what makes a church the true church?

Question

ok, we all know that there are many denominations of new testament churches. and i know that many of these different denomination have churches within them that try to teach the bible as best they can. as long as a church teaches salvation through jesus then it has hit the minimum requirements. but what i want to know is does a church need the hand of fellowship from a true church in order to be a true church. and by true church i mean the bride of christ, the church that jesus set up. without the consent of jesus' church, is it ok for someone to just start a church simply because they dont agree with what another church teaches?
basicly does the bride of christ consist of any new testament church or is it only the church that he set up and those that have been started with his original church's permission?

please do not refer to your particular denomination as the true church unless you can give reference to where it was started by jesus and UNCHANGED since then. a church started by a government is not the true church that jesus set up it is also nothing like the church that jesus wanted. their are saved believers and then there is his church. but is it the hand of fellowship from his church that makes a church right or is it just that they teach the bible without taking away or adding to it for their own personal wants?

with all due respect to catholics, all other new testament churches did not split from catholic. the catholic church split from christ's church when emporer constatine threatened to destroy them if they didnt unite with his government. then later many catholics realized the err of their ways and tried to go back to the church they came from and this is where the protestants came from. but the church that the catholics branched from is still around and still operates, is this the one true church (and i dont mean the building) or are the other churches that started via the protestancy true churches also?

Answer 1

You are right. There are many different denominations of New Testament churches. Probably far more than there should be. For most denominations were began, because they didn't agree with some small detal which was being taught in another denomination; or maybe in some cases, it may be big details which they disagreed with. But most of all, they should all be making every effort to teach the entire Word of God; including salvation through Jesus Christ as their main concern to be taught. In order to be a true church, a church should first of all have serving God in every way as their main goal. The bride of Christ, or God's church, is a content of all of the Christians throughout the earth; regardless of what earthly church they may be a part of. It is impossible for a true Christian to not be a part of the Bride of Christ. If a body of believers, or a church, does not believe that they are a part of the Bride of Christ, then they are totally ignorant of the Word of God concerning the Bride of Christ. Or their eyes are totally blinded. For they are the Bride of Christ! And personally, I do not believe that people should be running around just trying to start other churches, simply because they do not agree with every detail of the church that they are attending. If a church is not teaching the Bible, the best thing to do is to leave it and find one that does teach it; not just try to run and start another one. We have churches on every corner of every street almost. And this would not be happening if Christians were living their lives as Jesus would have them to live them. We should be trying to come together; not getting mad at one another and splitting up every time someone hurts our feelings.

Answer 2

THE true Church must be able to:

1. Show that it can trace its origins down to the apostles. This is important because ANYONE can establish a church ANYTIME and claim to proclaim the Word of God whereas Christ established His Church two thousand years ago not a few years ago.

2. Show that the teachings do not contradict the Bible AND what was already believed by the early Christian Church, which gave us the Bible. This is important because not all was written in the Bible concerning salvation(Example: Trinity, is never mentioned in the Bible although the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are mentioned. Several heresies arose concerning this subject but the early church settled it (read some documents of the Church Fathers AD 100- 400) and defended the true church from those heresies so that today, true christians exactly know what the Church teaches on the Trinity).

3. That everywhere that particular church has community, its pastors/leaders and congregants absolutely adhere to the same universal teachings. God is Truth, God is One, and so Truth is One. If a particular church in one place teaches one thing and the same church in another place teaches a contradiction then that is not the right Church.

Answer 3

Um... I'm not Roman Catholic, but your last note to the catholics could use some rewriting, probably based on a better knowledge of history. You wrote:

"the catholic church split from christ's church when emporer constatine threatened to destroy them if they didnt unite with his government"

When did this happen? The Edict of Milan in 313 legalized Christianity, it didn't make it the state religion. That didn't happen until Emperor Theodosius issued the Theodosian decrees in the 390's. Then you said:

"then later many catholics realized the err of their ways and tried to go back to the church they came from and this is where the protestants came from."

Not really. The Reformers took certain trends from western theology to their next logical conclusion. They were firmly grounded in the same nominalism and other scholastic philosophy as the catholics they criticized.

I'm personally Eastern Orthodox and I believe it is the Church founded by Jesus Christ, but I believe what you wrote about catholics is fiction. The so-called "Constantinian Shift" is an invention of 16th century Anabaptists to justify their weird beliefs. It is also a handy plot device for writers without talent like Dan Brown. If you want to find out for yourself, then go read the Ante-Nicene fathers and see with your own eyes what Christians believed and taught in the first four centuries of the faith. I'm warning you- it may sound a bit too "catholic" for your sensibilities.

Answer 4

The marks of the true church have always been the same.

The true church is ONE.
Jesus Christ personally established only one church, and he never authorized anyone else to start another one.

The true church is APOSTOLIC.
The power and authority which Jesus vested only in his apostles, is still wielded by the direct successors of those apostles, who are the bishops.

The true church is HOLY.
The church belongs to God. It has been declared sacred and undefiled by God himself, and will always be so, in spite of the evils of men.

The true church is CATHOLIC.
Catholic means universal. The true church, empowered by Christ, is God's universal provision for the salvation of mankind.

Incidentally, world rulers have always attempted to subvert the church for their own purposes.

Constantine was no different, but he failed, as did all the others.

Jesus made a number of irrevocable promises to the church he personally established on Peter the rock, and on the other apostles.

Those who persist in claiming that evil somehow overcame God's true church, make Christ out as a powerless liar, and that's not a good position for any Christian to take.

Jesus Christ founded only one church, the Catholic church, and he never authorized anyone else to start up another.

Answer 5

When it is actual worship and God's presence is felt. I think you hit it on the head, because I found these things in the Mass. The true, original Apostolic Church started by Christ built upon the rock of Peter....The Catholic Church.

I agree with what Snuggels has said....and that is exactly what Protestantism is and has given us....division. Some 40,000 to 50,000 different denominations. If you don't like whats going on in church, you just leave and start a new one.

P.S. Addition to your RANT

Your History is grossly incorrect. Please study it rather than simply repeat some garbage you've heard. You are really showing your lack of education in this area.

If you want to talk about Constantine so you sound educated, start by actually reading the Edict of Milan to see what the document really does say.

Answer 6

Jesus established no "church." That was the work of man, as are all religious dogma. Christ taught a simple and straightforward message, that required no building nor leaders to interpret those teachings, but rather a simple and personal relationship with the teachings. Everything else has been designed by man to control man.

There is no "true" church. Anyone claiming such is arrogant in claiming to understand the divine when they are only human. Establish your own relationship with the teachings of Christ and you will have found at least some truth.

Answer 7

The Bride of Christ(True Church) is made up of all the true believers that are alive when Jesus returns.

By true believers I mean those who believe Jesus is God(and part of the Trinity) and love Him and attempt to become more like Jesus in their lives to the best of their ability.

Answer 8

You are on the right path. You set the rules for you to make the choice. I did the same. I knew that the church I wanted did pass the plate, as one example. I didn't join for this reason, but it made me more interested in other points. When I found I agreed with them, it was the true church for me.

Answer 9

Jesus..because the True church is, after all, the body of Christ..if you don't have Jesus..there's a void..Got Jesus..got everything.

The bride of Christ is the New Jerusalem..read in Revelations..it'll tell you who the bride is.

Answer 10

The true church is the body of Christ, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (See Ephesians 1: 22,23)

And the body of Christ is those who believe (see vs. 19)

1Co 12:13 - Show Context
For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.

What constitutes the true church is the faith of the believers (I am not talking about an organized church group in a building here) - those individuals who the LORD will recognize as his when he comes to gather us. Many who think they are saved, tragically, are not.

Matthew 7:21-23
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you:depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We must abide in him and his Word abide in us.

God help us all to follow you and to do your will. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.