The Church
General
Introduction
What is the
church? That is what we must
determine before we delve into the composition and manifestation of the
church. The most basic meaning of
the Greek word ekklesia
which is translated “church” in the New Testament is “called out.” This was a common term for a
congregation or an assembly. It
speaks of those who are called out for a specific purpose and was specifically
used in this manner when Luke spoke of the Ephesian assembly (which was a
tumultuous mob) in Acts 19:32&39 where it is translated “assembly.” With this in mind we can conclude that
the church is a group of people called out by God for His own purpose. In fact, Peter presents this fact to us
very plainly in 1Pet 2:9 saying, “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the
praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous
light.” (1 Peter 2:9) KJV
The Old Testament
Church
Though very little is
said about the nation of Israel being part of God's church, the Bible does
plainly present this fact to us.
Stephen, speaking of Moses, said, “This is he, that was in the church
in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with
our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us.” (Acts 7:38) KJV Now, there are those who would wish
to deny that this is indeed a reference to Israel as being a part of God's
church. They would like to tell us
that this is simply an assembly of people, and that is all that ekklesia
is meant to convey to us in this context.
The fact remains, however, that the word ekklesia occurs more than
100 times in the New Testament, and only in Acts 19:32&39 is it translated
“assembly.” In every other
instance it is translated “church” or “churches.” The only time it is used to speak of an assembly other than
the Lord's church is in Acts 19:32&39. The typical usage of ekklesia in the New
Testament is in reference to a called out group of people. That is precisely what the nation of Israel
was. “When Israel was a child,
then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.” (Hos 11:1) KJV Thus,
we can be assured that, though it did not function in the same manner as a New
Testament church, there was indeed a church in the Old Testament.
The New Testament
Church
What about New
Testament days? How do we see the
church in the New Testament? First
of all, the local church is certainly seen in the New Testament. The church is there with her leaders,
discipline, and ordinances. At the
same time the church is also seen as a larger body that is composed of all who
know Jesus. It is this
manifestation of the church that we want to consider.
When Jesus first
mentions the church, He made a special promise to the church that actually
demonstrates to us that the church is more than a local body alone. Jesus said: “upon this rock I will
build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mt 16:18) KJV Why say that this applies to more
than the local church? Because
many local churches have died.
This promise must pertain to some form of church other than the local
church. Local church only
proponents may say that this applies to the church in general. To do so, however, is to concede that
there is some form of church beyond the local church. There is a church that shall never die, according to the
promise of Jesus. What church is
it?
The apostle Paul was
one who understood the church to be general in nature and manifesting itself in
local assemblies. It was he who
told us “by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews
or Gentiles, whether we be
bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor
12:13) KJV Entrance into the body of Christ
comes by the baptism with the Holy Spirit (See Gal 3:26-29). The question then arises, into what
body is one baptized?
Historically, Baptists have required water baptism for local church
membership. I think that is the
right thing to do. If this is so,
into what one body is the believer baptized into when baptized with the Holy
Spirit?
Paul's language again
shows us the general nature of the church when he said “God hath set some in
the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that
miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.” (1 Cor 12:28) KJV Having just told the Corinthian church that their local
assembly was the body of Christ, he proceeds to tell them about the gifts that
are given to the church. The first
gift mentioned was apostles. Were
the apostles given to the Corinthian church, or the church general which is
composed of Holy Spirit baptized believers?
There's hardly another
passage in which the church general can be seen more clearly than the
following: “He is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down
the middle wall of partition between us;
Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments
contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making
peace; And that he might reconcile
both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby: And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and
to them that were nigh. For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the
Father. Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the
saints, and of the household of God;
And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus
Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto
an holy temple in the Lord: In
whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the
Spirit.” (Eph 2:14-22) KJV Paul states that the Jew and the Gentile have been made
one. By the cross the Jews and
Gentiles are reconciled into one body.
There is no Gentile church or Jewish church. There is only the Christian church. There is no longer Israel as the only
chosen of God. Gentiles are fellow
heirs with believing Israel. We
are of the same household as the believing Jew. Together the believing Jew and the believing Gentile are
built into God's holy temple. God
dwells in this church. One thing
that local church only advocates miss is the fact that the body of Christ is
present in this passage, but water baptism is not. Neither will it serve any purpose to insist that it is
implied. What is expressly stated
is that the cross is what brings people into this one body. The body here is a body composed of the
redeemed.
The church as the body
of the redeemed is seen again in Paul's writings to the church at Ephesus. “Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it
with the washing of water by the word,
That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot,
or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without
blemish. So ought men to love
their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh;
but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and
shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak
concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his
wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Eph 5:25-33) KJV How
does the church become the church?
By the cross of Christ.
This same Paul said, “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, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:28) KJV For
whom did Jesus die? He died for
the church. Who is the
church? Those who have been
redeemed: the ones purchased by the blood of Christ. Local church only advocates must notice that water baptism,
as important as it is, is never mentioned in these two texts. What is mentioned is redemption through
the cross of Christ. The church
general is composed of blood bought Christians.
Finally, the having
seen the church as the bride of Christ, we must ask the question of the
composition of the bride of Christ.
Who is in the bride?
The Bride of
Christ Composed of All Saints, Both Old Testament And New Testament Saints
First of all, we must
go to the Revelation to see the bride of Christ. “I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and
as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying,
Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give
honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made
herself ready. And to
her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the
righteousness of saints.” (Rev
19:6-8) KJV Many of
those who advocate the local church only (Landmark Baptist, Baptist-Bride)
position state that the white
robes come from the righteous deeds of the saints. In other words, the ones who are in the bride of Christ are
the saints who live up to a certain standard of righteousness and
holiness. This standard has never
been fully defined, to my knowledge.
It is supposed to begin with water baptism into the local church,
however.
Does the Scripture
uphold this view of the robes of righteousness being righteous works? It is this writer's contention that the
Scriptures do not support that position.
Isaiah rejoiced in God's grace saying, “I will greatly rejoice in the
LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the
garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a
bridegroom decketh himself
with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.” (Isa 61:10) KJV Isaiah
ascribed the garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness as being a
gratuitous gift from God, not as something done by the saint. Jesus alludes to this in one of His
parables: “When the king came
in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding
garment: And he saith unto him,
Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was
speechless. Then said
the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast
him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are
chosen.” (Mt 22:11-14) KJV In Jesus' day it was common for
great men to invite many people to celebrate when family members were
married. We are told by some
scholars that often the host would freely provide garments for his guests. It was a great show of disrespect to
one's host to not wear the provided garments. Jesus is telling us that we cannot partake of the joy of His
kingdom if we do not accept the garments that He gives us. What is the wedding garment, or the
fine linen in which the bride shall be clothed in the day of her marriage to
the Lamb? It is the robe of righteousness. It is the imputed righteousness of the
Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 3:19-28;5:1-3).
Thus it is that the bride who has prepared herself and to whom it has
been given to be arrayed in fine linen clean and white is none other than all
those who have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb of God. The bride of Christ is composed of
those who are justified by faith in Jesus.
We also see the bride
of Christ portrayed in the book of the Revelation as the city New
Jerusalem. “There came unto me
one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last
plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride,
the Lamb’s wife. And he
carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that
great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God.” (Rev 21:9-10) KJV One statement especially about this
city leads this writer to believe that all of the redeemed of all ages will be
a part of the bride of Christ.
That statement is as follows: “Blessed are they that do his
commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in
through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and
murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.”
(Rev 22:14-15) KJV
The reader will quickly notice that the only ones who are without
the city are those who are not redeemed.
By this we readily see that the city is populated with the redeemed*. That being so, and the city being the
bride, the bride of Christ is composed of all of the redeemed of all ages. In fact, we find that Abraham and other
Old Testament saints anticipated entrance into the New Jerusalem. “These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them,
and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare
plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from
whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country,
that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for
he hath prepared for them a city.”
(Heb 11:13-16) KJV This
writer knows of no city for which they could have been looking other than the
New Jerusalem, and God has prepared this city for them. This being so, we can safely conclude
that the redeemed of all ages are in the church, the bride of Christ.
Concluding
Thoughts
For many Baptists this
is somewhat shocking to consider.
After all, there are groups of Baptists who claim to trace their lineage
all the way back to John the Baptist.
The claim is often made that Baptists are the true church to the
exclusion of all others. While
most of those who make these claims would accept that there are Christians
outside of Baptist churches, they would not accept that these Christians share
with them in being members of the general body of Christ. We should not feel in any way
threatened by this truth, however.
Baptist identity should still be important to us. We simply should not find our identity
in a supposed linked-chain succession of baptisms that go back to John. Neither should we find our identity in
a supposed kinship to Christians who held Baptistic doctrines through the
ages. Our identity should be found
in Christ and in faithful obedience to His Word. That in itself is so unusual today that those who faithfully
follow Jesus will certainly stand out from the crowd.
* If one examines the context of Rev 21:1-3 it is possible
that the ones who enter the city do not actually live there, but only worship
there in this holy city/ tabernacle.
Either way, those who have access into this city are the bride of Christ. It remains that this group of people
are the redeemed of all ages, and the redeemed are the church.
