What Is the Church?

More Than a Building

When most people say "church," they mean a building — a structure with a steeple, stained glass, and pews. But the word "church" in the New Testament never refers to a building. It refers to people.

The Greek word ekklesia — translated "church" — means "called out assembly." It was used in the ancient world for any assembly of citizens called together for a specific purpose. The church is the assembly of people called out by God, through the gospel, to belong to Christ.

The Universal Church and the Local Church

The New Testament uses "church" in two related senses:

The universal church — the entire body of all believers everywhere, throughout all time, united to Christ. This is the church Jesus spoke of when He said "I will build my church" (Matthew 16:18) — the one, holy, catholic (universal), and apostolic church confessed in the creeds.

The local church — a specific, gathered community of believers in a particular place. When Paul writes to "the church of God that is in Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1:2) or "the churches of Galatia" (Galatians 1:2), he is speaking of local assemblies. The New Testament knows nothing of a Christianity that is not expressed in local church community.

The Church as the Body of Christ

Paul's most distinctive image for the church is the body of Christ:

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. — 1 Corinthians 12:27

The church is not an organisation — it is an organism. Christ is the head; believers are the members. Each member is different, each has a function, and no member can say to another "I have no need of you." The body's health depends on every member functioning as it was designed.

Other Images for the Church

The richness of the New Testament's ecclesiology is seen in the variety of images used:

• **The family of God** — brothers and sisters, with God as Father (Ephesians 2:19)
• **The bride of Christ** — betrothed to Christ, awaiting the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-8)
• **The temple of the Holy Spirit** — the dwelling place of God (Ephesians 2:21-22)
• **A royal priesthood** — offering spiritual sacrifices and declaring God's praises (1 Peter 2:9)
• **The pillar and buttress of truth** — the guardian and proclaimer of the gospel (1 Timothy 3:15)

Why the Church Matters

The church is not optional for the Christian — it is the community in which Christian life is meant to be lived. Christ did not die to create a collection of isolated individuals — He died to create a people, a community, a family. The Christian life apart from the local church is both impoverished and disobedient.