WARNING!
Dangerous scriptures will be cited in the paragraphs that follow. Difficult and potentially paralyzing questions will be asked. Your honesty and integrity will be tested. If any of these issues cause you anxiety, or if you are unable to remain collected and honorable when your faith is tried, turn back now. You have been warned.
Preliminary Question
How many Muslims make up the world population?
A. “Are there few who are saved?”
The question of one church or many churches is married to another question, a question the disciples asked Jesus on one of their long walks.
And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
Luke 13:22-23
If there is only one church then many people will be lost. This concept is disturbing, and it seems this very idea shook the disciples just like it does many today. Perhaps the disciples’ question was provoked by Jesus’ judgment teaching in the several parables and homilies that precede these verses. Regardless what stirred their curiosity, carefully note Jesus’ answer. Jesus would go on to say in Luke 13:24-30 that many will indeed be lost on the day of judgment, many “good” people will be turned away, and those who the masses think will surely be saved will be “last” (lost). Jesus’ answer is silencing and eerie. Did Jesus really say what it sounded like He said? Surely there is a simple misunderstanding.
B. “The Way, The Truth, and The Life”
In John 13:36 – 14:6 Jesus is seated with His disciples in the famous upper room answering another of the disciples’ questions- “Lord, where are You going?” (13:36). After some words of assurance, Jesus drops a line that has been quoted more than any presidential inauguration speech- “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” How comforting! What a relief! But hold on…Jesus didn’t stop there. The far less quoted addendum to Jesus’ tripart self description is this- “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Again, this answer by Jesus is not what we expect. His answer is quite exclusive. In fact, Jesus makes things flat out awkward. If Jesus’ statement holds true, what are the implications for the world and church today?
C. 5 Billion People
The PEW Research Forum is a polling service that tracks world religious and political views approximately every 10 years. According to the 2010-2015 PEW polling, Muslims account for 1.6 billion (24%) people in the world. This is very, very pertinent to the question, “Are there few who are saved?” Muslims confess that Jesus was a good prophet, but an orthodox Muslim would be blaspheming to say that Jesus is equal to Allah and the only way to Allah (see John 14:6). Similarly, neither Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, or any other group of people outside of Christianity agree with Jesus’ exclusive and immovable statement- “No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Let’s put that into tangible numbers. In the same 2010-2015 poll there were appx. 2.3 billion (31%) Christians that comprised the world population. The name “Christian” is a very loose term in this poll and simply describes a person who would agree with the fact that Jesus is the Son of God (*maybe not even that). Ultimately, that adds up to 69% of the world population denying Jesus as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, unable to go to the Father at judgment. Even 69% is a grossly conservative estimate. Remember what Jesus said about the 31% who claim to be Christian, “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord…’ and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'” (Matt. 7:22-23). Between passages such as Matt. 7:13-26 and many others (Luke 13:1-9; 13:22-30; John 6:26-66; Hebrews 2:1-3; 3:12; 4:11; 6:4-6; 10:26-31; 2 Peter 2:20-21; 1 John 2:3-4; 2 John 1:9; Rev. 2-3) two things are very clear: 1) few are going to be saved 2) less than 31% of the world population will be saved if Jesus returns right now.
D. The Answer
THE church: is there only one? Before answering this question, allow for a moment of self examination. What major influencing factor has led you to answer this question one way or another? Many in the world of Christianity believe God has many churches and droves of people will be saved because to confess anything different is the very definition of intolerance. The engineering force behind this attitude is Mother Culture who is wed to Daddy Satan. When the motivating factor behind your answer to the question is culture, be very uncomfortable. Culture paves a wide road for the masses (Matt. 7:13). Culture intimidates the child of God into submission (Rev. 13:11-17). But culture loses (Rev. 18:21 – 19:5), and she loses every time.
The answer to the question is simply yes. God has only one church. Lesson 5 soundly established that Christ has only one body (Eph. 4:4), that body is the church (Col. 1:18), and He is the Savior of that one body (Eph. 5:23). A sincere Bible reader cannot read from Matthew to Revelation and come to the conclusion that God has more than one church. God does not approve of denominationalism. This is a hard saying, but before anyone accuses anyone else of intolerance, hate, or any other pejoratives; remember, if you believe the truth of Jesus’ statement in John 14:6, then you also believe that > 5 billion people are lost, currently walking the broad way to hell, and need the gospel to be saved. That is an equally narrow minded and intolerant position to hold. The fact is, Jesus was narrow minded (Matt. 7:14). Jesus was immovable in His doctrine and terms of salvation (Matt. 19:16-22). And Jesus has one church by which men can be saved (Acts 2:47; Eph. 4:4).
E. The One Church
Which church is that one church of the Bible? It is the church that, “continue(s) steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers,” (Acts 2:41). It is the church that, “Keep(s) the traditions (Christ and His delegated apostles/prophets) just as I delivered them to you,” (1 Cor. 11:2). It is the church that resists the ease of caving into cultural compromise for the sake of peace and safety (Rev. 2:8-11). I believe that church is the church of Christ (Rom. 16:16). The churches of Christ live by the motto, “Speak where the Bible speaks, and be silent where the Bible is silent,” (Thomas Campbell). This motto ensures the church of Christ is ever mindful of God’s holy word and faithfully following the pattern of the New Testament. If the church of Christ is not the one true church of the Bible, then Revelation 2-3 teaches that it must quickly become the church of the Bible. For if it does not teach and practice what Jesus and His apostles left for a pattern, the church has simply become a denomination. And we know, God does not approve of denominations.
Conclusion
If the scriptures and information in this lesson convicted you and has prompted questions about how to become a member of the church of the Bible, please follow this link Contact Aaron for correspondence or comment below. Thank you for your willingness to consider this difficult Bible question, and may it be the consensus opinion that the things written were conveyed in love and concern so that all can be saved (1 Timothy 2:4).
(For a complimentary sermon to the Five Minute Bible Study, see below.)
