Sermon Tone Analysis

*The Church of God*

What is the Church?

\\ Church Separate from the World?

\\ Church is in Christ's Spiritual Body \\ How is the Church One? \\ How can Christians be of Christ's Flesh?

\\ What is the Church Founded Upon? \\ Can the Church make any Law?

\\ Behavior of those in the Church \\ Physical Organization for the Spiritual Church?

\\ Is the Physical Church the Spiritual Church?

\\ Doctrinal Errors?

\\ False-Shepherds over the Church?

*Abstract*

/In this paper we give Biblical definitions as to what the Church is, who or what it is founded upon, whether or not Churches can make just any church law or ruling, what should be the behavior of Church members, and consider the problem of doctrinal errors or false-shepherds over the Church./

*What Is the Church?*

The word "church" comes from a Greek word that means, "called out."

Those of the Church are called out from the world, or the way of the world: "Come out from among them, and be you separate" (2Cor 6:17).

"Come out of her [Babylon] my people" (Rev 18:4).

The word "virgin," which the Church is Spiritually called (Rev 14:4), is translated from the Greek word /parthenos/, which literally means, "one put aside."

That is, the Church, the Spiritual wife of God (Rev 19:7), is put aside from the way of the world.

Also the word "saint," which is used to describe those in the Church of the New Testament, is translated from the Greek word /hagios/, which means, "set apart."

Those in the Church are set apart from the world.

They are set-apart by God (see "Predestination Paper"[NM 8]).

It is God who puts people in the Church (see Acts 2:47).

Christ when he was praying to his Spiritual Father spoke about those of the Church: "Holy Father, keep them in your own Name, which you have given me, that they may be one, as we are ... I have given them your word, and the world hates them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

I pray not that you should take them out of the world, but that you should keep them from evil.

They are not of the world even as I am not of the world" (John 17:11,14-16).

Therefore those of the Church are Spiritually called out of the world, and are separate from it even though they are physically still in it.

How are they apart from the world?

*Church Separate From The World?*

They are apart from the world because they have the set-apart Spirit, or as some translations have it, the Holy Spirit.

This set-apart Spirit, or Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, or of Christ because Christ is God (John 20:28).

The Spirit of God is the New Mind (cf Rom 6:4, 7:6, 12:2; Eph 4:23).

And those of the Church have the Spirit of God in them (Rom 8:9-11,14-16).

nm19» The one main thing that makes you a member of the body or Church of Christ is that you must have the Spirit of God (1Cor 12:12-13).

"There is one body, and one Spirit ... One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all" (Eph 4:4,6).

"For through him [Christ] we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father" (Eph 2:18).

This one kind of Spirit is the Spirit in the body of Christ, which is the Church (1Cor 12:4,13).

*Church is in Christ's Spiritual Body*

nm20» Those in the Church are in the collective body of Christ, and are the collective body of Christians.

"For as the body is one, and has many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ.

For in one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit ... Now you are the body of Christ, and members in particular" (1Cor 12:12-13,27).

nm21» Therefore, you are in the Church, or in the body of Christ, when you are in the Spirit of God (you have the New Mind), or when you have the Spirit of God in you (Rom 8:14-16).

nm22» Those in the Church are the members of Christ's body, and Christ is "the /head/ over all things to the church, which is his body" (Eph 1:22-23).

* Christ is the head of the body, and we are the members of his body (1Cor 12:27).

* "Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body," as "the husband is the head of the wife" (Eph 5:23).

* We are the wife of Christ, and the bride of the lamb (Rev 19:7).

Christ is the lamb of God (John 1:29).

* Those in the Church are the sheep, and Christ is the shepherd (John chap 10).

* Those in the Church are the branches, Christ is the root of the vine (John 15).

* Those in the Church are the stones of the building, Christ is the chief cornerstone (Eph 2:19-22; 1Pet 2:5).

* Those in the Church are of the kingdom of priests, and Christ is the High Priest (Heb 3:1, 5:1-10; 1Pet 2:5-9; Rev 1:6).

*How Is The Church One?*

nm23» There is only one body of Christ, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism (Eph 4:4-5).

There is only one Church, with one baptism, one faith, one Lord.

The Church is not many different groups.

The Church is ONE group, ONE body with ONE Spirit.

Those with the Spirit of God, that New Mind, are the people of the ONE true Church with the one baptism, one faith, and one Lord.

nm24» The Church is made up of people who have the Spirit of God inside them leading them into the way of harmony.

It is the Spirit that sets people apart from the world.

It is the Spirit that makes people one.

"For in one Spirit are we all baptized into one body" (1Cor 12:13).

With this same Spirit we receive the gifts of the Spirit (1Cor 12:4).

These gifts of the Spirit are "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith" (Gal 5:22).

When we have this one Spirit, we have the same gifts or fruits from this Spirit, "according to the measure of the gift of Christ" (Eph 4:7).

These gifts are given "for the edifying of the body of Christ: till we all come into the unity of the faith" (Eph 4:11-13).

*How Can Christians Be of Christ's Flesh?*

nm25» When we have the Spirit we are in the Church, and "we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones" (Eph 5:30).

nm26» When we are Spiritually baptized into the body of Christ, we are baptized into it by the one Spirit of God (1Cor 12:13).

Those who have been baptized into the body of Christ, "have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (Gal 3:27).

When one is Spiritually baptized into Christ, "there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).

These are one in Christ because they "have been all made to drink into one Spirit" (1Cor 12:13).

They are one in the sense that they have the one Spirit.

Males are still males in the physical sense.

Females are still females in the physical sense.

But they are one in the Spiritual sense because they have the one true Spirit of God.

"And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Gal 3:29).

Christ was a descendant of Abraham (Luke 3:23,34), he was of the seed of Abraham.

Therefore when we are in Christ's body (his Church) we too are the descendant of Abraham, we are of the promised seed of Abraham because we have "that holy Spirit of promise, which is the evidence of our inheritance" (Eph 1:13-14).

Because we are of the seed of Abraham, we are also of the Flesh of Christ (Eph 5:30), we are of Israel, we are of the Spiritual "Israel of God" (Gal 6:16).

*Who Or What Is The Church Founded Upon?*

nm27» Christ said, "and I say also unto thee, that you are Peter, and upon this the rock I will build my church" (Mat 16:18).

Now the Roman Catholic Church has used this verse incorrectly to say that Christ built his Church on the foundation of Peter.

The word "Peter" comes here from a Greek word that means, "stone" or "rock."

But the sentence reads, "you are Peter and upon this /the/ rock I will build my Church."

Who is /the/ rock Christ was speaking about here?

Was it Peter, or was it THE ROCK?

Which rock is the Church founded upon?

nm28» "For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens 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/" (Eph 2:18-20).

nm29» It is Christ who is the chief foundational stone, or rock.

Christ is "the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense" (1Pet 2:7-8).

Christ is God (John 20:28, see /God Papers/).

And God is the ROCK (Deut 32:4; Pss 18:2,31).

It is God, or Christ who is the head Rock of the Church, He is the foundation, the chief foundation, not Peter.

Peter is just one of the "living stones" of the Church (Eph 2:20; 1Pet 2:5), he is not the main foundation.

Therefore the "rock" spoken about in Mat 16:18 is God, not Peter.

*Can Churches Make Any Law They Wish?*

nm30» Note Mat 16:19.

Many churches tell their flock that this verse gives them the right to make laws on their own, and that such laws are binding.

This is wrong!

Notice, "and I will give unto you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven" (Mat 16:19).

And from the /Twentieth/ /Century/ /New/ /Testament/ translation: "whatever you forbid on earth will be held in Heaven to be forbidden."