QUESTION: I have just recently been saved and am wondering which church I should join. Does the Bible give us any directions for making this choice?

ANSWER: Yes, the Bible does give us directions for making this important choice. We may answer your question by asking another question. What church does the Word of God put me into? Let's look at some things the Bible says about the church.

1. There is only one church, which in Ephesians 1:22,23 is called His body.
2. We become members of this church when the Holy Spirit baptizes (i.e. places) us into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13,18).
3. This baptism takes place when we believe the gospel and are saved. Note: This baptism is not to be confused with water baptism which is unto Christ's death and is administered by man. The difference between the two is clearly marked out for us in Acts 10:44; 11:18 and Romans 6:3,4.
4. Local churches in the Bible such as Philippi, Thessalonica and Ephesus were made up of the believers who lived in those cities (Phil. 1:1).
5. The only names that believers took were common to all believers, such as saints, brethren, disciples or Christians (Acts 5:14; 9:1; 11:26; Eph. 1:1). See also 1 Cor. 3:3,5.
6. Although there were evangelists, pastors and teachers who traveled among the different local churches, believers did not gather to them but instead gathered to the name of Christ alone (Matt. 18:20).

What church does the Bible put me into? It tells me (1) that I, as a believer in the Lord Jesus, am already a member of the church which is the body of Christ (2) that I am responsible to gather with other believers in the same general area as members of the body of Christ and (3) that I am to gather to the name of Christ alone.

In summary, then, God has given us direction for fellowship with other believers in His Word. As you study God's Word, the Bible, you will discover many other precious truths about the Church, its worship, order, calling and the gifts which the risen Christ has given for its edification.

If you are serious about doing God's will, He will lead you to those who agree with these precious truths and are seeking to be obedient to all that God has said in His Word. He has promised to instruct you and teach you in the way He wants you to go. It will require, on your part, prayer, spiritual exercise and obedience to His Word (Psalm 32:8,9).

For an excellent pamphlet which goes into further detail on this subject, see "Are You a Member? And of What?" by George Cutting.

—John D. McNeil