The New Testament and the Church

 Bible Reading:  Acts 20:17-35

Key Verse: Verse 28 - “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”

Key Words: the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood

While the focus of God’s Word is Jesus Christ, it’s of value to note the role of the church in the New Testament.  Once you pass the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the remaining twenty-three books are written to “local” New Testament churches.

1. Acts was written to the church at Jerusalem.
2. Romans was written to the church at Rome.
3. Naturally, I and II Corinthians were written to the church at Corinth.
4. Galatians was written to the church at Galatia.
5. Ephesians and Philippians were written to the local church in those cities as well.
6. I and II Timothy were written to the church at Ephesus.
7. Colossians and Philemon were written to the church at Colosse.
8. I and II Thessalonians were written to the church at Thessalonica.
9. Titus was written to the church at Crete.
10. Hebrews was believed to have been written to the church at Jerusalem.
11. James was written to the church at Jerusalem, then going through persecution.
12. I and II Peter were written to the churches of Asia, as was the book of Revelation.
13. It is believed that I and II John were written to the church at Ephesus while III John may have been written to the church at Corinth.
14. Jude, in all likelihood, was written to the churches of Asia.

The principle is that Jesus is the focus of the New Testament, but His work is done primarily through the local church.

Now, let me close by asking you, “Are you a member of a sound Bible-believing, Bible-preaching local church; and are you actively serving the Lord through that local church?”

The church is the institution through which God chose to do His work.

What to do:

✞Join and be active in a sound Bible-believing local church.