CHURCH
The word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklēsia” and means “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly” (Strong’s). There is one time when the word “church” is used for the nation of Israel when it was assembled: “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina” (Acts 7:38). The word “church” is almost always presented as a local church in Scripture with a physical location: “Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19). Also, “the church that was at Antioch” (Acts 13:1), “church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Corinthians 1:2), and “the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1). A few times the word “church” is given in a generic or institutional way: “I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). And in the future, the church will be assembled in heaven: “the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22–23). The theory of the invisible church will be discussed below.
The church was built by Christ and it belongs to Him. “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). It does not belong to any denomination or hierarchy which is led by men. The church is not a building, not a denomination, not Christendom, and not a national or state church.
When the Bible says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20), contrary to popular belief, this is not called a church. When people meet for either prayer or for a Bible study, where “two or three are gathered together,” this a prayer group or a Bible study, and though Christ meets with us then also, it is not a “church.”
Some believe the church was built upon a man (Peter). “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. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mathew 16:18–19). The church was not built upon Peter but on the profession of Peter: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, 18). Here Christ is using a play on words. “You are Peter (Greek = “petros”) and on this rock (Greek = “petra”) I will build my church.” The church was built upon the “rock” of Christ, not Peter. Peter’s name is a different Greek word and means “a stone” (Strong’s), but Christ, Who is the “rock” of Matthew 16:18 (see also 1 Peter 2:8) means “a rock, a large stone” (Strong’s). The “keys” of Christ’s authority were given to the church, not just Peter (compare Matthew 16:18–19 and Matthew 18:17–18). “Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23), and no man was given this position.
Rome was a gentile church and is why Paul went to Rome (Acts 23:11; 28:16; Romans 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:17), but Peter went to Babylon (1 Peter 5:13). Though Peter and Paul preached to both Gentiles and Jews, Paul was primarily sent to the Gentiles, but Peter was primarily sent to the Jews, as Babylon had a large group of Jews who were brought there by King Nebuchadnezzar. Paul said, “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision [Gentiles] was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision [Jews] was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [Jews], the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles)” (Galatians 2:7–8; see also Acts 13:47).
Many believe that Christ started His church on the day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2. But Jesus started building His church when He said, “I will build [from that moment forward] my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). He explained how to have discipline in the “church” in Matthew 18:17, Christ sang in the “church” before the day of Pentecost (Hebrews 2:12; compare to Matthew 26:30). Also baptism, the Lord’s Table, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and even the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22)—all these things were before Pentecost. Some believe the church started before Matthew 16:18. But Christ said, “I will build my church” (future tense), not “I did” (past tense).
The church cannot save a soul, but many people are saved there, just as a hospital cannot give life, but many babies are born there. And many are healed at a hospital, so hopefully many have spiritual healing by having their relationship made right with their Creator and their hurts mended in church. Some people take the advice of their doctors and some do not. Some take the advice of the preacher and some do not. Christ gave certain God-called ministers (evangelists, pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11) to help His church. And the church is where we learn the teachings of Christ not the teachings of man: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28).
We do not force people to believe what we believe or persecute them if they have different beliefs (Luke 9:52–56). This is known as “individual soul liberty”: a person has the “right to be wrong,” believers will not always agree, even your spouse does not agree with you all the time. And even the apostle Paul could not force other believers to agree with him (1 Corinthians 16:12). This does not mean we would allow those who spread false doctrines to bring divisions in our church: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17–18).
“Exhorting one another.”
If someone will use a small shovel and take a red-hot coal from the fire and place it in the corner of the room by itself, it soon will be cold. But if one will take the same coal and place it back in the fire, it soon will be hot again and give off a glow. So is the church of the living God. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…” (Hebrews 10:25). The church is called the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), and as Christ is the “head” of it (Ephesians 5:23), so the Bible says of those who are in the church, “For we are members of his body” (Ephesians 5:30). However, some want the help, encouragement, prayers, and support of the church, but they do not want to join a church. But people joined or were “added” to churches (Acts 2:41). Christ started His church, which started other churches, which kept giving out the gospel and encouraging the believers to be lights for Jesus Christ until that day when someone told you about your need of salvation in Christ. Some say, “I am a member of the ‘invisible’ church and, therefore, do not need to go to a real church.” Or “I am spiritual enough without a church family.” But are they more spiritual than Christ who is the head of the church or the apostles who were in the church? (1 Corinthians 12:28) And why forget about others who need your help “exhorting one another.” A common excuse is “There are hypocrites in the church.” Yes, and there was a hypocrite among the 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot. But that did not stop Peter and John and the rest from assembling together; but then they were not there for Judas but for Christ. Why do you go to church?
I understand that some churches are dead or boring. I was raised in a church that was given over to ritual. When the Bible was read, the pulpit was over in the corner because the proclaiming of the Word of God was an add-on, not central to the life of the church. No one was ever saved in our church because we were never taught how to be saved. We were taught to trust in the church for our salvation or the sacraments of our church. But Jesus saves, not churches. Again, eternal life is the “gift of God” (Romans 6:23), not the gift of a church or of a priest. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11–12). Those who go to heaven will go there because of Jesus Christ, not because of any church, for even if one would join all the churches and “hath not the Son of God [he] hath not life.” It is important to go to church—one that goes by the Bible, not the doctrines of men—but no church can forgive sins or give eternal life. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Not whosoever shall go to church. After I was saved, I first went back to my old church, but they were not going by the Bible, so I looked for a church that was. I wanted to go to church with other believers who wanted to learn about God and live for Him. Before I was saved, I would avoid Christians who lived for God, because their lives convicted me. But when I knew the Lord, I wanted to be around those who knew Him and to fellowship with them.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Lord’s Table) were given to the church (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:20–22) and are sometimes called ordinances (1 Corinthians 11:2; see BAPTISM and LORD’S SUPPER). The church met on Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; see SABBATH). It is popular today not to name a church with a recognizable name but instead call it “Spirit Fellowship,” or “Believers’ Gathering,” etc., but a church without a recognizable name is like a fort without a flag. Why should I get my family involved in a group without knowing up front what their basic beliefs are?
God is glorified in the church: “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages” (Ephesians 3:21). Would you like to bring glory to God? Then go to His house of worship (a church) and sing of Him, praise Him, and hear His words taught. This is one of the ways we can glorify Him. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). This parable shows we need to invite others to His house (church).
The church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), not the newspapers, universities, political parties, etc. The church is responsible for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and sends out and supports missionaries (Acts 13:1–4; Philippians 4:16), who then go out and start churches. (Christ and the apostles only started churches; see MISSIONS.)
The reason the church is here today is because Jesus Christ promised perpetuity to His church. It will remain until the end of the age. “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Christ’s church never died out, and any church that teaches it has “restored” the first-century church of Jesus Christ needs to believe the promise of Christ found in Matthew 16:18. It’s rare for something to last more than 100 years. A few businesses have lasted longer than that, and some countries have lasted a few hundred years, and depending upon who one reads, the Roman Empire is said to have lasted 1,000 years. But the church has been here for 2,000 years without a president, parliament, constitution, army, or country. A lot of people are giving their lives to some club, political party, or activity. And these in themselves are not wrong, but I am not going to give my life to them, for they were started by man and will die with man. Get involved in something that God’s Son started and promised to watch over.
A church should be independent. By this I mean that no church (including a denomination) has authority over another church. Jesus Christ is the head of each individual church just as He is the head of every man (Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 11:3). Independent does not mean isolation; each church can make its own decision to fellowship with or help another church or cooperate with those of like faith in training of preachers and sending out of missionaries.
Church discipline is found in Matthew 18:15–17: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (see also 1 Corinthians 5:11–13).
The church is the “bride” of Christ (John 3:29; Ephesians 5:23–27, 31–32; and Revelation 19:7–8), so be careful that you do not slap Christ’s bride by causing a church split or division. What do you think would happen if you slap another man’s wife? “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32; see 1 Corinthians 3:17). (For the offices of the church, see PASTOR, see DEACON.) Sometimes a person will become upset with another in a church and will even encourage their “army” of friends to side with them against the other person, in spite of church unity and harmony. But they are forgetting who the head of the church is (Jesus Christ), and if they really cannot get along, why destroy the church of God? In a worst-case scenario, why not simply go to another church? “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).
The meaning of Ekklēsia.
As given above, and translated in our English word “church”, comes from the Greek word ἐκκλησία, transliteration ekklēsia. The Greek ekklēsia was a congregation or assembly of citizens “called out” from their homes to public gathering places. Ekklēsia is translated “church” 115 times in the New Testament, also a few times “assembly” (Acts 19:39, 41), and in heaven there will be a “general assembly” of the church (Hebrews 12:22–23). There exist Bible concordances and lexicons that will tell you the word “church” means more than an assembly; it also means all Christians everywhere from Pentecost to the present. But this comes from the doctrine of the “universal invisible church,” not from the meaning of the Greek word, which again is when people are “called out” from where they live to gather together, or an assembly. So by definition, an ekklēsia (church) cannot be universal or invisible, for it is an assembly, and the “invisible” church has never assembled. Christ and the apostles did not coin a new word “ekklēsia,” but used this Greek word that was already in use in the secular world, and the meaning the Greeks gave to it was a congregation or assembly. You could see it; it was not something invisible or universal.
Besides the impracticality of a church being invisible (it can’t be found, no church discipline, teaches no one, gives no alms, sends out no missionaries, etc.), this teaching lies on shaky ground. Some will use verses where the church is spoken of in an abstract way, not a particular church, as Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church.” But here the church is spoken of as an institution. People often talk about things in an institutional, abstract, or generic sense. Like saying, “the American automobile,” not a particular automobile but certainly not in reference to some invisible automobile floating over the United States. Some use Ephesians 5:23, which reads: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church.” But because no particular church is named, does this mean it is invisible or universal? If this were true, then we would have to say the same about the husband and wife in this verse, that somehow they are invisible and universal, because the verse said the husband and the wife were “even as” (same way as) Christ and the church. Also Christ is the head of every church, just as “the head of every man is Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3).
The main argument that is used for this belief is from their interpretation of 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” They would interpret this to be “For by one [Holy] Spirit are we all [Holy Spirit] baptized into one body [invisible church]” (see HOLY SPIRIT). The idea is that because all believers receive the Holy Spirit when saved, then we must all be in the same invisible body or the church. But the context of this verse would not fit an invisible church: “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26). If there were such a thing as an invisible, universal body, this conduct would surely not be possible for them.
What about the use of the word “we” in verse 13? Paul wasn’t a member of that church. So does that mean he was talking about a universal church that he was a part of? No, but Paul was a member of his local church as the Corinthians were of theirs. It was not uncommon for Paul to use “ye” and “we” in the same verse as in 1 Thessalonians 5:5: “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” And though there is Holy Spirit baptism in the Bible, it is not the Holy Spirit who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, but it is Christ. “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Luke 3:16; Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11). Now if they add words to this verse to bring out their point, then so can I. Instead, 1 Corinthians 12:13 could well be read, “For by one [Holy] Spirit are we all [water] baptized into one body [a real church].” This would be in line with what John the Baptist told us: that it was Jesus who baptized with the Holy Spirit not that the Holy Spirit baptized believers into Himself. Also this would fit with how the Bible tells us one joins a church: “Then they that gladly received his word [were saved] were [water] baptized: and the same day there were added unto them…” (Acts 2:41).
Though it is certainly true that all believers at the moment of salvation are in the family of God, and this without being baptized, still they are not members of a church until they actually join a church. Once a Christian has become a member of a church by baptism and then moves away, it is not necessary for him to be baptized again but to submit a letter from his former church to his new church (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Some claim the Bible nowhere talks of believers joining a local church. But as Acts 2:41 says, they were “added” after they were baptized. Also 1 Corinthians 5:12–13 says, “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” In order to have this sort of church discipline, those who were put away from this particular body of Christ would have had to have been members. For sinners who are not members are welcome to visit our churches in hopes they will repent and live for the Lord.
Authority, where does it come from? Many have never considered who gives authority. Who has authority to baptize or ordain someone? Can Grandma do it, your lost neighbor, or someone from a cult? If one says a pastor can do this, where did he get his authority, from his church or his denomination? If either one of those gave this authority, from where did they receive it? Most protestant churches did not exist before the 16th century, so where did they get their authority to start their churches, ordain ministers, and baptize converts? Did they receive their authority from the “invisible” church? Are we to believe that when they started, they gave themselves their own authority? If so, then anyone could claim the same.
Our government has a constitution that says we can have judges, but you cannot make yourself a judge, and even the person who swears the judge in must be duly authorized to do this. Some say, “Oh, it doesn’t matter who baptizes.” If so then any boy or girl on the street could do this. Besides, in the Bible authority was required for baptism. Matthew 21:23–27 says, “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?…And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” Jesus did not say, “Oh, authority does not matter.” So, where then did John the Baptist receive his authority to baptize? John 1:6 says, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” If this authority does not matter, Jesus walked many miles out of his way for no reason to be baptized by John. Matthew 3:13–15 says, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Christ was and is the only begotten Son of God. He could have had anyone baptize Him or even done it to Himself but instead wanted to “fulfil all righteousness.”
The following two paragraphs are from the book Alien Baptism and the Baptist, by William Manilus Nevins.
https://www.amazon.com/Baptism-Baptists-William-Manlius-Nevins/dp/0866450416
“In 1854, the Presbyterian General Assembly met in Buffalo, and this question was presented to them for their decision: ‘Are Romish baptisms and ordinations valid?’ There was a heated discussion over this question. The majority report of the committee was that all ordinations at the hands of the Romish priests were invalid…The minority report, on the other hand, contended that if they denied the Church of Rome to be a true church of Christ, they unchurched themselves, since they came out of Rome, and received their baptisms and ordinations there from. Finding they could not extricate themselves from the dilemma, they moved an indefinite postponement of the question.
“But if it should be said that the apostolic succession cannot be ascertained, and then it is proper to act without it, we say that the loss of the succession can never prove it futile, nor justify any one out of it. The Pedobaptists by their own histories admit they are not of it: but we do not, and shall think ourselves entitled to the claim until the reverse be clearly shown. And should any think authority derived from [Rome] sufficient to qualify to administer a gospel ordinance, they will be so charitable as not to condemn us for professing what is derived from Christ. And should any still more absurdly plead that ordination received from an individual is sufficient, we leave them to show what is the use of ordination, and why it exists.”
(See also The Trail of Blood, by J. M. Carroll:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Books/trail_of_blood_jm_carroll.htm
The word “church” comes from the Greek word “ekklēsia” and means “a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly” (Strong’s). There is one time when the word “church” is used for the nation of Israel when it was assembled: “This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina” (Acts 7:38). The word “church” is almost always presented as a local church in Scripture with a physical location: “Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house” (1 Corinthians 16:19). Also, “the church that was at Antioch” (Acts 13:1), “church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Corinthians 1:2), and “the church which is at Cenchrea” (Romans 16:1). A few times the word “church” is given in a generic or institutional way: “I persecuted the church of God” (1 Corinthians 15:9). And in the future, the church will be assembled in heaven: “the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22–23). The theory of the invisible church will be discussed below.
The church was built by Christ and it belongs to Him. “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). It does not belong to any denomination or hierarchy which is led by men. The church is not a building, not a denomination, not Christendom, and not a national or state church.
When the Bible says, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20), contrary to popular belief, this is not called a church. When people meet for either prayer or for a Bible study, where “two or three are gathered together,” this a prayer group or a Bible study, and though Christ meets with us then also, it is not a “church.”
Some believe the church was built upon a man (Peter). “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. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (Mathew 16:18–19). The church was not built upon Peter but on the profession of Peter: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16, 18). Here Christ is using a play on words. “You are Peter (Greek = “petros”) and on this rock (Greek = “petra”) I will build my church.” The church was built upon the “rock” of Christ, not Peter. Peter’s name is a different Greek word and means “a stone” (Strong’s), but Christ, Who is the “rock” of Matthew 16:18 (see also 1 Peter 2:8) means “a rock, a large stone” (Strong’s). The “keys” of Christ’s authority were given to the church, not just Peter (compare Matthew 16:18–19 and Matthew 18:17–18). “Christ is the head of the church” (Ephesians 5:23), and no man was given this position.
Rome was a gentile church and is why Paul went to Rome (Acts 23:11; 28:16; Romans 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:17), but Peter went to Babylon (1 Peter 5:13). Though Peter and Paul preached to both Gentiles and Jews, Paul was primarily sent to the Gentiles, but Peter was primarily sent to the Jews, as Babylon had a large group of Jews who were brought there by King Nebuchadnezzar. Paul said, “But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision [Gentiles] was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision [Jews] was unto Peter; (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision [Jews], the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles)” (Galatians 2:7–8; see also Acts 13:47).
Many believe that Christ started His church on the day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2. But Jesus started building His church when He said, “I will build [from that moment forward] my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). He explained how to have discipline in the “church” in Matthew 18:17, Christ sang in the “church” before the day of Pentecost (Hebrews 2:12; compare to Matthew 26:30). Also baptism, the Lord’s Table, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and even the disciples receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22)—all these things were before Pentecost. Some believe the church started before Matthew 16:18. But Christ said, “I will build my church” (future tense), not “I did” (past tense).
The church cannot save a soul, but many people are saved there, just as a hospital cannot give life, but many babies are born there. And many are healed at a hospital, so hopefully many have spiritual healing by having their relationship made right with their Creator and their hurts mended in church. Some people take the advice of their doctors and some do not. Some take the advice of the preacher and some do not. Christ gave certain God-called ministers (evangelists, pastors and teachers, Ephesians 4:11) to help His church. And the church is where we learn the teachings of Christ not the teachings of man: “Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God” (Acts 20:28).
We do not force people to believe what we believe or persecute them if they have different beliefs (Luke 9:52–56). This is known as “individual soul liberty”: a person has the “right to be wrong,” believers will not always agree, even your spouse does not agree with you all the time. And even the apostle Paul could not force other believers to agree with him (1 Corinthians 16:12). This does not mean we would allow those who spread false doctrines to bring divisions in our church: “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple” (Romans 16:17–18).
“Exhorting one another.”
If someone will use a small shovel and take a red-hot coal from the fire and place it in the corner of the room by itself, it soon will be cold. But if one will take the same coal and place it back in the fire, it soon will be hot again and give off a glow. So is the church of the living God. “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another…” (Hebrews 10:25). The church is called the “body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), and as Christ is the “head” of it (Ephesians 5:23), so the Bible says of those who are in the church, “For we are members of his body” (Ephesians 5:30). However, some want the help, encouragement, prayers, and support of the church, but they do not want to join a church. But people joined or were “added” to churches (Acts 2:41). Christ started His church, which started other churches, which kept giving out the gospel and encouraging the believers to be lights for Jesus Christ until that day when someone told you about your need of salvation in Christ. Some say, “I am a member of the ‘invisible’ church and, therefore, do not need to go to a real church.” Or “I am spiritual enough without a church family.” But are they more spiritual than Christ who is the head of the church or the apostles who were in the church? (1 Corinthians 12:28) And why forget about others who need your help “exhorting one another.” A common excuse is “There are hypocrites in the church.” Yes, and there was a hypocrite among the 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot. But that did not stop Peter and John and the rest from assembling together; but then they were not there for Judas but for Christ. Why do you go to church?
I understand that some churches are dead or boring. I was raised in a church that was given over to ritual. When the Bible was read, the pulpit was over in the corner because the proclaiming of the Word of God was an add-on, not central to the life of the church. No one was ever saved in our church because we were never taught how to be saved. We were taught to trust in the church for our salvation or the sacraments of our church. But Jesus saves, not churches. Again, eternal life is the “gift of God” (Romans 6:23), not the gift of a church or of a priest. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:11–12). Those who go to heaven will go there because of Jesus Christ, not because of any church, for even if one would join all the churches and “hath not the Son of God [he] hath not life.” It is important to go to church—one that goes by the Bible, not the doctrines of men—but no church can forgive sins or give eternal life. Romans 10:13 says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Not whosoever shall go to church. After I was saved, I first went back to my old church, but they were not going by the Bible, so I looked for a church that was. I wanted to go to church with other believers who wanted to learn about God and live for Him. Before I was saved, I would avoid Christians who lived for God, because their lives convicted me. But when I knew the Lord, I wanted to be around those who knew Him and to fellowship with them.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Lord’s Table) were given to the church (Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:20–22) and are sometimes called ordinances (1 Corinthians 11:2; see BAPTISM and LORD’S SUPPER). The church met on Sunday, the first day of the week (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1–2; see SABBATH). It is popular today not to name a church with a recognizable name but instead call it “Spirit Fellowship,” or “Believers’ Gathering,” etc., but a church without a recognizable name is like a fort without a flag. Why should I get my family involved in a group without knowing up front what their basic beliefs are?
God is glorified in the church: “Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages” (Ephesians 3:21). Would you like to bring glory to God? Then go to His house of worship (a church) and sing of Him, praise Him, and hear His words taught. This is one of the ways we can glorify Him. “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). This parable shows we need to invite others to His house (church).
The church is the “pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15), not the newspapers, universities, political parties, etc. The church is responsible for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20) and sends out and supports missionaries (Acts 13:1–4; Philippians 4:16), who then go out and start churches. (Christ and the apostles only started churches; see MISSIONS.)
The reason the church is here today is because Jesus Christ promised perpetuity to His church. It will remain until the end of the age. “I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). Christ’s church never died out, and any church that teaches it has “restored” the first-century church of Jesus Christ needs to believe the promise of Christ found in Matthew 16:18. It’s rare for something to last more than 100 years. A few businesses have lasted longer than that, and some countries have lasted a few hundred years, and depending upon who one reads, the Roman Empire is said to have lasted 1,000 years. But the church has been here for 2,000 years without a president, parliament, constitution, army, or country. A lot of people are giving their lives to some club, political party, or activity. And these in themselves are not wrong, but I am not going to give my life to them, for they were started by man and will die with man. Get involved in something that God’s Son started and promised to watch over.
A church should be independent. By this I mean that no church (including a denomination) has authority over another church. Jesus Christ is the head of each individual church just as He is the head of every man (Ephesians 5:23; 1 Corinthians 11:3). Independent does not mean isolation; each church can make its own decision to fellowship with or help another church or cooperate with those of like faith in training of preachers and sending out of missionaries.
Church discipline is found in Matthew 18:15–17: “Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican” (see also 1 Corinthians 5:11–13).
The church is the “bride” of Christ (John 3:29; Ephesians 5:23–27, 31–32; and Revelation 19:7–8), so be careful that you do not slap Christ’s bride by causing a church split or division. What do you think would happen if you slap another man’s wife? “Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32; see 1 Corinthians 3:17). (For the offices of the church, see PASTOR, see DEACON.) Sometimes a person will become upset with another in a church and will even encourage their “army” of friends to side with them against the other person, in spite of church unity and harmony. But they are forgetting who the head of the church is (Jesus Christ), and if they really cannot get along, why destroy the church of God? In a worst-case scenario, why not simply go to another church? “If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:17).
The meaning of Ekklēsia.
As given above, and translated in our English word “church”, comes from the Greek word ἐκκλησία, transliteration ekklēsia. The Greek ekklēsia was a congregation or assembly of citizens “called out” from their homes to public gathering places. Ekklēsia is translated “church” 115 times in the New Testament, also a few times “assembly” (Acts 19:39, 41), and in heaven there will be a “general assembly” of the church (Hebrews 12:22–23). There exist Bible concordances and lexicons that will tell you the word “church” means more than an assembly; it also means all Christians everywhere from Pentecost to the present. But this comes from the doctrine of the “universal invisible church,” not from the meaning of the Greek word, which again is when people are “called out” from where they live to gather together, or an assembly. So by definition, an ekklēsia (church) cannot be universal or invisible, for it is an assembly, and the “invisible” church has never assembled. Christ and the apostles did not coin a new word “ekklēsia,” but used this Greek word that was already in use in the secular world, and the meaning the Greeks gave to it was a congregation or assembly. You could see it; it was not something invisible or universal.
Besides the impracticality of a church being invisible (it can’t be found, no church discipline, teaches no one, gives no alms, sends out no missionaries, etc.), this teaching lies on shaky ground. Some will use verses where the church is spoken of in an abstract way, not a particular church, as Matthew 16:18: “I will build my church.” But here the church is spoken of as an institution. People often talk about things in an institutional, abstract, or generic sense. Like saying, “the American automobile,” not a particular automobile but certainly not in reference to some invisible automobile floating over the United States. Some use Ephesians 5:23, which reads: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is head of the church.” But because no particular church is named, does this mean it is invisible or universal? If this were true, then we would have to say the same about the husband and wife in this verse, that somehow they are invisible and universal, because the verse said the husband and the wife were “even as” (same way as) Christ and the church. Also Christ is the head of every church, just as “the head of every man is Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:3).
The main argument that is used for this belief is from their interpretation of 1 Corinthians 12:13: “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” They would interpret this to be “For by one [Holy] Spirit are we all [Holy Spirit] baptized into one body [invisible church]” (see HOLY SPIRIT). The idea is that because all believers receive the Holy Spirit when saved, then we must all be in the same invisible body or the church. But the context of this verse would not fit an invisible church: “That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it” (1 Corinthians 12:25–26). If there were such a thing as an invisible, universal body, this conduct would surely not be possible for them.
What about the use of the word “we” in verse 13? Paul wasn’t a member of that church. So does that mean he was talking about a universal church that he was a part of? No, but Paul was a member of his local church as the Corinthians were of theirs. It was not uncommon for Paul to use “ye” and “we” in the same verse as in 1 Thessalonians 5:5: “Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.” And though there is Holy Spirit baptism in the Bible, it is not the Holy Spirit who baptizes with the Holy Spirit, but it is Christ. “John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire” (Luke 3:16; Mark 1:8; Matthew 3:11). Now if they add words to this verse to bring out their point, then so can I. Instead, 1 Corinthians 12:13 could well be read, “For by one [Holy] Spirit are we all [water] baptized into one body [a real church].” This would be in line with what John the Baptist told us: that it was Jesus who baptized with the Holy Spirit not that the Holy Spirit baptized believers into Himself. Also this would fit with how the Bible tells us one joins a church: “Then they that gladly received his word [were saved] were [water] baptized: and the same day there were added unto them…” (Acts 2:41).
Though it is certainly true that all believers at the moment of salvation are in the family of God, and this without being baptized, still they are not members of a church until they actually join a church. Once a Christian has become a member of a church by baptism and then moves away, it is not necessary for him to be baptized again but to submit a letter from his former church to his new church (Acts 18:27; 2 Corinthians 3:1). Some claim the Bible nowhere talks of believers joining a local church. But as Acts 2:41 says, they were “added” after they were baptized. Also 1 Corinthians 5:12–13 says, “For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” In order to have this sort of church discipline, those who were put away from this particular body of Christ would have had to have been members. For sinners who are not members are welcome to visit our churches in hopes they will repent and live for the Lord.
Authority, where does it come from? Many have never considered who gives authority. Who has authority to baptize or ordain someone? Can Grandma do it, your lost neighbor, or someone from a cult? If one says a pastor can do this, where did he get his authority, from his church or his denomination? If either one of those gave this authority, from where did they receive it? Most protestant churches did not exist before the 16th century, so where did they get their authority to start their churches, ordain ministers, and baptize converts? Did they receive their authority from the “invisible” church? Are we to believe that when they started, they gave themselves their own authority? If so, then anyone could claim the same.
Our government has a constitution that says we can have judges, but you cannot make yourself a judge, and even the person who swears the judge in must be duly authorized to do this. Some say, “Oh, it doesn’t matter who baptizes.” If so then any boy or girl on the street could do this. Besides, in the Bible authority was required for baptism. Matthew 21:23–27 says, “And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men?…And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.” Jesus did not say, “Oh, authority does not matter.” So, where then did John the Baptist receive his authority to baptize? John 1:6 says, “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” If this authority does not matter, Jesus walked many miles out of his way for no reason to be baptized by John. Matthew 3:13–15 says, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” Christ was and is the only begotten Son of God. He could have had anyone baptize Him or even done it to Himself but instead wanted to “fulfil all righteousness.”
The following two paragraphs are from the book Alien Baptism and the Baptist, by William Manilus Nevins.
https://www.amazon.com/Baptism-Baptists-William-Manlius-Nevins/dp/0866450416
“In 1854, the Presbyterian General Assembly met in Buffalo, and this question was presented to them for their decision: ‘Are Romish baptisms and ordinations valid?’ There was a heated discussion over this question. The majority report of the committee was that all ordinations at the hands of the Romish priests were invalid…The minority report, on the other hand, contended that if they denied the Church of Rome to be a true church of Christ, they unchurched themselves, since they came out of Rome, and received their baptisms and ordinations there from. Finding they could not extricate themselves from the dilemma, they moved an indefinite postponement of the question.
“But if it should be said that the apostolic succession cannot be ascertained, and then it is proper to act without it, we say that the loss of the succession can never prove it futile, nor justify any one out of it. The Pedobaptists by their own histories admit they are not of it: but we do not, and shall think ourselves entitled to the claim until the reverse be clearly shown. And should any think authority derived from [Rome] sufficient to qualify to administer a gospel ordinance, they will be so charitable as not to condemn us for professing what is derived from Christ. And should any still more absurdly plead that ordination received from an individual is sufficient, we leave them to show what is the use of ordination, and why it exists.”
(See also The Trail of Blood, by J. M. Carroll:
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Books/trail_of_blood_jm_carroll.htm
