, for Satan has been getting people to do that since the dawn of time. May God help us never to be ashamed of the church of Christ. It is the only church that was planned in the mind of God before the creation, the only church foretold by the prophets, the only church purchased by the blood of Christ, and the only church composed of the saved. Consequently, it will be the only church that will ultimately be saved in eternity (Eph. 5:23). How could anyone be ashamed of that?

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