The Name of the Bride

W. Carl Ketcherside

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     The community of saints planted by the Messiah has no official name or title. It is called the church of God because it originated in the mind of the Father; it is called the church of the firstborn ones, because it is composed of the heirs of heaven. The congregations are called churches of the saints because they are composed of holy men and women; they are called churches of Christ because they belong to the Messiah. Other terms such as house of God, body of Christ, and temple of God, are employed, but not one of these is an exclusive title.

     The title "Church of Christ" as used by a large segment of believers today is employed in a denominational sense, just as the terms Baptist Church, Methodist Church, Christian Church, etc. This is very difficult for many to see, for they have been taught that their salvation depends upon the name "The Church of Christ" although that expression is not once found in the sacred scriptures. Such a thought must have motivated a brother who wrote me as follows:

     "I do not agree with your idea about the name of the church. The church is the bride of Christ, and the bride ought to wear the name of the husband. I would not want my wife to wear some other name than mine.

     I can sympathize with one who uses such loose reasoning, for I used to engage in it before I learned better. There are two things wrong with my brother's views. In the first place, they are unscriptural; in the second place he doesn't practice what he preaches. I can prove both charges.

     The idea that a wife should wear her husband's name, as he means it, is not a scriptural one. No married woman in Bible times was ever called by her husband's name. That practice is a fairly modern one and by no means universal even now. In both the old and new covenant scriptures, married women wore their own names, as "Sarai, Abram's wife" (Gen. 16:1); "Zacharias, and his wife, Elisabeth" (Luke 1:13). The word "church" is not a name at all. It is a common noun like "house" or "wife."

     But my brother doesn't believe what he argues, and to prove it, I will put him to the test. He believes the expression "The Church of Christ" is the bride wearing the name of her husband. He wants to see that "name" over the door where he worships. I have sad news for him! The word "Christ" is not a name for our Lord at all. It is his office.

     The name of the "groom" is Jesus. The angel said "Thou shalt call his name Jesus" (Matt. 1:21). "And he called his name Jesus" (Matt. 1:25). "God also hath highly exalted him, and gave him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow" (Phil. 2:10). His name was Jesus, and that is what he was called at birth, but "God hath made that same Jesus...both Lord and Christ" (Acts 2:36). Christ is no more his name than is the word

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"Lord." The word "Christ" is merely the Greek form of the Hebrew "Messiah." It isn't a name at all; it is an office which God made him to occupy.

     The brother who wrote is a janitor for a school. He says "I would not want my wife wearing another name than mine." Well, he would not want her to be called "Mrs. S. Janitor." Now, if he is consistent he will demand that they repaint the sign on their building to read "Church of Jesus." He must either do that or admit that his argument is worthless. I predict he will do neither. When we have engaged in a practice without scriptural warrant so long that it becomes one of our traditions, we'll stick by it if we make void the word of God. We dare not admit that we have been wrong about anything. The expression "church of Christ" is no more out of place than the expression "church of God" or "church of the firstborn." It is the denominational usage of it that is wrong. The community of saints for which our Lord died has no official distinctive and exclusive name or title. Why should it? It includes every saved person on the face of the earth, and it is without competition as a spiritual body.