Many people today are accustomed to the idea of “joining a church.”
Someone visits a congregation, decides he likes it, speaks with a pastor or other church leader, completes a membership class, signs a membership form, or asks to have his membership transferred from another religious organization.
But when we open the New Testament, we should ask a more fundamental question:
HOW DID PEOPLE BECOME MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH CHRIST BUILT?
The answer may be much simpler than many people realize.
JESUS SAID THE GOSPEL WAS TO BE PREACHED
Before ascending into heaven, Jesus told His apostles:
“Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15, KJV)
Then He said:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” (Mark 16:16, KJV)
The apostles were therefore commissioned to preach the gospel.
People were expected to hear it.
Believe it.
And obey it.
What happened when they did?
Acts 2 gives us the answer.
THE GOSPEL WAS PREACHED ON PENTECOST
Peter preached Jesus Christ to the people gathered in Jerusalem.
He demonstrated from Scripture that Jesus was the promised Christ whom God had raised from the dead.
When the people heard the message, Scripture says:
“Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart…” (Acts 2:37, KJV)
They asked:
“Men and brethren, what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37, KJV)
Peter answered:
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38, KJV)
Notice what Peter did not tell them.
He did not tell them to choose a church.
He did not tell them to apply for church membership.
He did not tell them to join the congregation of their preference.
He told them what God required them to do in response to the gospel.
THEY OBEYED THE GOSPEL
Luke then tells us:
“Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41, KJV)
They heard the Word.
They received the Word.
They obeyed the Word.
And approximately three thousand souls were added.
But who added them?
THE LORD ADDED THEM
At the conclusion of Acts 2, we read:
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47, KJV)
That statement is extremely important.
THE LORD ADDED THEM TO THE CHURCH.
They did not save themselves.
They did not establish their own church.
They did not select a denomination.
They did not vote themselves into membership.
They obeyed the gospel, and the Lord added the saved to His church.
THE SAME PATTERN CONTINUED
When Philip preached in Samaria:
“But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized…” (Acts 8:12, KJV)
When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch said:
“See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?” (Acts 8:36, KJV)
They went down into the water:
“…and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:38, KJV)
When Ananias came to Saul, he told him:
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” (Acts 22:16, KJV)
When the gospel was preached in Corinth:
“…many of the Corinthians hearing believed, and were baptized.” (Acts 18:8, KJV)
The pattern remained consistent.
The gospel was preached.
People believed.
They responded obediently.
They were baptized.
And they became Christians.
BAPTIZED INTO WHAT?
Paul provides another important piece of the pattern:
“For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body…” (1 Corinthians 12:13, KJV)
What is the one body?
Paul had already explained:
“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body…” (Ephesians 1:22–23, KJV)
Therefore:
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY.
And:
THERE IS ONE BODY.
(Ephesians 4:4)
And:
WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY.
(1 Corinthians 12:13)
These passages fit together perfectly.
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
Paul wrote:
“Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” (Romans 6:3, KJV)
He also wrote:
“For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27, KJV)
Notice the language:
BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
BAPTIZED INTO HIS DEATH
BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY
THE CHURCH IS HIS BODY
This is not a collection of unrelated passages.
Together they reveal a pattern.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED
Mark 16:15; Acts 2:22–36
↓
THE SINNER HEARS THE WORD OF GOD
Romans 10:17; Acts 2:37
↓
THE SINNER BELIEVES IN JESUS CHRIST
John 8:24; Acts 18:8
↓
THE SINNER REPENTS OF SIN
Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38
↓
THE SINNER CONFESSES JESUS CHRIST
Romans 10:9–10; Acts 8:36–37
↓
THE SINNER IS BAPTIZED FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS
Acts 2:38
↓
THE SINNER IS BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST
Romans 6:3; Galatians 3:27
↓
THE SINNER IS BAPTIZED INTO ONE BODY
1 Corinthians 12:13
↓
THE CHURCH IS CHRIST’S BODY
Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 1:18
↓
THE LORD ADDS THE SAVED TO HIS CHURCH
Acts 2:47
↓
THE CHRISTIAN CONTINUES FAITHFULLY IN THE APOSTLES’ DOCTRINE
Acts 2:42; Revelation 2:10
THAT IS THE PATTERN.
The New Testament does not present one plan for becoming a Christian and another procedure for becoming a member of Christ’s church.
The same people who were saved were the people whom the Lord added to the church.
That makes sense because Christ’s church is not merely an organization someone decides to join.
It is His body.
When a person obeys the gospel according to the New Testament pattern, he does not then need to search for another religious body to join.
The Lord adds the saved to His church.
That raises a question every person should seriously consider:
DID I BECOME A MEMBER OF A RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION THROUGH A PROCEDURE CREATED BY MEN, OR DID I OBEY THE GOSPEL AND ALLOW THE LORD TO ADD ME TO THE CHURCH CHRIST BUILT?
Don’t answer that question based upon what you have always been taught.
Don’t answer it based upon family tradition.
Don’t answer it based upon the name on a church building.
Open the book of Acts.
Read the conversion accounts.
Examine Romans, Corinthians, Galatians, and Ephesians.
Compare the passages.
Then ask:
DOES MY CONVERSION MATCH THE BIBLICAL PATTERN?
“And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” (Acts 2:47, KJV)
Open the Scriptures.
Examine the context.
Compare Scripture with Scripture.
Follow the pattern.
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
TheBiblicalPattern.com
The Biblical Pattern 