Church

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A) Introduction

1. Definition of the word “church.”

B) Biblical Defintion

Matthew 16:18 KJV 1900
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What does the word “church” mean?

Thayer - a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
Strong - A calling out, popular meeting or religious congregation
In the Greek language the word for “church” is not a religiously designated word.

B) How is this word is used in the NT

1. Secular Sense

Acts 19:32 KJV 1900
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Acts 19:39 KJV 1900
But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
Acts 19:41 KJV 1900
And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Usually the Greeks used the word “church” as “gathering of those summoned”

2. Parochial Sense

Acts 7:38 KJV 1900
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:

3. Institutional Sense

Matthew 16:18 KJV 1900
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

4. Local congregants of baptized believers

Acts 2:47 KJV 1900
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

2. Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”

C) Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”

Local and visible assembly of baptized believers that have covenanted together to worship Jesus Christ
A body of individual living believers
A body of individual living believers
p3. Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”
The church consist of all those saved since the day of Pentecost
Local and visible assembly of baptized believers that have covenanted together to worship Jesus Christ
C. All those saved since the day of Pentecost
The church consist of all those saved throughout the ages
The church consist of all those saved since the day of Pentecost
The church consist of all those saved throughout all ages
D. All saved throughout the ages
Organization (i.e. Catholicism)
If a person subscribes to 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 then they embrace the church to be both local and universal, and visible and invisible.
If a person subscribes to 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 then they embrace the church to be both local and universal, and visible and invisible.
E. Organization (i.e. Catholicism)

2. Why is having a correct understanding of the word “church” important?

The church is where God receives glory
Ephesians 3:21 KJV 1900
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
If a person believes the church is both local and universal, and visible and invisible, that person will struggle with articulating how to implement this verse.
God gets the glory through Christians regardless of whether or not they have covenanted together with a body of believers
2. Emphasis

1. Why did we change the definition of the word “church?”

If the church is local and universal, which takes precedence?
Authority
Protection How did we change the meaning?

B) Biblical Defintion

Matthew 16:18 KJV 1900
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

What does the word “church” mean?

Thayer - a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly

Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”
P2. Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”
Local and visible assembly of baptized believers that have covenanted together to worship Jesus Christ
The church consist of all those saved since the day of Pentecost
The church consist of all those saved throughout the ages
P2. Christians have different views regarding the word “church:”
If a person subscribes to 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 then they embrace the church to be both local and universal, and visible and invisible.
Strong - A calling out, popular meeting or religious congregation
Local and visible assembly of baptized believers that have covenanted together Why did we change the definition of the word “church?”

Why did we change the definition of the word “church?”

Different ways this word is used in the NT

The church consist of all those saved since the day of Pentecost
Secular Sense
Acts 19:32 KJV 1900
Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.
Acts 19:39 KJV 1900
But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.
Acts 19:41 KJV 1900
And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.
Usually the Greeks used the word “church” as “gathering of those summoned”
2. Parochial Sense
2. Parochial Sense
Acts 7:38 KJV 1900
This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:
Acts
3. Institutional Sense
Matthew 16:18 KJV 1900
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
4. Local congregants of baptized believers
Acts 2:47 KJV 1900
Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

How did we change the meaning?

The church consist of all those saved throughout the ages
If a person subscribes to 1 and 2 or 1 and 3 then they embrace the church to be both local and universal, and visible and invisible. Why did we change the definition of the word “church?”
We changed the meaning to fit our understanding of certain verses.
Instead of viewing the word “church” in an institutional sense, we have universalized the word.
A. T. Robertson - The word originally meant “assembly” (), but it came to be applied to an “unassembled assembly” as in for the Christians persecuted by Saul from house to house.
Acts 8:3 KJV 1900
As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
If we did not change the definition of the word “church” to be an unassembled assembly, how do we understand this verse?
The answer? These were men and women were identified with the called out assembly. The church was not anywhere they went but a congregation of believers that have covenanted together. They were a part of this church.
3. Individual living believers
1 Corinthians 15:9 KJV 1900
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
If we did not change the definition of the word “church” to be all individual living believers, how do we understand this verse?
Acts 15:9 KJV 1900
And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
The answer is the same as above. Paul did not persecute people who were not part of the local church. Their identification with the local church was their official break from Judaism. Several years ago, a Philippine missionary came to our church to discuss how easy it was to get a confession without substance. His point was you could get one hundred Philippine people to raise their hand as a notification of their reception of Jesus but only a handful willing to follow the Lord in believer’s baptism. When it came to believer’s baptism and joining the local church, most did not. Why? their confessing did not signify an official break from the Catholic faith but their baptism and joining the church would.
4. Historical event - The Counsil of Nicea A.D. 325

2. Why is having a correct understanding of the word “church” important?

The church is where God receives glory
Ephesians 3:21 KJV 1900
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
If a person believes the church is both local and universal, and visible and invisible, that person will struggle with articulating how to implement this verse.
2. Emphasis
If the church is local and universal, which takes precedence?
Authority
Protection How did we change the meaning?

D) The relationship between the Body of Christ and the church

1. Institutional

Ephesians 1:22–23 KJV 1900
And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

2. Local and visible

1 Corinthians 12:12–13 KJV 1900
For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
There are those who insists this is the baptism of the Holy Ghost that takes place at salvation. However, nothing in this verse connects the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ as part of the salvation experience.
1 Corinthians 1:2 KJV 1900
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
Here is what we know:
The Spirit immerses us with the Body of Christ
The body of Christ is the church
The church is a local assembly
The context requires this to be local - Paul addressed disunity issues within the church at Corinth.
The power that unites the person with the church is the Holy Spirit.
The illustration is all parts of the body working in concert - This could only happen if the Body was local.
Romans 12:3–5 KJV 1900
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

2. Local

Romans 12:3–5 KJV 1900
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Notice the accountability between members of the same body.

1. There are predominantly 2 views:

a. The church started on the Day of Pentecost
b. The church started during the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ.
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