Church (Christian)

St. Hripsime Church in Echmiadzin

For other uses, see Church (disambiguation).

A church is an association of people who share a particular belief system. The term church originally refered to a group sharing a faith based on Christianity. All other uses of this term extend from this Judeo-Christian context.

Origins

The Christian concept "Church" (Greek εκκλησια - ekklesia, ref. Strong's Concordance - 1577) is mentioned in the New Testament. Of the 114 occurrences of the term in the New Testament three are found in the Gospel accounts, all in the Gospel of Matthew are spoken by Jesus: "And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my ekklesia, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (Mt 16:18); and "If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the ekklesia; and if he refuses to listen even to the ekklesia, let him be to you as the Gentile and the tax-collector" (Mt 18:17).

The Greek term εκκλησια - ekklesia, literally meaning a "convocation", was a governmental and political term, used to denote a national assembly, congregation or council of common objective (see Ecclesia (ancient Athens), Ecclesia (Church)). It was a team that worked together to resolve a problem faced by the wider community or society, but did not signify a "building".

The Christian use of this term has its direct antecedent in the Koine Greek translation of the Old Testament (see also Septuagint), where the noun ekklesia has been employed 96 times to denote the congregation of the Children of Israel, which Christians regard as a type of the "Body of Christ", as they also call the Christian Church of Christ.

Attributes

The Church, as described in the Bible, has a twofold character that can be described as the visible and invisible church. As the Church invisible, the church consists of all those from every time and place, who are vitally united to Christ through regeneration and salvation and who will eternally united to Jesus Christ in eternal life. The Church visible consists of all those who visibly join themselves to a profession of faith and gathering together to know and serve the Head of the Church, Jesus Christ. The visible church exists globally in all who identify themselves as Christians and locally in particular places where believers gather for the worship of God. The visible church may also refer to an association of particular churches from multiple locations who unite themselves under a common charter and set of governmental principles. The church in the visible sense is often governed by office-bearers carrying titles such as minister, pastor, teacher, elder, and deacon.

Major forms of church government include hierarchical (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodoxy), presbyterian (rule by elders), and independent (Baptist, charismatic, other forms of independency).

Metaphors

The Bible uses a wide range of metaphors to describe the church. These include:

• Family of God the Father (Ephesians 3:14–15,2 Corinthians 6:18)
• Brothers and sisters with each other in God's family (Matthew 12:49–50)
• Bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:31–32)
• Branches on a vine (John 15:5)
• Olive tree (Romans 11:17–24)
• Field of crops (1 Corinthians 3:6–9)
• Building (1 Corinthians 3:9)
• Harvest (Matthew 13:1–30,John 4:35)
• New temple and new priesthood with a new cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4–8)
• God's house (Hebrews 3:3–6)
• Pillar and foundation the truth (1 Timothy 3:15)
• Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12–27)

See also

• Body of Christ
• Ecclesia (Church)
• Ecclesiology
• History of Christianity

References

• Anderson, R. A., Church of God? or the Temples of Satan: A reference book of Spiritual understanding and Gnosis, TGS Publishers, Texas, 2006. ISBN: 0-9786249-6-3.
• Bannerman, James, The Church of Christ: A treatise on the nature, powers, ordinances, discipline and government of the Christian Church, Still Waters Revival Books, Edmonton, Reprint Edition May 1991, First Edition 1869.
• Grudem, Wayne, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England, 1994. See particularly Part 6: The Doctrine of the Church
• Kuiper, R.B., The Glorious Body of Christ, The Banner of Truth Trust, Edinburgh, 1967