WHAT IS A CHURCH OF GOD?
1. The church would belong to God. People start churches and call them by Biblical names but that does not make them correspond to the congregations as described in the Bible. The church at Corinth was the result of gospel preaching as described in Acts 18 and that would make it according to God's standards - not man's. The things that are God's are the things that are Christ's so in reality it would belong to Christ. All churches need to be the result of the true gospel being preached, believed and obeyed. 2. It would be built on Christ. In this verse it says that it consisted of people "sanctified in Christ Jesus." To be sanctified is to be set apart for holy uses. Those who deny self and take up the cross and follow Christ then do what is necessary to be in Christ so being the sanctified in Christ Jesus. 3. It would then consist of people who believed and were baptized. Acts 18:8 states, "And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized." These made up the church of God at Corinth. Jesus says that when people do this they are saved (Mark 16:16). 4. It would be made up of people who formerly were sinners but now are saved from their sins. I Corinthians 6:9- 11 states, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God." Notice that he lists all these sins then says, "And such were some of you". They had once been doing some very sinful things but they changed. When they heard the gospel they turned to the Lord. Notice the changes that take place when a person is converted. First, he is washed. This washing takes place in baptism because Paul himself was told "arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22; 16). At this time they were sanctified or set apart to the service of God. At the same time they "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24). If people like the Corinthians could be redeemed by obedience to the gospel could not sinners today be redeemed by obedience to the gospel? And would they not make up congregations of the church of God? 5. It would be a church of Christ. When writing to the church at Rome Paul said, "Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you." (Romans 16:16). Paul was at Corinth when he wrote the Roman letter staying in the home of Gaius (Romans 16:23). So one of the churches of Christ that saluted the Romans was the Corinthian church. To be a church of God is to be a church of Christ. We must remember that Jesus in his prayer to the Father said, "And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them." (John 17:10). When the different congregations of Bible times were addressed they all wore the name of God or Christ because the church consists of saved people and they all belong to God and Christ. 6. Its worship was in spirit and in truth. I Corinthians 14:26 states, "How is it then, brethren? When ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying," From this we can see that in worship there was singing of psalms. Paul made it clear that he sang with the spirit and understanding also (I Corinthians 14:15). They carried out the same principles as the Colossians in their worship. Colossians 3: 16 stated, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." They also prayed with the spirit and with the understanding also. As long as there were miraculous tongues they would have sermons delivered in tongues not familiar to the hearers but only with an interpreter present to give the meaning. They had to understand that God is not the author of confusion (I Corinthians 14:33). They were to do all things "decently and in order." One of the reasons for this Corinthian letter was to teach them how to conduct their worship. They came together on the first day of the week like the church at Troas to break bread (Acts 20:7). This means to partake of the Lord's Supper. The church at Corinth had to be instructed as to how to partake of the supper. I Corinthians 11:23-26 shows that the bread is a memorial of the body of Christ which was sacrificed for us and the cup of the fruit of the vine is a memorial of the new testament in Christ's blood which was shed for us. He said, "As oft as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death till he come." The Corinthian church had preaching and teaching of the gospel as part of worship. And they also had giving on the first day of the week (I Corinthians 16: 1, 2). 7. It was looking forward to the resurrection of the dead. I Corinthians 15 is an entire chapter on the assurance of the resurrection of the dead, the things that will happen in the resurrection of the dead, and concerning the new body all will have in the resurrection. He starts out with the gospel facts of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Then he says that if Christ be risen how say some among you that there is no resurrection for us. If Christ is raised then we will be raised. He says that at that time Christ will deliver the kingdom to the Father and will himself then be subject to the Father. He goes on to point out that the resurrection body will be incorruptible, glorious, powerful, and spiritual. He closes with the fact that through Christ we will be victorious over death and that our labor in the Lord is not in vain. 8. The church of God also sees the importance of love. This is shown in I Corinthians 13. Why not be a Bible church? C. D.
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