Church

Summary

The church is the people of God — not a building or an institution but those called out of the world and gathered to Christ. It is his body, his bride, his temple, his family. From Pentecost onward, the church is God's chosen community: a fellowship of the redeemed, a foretaste of the kingdom, sent into the world to display and declare the good news.

In the Old Testament

Long before the word 'church,' God was forming a people for himself — Israel, 'a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' The same calling now extends to all who are in Christ: 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood… a people for his own possession.'

In the New Testament

Jesus said, 'I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.' The first believers 'devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship,' becoming one body with many members, 'built together into a dwelling place for God.'

Common Misconception

Many treat church as optional — a service to attend, or a private faith lived alone. But Scripture knows no solitary Christians. To belong to Christ is to belong to his body; the 'one anothers' of the New Testament can only be lived in real community.

Application

Don't just attend a church — belong to one. Commit to a local body, use your gifts to build it up, bear with its imperfections, and let it bear with yours. You were saved into a family; live like it.

Key Passages