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Last Sunday evening I preached on the nature of the church, and pointed out 15 things in scripture that the church Jesus organized before the Day of Pentecost had that churches today still have. I want to enlarge on that subject this evening, and speak more specifically on the nature of the church.

I. What is the definition of the word "church"?

A. This is a good starting place, because without a proper Biblical definition, there can be no scriptural understanding.

B. The word "church" comes from the Greek word "Ekklesia", which means a called out assembly.

1. This definition speaks of a couple of things:

2. the church is called out, and it is an assembly.

II. Today, most people speak of the church and use incorrect terms to describe it.

A. When most people use the term church, they do not refer to a local assembly, rather to some sort of mystical organization composed of believers.

1. Answers in Genesis refers to how the church has let down in promoting creation in six literal 24-hour days.

2. Radio and television ministries will complain that "the church" has failed in ministries to families, or to singles, or to divorced people, or to poor people, or whatever.

B. The following terms are used by most people to describe the church, which is believed by them to be some sort of universal, visible or invisible church.

1. Body of Christ – which in reality is a local, called out assembly of saved, scripturally baptized believers who have covenanted together to worship and serve God.

2. All the saved on the earth at any given time – which in reality is part of the family of God.

3. All the saved, whether they are dead or alive, or whether they will be born, which is the entire family of God.

4. All organized religions, but especially those religions that seek to promote Christ and the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is the kingdom of God.

5. Many people use the term "church" to describe the saved of God, and the kingdom of God, and the church of God.

6. The Bible uses different terms to describe different things, just as we use different terms to describe different things.

C. Many people take the word church and the world elect or saved as having the exact same meaning, but these two words do not have the same meaning.

1. Elect means to call out from among the lost, while church means to call to assembly from among the saved.

2. There is first a calling out to salvation, then a calling out to assemble with the people of God in the church established by Jesus Christ during his personal ministry.

III. How did these two words come to mean the same thing?

A. In the beginning of the ministry of Christ, there was no church at all.

1. Jesus Christ began to call out his church during the very first of his earthly ministry, and this church immediately had the authority to baptize – see John 4:1,2.

2. By the way, John 4 occurs before Luke 6 when some believe Christ organized his church.

a. If the church was organized in Luke 6, the baptisms of John 4 were invalid.

b. According to I Corinthians 12:28, Jesus first added the apostles to the church.

c. There had to be a church already in existence before Jesus added the apostles to the church, just as the people saved and baptized on the Day of Pentecost were added to the church that was already in existence.

3. Jesus Christ was with his church through his entire earthly ministry, teaching them the eternal word of God, and giving them authority to act on his behalf after his ascension.

B. Shortly after the ascension of Christ into heaven, the truths of God’s word began to be polluted.

1. Acts 15 records that certain brethren believed the law must be kept before a person could be saved, just like today, there are those who believe we must do certain things in this flesh before we can be saved.

2. The book of Galatians was written to the various churches of Galatia, who had been bewitched by the missionaries of the people of Acts 15:1 who taught that salvation comes only to those that are circumcised.

a. Galatians 1:6-9 – Paul puts God’s curse upon those that teach a perverted gospel.

b. Galatians 3:1-3 – Paul upbraids the Galatians because they have left the faith, and the eternal gospel that saved their damned souls.

3. The truth is that Jesus saves the spirit when a person repents of their sins and confesses Christ as their personal Saviour.

C. Churches that did not believe all the truth of God’s Word are called irregular church and are the beginning of the Catholic Church, as we know it today.

1. The different definitions of the word "tradition" is explained in Matthew 15:1-9.

a. The Jewish leaders had replaced the word of God with their tradition, placing more importance on their traditions (or teachings – the writings of the "fathers") than they did on the Word of God.

b. Catholics have done exactly the same thing.

c. To us, the word "tradition" means the way we have done something.

d. To Catholics, the word "tradition" means the teachings of the fathers, which is more important than the Bible.

e. Catholics believe the writings of the fathers are additions to the Bible, adding information and clarifying what God wrote.

f. Catholics believe the writings of the fathers are also inspired, especially if those writings are confirmed by the Pope when he sits upon his throne, making proclamations he declares are from God.

2. Infant baptism was introduced about 250 AD and the church government was changed about 275 AD from congregational to presbytery, which is a group of ministers who preside over the affairs of each church and group of churches.

a. Catholics organized ministers and other "religious" people into a hierarchy of "leaders" which were placed over the local churches.

b. This is exactly what true churches have done when they submit themselves to organizations outside their local church, and desire to submit themselves to them.

c. Examples of this are seen in the Southern Baptist Convention, the American Baptist Association, or any other convention, board, or association.

3. Church and state were united under Constantine in 313 AD, and persecution against any other belief began.

4. Popery was officially established by Leo II in the mid 500’s AD, infant baptism is established by law and the worship of Mary is established.

D. As time progresses, the truth was polluted more and more until finally, about 600, Gregory was proclaimed the first pope of the Catholic, or universal church.

1. Peter is claimed to the first pope, but according to Matthew 8:14, he was ineligible because he was married. According to Catholic "tradition", priests, including the pope are not to be married.

2. These people called their church "Catholic" because they were proclaiming that church was all over the world and was the answer, or had the answer, to all spiritual questions.

3. The word "catholic" means universal, broad, liberal, and comprehensive.

4. Catholics have claimed many of the first scholars when they were not Catholic at all (because the Catholic church was not yet established when these scholars lived) – in other words, history was changed to suit those that had the power to change history.

5. The word "Catholic" means "universal", thus the Catholic Church believes in a universal, visible church.

6. They do have local churches, but their primary allegiance is to the pope, who is the head of all their churches.

E. Wickedness prevailed in the Catholic Church all through the dark ages, or the period of time from 550 AD to about 1720 AD, or the time of the Protestant reformation.

1. This is the time of Martin Luther, who came of the Catholic Church and started Lutheran Church.

2. John Calvin who started the Presbyterian Church.

3. There were many other leaders of the Protestant reformation, but there were no Baptist among them.

4. Baptists do not have their beginning in the Protestant reformation because we were already here.

5. The Church of England, from which the Methodists come, was started about the time John Calvin started his church.

6. Congregationalists started in 1602, as another off shoot from the Catholic Church.

F. When Martin Luther and John Calvin came out of Catholicism, they brought with them many Catholic doctrines, some of which continue in the Lutherans and Presbyterians today.

1. For example, Lutherans and Presbyterians still observe infant baptism, as an official policy of the denomination.

2. Luther and Calvin also brought the idea of a universal church with them from Catholicism.

3. But they did not want to continue believing the visible universal church (if they continued in that belief, they were admitting the church they left was correct), so they changed that doctrine to the invisible universal church.

G. The word church is the Greek word ekklesia and is translated with three different English words: church, churches, and assembly.

1. The word "ekklesia" is translated into the English word "church" 77 times in 76 verses.

2. The word "ekklesia" is translated into the English word "churches" 37 times in 36 verses.

3. The word "ekklesia" is translated into the English word "assembly" three times.

a. Acts 19:32 – Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

b. Acts 19:39 – But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

c. Acts 19:41 – And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

IV. The word church when it is used as an institution.

A. Ephesians 1:22 - And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. Christ is the head of all his churches combined, but he is also the head of each individual church.

B. Ephesians 3:21 - Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. It is true that all the combined churches will give God glory throughout all ages world without end, but it is also true that each individual local church during this present age will give glory to him. By the way, in eternity when all the local churches are gathered together as one – they will be assembled, which is the primary definition of the word church.

C. Ephesians 5:25-27 - Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 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. Marriage is an institution, just like the church is an institution. There are individual marriages, and there are individual churches. There is no such thing as a universal marriage, neither is there any such thing as a universal church, visible or invisible.

V. The word church when it is used as a local church.

A. Go through the introduction to the books of the Bible written by Paul, and see the word church and churches.

1. The word "churches" is always used to speak of more than one local church.

2. The word ekklesia translated assembly in Acts 19. It is translated assembly because it is called out, but it is not a church.

B. Other mentions of the word "ekklesia" translated either "church" or "churches".

1. Matthew 18:17 – in the matter of church offenses, the church must be told, and if the offender will not hear the church, they must be cast out of the church membership.

2. Acts 2:47 – Believers were baptized and added to the church at Jerusalem daily. There was only one church, and it was located at Jerusalem.

3. Acts 5:11 – And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.

a. When Ananias and Sapphira were killed by God for lying to him, great fear came upon the church at Jerusalem (that was the only church there was) and also on all those that were not in the church.

b. Verse 13 and 14 reveal that people did not join the church because of fear, but the Lord was magnified and many people assembled with them, desiring the blessings of God upon their lives.

4. Acts 8:1-3 – Saul persecuted the church which was a Jerusalem. There were more churches organized by this time, but Saul lived in Jerusalem, and it was in that city that he persecuted believers.

5. Acts 9:31 – When Saul was saved, the "churches" had rest. Note the churches were throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria.

6. Acts 11:22 – When the church at Jerusalem heard about believers being in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to check it out. There is a single church at Jerusalem.

7. Acts 11:26 – Barnabas and Paul assemble with the church at Antioch and teach the people for a whole year.

8. Acts 12:1 – The persecution by Herod was centered in Jerusalem. Proof is that James and Peter were put into Prison. James was killed, and Peter awaited his execution.

9. Acts 12:5 – The church at Jerusalem prayed for Peter.

10. Acts 13:1 – The church at Antioch was lead by the Holy Spirit to send Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys.

11. Acts 14:23 – On the first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas ordained elders in every church.

12. Acts 14:27 – On the return to Antioch from the first missionary journey, Paul And Barnabas gathered the church at Antioch together, and told them what had happened.

13. Acts 15:3, 4, 22 – When the dispute about salvation by grace or works came up, the church at Antioch sent Paul, Barnabas and certain others to the church at Jerusalem to discuss the matter and make a determination. When the determination was made, the church at Jerusalem sent certain of their own membership with Paul and Barnabas back to Antioch with the determination.

14. Acts 15:41 – Paul and Silas go on the second missionary journey, confirming the churches – plural.

15. Acts 16:5 – When the churches (plural) were established on the second missionary journey, they increased in faith in number.

16. Acts 18:22 – Paul salutes the church at Caesarea.

17. Ekklesia translated as "assembly", not as "church". This is a local assembly, but it is still not a church.

a. Acts 19:32 – The "assembly", not "church" was confused.

b. Acts 19:39 – The assembly was not lawful.

c. Acts 19:41 – The assembly was dismissed.

18. Acts 20:17, 28 – Before Paul return to Jerusalem, he calls for the elders of the church at Ephesus. Paul instructs the elders to feed the church at Ephesus, because he knows there will be many betrayers.

C. See also the word assembly in James 2:2, where the English word "assembly" is the Greek word "sunagoge" that is translated into the English word synagogue.