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[Note: <\/strong>This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-3<\/strong> page.]<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>There are many terms used to describe the church in the New Testament which help us to understand the nature and substance of the church.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The church is called the kingdom <\/strong>of God or Christ. Jesus so describes it (Mat. 16:19; Mark 9:1, 14:25, etc.). Paul so describes it (Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:28, etc.). The church is not a democracy in which majority opinion rules, but a kingdom under the Supreme law of an all-powerful King (1 Tim. 6:15). He alone legislates for His kingdom through the written Word of His New Testament (John 12:48; Heb. 1:1\u20132); no man has a right to alter His laws (Gal. 1:8\u20139); Rev. 22:18\u201319). His kingdom does not have national boundaries or physical armies (John 18:36) but exists everywhere His Law is honored and obeyed (Mark 16:15\u201316). When He comes again, He will give the kingdom over to His Father for all eternity in Heaven (.1 Cor. 15:24)<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The church is called the bride <\/strong>of Christ (Rev. 21:9; John 3:29; Rom. 7:4; Eph 5:23\u201324). A bride should wear the name of the husband (Acts 20:28; Rom. 16:16) and be in subjection to him who is her head (Eph. 5:22\u201324). Christ demands that His bride, the church, be free of spot, wrinkle, or blemish and that she be holy (Eph. 5:27). Christ loved His church so much that He gave Himself up for her and He nourishes and cherishes her supremely (Eph. 5:25, 29).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The church is called the body <\/strong>of Christ (Eph. 1:22\u201323; Col. 1:18). A body, unless it be an anomaly, has only one head. Christ is that one head. Moreover, a head has only one body in the normal case (Eph. 2:16; 4:4). A body has many members with various functions that complement each other (1 Cor. 12:12, 14\u201319).\u00a0 A normal body is a unified whole, each member being subject to one head (1 Cor. 12:20\u201327).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The most common word for the church is the church<\/strong>. Church <\/em>means \u201ccalled out ones\u201d The agent that calls them out is the Gospel (Mat. 28:18\u201319; Mark 16:15\u201316; 1 The. 2:14). They are called out of the world to work for Jesus (1 Cor. 15:58; Eph 2:10). His church is the only thing Jesus will save (Eph. 5:23).<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How does one enter the kingdom of Christ? By being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). How does one become a member of the body of Christ? By being baptized into it (1 Cor. 12:13). How does one become part of the church of Christ? When people believe, repent, and are then baptized they are saved and added to the church (Acts 2:38 41, 47).<\/span><\/p>\n [Note:<\/strong>\u00a0I wrote this article for, and it was published in the \u201cBible Thoughts\u201d Column for the Hood County News<\/em>, Granbury, Texas, May 11, 1980.]<\/span><\/p>\n Attribution:<\/strong> From thescripturecache.com<\/em>; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Views: 0[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-3 page.] \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 There are many terms used to describe the church in the New Testament which help us to understand the nature and substance of the church. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The church is called…<\/p>\n