CHURCH

A local assembly of believers as well as the redeemed of all the ages who follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

In the four gospels of the New Testament, the term church is found only in Matt 16:18 and 18:17. This scarcity of usage in those books that report on the life and ministry of Jesus is perhaps best explained by the fact that the church as the body of Christ did not begin until the day of PENTECOST after the ASCENSION of Jesus (Acts 1:1-4).

That the church began on the day of Pentecost may be demonstrated in various ways: (1) Christ Himself declared the church to be yet future; (2) it was founded upon the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ, and such an accomplished fact was not possible until Pentecost (Gal 3:23-25); (3) there could be no church until it was fully purchased with Christ's blood (Eph 1:20).

CHURCH

Nature. The Greek word for church is ekklesia. This word is used 115 times in the New Testament, mostly in the Book of Acts and the writings of the apostle Paul and the general epistles. At least 92 times this word refers to a local congregation. The other references are to the church general, or all believers everywhere for all ages.

When the church general is implied, church refers to all who follow Christ, without respect to locality or time. The most general reference to the church occurs in Eph 1:22; 3:10-21; 5:23-32. Since the church general refers to all believers of all ages, it will not be complete until after the judgment; and the assembly of all the redeemed in one place will become a reality only after the return of Christ (Heb 12:23; Rev 21:1-22:21).

Because the church general will not become a tangible reality until after Christ's return, the greatest emphasis in the New Testament is placed upon the idea of the local church. The local church is the visible operation of the church general in a given time and place.