A Church by Name

A CHURCH BY ANY OTHER NAME

[I wrote this some years ago.]

The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch. They were also known as saints, and brothers & sisters in Christ. Jesus was their Lord and Savior. Their identity was in Him and being part of His One Spiritual Body. (1 Cor. 12:13).

The followers of Jesus Christ probably did not begin putting names on the places where they met for worship until the third century. It was about that time when they began building church-buildings. Before that persecution probably kept them from advertising just who they were.

We use names to identify who we are. We inherit a family name because of our ancestors in that family. In addition we "denominate" ourselves with a personal name. Each one of us wears this personal name as a means of identification. "John Jones," "Bill Smith," etc.

We are Churches of Christ. Our family name is "Christian." In New Testament times, local Churches had local names to identify them. "Church of God which is at Corinth." "The Church at Ephesus." "The Jerusalem Church."

Here are some of the names of local Churches of Christ at various places in the USA and Canada.

Sinners Union Church of Christ, in Missouri. Fellowship Church of Christ. Welcome Church of Christ. All People's Church of Christ. Novelty Church of Christ. Humansville Church of Christ. Bland Church of Christ.

Sunrise Church of Christ, Ohio. And a Sunset School of Preaching in Texas. Others are: Faith; Hope; Love; Grace; and a Popcorn Church of Christ.

Union and Unity are popular names. Also Independence; Harmony; Concord; Liberty; Freedom; New Freedom; New Hope (but no Old Hope); Lover's Lane; and a Dark Corner Church of Christ in Arkansas. Canada adds an Iron Bridge; Ice Lake; Medicine Hat; and a Recreation Church of Christ.

In Kentucky there is a Ceasarea Church of Christ at Stamping Ground; a Poole Church; Olive Hill; Little Mud; Horse Cave; Beauty (which used to be Ugly); and Stop Nine in Ohio.

Names sometimes are given to us because of how we speak of ourselves to others. We are still the same group of people. History shows us as "Congregational" (because as congregations we are self-governing and independent). Other names sometimes found in our history are: Reformed Baptist; Republican Methodist; Christian (sometimes Christ-ian); Sandemanian; and many others. We now only use Church of Christ to show who we are as a Brotherhood.

The point of all this is that we wear the Lord's Name because we have been born again into His Family. We also wear our own name to identify ourselves as to who we are and where we are on the map. Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone. See Acts 4:12.