THE CHURCH OF CHRIST UNDER AUTHORITY TO CHRIST

When Peter declared to Jesus , "Thou are the Christ, the Son of the living God" Jesus replied, "Upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). Jesus then referred to his church as the "kingdom" (vs.19); therefore Jesus said that His kingdom was a kingdom that was going to be built upon a rock. The Hebrew writer later said that this was a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28; Daniel 2:44). The foundation of the church of Christ is the unshakable authority of the One who built that church. The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Romans 1:4), the builder of His own church (Matthew 16:18, 19), the high priest for his brethren (Hebrews 5:14), the sacrifice for the sins of His brethren (1 John 2:1, 2), the Maker of all things (John 1:3) and the One who purchased His own church with His own blood (Acts 20:28) demonstrates that Jesus has complete authority over everything that pertains to His own church (Colossians 1:18). This being the case, He has ordained that everything that is done by his brethren must be done by His authority (Colossians 3:17). This means that what we do and what we teach as far as His church is concerned must be what we have found in His New Testament. The unmovable ROCK upon which the church of Christ is built is not only the man Jesus Christ, but it also includes the message from Him which governs that precious saved body. The Bible teaches, at Ephesians 2:19

" Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

So the ROCK which supports the church is the message in the New Testament which was left by the Lord to guide the church on its way to heaven. Therefore, using His word,

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15).

Study your Bible daily, and continue to build upon the ROCK.