Views: 68
[Note: This MS is available in larger font on our Brief Articles-3 page.]
There are many terms used to describe the church in the New Testament which help us to understand the nature and substance of the church.
The church is called the kingdom of God or Christ. Jesus so describes it (Mat. 16:19; Mark 9:1, 14:25, etc.). Paul so describes it (Col. 1:13; Heb. 12:28, etc.). The church is not a democracy in which majority opinion rules, but a kingdom under the Supreme law of an all-powerful King (1 Tim. 6:15). He alone legislates for His kingdom through the written Word of His New Testament (John 12:48; Heb. 1:1–2); no man has a right to alter His laws (Gal. 1:8–9); Rev. 22:18–19). His kingdom does not have national boundaries or physical armies (John 18:36) but exists everywhere His Law is honored and obeyed (Mark 16:15–16). When He comes again, He will give the kingdom over to His Father for all eternity in Heaven (.1 Cor. 15:24)
The church is called the bride of Christ (Rev. 21:9; John 3:29; Rom. 7:4; Eph 5:23–24). A bride should wear the name of the husband (Acts 20:28; Rom. 16:16) and be in subjection to him who is her head (Eph. 5:22–24). Christ demands that His bride, the church, be free of spot, wrinkle, or blemish and that she be holy (Eph. 5:27). Christ loved His church so much that He gave Himself up for her and He nourishes and cherishes her supremely (Eph. 5:25, 29).
The church is called the body of Christ (Eph. 1:22–23; Col. 1:18). A body, unless it be an anomaly, has only one head. Christ is that one head. Moreover, a head has only one body in the normal case (Eph. 2:16; 4:4). A body has many members with various functions that complement each other (1 Cor. 12:12, 14–19). A normal body is a unified whole, each member being subject to one head (1 Cor. 12:20–27).
The most common word for the church is the church. Church means “called out ones” The agent that calls them out is the Gospel (Mat. 28:18–19; Mark 16:15–16; 1 The. 2:14). They are called out of the world to work for Jesus (1 Cor. 15:58; Eph 2:10). His church is the only thing Jesus will save (Eph. 5:23).
How does one enter the kingdom of Christ? By being born of water and the Spirit (John 3:5). How does one become a member of the body of Christ? By being baptized into it (1 Cor. 12:13). How does one become part of the church of Christ? When people believe, repent, and are then baptized they are saved and added to the church (Acts 2:38 41, 47).
[Note: I wrote this article for, and it was published in the “Bible Thoughts” Column for the Hood County News, Granbury, Texas, May 11, 1980.]
Attribution: From thescripturecache.com; Dub McClish, owner and administrator.
