When a man and woman get married, custom dictates that the woman takes on the man’s last name. If a man whose last name is Wilson marries a beautiful woman whose last name is Smith it is not genuinely thought acceptable that the woman would go around calling herself a Smith, anymore! When the couple that are married, are blessed with children, the children wear the last name of the father. Being blessed of God to have children, a man usually is extremely pleased when his wife bears him sons. He knows he will have someone that will carry on his name. The sons of the married couple have never worn the name of the wife’s father, in this example, Smith. I know of no society where this is not true. It is both common and accepted. When a man is married to Christ, Christ adds them to His family. His family bears the name of Christ-hence they are called the Church of Christ! The word church in Aramaic and Greek languages are better translated assemblies. These assemblies meet and function under the authority of their head, He to whom they are married. The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 5:23-25, being directed by the Holy Spirit, wrote these words. “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. Therefore the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” The fact that Paul uses the word husband and wife defines the institution called marriage. That would dictate that we who are baptized into Christ for the remission of sin, are married to Christ and therefore become a part of His bride, wife. His, is a possessive pronoun in the English language and definitely establishes ownership.
Further study in the New Testament, indicates that Christ has only one church to which He is married! She has many appellations attached to her other than wife, bride, friend and companion and each time she is referred to in the New Testament is in the singular, not plural, sense. In one place of particular interest is the book of Matthew the 13th chapter and the 45th verse where she is singularly pointed out to be or called a Pearl. It is interesting to note that here, one was His desire out of all the other pearls that existed. Having been able to have married, possessed many pearls, He chose one and but one! This Pearl was of great value and cost Him an extremely high price. The purchaser, Christ spent everything that He had, owned, possessed to have this ONE Pearl. Men who appreciate the things of God could never think they would be worthy to be included in this treasure while in the world. If they value it aright, they can ever never be at ease till they have made her their own, no matter what the terms. There is nothing that will come between them. He rejoices in her, that she even exists, a bargain not made by man; he is glad to be invited into her courts of praise. When he finds this truth, he relentlessly seeks to he finds a way to become a part of it. Finding and being a part of it are two different things!
To compare this to a man made church denies Christ and His church, makes it impossible for any person who is honest and sincere to think they can be a part of any other church they desire, much less that wears any name they want. The very fact that any other name was not chosen when the Lord had opportunity to choose, must be considered! Any assembly or church that wants to be true to Christ as husband, would not call herself any other name, after to him she had been married. Any child born of that union would never even consider calling themselves by any other name! So NO denominational church is married to Christ! Yes or no? By wearing any other name than the name of Christ, they show disrespect to Christ authority, and to that which Christ purchased!!
Will the Baptist Church cite me the name, letter, or apostle, who wrote by the direction of the Holy Spirit of God in the first century, where they were mentioned, alluded to, or recognized?? I will freely admit that all the years I’ve been studying that grand old Book, called the Bible, that I HAVE NOT found ONE reference to them, their doctrine, or their existence in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Rome, or anywhere else on the planet Earth, unless it is in their books written 100’S of years LATER. Don’t think BAPTIST will be mentioned in eternity, in the presence of God. THEY will often be discussed in Hell!!
