Question: "What is the church?"
Answer: Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” – a people set apart - comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” of “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of the people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building’s location. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not the building, but a body of believers.
The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The body of Christ is comprised of two main aspects:
1) The universal church consists of all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in all countries & through all of time. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This verse says that anyone who believes is part of the body of Christ and has received the Spirit of Christ as evidence. The universal church of God is all those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ in all countries, in all denominations, throughout all time.
2) The local church on the other hand is described in Galatians 1:1-2: “Paul, an apostle … and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia.” Here we see that in the province of Galatia there were many churches—what we call local churches. A Baptist church, Lutheran church, Catholic church, etc., is not the Capital “C” - Church, as in the universal church—but rather is a local church, a local body of believers. The universal church is comprised of those who belong to Christ and who have trusted Him for salvation. These members of the universal church should seek fellowship and edification in a local church.
In summary, the church is not a building or a particular denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Local churches are gatherings of members of the universal church trying in their own way to honor Christ by how they “do church” in their local church. The local church is where the members of the universal church can fully apply the “body” principles of 1 Corinthians chapter 12: encouraging, teaching, and building one another up in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Answer: Many people today understand the church as a building. This is not a biblical understanding of the church. The word “church” – a people set apart - comes from the Greek word ekklesia which is defined as “an assembly” of “called-out ones.” The root meaning of “church” is not that of a building, but of the people. It is ironic that when you ask people what church they attend, they usually identify a building’s location. Romans 16:5 says “… greet the church that is in their house.” Paul refers to the church in their house—not the building, but a body of believers.
The church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head. Ephesians 1:22-23 says, “And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.” The body of Christ is made up of all believers in Jesus Christ from the day of Pentecost (Acts chapter 2) until Christ’s return. The body of Christ is comprised of two main aspects:
1) The universal church consists of all those who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ in all countries & through all of time. “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13). This verse says that anyone who believes is part of the body of Christ and has received the Spirit of Christ as evidence. The universal church of God is all those who have received salvation through faith in Jesus Christ in all countries, in all denominations, throughout all time.
2) The local church on the other hand is described in Galatians 1:1-2: “Paul, an apostle … and all the brothers with me, to the churches in Galatia.” Here we see that in the province of Galatia there were many churches—what we call local churches. A Baptist church, Lutheran church, Catholic church, etc., is not the Capital “C” - Church, as in the universal church—but rather is a local church, a local body of believers. The universal church is comprised of those who belong to Christ and who have trusted Him for salvation. These members of the universal church should seek fellowship and edification in a local church.
In summary, the church is not a building or a particular denomination. According to the Bible, the church is the body of Christ—all those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Local churches are gatherings of members of the universal church trying in their own way to honor Christ by how they “do church” in their local church. The local church is where the members of the universal church can fully apply the “body” principles of 1 Corinthians chapter 12: encouraging, teaching, and building one another up in the knowledge and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Questions?
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What is the
Church?
The Church Universal (sometimes called the Church Invisible)
–
In this
aspect of the “church” belongs all genuine Christians everywhere, in all time.
This aspect is what makes me a modern Baptist, Martin Luther from the 1500s (a
Lutheran) and John Calvin from the 1600s (a Presbyterian) all brothers in the
faith despite denominational & historical differences.
As C. S. Lewis put it the Universal Church is, “spread out
through all time and space and rooted in eternity, terrible (by this he means
grand) as an army with banners.”
The local church (aka the Church Visible) –
This is the
part where we can be doing Christ’s work for him while he’s gone…. preaching,
teaching, baptism, Lord’s Supper, all happen in the meantime till his return. A good local church will uphold the
Word of God, honoring it and preaching faithfully, proclaim the gospel
steadfastly, and feed and tend the sheep.
And
Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been
given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
“Thus,
it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the
dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should
be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You
are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the
promise of my Father upon you.”
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Read BFM2K #VI -VIII
