Brother Leroy Brownlow has written a book entitled Why I Am A Member Of The Church Of Christ. The foundational studies within this book are those with which every Christian should be familiar so that he might effectively spread the borders of God’s kingdom to the lost and defend the gospel against the wiles of the devil. The world around us claims that “one church is as good as another.”
According to their doctrine, one’s religious affiliation makes no difference, as long as there is a common belief in God and the common goal of heaven. Would God leave a matter as important as the church in the hands of mankind? Of course not! One opinion is not as good as another; there
must be some point of authority to which no one can go for religious guidance. Only the Bible can be that guide. With the Bible, God’s inspired Word (2 Tim. 3:16-17), as our standard, we can trust that everything contained within the scriptures is true (John 17:17). The theme of the Bible is Jesus Christ and His church. The Old Testament points forward to the church and the New Testament (following Pentecost) points backward to the church. How many Saviors are there? Ephesians 4:4-6 is very clear when the Holy Spirit states “One Lord” (4:5). Jesus Himself would say, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh to the Father, but by Me” John 14:6). How many churches did Jesus, the Savior, build? Ephesians 4 states: “There is one body” (4:6). Jesus said in Matthew 16:18, “Upon this rock I will build My church.” Over how many churches is Jesus the head? The Bible states that God “gave Him (Jesus) to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body...” (Ephesians 1:22-23). “And He is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). There is one Savior. He built one church and is the head over that one church. Jesus himself said: “every plant, which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up” (Matthew 15:13).
—Robert Hatfield