What is the Church?

by Guy N. Woods

( reprinted with permission from: Spirtual Sword, 1970, Vol 1(4):1-4 ) 

In a remarkable response to the fisherman disciple's unqualified acknowledgment of His deity, our Lord said to Peter, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." (Matt. 16:17,18.) The chronicle of the events occurring on the day the Christian Dispensation began - the first Pentecost following the resurrection - includes these words: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." (Acts 2:47.)

We thus learn that the Christ, in "the coasts of Caesarea Philippi," announced to the disciples generally and to Peter particularly plans for the establishment of His church; and, Luke, its earliest inspired historian, supplies us with ample evidence of the implementation of this purpose. The church of the New Testament became a reality on that eventful feast day, and references to it abound in Acts and in the Epistles. (Acts 5:11; 9:31; I Cor. 7:17; Gal. 1:2; I Thess. 1:1; Rev. 1:20.) Perpetuated by the preaching of the word of truth -the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ - in the first century, its continued existence, in our day on the same basis, is a matter of simple logic.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH? 

The word "Church," in our English translations, is the rendering of the Greek word ecclesia (pronounced ek ' la sia), from ek, signifying "out of," and kaleoo, "to call." Thus, literally, to "call out." It is used in the New Testament to designate that body of people which, in full and free response to the preaching of Jesus as Lord believed His word and obeyed His will. The steps particularly taken in this response to Him are faith(John 8:24); repentance (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38); confession(Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 8:37); and, baptism in water for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38). Those who thus did were (a) saved (Mark 16:15,16); (b) added to the church (Acts 2:47) and (c) made partakers of a divine fellowship (Acts 2:42-47.) Thenceforth those united in this fashion enjoyed a warm and intimate association in the family of God, having become partakers of the divine nature. (II Peter 1:4).

WHAT IS THE CHURCH IN ITS PRACTICAL ASPECTS? 

A broad and comprehensive concept of the church of our Lord will include and embrace much more than is involved in the lexical significance of the term which denotes it; such must include its character, its purpose, and its relationship both to Christ and to the world, as evidenced in its work and activities described in detail in the Inspired Writings. What is the church as thus contemplated?

The church is a body of baptized believers, called out from the world, over which Christ reigns as head, and in which the Holy Spirit dwells. 

(1)  The church is "a body...." As a body, it is a life-possessing organism, consisting of "members," (all true followers of Christ, I Cor. 12:27), and "a head," (the Lord, Himself, Eph. 1:22). There is but "one body," (Eph. 4:4), as there can be but one "head," ("even Christ") (Eph. 4: 15). It must, therefore, be obvious that a multiplicity of heads for the one body; or, a variety of bodies for the one head would render monstrous the divine organism. Let the reader, for a moment, visualize one head to which is attached manybodies; or one body to which is appended manyheads, and the grotesque denominational concept will be realized. Such a view opposes both Scripture and our sense of the fitness of things.

(2)  The church is a body "of baptized believers...." It is certain that the membership of the apostolic church consisted of believers only. "And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women." (Acts 5:14.) The phrase, "added to the Lord," signifies the same act as that indicated in the words, "added to the church." (Acts 2:47), inasmuch as the church is the spiritual body of Christ: "And hath put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be the head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all." (Eph. 1:22,23.) Luke, author of Acts, asserts that those who were added were "believers," and "men and women,"-exclude infants. No babies were in the membership of the church about which we read in the New Testament. Babies are neither "believers," nor are they "men and women;" "believers," including both "men and women," constituted the roll of the early church; therefore, there were no babies on the roll of the church of the New Testament period. Never having been lost, infants do not need to be saved; and are thus not added to the church. (Acts 2:47; Matt. 18:3.)

The church is a body of baptized believers. The membership of the church of which we read in the Bible consisted of believers, though not all believers were on its roll - only those believers which had been baptized! "Then they that gladly received His word were baptized; and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls." (Acts 2:41.) Those who "gladly received His word," were believers; these were added to the church, not because they were believers, but because they were baptized. Believers who refuse baptism place themselves outside the category of those approved: "and all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him." (Luke 7:29,30.) "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone." (James 2:17.) The Lord adds to the church those whom He saves, i.e., in the process of saving the Lord also adds to His church. (Matt. 16:18.) Those who are saved are those who believe and are baptized: "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved," (Mark 16:16); therefore, the Lord adds to the church only those who believe and are baptized. Only baptized believers are members of Christ's church. 

(3)  The church is a body of baptized believers, "called out;" and this calling accomplished by the gospel, (II Thess. 2:14), is a summons to those of the world to separate themselves from it, and its affairs, and to exhibit in life and disposition this fact. Christians are not of the world (John 15:19); and they must neither love it (I John 2:15); nor have fellowship with it (Eph. 5:11). They must, indeed ever keep themselves apart from it to enjoy the Lord's approbation: "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." (II Cor. 6:17,18)

(4)  The church is a body of baptized believers, called out from the world, "over which Christ reigns as head..." This relationship of our Lord to "the body," which is the church, was more than once affirmed by inspiration. (Eph. 1:21-23; Col. 1:18.) This, indeed prompted Paul to offer this relationship of headship in evidence as a part of a premise on which he argues Christ's preeminence. "For by Him were all things created....And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist: And He is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence. For it pleased the Father that in Him should all fullness dwell." (Col. 1:16-19.) Being the head of the body, the church, it is of course His divine prerogative to direct its affairs, provide its laws and enforce them. These rights have never been delegated to any synod, conference, convention, or council of men. Those who presume to exercise such powers are in usurpation of divine authority and in rebellion to His will.

(5)  The church is a body of baptized believers, called out from the world, over which Christ reigns as head, "and in which the Holy Spirit dwells." On the day of the establishment of the church and the beginning of the Christian dispensation, an event occurring on the first Pentecost following our Lord's resurrection from the tomb, the Holy Spirit came, in baptismal measure, in fulfillment of a promise the Savior made shortly before His ascension to heaven. In an address to His apostles in the interval between His death and His return to heaven He said to His little band: "Ye shall be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days hence." (Acts 1:5.) While assembled "with one accord" in Jerusalem in patient, watchful waiting for the realization of the promise, the Spirit came, and infused life into what was thenceforth to be a living, vitalizing body with Christ as its head. This is "the household of God," which is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets," and in which we of our day are privileged to enjoy the high honor of being "builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph. 2:19-22.)

What Then, Is The Church? 

The church is (a)a body; (b) the church is a body of baptized believers; (c) the church is a body of baptized believers called out from the world; (d) the church is a body of baptized believers called out from the world over which Christ reigns as head; (e) the church is a body of baptized believers called out from the world over which Christ reigns as head and in which the Holy Spirit dwells.

From GOSPEL ADVOCATE, December 3, 1964. Used by permission of author and publisher.

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