WHAT NAMES WERE GIVEN FOR THE CHURCH?

To use any other name not found in the New Testament causes confusion and divides churches.

Churches are called different things.  Some are called Baptist, Missionary Baptist, General Baptist, Methodist, Free Methodists, Lutheran, Catholic, Evangelical Free, Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints), Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Two Seed in The Spirit Predestinations, Pentecostals, Church of God, Church of God in Christ, African Methodist Episcopal, etc.

Is God pleased with these names?  Is he happy that people who consider themselves Christians divide up by different names?

What the church was called?
Names have always been counted as meaningful and significant, except when it comes to the Lord's church. Men have started their own church and have called it after their own name or perhaps a movement or philosophy.  Paul condemned human names (1 Corinthians 1:13-15).  All kinds of names can be found in the yellow pages of the phone book and on signs in front of buildings that give honor to men instead of Christ.

Since no man died for nor purchased the church with his own blood, no man has a right to name the church as he desires. Why would anyone desire to call the church by any name other than what God called it? The Lord's church is referred to in the Bible by several different names, designations or expressions.

1.     “My Church” MATTHEW 16:18.  Jesus said that; therefore it is Christ’s Church.

2.     It is referred to in Acts 11:26; 8:1 as "the church." The word "church" in the Greek means, "called out." It describes the body of individuals who have been called out of a life of sin in the world (1 Peter 2:9) and translated into the Lord's kingdom/church, having been redeemed by the blood of Christ (Colossians 1:13-14).

3.     It is called the "church of God" in 1 Corinthians 1:2. This shows ownership. God the Father is supreme over all.

4.     It is called the "body of Christ" in 1 Corinthians 12:27. It belongs to Christ. The church is his body; his body is his church (Ephesians 1:22-23). There is only one body (Ephesians 4:4).

5.     It is called the "house of God" the "church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15). This also shows ownership and pictures the church as a house, a family.

6.     In the plural it is called "churches of Christ" (Romans 16:16). This shows ownership and refers to the church in various locations. Since the Lord died for the church it is His church. No man has a right to attach his name to the Lord's blood-bought body.

7.     It is called the "church of the firstborn" (Hebrews 12:23). Jesus is called the firstborn in Colossians 1:13-18. It is His!
God has not given men a right to be a member of a church that does not wear a scriptural name. The church of Christ is scriptural.

What difference does it make?
Some argue that there is nothing in a name.  No one really believes that, but some argue it anyway.

If there is nothing in a name, why do men want their brides to take their name?  Why not take another man’s name?  The man who has a name like Snodgrass may not always like his name, but he doesn’t want his bride to take the neighbor man’s name instead of his own. 

If there is nothing in a name, why do parents spend time agonizing over what to name their children?  Why not just take any name we would call our dogs?  Why do we not name our children Fido or Spot or Lucky?

Would you appreciate it if someone called you Benedict Arnold?  Would you tolerate someone calling your wife Jezebel?  Would you think it a compliment of your boss referred to you as Judas?  Is there really nothing in a name?

In religion it is especially hypocritical to try to argue that there is nothing in a name.  Call a Baptist a Catholic, call a Jehovah’s Witness a Mormon, call a Methodist a Lutheran, and see if they really think there is nothing in a name.  If there is nothing in these names, why have names that distinguish one group from another?

The Act of Denominating
Denominating something is naming it.  But according to Webster a denomination is a name that shows class or division.  In other words, we name a coin worth 25 cents a quarter.  The name quarter denominates a division of a dollar, or the class of coins that represent that division of a dollar.

Denominations consider themselves to be a division of the one true church.  The denominational name represents a class or division of so-called Christians that is larger than a local congregation, but smaller than the universal church.  The New Testament contemplates no such organization, so denominations are sinful.

The very act of denominating is that of naming religious groups by their founder or by some doctrine of belief to distinguish then from other ‘Christian’ groups.  This is sin.

It is true, the name on the door or sign does not make a group the New Testament church, but one who wishes to please the Lord must not wear names unknown to the Word of God, or belong to a church whose name cannot be found the Bible.  This acts as a stumbling block to sinners by promoting confusion and division (1 Corinthians 1:10-15).  It creates the impression that God is pleased with many churches and that all things are right as long as it is done in the name of Christianity.  It is strange that people who claim to be religious will wear some name or designation that is foreign to the Bible.  Is this not a dishonor to God, Christ and the Bible?

We want to be careful to call Bible things by Bible names.