ANSWERS TO YOUR BIBLE QUESTIONS
What Should God's Church Be Called?
There are many churches in the world and all are called by different names. Some are called after the one who founded or started the church; some have names that are not biblical. Yet others state that the name of their church is biblical, so from this thought, there are various names, which the people believe they should be called. What name does the Bible state God’s people should be called? Does the Bible give us the answer? Let us check and see.
1. To whom does Paul write? 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1
There are two things we need to notice very carefully in these two references. (1) Paul writes to the church of God. (2) He speaks of them as the saints who have been sanctified. So from this, it is quite clear the church (the people) was called “the church of God.” If it was called the church of God then, shouldn’t it be called the same now?
2. How long has it been called the church of God? Genesis 4:26
And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.Genesis 4:26
Where it says “…then began men to call upon the name of the LORD…” the marginal reading in my Bible reads “then began men to call themselves by the name of the LORD.” So then, the New Testament name church of God was not a new name after all. It has always been called the church of God, or God’s people have been known by His name.
3. This next reference bears this out. 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.2 Chronicles 7:14
Notice it says, “My people which are called by my name.…” God’s people have gone by no other name in the Bible, but by the “people of God or the church of God.”
4. Called by the name of the LORD. Deuteronomy 28:10, Isaiah 43:7
5. Paul again speaks about the church. 1 Timothy 3:5
(For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)1 Timothy 3:5
Here Paul speaks about ruling or taking care of the church of God. He calls it exactly what it is, the church of God. If our forefathers went by the name church of God, why would we want to go by another name today?
6. Elders were to feed. Acts 20:28
Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which He hath purchased with His own blood.Acts 20:28
Which church were they to feed? And which church did Christ purchase? The answer to both questions is the church of God.
7. Which church did Paul persecute? 1 Corinthians 15:9
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.1 Corinthians 15:9
It is quite evident that Paul persecuted only the church of God. So it is certain that the churches we find in the world today were not present then because the Bible does not speak of them by name.
8. How many families are mentioned in the Bible? Ephesians 3:14-15
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
Ephesians 3:14-15
The Bible does not mention two families, six families, or a dozen families, but one family. And that family is named after the Father. This text is very plain and can be explained no other way than the way it is written.
9. Why should we be called after the Father? 1 John 3:1-2
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not.
Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when HE shall appear, we shall be like HIM; for we shall see HIM as HE is.
1 John 3:1-2
This tells us we are the “sons of God.” If we are sons of God, then shouldn’t we be called by our Father’s name? My son is called by my name because I begat him. Everyone knows he is my son and understands why he is called by the name he is. So it is in the spiritual sense. We are begotten by God; therefore we are His sons and we are or should be known by His name.
10. Whose children are we? Romans 8:16
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:Romans 8:16
Again we are not left to guess. The Bible says we are the children of God. Nowhere does it say we are the children of Christ, or the children of John the Baptist, or the children of Paul, or the children of Luke, but of God. God is our Father and we are His children. Therefore, the Bible says we are to go by His name or be known by His name.
11. Whose heirs are we? Galatians 4:6-7
And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of HIS Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
Galatians 4:6-7
If we were not His sons, we could not be His heirs. If we are sons, then we are heirs because we belong to His family in every right.
12. Since the church of God is referred to as the saints, what are the saints found doing? Revelation 14:12
Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that KEEP the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.Revelation 14:12
As His sons, we want to show our love through obedience. If we do this, then He is well pleased with us.
13. Dear children. Ephesians 5:1
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;Ephesians 5:1
A child bears the name of his or her father. A child would dishonor his or her father by not carrying the father’s name.
SUMMARY
Just as my son is called by my name, because I begat him, so we should go by no other name than by God’s name or the church of God. Churches are called by many names but there is only one mentioned in the Scriptures and that is the one that bears Our Father’s name.
Material from the book Answers to Your Bible Questions by Wesley Walker.
More info: http://BibleAnswers.press
