What is the Church?

What is the Church?

The Church is built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Jesus as the cornerstone!

The Word “Church”

The Greek word translated “church” is ekklesia

The Study of the church is called ecclesiology 

The word ekklesia comes from two words Ek (out of) and kletos (Called). so some have said that the word church simply means “called out ones”. 

To derive the meaning of a word one must do more work and see how it is actually used.

The Origins in the Old Testament 

The Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament is called the Septuagint (LXX).

The word Ekklesia is used about 65 times in the Septuagint 

Deuteronomy 9:10; 10:4; 18:6

Joshua 8:35

Deuteronomy 4:10

“God’s eternal plan has always been to display his glory not just through individuals but through a corporate body…in the Old Testament, Israel is called God’s son, his spouse, the apple of his eye, his vine; and his flock. Through these names, God foreshadowed the work he would eventually do through Christ and his church.” ~Mark Dever

Politically in Jesus’ Day

Acts 19:32,41

“In the New Testament, the English word church can be used to describe a local congregation or all Christians everywhere. In contemporary use, the word is also used to describe buildings and denominations. In these latter ways, the English word church does not exactly parallel the Greek word in the New Testament.” ~Mark Dever

Just because we use the word “church” a certain way — that doesn’t mean the writers of Scripture are using it the same way 

How the word is used in the New Testament

The word is used about 114 times in the New Testament 

Matthew 16:18 — My (Jesus’) Church

Acts 20:28 — the Church was bought with the blood of Jesus

The Church or Churches of God

Paul persecuted the church and later established churches

Paul speaks of people’s behavior within the church

In Paul’s letters, statements about the church beyond the level of a local assembly are rare.

Hebrews 12:23

James 5:14

The congregation in 2 and 3 John struggled with false teachers and leaders

The Book of Revelation: messages to specific churches or assemblies — what follows then is meant for the local church

The Images of the Church

There are as many as 96 different images used in Scripture of the church 

Categories of Images: 

a. The People of God

1 Peter 2:9-10

The Church is an assembly but not just any assembly — it is the people of God. 

b. Fellowship 

The Church is God’s Plan A and there is no Plan B

The Church is the regular gathering of God’s people but it is more: 

There is a common commitment — an agreement to be the body of Christ together

The church in the NT had a clear identity and these knew who was in and who was not — and these knew what it meant to be part of the church.

The Lord’s Table 

1 Corinthians 11 — Celebrating the Lord’s Supper is a vital part of the life of the church 

“We believe that a true Christian church is a union of believing and baptized Christians, who have covenanted to strive to keep all that Christ has commanded, to sustain public worship, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to choose among themselves shepherds or overseers, and deacons, to administer baptism and the Lord’s Supper, to practice Christian church-discipline, to promote godliness and brotherly love, and to contribute to the general spread of the gospel; also that every such church is an independent body, free in its relation to other Christian churches and acknowledging Christ only as its head.” Swedish Baptist Confession of 1861