QUESTION: Does the church save?

ANSWER: The saved are added by the Lord to the church (Acts 2:47). After having been added to the church, the saved in the church then go into all the world preaching the gospel so that others can be saved (Mark 16:15-16). Paul says that the church makes known the manifold wisdom of God (Ephesians 3:10). By preaching the gospel then, the church makes known the wisdom of God unto salvation. In this secondary and indirect sense it can be said that the church saves, but it must be realized that there is no direct authority in the church. All authority resides solely in the word of God! Some in the denominational world, such as the Catholic Church, teach that saving authority resides in the church and not the Word of God! Faithful Christians will reject any such notion!