Churches, as described in the New Testament, are
composed of people. A church is not a building in which people meet,
nor is it an organization that people join, like the YMCA.
The churches
established by Paul and Barnabas during their first preaching journey
(Acts 14:23) were people who had obeyed the Gospel and become disciples
(14:21). How were these churches identified?
Paul described several
groups of disciples as "churches of Christ" (Rom. 16:16). This was
an appropriate description because these groups of people (churches)
belonged to Christ in a special way. Jesus had saved them when they
obeyed the gospel.
How do we authenticate our claim to be the "church
of Christ"? We do not attempt to establish historical links with churches
that existed in the first century. Rather, our "proof" is our close
adherence to the principles Jesus and His apostles taught. This is
the only basis for any group to claim to be "of Christ."
