Answer: God has one church, the church purchased with
the blood of His Son, Christ, (verse 28).
MORE INFORMATION AND/OR OTHER SCRIPTURE REFERENCES:
See Scripture references above in d.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27: "The body
is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its
parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For
we were all baptized by One Spirit into one body--whether Jews
or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit
to drink. Now the body is not made up of one part but of
many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand,
I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason
cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say,
'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,'
it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If
the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If
the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell
be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every
one of them, just as He wanted them to be. If they were all
one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many
parts, but one body.
"The eye cannot say to the hand, 'I don't need
you!' And the head cannot say to the feet, 'I don't
need you!' On the contrary, those parts of the body
that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we
think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts
that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our
presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined
the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts
that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body,
but that its parts should have equal concern for each other.
If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is
honored, every part rejoices with it.
"Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is
a part of it."
Ephesians 2:14-22: "For He Himself
is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the
barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in His flesh
the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to
create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace,
and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the
cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and
preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were
near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by
One Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and
aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's
household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,
with Christ Jesus Himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him
the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy
temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built
together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His
Spirit."
Ephesians 3:6: "This mystery is
that through the Gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with
Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the
promise in Christ Jesus."
Ephesians 4:4-6: "There is one body
and One Spirit--just as you were called to one hope when you
were called--One Lord, one faith, one baptism; One God and
Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in
all."
Ephesians 4:20-25: "You, however,
did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of Him
and were taught in Him in accordance with the Truth that is in
Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of
life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its
deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds;
and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true
righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put
off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all
members of one body."
Ephesians 5:29-30: "After all, no
one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as
Christ does the church--for we are members of His
body."
Colossians 3:15: "Let the peace of
Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were
called to peace. And be thankful."
