And what does the Bible say about it?

Jesus promised, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). That church, His church and His kingdom (verse 19; Colossians 1:13; Revelation 1:9), was established on the first Pentecost (a Jewish feast day) following Christ’s crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven (Acts 2). Through Christ’s death, He was able to purchase the pardon of those who would enter His church, saving them from the awful costs of their sin (John 1:29; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:23, 25). Through belief of and obedience to the Gospel (done as one hears and believes the Gospel, repents of sin, confesses Christ, and is immersed in water for the remission of sin, Mark 16:15-16; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 2:38), people of all backgrounds were added by the Lord to His church (Acts 2:9-11, 36-47; Ephesians 2:10-22; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11).

In the early years following the church’s establishment, there were not separate denominations all claiming somehow to be affiliated with Christ and His church. The very concept of denominationalism is foreign to the Scriptures and to what the Lord’s church is. But because many people followed different men than Christ and different doctrines than the New Testament of Christ, manifold denominations gradually arose, and have brought about the divided religious landscape one sees today. But Christ prayed for unity for His church (John 17:20-21), and insisted through His inspired apostle Paul “that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10).

When men and women unite upon the doctrine that Jesus Christ gave, they not only have unity, but they have the church of Christ. Christ portrayed His word as seed (Luke 8:11), and He portrayed the crop produced by that seed as His kingdom—His church (Matthew 13:19). So if people follow Christ’s word without the introduction of creeds or other human doctrine, they can have the same church Christ built on the first Pentecost following His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension to heaven. Thus, even today one can find churches wearing no other name than that of Christ, worshipping with the simple acts prescribed by the New Testament, living the pure lives demanded by the Gospel, and teaching nothing other than what the Bible teaches. These churches are the churches of Christ.

“The churches of Christ salute you” (Romans 16:16).