MANY are the conflicting claims of numerous religious systems concerning "the church", about which so many good and heartening things are written in the Holy Scriptures . Some contend that their religious organization alone has exclusive right to represent God . They say that the individual seeking God's favor and blessing must attend prescribed religious meetings, must support the organization financially and otherwise, and must be submissive to the dictates of cardinals, bishops, fathers, vicars, pastors and other men charged with the oversight of such organization. Then, again, others maintain that one's belonging to any one of the religious systems will assure him membership in "the church", because all such organizations are "traveling the same path" . Such confusing claims as these make the way of the honest and sincere inquirer difficult, and he is at first in a quandary as to the meaning of the religious expression "the church", in some Bible translations . What is "the church"? And how does it serve God's purpose?

There are numerous so-called "Protestant" religious systems claiming to be "the church" . The Jews also make claim of holding first place in God's heart and honestly believe they as a people will yet be God's exclusive instrument . However, among the religious bodies professing to be God's channel the Roman Catholic religious system is outstanding . Therefore its claim is here specially considered . That Vatican-directed organization has spread its influence to the far-flung reaches of Christendom. On six continents and on islands of the seas are to be found its priestly representatives, conducting religious meetings and supervising the education of the young wherever possible .

Catholic doctrine claims that the church of Rome is the only true church, built upon Peter as its foundation . The Hierarchy contends he was the first pope ; also that the pope is the visible head of the church, is successor of Peter, is infallible, and is the only man authorized to interpret the Bible. In support of this claim they seize upon Jesus' words to Peter, as recorded at Matthew 16 :18 : "And I say to thee : That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church . And the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Dy) And so, claiming Peter as the first pope and the foundation of the church, Catholic doctrine has it that the Vatican religious organization operated by a "Sacred College of Cardinals" with the successor of Peter in the person of the pope at the head is God's church, His instrument, for the outworking of His purposes and the blessing of men . Clergymen teach that the duty of the church is to "save souls" and prepare men for the "next life" .

However, there is a total absence of Scriptural proof that the apostle Peter was ever given the primacy in the Christian congregation . In proof that Paul, for example, was in no wise inferior to Peter, Paul says : "But when Cephas [Peter] was come to Antioch, I withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed . For before that some came from James, he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing them who were of the circumcision. And to his dissimulation the rest of the Jews consented : so that Barnabas also was led by them into that dissimulation. But when I saw that they walked not uprightly unto the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas [Peter] before them all : If thou, being a Jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles and not as the Jews do, how dost thou compel the Gentiles to live as do the Jews?" (Galatians 2:11-14, Dy) Peter wrote the first of his two epistles from Babylon, but there is no evidence that Peter even so much as visited Rome, although the Holy Scriptures definitely say Paul did. (1 Peter 5 :13) Nor did the twelve apostles have any successors, for Jesus revealed at Apocalypse (or Revelation) 21 :14 that there are only "twelve apostles of the Lamb" . (Dy) Hence the claim that the pope as successor to Peter is the head of the church is without any foundation in Scripture or in fact. For men to build an organization on earth and label it "The Church", claiming that it is God's true church, is to do violence to God's Word, as will be shown hereinafter . Such an earthly body is not "the church" or "the congregation of God", nor can it ever be, because it is not of God's building and would not serve his purpose.

Scripturally "church" means a congregation called out from the world for God's purpose ; and so the New World Translation renders the Greek word ekklesia by the English word "congregation" . The doctrine concerning the church or congregation was for a long time a sacred secret . It was first revealed to those selected from among men as members of the congregation . (Mark 4 :11) There is but one real and true congregation and it is referred to in Scripture as "the congregation of the living God" . (1 Timothy 3 :15, NW) God by means of his Son Christ Jesus is the builder of that congregation, for Hebrews 3 :3, 4 (NW) says : "He who constructs it has more honor than the house. Of course, every house is constructed by someone, but he that constructed all things is God." It is the sanctuary, "the true tent, which Jehovah set up, and not man ." (Hebrews 8 :2, NW) The true congregation is the agency through which the Almighty God has purposed to vindicate his sovereignty and his name and to bring blessings to obedient men .

Knowing full well the important use to which the congregation would be put, the all-wise God has established it upon a tried and proved Foundation Rock . When Jesus advised Peter, "Upon this rock I will build my church," Jesus was referring to himself as the Great Rock upon which his church would be built . According to the Syriac manuscript Jesus said : "Thou art Cephas : and upon this rock [cephas], I will build my church ." (Murdock's translation from the Syriac) In the Syriac Manuscript the pronoun thou is masculine and shows that the first Cephas is masculine and means the apostle Peter . But in this expression "this rock" the Syriac adjective for this is feminine, showing that the second cephas is feminine and here refers, not to Peter, but to someone else . It refers to Christ Jesus himself, who is the Great Rock. "The rock [petra, Greek; cephas, Syriac] was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10 :4, Dy) Peter believed in that "Rock" and boldly proclaimed Christ Jesus to be the heavenly Foundation, The Rock, upon which the congregation of God is built . To the Jewish rulers Peter said : "This is the stone which was rejected by you the builders, which is become the head of the corner . Neither is there salvation in any other . For there is no other name under heaven given to men, whereby we must be saved."-Acts 4 :11, 12, Dy; also see 1 Peter 2 :3- 10, Dy.

The apostle Paul confirms Peter's statement that Christ Jesus is the Chief One of the true church body, saying : "The Christ also is head of the congregation ." "And he is the head of the body, the congregation. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that he might become the one who is first in all things ." (Ephesians 5 :23 and Colossians 1 :18, NW) This is true because he is the only one who could qualify for that important place in Jehovah's heavenly ruling organization. The headship of the congregation was too lofty a position to entrust it to an imperfect, though faithful, man like Peter, to say nothing of conferring the responsibility upon a succession of popes of Rome who are in no way imitators of Peter so far as adhering to Christian doctrine is concerned . Jesus Christ is "living for ever and ever" and does not need a man on earth as a visible head of the congregation or as his personal representative. (Revelation 1 :18, NW) Alive in heaven, he sent the holy spirit and uses it to direct the congregation on earth. (John 15 :26 ; 16:7, 13) The congregation is no earthly organization, but is Jehovah's own theocratic organization into which he brings faithful ones from among men .

In a typical or pictorial sense the nation of the twelve tribes of Israel under Moses was a church or congregation. (Acts 7 :37,38, Dy; NW) The Greater Moses, Christ Jesus, first received from his Father the apostles as twelve associate "pillars" of the congregation, of whom Peter was one . (John 17 :6) This is pictured in symbol at Revelation 21:14, where the congregation is compared to a great city : "And the wall of the city had twelve foundations : and in them, the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." (Dy) The twelve were laid as foundation stones of the congregation, but with Christ Jesus as the basic foundation. (Ephesians 2 :20) Hence the apostle Peter says to all members of the true congregation, including the twelve apostles and all those since chosen : "Be you also as living stones built up, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ ." -1 Peter 2 :5, Dy.

MEMBERS

Those brought into the congregation are selected or chosen by God through Jesus Christ, the one first chosen . They do not gain entrance to the congregation of their own accord or desire, nor do they choose their positions of service in it ; for "now God has set the members in the body, each one of them, just as he pleased" . (1 Peter 2:4 ; 2 Thessalonians 2 :13; John 15 :19 ; 1 Corinthians 12 :18, NW; John 3:27) After the selection of the "twelve apostles of the Lamb" as foundation pillars, the call went forth to the nation of Israel exclusively for three and a half years and God selected from among the Jews faithful persons to be associated with Christ Jesus in the heavenly congregation . These preached the Word of God, and many were added to the congregation .-Acts 2 :41,46,47.

Later, at the home of a Gentile named Cornelius, Peter was privileged to extend the divine invitation for the first time to the non-Jews or Gentiles . These likewise began to preach God's Word, and many more Gentiles were added to the congregation. (Acts 10 :44-48 ; 15 :14) It is noteworthy that all those brought into association with the congregation were, like Jesus, preachers of the Word.

After the selection of the apostles as the first members of the true congregation, Jehovah has continued selecting other "living stones" for his congregation . This selecting work has been going on during the nineteen centuries since Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven . The Bible holds out heavenly hopes to these called to be part of the congregation, as is so well shown by Paul's words : "Our citizenship exists in the heavens, from which place also we are eagerly waiting for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will refashion our humiliated body to be conformed to his glorious body according to the operation of the power which he has, even to subject all things to himself ."-Philippians 3 :20,21, NW.

In order to be united finally with Christ in the heavenly congregation, the apostles and others afterward selected were required to finish their earthly course faithful to the death, as Jesus did . (1 Peter 2 :21; Revelation 2 :10) Though they were all received into the covenant for the Kingdom or heavenly congregation, they were at death not immediately taken to heaven and united with the Head of the congregation . They slept in the grave until the first resurrection at the coming of Christ Jesus to Jehovah's temple in 1918, when they were raised to glory with him their Head . (Luke 22 :29, 30, NW; Revelation 20:6) Today there yet remain on earth some who are in line for association with Christ Jesus in the heavenly congregation, but they too must finish their earthly course faithful to the death . According to God's Word, any of these dying now are "changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye", to an eternal spirit existence with Christ Jesus in his heavenly "body" or congregation .-1 Corinthians 15 :42-54; Revelation 14 :13.

At Revelation 14 :1, 3 the Bible is conclusive in predicting that the final number of the heavenly congregation will be 144,000, according to God's decree. Because his true congregation was pictured by the twelve tribes of Israel under Moses, the heavenly congregation is likened to twelve tribes of 12,000 members each, under the Greater Moses, Christ Jesus . The congregation, then, is restricted to this select, predestinated number ; and in heaven it is made the capital part or ruling body of Jehovah's universal organization . It is referred to in Scripture also as the "body" of Christ and as the "bride" of the Lamb Jesus Christ . (Revelation 7 :4-8 ; 19 :7 ; 21 :9 ; Ephesians 1 :20-23) All other creatures receiving life at God's hand through the Kingdom will not be a part of "the congregation of God", but will live on this earth under the rulership of Christ Jesus and his congregation in the heavens .

ITS COMMISSION

Christ Jesus, the Head of the congregation, is called in Scripture "the faithful and true witness" . (Revelation 3:14) From the time he was anointed till his lips were stilled in death on the torture stake he devoted his every effort to preaching the gospel or good news about God's kingdom, declaring the majesty of Jehovah's name and singing forth his praises . As Head of the congregation he quoted his commission, from Isaiah 61 :1, 2 (AS) "The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me ; be cause Jehovah hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek ; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the year of Jehovah's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God ; to comfort all that mourn ." His was a preaching work . -Luke 4 :18-21.

Jesus plainly declared that the same commission rested upon the members of the congregation . He said to them : "You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth ." Peter confirms this commission of the congregation to preach the same as Jesus did : "You are `a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for special possession, that you should declare abroad the excellencies' of the one that called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2 :9, NW) That is why, on the occasion of his visit with his faithful disciples shortly prior to his ascension, Jesus said : "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them ." (Matthew 28:19, 20, NW) The commission to preach about God's kingdom devolves upon all members of the congregation, for they are all anointed with God's spirit . They must minister to the spiritual needs of all men seeking life and blessings at God's hands. -Matthew 10 :1-14 ; Luke 10 :1-12 ; 1 John 2 :20, 27 ; Isaiah 61 :6 .

The remnant yet on earth of the members of Christ's body or congregation are thus ministering by `preaching this good news of the Kingdom in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all nations' . (Matthew 24 :14, NW) Those members now resurrected and united with Christ Jesus at the temple all proved faithful by a consistent course of preaching and ministering while on earth, and they are forevermore in heaven with the Head of the congregation as his joint heirs and co-rulers in Jehovah's glorious Theocracy .

From the foregoing one thing is clearly seen : It is not the duty of the remnant of the congregation yet on earth, who are Jehovah's witnesses, to enter into political alliances with the nations of this world . Nor is it their duty and responsibility to build a huge earthly organization, backed by fabulous wealth and ornamented with costly and imposing structures for religious worship, and supervised by a special clergy class of men . (John 18 :36; Matthew 6 :19-33) No ; the responsibility of the remnant yet in the flesh is to praise Jehovah's name and bear witness to his supremacy and glory . How? By ministering the spiritual "food at the proper time" to those hungering and thirsting for the truth, inviting all to partake of the "water of life freely" . Theirs is the responsibility to see that Jehovah's name and Word are declared in every part of the earth where He makes such proclamation possible. That work is done in the very same manner as Jesus did it, namely, from house to house, city to city, province to province, and publicly . (Mark 1 :38 ; Matthew 11 :1 ; Acts 20 :20,21) Their faithfulness must be shown by performing their commission to preach in spite of any and all opposition, and in this way they prove their trustworthiness as Jesus did .

How is the true congregation fulfilling God's purpose on earth today? By seeing to it that the good news is preached as He commands. Bibles, books, booklets, magazines, tracts, voice recordings, public preaching, and every other Scripturally proper means is being used to publish abroad the Kingdom message . That this would be the right course, the only course for the congregation down at this "time of the end" of this world, was clearly defined by Jesus' prophecy to his apostles, at Matthew 24 :14 : "This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness to all the nations, and then the accomplished end will come." (NW) The congregation is responsible to do such preaching and to do it in the same way that Jesus did it. Only the true congregation is doing that work today and in that way. Therefore which is the true church or congregation and who are associated with it on earth is clearly to be seen . (Matthew 7:15, 20; 21 :43) The true congregation is doing God's work as he has commanded. It will continue to do so until that portion of the congregation's work on earth is finished.