You can expect to find a group of Christians assembled to worship God through Jesus Christ his Son. This Worship consists of studying (preaching) the Holy Scriptures, praying, singing, observing the Lord’s supper and giving according to one’s prosperity. Thus these Christians worship as Christ directed the first century disciples (John 4:24; 2 Timothy 2:25; 1 Timothy 2:8; Ephesians 5:19; Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1-2).
You can expect these churches to have a wholesome respect for the inspired word of God, the sole and complete authority in religion. “If any man speak let him speak as the oracles of God,” (1 Peter 4:11) and “Let us walk by the same rule” (Philippians 3:16).
Since churches of Christ accept the Word of God as the all sufficient rule of faith and practice, you can expect them to reject all human creeds (Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 22:18-19).
Since Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Churches of Christ are identified as belonging to Him (Romans 16:16). In these Churches you will hear men entreated to obey the Lord’s commands. These include believing (John 8:24), repenting (Luke 13:3), confessing faith in Christ as God’s son (Matthew 10:32), and being baptized (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). These are to be obeyed to come a Christian, a member of the Lord’s church having been added to the church by the Lord Himself (Acts 2:47).
After becoming a Christian these disciples are urged to continue faithfully worshiping and serving the Lord as the New Testament directs.
You may hear gospel preachers pleading for all who follow Christ to return to the original pattern of Christianity as revealed in the New Testament. It is their conviction that since the Word of God is the seed of the Kingdom (Luke 8:11) that it alone planted in the hearts of men will produce the same fruit today as it did in the first century. This product will be New Testament Christianity.
Churches of Christ wish to encourage all people everywhere to take this basic approach to serving God. It is the conviction of members of the church of Christ that this is the only real answer to Christian unity and fellowship in Christ (Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 1:10).
Are you a New Testament Christian? Obey His gospel and He will save you and add you to His church.
-Glenn Ramsey, Professor of Religious Education
