If you jumped in a car at your house, how many different “churches” would you find if you drove for 20 miles? What about 50 or 100 miles? Your answer will easily be in double digits and could even approach triple digits. Now multiply that by every urban area around the world. Of course, you realize, without even stepping foot inside any of their facilities, that every single one of those groups teaches and practices something different than the others. If you were looking for a church, how confusing would that search be with all of those different “churches,” different doctrines and different practices.
Would it interest you to know that such a condition of division was never desired or approved by God? Read 1 Corinthians 1:10 carefully. “Now I plead with you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.” The point could not be more emphatic! The church was developing human divisions (in verses 11-12), and the Holy Spirit made it clear that such was completely unacceptable (in verses 10 and 13)!
There is one church in the Bible! Jesus promised to build His singular “church” (Matt. 16:18). Inspired Scripture establishes repeatedly and unequivocally that “there is one body” (Eph. 4:4; 2:16; Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 20; Col. 3:15). That “body” is the one “church” (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18) of which Christ is the one Head (Eph. 5:23). It is His church—Christ’s church!
There is one doctrine to be preached by the one church of the Bible! Jesus announced, “You shall know the truth” (John 8:32). Inspired Scripture establishes repeatedly and unequivocally that “there is one faith” (Eph. 4:5), one “gospel” (Gal. 1:6-9), one “doctrine” (2 John 9-11; 1 Tim. 1:3; 6:3). Christians are to “all speak the same thing” (1 Cor. 1:10; cf. 1 Pet. 4:11). There is one acceptable doctrine for the church to proclaim!
There is one practice to be followed by the one church of the Bible! Jesus made it clear that only the one “who does the will of My Father” can “enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 7:21). Inspired Scripture establishes repeatedly and unequivocally that the authority of Christ must govern everything that we do (Col. 3:17). We must ensure that we have book, chapter and verse for everything that we practice in the church (Acts 17:11). There is one acceptable practice for the church to follow!
How does your church view these matters? The church of Christ recognizes there is one church, with one doctrine and one acceptable practice. Does your church?