"I belong to the Church of England"

"I've just joined the church in Brickhill Drive"

"My grandson has just gone into the church"

"The church ought to do something about it"

Which statement is right? We use the word "church" in a number of different ways and we therefore need to ask the questions:-

It is vital that we have a clear understanding of these questions otherwise we will easily be led into error. The examples above portray the "church" as being a building, a denomination or organisation, a ministry and an established religion. To some extent all are true definitions.

We therefore need to understand what the word meant to the early Christians and to work from that basis.

When Jesus Christ unites an individual sinner to Himself a relationship naturally springs up between those who are united to Christ. A society of believers is therefore a necessary outcome of our Lord's work of redemption -- a society of those who are in direct relationship to Himself. The society is called by several titles in the New Testament, but the most characteristic of the present age is the term "church". It occurs over one hundred times in the New Testament. The English word "church" is a corruption of the Greek word "kyriake", which means "belonging to the Lord". This is seen still more clearly in the Scottish word "kirk", the German "kirche", and the Swedish "kyrkan". The Greek word that is translated "church" (ecclesia) means an assembly or congregation, and is rendered by this term in Luther's Bible.

When did the church commence ? It is usual to speak of the Day of Pentecost as the church's birthday, because the company of believers in Christ were then for the first time constituted a spiritual body by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But there is a sense in which the Christian Church really began when two of John's disciples heard him speak and united themselves to Christ (John 1:37). And there was a Jewish church or congregation all through Old Testament times. The term "church" is found first on our Lord's lips in Matthew 16:18, then again in Matthew 18:17, and these are the only occasions in which the word is found in the gospels. But they show that it was our Lord's intention to found a society, and that the society was to be permanent.

How did the church commence? Using the Day of Pentecost as a typical illustration, the Church commenced by the acceptance of God's Word preached by the apostle Peter. Believers thereby became united to Christ and to one another in Him. The precise order of events should be carefully observed. Christ was preached, then was accepted by faith, and then He added the penitent believers to the Church. There was a definite contact of each believer with God, by means of faith on the human side, and the Holy Spirit on the Divine side. Then came the ministerial act of baptism. The account in Acts 2 gives in germ everything that is essential in the New Testament idea of the Church.

Why did the Church come into existence? Generally for the purpose of glorifying God (Ephesians. 3:10; 1 Peter 2:9), but specifically for fellowship between Christians, for testimony to the world on behalf of Christ, and for service in extending the knowledge of the Gospel. Thus the Church satisfied the social instinct, and at the same time provided the means of extending and establishing Christianity in the world. Herein lies the value of the Church: while each believer is saved by direct contact with Christ, he is sanctified, not solitary, but in association with others. He home, the school, the village, the town, the city, the country, are all illustrations of that social life which is expressed religiously in the Church.

The term "Church" is found in three different though associated connections in the New Testament. The earliest use refers to the Christians in a house or a city, the believers in one place. Then is seen a more general use of the aggregate of Churches at one time in different places (1 Corinthians. 10:32, 12:28). This in turn widens out into the idea of the Church as universally realised at all places and times, i.e. "the Body of Christ" (Acts 20:28, Ephesians. 1:22, Col. 1:18). It should be carefully noted that the Church is not to be limited to officials: the Church is the whole body of Christians, and must never be confused with the Ministry. The growth of the organisation of the Church was gradual according to circumstances. There was no uniform organisation or government; development came from within, the spiritual body expressing itself in earthly forms. As need arose it was met by this or that function of the Church's life. The Church must therefore be viewed form the inward and the outward aspects. This distinction is sometimes described by the terms "invisible" and "visible", according as the Church is considered as to its spiritual Head or earthly organisation, according to its inner life or outward obedience. The Church is invisible as to its Divine Head and the Spirit of its life, but visible as to those who compose it. The two aspects, while connected, do not cover exactly the same ground. A man may belong to the Church as visible without belonging to the Church as invisible. He may be united to the outward society without being spiritually united to Christ.

The terms "Church" and "Kingdom", while closely related, are not to be regarded as synonymous. We cannot substitute the one for the other in the Lord's Prayer, or indeed anywhere else. It is important to remember that for everything essential to the idea of the Church, as distinct from what is purely circumstantial, we must adhere closely to the NT. While church life may take various forms through the centuries, we can only accept as absolutely necessary for the existence and well being of the Church what is found in the

NT. A point of some importance is that in the NT the term Church is never used of a building, only of Christ's people. Strict accuracy will lead to the avoidance of the term "Church of Christ", for the singular term is never used except of "the Church of God". The plural is used thus: "Churches of Christ". It is also very important to keep in view the idea of the universal Church as primarily spiritual, an organism rather than an organisation. It is this spiritual idea of the Church which dominates the Epistle to the Ephesians, and should therefore rule all our views of the local and ecclesiastical Church and Ministry. As Bishop Moule says, "All other meanings of the word Church are derived and modified from this, but this must not be modified by them" (on Ephesians 1:22). The true doctrine of the Church may be summarised in the well known words, "Where Christ is, there is a Church". And if it be asked "where is Christ?", the answer is "where the Holy Spirit is, for He alone makes Christ real to men". And if it be further asked "where is the Holy Spirit?" the answer is obvious, that "the Spirit is known by His grace and power in human lives".

We must be careful not to overrate the position and importance of the Church. "Through Christ to the Church" is wholly right; "through the Church to Christ" is only partly right. We must never place the Church between the sinner and the Saviour, though, on the other hand, if we exalt Christ the Church will always find its proper place and be valued aright. We must also be careful not to underrate the position of the Church. The individual Christian needs the Church for everything connected with worship, fellowship, evangelisation and edification. We must cultivate Church unity and fellowship in every available way, and thus realise the purpose of God, "that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the Church the manifold wisdom of God" (Ephesians. 3:10).

2. The New Testament Usage

The word that is used in the NT to describe the church is "EKKLESIA" which literally means "that which is called out". The noun is derived from the verb EKKALEO which means "to summon forth".

a) First used in NT by Jesus

Matthew. 16:18

b) Describes believers in a definite locality

When assembled together

Acts 5:11; 11:26; 1 Corinthians. 11:18; 14:19,28,35

f) Christians of all times

Ephesians 1:22; 3:10,21; 5:23-25, 27, 32

Colossians 1:18, 24

g) A gathering of the local community

Acts 19:32, 39, 41

h) A gathering of the Jews

Acts 7:38

In the Septuagint EKKLESIA = QAHAL in the later books of the Old Testament. QAHAL means "a called or invited gathering" and is translated as "assembly" or "congregation".

1 Chronicles 13:2, 4; 29:10,20

2 Chronicles 20:5, 14; 30:1-25

Nehemiah 5:13; 8:2, 17; 13:1

Psalm 22:22, 25; 35:18; 40:9, 10; 107:32

In the Old Testament the meaning of QAHAL is a gathering of people who have been called together by someone else to perform a duty or function. Only Jews were included in the "called-together" group because they had a unique relationship with God (c.f. Deut. 7:1-9).

" Now you are the Body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it". 1 Corinthians 12:27

".... and He is the Head of the Body, the church" Colossians 1:18

"And God placed all things under His (Christ's) feet and appointed Him to be Head over everything for the church, which is His body" Ephesians 1:22, 23

"... the Head, from whom the whole body" Colossians 2:19

"It was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the Body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ". Ephesians 4:11,12

1 Corinthians 12:12ff -- A description of the body and its outworking.

The facts that we can deduce from these scriptures are:-

A building is never called a church in the New Testament, but the church is likened to a building.

"As you come to Him, the living stone .... rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him ... you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ". 1 Peter 2:4ff

"In Him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by His Spirit" Ephesians 2: 21,22

" Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you (PLURAL) are that temple". 1 Corinthians 3:16,17

It is the church and not individuals who are likened to the building or temple.

Although the church is generally likened to a building it is more specifically likened to a temple. In the Old Testament the temple was symbolic of the place where God was and where worship was to be centralised. The temple was accepted as being a sacred place where holiness was the dominant theme. This is one of the main characteristics of the church.

"Husbands love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy .... to present her to Himself as a radiant bride ... In the same way husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no-one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church .... for we are members of His body .... This is a profound mystery ... but I am talking about Christ and the church". Ephesians 5:25-29,32

"I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband". Revelation 21;2

"One of the seven angels ... said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb". And he ..... showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem ...." Revelation 21:9,10

This description of the church leads us to conclude that:-

" His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord". Ephesians 3:10

"The first proposition is that Christianity, and salvation in and through Christ is the supreme, the highest, the greatest manifestation of the wisdom of God. We can define the wisdom of God by saying that it is that attribute by which He arranges His purposes and plans, and arranges the means which bring forth the results that He purposes ....

D.M.Lloyd-Jones -----The Unsearchable Riches of Christ.

Ephesians 4:11ff

All are called to be deacons in the informal sense in that all are called to serve the Body of Christ. Trainers are provided by God to meet the growth needs of the people of God, and it is within the church that they are to grow. Contact with one-another is a means of reproducing the family likeness.

Christ is the Head of the church and the ultimate source of all its authority. The sole underlying authority for the church today is that body of teaching that constitutes the scriptures as recorded in the Bible. The authority of the Head is seen in different ways, including:-

a) He instituted the church ----- Matthew 16:18

b) He has given to the church people that He has gifted to help in its development

Ephesians 4:11,12

c) He sends the Holy Spirit both to dwell in every believer, and to fill as He chooses

John 14:25ff; 16:6ff; Acts 1:4ff

Those that Christ gives to aid the church include:-

The word comes from the Greek "apostolos", which means "one sent out". It was particularly applied to the twelve original disciples (Matthew 10:2; Luke 6::3 etc). Paul was then included amongst their number although he stated that he lacked one of the important qualifications that the other eleven (Judas was dead by this time) had in that he had not been with Christ during His earthly ministry (I Corinthians 15:7ff)

It was through these original apostles that the New Testament scriptures were given to the church, and it is clear that the majority (if not all) New Testament miracles were performed by them. They had a position that was closely involved with church planting and the establishment of local leadership.

The original apostles had certain special qualifications:-

There are clear indications in the New Testament that other men were called apostles at a later date. The reference to false apostles in 2 Corinthians 11:13 and the context surrounding this verse are a clear indication that the apostles were not limited to the Twelve plus Paul. Nevertheless, there is no indication whatever that any of the Scriptures came via such men either then or in any other later generation.

The fact that the apostles in the New Testament clearly had a ministry role over a large geographical area has led many to the conclusion that men today who also have a widespread ministry are also to be called apostles. Whilst that may be true, they do not have the same position or authority that those in the early church did.

The role of the prophet is clearly seen throughout the whole of the period of history covered by the Old Testament. The Hebrew word for a prophet, NABI, comes from a root word that

literally means "to bubble up". A prophet was therefore one who bubbled up with a divine message. In addition, NABI has an Assyrian root that implies he is one who is a commissioned speaker.

The Septuagint uses the Greek word PROPHETES to translate NABI. PROPHETES is used to describe a public expounder. The importance within the New Testament church is that the prophet is a person who utters words from God into a contemporary situation. The prophetic word is always subject to the scriptures.

For further details see the Course Notes on Prophecy.

Little is actually mentioned in the new testament regarding the role of the Evangelist. Ephesians 4 describes the evangelist as being one of God's specific gifts to the church to aid it in its growth. They had the particular tasks of preaching the Gospel, baptising and ordaining elders. They often accompanied and helped the apostles.

Acts 2:8; Ephesians 4:11; 2 Timothy 4:5; Titus 1:5; 1 Timothy 5:22; Titus 3:10

The word is only used once in the New Testament despite our obsession over the word!!! The word literally means a shepherd, and this was the task that Peter was commissioned to do after the resurrection. The Elders in the church at Ephesus were told to "take heed to yourselves and to all the flock " Eph.1:5; 1 Timothy 5:22; Titus 3:10

It is clear that the original teachers were the apostles because the New Testament Word of God was only on their lips at that time. The role of the teacher largely sprang from the need to explain both the Gospels and the various letters that were written to the various churches -- that is, the writings that now constitute the New Testament.

Timothy was encouraged to entrust what he had been taught to reliable men who could teach others (2 Timothy 2:2). Titus was taught that the Elders must put into practice what they had been taught !!!!! (Titus 1:9)

vi) ELDERS.

In the New Testament two terms are used interchangeably for those who are appointed to govern a local church. The two words are "PRESUTEROI" and "EPISKPOI". The former simply means "the elders" ie the older ones, and the second means an overseer.

The role of the elders (the word is not used in the singular except to describe qualifications) was to have the oversight of the flock that had been entrusted by God into its care. The had to provide for it, govern it, and protect it as the very household of God.

The qualifications for eldership are described in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Eldership is reserved for men.

The Greek for deacon is DIAKONOS, which means "one who serves". The role is distinct from that of an elder (Phillipians 1:1) although their qualifications are just as high --- the one significant difference is that the elder must be able to teach. The role of a deacon is essentially a practical one, although he/she must be a spiritual person.

Whilst the New Testament is clear that eldership is a male position there is clear indication that this did not necessarily apply to the diaconate.

Whilst there is no statement within the New Testament to indicate that there was a formal method by which believers became recognised as members on a membership list within the local church, there is clear indication that there was a recognised membership.

Entry into the church was recognised by the act of baptism, which had a very high priority in the early church. The key thing was identification not only with Christ but also with all other believers and especially those living within the same geographical locality. The New Testament is full of examples of the local church acting in unity in both the sending out of representatives into missionary situations and also in collecting monetary gifts for other churches that had particular needs. At all times believers had a close identity with each other.

The depth of the identity was particularly demonstrated in times of persecution when association with other Christians immediately spelt danger. Only those who were truly linked to Christ dared to be associated together.

The need for a formal identity in the church today in a membership context is derived out of need ----- it is too easy in many countries to appear to be part of the outward manifestation of the church without being a part of it through union with Christ.

The New Testament church always worked out of what was being (or had been) revealed by the Head of the church. People were recognised by the church to do particular works of service. There were no para-church organisations, no missionary societies, no spiritual clubs, simply the church working under the direction, anointing and empowering of the Holy Spirit.

The church operated in supernatural ways as the Spirit provided the giftings as they were needed.