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The opinions on this page are not necessarily those of The Standard Journal. Opinions expressed by contributors of guest columns and letters to the editor are their own.

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and this institution belongs to God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), and to Christ Jesus in particular. The church belongs to Him, because He built it (Matthew 16:18), and He “purchased it with His own blood” (Acts 20:28). The church Jesus built belongs to Him, and no one else.

The unity for which Christ prayed (John 17:20-23), has been cast aside by many and replaced with denominationalism. When this mindset began in the first century, Paul pleaded against it: “Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Paul urged that Christians “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,” declaring “There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:3-6). Christianity is not divided by language barriers, skin color, cultural differences, economic class, prior shortcomings, or anything else (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11).

We strive to be the church Jesus built, without the manmade division that centuries of “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” has brought about (Matthew 15:9). For this reason, we reject denominational names, we teach only what the Bible teaches, we worship as the church did in the 1st century, and the church of Christ is organized in the same manner as the church of the Bible. This presents many differences from the modern religious world: each congregation is autonomous (self-governed) with godly men selected as elders to watch over the congregation, and deacons to minister unto the church (1 Timothy 3); the music offered in worship is acapella (without musical instruments), because Scripture commands to sing, and the 1st century church did so without instruments (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16); and sermons consist of a balanced declaration and application of the Scriptures–the Bible is always the focus of the message– (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 4:2).

We encourage you to visit with us, and examine the Scriptures for yourself (Acts 17:11).

If what is said and done in our worship services and Bible classes is the Truth of God, accept it, and if it is not, reject it. Rest assured, we firmly believe God created this earth in 6 days ( Genesis 1), Jesus is the Son of God (Matthew 16:18), the Bible is the inspired Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), Jesus died to redeem man from sin (John 3:16), the tomb was empty on the third day (John 20), the Lord ascended to Heaven (Luke 24:51), and the Lord will come again in judgment against sin and salvation for the saved (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). While we await His return, we are to obey God (Hebrews 5:9), spread the Good News (Mark 16:1516), and worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24).

-Joshua D. Clevenger, Rockmart Church of Christ