Books

Focus On The Fundamentals Of The Faith

By W. Douglass Harris

Uniqueness of the Lord’s Church

Unique means “one and only one, different from others; having no like or equal” (Webster). Such is the church revealed in the New Testament. Inspired writers emphasized the uniqueness of the Lord’s church so that it could be identified. Paul in Ephesians, a treatise on the church, emphasizes the distinctiveness of the church as having no like or equal.

The word “church” is not unique. It is not even a translation of the word Jesus and the writers of the New Testament used, but of “kuriakos” (Lord’s house). The word used by the Lord and New Testament writers is “ekklesia”. It means called out, but it is not unique. It was in common use among Greek speaking people before Christ adopted it and applied it to His disciples because of its meaning. It was applied to any group of people called out for any purpose (Cf. Acts 19:32,41, mob in Ephesus; verse 39, City Council of Ephesus). God had a called-out people in Old Testament times (Acts 7:38). The designation “house of God” (1 Timothy 3:14,15) is not unique; it is used frequently in the Greek translation of the Old Testament (Cf. Psalm 84:10; 122:1; Isaiah 2:3).

In pointing out the above, we are not minimizing the importance of being called out of sin into righteousness. There is no gospel obedience without it (2 Corinthians 6:17f; 2 Thessalonians 2:14), but the use of it does not make the church unique. Wherein does its uniqueness rest?

1. It is an exhibit of God’s wisdom to angels (Ephesians 3:10). It was part of the mystery which for ages was hid in the mind of God (Cf. Isaiah 64:4; Matthew 13:17; 1 Peter 1:10-12). Paul explains what that mystery was in Ephesians 3:6. It was simply a mystery in ages past because it had not been revealed (Ephesians 3:1-5). The mystery that is now revealed is that saved Jews and Gentiles are one body (Ephesians 2:11-18). So the church was in the mind (plan) of God from the beginning; it is not an afterthought or contingency arrangement (Cf. Ephesians 3:11). No other church in existence is this exhibit of God’s wisdom to angels, and the culmination in the development of God’s eternal plan for man’s salvation. “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end” (Ephesians 3:21).

2. Christ’s church is unique in the price that was paid to bring it into existence. It was purchased by the precious blood of Christ (Cf. 1 Peter 1:18; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25). It is the only blood-bought institution in existence. From the beginning of time this blood-bought church was a part of God’s plan for redeeming man from sin (Ephesians 3:10,11; 1 Peter 1:20). Could there have been any other plan of salvation? To answer in the affirmative is to say that Christ died in vain. If sinful man could be saved any other way, Christ’s death was all in vain. Christ’s church teaches the plan that is sealed and ratified by the blood of Christ — the same blood that purchased the church.

3. It is unique by virtue of its being God’s exclusive saved group. The saved are added to it by the Lord (Acts 2:47). They are the body of which Christ is the Savior (Ephesians 5:23). All of the slurs which are directed against the Lord’s church grow out of a misconception of what the church is. The saved are the church and the church is the saved. There is no way to be saved and not be in the Lord’s church, because the Lord adds one to the church the moment he is saved. Since the Lord adds the saved to the church, where are the saved? Since the Lord adds every saved person to the church, could there be a saved person out of the church? And to which church does He add the saved?

Since the church is the saved, some denominational questions in the light of Acts 2:38 do not make sense. For example, it is often asked, “Of what church are you?” Since the church is saved, why not ask, “Of what salvation are you?” This is never asked, but they are the same. Did you ever hear anyone argue that one salvation is as good as another? But they say such about the church when Acts 2:47 says they are the same.

4. It is unique because it is nameless, as far as a proper name is concerned. This distinguishes it from denominational churches. A denomination is a religious body that has been given a proper name — that is the meaning of denominate. The Lord’s church has no proper name. The words “church” and “house” are not proper names. The expressions “churches of Christ” (Romans 16:16), “churches of God” (1 Corinthians 11:16) are not proper names, but expressions of ownership and relationship. To the contrary, each member of the church has a proper name — Christian (Acts 11:26), but not the church. Does this not show that this was in God’s design to make His church distinctive?

5. The Lord’s church is unique because of its destiny. “Unto to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus unto all generations for ever and ever” (Ephesians 3:21). This is an ascription of praise to God for the great things His grace has already wrought, and the greater things for which that grace has destined them (heaven). Members have their citizenship in heaven. They have their names enrolled in heaven (Hebrews 12:23). Christ’s church is His spiritual bride (Cf. Romans 7:4; Ephesians 5:22,23), for which He will return (Ephesians 5:27).

Conclusion: Can any church of human origin in any way compare with the distinctive features of Christ’s church? Unto Him be glory in which church?