The Nature of the Church

What is the definition of the church?

The church is...

The church is the people of God who have been saved by his grace and incorporated as the community of faith.

MAIN THEMES

• There are two diverse definitions of the church: the people of God throughout all time, and the people of God after the coming of Jesus Christ.

• These definitions reflects a key issue regarding the relationship between the old and new covenants.

• The church consists of two interrelated elements: the universal church and local churches.

• The nature of the church consists of several elements: doxological, Word centered, Spirit empowered, covenantal, confessional, missional, and already but not yet.

• Four traditional attributes characterize the church: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic.

• The marks of the church were developed by the Reformers.

KEY SCRIPTURE

Matthew 16:13–20; Acts 2:1–47; 8:4–25; 9:31; 10:1–11:30; 12:12; 13:1–3; 14:23; Ephesians 1:19–23; 4:1–16; 5:25–29; 1 Peter 2:9–10

THE DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH

Major Affirmations

Study of this doctrine immediately plunges us into a major difference concerning the definition of the church.

One position holds that the church is the people of God who have been saved by his grace through faith in God and his promises and incorporated as the community of faith throughout all time.

The church began with Abraham (or Adam) and thus includes all believers from that starting point up to the present. Accordingly, the old covenant people of Israel and the new covenant Christians together compose the church.

The other position defines the church as the people of God who have been saved by his grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his work and incorporated into his body through baptism with the Holy Spirit.

The church began with Christ’s coming, specifically his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, together with the descent of the Spirit on Pentecost. The church consists of certain elements—explicit faith in Jesus the Messiah, Gentiles and Jews together in one body, baptism with the Spirit—that were not present before Christ’s coming. Thus, the church did not exist before then.

These diverse definitions reflect different understandings of the relationship between the old covenant and the new covenant. Specifically, is there more continuity or more discontinuity between these covenants? The first definition reflects a position that finds more continuity. Thus, the experiences associated with salvation are very similar between the people of God before and after Christ. For example, all God’s people experience regeneration by the Spirit. Also, the old covenant law is in many ways binding for the new covenant church. For example, directions regarding circumcision carry over to regulate (infant) baptism.

The second definition reflects a position that finds more discontinuity between the covenants. Accordingly, the experiences associated with salvation are significantly different between the people of God before and after Christ. For example, only Christians experience regeneration by, and baptism with, the Spirit. Also, the old covenant law is not binding for the new covenant church. For example, instructions about circumcision do not pertain to (believer’s) baptism.

Thus, there is a major difference regarding the definition of the church.

Generally, both positions agree that the church consists of two interrelated elements:

the universal church and local churches.

The Universal Church

The universal church is composed of all believers stretching from its inception (the two positions situate this point differently) to the present. It thus incorporates both deceased believers in heaven and living believers everywhere on earth. The former aspect of the universal church is gathered together as the “heavenly” church.

The Local Church

The latter aspect does not gather together, nor does it organize under human leaders.

Local churches manifest this universal church in actual gatherings. A presentation of the nature, attributes, and marks of these local churches follows.

The nature of the church consists of the following. In terms of its origin and orientation, the church is doxological, or oriented to the glory of God. It is Word centered—that is, centered on the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, and the inspired Word, Scripture. It is Spirit empowered, or created, gathered, gifted, and directed by the Holy Spirit. In terms of its gathering and sending, the church is covenantal, or gathered as members in covenantal relationship with God and with one another. It is confessional, with all its members having a personal confession of faith in Christ and together making a common confession of the Christian faith. The church is missional, consisting of messengers of the gospel who are divinely sent into the world as Christ’s ambassadors. And it is already but not yet, already assembled in space and time as a church but not yet what it will be when Christ returns.

Furthermore, the church has historically described itself by means of four attributes. The church is one in that it is united. There is only one body, or church, of Christ, though it experiences this oneness incompletely. The church is holy in that it is already sanctified, though imperfectly. It is set apart for God’s purposes, yet still sinful. The church is catholic (not the Roman Catholic Church) in that it is universal, committed to the Great Commission and thus advancing into the entire world. Finally, the church is apostolic in that it is founded on the apostles, with specific reference to the apostolic writings, Scripture.

Moreover, the church is characterized by certain marks, the visible elements that distinguish a true church from a false church. The two marks are the preaching and hearing of the Word of God, and the administration of the sacraments/ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Some add a third mark: church discipline.

Biblical Support

Old Testament

Scripture refers often to the gathering of God’s people. In the Old Testament, the people of Israel assembled together to hear the Word of God (Deut. 4:10; 31:9–13), to offer sacrifices (Exod. 12:6; Lev. 4:13–21), to express its commitment to keep the covenant (Josh. 8:30–35), and more.

New Testament

In the New Testament, Christians assembled together in members’ homes as part of the church in a particular city. For example, the house of Prisca and Aquila (Rom. 16:3, 5; 1 Cor. 16:19), the house of Nympha (Col. 4:15), Philemon’s house (Philem. 2), and Mary’s house (Acts 12:12) were locations in which Christians met. These individual assemblies were called churches. The same was true of gatherings of the whole church in a city (“when you come together as a church,” 1 Cor. 11:18; cf. vv. 17, 20, 33), as exemplified by the “whole church” that Gaius hosted (Rom. 16:23) and “the church of the Thessalonians” (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1). The narratives of Acts portray the explosion of the church on Pentecost (2:1–47), its expansion into Samaria (8:4–25), its inclusion of the Gentiles (10:1–11:30), and its extension to “the end of the earth” (1:8; 28:17–31).

The New Testament also presents the universal church. It is this church for which Jesus died (Eph. 5:25). It is this church that Jesus is building (Matt. 16:18) and sanctifying (Eph. 5:26, 29) as its head (1:21–23) so that one day it will be completely holy (5:27). Moreover, “the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria” (Acts 9:31) was a regional entity, one that did not assemble all together. Additionally, Paul warns against giving offense “to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32), three categories of people. Thus, “the church of God” in this verse does not refer to any particular local church but to the universal church—all believers throughout the world. The universal church also includes those who are already in heaven (Heb. 12:23).

Whereas many metaphors and images are used in reference to the church (for example, plant, letter, one loaf of bread, vineyard, flock, and bride), three stand out. The church is the people of God. After presenting Christians as “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession,” Peter reminds them, “Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people” (1 Pet. 2:9–10).

The church is the body of Christ. In exalting his Son, the Father “gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body” (Eph. 1:22–23). Christ baptizes new believers with the Spirit, thereby incorporating them into his body (1 Cor. 12:13). Moreover, he gives them gifted people, whose purpose is “to equip the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12) so that the whole body matures (4:8–16).

The church is the temple of the Holy Spirit. As Paul sternly warns church leaders: “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple” (1 Cor. 3:16–17).

At the time of the Reformation, the fledgling Protestant movement articulated the marks of the true church to distinguish its congregations from the false Roman Catholic Church. The Augsburg Confession (article 7) detailed two marks: “It is sufficient to agree concerning the doctrine of the gospel and the administration of the sacraments [baptism and the Lord’s Supper].” The gospel is at the heart of the apostolic message (1 Cor. 15:1–8) and essential for salvation (Rom. 1:16). Baptism and the Lord’s Supper were ordained by Christ for observance by his church (Matt. 28:18–20; 26:26–29). Some Reformers added a third mark of church discipline as an aspect of the church’s keys of the kingdom (16:13–20; 18:15–20).

Major Errors

1. Exclusivistic claims by churches that they alone are the true, pure church. One example is the assertion that “the one Church of Christ … subsists in the Catholic Church.” The corollary is that Protestant groups are “ecclesial communities” but not true churches. The claim is bolstered by appeals to apostolic succession—only the Catholic Church can trace its hierarchy to Peter and the other apostles—and a true Eucharist by means of transubstantiation.

2. Inclusivistic claims that people can be saved without embracing the gospel. While inclusivism affirms that salvation is possible only on the basis of Christ’s death and resurrection, it denies the necessity of hearing the gospel and believing it for salvation.

ENACTING THE DOCTRINE

While there is much to criticize about the church, God redeems sinful people and incorporates them into Christ’s body so they are part of a community of faith. Christians should be thankful recipients of this grace. Additionally, God has given to the church everything it needs to mature and multiply, and it is his agent in this world for salvation and saturation with the gospel. The increasing number of people who claim to love Jesus but hate his church and refuse to participate in it are in a precarious position and should be soundly challenged to repent.

Perennial Questions and Problematic Issues

• Why are there so many different churches?

• Why is our church the way it is?

• If God is blessing churches of all types, maybe the doctrine of the church isn’t very important.

• How can the church claim to be “one” and “holy” when it is so divided and sinful?

• How should parachurch movements like Cru, InterVarsity, and Navigators relate to local churches?

Allison, Gregg R. 2018. 50 Core Truths of the Christian Faith: A Guide to Understanding and Teaching Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books: A Division of Baker Publishing Group.