The Church

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The word "church" is from the Greek word ekklesia. According to Vine it is "from ek, out of, and klesis, a calling (kaleo, to call), [and] was used among the Greeks of a body of citizens 'gathered' to discuss the affairs of state,..." (Acts 19:39) It has two applications to companies of Christians:

to the whole company of the redeemed throughout the present era, the company of which Christ said, 'I will build My Church,' (Matt. 16:18), and which is further described as 'the Church which is His Body,' (Eph. 1:22; 5:23),

in the singular number (e.g., (Matt. 18:17) ... to a company consisting of professed believers, (e.g., Acts 20:28; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 1:13; 1 Thes. 1:1; 2 Thes. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:5), and in the plural, with reference to churches in a district" (from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words).

So, depending on the context, the word church can mean either a local group of Christians who bind themselves together, or the universal group of those saved throughout all ages (see Hebrews 12:23). Recognize, however, that in the first century the Greek word ekklesia did not have any religious connotation in and of itself. (In Acts 19:39 it refers to a political gathering, and in Acts 19:32 and 41 it refers to the mob that assembled to persecute Paul.) The fact that it is used exclusively in a religious sense today is indicative that we have radically changed the meaning of this word.

The Lord's Church

The most common usage of the word church in contemporary English is in reference to a religious meeting house. Ekklesia was never so used in the New Testament. It is difficult to communicate the meaning of "the body of Christ" when the word by which it is called has been generally relegated to provoking thoughts of bricks and mortar.

If we are to use this word as it was used in the New Testament we must realize that it applies to people who are called out. It never refers to some clergy organization or hierarchy. Further, it must be qualified. The Lord's church infers that there are other churches that are not the Lord's. This is totally consistent with New Testament usage. Christ's called out are separated from the world in order to serve God.

Like other words by which God's people are called (e.g., kingdom, body of Christ, bride of Christ, royal priesthood, elect race, etc.), ekklesia describes one aspect among many. No one term fully describes this group of people. All of them collectively define what it is intended to be.

The denominational concept of the church is that it is a mystical collection of all of the denominational churches. This is foreign to the New Testament, and the concept of divisions within the church is condemned in 1 Cor. 1:10f, as is the idea of denominating (giving names) to these variations.

Most people view the local church as pre-existing its membership. It is imagined that some mystical super organization sanctions a local congregation, much as a franchise is obtained from McDonald"s. This is not the pattern that we see in the first century. When the disciples were scattered after the stoning of Stephen (Acts 8:1f), they went about teaching the truth that they had learned. This seed (Lk. 8:11) was sufficient to produce Christians, who heard, believed, repented, confessed their faith in Jesus as the son of God and were baptized into the body of Christ (Rom. 6:3).

Jesus said that where two or three are gathered in his name, he would be in their midst (Mt. 18:20). No authority other than Christ sanctions a local congregation. All that they need to be approved of the Lord is to practice the truth. The local church is a "bottom-up" organization in that it does not exist apart from faithful Christians (Heb. 8:11).

Have you ever heard it said??...

"... go to the church of your choice ..." but the apostle Paul said (Ephesians 4:4f):

⁴ "There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all."

The Lord's church is His body. This body is not divided and competing against itself. If we have the proper regard for God's word, we will be united in the same mind and in the same judgment (1 Cor. 1:10). No point of doctrine draws as much criticism as the firm biblical teaching stated above. Denominations can agree to disagree on practically everything, from the mode and purpose of baptism to the morality/immorality of homosexuality. However, the one single thing that they feel most threatened by is someone declaring that there is but one truth, one way.

Believers of Ephesians 4:4 should not conclude that all of their practices and beliefs are perfect and right, because this will never be the case with any group of people. However, if we do not accept the concept of a single spiritual reality, we will have no motivation to strive for it, and we are bound to miss the mark. That is why the devil gives such priority to "the church of your choice."

 Adapted primarily from David Brown"s "Think on These Things"
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB (New American Standard Bible).