Chapter VI: The Name

We come now to the name. You know, there are a lot of churches right here in Nashville tonight which simply cannot find their names in the Bible. They could look from now till the end of the world and they couldn’t find the names they wear in the Bible to save their lives! That, to me, is an astonishing fact. It looks as if anybody ought to know that the Bible cannot guide you into a church which isn’t even mentioned in the Bible. A road map cannot direct you to a town which is not shown on the map. A Tennessee road map cannot show you how to find a town in Texas, and so the Bible cannot guide you to a church which isn’t even found in the Bible. That’s a very simple test which you might apply in your search for the right church.

What does the Bible say about the name? In Ephesians 1:22 we find that Christ has been made head over all things unto _the church_. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it.” And so, first of all, it is simply called _the church_. Then in Revelation 1:4 we read about “the seven _churches_” of Asia, meaning the seven different congregations which are specified in chapters three and four. In a general sense, including all saved people on the earth, it is simply called _the church_. In the plural form this name refers to the various local congregations of that great body.

We learn also from First Corinthians 15:9 that it is called the _church of God_. Paul said he was not fit to be called an apostle, because he persecuted the _church of God_. First Corinthians Cor 11:16 says, “But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God.” So in the singular and comprehensive sense, it is called the _church of God_; not as a denominational title, but as an expression of ownership. It is the church which belongs to God. And in Matthew 16:18 Christ said, “Upon this rock I will build my church.” It is, therefore, the church which belongs to Christ. And in the plural form, we read in Romans 16:16, “The churches of Christ salute you.”

Friends, we learn from the Bible, then, that in the broad, general sense, including all saved people, it is called the church, or the church of God, or the church of the Lord, the church which belongs to Christ. Referring to different local congregations, those same terms are used in the plural form. This leads me to believe that anything bigger than a local congregation and smaller than all God’s people throughout the world or some specific geographic area, cannot scripturally be called _the church_. That’s where denominationalism comes in. The only way this universal institution can scripturally be broken down into different parts is to do it on a geographical or congregational basis. Splitting it up on any other basis results in sectarianism or denominationalism—creates different parties and sects.

I have two pictures drawn here to keep that before your mind. Here’s the Bible picture (speaker points to board). The big ring includes all of God’s people throughout the entire world. These small dots represent various congregations like the church at Laodicea, the church at Smyrna, the church at Ephesus, the church at Madison, the church at Chapel Avenue, the church at Columbia, Tennessee, and so on around the world—different local congregations. This is purely a geographical grouping.

But here is the best figure I can draw on denominationalism and it’s not entirely accurate (speaker points to board again). When a group of these congregations, even if they have all been scripturally baptized—which they have not—draw a ring about themselves and say, “We are the ‘A’ Church,” another group says, “We are the ‘B’ Church,” and another says, “We are the ‘C’ Church,” each group of congregations distinguishing itself from other similar groups by a distinguishing title—that is denominationalism, pure and simple! That picture does _not_ represent a _geographic_ distribution, for we have all those different denominations right here in Nashville. It’s not a geographical division, but a division based on difference in teaching, practice, and faith. That’s not the Bible picture (speaker continues to refer to board). Here is the Bible picture.

The church which wears these Bible names, and only these, is the right church as far as the name is concerned. But, friends, any church that calls itself by any other name, any name not in the Bible, is not the right church because the Bible is right. When a church has a name upon their building which cannot be found in the Bible, they need not claim that they are taking the Bible as their one and only guide, for the very name on the church building denies that claim. Just think how foolish it is for a preacher to stand up and say, “We take the Bible as our guide,” when, out in front of the building, in great big letters, is a name which cannot even be found in the Bible! That’s one reason I think we had better examine a man’s claim to follow the Bible. Here’s what the Bible teaches on the name, and the Bible is right. The church that wears these names and only these is right on that point.

But merely wearing the right name will not make a church right. It may wear the right name and still be wrong in other respects. I used to preach in a town where there was a great big church building which had a name in bold letters that you could see almost all over town—Central Church of Christ. But if you went to their worship, you’d find something that’s not listed here at all (speaker refers to section of outline on board). They were not following the Bible on worship. They had the right name but they didn’t have the right worship. They were right on one point but wrong on another. There are churches over the country called “Churches of God.” That’s a good name, but they have items of doctrine that cannot be found in the Bible. For instance, they preach that you have to be baptized in the Holy Spirit in order to be saved, and that’s not in the Bible. Consequently, they are wrong on doctrine; and to merely wear the right name does not atone for their false teaching on what one must do to be saved.