WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

When most people hear the word church they probably think of a building. Maybe it is a fancy building
or a simple building where believers gather. But biblically speaking, a church is much more than a
building. In fact, some would say that the church is not a building at all, but is all about the people. But
what is the church? The area of theology that seeks to understand all aspects of the church is known as
ecclesiology. It is derived from the Greek word ekklesia that is a general term referring to a gathering or
assembly. There are a number of aspects to the subject of ecclesiology, but this article will focus on
defining the term church, understanding its nature and purpose, looking at some biblical images of the
church and emphasizing church unity on essential truths.

What is the Christian Church?

The early Christian church had no buildings, at least not in the sense of what we would consider church
buildings today. First century Christians were often persecuted and, as a result, often met in secret
usually in homes. As the influence of Christianity spread, eventually buildings dedicated to worship were
established and became what we know today as churches. In this sense, then, the church consists of
people not buildings. Fellowship, worship and ministry are all conducted by people, not buildings.
Church structures facilitate the role of God’s people, but they do not fulfill it.

The Visible and Invisible Church

When speaking of the church, theologians often use terms such as the visible and local church as
opposed to the invisible and universal church. The visible and local church is, of course, the physical
churches that we see around us and around the world, as well as the members of those churches. The
invisible and universal church, however, refers to all believers everywhere and is one church, united in
Christ, not many physical churches. Everyone in the universal church is a true believer, but such is not
necessarily the case with visible and local churches. Why is it relevant to understand some basic
differences between the visible and universal church? One key reason is so that we do not confuse what
we sometimes see fallible churches doing with the reality of the universal church. Not only do visible
and local churches often host nonbelievers, but also the believers themselves are imperfect, resulting in
challenges and tensions in every visible church.

What Does the Church Do?

The church is not a building, but a body of believers with a specific nature and purpose. These biblical
roles or ministries of the church are foundational to it. What are these roles? They are many, but key to
any church are foundations in worship, edification and evangelism. Worship is God-centered and Christ-
centered. It is not about entertaining Christians with flashy displays or presentations, but about
expressing our love by worshiping our Creator. We are to praise and glorify God in worship. As such,
every Christian needs to be part of regular fellowship and worship. Edification is also a role of the
church. It involves edifying believers, but also nurturing, building up or helping believers to mature in
Christ. To this end, churches are tasked with a variety of ministries such as Bible study, continuing
education in related areas, praying for one another, acts of genuine hospitality and more. Evangelism is
also a key role of the church. This means reaching out to a lost world with the Good News about Jesus.
Since people often have questions or doubts about Christ and Christianity, knowing the truth and being
able to defend it (apologetics) is also part of the role of the church. But beyond evangelism in the sense
of reaching out with the gospel, the church must also express compassion and mercy tangibly by helping
others. In following Christ’s example to love others, the church, too, must seek to make a real difference
in the world while not neglecting to share the message of Christ. If a church fails to fulfill any of these
key roles – worship, edification, evangelism – then the church is not functioning as God intends.
Granted, there are times when churches face challenges and struggles to one degree or another, but a
healthy church seeks to overcome such challenges in a way that honors God and His intentions for His
church.

Images of the Church

There are many images of the church in the Bible, but we will mention just three: the church as the Body
of Christ, the People of God and the Bride of Christ. Christ is the head of the church (Ephesians 1:10;
4:15) and Christians are the body. “People of God” is another image of the church. God says of the
church, “I will be their God, and they will be my people” (2 Corinthians 6:16; Hebrews 8:10 NIV). The
church is also referred to as the Bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:32; Revelation 19:7;
21:9), suggestive of a special and sacred family relationship between Christ and the church.

A Church Divided or United?

The concept of the visible and local church also touched briefly on the challenges and tensions that
sometimes result in churches. Critics point to divisions and disagreements among Christians as evidence
of a lack of unity and, hence, a lack of real biblical support undergirding the Christian church as a whole.
Is this true? In some cases Christians do indeed need to admit to shortcomings and, at times, un-Christ-
like behavior. But in looking at the bigger picture, the Christian church has always been united on key
points of belief such as the reality of a personal, loving God, salvation that is found in Christ through His
death and bodily resurrection, human depravity and the need for redemption through Christ and more.
This “mere” Christianity or core of unshakable truths has united Christian churches throughout the
centuries and continues to do so. As C.S. Lewis shared, “In spite of all the unfortunate differences
between Christians, what they agree on is still something pretty big and pretty solid: big enough to blow
any of us sky-high if it happens to be true. And if it’s true, it’s quite ridiculous to put off doing anything
about it simply because Christians don’t fully agree among themselves.”[1] In other words, when it
comes to the essentials or primary matters, Christians are united, but when it comes to nonessentials or
secondary matters, there is room for some disagreement. This disagreement, however, does not change
the unity on the foundations of Christianity such as the person of Christ and His role in human
redemption.

Making an Eternal Difference

The Christian church is not a building, but a body of believers united in Christ. Its role is to worship God,
nurture and edify and reach out to a suffering world with the saving message of the gospel as well as the
practical compassion and mercy exemplified in Christ. To this end, ecclesiology is not some ivory-tower,
academic discipline removed from the reality of daily life. Instead, learning more about the church helps
us make a real difference in the world, not just temporally, but for all eternity.[2] [1] C.S. Lewis, extract
from his BBC radio talks not found in the printed text of Mere Christianity, as cited in Walter Hooper,
C.S. Lewis: Companion & Guide (Harper San Francisco, 1996), p. 307. [2] For more insights on
ecclesiology consult any number of systematic theology texts such as Systematic Theology, Volume Four
by Norman Geisler (Bethany House, 2005), Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (Zondervan, 1994),
Christian Theology by Millard Erickson (Baker Books, 1998), and Integrative Theology, Volume Three by
Gordon Lewis and Bruce Demarest (Zondervan, 1994).

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THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH TODAY.

The mission of the church is to share the gift Jesus is offering with the world, extending the incredible
hospitality he shows us to others.

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE.

While the Bible might not specifically use the word “mission,” the concept is rooted in biblical truth.
Mission signifies purposeful movement—being sent from one place to another for a purpose. The
apostles of Jesus were among the first to be sent out on a mission to share what Jesus was proclaiming.

To understand why this mission matters, it helps to see where it’s taking us. Revelation 7:9-10 offers a
peek:

After this I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all
tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with
palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who
is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb!”

This vision is the ultimate fruit of sharing the gospel around the world. Salvation doesn’t belong to any
one culture, language, or race. Instead, the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ, the good news at the heart of
the gospel, brings together a beautiful mosaic of cultures in worship and celebration.

Jesus lays out the role of the church in fulfilling this vision when he commissions his disciples in Matthew
28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go
therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and
of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I
am with you always, to the end of the age.”

As followers of Christ, our mission is to be disciples who make disciples. The church is a way for
followers of Jesus to act together as one body, with Jesus as the head, to fulfill this mission. At its best,
the unity in Christ we experience in the church can even give us a taste of the glory to come in
Revelation 7. Hebrews 10:23-25 describes how:

Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. And
let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as
is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Following Jesus is a communal activity. We both make disciples and become better disciples by seeking
Jesus together. In fact, God often speaks to us through our relationships with others. Facilitating this
communal growth, worship, and prayer is part of the mission of the church, too.
THE GLOBAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH

Jesus told his disciples, “be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8, NLT). God called the early church
to be missional outside of their own communities—to share the gospel to those in their surrounding
area but also to the ends of the earth. This is our call today, too.

The vision of the church in Revelation 7:9-10 sees people from all different cultural backgrounds come
together through Jesus. Realizing that vision requires engaging in mission that reaches beyond our tribal
and cultural boundaries.

THE LOCAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH

In the same way, the church needs to be attentive to the needs of the people directly surrounding us.
Local mission—loving those in your backyard—is exactly how Paul started doing mission work. He built
relationships, participated in outreach and evangelism, practiced discipleship, taught, and trained up
leaders. We often need to learn these skills within our own context before we are ready to practice
them on the other side of the world.

Jesus began his ministry preaching, teaching, and healing the sick in Galilee. He made his first disciples
when he invited fishermen in Galilee to join him and learn to fish for people.

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