Great Doctrines of the Bible
Special English Version

Lesson 21
THE CHURCH

INTRODUCTION
Many pastors and teachers make the local church equal with that which the Epistles call “the body of Christ” or “the bride of Christ”. The Bible teaches that the local church exists and is very important. It is necessary that we understand the difference between “local churches” and “THE CHURCH”. “THE CHURCH” is the “mystery” which God did not make known to man in other ages (Ephesians 3:5). Many people who say they are Christians are members of local churches. Only the people who are true believers are members of “THE CHURCH” which is His body” (Ephesians 1:23).

It is not the purpose of this lesson to show only the differences between the local church and universal CHURCH. This lesson will also teach you when they started and the importance and purpose of both. In this lesson you will learn the future glory of THE CHURCH, which is Christ’s. Christ bought this CHURCH with his own blood (Acts 20:28).

IMPORTANCE OF THIS LESSON

• Ephesians 3:10 says that God’s purpose was that all the rulers and powers in the heavenly places will now know the many different ways in which God shows His wisdom. They will know this because of the church.
• It is important to understand that if you are born again, you are a part of “the bride of Christ”. You are engaged to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2), Christ is preparing you for a wedding (Ephesians 5:27). The world sees only religious organizations that may often break down or become dishonest. The world fails to see the universal CHURCH that will win over its enemies. The Bible says that the gates of Hades will not be able to win over it (Matthew 16:18).
• It is important that you belong to some local church. It is also important that you are a part of that great army of believers who are washed by the blood of Christ. Christ gave His life for them (Ephesians 5:25).
• It is important to know exactly what THE CHURCH is and what the Bible teaches about it. It is important to know this because the Roman Catholic Church says that it is the one true Church of God on this earth. There are other churches that say the same thing about themselves.

Include this form on your page

THE LESSON

I. THE BASIC MEANING OF THE WORD CHURCH

1. The basic meaning of the word “church” in the New Testament is found in two Greek words:
   1. KURIAKON – This word means “that which belongs to the Lord.”
      Illustrations: 1 Corinthians 11:20, “The Lord’s Supper”; Romans 14:8, “We are the Lord’s.”
   2. EKKLESIA – The New Testament uses this word 111 times. It is made up of “ek”which means “out of,” and “kaleo” which means “to call.” So the word actually means “that which is called out of something.”
      1. All born again believers are the “called out ones” (Romans 8:30; 2 Corinthians 6:17).
      2. THE CHURCH is made up of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. These believers are called out from the world (Acts 2:47; John 15:19).
2. Both Greeks and Jews generally used the word “ekklesia” long before the days of the New Testament.
   1. The Greeks used it to mean the regular gathering of the citizens of a city or state. A messenger often called out the people in these cities. They met to discuss and decide on matters of interest to everybody in the city (Acts 19:38, 39).
   2. The Jews used this word for the people of Israel as the “called out” people of God (Acts 7:38).
3. To the Greeks the word meant a democratic group of people with its own government. To the Jews it meant a group of people that was controlled by a heavenly King. We can see both ideas in the way the New Testament uses the word “ekklesia”. In the New Testament the word “ekklesia” is used to mean the church as a group of believers on the Lord Jesus Christ. Each group has its own rules. Each of these groups is completely free from the others. Each group also knows that their freedom comes from obedience to the Lord.”

II. THE USE OF “EKKLESIA” IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

1. At first the word “ekklesia,” meant any “called out” group of people. It could mean a gathering of all the citizens of a town (Acts 19:41). In this same way Israel, in the Old Testament, was “called out” of Egypt and they gathered in the wilderness (Acts 7:38).
2. The Greek translation of the Bible known as The Septuagint, used the word “ekklesia” to mean “the people of Israel.” Israel was a “church,” meaning that it was a gathering together of people (Leviticus 4:13). God “called them out” to be a holy people (Leviticus 11:44). This does not in any way mean that it was the New Testament Church.
3. It is good to remember that THE CHURCH, the body and bride of Christ, was a secret truth (mystery) in the Old Testament. God chose to reveal this secret truth (mystery) mainly through the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 3:3-10). This secret truth was hidden since the beginning of the world (Romans 16:25-26).

III. THE FOUNDATION OF THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH

1. The New Testament mentions THE CHURCH for the first time in Matthew 16:18. In this verse Christ prophecies that He will build THE CHURCH. He promises that this CHURCH will win against the “gates of Hades.”
2. Both the prophecy and the promise became true in Acts 1:1-2:47. In this verse we see the wonderful beginning of the first Christian Church in Jerusalem.
3. There are many interpretations and disagreements on the meaning of Matthew 16:18.
   1. The Roman Catholic Church says that in this verse Christ makes Peter the highest-ranking apostle. Christ gives Peter more power than all the other apostles. The Roman Catholic Church says that Christ made Peter founder of the church. They say that Peter could not make mistakes in his teaching. Even today they say that the church was built on Peter. However, in Galatians 2:11 Paul says that he stood against Peter because Peter was wrong. James was the greater authority in the church at Jerusalem and not Peter (Acts 15:13-21). This verse does not teach that the Popes were going to be successors of Peter. Nowhere in the New Testament does it tell us that Peter could not make mistakes.
   2. Some Bible teachers point to the special way Christ uses the Greek words. Christ said, You are Peter (petros-a stone), and upon this rock (petra-a heavy ledge or cliff of rock) I will build my CHURCH”. These Bible teachers say that Christ praises Peter for his strong confession, a strong confession that is like a rock. They say that Christ will build the CHURCH on Himself because He is the big ROCK.
      1. 1 Corinthians 3:11 says that no person can lay another foundation, which is different from the one, which is already there. That foundation is Jesus Christ.
      2. In 1 Peter 2:4-8, Peter calls Christ “the stone that lives”. He calls Christ the “cornerstone” which is the first and most important stone in a building. Peter also calls him “a stone that causes that people stumble” and “a rock which causes that people will fall.”
      3. In Isaiah 28:16, Christ is called “a stone.”(Matthew 16:18)
      4. 1 Corinthians 10:4 says, “That ROCK was Christ.”
   3. A.T. Robertson, in his book called Word Studies in the Old Testament, does not think that we should take the words that Christ speaks as special. Christ probably spoke to Peter in the Aramaic language. In this language there is very little difference between “petros” and “petra.” He says that the ROCK on which the CHURCH will be built was not Peter. God showed Peter that Jesus was THE CHRIST or MESSIAH, the Son of the Living God. Peter is happy to say this before the other disciples. The church will be built on this great confession of faith. Everyone who makes this confession after that, will be saved forever as a member of that CHURCH (John 20:31;
      Acts 16:31; John 8:24).
   4. Last of all, there are Bible teachers like Albert Barnes who wrote Barnes Notes of The New Testament. He believes that “the rock” refers to Peter himself. He does not believe that Christ made Peter more important than the other apostles. That is a false doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church. Christ was only saying, “Peter, you are a rock. I will give to you the honor of laying the foundation of the CHURCH among the Jews and Gentiles.” This was fulfilled in Acts 2:14-36. In these verses Peter opened the door to the Jews and in Acts 10 he offered the Gospel to the Gentiles.
      • There is a sense in which all of the last three views are correct. Christ is indeed THE ROCK. The faith of every person who is a part of the CHURCH must stand on Him. Also, every person who is a member of the CHURCH must tell others that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Lord, the Son of the Living God. And, Peter certainly was given the honor of laying the foundation of the CHURCH. He did this when he opened the door to both Jews and Gentiles. So, let us rejoice in this wonderful truth. Let us not fight about a personal viewpoint or over our own interpretation of these verses.
4. “I will build my church; and the gates of Hades will not win over it.” There are two important thoughts here:
   1. The CHURCH here is compared to a building (Ephesians 2:19-21; 1 Peter 2:4-8).
   2. “The gates of Hades.” Many teachers say this means that the power of evil makes war against the CHURCH. The CHURCH wins over all such attacks of Satan. Of course this is true, however there is a greater meaning here. The Greek word “hades” is the same as the Hebrew word “sheol”. Sheol is the place for persons who have died. Sheol is also called “death”. The most important thought here is that “hades” (death) will not win over Christ. Christ will win over death through the resurrection. Therefore every person who has placed his faith in Christ and is a part of the CHURCH, does not have to fear death. The power of death is broken. Christ won over death for us (Hebrews 2:14; 1 Corinthians 15:54-57).
5. You must always remember, that it is the CHURCH for which Christ gave his life (Ephesians 5:25). He bought it with His own blood (Acts 20:28).

IV. THE FORMATION OF THE CHURCH

1. In Matthew 16:18 Christ spoke the prophecy concerning the CHURCH. He also promised that the CHURCH would never fail.
2. In Matthew 18:15-18 Christ said that the CHURCH would operate in a certain way. It would discipline its members. It would be responsible for judging problems among its members.
3. In Matthew 18:20 the Lord tells us that the CHURCH is wherever two or three are gathered together in His name.
4. In Acts 1:15-2:46 we see the first local church made up of 120 members. They chose Mathias to take the place of Judas. They waited in prayer for the power Christ had promised to them (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8). They preached in different languages. They baptized the people who received Christ. Every day they had fellowship together. They prayed together. They had the Lord’s Supper together and studied the Bible.
5. This early church grew quickly. It grew to be a very large church. In Acts 1:15 it had 120 members. In Acts 2:41 there were 3,000 more. In Acts 4:4 there were 5,000 more. Acts 4:32 and 5:14 tell us that God added more and more people to the church. In Acts 2:47 we read that the Lord added daily to the church those whom He was saving. Note that the Lord did the adding. As soon as a person became a true believer and was born again, he was considered part of the church. There was no question as to whether he should join.
6. Step-by-step the church was formed and organized according to their needs. In Acts 6:1-4, deacons were appointed. This gave the apostles more time to pray and study the Word of God. Later elders were appointed for every church (Acts 11:30 and 14:23).
7. This early church was considered one church, even though the people met in many different places. They met in homes (Acts 2:46; 12:12). They met in the upper room (Acts 1:13). They met in the temple (Acts 5:12) and in synagogues (Acts 13:5).
8. This early church had regular meetings. They met every day (Acts 2:46) and each Lord’s Day (Acts 20:7). They met in order to pray (Acts 3:1; 10:9).
9. The Jews soon persecuted the early church in a very cruel way (Acts 8:1). The believers moved away from Jerusalem and established churches in many different places. They moved from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria and other parts of the world (Acts 1:8). The first Gentile church was started in Antioch of Syria (Acts 13:1). The main Jewish church stayed in Jerusalem and it remained the head of the Jewish Church (Acts 15:2-21).

V. THE WAY THE LOCAL CHURCH WAS ORGANIZED

1. Local churches were formed into organized bodies of believers. As Paul traveled in his missionary journeys, he established and organized churches; in Corinth, Galatia, Thessalonica, and more. Later he wrote letters to some of these churches.
2. 1 Corinthians 12-14 shows that the churches had chosen certain ways of worship. Letters by Paul to Timothy and Titus show that there were organized groups of believers.
3. The way the churches were organized was quite simple.
   1. To the church at Philippi Paul wrote, “To all the believers in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons” (Philippians 1:1). Other churches he addressed only as “the believers” or “the faithful brothers” in many different places.
   2. A bishop was also called overseer or elder or presbyter or pastor. These were all the same office (compare Titus 1:5 with 1:7). Also, Acts 20:17-28 shows us that bishop and elder are the same office. Bishop refers to what the person does in the church. Elder refers to the man himself. The “presbytery” was made up of elders. The elders were also called pastors. In New Testament times, each church had more than one elder or pastor. The qualifications and appointment of elders was very important to the church (Acts 14:23; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Timothy 3:1-7).
4. Remember only the local church has elders and deacons (1 Corinthians 12:28 and Ephesians 4:11). The apostles served the CHURCH general, or universal, in addition to the pastors
   (Acts 14:14). There were other people who served the church, such as prophets, evangelists and teachers (Acts 13:1).
5. In Acts 6:1-6 we find the first appointment of deacons. They were chosen because the church needed them to “serve tables”. At this time “serving tables” and “studying the Word” became separate duties.

VI. THE FELLOWHIP OF THE CHURCH
(Its membership) – If a person wanted to be a member of a local church he had to meet the following requirements:

1. He must repent (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; 17:30).
2. He must openly say that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of The Living God, and our Redeemer (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9, 10; Matthew 16:16-28; 1 John 4:15).
3. He must be baptized by immersion in the name of the Three-in-One God. He was required to do this as a public sign of his confession of faith in Christ (Acts 2:38-41; Matthew 28:19; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:3-5; Acts 8:36, 16:33, 18:8).
4. Only those really born again became members in the local church (John 3:3-8; Acts 2:47). They were “added to the Lord” before they were added to the local church (Acts 5:14; 11:24).
5. In addition to the requirements for membership in the local church, certain things distinguished these early believers.
   1. They followed the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42).
   2. They were called “the saints”. This means that they were holy, separated from sin and to God (Acts 9:13; Romans 1:7, 16:2; Ephesians 2:19, 4:12; Jude 3).
   3. They were known as “Christians” or lovers of The Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26, 26:28).
   4. They were called “the brothers” (Acts 11:29, 12:17; Romans 1:13).
   5. They were all equal one to the other (Matthew 23:8-12).
   6. They were “the chosen ones by God” (Romans 8:33; 1 Peter 1:2; Col. 3:12).

VII. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
Note: An ordinance is something God has commanded the church to practice. Since The Council of Trent the Roman Catholic Church believes that Christ approved seven ordinances, The New Testament only talks about two.

1. Baptism – Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:12, 10:47, 48
2. The Lord’s Supper – Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 20:7

VIII. THE NAMES USED FOR THE CHURCH THAT SHOW US WHAT IT IS LIKE

1. THE CHURCH has many different names.
   1. It is seen as “one body” (Colossians 3:15; Ephesians 4:16) that has many members (1 Corinthians 6:15, 10:17, 12:12-31). As members of this one body Christians are like one family with Christ.
   2. This one body is called “the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12; Colossians 1:24). Christ is “the head” of this body (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15, 5:23; Colossians 1:18.) As “the head,” Christ is the one who cause the body to grow (Ephesians 4:15, 16). Christ protects the body and takes care of it. Christ is the head of the body (Ephesians 5:23, 24). Christ fills this body (Ephesians 1:23) and causes it to grow (Colossians 2:19).
   3. The Bible compares the CHURCH to a building (1 Corinthians 3:9, 16-17), or temple (Ephesians 2:19-22; 1 Peter 2:4-8). Christ is the first and most important stone in the building (1 Peter 2:6). He is the foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11). The apostles and prophets laid this foundation (1 Corinthians 3:10; Ephesians 2:20). The Holy Spirit came to live in this building. He is living in this building today (Ephesians 2:22; 1 Corinthians 3:16).
   4. The CHURCH is called “one new man” (Ephesians 2:15). This means that Christ made one new
      body out of two, believing Jews and Gentiles.
   5. The CHURCH is compared to a bride. It called “the bride of Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians
      5:23-25, 32). Christ is compared to the Bridegroom (John 3:29; Matthew 25:11-13). All believers are engaged to Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2). Christ will come for His bride at “the rapture” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-18). After the rapture Christ will give a great marriage feast in heaven (Revelation 19:7-9).
2. These names for the Church show how it is different from any other organization.
   1. We must not confuse the CHURCH with the local church.
      1. The local church is an organization. The CHURCH is a living body.
      2. We can see the local church, but we cannot see the CHURCH.
      3. Each local church is limited to a certain area. The CHURCH is everywhere.
      4. A person can join a local church like any other organization. Only those truly born again (Acts 2:47) are united to the CHURCH. People who are born again are members of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13). 2 Timothy 2:19 tells us that the Lord knows those people that belong to Him. Not all people who say they are believers are really believers. Only the true believers are in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
      5. In the New Testament a local church meant believers in any one place (1 Corinthians 1:2). The CHURCH means believers everywhere (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13).
   2. We must not confuse the CHURCH with “the kingdom of heaven” (rule of God). The CHURCH is not the same as “Christendom” which is all churches and people who consider themselves Christian because they are not part of some other religion.
      1. The CHURCH is part of “the kingdom of heaven” (rule of God). Surely the organized religious system of today is not the “body” that Christ was the head of (Colossians 1:18). That is not the CHURCH for which He died (Ephesians 5:25). It is not the CHURCH Paul persecuted (1 Corinthians 15:9).
      2. In Matthew 16:18, Christ used a new name for a new institution which He was about to establish. Christ clearly made a difference between THE CHURCH and the kingdom (rule of God).
      3. The Apostles did not use the word “kingdom” much in their writings. It is very evident that, since Pentecost, the most important work of God has been the calling and gathering together of His CHURCH (Acts 15:14). God’s main work at this time is not to build His kingdom.
      4. According to the parables of Matthew 13, the kingdom is made up of the good AND the bad. The church is made up of believers alone.
      5. The Jews rejected the kingdom, which will be set up again when Christ comes in glory after the Rapture (Acts 1:6).
   3. We must not confuse the CHURCH with Israel. Israel was the wife of Jehovah that committed adultery. When Christ comes back the second time, Israel will repent. God will forgive her, and God will make a nation out of her again. At that time Israel will become the Lord’s wife that lives on earth (Hosea 2:23). The CHURCH is a “chaste virgin” (a young woman who has never known a man). The CHURH is engaged to Christ alone (2 Corinthians 11:2). The CHURCH will be the heavenly bride of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6-8). (Also read Hosea 2:1-23; Isaiah 54:1-10; and Ephesians 5:25-27).
   4. Last of all, 1 Corinthians 10:32 makes a difference between Jews, Gentiles, and the CHURCH. This verse shows us that the CHURCH is a special group of people in this world.

IX. THE DUTIES AND ACTIVITIES OF THE EARLY CHURCH

1. Apostles – There were more than the first eleven apostles. Paul and Barnabas also called themselves apostles (Romans 16:7). To be an apostle, a person must have seen the Lord Jesus after His resurrection. (Acts 1:22; 1 Corinthians 9:1).
   1. As an apostle Paul did signs, wonders, and miracles (2 Corinthians 12:12; 2 Corinthians 4:1; Colossians 1:23).
   2. He was a preacher and a teacher (1 Timothy 2:7; 1:11).
   3. He appointed elders in the churches (Acts 14:23).
   4. He had special responsibilities to the local churches. He establishes them (Acts 16:15). He took care of them (2 Corinthians 11:28) and he encouraged them (Acts 15:41).
   5. The special duties of an apostle stopped when the last apostle died. They did not pass on their duties and abilities.
2. Prophet – The prophet did not manage a local church or group of people.
   1. A prophet received special revelation from God (Ephesians 3:5).
   2. A prophet was a messenger from God to the church. His work was to teach and build the believers in the faith (1 Corinthians 14:3, 4, 22).
   3. He helped to start new local churches (Ephesians 2:20).
   4. The work of a prophet in the New Testament was that of preaching to build believers up in the faith. He taught them how to live the Christian life. He comforted them when they had problems. He was not a person who told people what would happen in the future (1 Corinthians 14:5).
   5. The apostles and prophets had greater authority in the local church.
3. Evangelist and Teacher – Ephesians 4:11.
   These men had special abilities. They were able to teach the believers to serve other believers. They helped the believer to be strong in the Christian life. In that way the local church also became strong (Ephesians 4:11, 12; Hebrews 5:12; 2 Timothy 4:4,5).
4. Bishops, Elders and/or Pastors (all the same office).
   1. They were to feed the church with the Word of God and oversee it (Acts 20:17, 28, and 35; 1 Peter 5:1,2).
   2. Their duties and qualifications are further described in 1 Timothy 3:2-8.
5. Deacons – Their role is never fully explained and is not perfectly clear. Their qualifications are listed in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
   They were to “serve tables” and relieve the elders so they could pray and study the Word (Acts 6:1-4).
6. The believers – the entire church family.
   1. They were to lead a holy life in order that there would be nothing for which anyone could blame
      them. They were to live a life that showed the glory of God’s grace (Ephesians 1:4,6).
   2. They were to “grow in grace” (2 Peter 3:18). They had to try to become mature men, up to the completeness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).
      1. They were to evangelize the world with the gospel (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8; 8:4).
      2. They were to have fellowship with God and with one another (1 John 1:3-7), “they continued in the apostle’s fellowship” (Acts 2:42).
      3. They were to strive for unity (Ephesians 4:3, 4, 13).
      4. They were to exclude members who committed sin and did not want to repent and restore them again when they repented (1 Corinthians 5:6-7; 2 Corinthians 2:6).
      5. They were to exercise discipline (Matthew 18:17; 1 Corinthians 5:4,5).
      6. They were to elect their officers (Acts 6:3-7).
      7. They were to observe ordinances (1 Corinthians 11:20-34).
      8. They were to manage the affairs of their local church (1 Corinthians 14:40).
      9. They were to love one another (1 Peter 1:22) and pray much for each other (Acts 4:31, 12:5)
      10. They were to lay hold of the power of the blessed Holy Spirit in order to perform the duties as God commanded them.
      11. They were to preach the Gospel to the whole world (Acts 1:8; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 15:19)

X. THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

1. The CHURCH is to be “caught up” to be with Christ at the rapture. This might happen at any time (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).
2. The CHURCH is to be glorified together with Christ as inheritors of God (Romans 8:16-17).
3. Nobody that is a part of the CHURCH will ever be in death forever. They have life that never ends. The rapture will happen in a “twinkling of an eye” when Christ returns for His own and all the dead believers will be raised (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).

CONCLUSION

1. A local church in the New Testament is an organization of true believers in Christ. They usually live in one general area. They meet together regularly in Christ’s name to worship, praise, pray, and study the Word of God. They give testimonies. They baptize converts. They partake of the Lord’s Supper together. They discipline members and try to carry out the Lord’s command to evangelize the whole world (Acts 13:1-4, 20:7; Matthew 28:19, 20; 1 Thessalonians 1:8; Hebrews 10:25;
   Philippians 4:14-18; 1 Corinthians 5:4, 5, 14:26).
2. The CHURCH universal, is also called “body of Christ” or “bride of Christ”. It is made up of all truly born-again believers in Christ that lived from Pentecost to the time when Christ returns on the clouds. Every one of these believers is united to Christ by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. This group of believers is also called the “temple of the Holy Spirit”. The Holy Spirit lives in this body of believers. Christ is the Head of this body. This CHURCH is “one flesh” with Christ. This CHURCH is engaged to Christ. This CHURCH is like the virgin who is sexually clean. It is this CHURCH that will be caught up to be with Him at the Rapture (Hebrews 12:23; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:30,33; 2 Corinthians 11:2-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18).

Examination

This is the end of this lesson. In order to proceed with the examination, you must be preregistered* as a student with Rogma International. If you are ready to proceed with the examination, click one of the buttons below:

This version is recommended if you have a reliable internet connection. The exam must be completed during your open session, otherwise you risk losing any answers that you may have already completed.		If you are unable to complete the exam online, we suggest that you download this Adobe Acrobat PDF version of the exam and write your answers in the body of an e-mail message to your assigned grader.

* Although registration is not required, registered students can earn a Certificate of Accomplishment, Certificate of Achievement, or a Diploma. In addition, registered students are assigned a personal grader who will monitor their ongoing progress. If you would like to register first, click below. A student identification number and access codes will be e-mailed to you within a few business days. Click to register.