What is the Brookhill Church of Christ?

 

Let’s start with definitions.

What does the word “church” mean in the Bible?

 

Often the word “church” conjures up pictures of a building of some kind, perhaps with stained-glass windows and a steeple. In the Bible, “church” never refers to any building or physical structure of any kind. The Bible word “church” means “a called out assembly.” The Bible uses “church” or “ekklesia” in several ways. Here are two important Bible meanings of “church”:

 

- All of God’s people in every place and of every time (Matthew 16:18; Hebrews 12:23).

- A collection of God’s people in a certain place, for example, “the church of God at Corinth" ( 1 Corinthians 1:2).

 

Let’s look more closely at both of these Scriptural usages for the word “church.”

The Church that Jesus Built

 

In Matthew 16:18, Jesus said, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it.” Thus, Jesus is the head of His church ( Ephesians 5:22-23). The church that Jesus built has no earthly headquarters. She simply consists of individuals who are saved. Acts 20:28 speaks of “the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. Jesus purchased people with His blood; thus, the church consists of the people of God.

The word “church,” as used in the Bible, is a nondescriptive, collective noun. It simply refers to a called out group or an assembly. The church that Jesus built is a group of people called out of the world to serve God by following Jesus. To help us understand that the church that Jesus built is not a human organization, the Bible describes the church in other ways. For example, it is the body of Christ ( Ephesians 1:21-23) and the family of God ( 1 Timothy 3:15). A body is a collection of many members, and a family is a collection of people related to each other.

Since the church that Jesus built is the body of Christ, it consists of many members. These members are not denominations or local churches but individual Christians ( Hebrews 12:23). The church that Jesus built is the family that Jesus puts together. He is the head of the house, and every Christian has been adopted into His family. Thus, we are all related to each other because we have the same Father ( Romans 8:15).

 

Will God Adopt Me Into His Family?

 

How can I be adopted into the family of God? The same way that Jesus adds you to His body, the church. The same way God forgives you. It is all done through the blood of Jesus Christ. But how do I reach that blood?

Good question. The Bible answers plainly: men and women are buried in baptism into the death of Christ. This is a baptism of faith and repentance. Unless we believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God, we will die in our sins ( John 8:24). God will only forgive us if we repent of our sins ( Acts 2:38). Then, and only then can we be baptized into the death of Christ ( Romans 6:3).

When you are baptized on the basis of your faith and repentance, God forgives your sins (Acts 2:36-38) and adds you to His people, the church ( Acts 2:41,47).

 

What is the Brookhill Church of Christ?

 

Here we are dealing with a second use of the word “church.”

In adopting the name “Brookhill Church of Christ” or “a church of Christ at Brookhill,” we do not intend to leave the impression that we are part of any of the several denominations that use the name “ Church of Christ.” We use this name because it describes the disciples here in a way that honors Jesus, helps with legal considerations, and is perhaps useful in other ways.

The Bible does not require local congregations to adopt names nor does God forbid local churches to adopt a name. Here in Killen, Alabama, we simply used our freedom in Christ to choose a name we hope gives glory to God and our Savior.

 

The Bible does not give the name of any congregations, but rather describes local churches in the following ways:

 

- churches of God ( 2 Thessalonians 1:4)

- the church of God at Corinth ( 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2:1)

- the churches of Christ ( Romans 16:16)

- the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ

(1 Thessalonians 1:1)

- churches of God ( 1 Corinthians 11:16)

- churches of the saints ( 1 Corinthians 14:33)

- churches of God in Christ ( 1 Thessalonians 2:14)

 

Notice that all these descriptions give God the honor. But mostly, the New Testament describes local churches by their location. For example, Luke wrote about “the church in Jerusalem” and “the church in Antioch” ( Acts 8:1; 13:1), and Paul wrote of the churches of Asia ( 1 Corinthians 16:19).

The New Testament refers to the people of God in general with many illuminating descriptions. These descriptions tell us who Christians are and what relationships they sustain to God, fellow saints, and the world. Here are some examples of Bible descriptions of God’s people: kingdom, household, family, vineyard, general assembly, etc.

So what is the Brookhill Church of Christ? It is simply a group of disciples of Jesus who have agreed to work and worship together in the Killen-Center Star-Florence area in Lauderdale County of northern Alabama. If you would like to know more about the people who meet at Brookhill, please ask.

Of course, the Bible has much more to say about the people of God. Why don’t we sit down and talk about it some time?