Throughout the Old Testament, there are many instances wherein a wife or bride is seen to be a type of a New Testament church. In the New Testament, passages such as Ephesians 5:22-33 present husband and wife as a type of Christ and church. Verse 32 of that passage says, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church." Other New Testament passages refer to Jesus’ kind of church as a "body" and liken it and its members to a human body and its members, as in 1 Corinthians 12. We may refer to many kinds of organizations, such as a legislative body or a body of congress, as bodies; but there is something unique about Jesus’ churches. They, consisting of Christ as head united with members having spiritual life, are bodies that possess spiritual life. They are not merely organizations, but are organisms. Webster’s Dictionary defines an organization as "individuals systematically united for some work; a society," and an organism as "an organized body or system; a living body." The Scriptural facts stated above force a multitude of implications in regard to church truths, some of which will be considered in the pages that follow.

    Being aware of much recent controversy regarding our subject, and having very dear friends with opposing views, it seems especially difficult to address the issues to the extent I feel is necessary. Recognizing that most who have been exposed to the church authority and succession controversy may be weary from it, it is understood that this work will probably find little appreciation. It is not a matter that we can just ignore and hope to go away. We will either defend the truth or surrender it. It is of grave importance that we defend truth now and that such defense be recorded for the next generation. As we face the perilous times of these last days, when true Christianity and the Lord’s churches are under attack from all about, it is desirable that there be as much unity among true Baptists as possible. We must, however, find our unity in truth or else the condition is worse than ever. When those who hold the truth compromise, they lose. It is with a desire that all Jesus’ churches be united in defense of all truth that these pages are written. Every effort has been made to avoid offense or injury to anyone, without compromise of the truth or of what is felt must be said. If there is a failure in that regard, I humbly ask the reader to excuse it as the inability to adequately express myself.