"As Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ... that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. V. 25, 27.
What do we mean by the Church of Christ? There is some doubt as to the origin of the word "church," but it is quite generally conceded to have come from a Greek word that means, "belonging to the Lord," and in this definition is specially involved the thought of God as the all-power, omnipotence.
Then, more specifically, the original sense of the word is "that which manifests, or shows forth the Divine power." There being but one omnipotence, but one God, to whom all things belong, there can be but one "belonging," one manifesting of power, — in other words, but one church.
