“Now another point seems plain,” resumed Robert, “the church, in order to be pure, must have only saved members.  And Jesus would not add any but saved members.  I see that.”

“And more than that,” said Mary, “if Christ adds the members, then every Christian is bound to be a member, isn’t he?”

“That must be right,” said Robert.

“But that would make one big church, Robert, and you know everybody cannot see alike about the church,” said Mary.

“Why not, Mary?  If Jesus built a church, and if He adds the members, and if all the members are saved, and if the Spirit puts them all into one body, and that body is the church, and if He named it, why then would it not be the right church?  I do not see how anyone could be a Christian without being in this church,” said Robert.

“Is not the church of God what Pastor Jones called the ’invisible church’ and are not all the denominations together the visible church?” asked Mary.

“Invisible church!  Why, was all that early church invisible, Mary?  Impossible!  Paul persecuted the church, it says.  There was something visible to persecute, was there not?  Paul wrote to the church at Corinth.  Surely there was something to write to.  What puzzles me, though, is where this church is today.  It is plain enough that the early New Testament church was visible, and that it was organized, and had ministers and government.  It had power and grace also, and it grew rapidly, and spread over much of the Roman Empire even before the death of the apostles.  But where is it now?  This is a mystery to me,” and Robert was troubled.

“What have we found so far through reading the Scriptures this afternoon?” said Robert.  “Let us make a summary of the points we have found, and write them down.  Get some paper, please, dear.  Let us keep a record of our findings.  We promised the Lord to abide by His words.  Jesus said one time:  ‘Thy word is truth’; so, whatever the Scriptures say must be right.”

“Here is paper and pen and ink,” said Mary.

“Very well,” said Robert, “thank you.  Put down—­

“1.  Jesus Christ promised, or affirmed that He would build a church, one which was to be His church (Matt. 16:18).

“2.  That church was to stand forever (same text).

“3.  The Lord added members to that church (Acts 2:47).

“4.  Salvation made them members of the church (same text).

“5.  The name of that church is, or was, the church of God (Acts 20:28, and other texts).

“6.  The church of God was visible in New Testament times (1 Cor. 1:2).

“7.  The church was the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23; Col. 1:24).

“8.  The Spirit placed every saved one in this one body (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 12:4, 5).

“9.  Hence, it must have contained all the Christians.

“10.  And, therefore, the apostolic church of true believers—­the spiritual body of Christ; and the church-members—­the collective body of worshippers, were identical.  When you saw one, you saw the other.”