Authority #6 - How the Bible Uses the Word "Church"

Seth McDonald
12/22/24 - Sunday AM Worship

 
Authority #6: The Church of the Lord

Introduction

1. 1. The first five lessons have focused on the importance of authority and how to determine if a practice is authorized.
   2. The next five lessons are about understanding the local church. We begin with understanding how the Bible uses the word “church.”

1. Meaning of the Word “Church” (Ekklesia)
   1. “A group”
      1. In the context of God’s people, it refers to a group of people who are saved by the blood of Christ (cf. Acts 20.28)
      2. Danger of reading too much into the etymology.
         1. True that the word is a combination of “Ek” (out of) and “klesis” (a calling), but “called out” is not of primary significance.
         2. The word was used to simply mean “a group, assembly, or congregation.”
         3. Not a religious word in the 1st century (See Acts 19.32, 39, 41; 7.38)
   2. The two ways the Bible uses the word “Ekklesia” to describe God’s people:
      1. Universal church – All of God’s people without specifying a time or place (Matthew 16.18; Hebrews 12.23)
      2. Local church – a specified group of believers who have banded together to carry out God’s work in a particular community or city (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1.2)

2. The Authorized Names of The Lord’s Church
   1. Relationship names
      1. “Body” (Eph 1.22-23; Col 1.18)
      2. “Temple” (1 Cor 3.16)
      3. “Household” (1 Tim 3.15)
      4. “Husband & bride” (Eph 5.22-23; Rev 21.2)
   2. Possession names
      1. “Kingdom” (Matthew 4.17; 6.33; 16.19)
      2. “Church of God” (Acts 20.28)
      3. “Churches of Christ” (Romans 16.16)
   3. Location
      1. “Church of God which is at Corinth” (1 Cor 1.2; Rev 2-3)
      2. “Churches of Galatia” (Galatians 1.2)
      3. The seven named churches of Asia in Revelation 2-3

3. Differences between the Local Church & Universal Church
   1. Membership
      1. U – All saved people of all time (Romans 12.4-5)
      2. L – Only the people in the local area who have agreed to work and worship together
   2. Salvation Status
      1. U – All saved people of all time
      2. L – Some may not be saved (Rev 2:14-17; Rev 3:4; 1Jn 2:19; 3Jn1:9)
   3. Collective Function
      1. U – No collective function
      2. L – Collectively worship, work, evangelize, etc
   4. Apostasy
      1. U – Can never be destroyed (Daniel 2.44; Matthew 16.18)
      2. L – Destroyable by sin (1 Corinthians; Revelation 2.5; 3.1)
   5. Organization
      1. U – No organization other than Jesus as head (Col 1.18; Eph 1.22-23)
      2. L – Elders (shepherds/bishops/pastors), deacons, members (Phil 1.1; 1 Pet 5.1-4) with Jesus as the Head (Rev 2-3). 
   6. Assemblies
      1. U – None on earth (Heb 12.23)
      2. L – Many and regularly (1 Cor 11.18; 14.19, 23)
   7. Year/Location Established
      1. U – 33 A.D. in Jerusalem (Matthew 16.18; Acts 2.47)
      2. L – Varies by group
   8. Number
      1. U – One church (Eph 4.4)
      2. L – Many, spread throughout the world

4. What We Never See in the Bible
   1. A hybrid between the universal and local church
   2. A denomination
      1. “a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs and practices”
      2. “a name or designation, especially one serving to classify a set of things”
   3. An Institution apart from people

Discussion Questions

1. 1. What does the word “church” mean today verses what it meant in Greek culture?
   2. Why is it important to understand the distinction between the universal church & local church?
   3. What is a “local church?”