Download What is the Church? (2)

What is the Church? (2)
Review

The meaning of the word church
The word means ‘assembly’ – in ancient times, the
word meant a group of people assembled, the New
Testament considers the Christian Church to always
be in assembly whether physically in proximity or not,
because of the unity of the Spirit.
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The uses of the word in the New Testament
The word is used sparingly to refer to a heathen
assembly assembled and once to the congregation of
Israel in the OT. Every other reference is to the
Christian Church, with the vast majority of references
to local assemblies acting as distinct churches in their
local communities.
NT Concept - Customary

Universal vs. Local

The concept of Universal serves well in
reference the body of Christ, the members of
which are on earth or in heaven (Heb 12.23)

But, how local is a local church?
NT Concept – ‘local’ problem

Reference to a church meeting in a house (Rm 16.5)

Some references could encompass more than one
‘house assembly’ (1 Cor 6.2) but not Christians in
another city (1 Thess 1.1)

Reference to the church throughout all Judea and
Galilee and Samaria – multiple congregations, singular
term (Ac 9.31)

Paul’s reference to persecuting the church – singular
term, not one local body (1 Cor 15.9)
NT Concept – ‘local’ problem

What local means is
– A group meeting in a single house
– Several groups in a city (possibly)
– The many groups in a region

And then there is 1 Cor 10.32
“Giving no offense to the church of God must relate to
visible groups, yet not all of them even in a region. It
must concern any aspect of the visible church one
comes in contact with.”
NT Concept - Clarification

The Universal Church – all believers in heaven or on
earth

The Visible Church – “local churches in various areas,
especially those I am acquainted with”

The Local Church – “the particular assembly with
which I have my primary and sustained relation”
“Every believer actually belongs to all these three
aspects of the church, and 1 Corinthians 10:32 applies
to any of them with which he has contact at any time.”
Roman concept
Since the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church has been
defined as a union of human beings who are united by the
profession of the same Christian faith, and by participation
of and in the same sacraments under the direction of their
lawful pastors, especially of the one representative of Christ
on earth, the Bishop of Rome. Each element in this
definition is meant to exclude all others from actual and
vital membership in the Catholic Church, namely apostates
and heretics who do not profess the same Christian faith,
non-Christians who do not receive the same sacraments,
and schismatics who are not submissive to the Church's
lawful pastors under the Bishop of Rome.

Participation in the sacraments

Under lawful pastors (esp. Bishop of Rome)
Anglican concept
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful
men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the
Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's
ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite
to the same.

Due ministration of sacraments

Things requisite includes the headship of the British
monarch
Reformed concept
The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists
of the whole number of the elect … The visible Church,
which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not
confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of
all those throughout the world that profess the true religion;
… and of their children.

The true religion throughout the world (less local
concept)

Inclusion of the children of the elect
Baptist concept
The Church “is a company of visible saints, called and
separated from the world, by the Word and the Spirit of
God, to the visible profession of the faith of the Gospel,
being baptized into the faith, and joined to the Lord, and
each other, by mutual agreement, in the practical enjoyment
of the ordinances, commanded by Christ their head and
King.”

Visible profession of faith in Christ

Conscious (believer’s) baptism and mutual agreement
to keep the ordinances
Ryrie notes that there are some Baptists who deny the
concept of a universal church.