What is the Bible Name of the Church?

What is the Bible Name of the Church?
(Taken from: Church of God Doctrines -1979 ed.)

By: Bro. Cecil C. Carver
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The Bible speaks of only ONE CHURCH belonging to Jesus. Its name is found several times in the New Testament. There being only ONE church, the name was not always given in full, but there are enough times in which the name is given to satisfy us all. Let us examine some instances:

"Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the CHURCH OF GOD, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Acts 20:28.

"Paul. . . and Sosthenes . . . Unto the CHURCH OF GOD which is at Corinth." I Cor. 1:1,2a.

"Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the CHURCH OF GOD." I Cor. 10:32.

"What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the CHURCH OF GOD, and shame them that have not?" I Cor. 1l:22a.

"For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the CHURCH OF GOD." I Cor. 15:9.

"Paul. . . and Timothy. . . unto the CHURCH OF GOD which is at Corinth." 2 Cor. 1:1a.

"For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the CHURCH OF GOD, and wasted it." Gal. 1:13.

"For ye, brethren, became followers of THE CHURCHES OF GOD which in Judea are in Christ Jesus." I Thess. 2:14a.

"So that we ourselves glory in you in THE CHURCHES OF GOD for your patience and faith." 2 Thess. 1:4a.

"(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the CHURCH OF GOD?)" I Timothy 3:5.

"But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the CHURCH OF the living GOD, the pillar and ground of the truth." I Tim. 3:15.

The above Scriptures show us that the body of believers in the morning time was spoken of as being THE CHURCH OF GOD. Each town or community that had a group of "called out" people had a "CHURCH OF GOD." The geographical locations were the only differences. Paul could preach in THE CHURCH OF GOD at Corinth, and THE CHURCH OF GOD at THESSALONICA, etc., and that is what is meant when the church is spoken of in the plural. There is one instance: "But if any man seem to be CONTENTIOUS, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." I Cor. 11:16. Paul preached against contention to the CHURCH OF GOD at CORINTH, and to the CHURCH OF GOD at ROME-(Rom. 2:8.)

Rom. 16:16, Paul writing to the church at Rome said, "Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you." This is not a name for the body, but shows the churches belonged to Christ, in fact they are His wife. Eph. 3:14,15 says, "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth [you do not die out of the church, only move over into the group on the other side] is named." Now, my father is a Carver, and when Miss May Jackson married me, she took my father's name-Carver-even as I had. She is now Cecil's wife, but her NAME IS MAY CARVER. The churches belonging to Christ are the Churches of God.





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What is the Church?
(Taken from: Church of God Doctrines -1979 ed.)