Church | ACBC Exam Question #19

  What is the church?

             The dictionary defines church as; “ a/ a building for public Christian worship b/ the whole body of Christian believers; Christendom c/ any division of this body professing the same creed and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a Christian denomination: the Methodist Church.”¹

             My husband and I are members at South End Fellowship Baptist Church, in Owen Sound, Ontario.  It’s a great place to learn the Word of God, corporately worship, serve, and fellowship.  We are real life struggling sinners growing and changing, all at different places and paces in the process.  There are saved as well as unsaved people there; the unsaved are searching, hearing the Gospel and hopefully coming to a place of personal decision to accept Christ.  Our church is a building, but more than that, it is people; seekers, worshippers, servers, family in Christ supporting and helping one another become more like our Saviour.  There are local churches like ours all over North America, throughout the world.  There are churches based on the truth of Scripture, and there are false teaching “churches” leading people away from the Gospel, presenting many varying doctrines.  They all consider themselves “a church”.

     So then what is the church?  In Scripture we read that Jesus said, “…I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” (Matthew 16:18)  Surely He wasn't talking about cathedrals, mosques, or road side chapels.  No, the church of God is not a building, but people who have a personal faith relationship with Christ.   

   “The importance of the church can scarcely be overstated.  It is that which God purchased with the blood of His own Son (Acts 20:28).  It is that which Christ loves, nourishes, and cherishes (Eph. 5: 25, 29), and which He shall present to Himself blameless in all her glory one day (v. 27).  Building His church constitutes Christ’s principle work in the world today (Matt 16:18) through His giving of spiritual gifts (Eph. 4:12).  Thus the exercise of those gifts by believers aligns us with what Christ is doing today.”²

             The church began on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:37-47) under the headship of our risen Saviour Jesus Christ who is seated in heaven since the ascension (Ephesians 1:20).  There are three aspects to this church.  The first being the universal church including all believers throughout time both in heaven and on earth.  The second is the visible church which includes all Gospel believing churches on planet earth.  Thirdly, is each localized assembly.  Each true believer of Christ becomes part of the universal church at conversion, and should be a member of the visible and local church also.   All three of these terms churches can be referred to as “the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32). 

¹ www.dictionary.com     ² “Basic Theology”, Charles Ryrie, page 393