Unlimited: All the Churches of Christ
Jan 11, 2024 499
All the churches of Christ send greetings (Romans 16:16b).
As Paul travelled from church to church, he brought greetings from the churches in other cities. Wherever they were, believers were aware that they were all part of one body, united in faith. They knew that they had a special message for the world, and were waiting for the return of their Lord.
The reference to “all the churches of Christ” refers to all the churches which Paul had founded. While the church in Rome had been founded before Paul’s mission to the Gentiles, Paul wanted to remind the Roman believers that they were part of a bigger picture. They were part of a universal Gospel. The mission of the believers in Rome was a world-wide mission, which they were contextualising in their local, urban environment.
We all belong to Christ.
The phrase “the churches of Christ” is one of the many names by which the Christian communities are called in the New Testament. It reminds us that our local church isn’t ours, but instead it belongs to Christ. It reminds us that we are all part of the same body, even if we might be part of a church in a different geographical area. This is also true for churches that might belong to a different denomination or confession. We all belong to Christ.
Spiritual Application
Sometimes the Bible refers to the church as one, and sometimes in the plural. Here Paul is referring to the “churches” as the different house-churches in the cities where he had ministered. How deep is the unity you feel with other Christian congregations?
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