Have you heard about the church
meeting in the old store on 318 North 18th Ave. East in Duluth?
Perhaps you have seen our sign and wondered: “What is a Church of
Christ? What denomination is it associated with?” Those who have
telephoned 728-1087 to listen to our recorded Bible message already
know something about us. However for the rest of you, here is a
brief explanation.
The church of Christ
meeting on 318
North 18th Ave. East is
composed men and women who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of the living God and who seek to serve Him only as He has revealed
Himself through His inspired spokesmen, the apostles and New
Testament prophets. Yes, we have limited our belief and practice to
only those things taught in the scriptures – the written word of
God. As a result we are simply Christians.
Though we wear no name but Christ's
(Christian), we confess that we have not attained to everything this
name represents. As members of His church we do not claim to be the
only Christians, but we do try to be Christians only. For we are
fully convinced from the apostolic writings – the New Testament
scriptures – that believers in the first century were not members of
different denominations, but were united in one body, practicing one
faith, under one source of authority - the Lord Jesus (Ephesians
4:4-6).
We urge you,
therefore, to join us in “being diligent to preserve the unity of
the Spirit” (Ephesians 4:3-6). How? By refusing to believe or
practice anything in religion that is not authorized in the word of
God - the Bible. For the apostles themselves have admonished
believers not to go beyond “what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6);
they have warned that those who do “not abide in the teaching of
Christ,” do not have God (2 John 9). Thus, all matters pertaining
to doctrine and salvation – including how we are to conduct our
lives in the world – must be settled with a “thus says the Lord,” a
book, chapter and verse from the Bible. This is in keeping with the
words of the apostle Peter who wrote: “Whoever speaks,
is to do so as one who is
speaking the utterances of God” (1 Peter 4:11).
Jesus said of certain
ones in his day (who were not content to remain in what had been
written in the Law and the Prophets): “But in vain do they worship
Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9) and,
“Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted
up” (Matthew 15:13). Realizing these principles remain as true
today as they were for the Jews under the Law, we have made no
attempt to start a “new” Church; but through faith we believe that
God adds all the saved to the church which His Son died for - the
church of God (Acts 2:47; 20:28). Anywhere and in any century men
and women allow their hearts to be led by God's word ALONE, the
church of Christ will flourish and the Churches of men will
diminish.
Those who meet in the
old store at 318 North 18th Ave. East in Duluth belong only to
Christ! Would you like to learn more? Then why not visit one of our
weekly meetings? Better still, why not set up a private study where
you can ask your questions and where we can study God’s word in a
serious, yet relaxed atmosphere. Such a study can be set up to fit
your schedule and may be cancelled at any time at your
discretion. We look forward to meeting you and sharing with you the
reason for the hope within us (1 Peter 3:15).
Kieran Murphy
