Back to the Bible - Lesson 2
Introduction
Please read the Scriptures aloud and then we will answer the questions under the Scripture references.
The Church
Matthew 16:18
Who built the church? _______________________
To whom does the church belong? _____________________
Did Jesus build churches (plural) or the church (singular)?
_____________________.
If Jesus only built one church, where did all of the other churches come from?
Ephesians 1:20-23
Is Jesus head over all things to the church? __________
In verse 23, the church is also called His ______________.
John 17:20, 21
Did Jesus pray that His followers all be one? _____________
1 Corinthians 1:10
Does this verse teach that there should be no religious divisions among us?
_____________
Since religious division is condemned and since Jesus prayed that all His
followers be one, must we strive to be one religiously? _________________.
Colossians 1:18
Since Jesus is the head of the church, the body, should we go to anyone other
than Jesus and the inspired writers of the New Testament to learn the
organization, worship and name of His church? ________________
The Organization of the Church (Pattern)
Matthew 15:13
If a church is not built in accordance with the word of God, will it be rooted
up? ________________
Read verse 9 to see why Jesus condemned these religious leaders and said that
their worship was vain.
Acts 14:23
Did these inspired men ordain elders in every church? __________
Should we not also by their pattern, name elders in every congregation as soon
as they meet God's qualifications? _________
Acts 20:17,18
Are the elders to be the overseers of the church? ______________
Titus 1:5-7
When Paul told Titus to set things in order, did he tell him to ordain elders?
________________
When we do what Titus did in organizing the church, are we doing the will of
God? ______________
Do the terms "Elder," "Bishop" and "Overseer"
refer to the same office? ______________
1 Timothy 3:1-7
Must an elder be married? ___________
Must an elder have children? ____________
May a recent convert ("novice") serve as an elder? ___________
1 Timothy 3:8-12
What men who serve in the church are under discussion here?
______________________
Is it God's plan that there be qualified elders and deacons in every church?
____________________
Philippians 1:1
The church at Philippi was organized with _________________ and
________________.
The Worship of the Church
John 4:24
Must we worship God in spirit and in truth? ____________
John 17:17
What is truth? __________________________________
Sanctify = set apart
Since we must worship God in truth, must we worship as God has directed in the
Bible? _______________
Matthew 15:9
Is it possible to worship God in vain? __________
If we worship God according to the commandments of uninspired men, will God
accept our worship? ____________
Luke 22:19, 20
Did Jesus command His disciples to partake of the Lord's Supper?
_______________________
1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup is a communion of the ________________ of Christ.
The bread is a communion of the ________________ of Christ.
Communion = fellowship; sharing
Acts 20:7
When God told the Israelites in Exodus 20:8 to remember the Sabbath, did He
mean for them to keep every Sabbath? _________
When those Christians met upon the first day of the week to eat the
Lord's Supper, did they do it on the first day of each week?
_______________
Should Christians today eat the Lord's Supper upon the first day of each week?
____________________
Acts 2:42
The disciples continued stedfastly in ______ ________________ ______________
and ________________, and in ________________ ____ ___________________ and in
___________________.
Will we be pleasing to God if we continue steadfastly in these things?
______________
1 Corinthians 16:1, 2
Is it God's will that we give as we have been prospered? ___________
Are we to make a monetary contribution on the same day we are to partake of
the Lord's Supper? ___________________
Ephesians 5:19
Are we to sing? ______________
Does this passage mention mechanical instruments of music? ______
Church historians tell us that the followers of Christ did not use mechanical
instruments of music in their worship for hundreds of years after Christ.
The Greek Orthodox Church, which broke off from the Roman Catholic Church, has
never used instrumental music in their worship.
When you attend the worship of the church of Christ, you will notice we do not
use instrumental music in our worship. The following comparisons help to
illustrate the reason:
Genesis 6:14
God told Noah, "Make thee an ark of gopher wood."
Would Noah have sinned if he had built the ark of metal or mud? _____________
Would Noah have sinned if he had built the ark of any other wood?
_____________
Leviticus 10:1, 2
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censor,
and put fir therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before
the Lord, which he commanded them not."
Did Nadab and Abihu sin when they offered a different kind of fire than God
commanded? _____________
Did God punish them? _____________
Is it important to worship God the way HE has commanded without alteration?
___________
Matthew 26:26-29
Would it be a sin to put jam on the bread to improve the taste? _______
Would it be a sin to add Geritol to the fruit of the vine to aid our
enthusiasm in serving God? ___________
Would it be a sin to add hamburgers and milkshakes to the Lord's Supper?
______________
Would Noah have sinned if he had used oak and gopher wood in the ark?
________________
Did God approve of Nadab and Abihu offering a different kind of fire than He
had commanded? _____________
Is it a sin to add jam and Geritol and instrumental music to the worship?
_______________
The Name of the Church
Matthew 16:18
Who built the church? _________________
Jesus said He was going to build whose church? _______________
Acts 20:28
Who purchased the church? __________________
Whose name should be on the "deed"? __________________
1 Corinthians 1:10-13
Is it a sin to name the church after Paul, Apollos, Cephas, or any other human
being? ____________________
If the church were named after Paul, whom would we be glorifying?
________________
If the church were named after a religious act such as "Repentance",
what would we be glorifying? ____________________
If it were a sin to name it the "Church of Paul," would it be a sin
to name it the "Lutheran Church"? __________________
If it were a sin to name it the "Church of Repentance," would it be
a sin to name it the "Baptist Church"? __________________
Can you think of other unauthorized religious names that are used today?
_______________________________________________________
Colossians 3:17
Are we to do "all" in the name of the Lord Jesus? ____________
Would this include the name by which we refer to God's people?
__________________
Romans 16:16
Do you read of the church of Christ in the Bible? ___________
Would it be wrong to call the church by this name? ___________
Would this name glorify the one who built the church and bought it with His
blood? _______________
Hebrews 8:5
Was Moses warned to build the tabernacle after God's pattern? _____________
Must we be careful to build the church after God's pattern? _____________
The Importance of the Church
Some may ask why it is so important to identify and be apart of the one church described in the New Testament. Please consider the following partial list of facts from the New Testament of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Acts 2:47
Who was added to that one church? ____________________________
______________________________________________________________
Who added them? ________________________________
If the Lord adds those who are saved to His one church, are there any saved
people who are outside His church? __________________
Thus, is it important to be a member of His church? _____________
Acts 20:28
With what did the Lord purchase his church? ______ _____________
Did He purchase any man-made church with His precious blood? _________________
If the Lord purchased His church with His blood and His blood is
necessary to receive forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28), is it essential to
be in His church? __________________
Ephesians 2:16
These people were reconciled (brought back) to God in ________
______________________.
According to Ephesians 1:22, 23, that one body is ______ _________.
Thus, is it essential for one to be in that one church to be reconciled
to God? _____________
Do you want to be reconciled to God? ________________
Ephesians 3:21
According to this verse, where is man to glorify God? _____ _______
_________________.
Do you want to glorfiy God? _________
Where must you be to do that? _____ ________ _________________.
Ephesians 4:4
Is there only one hope? ___________
Is there only one Spirit? ___________
Does God say that there is only one body (church)? ____________
If a church doesn't have the organization, worship, and name of the one
described in the New Testament of Jesus Christ, could it be His one church?
______________
Ephesians 5:23
Jesus is the _________________ of that one body (church).
Did Jesus promise to save any man-made body? ______________
Do you want to be saved? _____________
Ephesians 5:25
Jesus loved the church and ____________ __________________ for it.
According to the price Jesus paid, was His church important to Him?
_______________
Should it be important to us to e a member of His church? _______
Would you like to learn what God says you must do to become a member of Jesus'
church? _________________
Summary
In this lesson we have learned:
1. Jesus is the builder, owner, and head of the church.
2. Jesus built only one church.
3. Unity among the followers of Jesus is commanded and division is condemned.
4. We must go the New Testament to learn the organization, worship, and name
of the church.
5. God has decreed that there be qualified elders and deacons in every
congregation.
6. In the worship services of the church we are commanded to:
a. Partake of the Lord's Supper on the first day of the
week.
b. Teach God's word.
c. Pray
d. Sing.
e. Make a monetary contribution.
7. The name "church of Christ" is Scriptural and would glorify the
one who built the church and bought it with His blood.
8. That one church of Jesus Christ is important for several reasons:
a. The Lord adds those who are saved to it.
b. The Lord purchased the church with His precious blood.
c. We are reconciled to God in that one church.
d. We can only glorify God in Jesus' church.
e. There is only one true church.
f. Jesus is the Savior of His church, not any
man-made body.
g. Jesus loved His church and sacrificed Himself for it.
Please e-mail us when you finish this lesson and we will discuss your answers with you.