The Bible tells us what the church is, and by knowing what it is, then we know what it is not. It seems that the religious world is very confused. It usually defines the church to be what it is not.
The church is basically the called out, that is, those who Christ has called out of the world (John 17:14). When people hear Christ and obey His teaching, then, He saves them and adds them to His church. Hear the words of Christ when He said, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16 NKJV). After the apostles preached Christ to a large group of people on the Day of Pentecost, the record says the hearers were cut to the heart and wanted to know what they should do. This means they believed what they heard; they were touched; they were convicted of their sins; and finally, they realized they needed forgiveness. The record goes on to say, “Then Peter said to them, ‘Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit’” (Acts 2:38). What happened next? We read, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized: and that day about three thousand souls were added to them” (Acts 2:41). Acts 2:47 concludes the chapter by saying, “Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”
This was the birthday of the church. It did not exist before that day. How, then, could these people be added to the church? To what were they added?
The Scriptures tell us that the apostles became the first members of the church. Paul said, “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles…” (1 Corinthians 12:28). Speaking to the Christians in Ephesus, Paul said that they were built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. In other words, the prophets had foretold the coming of Christ and His church; the apostles preached God’s will; and, people who obeyed the Gospel became members of the church, with Christ being the chief cornerstone or the most important part of the foundation (Ephesians 2:20). That is why it says in Acts 2:47 that the Lord added the saved to His church. Another way of saying it is that the Lord added the saved to the apostles, the first members of the church. After that, all who obeyed the Lord were and are added to them, since they were, and contemporaries today are, now a part of the church.
[Editor’s Note: Along with the apostles, others prior to the cross of Christ who submitted to John’s baptism (which both John (John 3:1) and the Christ (Matthew 4:17) preached, and who remained faithful) were essentially the charter members of the Lord’s church. The Holy Scriptures neither record the baptism (rebaptism) of the apostles nor of the throngs who were baptized through the preaching of John and Jesus. Only those who were baptized with John’s baptism after it was no longer valid were baptized once more – in the baptism of the Great Commission (Acts 19:1-7; Mark 16:16). ~ Louis Rushmore, Editor]Later, when Peter preached to another group of people, we are told, “And believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women” (Acts 5:14). When Barnabas went to Antioch and preached, Scripture reveals that many people were added unto the Lord (Acts 11:24).
What is the difference between souls being added to the church and being added to the Lord? None, when you understand that the church had its beginning with the apostles being made the first members of it. Then, when the Gospel was or is preached, and there were those who were or who are willing to obey the Lord’s will, they were or are saved and added to the church. As the Gospel continued to be preached, and more and more obeyed the Lord and were saved, they were added to the others before them who had already been saved. So, the church is made up of the saved.
Yet, what about being added to the Lord? The very same thing is being said but in different words. The Scriptures teach that the church on earth represents Christ. That being so, and since Christ no longer dwells on the earth in a physical body, He is represented by the church, which is His spiritual body. Speaking to the Lord’s church at Corinth, Paul said, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually” (1 Corinthians 12:27). Again, he penned, “But now indeed there are many members, yet one body” (1 Corinthians 12:20). The church here is compared to a physical body, comprised of many members like feet, hands, nose, tongue, eyes, ears, head, etc., but still, there is but one body. All the members work together, directed by one head. The same is true with the church. There are many members – Christians – with some preaching, some teaching and some writing, as well as some with other talents and abilities. However, all are to work together in unity, being directed by one Head – the Christ (Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22-23).
There is one body or one church (Ephesians 4:4; 1:22-23), and Christ is the One and only Savior of the body or the church. He saves only those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:8-9), and He adds the saved to but one church – His church (Acts 2:47). The Scriptures speak of one obeying the Lord from the heart (Romans 6:17-18). Romans 6:3-5 also describes obedience culminating in Christian baptism as a new birth – spiritually, and so, when one is saved or born again (John 3:5), it is then that Christ adds a person to other members of His family – the church. Isn’t that simple?
The written Word refers to our Lord’s church as “the churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16) or “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 1:2). No one can arbitrarily or unilaterally join the church of our Lord; membership in Christ’s universal and spiritual church occurs when He alone adds the saved to it. When one then truly obeys the Lord, and the Lord Himself saves him, then Jesus is the One who adds him to His church.
Are you a member of Christ’s church? If so, then it means that you have obeyed the Lord; He saved you; and then, He added you to His church – His spiritual body containing individuals who are saved – Christians. If you are not a member of the church of Christ – the church of the Bible – it means that you are lost. How do we know? Review the Scriptures cited above, which explain when one is saved, at which time Christ adds the saved to His church. Jesus Christ makes no mistakes, and we must not make mistakes regarding our salvation.
If you are not a member of the Lord’s church, we would like to encourage you to obey the Jesus Christ so you can be saved and so He can add you to His church. You can do this by hearing His word (Romans 10:17), by believing in Christ (John 8:24), by repenting of your sins (Luke 13:3, 5), by confessing Christ as the Son of God (Romans 10:10) and by being baptized for the remission of your sins (Acts 22:16; Colossians 2:12). When you do these things, Christ will save you and add you to His church – the one and only church about which we read in the Bible.
