The bible tell us that man cannot choose the place where he can attain
salvation for there is only "one body" where man can receive the true baptism.
The Apostles refer to the "one body" as the Body of Christ.
Let us study the bible so we cannot be misled from the truth.46G.1 How is the "Body of
Christ" rightfully called in the Bible?
In Acts 20:28, in several versions of the
Bible:
"Therefore, take care
of yourselves, and of all the congregation in which you have been
appointed through the holy Spirit as bishops, to shepherd the
church of Jesus Christ, that which he established* by his blood.
(Acts 20:28, Aramaic
Bible)
"Take
heed therefore to yourselves and to all
the flock over which the Holy Spirit has
appointed you overseers, to feed the
Church of Christ which he has purchased
with his Blood." (LBP)
The "Body of Christ" is rightfully called
Church of Jesus Christ or Christ of Christ. Thus
Anyone who wants to be saved must
receive baptism only in the Body of Christ or the true Church of Christ, otherwise all his services and sacrifices
will be in vain or useless.
Why it is rightfully
called the Church of Christ?
In the following verses,
these are written:
Revelations 1:5:
and from
Jesus Christ, the faithful
witness, the firstborn from the dead,
and the ruler over the kings of the
earth. To Him who loved us and washed
us from our sins in His own blood.
(New King James Version)
Hebrews
9:14:
How
much more, then, will the blood of
Christ,
who through the eternal Spirit
offered himself unblemished to God,
cleanse our conscience from acts
that will lead to death, so that we may
serve the living God! (New
International Version)
Romans
5:8-9:
But
God has shown us how much he loves us
--- it was while we were still sinners
that Christ died for us! By his
blood we are now put right with God;
how much more, then, will we be
saved by him from God's anger! (Today's
English Version)
1 Peter
1:18-19:
You know the worthless kind of life you
got from your ancestors. You were not
purchased
from this with something that doesn't last, like silver or gold.
No, it was
with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a perfect lamb; nothing is
wrong with it (International English NT)
Based on the above verses, the biblical
truth is very
clear that:
-
it was
Christ who washed us from our sins in
his own blood, (Revelations 1:5,
NKJV)
-
it was
Christ who died for us and by his blood
we are put right with God, (Romans
5:8-9, TEV)
-
it was
with the blood of Christ
cleanse our conscience from acts that
will lead to death, so that we may serve
the living God,
(Hebrews
9:14, NIV)
-
and we
were purchased with the precious blood
of Christ. (1 Peter 1:18-19, IEB)
It is very
clear that it was Christ who purchased the
Church with his own blood. Thus, it is
rightfully called after his name the "Church
of Christ".
46G.2
Why is Christ' Church also called,
Church of the Lord and Church of God in other versions of the Bible? Is
there a contradiction in verse Acts 20:28?
Acts
20:28 in another versions of the bible, these are written:
Take heed unto yourselves, and
to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to
feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood. (ASV)
Why Church of the Lord? Who is the Lord who purchased the church with
his own blood?
The following verses will
give us the answer:
"Therefore let all the house
of Israel know assuredly
that God has made this
Jesus, whom you crucified,
both Lord and Christ.'' (Acts Acts 2:36, NKJV)
You know the worthless kind of life you
got from your ancestors. You were not
purchased
from this with something that doesn't last, like silver or gold.
No, it was
with the precious blood of Christ,
like that of a perfect lamb; nothing is
wrong with it (1 Peter 1:18-19, IEB)
The Lord is no other than
the Jesus:
-
because it is Jesus
who was crucified, thus shedding his blood.
- because
it is Jesus who was made Lord and Christ by God.
Jesus is the Lord who purchased
the Church with His own blood.
Why Church of God?
Acts 20:28 in another version of the
bible:
Take heed to
yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to care for the church of God which he obtained
with the blood of his own Son. (Acts 20:28, RSV)
Apostle
Paul also called it church of God because it is God who obtained the
church with the blood of His Son Jesus.
Is there a seeming contradiction of Acts
20:28 in other translations of the bible?
(Pls. read other bible translations.)
Yes,
with the verses that implied that "God purchased the church with His
own blood" because it is contrary to the biblical truth.
What is the biblical truth?
The following
statements of Jesus are clearly contradicted:
"God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and
truth.'' (Jn. 4:24, NKJV)
"Behold My hands
and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a
spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have.'' (Lk.
24:39, NKJV)
God
did not purchase the church with His own blood—as implied by other
translations of the bible—because "God is Spirit
(Jn 4:24),
and "a spirit does not have flesh and bones" (Lk 24:39), --- therefore
has no blood.
___________________
Anyone who wants to be saved must repent
upon hearing the Gospel of Christ and after acquiring faith in it, he must
receive baptism in the Body of Christ or the True Church of Christ. Man must
search for the Body of Christ or the true Church of Christ—also called the true
Church of the Lord or Church of God—and receive the true baptism in order to
ensure the salvation of his soul.
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