Lesson 11. The Church. A school on the foundations of the Christian faith that every Christian should know. The school consists of twelve lessons. The founder of the school is the Christian Bible Institute.
The Nature of the Church
The spiritual life of a Christian has not only a unique beginning but also a unique form of expression. Each person’s salvation is an entirely individual matter (that is, salvation is possible only through personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior). Nevertheless, from the moment of being born again, every true believer is immediately united with millions of other children of God like themselves in one family. This family is called the Church.
The Bible speaks of two aspects of the Church: the Universal Church and the local church. Both of these elements of the Church’s functioning are very important. Every Christian must understand them and have the right attitude toward them.
1. The Universal Church.
The Universal Church is the spiritual unity of all born-again children of God who have lived in the past and who live today throughout the world. It is the one Body of Christ, spiritually united with its Head. The Universal Church is one in the Spirit of Christ; therefore, this unity is not limited by political, national, or other existing earthly boundaries.
Matthew 16:18: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it”;
The creation of the Church was an important purpose of Jesus Christ’s first coming to earth.
The individual members of the Church of Jesus Christ are united through the Holy Spirit, who dwells in a Christian’s heart at the new birth.
1 Cor. 12:13: “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit.”
Eph. 1:13: “In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the Gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,”
The creation of the Church of Jesus Christ became possible only after the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended to earth to unite believers into one Body of Christ.
2. The Local Church
In addition to all born-again Christians being spiritually united in the Universal Church, there is another level of unity among God’s children—the local church.
God created the local church as the necessary environment for the practical expression of Christians’ spiritual unity.
The New Testament mentions many local churches:
- The church in Jerusalem (Acts 2:42)
- The church in Corinth (Epistles to the Corinthians)
- The church in Rome (Epistle to the Romans)
- And others.
A local church is necessary for the following reasons:
- A place for mutual ministry
Eph. 4:16 “from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
- A place for mutual accountability
Matt. 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not listen, then take one or two others with you, so that every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”
- A place for mutual support
Gal. 6:2 “Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”
Rom. 15:1 “We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. 2 Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up.”
Belonging to the Church
The Church of Jesus Christ is a spiritual organism; therefore, belonging to it is determined primarily by certain spiritual conditions, which find expression in certain visible factors.
Matt. 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of My Heavenly Father.”
- Conditions
To belong to the Church of Jesus Christ, one must first be a born-again Christian.
Rom. 8:9 “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.”
1 Cor. 12:13 “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.”
- The new birth consists of:
- Acknowledging that one is a sinner in need of salvation,
- Understanding the essence of the Gospel,
- Receiving Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
- The new birth must necessarily be expressed in a changed life.
Luke 9:23 “To them all He said: If anyone wants to follow Me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Me.”
John 10:27 “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me.”
- The new birth consists of:
- Visible Signs
In addition to inner transformation, the Lord left two more visible signs of belonging to the Church, which confirm or testify to the inner changes that have taken place. These two visible signs are Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
- Baptism
Jesus Christ commanded that all who believe in Him receive water baptism.
Matthew 28:19: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you; and surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. Amen.”
Water baptism is an outward confirmation, or testimony, of the spiritual changes that have taken place in a person. It is performed by complete immersion in water. When the person being baptized is immersed in water, this means that he testifies to his renunciation of a life of sin. When he is raised from the water, this means that he rises to a new life dedicated to a new Lord—Jesus Christ.
Romans 6:3: “Or do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with Him in the likeness of His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in the likeness of His resurrection.”
It should be noted that baptism does not involve any mystical action. It is an outward testimony of what has already taken place in a born-again person.
- The Lord’s Supper
The second visible sign associated with belonging to the Church is the Lord’s Supper.
- The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself to be observed throughout the entire period of the Church’s earthly history.
1 Corinthians 11:23: “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night He was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 25 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood; do this whenever you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
- The institution of the Lord’s Supper was connected with the remembrance of the exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt—the Jewish Passover.
Luke 22:15: “And He said to them, ‘I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering, 16 for I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.’ 17 After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, ‘Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you that I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God comes.’ 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 20 In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you.’”
- The meaning of the Lord’s Supper is to remember the reason for our salvation—the substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus Christ, offered for us.
- The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus Christ Himself to be observed throughout the entire period of the Church’s earthly history.
Some churches, such as the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, teach that when the bread and wine are blessed during At the Lord’s Supper, these elements become the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and by partaking of them, a person receives special grace from God. In reality, no mystical action takes place during the Lord’s Supper. The bread remains bread, and the wine remains wine. Reverently, we partake of the bread and juice, remembering Christ’s sacrifice as the reason for our salvation and thereby testifying to His death to others.
1 Cor. 11:23 “For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the night when He was betrayed took bread, 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body, which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ 25 In the same way He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”
- Baptism
Church Practice
Today, different churches have different forms of ministry. Speaking about the different forms of ministry in the early churches, Scripture does not prescribe one specific order of church service. At the same time, the Bible teaches certain essential principles that must be present in the Church and without which the Church cannot exist.
The main elements of church life are listed in the description of the life of the first church in Jerusalem:
Acts 2:42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Acts 2:46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart,
Acts 4:33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.
- First, the Church’s primary task should be the clear preaching of the Bible. Without this, the right life of the church members and the proper functioning of the Church itself are impossible.
- Second, church members must have fellowship with one another. Through fellowship, they can support one another, correct one another, minister to one another, and serve God together.
- The Church gathered together.
- The Church gathered in homes.
- Third, the Lord’s Supper (the breaking of bread) should take place in the Church. It is an essential part of Christian life. People can forget the reason for their salvation, and therefore we need to participate regularly in the Lord’s Supper.
- Fourth, the Church is a place where people pray to God. When we gather together, we praise God, thank Him, bring our needs before Him, and also ask Him on behalf of others. Prayer is a very important part of church life. It enables us to have close fellowship with God and with one another.
- Fifth, the Church must bear witness—to bring the Gospel to those who are perishing.
The Church’s Leadership Structure
Although the Church of Jesus Christ is a spiritual organism, it nevertheless has a clear leadership structure established by God.
- Christ
First of all, Jesus Christ is the sole Head of the Church
Ephesians 1:22: “And He put all things under His feet and gave Him to be head over all things to the Church,”
To become a Christian means to acknowledge the complete Lordship of Jesus Christ in one’s life. The will of Jesus Christ is expressed in His Word—the Bible. Therefore, every Christian is accountable to the Word of God.
- Pastor (bishop, elder)
Furthermore, in the local church, God has appointed people to whom He has given special spiritual gifts and qualities, enabling them to serve Him and the entire Church.
1 Peter 5:1: “The elders among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 2 Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly, 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock”;
Because God has given these people greater experience and spiritual gifts, they are spiritual leaders for all the other members of the Church.
Only those whose lives reflect the special qualities listed in 1 Timothy 3:1–7 and Titus 1:6–9 may lead the Church.
Titus 1:6: “If anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination. 7 For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, 8 but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled, 9 holding fast the faithful word according to the teaching, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”
Church members should obey their leaders, honor them, and provide for them materially.
Hebrews 13:17: “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account; let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.”
1 Thessalonians 5:12: “And we urge you, brethren, to recognize those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves.”
Galatians 6:6: Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.
- Ministers (deacons)
In addition to pastors and elders, churches also appoint deacons (ministers), whose task is to provide every kind of assistance to the pastors’ ministry. Deacons are also subject to special requirements described in 1 Timothy 3:8–9
1 Timothy 3:8: “Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.”
Elders and deacons are chosen by the Church. Through ordination, the Church expresses its trust in each minister’s ministry; at ordination, the ministers are blessed by God and the Church for the work ahead.
Homework: Memorize Matthew 28:19–20
Source: Christian Bible Institute
