CHAPTER SEVEN

What say the scriptures?

After dinner on that day, Robert and Mary Davis prayerfully and reverently began a study on the New Testament church.  They had not, as we have intimated before, made any particular effort to ascertain what the Scriptures had to say about this subject.  It was not until circumstances forced the issue upon them that any particular concern about it entered into their minds.  On this day, however, they began a most earnest investigation of the matter.  They had determined beforehand to accept whatever the Scriptures had to say about it, and to abide by their teachings.

“I have a concordance ready, Mary,” said Robert, “so let us begin.  May God direct us in this Bible study.”

“I shall bring the Scripture textbook and the Bible,” said Mary.  “I am ready.”

“I suppose that we may as well take the first text in the concordance,” said Robert.  “It is Matt. 16:18.”

“’And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it,’” read Mary.

“I have heard a few discussions about the ‘rock’ of this text,” said Robert.  “Some affirm that it means Peter, others that it means Peter’s confession, and still others that it means Christ.  I do not know which is right, but I believe Christ is the real rock.  Anyway, Mary, it teaches that Christ did build a church, doesn’t it? and that it should not be overthrown.  Read Acts 2:47.”

“’Praising God and having favor with all the people.  And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved,’” read Mary.  “Then the church was built by this time, wasn’t it?  ’And the Lord added to the church,’ Then I wonder if they joined the church?  How did the Lord add them?”

“I do not know,” said Robert, “maybe there was no joining in that day.  It may be that as soon as they were saved they were counted members of the church.  There are several texts here in Acts about the church.  ’There was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem,’ (Acts 8:1); they ‘ordained them elders in every church’ (Acts 14:23); Paul ‘saluted the church’ (Acts 18:22), etc.  Well, there was an early church, judging from these texts, which corroborates the words of Jesus who said He would build a church.”

“What was the name of that church?” asked Mary.  “Are there any texts that show what it was called?”

“Let us see.  Here is a text—­Acts 20:28.  See what that verse says,” replied Robert.

“’Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood,’” said Mary.

“Here is another text—­1 Cor. 1:2,” said Robert.

“’Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours,’” read Mary.