What Makes the church of Christ Different?

​From the outside looking in, the church of Christ has some seemingly odd practices. Perhaps you have heard that we do not use musical instruments in our worship. Our praise comes only from our voices. You may have also heard that we participate in the Lord’s Supper, or Communion, every week. While various denominational groups partake quarterly or annually, we partake each Sunday. It is possible you learned that we baptize those who believe in Christ in water so they may receive the forgiveness of sins. All these practices are labelled as “odd” by many outsiders. Some go further and suggest that these practices are against Scripture. While we could have long conversations from the Bible about these practices and others that we do in the church of Christ, it better serves us to consider what makes this church different from all the rest in terms of its origin and ownership.
 
            One of the most significant differences between the church of Christ and the vast array of denominations is that this church started in the first century. I know what you may be thinking: how is that possible? Many of the towns where churches of Christ are located did not exist 2,000 years ago! What we mean, then, is that the church as an entity started in the first century. The prophet Daniel wrote concerning the start of the church. In Daniel’s second chapter, the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, had a dream of a large statue with different parts that was suddenly destroyed by a stone. Daniel revealed the dream and interpreted it for the king, and through the course of the chapter, he tells Nebuchadnezzar that in the days of the kingdom represented by the feet of clay and iron, God would establish His kingdom. God’s kingdom would break all the other kingdoms and last forever (Daniel 2:44). As history reveals, the kingdom of clay and iron that Daniel saw was the Roman Empire, which ruled most of the known world from the second century B.C. until the fifth century A.D. If God’s kingdom was established in the days of that kingdom, then it follows that the church was established between those historical boundaries.
 
            That prophetic text brings forth a question: how do we know the kingdom of which Daniel wrote is the same thing as the church? In the New Testament, we discover that Jesus and His apostles referred to them interchangeably. While we admit that the term “kingdom” carries with it more meaning than just “church,” it is clear they express different ideas about the same entity. First, Jesus told His apostles that some of them would still be alive when the kingdom of God appeared “with power” (Mark 9:1). That further narrows the establishment of the kingdom from Daniel’s prophecy, but it also shows us that Jesus predicted the arrival of the kingdom as a real body. Later, Jesus would say that the coming of the Holy Spirit onto the apostles was when they would receive power (Acts 1:8). Together, these passages teach us that, when the apostles received the Holy Spirit, the kingdom would also arrive. That means Acts 2 marks the beginning of the church of Christ, which is when 3,000 people were added to it (Acts 2:41).
 
Second, the apostle Paul wrote that those who obey Christ are transferred from the “power of darkness” into “the kingdom of the Son of His love,” which refers to the church (Colossians 1:13). Jesus predicted the arrival of the kingdom and stated what would precede its arrival, and later, Paul spoke of it as a present reality in the first century. We see how the origin of the church of Christ is rooted in history, not just in the United States, but in the days of the apostles all those years ago. Alexander Campbell and other men may have issued the so-called “Restoration Plea” in the 19th century, but they did not start a new denomination. Sadly, that is what many did throughout history. All denominations can be traced back to a time long after the first century ended, but the church of Christ has its roots in that era.
 
Another major difference between the church of Christ and the denominations of the world is that it belongs to Christ alone. Fundamentally, all denominational bodies naturally belong to someone other than Jesus. Countless synods, associations, and counsels control the denominations of our age. Christ is mentioned by these bodies, but He is not the final authority. In the church of Christ, Jesus calls the shots. We recognize the reality that Jesus promised to build His church (Matthew 16:18). There is no other divinely ordained church builder than Jesus. Sadly, that indicates denominations are outside the promise of Jesus because someone else had to build them. The church of Christ can lay hold of that promise because Jesus alone builds us up and controls our teaching and practice. There is no headquarters or governing body in the church of Christ, for Jesus is our head in all matters (Ephesians 1:22-23). Although we understand that Scripture refers to the church in numerous ways, we humbly wear the name of Christ because we do not wish to be known by any other title or authority (Acts 4:8-12). Our sole desire is to be known for our association with Christ and our faithfulness to His teachings. We strive each day despite our imperfections to loyally serve Jesus as His disciples. From those efforts, we wish to be known for our love and unity in the truth Christ has brought down to us (John 13:34-35; 17:20-23).
 
While there are other important differences between the church of Christ and the denominational world, these two points make the distinction clear. All denominations have their historical roots in different and often contradictory faith traditions, and nearly all of them are controlled, not by Christ, but by some other authority. The church of Christ goes back to the first century and was the only entity to which the saved were added. Additionally, the church of Christ looks to Jesus for all that it teaches and practices. We struggle in that effort, but together, we carefully consider the Scriptures to ensure all that we say, do, and think pleases Christ. After all, that is the goal for which all should strive (2 Corinthians 5:9).