Ecclesiology 101 Part 2

Before we go too far into our study of the church, it is important that we understand who makes up the church and what the purpose of the church is. Understanding these two aspects will allow us to begin to identify not only true members of the church, but also churches that are upholding the purpose as defined by scripture.

First, we are going to identify who makes up the church. It is a sad fact, but not everyone who steps inside a church actually belongs to the church body. This is because of what the word “ekklesia” means. The Greek word is used to describe an assembly of people, they are the called out ones and it becomes the technical word for those who are called out of this world and joined together with Christ. Meaning that the church can only be made up of individuals who have accepted the works of Jesus Christ and recognize Him as their Lord and Savior. Church is not a building, it is a group of people who have been united through Christ. It does not matter the individual’s background, if they are Jew or Gentile, if they have submitted to Christ then they are a member of the Church.

However, it is important to understand that the Church has not replaced the Jews in God’s eyes. There are eternal promises of God to His people that cannot be altered or taken away. These include promises of a national entity (Jer. 31:36), a land of their own (Gen. 13:15), a king (Jer. 33:20-21), and a kingdom (2 Sam. 7:16). The church has not replaced the Jewish people in these promises, and one very important identifier of a true body of believers is whether or not they believe this. Those out there who deny God’s plan for the Jewish people are denying not only Scripture but also God’s future promises. If you are a part of a church building that preaches this replacement theology, it is not a member of the true body of Christ.

Now that we understand who makes up the members of the true church, it is important to understand what the church’s purpose is. Despite what some so called churches will say, the purpose of the true church is not the conversion of the whole world. We have already seen that the church are those who have been called out from the world, and we know that Scripture states that there will come a day that the world will be filled with believers. However, this day will come after the church has been raptured and after Jesus has returned to rule on earth, not before. Mankind cannot usher in this age, it is only done through Christ.

So if the Church is not meant to bring into place this age, what is the purpose? You may be thinking of Christ’s words in Matthew 28:16-20 which calls for believers to go and make disciples of every nation, and you would be correct. However, this passage is not the only one that relates to the purpose of the church. Matthew 16:18 and Eph. 2:21-22 both describe the church as something that grows. Christ states that He will build His church while Paul says that it is a structure of living stones. This means that the purpose of the church is to grow the body of true believers. It is to bring those who will be called out of the world into the body of Christ and the Church is to grow believers in their understanding of who God is and what His word states. We are not called to stay the same, but to grow.

I do think it is important to make one quick distinction regarding sharing the gospel. To share the gospel and grow the church does not simply stop with unbelievers becoming born-again, it is also helping those who are born-again grow in their faith. I have never personally led someone to the Lord, and there are some out there who would give the impression that I am not born-again because of this; an idea that is false because I instead spend my time here to encourage and teach believers. The purpose of the Church is to not simply bring those who are called out of this world into the body of Christ, but to make sure that they understand what it is that they believe.

Seek the truth and encourage one another,

Alex