Christ organized the Church.
Ephesians
4:11-14 "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some,
evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we
all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about
with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness,
whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"
- The true Church must bear the name of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."
- The true Church must have a foundation of Apostles and
Prophets.
Ephesians 2:19-20 "Now therefore ye are no
more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the
household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];"
- The true Church must have the same organization as Christ’s
Church.
Ephesians 4:11-14 "And he gave some,
apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and
teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for
the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the
faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we [henceforth] be no
more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of
doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in
wait to deceive;"
- The true Church must have divine authority.
Hebrews 5:4-10 "And no man taketh this honour unto himself,
but he that is called of God, as [was] Aaron. So also Christ glorified not
himself to be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son,
to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in another [place], Thou [art] a
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of his flesh,
when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears
unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he
feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he
suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation
unto all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of
Melchisedec."
- The true Church must have no paid ministry.
Isaiah 45:13 "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I
will direct all his ways: he shall build my city, and he shall let go my
captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts."
1
Peter 5:2 "Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the
oversight [thereof], not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre,
but of a ready mind;"
- The true Church must baptize by immersion.
Matthew 3:13-16 " Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan
unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to
be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him,
Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.
Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out
of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit
of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:"
- The true Church must bestow the Gift of the Holy Ghost by the
laying on of hands.
Acts 8:14-17 " Now when the
apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of
God, they sent unto them Peter and John: Who, when they were come down, prayed
for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: (For as yet he was fallen
upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
Then laid they [their] hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost."
- The true Church must practice divine healing.
Mark 3:14-15 "And he ordained twelve, that they should be
with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to
heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:"
James 5:14 "Is any
sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray
over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:"
- The true Church must teach that God and Jesus Christ are
separate and district individuals.
John 17:11 " And
now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee.
Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one, as we [are]."
John 20:17 "Jesus saith unto
her, Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my
brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and
[to] my God, and your God."
- The true Church must teach that God and Jesus Christ have bodies
of flesh and bone.
Luke 24:36-39 " And as they thus
spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace
[be] unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they
had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do
thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I
myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see
me have."
Acts 1:9-11 "And when he had spoken these things,
while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their
sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold,
two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee,
why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from
you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven."
- The officers must be called by God.
Hebrews
5:4 "And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called
of God, as [was] Aaron."
Exodus 28:1 " AND take thou unto
thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of
Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest's office, [even] Aaron,
Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons."
Exodus
40:13-16 "And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint
him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office.
And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats: And thou shalt
anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me
in the priest's office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting
priesthood throughout their generations. Thus did Moses: according to all that
the LORD commanded him, so did he."
- The true Church must claim revelation from God.
Amos 3:7 "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he
revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets."
- The true Church must be a missionary church.
Matthew 28:19-20 "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you:
and, lo, I am with you alway, [even] unto the end of the world. Amen."
- The true Church must be a restored church.
Acts 3:19-21 "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that
your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the
presence of the Lord; And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was
preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution
of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets
since the world began."
- The true Church must practice baptism for the dead.
1 Corinthians 15:29 "Else what shall they do which are
baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized
for the dead?"
- By their fruits ye shall know them.
Matthew
7:20 "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them."