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What IS The Church?
by John Moreland
© JUN
2001
We are living in stressful times. To be sure, we can identify our times biblically as a time of wars and rumors of wars. In Luke 21:25 Jesus refers to the distress of nations, with perplexity. The Greek word for perplexity is
aporia meaning at a loss for a way, or no passage out. If ever the whole world has been in such disarray, it is now. Because of the ability of instant communications which have been developed, our world has become remarkably smaller. We are neighbors in a real sense to the entire world, and no nation can anymore enjoy anonymity. The whole world lives in the proverbial "glass house." This has brought cultural and spiritual conflicts into stark reality. The solutions for the end of conflict by the mind of man no longer solve the problems of world peace and brotherhood.
Because of these things it is imperative that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ be defined in order that we may know who we really are and our role in international affairs. Jesus, in His departing words gave us a clear mandate when He said make disciples of all nations. This is a far greater mandate than simply making converts in every nation. If He said do it then we must see the grace given to accomplish it. If we doubt the ability, we simply must look at the religion of Islam for it holds nations in it’s power. Surely the Kingdom of God is far greater in power and influence.
So then, let us once again look into the heart of the Father and His Son and search for that which has been given us to make this possible. What is the Church?
Defining the Greek word for "Church"
The Wycliff Bible Encyclopedia gives us this definition of the word church. The English word "church" is derived from the Gr. adjective kyrikon (kyriakon) which means "belonging to the Lord." The substantial form can be rendered simply as "the Lord's house" and is used to designate a Christian place of worship.
In the NT, however, "church" translates the Gr. ekklesia which never refers to a place of worship but has in view an assembly of people. In the overwhelming majority of cases, ekklesia indicates a local company of believers.
Jesus further clarified this in Matthew 16:18 when He said "I will build My Church." This could not possibly be construed to mean that it referred to only a local company of believers. It gives the word a universal meaning. The Scripture gives it a much broader meaning in Hebrews 10:23 when it includes those who are now in heaven.
The simplest meaning of the Greek word itself is called out. It is a combination of two Greek words, i.e., ek meaning out, and kaleo which means called. We are the called out ones. We are the called out ones and are not a place of worship. We may meet in a building, a house, or under a tree, but we are the ekklesia, and by the farthest stretch of the imagination cannot be called a place. Neither are we an institution, nor an organization, but a spiritual organism, a life form. We are not an organization, but we are referred to as a body, a spiritual, structural life form, and the household of God.
Further clarification is given when Jesus called it His Church. There is only one Head, Jesus, and no man on earth, no matter what his calling can "head up" Christ’s Church, be it a local congregation or otherwise. When men as leaders speak of a congregation as "my Church" it is gross error, no matter how innocently stated.
We are God’s delegated authority on earth
This principle is defined in Genesis 1:26, when the Lord in the council of eternity gave purpose to mankind. It is written, (Gen 1:26 NASB) "Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." He has functioned in this manner ever since.
We see His full purpose of this delegated authority expressed in Matthew 16:18-19. {18} "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it. {19} "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." It is a clear mandate to the Church. We have been given His delegated authority on earth! By the power and authority given to us by the Lord of the universe we can effect change in the earth!
The Church is the expression of Christ on earth
The Word is clear. 1 John 4:17 reveals " ... because as He is, so also are we in this world." And again, we find Jesus saying to the Disciples (John 20:21) "Jesus therefore said to them again, "Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you." Jesus was sent to represent the Father, His delegated authority, so He has delegated us.
One of the great problems which has manifested itself in Christ’s Church in North America is that we have exported our culture along with the gospel and it appears to the world that one cannot exist without the other. How tragic! We must see that the Kingdom of God is a culture all it’s own and is not, cannot be of this world order. We have to a great degree democratized Christianity and it is a Kingdom, not a democracy. In the Kingdom you lose your vote! Jesus is Lord!
The Church is an expression of the Kingdom of God on earth
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gave the disciples a model prayer. It is found in Matthew 6:9-13. After teaching them the phrase of worship, i.e., "hallowed be Thy name", He taught them to pray "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." The very message preached by the Lord Jesus while on earth was the gospel of the kingdom of God. It is recorded four times in the Gospels as the gospel of the kingdom. The last two verses in the book of Acts records that it was the message of the apostle Paul in his imprisonment in Rome. The kingdom of God is reference to God’s domain, while the term ‘kingdom of heaven’ generally refers to the character and evidence of the kingdom.
The phrase the kingdom of God occurs eleven times in ten verses in the New Testament after the four gospels. It is the central message of God’s Word to the world and to His Church. It is both the message and the testimony of the Church.
We are Called the Mystery
There are several things referred to in Scripture as mysteries, such as, the mystery of the kingdom, the mystery of godliness, the mystery of the gospel, the mystery of lawlessness. But I would point us to the mystery which refers to the mystery of Christ. It is found in Ephesians 3:4-6. Paul states it in this manner.
{4} "And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, {5} which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; {6} to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, ..." The mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. It is the whosoever in John 3:16. We are defined as the mystery.
It is revealed in another epistle of Paul’s, Colossians 1:26-27 which states, {26} "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations; but has now been manifested to His saints, {27} to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."
One cannot read these passages without realizing that we have become one in Christ. It further establishes that Christ’s ekklesia is relational in it’s entity, function and purpose.
The Church IS Relational in It’s Nature
In 2 Corinthians 12:12-27 the apostle Paul gives a perfect picture of the form of the Church. It is a body, Christ’s body. Yes, it is literally His body! - a spiritual body, but a body no less. This passage is a grand picture of form, nature and function. Verse 12 sums up the relational form of the Church. (1 Cor 12:12) "For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ." Paul settles it with the phrase "so also is Christ." We are Christ’s body!
The apostle Paul identified Christ’s body in several relational ways in Ephesians 2. We are related in Him as our peace, v.14. We are related as a new creation into one new man, v.15. We are related in that we have our access in one Spirit to the Father, v. 18. We are related as fellow citizens with the saints, v.19. We are related as family and are of God's household, v. 19. We are related because as a whole building, we are being fitted together and growing into a holy temple in the Lord, v. 21. We are related because we are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit, v. 22. This is all by the wisdom and grace of God.
One of the greatest revelations that the Church is relational is found further in Ephesians 4, beginning with verse 4. {4} There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; {5} one Lord, one faith, one baptism, {6} one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. The most glorious thing of all is revealed in the 6th verse, God the Father is over all and through all and in all which is the greatest bond of all, God Himself! We are joined!
The Purpose of being Joined
Again in Ephesians 4 Paul gives reason for our being joined. Hear the Word. {15} " .. we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, {16} from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." The bottom line here is the life that flows through the joints. That life is the life of Christ flowing through His body. If relationships are broken or fail to work in proper manner, then it is the life to and through one another that is affected, or cut off.
Jesus’ Prayer
In Jesus’ high priestly prayer recorded in John 17 He prayed very significantly for our unity. Part of His prayer is as follows. {20} "I do not ask in behalf of these alone (the disciples present), but for those also who believe in Me through their word; {21} that they may all be one; even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Me. {22} "And the glory which Thou hast given Me I have given to them; that they may be one, just as We are one; {23} I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, that the world may know that Thou didst send Me, and didst love them, even as Thou didst love Me." Do you see it! The whole gospel is validated to the world in our relational unity!
Keeping The Unity
Ephesians 4:3 is an exhortation form the apostle Paul that is paramount for the ekklesia, the called-out -ones. "... being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." The word ‘preserve’ in the original language means to watch over, to guard, and he admonishes us to be diligent in this matter. Ephesians 4:4-6 reveals to us what the unity of the Spirit is, while verses 1through 3 tells us how to keep it.
It is very interesting that he refers to our keeping the unity of the Spirit as walking in a manner worthy of our calling. Our calling here is reference to our calling as sons of God. It naturally follows that if we do not diligently preserve the unity of the Spirit that we are not walking in such a manner. I would point out that doctrinal or institutional pride can find no place in the unity of the Spirit.
I once heard a fellow minister say, when speaking of unity, that "it does not mean losing our doctrinal or denominational distinctives." How can we preserve these things when they are the very things which divide Christ’s body? While there are some non-negotiable truths which give credence to the gospel such as the virgin birth of Christ, the vicarious atonement of Christ, the blood sacrifice, Christ’s resurrection and ascension, the rest pale in significance to unity. It is true, that while here we can only ".. know in part, but then I shall know fully just as I also have been fully known." No one person, nor sectarian group can know it all. Every joint in His body is only a part of the whole, and is in need of all the other joints for function and wholeness. It seems that the Church has come to the place where preserving the unity in the bond of peace, has become the bond of tolerance. Such things generally find Christians fellow shipping exclusively with those of the same doctrinal and sectarian persuasions. This has given rise to such terms as ‘Ministerial Alliance’. We are not allies, we are brothers, members of the same household, God’s household. Such terms and concepts keep us from the unity of the Spirit. This is no more than doctrinal and sectarian pride. May God grant us deliverance from such!
The Unity of the Faith
The faith, as a body of truth, is really all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Again, hear the apostle Paul in writing to the Ephesians, (Eph 4:11-13 NASB) {11}"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, {12} for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; {13} until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ." Verse 13 in this passage is a powerful definition of faith, i.e., "the knowledge of the Son of God." This is expressed again in 2 Corinthians 13:5 which says "Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you ..." The faith here is described as knowing that Jesus Christ is in you. Do you see, it’s all about the Lord Jesus Christ - the faith!
What Then Should We Do?
Knowledge almost always brings accountability. In the light of this, I would suggest some things which I believe to be pertinent. I believe we should seek the Lord about these things. The prayer Paul prayed for the Ephesians 1:15-19 is an excellent place to start in our personal quest. It is:
{17} "..that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you (us, me) a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. {18} I pray that the eyes of your (my, our) heart may be enlightened, so that you (I, we) may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, {19} and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might ..."
He will answer and show you!
Second we must repent to the Lord and one another if we have been guilty of being less than what we were created for in Christ.
Third, we need to rejoice in the marvelous provision He has made for us in Christ and in the revelation of the mystery.
Fourth, we need to begin to walk in the reality of the faith and in the unity of the Spirit. Let us begin to be what the Lord has redeemed us to be; validate our testimony to the world so the world will know that the Father has sent the Son and effect real change in the world as He has given us the power and authority.
May our God bless this to your heart is my prayer.
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