The church

The Church, the body of Christ, is the community of all who believe in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit dwells. The church is commissioned to preach the gospel, to teach all that Christ commanded to be baptized, and to feed the flock. In fulfilling this mission, the Church, guided by the Holy Spirit, takes the Bible as a guideline and is constantly oriented towards Jesus Christ, her living head. The Bible says: Whoever believes in Christ becomes part of the "church" or "congregation". What is this, the "Church", the "Congregation"? How is it organized? What's the point? (1. Corinthians 12,13; Romans 8,9; Matthew 28,19-20; Colossians 1,18; Ephesians 1,22)

Jesus builds his church

Jesus said: I want to build my church (Matthew 16,18). The Church is important to him - he loved her so much that he gave his life for her (Ephesians 5,25). If we are minded like him, we too will love and give ourselves to the Church.

The Greek word for "church" [congregation] is ekklesia, meaning assembly. In Acts 19,39-40 the word is used in the sense of a normal gathering of people. For the Christian, however, ekklesia has assumed a special meaning: all who believe in Jesus Christ.

For example, where he first uses the word, Luke writes: "And great fear came upon the whole congregation..." (Acts 5,11). He doesn't have to explain what the word means; his readers already knew. It signified all Christians, not just those gathered in that place at that time. "Church" means the church, means all of Christ's disciples. A community of people, not a building.

Each local group of believers is a church. Paul wrote “to the church of God at Corinth” (1. Corinthians 1,2); he speaks of "all the churches of Christ" (Romans 1 Cor6,16) and “the church of Laodicea” (Colossians 4,16). But he also uses the word church as a collective name for the fellowship of all believers when he says that "Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her" (Ephesians 5,25).

The community exists on several levels. On the one level stands the universal church or church that embraces everyone in the world who professes to be Jesus Christ's Lord and Savior. On another level, the local communities, the municipalities in the strict sense, are regional groups of people who meet regularly. On an intermediate level are the denominations or denominations, which are groups of churches that work together on a common history and faith basis.

The local communities sometimes include non-believers - family members who do not profess Jesus as the Savior, but who still participate in church life. This can include people who consider themselves Christians, but pretend something. Experience shows that some of them later admit that they were not real Christians.

Why we need the church

Many people describe themselves as believers in Christ, but do not want to join any church. This, too, has to be called bad posture. The New Testament shows: The normal case is that believers meet regularly (Hebrews 10,25).

Again and again Paul calls Christians to be for one another and to work with one another, to serve one another, to unity (Romans 12,10; 15,7; 1. Corinthians 12,25; Galatians 5,13; Ephesians 4,32; Philippians 2,3; Colossians 3,13; 2. Thessalonians 5,13). It is difficult for people to obey these commandments when they do not meet with other believers.

A local church can give us a sense of belonging, a feeling that we are connected to other believers. It can give us a minimum of spiritual security, so we do not get lost by strange ideas. A church can give us friendship, fellowship, encouragement. She can teach us things that we would not learn on our own. It can help educate our children, it can help us to more effective Christian ministry, it can give us opportunities to minister to, and we can grow in ways that are unimaginable. In general, the profit a community gives us is in proportion to the commitment we invest.

But probably the most important reason for the individual believer to join a church is: The church needs us. God has given different gifts to each believer and wants us to work together "for the benefit of all" (1. Corinthians 12,4-7). If only some of the employees show up for work, then it is not surprising that the church does not achieve as much as hoped or that we are not as healthy as hoped. Unfortunately, some find it easier to criticize than to help.

The church needs our time, our skills, our gifts. She needs people she can rely on - she needs our commitment. Jesus called for workers to pray (Matthew 9,38). He wants each and every one of us to lend a hand and not just play the passive spectator.

Anyone who wants to be a Christian without a congregation does not use their strength the way we should use it according to the Bible, namely helping. The Church is a "community of mutual help," and we should help one another, knowing that the day may come (yes, has come) that we need help ourselves.

Descriptions of the community

The Church is addressed in various ways: People of God, the family of God, the bride of Christ. We are a building, a temple, a body. Jesus spoke to us as sheep, as field, as vineyard. Each of these symbols illustrates another side of the church.

Many parables of Jesus about the kingdom of God also describe the church. Like a mustard seed, the Church started small and grew (Matthew 13,31-32). The church is like a field on which weeds grow as well as wheat (verses 24-30). It is like a net that catches good fish as well as bad ones (vv. 47-50). It is like a vineyard where some work long hours and some only for a short time (Matthew 20,1: 16-2). She is like servants who were entrusted with money by their master and who invested it partly well and partly badly (Matthew 5,14-30).

Jesus called himself shepherd and his disciples flock (Matthew 26,31); his job was to look for lost sheep (Matthew 18,11-14). He describes his believers as sheep to be grazed and cared for1,15-17). Paul and Peter also use this symbol, saying that church leaders must "feed the flock" (Acts 20,28; 1. Petrus 5,2).

"Ye are God's building," writes Paul in 1. Corinthians 3,9. The foundation is Christ (v. 11), upon which rests the human structure. Peter calls us "living stones, built up for a spiritual house" (1. Petrus 2,5). Together we are being built up "to a dwelling place of God in the Spirit" (Ephesians 2,22). We are the temple of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit (1. Corinthians 3,17; 6,19). It is true that God can be worshiped in any place; but the church has worship as one of its chief purposes.

We are "God's people," tells us 1. Petrus 2,10. We are what the people of Israel should have been: "the chosen generation, the royal priesthood, the holy people, the people of possession" (v. 9; cf 2. Moses 19,6). We belong to God because Christ bought us with his blood (Revelation 5,9). We are God's children, he is our father (Ephesians 3,15). We have had a great legacy as children and in return we are expected to please him and live up to his name.

The Scriptures also call us the Bride of Christ - a name that resonates with how much Christ loves us and what deep change takes place in us so that we can have such a close relationship with the Son of God. In many of his parables, Jesus invites people to the wedding feast; Here we are invited to be the bride.

“Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory; for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride is prepared" (Revelation 1 Cor9,7). How do we “prepare” ourselves? Through a gift:

"And it was given to her to clothe herself with fine linen of fine quality" (v. 8). Christ cleanses us “by the bath of water in the word” (Ephesians 5,26). He puts the Church before him after making it glorious and flawless, holy and blameless (v. 27). He works in us.

Working together

The symbol that best illustrates how church members should relate to one another is that of the body. “But you are the body of Christ,” writes Paul, “and each one of you is a member” (1. Corinthians 12,27). Jesus Christ “is the head of the body, which is the church” (Colossians 1,18), and we are all members of the body. When we are united with Christ, we are also united with one another and we are - in the truest sense - committed to one another.

No one can say, "I don't need you" (1. Corinthians 12,21), no one can say that he has nothing to do with the church (v. 18). God distributes our gifts so that we can work together for our common benefit and in that cooperation help and receive help from one another. In the body there should be "no division" (v. 25). Paul often polemicizes against party spirit; whoever sows discord is even to be expelled from the church (Romans 1 Cor6,17; titus 3,10-11). God causes the church to "grow in every way" by "every member supporting the other according to his strength" (Ephesians 4,16).

Unfortunately, the Christian world is divided into denominations, which are not infrequently feuding with one another. The church is not yet perfect because none of its members are perfect. Nevertheless: Christ wants a unified church (John 17,21). This does not have to mean an organizational merger, but it does require a common goal.

True unity can only be found by striving for ever greater Christ-nearness, preaching Christ's gospel, living according to His principles. The goal is to propagate it, not ourselves. However, having different denominations also has an advantage: through different approaches, the message of Christ reaches more people in ways that they can understand.

Organization

There are three basic forms of church organization and church governance in the Christian world: hierarchical, democratic and representative. They are called episcopal, congregational and presbyterial.

Each basic type has its variations, but in principle, the episcopal model means that a senior shepherd has the power to determine church principles and ordain pastors. In the congregational model, the churches themselves determine these two factors. In the presbyterian system, power is divided between denomination and the church; Elders are elected who are given leadership skills.

A special community Church structure is not prescribed by the New Testament. It speaks of overseers (bishops), elders, and shepherds (pastors), although these titles seem fairly interchangeable. Peter commands elders to act as shepherds and overseers: "Feed the flock... watch over them" (1. Petrus 5,1-2). In similar words, Paul gives the same instructions to elders (Acts 20,17:28, ).

The Jerusalem church was led by a group of elders; the parish at Philippi of bishops (Acts 15,2-6; Philippians 1,1). Paul ordered Titus to appoint elders, he wrote one verse about elders and several about bishops, as if these were synonymous terms for community leaders (Titus 1,5-9). In the Letter to the Hebrews (13,7, Menge and Elberfeld Bible) the community leaders are simply called "leaders".

Some church leaders are also called “teachers” (1. Corinthians 12,29; James 3,1). The grammar of Ephesians 4,11 indicates that "shepherds" and "teachers" belonged to the same category. One of the primary qualifications of church officials had to be that they "... be able to teach others also" (1. Timothy 3,2).

As a common denominator remains to note: There were church leaders used. There was a certain amount of community organization, with the exact official titles were rather secondary.

Members were required to show respect and obedience to officials (2. Thessalonians 5,12; 1. Timothy 5,17; Hebrews 13,17). If the elder rules wrong, the church should not obey; but normally it was expected that the church would support the elder.

What do elders do? You are in charge of the community (1. Timothy 5,17). They tend the flock, they lead by example and teaching. They watch over the flock (Acts 20,28). They are not supposed to rule dictatorially, but serve (1. Petrus 5,23), “that the saints might be prepared for the work of ministry. This is to build up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4,12).

How are elders determined? In a few cases we get information: Paul appoints elders (Acts 14,23), assumes that Timothy appoints bishops (1. Timothy 3,1-7), and he authorized Titus to appoint elders (Titus 1,5). In any case, there was a hierarchy in these cases. We do not find any examples of how a congregation chooses its own elders.

deacons

However, we see in Acts 6,1-6, how so-called poor carers [deacons] are elected by the congregation. These men were chosen to distribute food to those in need, and the apostles then installed them in these offices. This allowed the apostles to focus on the spiritual work, and the physical work was also done (v. 2). This distinction between spiritual and physical church work can also be found in 1. Petrus 4,10.

Heads for manual work are often called deacons, derived from the Greek word diakoneo, which means
"to serve" means. In principle, all members and leaders are supposed to "serve", but for the serving tasks in the narrower sense there were separate officers. Female deacons are also mentioned in at least one place (Romans 1 Cor6,1). Paul names Timothy a number of qualities a deacon must possess (1. Timothy 3,8-12), without specifying exactly what their service consisted of. As a result, different denominations give the deacons different tasks, ranging from hall attendant to financial accounting.

What is important for managerial positions is not the name, nor their structure, nor the way in which they are filled. Its meaning and purpose is important: to help the people of God in their maturing "to the full measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4,13).

Purposes of the community

Christ built his church, he gave his people gifts and guidance, and he gave us work. What are the purposes of the church?

Worship is a key sense of ecclesial communion. God has called us "that you should preach the blessings of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light" (1. Petrus 2,9). God is looking for people who will worship him (John 4,23) who love him more than anything else (Matthew 4,10). Whatever we do, whether as individuals or as a community, should always be done in his honor (1. Corinthians 10,31). We are to "always offer the sacrifice of praise" to God (Hebrews 1 Cor3,15).

We are commanded to “encourage one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5,19). When we gather as a church, we sing God's praises, pray to him, and hear his word. These are forms of worship. Like the Lord's Supper, like baptism, like obedience.

Another purpose of the church is teaching. It is at the heart of the Great Commission: "...teach them to keep all that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28,20). Church leaders should teach, and each member should teach the others (Colossians 3,16). We should admonish one another (1. Corinthians 14,31; 2. Thessalonians 5,11; Hebrews 10,25). Small groups are the ideal setting for this mutual support and teaching.

Paul says that those who seek gifts of the Spirit should seek to build up the church (1. Corinthians 14,12). The goal is: to edify, admonish, strengthen, comfort (v. 3). Everything that happens in the assembly is meant to be edifying for the church (v. 26). We should be disciples, people who get to know and apply the Word of God. The early Christians were praised because they remained “steadfast in the teaching of the apostles and in fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayer” (Acts 2,42).

A third main purpose of the church is (social) service. "Therefore ... let us do good to everyone, but mostly to those who share the faith," demands Paul (Galatians 6,10). First of all, our commitment is to our family, then to the community, and then to the world around us. The second highest commandment is: love your neighbor (Matthew 22,39).

This world has many physical needs and we should not ignore them. Most of all, it needs the gospel, and we shouldn't ignore that either. As part of our service to the world, the church is to preach the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ. No other organization does this work - it is the job of the church. Every worker is needed - some on the "frontline", others in a support role. Some plant, others fertilize, others harvest; if we work together, Christ will make the Church grow (Ephesians 4,16).

Michael Morrison

The church