Is There Only One True Church of God?

To most people, the idea that there is only one true Church seems preposterous. Of all the religious institutions in the world, is it possible only one is led by God?

There are more than 2 billion Christians in the world, and they all undoubtedly believe they are, to one degree or another, following God. There are 45,000 Christian churches, denominations or organizations. Each believes it is following Jesus Christ. Yet all have teachings and practices that differ and directly conflict with one another.

The idea that there is only one true Church of God is controversial, though many biblical passages support it. Even if we set the Bible aside for a moment and think about this rationally, does it make sense that God would have multiple, incompatible views and opinions on any given doctrine or practice? Somehow, millions of Christians and their leaders find it easier to assume this than to believe that God leads only one true Church.

Does it make sense that the Church Christ founded would be divided into many different sects and denominations? That Christ would be Head of many different organizations, each teaching different doctrines? God is not the author of confusion; He does things “decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:33, 40; the word “churches” in verse 33 merely refers to various congregations of the one true Church, as we shall see later). Teachings that contradict one another cannot all be true and could not all be inspired by Christ!

Most people have never really thought through these crucial questions.

Do you believe there is only one true Church? If you are Christian, this is one of the most fundamental questions you could answer.

What does the Bible say on this essential subject? Can you prove from the Bible whether there is only one true Church? Can you know where it is?

False Christianity

Before we tackle the subject of God’s one true Church, let’s briefly consider the multiple thousands of Christian churches and where they came from. Did Jesus Christ know about them? If so, what did He say about them?

In Matthew 24, Jesus Christ prophesied of His Second Coming. He gave specific signs that would occur beforehand, one of which was the impact of false religion. He specifically told, not the world at large, but His disciples, “Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many” (verses 4-5).

Jesus explicitly warned that there would arise false churches claiming to speak in His name. He was not warning about the 20 or so competing non-Christian religions of the world. Nor was He describing the few far-out figures who would claim that they were Jesus reincarnated. He was specifically warning that there would be people in the end time who would claim to be Christian and appear to proclaim Christ—but who would be deceivers.

Many people today claim to be Christian. They proclaim Christ. Yet they deceive many!

“And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many” (verses 10-11). This is a prophecy about religious leaders who claim to preach Christ but are actually “false prophets” who “deceive many”! It is one of several such prophetic warnings in the Bible, and it comes straight from Jesus Christ.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (verses 23-24). This is an extensive warning from Jesus Himself to beware false Christianity.

Christ said that “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” This clearly indicates that there are two types of Christians: false Christians and true Christians, the latter of which is a single group of “very elect.”

Christians are to follow Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). He Himself warned that false churches would arise, claiming to speak in His name. Yes, some churches acknowledge the reality that Christ was the Son of God and yet simultaneously deceive you.

The Apostle Paul was even more detailed, warning against “false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness …” (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). Did you know that Satan the devil has ministers?

The original apostles were certainly aware of false Christianity. During the first century, they fought hard not only against Jewish religious leaders who denied Jesus Christ but also against the emergence of a counterfeit Christianity that was already deceiving true Christians. Paul warned true Christians in Galatia to resist the deception of false Christian ministers who were preaching “another gospel” (Galatians 1:6-8).

A Misunderstood Symbol in Prophecy

Powerful prophecies about false Christianity are also found in the book of Revelation, which also came directly from God the Father through Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1). Many Christians are familiar with its description of the “four horsemen of the apocalypse.” The first of these is described in the “first seal” of Revelation 6:2: “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

Many believe this prophecy portrays Jesus Christ. They compare it to a similar symbol in Revelation 19. There a rider on a white horse is “called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war” (verse 11). This rider, who carries a sword, is clearly Jesus Christ.

The Revelation 6 rider is similar—yet he carries a bow, and he is the first horseman of the apocalypse. What does he represent?

The identity of the Revelation 6 rider is actually unlocked by Jesus’s end-time prophecy in Matthew 24. This first horseman matches His warning about people coming in His name: false teachers and false apostles with false gospels about false Christs!

“… Christ’s own revealing of the meaning is that this white horse of the first seal pictures exactly the opposite—those preaching a false Christ, different from the Christ of the New Testament!” Herbert W. Armstrong wrote. “It refers to this great deception that has descended like a dark cloud to cover the Earth and hide from it the glorious truth of God!” (The Book of Revelation Unveiled at Last).

The white horse of Revelation 6 represents false Christianity! It is another prophecy from Jesus Christ of global religious deception.

In the first century of God’s Church, those who followed Jesus Christ witnessed Church leaders changing the gospel message. Rather than continuing to preach the same gospel Christ preached, these leaders focused on preaching a report about Jesus. Within decades of Christ’s death and resurrection, a false Christianity arose. This false religion would go on to oppose God’s true Church for 2,000 years, right up to the present day.

Learn about the 2,000-year war between true Christianity and false Christianity: Request your free copy of The True History of God’s True Church, by Gerald Flurry.

Can you accept what the Bible says? There is such a thing as false Christianity.

There are more than 2 billion Christians in 45,000 denominations on Earth today. These scriptures reveal the astounding truth that most of them are false Christians.

But does this mean that there is, in fact, only one true Church?

‘My Church’

Matthew 16 is the first place in the New Testament where the word church is mentioned.

During a visit to Caesarea, Jesus asked His disciples if they knew His true identity. Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (verse 16). God had revealed the correct answer to Peter (verse 17). Christ then delivered a prophecy about God’s Church and Peter’s role in it.

In verse 18, He told Peter, “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

This statement is plain and authoritative. Christ said He would establish “my church”—singular—and that His Church would never die.

Christ’s words can be trusted. This one true Church must still exist today.

The word church in Matthew 16:18 is translated from the Greek word ekklesia, which means “called-out ones.” The Church Jesus founded is a group of called-out ones. The Bible consistently describes it as one united group of individuals who are called out of this world by God and who belong to Christ.

Read more about Christ’s explanation of the Church of God in your free copy of Mystery of the Ages, by Herbert W. Armstrong, particularly Chapter 6, “Mystery of the Church.”

The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ not only founded this Church but is also its living Head, its active Leader. Colossians 1:18 says Christ “is the head of the body, the church.” In Ephesians 5:23 we read that “Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body.”

Several more scriptures use this comparison of God’s Church with the human body. This symbol of Christ’s body is a key to proving whether there is only one true Church.

One Body

Ephesians 4:4-6 say, “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.”

This passage essentially describes the relationship between God the Father, Jesus Christ and the Church of God. In just three verses, God inspired the use of the word “one” seven times! It is undeniable: There is only “one body” of Christ—one true Church. There is only “one Spirit,” which implies oneness in the spiritual understanding and growth the Holy Spirit imparts. There is only “one hope”—one true gospel message, one accurate vision of the future. There is “one Lord”—one living Jesus Christ actively leading His people. There is “one baptism”—one teaching about salvation. There is only “one God and Father,” one true understanding about who and what God is.

Now think about what Christianity teaches regarding these foundational subjects: Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, the gospel, baptism, the nature of God. There are literally hundreds of conflicting doctrines and practices. Some churches have the same teaching on one or more of these crucial doctrines but invariably disagree on others. No two churches are perfectly at one on every doctrine, teaching, practice and judgment.

How do you reconcile that with “one body, and one Spirit … one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father”?

If you believe Ephesians 4 and the other scriptures about the true Church of God, then you must accept that all these differing individuals and churches cannot be led by Jesus!

God inspired the use of the “body” analogy again in 1 Corinthians 12. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ” (verse 12). What a clear, perfect explanation: Just as each human body consists of many parts and organs, God’s one true Church is comprised of many individual members, “yet but one body” (verse 20).

This scripture clearly refers to individuals within the Church, not to many churches, sects or denominations. Verse 13 makes this plain: “For by one Spirit are we [Church members] all baptized [you baptize an individual, not a group] into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” There it is again: God places individuals—Jews and Gentiles, slaves and freemen, young and old, black and white—into “one Spirit” and “one body.”

This whole passage beautifully describes the true Church of God. God forms it from individuals of all races, ages and backgrounds, bringing them together as one living, active spiritual organism that serves its Head, Jesus Christ—in the same way that your physical body is directed by your head.

Colossians 2:19 uses this same symbolism, describing Christ as the Head “from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God” (Revised Standard Version).

Now, who decides which individuals are in the Body of Christ, the Church? Verse 18 of 1 Corinthians 12 states that God Himself sets each member in the Church. This is corroborated in John 6:44.

The passage in 1 Corinthians 12 concludes by emphasizing the importance of Church organization—so that “there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another” (verse 25). Unlike the countless schisms among the various churches calling themselves Christian, God ensures that His true Church is united, with all members perfectly agreed on doctrines and working in unison under the Head, Jesus Christ.

A great part of this unity comes through the ministerial offices Christ places in His Church. “And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers …” (verse 28). Ephesians 4:11-13 also mention this government structure and explicitly say that His chosen and faithful ministers are there “for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith.” Those ministers watch over the Church members and “must give account” before God in how they do, so it is important that the members “[o]bey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves” (Hebrews 13:17).

These scriptures and many more clearly describe a well-organized and structured Church.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our 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). Here is another scripture emphasizing that true Christians are not divided over doctrines and beliefs.

If Jesus Christ were leading the many churches and sects—not to mention all the individual “loner” Christians in this world, all of whom are divided over conflicting doctrines and policies—then the Body of Christ would be full of schisms. The Bible says this is not so: True followers of Christ “all speak the same thing,” having the “same mind” and the “same judgment.”

Clearly, the many differing and opposing churches of Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism do not “all speak the same thing.” No—Christianity is divided into many different churches, denominations and sects all believing different doctrines for one simple reason, whether or not people want to believe it: Not all Christians are true Christians.

More Proofs

Study the following scriptures and you will more fully understand the Bible’s teaching of what God’s true Church is and is not.

Study Ephesians 2:18-22. These verses state that members of God’s Church are part of the “household of God,” which is a “building fitly framed together.” Paul mentions only one household and one building.

Study John 14-17. Christ’s words prior to His crucifixion repeatedly emphasize unity between God the Father, Christ the Son and true Christians: “I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one …” (John 17:23). In no sense are the 2 billion Christians of the world—often engaged in theological, political and literal war with one another—“perfect in one,” united by the Word of God and led by Jesus Christ in worshiping God the Father.

In John 15, Jesus describes God the Father as the owner of a vineyard, Himself as the one single “true vine,” and the individual members of the Church as the branches. This analogy portrays the Body of Christ, the Church of God, as united and organized, not a collection of “loner Christians” and disparate groups. The one true Vine is not several separate vines. And the individual members are all joined to that one Vine.

That is another crucial point: This “one body” does not consist of many independent, isolated individuals, people who consider themselves Christian or part of God’s true Church but who choose not to affiliate or assemble with the organized body of God’s Church. They may believe they are united with Jesus, but they are not part of the unified spiritual Body of which Christ is the Head! They are not receiving that spiritual nourishment that comes only through Christ’s government via His chosen and faithful ministers.

To be trained by Christ, to fulfill the purpose for which He founded His Church and to prepare for His Kingdom, an individual must become part of that one spiritual organism that He leads. Yes, God might work with individuals outside that Church to prepare them (e.g. Jude 1)—but if He is calling them, then He is calling them to be baptized into His one true Church.

A true, valid baptism is also imperative. The Bible clearly commands full-immersion water baptism by a true minister of God (Acts 2:38; 8:38-39) after sincere repentance and understanding and belief in the true gospel of Jesus Christ (Mark 1:14-15). It is through such a baptism that a person receives the Holy Spirit, by which he becomes a spiritually begotten son of God (Acts 2:38; 19:4-6; Romans 8:9, 14) and truly a member of God’s Church. Simply agreeing with God’s Church, regularly reading its materials, and even supporting it financially does not make someone a member.

With all the members being led by the Spirit of God, which is the very mind of Jesus Christ in them (Philippians 2:5), the true spiritual unity that God desires is able to infuse His Church.

Ponder Psalm 133:1: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” God desires to bring all human beings into unity with their Creator! Is He accomplishing that through 45,000 disunited churches teaching disparate doctrines about God the Father and Jesus Christ His Son? Of course not.

Study Revelation 19, which prophesies that Jesus Christ will return to Earth in glory. “Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready” (verse 7). This describes Christ’s marriage to His Bride, which is the Church of God (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:23-32). There is only one wife—the one Body of Christ, the one Church of God, called to marry Him and assist Him in fulfilling the gospel message of restoring the government of God to Earth.

Study Romans 12:16; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 1:27; 2:2-4 and 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:13 and 1 Peter 3:8. These passages show that God’s people have one mind and one accord. They are unified and at peace with one another socially, doctrinally and spiritually.

Study Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 11:4 and James 3:14-18, which show that strife and division do not come from God. Christ actively leads His Church, and He does not tolerate doctrinal inconsistencies, disagreements nor divisions. In fact, He commands that dissenters be purged from the fellowship.

The more you study the Bible, the clearer the answer becomes. How many true churches of God exist on Earth today? Tens of thousands? Hundreds? Just a few? Or is it zero?

The Bible is clear: Only one.