CHAPTER IV
HIS CHURCH
"Christ is the head of the church."
— Ephesians 5: 23.
THERE is but one real and true church, and that is God's church, which is the "church of the firstborn", whose names "are written in heaven". (Hebrews 12:23) Writing of men's names in books on earth has nothing to do with making them members of The Church. Jesus informed his disciples that God would build the church, which is not a building made with hands, but consists of a company or organization of Christians, with Christ Jesus as the Head or Chief One thereof. By his prophets God had promised to send Christ, the Messiah, and the devout Jews who were faithful to God were looking for the fulfillment of that prophetic promise. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus propounded to them this question: "Whom do men say that I ... am?" And some of the disciples answered: "Some say that you are one of the prophets returned.' "He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter; and
upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:13-18) The Devil has seized upon these words of Jesus and used the same to promulgate one of the most deceptive lies that has ever been told, a lie by which millions of honest and sincere people have been deceived and turned away from God and led into the devilish organization.
Jehovah God is designated in the Scriptures as the great Rock or Stone. (Deuteronomy 32:4) Christ Jesus, his beloved Son, is also designated in the Scriptures as a rock or stone, whom God makes the ruler of the world to rule in righteousness. (Daniel 2:32-45) "Christ" means God's "Anointed", and his duly commissioned Servant and Vindicator, his Faithful and True Witness. When Peter, in response to the question propounded by Jesus as above stated, said to Jesus: "Thou art the Christ," Jesus concurred in that answer and then added these words: "Upon this rock [that is, upon God's Anointed One, the Christ, symbolized by a rock] I [as God's duly commissioned Servant and representative] will build my church"; which is God's church, because whatsoever Jesus does is according to the will of God. Upon Christ the Messiah the church is builded, and Christ is the Head thereof, as well as the foundation. He is the Chief One in the organization.
The inspired apostle of the Lord Jesus, who walked with Jesus and learned of him and who wrote under the direction of the Lord, said to his brethren that he prayed for them: "The eyes
of your understanding being enlightened [that they might receive the spirit of wisdom]; that ye may know . . . what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come; and hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all." — Ephesians 1:17-23.
It is therefore made certain that "the church", which is the only true church, is that body of creatures selected by Jehovah and brought into Christ Jesus, and who give honor and glory to Jehovah God, and who serve him to the exclusion of everything; that these members are not confined to some earthly organization, but that God selects them and assigns them to a place in his organization as it pleases him. (1 Corinthians 12:18) "Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body," and "the church is subject unto Christ, . . . that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5: 23, 24, 26,27) No man or company of men has any right or authority to set up an organization and
label it "The church", and all men who do so are doing violence to God's Word.
The church is God's organization which he builds by and through his beloved Son, the Head and Lord thereof: "And God hath set some in the church: first, apostles; secondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that, miracles; then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." (1 Corinthians 12:28) The church is "the household of God", composed of Christ Jesus and the members of his body: "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the spirit." — Ephesians 2:19-22.
God, by his prophet, speaks of the church and designates it by the name "Zion", which is his capital organization and wherein he dwells: "For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation." (Psalm 132:13) That church is "the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth". (1 Timothy 3:15) From these plain scriptures it is certain that the church could not possibly consist of any organization on earth in which politics, and commerce or trafficking, form a part, and in which the members of such organization commit many deeds of cruelty and wickedness. The church is the temple of God, not the temple built of material things by human hands, but the body of creatures devoted wholly to the Almighty God.
(1 Corinthians 3:16,17) As progress is made in the examination of what follows, it will be seen that the enemy has seized upon the name "the church" and used the same to perpetuate the great fraud upon man and to further defame the name of Almighty God.
PURPOSE
What is God's purpose in having a church? The answer from the Scriptures is, that he might use it to testify to his name and to carry out his commandments in vindication of his name. Here again it is needful to emphasize the challenge that the Devil flung in the face of Jehovah God, and God's reply thereto. The Devil declared that he could cause all men to 'curse God to his face' if he (the Devil) were permitted to put man to the test, and God permitted the Devil to try that very thing. God replied: 'For this cause have I permitted thee to remain, for to show thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.' — Exodus 9:16, Leeser.
God's judgment against the Devil was that he should be destroyed; but before the execution of that judgment He would have his own great name declared throughout the earth, and then he would exercise his unlimited power against the enemy. God then proceeds in his own due time and good way to take out from the world faithful men and women who prove their integrity toward him, and he makes them members of his church under Christ Jesus and uses such to proclaim his name throughout the earth be-
fore Jehovah executes his judgment against the enemy. God's church, therefore, constitutes his witness or witnesses while on the earth; and when elevated to heaven at the resurrection, such witnesses are used by him for his purposes ever thereafter.
The church was a mystery to all men until after God gave his holy spirit to his faithful men at Pentecost, which was given fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus. Concerning that mystery one of the apostles testifies: "Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: to whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." — Colossians 1: 26, 27.
After Pentecost the apostles were assembled at Jerusalem in conference, and then it was that God revealed to them that his purpose in gathering unto Christ Jesus those who would be made a part of his church was and is that he might have a "people for his name", which people must bear testimony to his name, and that this testimony must be delivered before God exercises power against the enemy. (Acts 15:13-17) From the time of the ascension of Christ Jesus into heaven and until his coming again to carry out God's purposes and the setting up of the kingdom, God, through Christ Jesus, selects from amongst the nations or peoples of the earth "a people for his name", the faithful ones of whom constitute his church, and who must declare his name. Those selected
ones, in order to have God's approval, must follow in the footsteps of Jesus and prove faithful unto death. (1 Peter 2:21; Revelation 2:10) It is certain, therefore, that all the true followers of Christ Jesus, who constitute his church, must suffer more or less at the hands of the Devil, and which suffering and punishment is inflicted upon them by the religious agents of the Devil on earth, just as they afflicted the Lord Jesus Christ. For this reason some of the sufferings of Christ was left over for the body's sake, as it is written: "Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church." — Colossians 1:24.
It was the religionists who persecuted Jesus, and he declared that that same class of religionists would persecute all who would be his true followers. "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." — John 15:19-21.
The fact that Christ Jesus, the Head of the church, is the Faithful and True Witness of Jehovah (Revelation 3:14), and also the further fact that he stated, "Every one that is
of the truth heareth my voice" (John 18:37), proves beyond all question of doubt that everyone who is of his church must be a witness to the name and to the kingdom of God. It is the faithful followers of Christ Jesus, members of his organization or church, that have always looked with eagerness for his coming again and the setting up of his kingdom, and concerning which the inspired apostle wrote in the Scriptures: "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand." (2 Thessalonians 2:1,2) "And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." — 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Only the faithful followers of Christ Jesus are gathered unto him and made a part of his church at his second coming. It is those who are anxious for the setting up of the kingdom of God that prove faithful and true to God and Christ. At his second coming it is these faithful ones to whom he gives the commandment: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come." (Matthew 24:14) It is to this same faithful class that Jehovah says: "Ye are my witnesses . .. that I am God." (Isaiah 43:10-12) "Thou shalt be called by a new name [Jehovah's witnesses], which the
mouth of Jehovah shall name." (Isaiah 62:2, A.R.V.) Consider these indisputable truths set forth in the Word of God, and then ask yourself and answer this question: Is there an organization on earth today that is preaching to the people that Jehovah is the only true God, that Christ Jesus is the King and rightful Ruler of the world, and that his kingdom is at hand and is the only hope of the world?
The church being God's organization, taken out of the world for His name's sake, it follows that the members thereof are those who worship the Almighty God in spirit and in truth. (John 4: 23) They honor God, and not man and man-made organizations. Such true worshipers cannot be faithful to God and at the same time participate in the political affairs of this wicked world. Those who worship God in spirit and in truth are wholly devoted to him in obeying his commandments. "For the worship [mistranslated religion in the Authorized Version] that is pure and holy before God the Father, is this: to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction, and that one keep himself unspotted from the world." — James 1: 27, Syriac Version.
The great adversary of God and enemy of the church and of all its members is that old Serpent, Satan the Devil. It is certain, therefore, that that old deceiver would inaugurate many and all kinds of seductive schemes concerning the church in order to deceive the people. This he has done, and at the same time the Devil puts forth his great effort to devour those who constitute the true church. To those who
are of God's church, taken out from the world as witnesses to his name, Jehovah has committed the "testimony of Jesus Christ", and these must obey the commandments of the Almighty God. Against these faithful ones the Devil, that old Dragon, makes his assault and tries to destroy them; as it is written: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [God's woman, symbolic of his organization called Zion, the church (Isaiah 54:1-13)], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ." — Revelation 12:17.
It is also written that the church must fight the enemy Satan and his agents by proclaiming the truth; that they shall not use carnal weapons, such as guns and cannon and swords made of steel, and other instruments that destroy (2 Corinthians 10:4); that the weapons of their warfare are "the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God". (Ephesians 6:17) That is the reason that Jehovah's witnesses must tell the truth and do so amidst great opposition and persecution carried on by Satan and his religious representatives.
Do you know of any religious organization that engages in a war upon others and that calls itself at the same time "The church of God", and which organization uses deadly weapons with which to destroy those who oppose them? Do you know of any organization claiming that it is the church of God, which engages in the politics of the world, and which organization attempts to rule the world? Do you know
of any religious organization claiming to be the church of God but which makes treaties or concordats with beastly political and commercial powers and works with them in carrying out worldly schemes? If so, it is certain that such "religious organization" is not the representative of God and Christ, but that it is the representative of the enemy Satan, who is the enemy of every man that desires to see righteousness prevail.
The life of every human creature on earth today is in the balance, and that includes you. The truth is of greatest importance to you, because you must know and follow the truth in order to live. If it is your honest and sincere desire to know what is the truth, then put aside any and all preconceived opinions or prejudice and then honestly and sincerely consider the indisputable facts that follow herein, together with the infallible Word of the Almighty God; and if you do so, your understanding will be enlightened as never before. Are you prepared now to rely upon God's Word, which is the truth, even though it makes it clear that many men and organizations that appear to be good are devilish in the extreme? Do you want to live, and therefore do you want to know the truth? What follows will shock many persons, and make them angry, but such persons are prejudiced and foolish, to say the least. Those who are really honest and sincere and desire to serve God and live will be delighted to learn the truth as set forth in what follows herein.
