The Church _?_ Christ

I have been preaching for 'churches of Christ' across the country for just over ten years. When asked about the name 'church of Christ,' or when explaining it to others, I have always pointed to Romans 16:16 where Paul says, "Greet one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ greet you." While this was never intended to be some kind of official name for the church, I have always argued that it's a great way to describe the church because...

1. It's a scriptural designation.
2. It honors Christ.
3. It's accurate, for the church is "of" Christ in that it belongs to Him.

It's the third reason that I'd like to discuss briefly in this article.

It's absolutely true that the church belongs to Christ. He founded it (Matt. 16:18), died for it (Acts 20:28) and is the head of it (Eph. 1:22-23). It's not our church; it's His church.

But some might hear this and conclude that because the church belongs to Christ that it is somehow separate from Him...as if the church is here and Christ is there. However, there is another sense in which the church is "of" Christ.

In 1 Corinthians 12, the church is called the "body of Christ," and in Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul adds that Christ is "head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all." The church belongs to Jesus just a person's own physical body belongs to that person. So not only is the church His, it's Him. It's "of" Him in the sense that it consists of Him.

So when I say that I'm a member of the church of Christ in Sparks, Nevada, what I'm really saying is that I'm a member of the visual representation of Christ in Sparks, Nevada. Yes, we belong to Him. But we also consist of Him. When you come and visit with us, you are experiencing, not just a church, but Christ Himself.

Are you representing Christ? Is your church?