Is One Church As Good As Another?

I. In the religious world today it is widely preached and believed that one
church is as good as another.

A. If this popular premise is true, then it necessarily follows that:
1. God approves of all churches for if he didn't approve of some then
it would have to be because they weren't as good as others.
If one church is as good as another:
2. It doesn't make any difference which church a man is identified with.
3. It doesn't make any difference what a man believes.
a. Different churches have different beliefs, so if one church is as good
as another what one believes makes no difference.
4. There can be as many churches as men desire.
a. Churches in the past have been originated by men who were
dissatisfied with the churches in existence.
b. The same could be done today, if a church started for this reason it
would be as good as any other.

B. All of these points stand on the validity of the claim that one church is as
good as another.

C. We need to test this premise.
1. If it is false then it is leading multitudes to hell while giving them a false
sense of security.
2. Let's look at Eph. 4:1-6
I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit,
even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God
and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. 3. The question is, "Is one church as good as another?".
a. We might also ask:
1) Is one Spirit as good as another?
2) Is one Hope ....
3) Is one Lord ....
4) Is one Faith ....
5) Is one Baptism ....
6) Is one God ....

B. You see, the same passage that teaches there is but
one Hope, one Lord, one Spirit, one Faith, one Baptism,
and one God, also declares there is ONE body (church).

II. If one church IS as good as another, then:

A. One religious body is as good as another.
1. The body and the church are the same thing - this we
will prove from the scriptures later in the lesson.
2. But each church is a different religious body (Baptist. Methodist.).
3. Each of the different bodies have different heads.
a. If one church...then one head is as good as another.
b. The Pope over the Catholic church would be as good
as Christ, the head of His body (Col. 1:18).
c. Headquarters of Morman church would be as good as Lord's in heaven.

B. One spirit is as good as another.
1. Different churches teach different spirits.
2. Some churches teach a spirit that causes men to jump and shout, while
others claim to posses a spirit which does not so effect men.
3. Some teach a spirit which directly operates on the heart of sinners - others
teach a spirit which operates through the word of God.
4. Some teach a spirit which gives later day revelation -
others teach a spirit which revealed all truth to the
apostles of Christ and preserved it in the Bible.

C. If one church is as good as another then one hope is as good as another.
1. Some teach a heavenly inheritance - others teach an
earthly inheritance (JW's).
2. L.D.S. teach that men can become god's with many wives
and their own universe.
3. Some teach that there is no hell for the wicked - others that there is
no resurrection.

D. If . . . then one Lord is as good as another.
1. Different churches teach different Lords.
2. Some teach a Lord who was the Son of God, both human
and divine - others deny the divinity of Christ, His
virgin birth, his miracles, His resurrection, etc.

E. If...then one faith is as good as another.
1. Morman faith as good as Catholic, faith; J.W.'s faith
as good as the Baptists or Methodists etc.
2. All would be as good as Bible faith.

F. If . . . then one baptism is as good as another.
1. Sprinkling would be as good as immersion.
2. Infant baptism as good as the baptism of a believing
penitent man or woman.
3. Baptism for church membership, or because of remission
of sins, as good as baptism for the rem. of sins.
4. The baptism "of the Holy Ghost and fire" is as good as
baptism in the name of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

G. If . . . one God is as good as another because different churches
teach different gods.
1. LDS teach God is flesh and blood - others that God is a spirit.
2. Some teach God of Genesis, others evolution.
3. Some teach that God will punish and judge the ungodly, while
others teach that God is too good to punish sinners.

III. In light of these consequences who would not be willing
to concede that the statement, "one church is as good as
another", is unscriptural and untrue.

A. It is not true that one church is as good as another
because the Bible teaches that there is:
1. One spirit who operates through the inspired word.
a. Jn. 14:26 - Apostles guided unto all truth, by the Holy Spirit.
b. They wrote the N.T. as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit
(2 Tim. 3:16,17).
2. One hope - that is that life will continue after death, in heaven.
"For the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard
before in the world of the truth of the gospel" (Col. 1:5) a. There will first be a resurrection. I Thes. 4:16,17. (r e a d)
b. Those who hope for anything earthly will be disappointed.
2 Pet. 3:10 (read)
c. One acquainted with these passages cannot hope for
an earthly inheritance and believe what is said.
3. There is one Lord and he is God. Jn. 1:1,14 (r e a d)
4. There is one faith and it has been revealed completely in the
N.T. - no room for latter day revelation.
a. In Jude 3 we are exhorted to, "Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints."
b. I Pet. 1:3 "According as his divine power hath given unto us all
things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge
of him that hath called us to glory and virtue." 5. One baptism
a. Immersion in water-we know because the Ethiopian said..
b. This baptism is for the remission of sin (Acts 2:38).
c. The subjects for baptism are those that believe and repent as taught
in the same verse.
6. One God. Eph. 4:6; Jn. 4:24; II Thes. 1:8,9.

IV. Let Us Study More Thoroughly the One Body

A. Jesus said, "Upon this rock, I will build my church" (Mat. 16:18).
1. He did not promise to build many....
2. And one built by someone else not his.

B. In Acts 2:47, we read, "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." 1. Here we have the first account of people being added to the church.
2. On Pentecost these people heard the gospel, came to believe in Jesus
as the son of God, repented of their sins, and were baptized for the
remission of sins. Acts 2:38-47 (please read)
3. Note - in this passage that the Lord did not add them to just any
church or denomination.
4. Note - also that they did not join the church of their choice - really
there was no choice.

C. The scriptures that teach there is one body are many.
1. We read in 2 Cor. 12:13, "For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body." a. Notice here that ALL are baptized into one body.
b. The body is the church. Eph. 1:23 "Gave him to be head over all things to the church which is his body." 1) We've seen that there is one body.
2) But this scripture tells us that the body and the church are the
same, therefore there is one church.
3) The same baptism that puts us into Christ, where salvation is,
also puts us into the one body or church.
Notice Gal. 3:27 "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ."
I Cor. 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body."
2. In Eph. 2:16 we read, "And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross." a. Here we learn that Jesus, by his death on the cross, unites both
Jews and Gentiles in himself, and reconciles them unto one body, the
church.
b. The N.T. teaches that we are baptized and reconciled in one body.
3. In Col. 3:15 Paul further says that we are 'called in one body".
4. Notice in all these expressions that there is but one body.
5. In Eph. 3:6 Paul teaches that it is the will of God that all redeemed
people, both Jews and Gentiles, should be members of the "same body".
He said, "that the gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body".

D. We have shown from the scriptures that:
1. There is one body;
2. that the body and the church are the same, and
3. that Christ built only one church.
a. Jesus said, "Upon this rock I will build my church" (Matt 16:18) b. He did not promise to build denominations but only one church.
c. Was his church a denomination when he built it?
1) Someone says, "Well no".
d. Is his church a denomination now?
e. Someone says, "No, but you don't understand, Jesus said, 'I am the
vine and ye are the branches'. Denominations are of the vine
which is Christ".
1) Is that what Jesus taught? (Jn. 15:1-6 r e a d)
2) No, Jesus didn't say denominations were branches.
3) If he had been talking about churches being branches, it would
show that one church is not as good as another because those that
did not abide in him would be cast forth as a branch.
4) But notice that he said, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth
as a branch...".
i. A man is not a religious body or church.
f. Someone says, "Maybe John is talking about individuals,
but in I Cor. 12, Paul teaches that denominations are branches".
1) Is Paul teaching something that justifies denominationalism or is he
teaching what we've been trying to teach in this lesson.
2) Let's look at it. I Cor. 12:14-27 (r e a d)
3) Paul likens the church to the physical body.
a) He argues that in the physical realm there is one head, one body,
and many members.
b) In the spiritual realm Christ is the head, the body is the church,
and Christians are members.
4) If there is more then one church, then Christ has more than one body,
for the body is the church.
5) Denominations cannot be branches of the true church since each
one claims to be a distinct body within itself.
5. Denominationalism is a result of division and even the passage that they
use to justify it condemns it.
a. Paul said, "That there should be no schism in the body".
b. Had there never been any division in the body there would be no
denominations today.

V. Not only does the Bible teach there is but one church, but it declares that
all are to be in this one body, or church.

A. Salvation is in the one body.
1. Acts 2:47 "And the Lord added to the church daily..." a. If we are saved the Lord has added us to his church.
b. If we've not been added to the church we are not saved.
2. In Eph. 2:16 Paul teaches that we are reconciled in one body.
a. If we have been reconciled to God, we are in the one body.
b. The one body is the church.
c. If we are not in that one body, it is because we are not reconciled to God.
3. Paul teaches in I Cor. 12:13 that we are baptized into one body.
a. If we are not in the one body, or church, we have not been baptized
into Christ. Gal. 3:27
b. If, however, we have been baptized into Christ, we are in the one body.
c. We cannot be in Christ and out of the church.
4. In Eph. 5:23 Paul teaches that Christ is the savior of the body.
"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of
the church and he is the savior of the body." a. The body is the church.
b. Christ therefore is the savior of the church.
c. If we expect to be saved, then we must be in that which Christ has
promised to save.

VI. Someone says, "Ok, so there is one true church but how do I identify it?".

A. Simply stated - it can be identified by its character since they are the same as
the one church you can read about in the N.T.
1. It began in Jerusalem (place).
2. The time was 33 AD.
3. Its head is Christ.
4. Its organization is no larger than the elders, deacons, and members of
the local church.
5. Its members were admitted by baptism for the rem....
6. Its members were called Christians Acts 11:26.
7. Its items of worship are: Prayers, singing, taking of
the Lord's Supper, giving, and studying the word.
8. Its creed is the N.T., nothing more - nothing less.

Conclusion
I. Is one church as good as another?

A. I think that we have established that no church is as
good as the one which Jesus purchased with his blood.
1. What we speak of is the one true church of Christ.
2. There should never have been any other.
3. His followers are to, "keep the unity in the bond of peace".
a. But many have missed the old paths and some have gotten
off of them.
b. When they do there is often division, and as error is taught, if it was
a church of christ, they begin to loose their identity.
1) Christ wants us to be united upon the teachings of His word.
We know this is so because he prayed for it (Jn. 17:20,21).
2) And his apostles taught that we are to teach the same things and
that there be no divisions... (I Cor. 1:10).
Those that teach another doctrine will be accursed (Gal. 1:8,9).
4. Any other church is based on the doctrines and commandments of men,
which Jesus said causes worship to be vain (Matt. 15:9) "For in vain
do they worship.."
5. Churches designed and established by men did not come about as a
result of the gospel seed being planted in the heart of a man,
producing Christians, and Christians worshiping together.
a. And those congregations of professed believers shall be rooted up.
b. Jesus said, "Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted
shall be rooted up" (Matt. 15:13).

B. David said, in Psalms 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labor
in vain that build it".
1. There are over 1000 denominations.
a. These are houses that the Lord did not build.
b. He built only one.

2. Men's labor need not be in vain if they would simply
follow the N.T., nothing more and nothing less.

C. If you are not a member of Christ's church he will add
you to it if you will do what He requires.

Return to Total Health