03.03. What Is The Church?

WHAT IS THE CHURCH? confusion. There is much confusion as to the meaning and application of the word "church." It is common these days to hear people speak of "going to church." No such statement is found in the New Testament, neither does any writer of the New Testament ever refer to the place of meeting as the church. The church is composed of the saved, or the children of God. THE MEANING OF THE WORD "CHURCH." The Greek word translated "church" is "ekklesia." This word was not coined by Christ or his apostles, but was in general use by the Greek­speaking people. Among the Greeks the word never had any religious significance. It literally meant "the called out," and was applied to any body of people "called out" and gathered together for any purpose. In this sense the word is used a few times in the New Testament. In Ephesus the silversmiths stirred up a mob against Paul. Of this mob it is said: "Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was in confusion." (Acts 19:32) The word here translated "assembly" is the identical word elsewhere translated "church." The town clerk made a speech to the mob, in which he said: "But if ye seek anything about other matters, it shall be settled in the regular assembly" (Acts 19:39). Here the word "assembly" (ekklesia) is applied to the regular court. "And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly" (Acts 19:41). Twice in this chapter the word "ekklesia" is applied to the mob, and once to the regular court. From this it is seen that in the every-day use of the word it was applied to any body of people "called out" for any purpose. why applied to God’s people. The word "ekklesia" is applied to God’s people in the New Testament because it accurately describes them. They have been "called out" of sin into holiness of living, called out of darkness into light, called out of the world into the kingdom of God. They are not called out of the world in a physical sense, but in a moral and spiritual sense. "If ye were of the world, the world would love its own: but because ye are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you" (John 15:19). They were a church only in a preparatory sense. The church had not been established, and they had not the faith necessary to membership in it. The church, the body of people called out of sin and redeemed by the blood of Christ, is a great assembly gathered together under the leadership of Christ, though each member is still a part of the citizenship of the country and fills his place in the affairs of life. If a man has been truly called out of sin, he is as much a member of the called- out body in one place as in another. If one can get firmly fixed in his mind the truth that the ones called out of sin into holiness of living constitute the church, he will not be bothered with the foolish notion that the church exists only when physically assembled. God’s people are the called-out ones, whether physically assembled or not. This body of called-out people has a continuous existence. The jailer’s house was the jailer’s family (Acts 16:34), and God’s house is God’s family (1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 2:19). It would be absurd to think that God had a family in a given place only when Christians are assembled for worship.’

NEW TESTAMENT USAGE. general sense. The word "church" ("ekklesia") in the following passages embraces all the saved, all the called out, in the world: Matthew 16:18; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:25; Hebrews 12:23. This whole body is never gathered into one physical assembly, but as a body of people called out of sin and comprising a great spiritual host it has a real existence, and every child of God on earth is a member of it. Every one who in obedience to the gospel call has separated himself from sin is a part of the called out, a part of the church, the "ekklesia." In this use of the word there are two classes of people— namely, those who have been called out of sin and those who have not—the ekklesia and the world. There are only two masters to serve, God and Satan; only two roads to travel, the narrow way and the broad way only two possible destinies, heaven and hell; and two general classes, the saved and the unsaved, the church and the world. Every responsible person, therefore, is serving either God or Satan, traveling the narrow way or the broad, on his way to heaven or hell, in the church or in the world, saved or unsaved (Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 7:24­; Matthew 12:30; Luke 16:13; Romans 6:16; John 8:34; 1 John 3:10; Romans 6:20; Colossians 3:15; Ephesians 2:16). One who has been called out of sin is by that very act one of the called out, and does not have to go through some additional routine to join himself to them. Those called out of sin are God’s family. One becomes a child of God by being born again; by this birth he becomes a member of God’s family (John 3:5). If a child of God joins anything, it will, therefore, be something other than the family of God. geographical limitations. The word "church" does not always include all the saved in the world, but sometimes it includes only the called out in a given community,. or territory, as the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:1), the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:2), the church throughout all Judea (Acts 9:31); but the essential idea is the same as when applied to the whole body—that is, it embraces the called out, the saved, in the territory mentioned. local churches or congregations. This use of the word "church" seems to have been generally overlooked. In the New Testament there is the idea of a local congregation, a body of saved people banded to­gether for work and worship and meeting together in one place. As these local congregations owned no public meeting place, they frequently met in private homes (Romans 15:4-5; Colossians 4:15; Philemon 1:2). The membership of such local congregations is not determined by geographical lines. In a city where there are several such con­gregations, various circumstances, such as convenience, opportunity for greater service, etc., will have weight in determining where a Christian shall worship. The same is true in the country where there are numerous congregations. Such matters each Christian must determine for himself. The church on College Street does not mean those Christians living on College Street, but does mean those Christians who meet regularly for worship at their place of meeting on that street, even though none of them live on that street.

MEMBERSHIP IN WHAT CHURCH OR DENOMINATION?

If a person is saved, if he has been called out of sin into the one body (Colossians 3:15), why should he join some other church? Isn’t it enough for a person to be a Christian while he lives and go to heaven when he dies? To be called out of sin into the fellowship of Christ, to be redeemed by the blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19), to be a member of God’s family, should satisfy the longing of any pious heart. It is possible for a child of God to join some denomination, just as it is possible for an American citizen to join a mob, but why should he? Surely no one thinks membership in the Baptist Church is necessary to salvation; even Baptists declare it is not. The Baptist Church did not exist till 1607. Fifty years after the organization of the first missionary society amongst the Baptists, a great gathering was held at Kettering, the place of its organization, for the purpose of celebrating that event. They published an official document in the Baptist Jubilee Memorial. Benedict quotes this document, and says that the presumption is that its statements were approved by the whole denomination. From this document we quote the following: "The first regular Baptist Church of which we possess any account is dated from 1607, and was formed in London by a Mr. Smyth, who had been a clergyman in the Church of England. It was formed on the principles of the General Baptists. In the year 1633 the first Particular Baptist Church was formed in London, under Mr. Spilsbury" (Benedict, p. 304). This quotation does not express the view of one man, but was indorsed by the whole Baptist Church at that time. Methodism began with Charles and John Wesley. This movement began as societies for mutual edification, .the first of which was organized in 1729, but did not reach a stage of independent existence as a self-governing church till 1740 (McTyeire, p. 177). The Presbyterian Church began in Scotland in 1557. These churches were organized by men, and are unknown to the New Testament. But one must be a member of the church of ’God to be saved. It is not a question of whether the church saves, for the church saves no one; but the church is the body of Christ, and he is the Savior of the body: "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is also the head of the church, being himself the Savior of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). The Lord’s church is not a denomination—it includes all of God’s children.

ONE BODY.

"There is one body" (Ephesians 4:4). "But now they are many members, but one body" (1 Corinthians 12:20), "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to the which also we were called in one body; and be ye thankful" (Colossians 3:15). what is the one body? "And he is the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:18). "For his body’s sake, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24). As Christ has but one body, so he has but one church.

Christ the head of the church. "And he is the head of the body, the church" (Colossians 1:18). "And gave him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body" (Ephesians 1:22-23). "The husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church"

(Ephesians 5:23). It is the office of the head to govern and control the body, and every body functions as the head directs. The church, therefore, must look to Christ for direction for all matters of work and worship. The church is not a democratic institution, neither is it an aristocracy; and the members do not have the right to govern the body. Neither should any congregation, nor part of a congregation, attempt to foist on a church a doctrine or to carry through a measure which the New Testament does not authorize. Such would be mobocracy. CAN ONE BE SAVED OUT OF THE CHURCH? savior of the body. If you are in the church, you are a part of that body of which Christ is the Savior. "For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, being himself the Savior of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). The church does not save, but Christ saves the church. gave himself for the church. "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25). All may avail themselves of the benefit of Christ’s death by coming out of sin into the church for which he gave himself. Only such as do this have any promise of salvation through him. The student may inquire if Christ did not die for the whole world? Yes. "He is the propitiation for our sins; not for ours only, but for the whole world" (1 John 2:2). This can mean only that the benefits of Christ’s death can be appropriated by all. purchased the church. "Feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). If one is saved without being in the church, he is saved without being purchased by the blood of Christ. reconciliation. The absolute necessity of reconciliation to God is recognized by all Christians. This reconciliation takes place in the one body. "Reconciled them both in one body unto God" (Ephesians 2:16). salvation in Christ. "That they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 2:10). To be in Christ is to be in his body, the church. Paul affirms that the Roman brethren had been baptized into Christ (Romans 6:3), and then affirms that they were "one body in Christ" (Romans 12:4-5). If one can be saved without being in the body, the church, he is saved without being in Christ. house of God. "But if I tarry long, that thou may-est know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God" (1 Timothy 3:15). Noah’s house was Noah’s family (Hebrews 11:7). The jailer’s house was the jailer’s family (Acts 16:24). It follows then that God’s house is God’s family. Spiritually there are two families in the world, God’s family and Satan’s family. God’s family is composed of his children. If one has been born again he is a child of God, a member of God’s family. To contend that one is saved without being in the church is to contend for salvation without the new birth, for by the new birth one enters the family of God. household of God. "So then ye are no longer strangers and sojourners, but ye are fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God" (Ephesians 2:19). All who are not of the household of God are strangers —they are not citizens.

ATTITUDE OF MANY TOWARD THE CHURCH

Let us not forget that the church is the blood-bought institution of the Lord. It is a detestable spirit which professes reverence for Christ and hisses at his church or speaks lightly of it. Such reveals a lack of proper regard for sacred things, and shows ignorance of the relation between Christ and his church. When Paul was persecuting the church he was persecuting Christ (Acts 22:7). To speak lightly of the church is to treat Christ with contempt, for the church is the body of Christ (Colossians 1:18-24). You cannot reverence Christ and hold his body in contempt.

Many members of the church do not love the church as they should; "Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25). "He purchased it with his own blood" (Acts 20:28). It is his bride, and he loves it more tenderly than any man ever loved his own wife (Ephesians 5:25). It is his spiritual body, and he loves it more than he loves his physical body, for he gave his physical body for it. No thoughtful Christian will think of injuring or destroying the church, the body of Christ. He would prefer to have been a member of the bloodthirsty mob who crucified the earthly body of Christ than to be guilty of destroying his spiritual body. Yet, how many professed Christians there are who will stubbornly press a selfish ambition to the disruption and destruction of the body of Christ! Such do not have the spirit of Christ. "Know ye not that ye are a temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, and such are ye" (1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND STUDY

QUESTIONS.