“And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” – Matthew 16:16

This surely is the place to start. Jesus answering Peter says: “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.” – Matthew 16:18. Upon the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God is the Church built. Jesus is the Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4), and the chief (first) cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-21) being the Christ of God Almighty.

“22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” – Ephesians 1:22-23

“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” – Colossians 1:18

Jesus Christ is the head over all things to the Church, which is the body. Seems fairly simple.

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” – Matthew 18:20.

We learn that where two or more believers are gathered, there is Jesus with them. This is an assembly (Hebrews 10:24-25) of followers of Christ.

Excerpt from Essential Christian Instruction Part Four:

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” – Romans 12:4-5. “Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” – 1 Corinthians 12:27 See also: 1 Corinthians 12:12

A local church is a body of believers. All followers of Jesus are His Church, sometimes referred to in Scripture as the body of Christ. The church of Jesus Christ is not a church building. When the members refuse to serve, they make the body lame and dysfunctional retarding the growth of His church by slowing the spreading of the Gospel to every tongue. God has a job for you to do that the body may be whole. That’s what the early Church did everywhere they went, including this example from Acts at Antioch.

“And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.” – Acts 11:26

Prior to this, Christians were referred to as those [serving] “in the way” [of Christ].

Scripture also refers to a church when discussing one particular group of believers that assemble together, such as those at Antioch, Corinth, or Ephesus.

As best we can reckon, “house of God” appears 88 times in the KJV, a few of those times are in the New Testament, but only one of those is not a reference to an Old Testament instance:

“But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 3:15

According to the Holy Bible, the house of God is the church of the living God, a fact we’ve already rightly established; this is the Church, the body of Christ. It’s not a building. Paul, to Timothy, and by application to Pastors, Deacons, Bishops, and Preachers today, and by extension, all of us saints must behave ourselves fittingly of men and women that are in Christ Jesus as a member of the body of Christ. 1 Timothy 3:15 is not about a building; it’s about a temple not made with hands (Acts 7:47-5o): “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” 1 Corinthians 3:16. We are Christ’s house: see Hebrews 3:6. The same penman who, inspired of God, wrote 1 Timothy 3:15 also wrote Ephesians 1:21-22. There are no contradictions in the word of God.

The temple was specifically destroyed by Christ so that you might NOT build an altar to him anywhere but in your heart, the true altar being in Heaven (Revelation 5:9-14). Worship in a building ended in 70AD, ushering in a new and better covenant (Hebrews 8:13). I personally don’t begrudge folks that gather in a building, and we don’t think God does either; it’s out of the elements and away from distractions, after all.  But there is no more temple, no more house of God, and the wicked term used by the government and others that seek control by denoting all religious establishments as “houses of worship;” that term is repugnant to the clear word of God. There’s only one God and one Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5)! In those ‘houses of worship,” they worship what, they know not, and more likely they worship the devil himself.

See: The Preeminence Of The New Covenant And Abolishment Of The Old Covenant

Ye are the temple of the living God. The American Church is at the point where they have rejected the New Covenant in Christ’s blood. To be sure, nothing good will come of that.

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Disclaimer number one: The owner of this Blog has never expressed to me an opinion about church incorporation. The below are not the views of this Blog or its owner. Nor do I endorse any of the linked organizations.

Disclaimer number two: I’m not a lawyer, nor do I play one on the internet. Do your own research about the laws of men. I can, however, tell you that beyond the shadow of a doubt, the body of Christ seeking government to usurp in any way the form or functions of God or His authority, or that of Christ over His Church, is a violation of God’s Law-word in the First Commandment (Exodus 20:3).

Here’s the Wikipedia about the Johnson Amendment.

The amendment is named for then-Senator Lyndon B. Johnson of Texas, who introduced it in a preliminary draft of the law in July 1954.

Key graph (Wikipedia quoting the code. Bold in the original):

(3) Corporations, and any community chest, fund, or foundation, organized and operated exclusively for religious, charitable, scientific, testing for public safety, literary, or educational purposes, or to foster national or international amateur sports competition (but only if no part of its activities involve the provision of athletic facilities or equipment), or for the prevention of cruelty to children or animals, no part of the net earnings of which inures to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual, no substantial part of the activities of which is carrying on propaganda, or otherwise attempting, to influence legislation (except as otherwise provided in subsection (h)), and which does not participate in, or intervene in (including the publishing or distributing of statements), any political campaign on behalf of (or in opposition to) any candidate for public office.

And that is the crux of the law. As further background, a very popular pastor disgusted with Johnson’s Texas politics was railing against him from the pulpit. Johnson didn’t like it, of course, as it might have cost him his true aspirations of the White House, so he introduced this law. No more railing against the government from the pulpit was allowed.

Importantly, a group of believers in no way must register or take tax status. Under the First Amendment, the Church of Jesus Christ, that is, the body of Christ is immune to taxation.

The first amendment:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Obviously, the Johnson Amendment violates the establishment clause. Congress made a law narrowing the scope of religious activity to something that can have zero effect on morality and the good order of civilization. This puts the Johnson Amendment in direct conflict with Jesus Christ under the mission of the Great Commission.

Three bodies are ordained in God’s created order: Church, Family, and State. The Church of Jesus Christ is to be the foremost moral authority and influence upon civilization. Government can no more be the moral authority than pigs can fly. Nor can the State raise children to be productive and moral citizens; that’s the function of God’s ordained Family. A quote from God’s Church, Family, State:

“The Church (body of Christ) is restorative. Only God can change a man’s heart, filling him with the fruit of the Spirit to make him a minister and servant of the good. The family, not the State, is preventive in the proper training and raising of the generations.”

I contend that at the root of the problem is property. A local body cannot buy a property without collateral (the body) and a property tax stamp which requires them to become an organization. The body of Christ, at this point, ceases to function under the Law of God, has taken a new master in the Government, and usually does so in order to take yet another master; a Banker, by seeking debt slavery to tend property forsaking the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ to go into all the world teaching and preaching the Gospel.

I further contend that the Church was nationalized by Constantine in the early 300s, “granting” the Church property. This wrecked the true Church. It was the first attempt to take over the Church by changing its mission from conquering the world in the name of Jesus Christ to settling down and tending to property, becoming a passive fraud with many government strings attached to the “free” property.

Some still see Constantine as acquiescing to the Church and consider what happened then to be a good thing. I strongly disagree, for unless the Church takes up arms and rules by force of Law over the Government, the converse will always happen, and I in no way endorse a Church ruling over men at the point of a sword because we are all sinners. I do, however, fully endorse the Church taking over the government under the Great Commission: by converting its people and otherwise populating every government position and seat with true believers that have the Holy Spirit of God in them. That’s the Bible way! Not only is “our” government incapable of ruling in the righteousness of Christ without a moral and religious people but neither can any government.

Once the Church comes under Government purview, as it did then and now again under the Johnson Amendment, it ceases in every way, shape, form, and manner to be the Church of Jesus Christ. It has become a creature of the State. Jesus is the King and shall have no co-equals; no man will ever rule Him! The Johnson Amendment, cleverly but by a different approach, has done the same here in the United States that wrecked the early Church in the 300s. Many consider what happened to the early Church as having later brought the dark ages by allowing paganism and all manner of depravity into the body; with this, I agree. The devil isn’t stupid, evil, yes; dumb, no! Many figure that a new dark age is on the horizon; how could they be wrong?

An interesting take is presented here about IRS 501(c)3 incorporation. Excerpt:

Organism or Organization?

Is the body of Christ an Organism or an Organization? An organism is a living thing. I am living, and I am part of the body of Christ. The body of Christ is the church. An incorporated Church is not an organism, but an organization. An organization is a creature of the State, and as such must hold allegiance to the creator of their organization.

All those who join with an organization that is under corporation status accept the debt of that organization, and become subject to that debt of another. I do not need to tell you what scripture tells us about this debt. Borrowing money, for expansion, from the ungodly bankers, is not a biblical principle and, as such, cannot be blessed by God.

Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th Edition, defines ‘organization’ as a “corporation or government subdivision or agency, business trust, partnership or association…or any other legal or commercial entity”. This definition shows that an organization (even if it functions as a church) is recognized as commercial and public; an incorporated Church is legally interpreted as a commercial entity. But didn’t Christ say “make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise” (John 2:16)?

The real benefit the 501(c)(3) Church looks for with incorporation is the ability to borrow large amounts of debt capital [debt is not capital, fyi]. This enslaves every man, woman, and child whose name appears on the membership roles of the Church. How can this be? Because every officer and member of the Church pledges themselves as surety for the commercial debts of the Church, whether they know it or not. Why is this? Because the member’s name that appears on the Church rolls is a beneficiary of the Church ‘services’, which are also construed as commercial by the government (the term ‘service’ is a commercial term, and means either to get paid for an occupation, or it means an act giving assistance or advantage to another, which results in a benefit). Additionally, the ‘tax-deductible contributions’ are further evidence of the commercial connection to the corporation.

A maxim of law states: “He who accepts the benefit must also bear the burden,” meaning if one accepts any benefit of the incorporated Church one is liable for the debts and acts of the church leadership. If the Church is sued and a cash settlement is ordered by the court, there is virtually no limit as to how far the court can extend its power to collect from the members, even if they are not the officers responsible for committing the civil crime. “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Mat.11:30).

“Although it was once said that ‘a corporation is not indictable, but the particular members are‘ [Anon., 12 Mod. 559], it is now well settled that a corporation may be indicted for omission to perform a public duty imposed upon it by law.” Reg. V. Birmingham & G. Ry. Co., 3 Q.B. 233; New York & G.L.R. Co. v. State, 50 N.J.Law 303, 13 Atl. 1, affirmed in 53 N.J.Law, 244, 23 Atl. 168.

In Jesus’ day, the chief priests bound themselves to Caesar (John 19:14-15). Who were they a priest of? Caesar. Who did they minister for? Caesar. Who does the 501(c)(3) Church now minister for? “We have no king but Caesar.” They have a United States flag in every one of their Churches. “We don’t make political statements from the pulpit anymore, we don’t ever preach against the one for whom we minister. We don’t want to lose our tax-exempt status!” So, we had fascism in Christ’s day, the same fascism we have today.

A local church I briefly attended was working toward planting another church in the same county. A prayer request sent to me and hundreds of others by the pastor spoke of finding a location under God’s calling and creating a “pioneer” team for that job, and the letter included this:

We spent much of last week finalizing the papers necessary to file for incorporation and 501(c)(3) status. This is tedious but very important work. These papers begin to establish the DNA of the church, and they are crucial prerequisites that set us up for the next set of milestones. Please pray that the filing process will go smoothly and quickly.”

Read that again carefully, and let it sink in. The very DNA of that church was not established in the deity of Christ; God’s only begotten Son by His perfect DNA spilled on the earth in His blood sacrifice for the salvation of His people and soon coming restoration of all things in the new heaven and the new earth. That church is not wed to Christ in the New Covenant. Nope… not at all. It says the DNA of that church is government organizational incorporation under tax-exempt status. That is disgusting! As far as I know, those people never objected, and they soon planted their church. I, needless to say, left. Who is Jesus Christ if He isn’t the DNA of His own Church!?! Even the use of the word DNA denotes a body in creation!!!

An interesting take is on this video (skip to 22:45 – 38:30).

A better one is here: Pastor John Weaver, The Bible and Treason. If you love the word of God, watch the whole thing. It’s a rich and interesting study. If not, you can skip ahead to about the 40:00 minute mark and watch to the end. Also, he cites a legal case, Hollis(sp?) v Marshall(sp?), 1981, about State Street Baptist Church in Kentucky, but we couldn’t find the decision using a simple web search. Perhaps someone enterprising or a lawyer can find it for us.

We encourage you to do your own research on the state of the American Church, 501(c)3 status, and to pray to God that He would guide you in this matter.

“1 Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens; 2 A minister of the sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man.” – Hebrews 8:1-2