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Mark 2 of the True Church
The True Church Is Led by Jesus Christ and Called by His Name
The principle: The true Church belongs to Jesus Christ. He built it, He is its living head, and it is called by His name.
Jesus did not say He would endorse a church; He said “I will build my church.” The New Testament calls Christ the head of the Church and teaches that salvation comes through His name alone. His disciples were known as Christians, and the congregations were called churches of Christ. The true Church will be His Church, built by Him, led by Him, and called by His name.
What does the Bible say?
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.
Jesus calls it ‘my church.’ He is the builder, and He promises it will prevail.
For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.
Christ is the head of the Church and the Savior of the body. The Church does not lead itself.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
Christ is the head of the body, the Church, and in all things He is to have the preeminence.
10Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
The apostles healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and taught that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.
14For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
The whole family of God, in heaven and on earth, is named after Him.
Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.
Paul passes on greetings from ‘the churches of Christ.’ The congregations bore the name of their Lord.
Whose Church is it?
When Jesus spoke of His Church, He used a small but important word: my. “Upon this rock I will build my church.” The true Church is not founded by a reformer, a council, or a nation. It is founded by Jesus Christ, and it belongs to Him.
A living head
Paul taught that Christ is the head of the Church just as the head directs the body (Ephesians 5:23). A head is not a memory or a founder from long ago. It is alive and giving direction now. The true Church will be led by the living Christ, who said, “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).
Called by His name
The first disciples did everything in the name of Jesus Christ. They were baptized in His name, they healed in His name, and at Antioch they were first called Christians (Acts 11:26). Paul wrote of the “churches of Christ.” It makes sense that the Church Jesus builds would carry His name.
A question to ponder
If Jesus Christ is the builder and head of His Church, it is fair to ask of any church: Who founded it? Whose name does it bear? Does it look to the living Christ for direction today?
These scriptures at a glance
| Scripture (KJV) | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Matthew 16:18 | Jesus calls it ‘my church.’ He is the builder, and He promises it will prevail. |
| Ephesians 5:23 | Christ is the head of the Church and the Savior of the body. The Church does not lead itself. |
| Colossians 1:18 | Christ is the head of the body, the Church, and in all things He is to have the preeminence. |
| Acts 4:10–12 | The apostles healed in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth and taught that there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. |
| Ephesians 3:14–15 | The whole family of God, in heaven and on earth, is named after Him. |
| Romans 16:16 | Paul passes on greetings from ‘the churches of Christ.’ The congregations bore the name of their Lord. |
Common questions
Does the name of a church really matter?
The Bible puts great weight on the name of Jesus Christ. Disciples were baptized in His name, healed in His name, and were ‘called Christians’ (Acts 11:26). A Church that truly belongs to Him would naturally be called by His name.
What does it mean that Christ is the head of the Church?
It means He directs it. The Church is His body (Colossians 1:18), and a body follows its head. In the New Testament the risen Lord continued to guide His Church through the Holy Ghost and through the apostles He had chosen.
Read it for yourself
The best way to know these things is to read the verses in context and ask God about them (James 1:5). Open any reference above in our free King James Bible reader, then see how this principle fits with the other marks of the true Church.