What is the church? Is it the building on the corner? An organization of like-minded individuals? Any gathering of Christians? With everything, but especially in Scriptural matters, we benefit greatly from having not only a correct understanding, but a comprehensive one. The Apostle Paul rhetorically asks in 1 Corinthians 12:17, "If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be?" Your eyes may be a part of your body, but they are not the whole. Similarly, the church, according to the Bible, has many aspects. In this series, we’ll examine what the Bible teaches us about the church. Like facets of a gem, the more we see, the more we’ll appreciate the exceeding preciousness of the church.
The first mention of the Church is in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 18, verse 16. By divine revelation, Peter correctly identifies Jesus of Nazareth as "the Christ, the Son of the living God." (Matt. 16:16-17) After affirming his response, Jesus immediately pivots and speaks what many theologians believe to be the greatest prophecy in the entire Bible: "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church." (Matt. 18:16) We’ve spoken at length about the importance of our walk with Christ. But in this portion of the Scriptures, we see that what is important to God is the church. Peter correctly identified and uplifted Jesus as the Christ. But Jesus redirected the conversation from Himself, God’s way to accomplish His purpose, to God’s purpose itself, the church. Jesus seems to be saying, "Yes, I am the Christ. But there is something more. My being the Christ is to change you from Simon to Peter, and your individual transformation is for the church." If we have never considered the importance of the church, this portion of God’s word should cause us to pause and maybe even offer a prayer. "Father, thank you for revealing Your Son, Jesus Christ, to me. Please also show me the church."
In Greek, the word church is ἐκκλησία (ekklésia), and literally means "the gathering of the called out ones." This definition provides a basic understanding of what the Church is. In simple terms, it's the assembling together of the people that God has chosen and called out of the world. However, if we derived our understanding solely from the literal meaning of the Greek, while we would not be wrong, we would fall far short of the complete Scriptural revelation of the church. According to the Word of God, the church has many aspects, including the Body of Christ, the new man, the kingdom of God, the household of God, the dwelling place of God, and the bride and wife of Christ, just to name a few. (Eph. 1:23; 4:13; 2:15; 2:19; 5:24-25) We may have never considered or realized that the church is so multifaceted. Each aspect reveals and emphasizes a different perspective of the church, and as we comprehend each perspective, we gain a more complete view. The more comprehensive our view, the greater our appreciation and experience of the church. Our initial experience and interaction with the church often aligns with the rudimentary Greek meaning. But even this most basic aspect of the church merits our deeper consideration and Scriptural exploration.
A Scriptural understanding of the church requires a crucial paradigm shift: viewing the church not as an organization but as an organism, a living entity. In Matthew 18:16, Jesus indicates that the church belongs to Him, "I will build my church." But we need to realize that the church does not merely belong to Christ as His possession. The church is Christ’s because it is of Him, shares His life, and even is Him. We may have heard of the "Body of Christ" before, but unconsciously defined it in a secular or traditional way, thinking of it as an organized unit or group of people with a common purpose. But our relationship to Christ as members of His body is not metaphorical; it is a spiritual reality. The church is an entity constituted with the divine life, God’s life. On the individual side, when we received Christ Jesus, we were regenerated, received a new life into us, and were born again. On the corporate side, we were taken out of the world and put into Christ as members of His body. Not only is Christ in us, but we are in Christ. (Rom. 8:10; Col. 1:27; John 14:20; Gal. 2:20; 4:19; 1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 6:3; Gal. 3:27; 2 Cor. 12:2) In John 15:5, Jesus gives us a practical explanation of this mysterious reality: "I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing." "Bear fruit" positively and "do nothing" negatively in this verse indicate that the church has a purpose. And Ephesians 3:10-11 specifically tells us that God’s eternal purpose is made known through the church. God’s purpose is not with individual believers, but with the church, the corporate Body of Christ. Just as a branch is a living part of the vine and contains the life of the vine, so also the believers, as members of the church, contain Christ’s life and are His living members. This divine thought, that as believers in Christ, we are members of His body, is seen in Ephesians 1:22-23, which tells us that the church is the Body of Christ. And it’s repeated in Colossians 1:18: "[Christ] is the Head of the Body, the church," and again in 1:24: "[Christ’s] Body, which is the church." A pile of branches or a collection of body parts can be organized, but their function is nonexistent, and their expression, grotesque. A vine and a living body are united by virtue of their common and shared life. Our God is living, and His purpose can only be accomplished by a living entity, not a dead organization. This is the Scriptural understanding of the church, and why the Apostle referred to Christ and the church as a great mystery. (Eph. 5:32)
We hope this post has helped you broaden your perspective of the church. Many people today, even genuine believers in Christ, see the church as unnecessary and antiquated. But the Bible reveals that Christ is for the church. Not only did Christ die for the church, but He is daily working to prepare the church for His return. (Eph. 5:25-26) If we desire to walk with Christ, we must have His view and His heart for the church.