What is the church of Christ?

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised to build a church. In Acts 2:47, Luke tells us that people were being added to that church. Thus, we can conclude that Jesus built His church sometime between His promise in Matthew 16 and Luke’s statement in Acts 2. Indeed, a closer study of the events in Acts 2 reveals that the Lord’s church was established on that first day of Pentecost following the Lord’s resurrection when Peter preached the first gospel sermon. That church is the church of Christ.

A common misconception about the church of Christ is that “The Church of Christ” is its name. It is not. The “church of Christ” is its description. The church of Christ is the church that belongs to Christ, that was established by Christ, that was built by Christ, and that was bought by Christ. It is not our church; it is His church, the Lord’s church. We are not voted into the church by men, and we do not join a church the way some might join a country club. Instead, God adds us to His church when we obey His gospel.

Are those in the church of Christ the only people who are going to be saved? Of course they are! God adds people to His church when they are saved. If you are not in the Lord’s church, then you are not saved. If you are saved, then you are in the Lord’s church. To be saved outside of the church of Christ is to be saved outside of the body of Christ – and that can never happen. Jesus is not just a way to the Father; he is the way to the Father. As Jesus said in John 14:6, “ I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

Thus, the real question is not what is the church of Christ, but is rather how do you become a part of the church of Christ? That question was asked in the first century as it is asked today, and the answer remains the same. We are saved and added to the Lord’s church when we obey the gospel of Jesus Christ. Like the Apostle Paul, we are saved when our sins are washed away at our baptism.

There is one church of Christ. If you are a member of something else or something more or something less, then you are not serving God according to His plan or according to His will. He wants you to be a Christian and only a Christian, wearing only the name of His Son, Jesus Christ, who is the head and the savior of the church, His body.

Want to know more? Here are 10 things everyone should understand about the church, here are some common misconceptions about the church , and here is how God views the church.

What Must I Do?

What must I do? That same question was asked in Acts 2:37 at the end of the very first gospel sermon ever preached. Before we look at Peter’s answer in verse 38, let’s look at some answers Peter did NOT give.

What must I do? John Calvin answers, “Nothing!” According to Calvin, there is nothing we must do and nothing we can do. Each of us has already been personally predestined to Heaven or Hell without regard to anything we do on Earth, and so, logically, according to Calvin, the only answer to the question in Acts 2:37 is “Nothing.” But that is NOT how Peter answered that question.

What must I do? Many preachers today answer, “You must make Jesus the Lord of your life.” But that answer makes absolutely no sense then or now! Peter had just said in Acts 2:36 that “God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Jesus was already Lord of their lives! Jesus is Lord of lords and King of kings, which means he is your Lord and your King whether or not you obey him or believe him. We obey Jesus because he is Lord and King – not to make him Lord and King.

What must I do? Many preachers today answer, “You must pray the sinner’s prayer and invite the Lord Jesus into you heart.” But no one in the Bible was ever told to do that. In fact, Paul prayed after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), and yet Paul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always (Acts 10:2), and yet there remained something he still had to do after calling for Peter (Acts 10:6). If praying the sinner’s prayer was all that Paul and Cornelius needed to do, then why were Ananias and Peter needed?

What must I do? Listen as Peter answers that question: “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38) That answer has not changed one bit in the intervening 2000 years. If your preacher is telling you something different, then you need a new preacher! “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16)

Want to know more? Here is God's Plan of Salvation.

Books About Revelation & Related Topics

Title Authors Date Published
69 AD: The Year of Four Emperors Gwyn Morgan 12/1/2005
99 Reasons Why No One Knows When Christ Will Return B. J. Oropeza 7/15/1994
A.D. 1000: Living on the Brink of Apocalypse Richard Erdoes 2/15/1989
The A.D. 70 Theory-A Review of the Max King Doctrine Wayne Jackson 6/15/1990
The A.D. theology: A religion that overthrows the faith and undermines the hope of men Curtis A Cates 6/15/1995
Amillennialism Today William E. Cox 6/15/1966
The Apocalypse Conspiracy: Why the World May Not End As Soon As You Think and What You Should Be Doing in the Meantime John Noe 9/15/1991
Armageddon Again?: A Reply to Hal Lindsey Stafford North 10/15/1991
Armageddon, Oil, and Terror John F. Walvoord, Mark Hitchcock 10/16/2007
The Battles of Armageddon: Megiddo and the Jezreel Valley from the Bronze Age to the Nuclear Age Eric H. Cline 11/7/2000
Before Jerusalem Fell: Dating the Book of Revelation Kenneth L., Jr. Gentry 10/15/1998
The Bible Doctrine of Final Things Taylor, Robert R. Jr
Bible on the Life Hereafter (Direction Books) William Hendriksen 6/15/1971
Biblical Backgrounds Of The Troubled Middle East Guy N. Woods 1/1/2001
Biblical Mathematics: Keys to Scripture Numerics Ed F. Vallowe 1/15/1995
Biblical Numerology: A Basic Study of the Use of Numbers in the Bible John J. Davis 7/1/1968
Biblical Studies in Final Things William E. Cox 9/15/1992
The book of Daniel Jim McGuiggan 6/15/1978
The Book of Ezekiel (Looking into the Bible series) Jim McGuiggan 6/15/1979
The Book of Revelation W. J Hamby 6/15/1987
THE BOOK OF REVELATION - A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE APOCALYPSE J.B. PHILLIPS 1/1/1957
The Book of Revelation (Looking into the Bible series) Jim McGuiggan 6/15/1978
The Book of Revelation (New International Commentary on the New Testament) (The New international commentary on the New Testament) Robert H. Mounce 11/15/1977
The Book of Revelation, Consisting of a Commentary of the Apocalylpse of the New Testament Wallace Foy E. Jr 6/15/1966
The Book of the Revelation: A Commentary Philip Edgcumbe Hughes 10/15/1990
Breaking the Code: Understanding the Book of Revelation Bruce M. Metzger 9/1/1994
Caesar and Christ (Story of Civilization) Will Durant, Ariel Durant 12/15/1944
Caesars and Saints the Rise of the Christian State A.D. 180-313 Stewart Perowne 4/1/2003
Case for Amillennialism, A: Understanding the End Times Kim Riddlebarger 3/1/2003
Christianity and the Roman Empire: Background Texts Ralph Martin Novak 3/15/2001
Christianizing the Roman Empire (A.D. 100-400) Ramsay MacMullen 10/15/1984
Christianizing the Roman Empire: (A. D. 100-400) (A.D. 100-400) Professor Ramsay MacMullen, Ramsay MacMullen 9/10/1986
The Christians as the Romans Saw Them Professor Robert Louis Wilken 9/10/1986
Church Life Before Constantine Graydon F. Snyder 5/15/1991
Commentary on Revelation: The Greek Text (Kregel Reprint Library) Bible. N. T. Revelation. Greek. 1977. 6/15/1978
A commentary on the book of Revelation (New Testament Commentaries) John Thomas Hinds 6/15/1987
The Communicator's Commentary: 1, 2, 3 John, Revelation (Communicator's Commentary) Earl F. Palmer 8/15/1982
The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Roman Empire Eric D. Nelson 8/1/2001
Constantine (Classical Lives) Ramsay MacMullen 6/15/1987
Constantine Versus Christ Alistair Kee 12/15/1982
Contemporary Options in Eschatology: A Study of the Millennium Millard J. Erickson 1/15/1977
Corruption and the Decline of Rome Professor Ramsay MacMullen 7/25/1990
The Cross and the Parousia of Christ: The Two Dimensions of One Age-Changing Eschaton Max R King 6/15/1987
Daniel in the Critics' Den: A Defense of the Historicity of the Book of Daniel Robert Anderson 10/15/1990
Dictionary of Bible Symbols Grist 12/15/1993
Dictionary of Biblical Prophecy and End Times J. Daniel Hays, J. Scott Duvall, C. Marvin Pate 12/1/2007
Did You Miss the Rapture: A Study of Dispensational Premillennialism Mack Lyon 6/15/1993
Dispensationalism: A reformed inquiry into its leading figures and features Jon Zens 6/15/1978
Doomsday: The End of the World-A View Through Time Russell Chandler 12/15/1993
Eclipse of Christ Esch Pb Adrio Konig 12/15/1989
Emperors of Rome David Potter 7/30/2007
The end of the Roman Empire: Decline or transformation? (Problems in European civilization) Donald Kagan 6/15/1978
End Time Russell Boatman
Eschatology of Victory J. Marcellus Kik 12/15/1991
The Everlasting Hatred: The Roots of Jihad Hal Lindsey 7/15/2002
Examination of Dispensationalism William E. Cox 6/15/1986
The excellent empire: The fall of Rome and the triumph of the church (The Rauschenbusch lectures) Jaroslav Jan Pelikan 6/15/1987
Exploring Revelation (John Phillips Commentary Series) (John Phillips Commentary Series, The) John Phillips 9/1/2001
The Fall of Rome: A Reference Guide Alden M Rollins 6/15/1983
FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE Michael Grant 9/19/1990
God's prophetic word: A series of addresses delivered in the Music Hall in Houston, Texas, January 21-28, 1945, exposing modern millennial theories Foy Esco Wallace 6/15/1960
Great Prophecies of The Bible Ralph E. Woodrow 6/7/1971
The great tribulation, or, The things coming on the earth John Cumming 6/15/1866
Guide to Biblical Prophecy Carl E. Armerding 10/15/1989
Hal Lindsey and Biblical Prophecy C. Vanderwaal 10/15/1981
Heaven's view of faithfulness and rebellion: A new comprehensive study of the revelation to the apostle John Elton Stubblefield 6/15/1998
The Histories (Penguin Classics) Tacitus 6/16/1998
History of Rome Michael Grant 6/15/1978
A History of Rome Down to the Reign of Constantine, Third Edition Max Cary, H.H. Scullard 6/15/1975
The Interpretation of St. John's Revelation (Lenski's Commentary on the New Testament) Richard C. H. Lenski 9/15/2008
Interpreting Revelation Merrill Chapin Tenney 6/15/1962
An Introduction to Eschatology Th.D. Leon Crouch 6/15/1990
Is the Bible a Jigsaw Puzzle? : Evaluation of Hal Lindsey's Writing T Boersma 1/1/1979
Jesus Against the Rapture: Seven Unexpected Prophecies Robert Jewett 7/15/1979
The Kingdom Of God And The Planet Earth Jim McGuiggan 6/15/1978
The Kingdom Of Promise And Prophecy R. L Whiteside 6/15/1956
The Lamb and his Enemies Rubel Shelly 1/1/1990
The Lamb and the Lion: The Gospel in Revelation Graeme Goldsworthy 6/15/1985
Last Days Madness: The Folly of Trying to Predict When Christ Will Return Gary DeMar 10/15/1991
The Last Things: Essays Presented by His Students to Dr. W.B. West, Jr., Upon the Occasion of His Sixty-fifth Birthday Jack P. ed. 6/15/1972
The Late Great Kingdom: II Peter 3 Don K. Preston 1/1/1990
The Late Great Planet Earth Hal; Carlson, C C Lindsey 6/15/1980
Letters to the Seven Churches William Barclay 9/15/1982
The Letters to the Seven Churches of Asia W.M. Ramsay 1/1/1963
Letters to the seven churches, and other sermons, (Minister's handbook series) James Ralph Grant 6/15/1962
The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome: The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in the Words of Those Who Were There (Mammoth Books) Jon E. Lewis 3/15/2003
The Message of Daniel (Bible Speaks Today) Ronald S. Wallace 7/15/1984
Message of Revelation: I Saw Heaven Opened (Bible Speaks Today) Michael Wilcock 4/15/1975
The Millennial Kingdom John F. Walvoord 1/1/1959
Millennium Bible: Being a Help to the Study of the Holy Scriptures In Their Testimony to the Second Coming of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ William Edward Biederwolf 1/1/1924
"More Than Conquerors An Interpretation of the Book of Revelation" W. Hendriksen 6/15/1961
Myth and Mystery: An Introduction to the Pagan Religions of the Biblical World Jack Finegan 9/1/1997
Neal-Wallace Discussion on The Thousand Years Reign of Christ Charles M; Wallace, Foy; Ford, Chas. A. Reporter Neal 6/15/1933
The NIV Application Commentary: Revelation Craig S. Keener 1/1/2000
Notes on the New Testament;: Explanatory and practical; Revelation (Barnes' notes on the Old and New Testament) Albert Barnes 6/15/1954
Number in Scripture: Its Supernatural Design and Spiritual Significance E.W. Bullinger 6/15/1974
Pagan Rome and the Early Christians Stephen Benko 7/1/1986
Pagans and Christians Robin Lane Fox 1/15/1988
Premillennialism, True or False? (The First Annual "Fort Worth" Lectures) Wendell (editor) Winkler 1/1/1978
Premillennialism: The Kingdom, the Reign of Christ, the Second Coming, the Rapture, Armageddon V. E. Howard 6/15/1981
Prophecy and premillennialism: The cross before the crown James D Bales 6/15/1972
Prophecy Fact or Fiction McDowell 6/15/1981
Proving the Unseen George MacDonald 4/13/1989
The Pursuit of the Millennium: Revolutionary Millenarians and Mystical Anarchists of the Middle Ages (Galaxy Books) Norman Cohn 5/15/1970
Redating the New Testament John Arthur Thomas Robinson 10/15/2000
The reign of God: A study of the kingdom of God Jim McGuiggan 6/15/1992
Revelation (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament) Grant R. Osborne 11/1/2002
Revelation (Ironside Expository Commentaries) H. A. Ironside 10/25/2004
Revelation Chapters 1 - 5 ( Thru the Bible ) Dr. J. Vernon McGee 3/17/1995
Revelation Ii chapters 6-13 (Thru the Bible Commentary) Dr. J. Vernon McGee 3/17/1995
The Revelation of Jesus Christ John Walvoord 3/1/1989
Revelation of John (The Daily Study Bible Series. -- Rev. ed) W. Barclay 6/15/1977
Revelation of John the Apostle: the Seven Seals Paquette, Jacques 1/1/1981
The Revelation of John, Volume 2 (The Daily Study Bible Series) William Barclay 6/15/1976
Revelation, an Introduction and Commentary Homer Hailey 4/15/1979
The Revelation: A guide book to The Revelation for students of the Bible Ulrich Rische Beeson 6/15/1964
Revelation: Four Views: A Parallel Commentary Steve Gregg 5/14/1997
Roman History From Coins : Some Uses of the Imperial Coinage to the Historian Michael Grant 6/15/1995
Rome and Her Enemies: An Empire Created and Destroyed by War (General Military) Jane Penrose 2/19/2008
The royal route of Revelation Hugo McCord 6/15/1976
Ruler of the Kings on the Earth: A Clear Look at Amillennialism for the Lay Person R. C. Currell, E. P. Hurlbut 6/15/1983
The Second Coming Bible William E. Biederwolf 6/15/1972
The Seer, the Saviour, and the Saved: The Lord of the Future (A New Commentary, Workbook, Teaching Manual) (Bible Study Textbook Series) James D. Strauss 6/15/1979
Shadow and substance, (Restoration Reprint Library) Victor E Hoven 6/15/1966
The Spirit of Prophecy Max R. King 1/1/1971
A Survey of Bible Prophecy (Contemporary Evangelical Perspective) Raymond Ludwigson 4/15/1973
Things to Come and Not to Come: Bible Prophecy and Modern Myths Aaron L. Plueger 6/15/1990
Thru the Bible Commentary: Revelation Chapters 14-22 Dr. J. Vernon McGee 3/17/1995
Thy Kingdom Come David R. Pharr 6/15/2003
Truth, the millennium, and the battle of Armageddon: Studies in the principles and events of the last days Leslie G Thomas 6/15/1979
The Twelve Caesars Michael Grant 8/1/1975
The Twelve Caesars (Penguin Classics) Suetonius, Michael Grant 6/30/1957
A Vision of the Ages or Lectures on the Apocalypse B. W. Johnson 6/15/1915
The Voice of the Seven Thunders; or, Lectures on the Apocalypse Elder J. L. Martin
What the Bible Says About the Great Tribulation William Kimball 1/15/1985
The World of Rome (Meridian) Michael Grant 3/1/1987
Wrongly Dividing the Word of Truth: A Critique of Dispensationalism John H. Gerstner 8/15/1991

God's Plan of Salvation

You must hear the gospel and then understand and recognize that you are lost without Jesus Christ no matter who you are and no matter what your background is. The Bible tells us that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Before you can be saved, you must understand that you are lost and that the only way to be saved is by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. (2 Thessalonians 1:8) Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
You must believe and have faith in God because “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6) But neither belief alone nor faith alone is sufficient to save. (James 2:19; James 2:24; Matthew 7:21)
You must repent of your sins. (Acts 3:19) But repentance alone is not enough. The so-called “Sinner’s Prayer” that you hear so much about today from denominational preachers does not appear anywhere in the Bible. Indeed, nowhere in the Bible was anyone ever told to pray the “Sinner’s Prayer” to be saved. By contrast, there are numerous examples showing that prayer alone does not save. Saul, for example, prayed following his meeting with Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:11), but Saul was still in his sins when Ananias met him three days later (Acts 22:16). Cornelius prayed to God always, and yet there was something else he needed to do to be saved (Acts 10:2, 6, 33, 48). If prayer alone did not save Saul or Cornelius, it will not save you either. You must obey the gospel. (2 Thess. 1:8)
You must confess that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Romans 10:9-10) Note that you do NOT need to make Jesus “Lord of your life.” Why? Because Jesus is already Lord of your life whether or not you have obeyed his gospel. Indeed, we obey him, not to make him Lord, but because he already is Lord. (Acts 2:36) Also, no one in the Bible was ever told to just “accept Jesus as your personal savior.” We must confess that Jesus is the Son of God, but, as with faith and repentance, confession alone does not save. (Matthew 7:21)
Having believed, repented, and confessed that Jesus is the Son of God, you must be baptized for the remission of your sins. (Acts 2:38) It is at this point (and not before) that your sins are forgiven. (Acts 22:16) It is impossible to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ without teaching the absolute necessity of baptism for salvation. (Acts 8:35-36; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21) Anyone who responds to the question in Acts 2:37 with an answer that contradicts Acts 2:38 is NOT proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Once you are saved, God adds you to his church and writes your name in the Book of Life. (Acts 2:47; Philippians 4:3) To continue in God’s grace, you must continue to serve God faithfully until death. Unless they remain faithful, those who are in God’s grace will fall from grace, and those whose names are in the Book of Life will have their names blotted out of that book. (Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Galatians 5:4)

Revelation

Baptism in the Bible

Matthew 28:19

Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Mark 16:16

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

Acts 2:38

Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Acts 8:36

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?

Acts 22:16

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

Romans 6:3

Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

Romans 6:4

Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

1 Corinthians 12:13

For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

Galatians 3:27

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.

Ephesians 4:5

One Lord, one faith, one baptism.

Colossians 2:12

Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

1 Peter 3:21

The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Want to Know More?

Please read this lesson on baptism from our series of lessons on Thought Provoking Questions.

Class Notes

On this web site, you will find 1000's of pages of detailed class notes and 100's of hours of audio lessons on a variety of Bible books and Bible subjects.

Our class on Revelation provides a detailed verse-by-verse treatment of that beautiful book in 25 lessons. Is Revelation all about Heaven and the end of the world as so many believe? Revelation promises a blessing to those who read and heed what it says, which means that the book is meant to be understood and that it can be understood. But to understand Revelation we must read it through first century eyes, and we must study it in light of the Old Testament.

We have 7 lessons on the prophecies of Daniel. How is Daniel related to Revelation? What are the 70 weeks? What is the abomination of desolation?

We also have 24 lessons on First Corinthians. In this epistle, Paul deals with many current issues facing the church both then and now: immorality, divorce and remarriage, the role of women, spiritual gifts, the importance of love, and the resurrection of the body.

We have 25 lessons on Second Corinthians. In this epistle, Paul continues to deal with problems facing the church in Corinth, which now include an influx of false apostles who are belittling Paul and demeaning his apostolic authority.

We have 13 lessons on the books of First & Second Peter. Were those books written by Peter? Was Peter the first pope? Why were those books written? Are false teachers still a problem today?

We also have 23 lessons on the book of Romans. These lessons take you on a verse by verse study of what many consider to be the most beautiful book in the Bible.

We have 25 lessons on the book of Ezekiel. These lessons take you on a verse by verse study of this fascinating but often neglected book from the Old Testament.

We have 11 lessons about Elijah and Elisha. These notes provide a verse by verse study of 1 Kings 16 through 2 Kings 13, as well as a lesson about the role of Elijah in the New Testament.

We have 13 lessons on James and Jude, the two letters written by the earthly (half)-brothers of Christ. They have much to tell us about the Christian life and how we are to contend for the faith in a godless world.

We have 25 lessons on Thought Provoking Questions with over 500 pages of detailed class notes and special handouts. Topics include: Marriage & Divorce, Baptism, The Role of Women in the Church, End Times, Mormonism, Social Drinking & Gambling, Instrumental Music, The Lord's Church, Evolution & Intelligent Design, Forgiveness, the Holy Spirit, the Afterlife, Secular Humanism, Premillennialism and the Rapture, The Restoration Movement, Alleged Contradictions in the Bible, The Christian and the Law, Time and Chance, The New Hermeneutic, God and Politics, Jehovah's Witnesses, Islam, and Muhammad.