Church of Christ Studies

The Name of the Church

E. M. Zerr

 

In Matthew 16:18 Jesus says, "I will build my church." In Ephesians 1:23 where the church is the subject, it says, "which is his body." If the church and the body are one, and are Christ's, then it should have his name. Any other name would rob Christ of the glory due him which would violate Ephesians 3:21 which says, "Unto him be glory in the church." All humanly coined names are in direct conflict with the above principle. So in keeping with said principle we read in Romans 16:16 the statement, "The churches of Christ salute you." Of course the plural form of the name here is because the apostle is considering the various congregations scattered over different places and not because he was considering a plurality of bodies, for he elsewhere says,"There is One Body"—Ephesians 4:4.

 

 

But it must be noted that in many other places the name Church of God is used. See I Corinthians 1:2; II Corinthians 1:1 and other places where this term is used. Inquiry might be made as to why the two names. We should consider Colossians 2:9 which says, "For in him (Christ) dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily." Thus we see that the name God is a family name, and that it applies with proper distribution of authority, to each of the three persons of this divine family. Just as Smith is a family name, and applies to every member of that family, so the name God is a family name and applies to members of the same. Therefore, the name church of God and church of Christ are two forms of the same name. This accounts for the language in Acts 20:28. "Feed the church of God which he has purchased with his own blood." This has been thought to disagree with the idea that Christ, and not God, shed his blood. But when we remember that Christ is also God we will have no difficulty here. Not only so, but when a man refers to a supreme sacrifice made by his son he speaks of it as giving his blood for a cause. So we cannot distinguish between Christ and his Father as the one excluding the other in the great name for the divine institution. This means that the name of the church as set forth in the holy scriptures is Church of Christ or Church of God.

 

This would exclude all other names as applied to the church no matter how much they might be valued in themselves. In Hebrews 3:3 we are told that "he who buildeth the house hath more honor than the house." For this reason it would be wrong to call the building (church) by the name of the members or parts of that building since that would be honoring the house more than the builder thereof. For this reason, it is wrong to call it "Disciple Church" although disciples is a scriptural name for the individuals. They are also called brethren as individuals, but that does not make it right to call the house the church of the brethren. Christ's faithful servants are called his friends but that does not make it right to call the church The Friends Church. And likewise individuals are called Christians, but that does not allow the name Christian Church. No name may be used that honors the members of the church, but only that name that has been selected by the builder of the house and honors him. That name is the Church of Christ or the Church of God.