The Church

The Church I. This study sets forth what Scripture declares about “the church” and considers such things as: A. What is the church? B. What is its origin? C. What is its purpose? D. Is it a unique entity or merely another organization or association? E. How is it constructed? F. How is it governed? G. What are its responsibilities? H. What is its f...

5. A disciple must be willing to submit to the judgment of the church when it acts within the framework of its delegated authority. MAT 18:15-18. a. MAT 18:15-18 is Christ’s directive for dealing with perceived faults between brethren. It is not a formula for dealing with crimes against the law of God which demand separation from the offender even if he concedes or admits his error. ct/w 1CO 5:9-13. b. This responsibility of godly ju...

J. Intimately connected with church discipline is the keeping of the Lord's Supper or communion. Notice that in the instructions for discipline in the church is also a warning against eating a particular feast until a known offender has been purged out (1CO 5:6-11). This feast is of course the N.T. passover kept in commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ which delivered His people, not out of Egypt but out of hell (v. 7), which later in the same epistle is dealt with ...

K. The local church is the body of Christ into which one is baptized by the Spirit. 1CO 12:13, 27. 1. Each local church is the body and there are many churches, thus, many bodies. 2. This is not contradicted by EPH 4:4 which refers to one in kind, not in number. a. Paul is emphasizing that there are not diverse camps for Jew and Gentile. EPH 4:4-6; 2:14-16 c/w 1CO 12:13. b. ...

VI. The concept of a church/congregation in this world for the glory and service of God did not start in the book of Acts. God has had a visible church/congregation in this world ever since the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt (EXO 16:1-2 c/w ACT 7:38). That church under the Sinaitic Covenant would also be His nation and kingdom on earth. EXO 19:5-6. A. Remember that the word “church” is “the naturalized equivalent of Latin ecclesia.” 1. ecclesia:...

4. reformation: Restoration (of peace). 2. Improvement in form or quality; alteration to a better form; correction or removal of defects or errors; †reparation, rebuilding. a. Christ put us back into peaceful relations with God. COL 1:20. b. His sacrifice took away the enmity that separated both Jew and Gentile from God, making a new form of church possible. EPH 2:15-16. c. The event of Calvary made way for the process of improvement. Without ...

VII. Consider the nature and structure of the N.T. gospel church. A. The local church is the house of God. 1TI 3:15. B. It is a spiritual house. 1PE 2:5. 1. This house of Peter's first epistle is the church. 2. Instruction is given for the management of church gifts. 1PE 4:10-11 c/w 1CO 12:28. 3. Warning is given concerning the primary focus of the judgments of God, the realizati...

E. It should be noted here that once a child of God has been properly baptized into a local church, he need not be re-baptized if he should seek membership in another legitimate N.T. church. 1. His baptism has shown he has a part in the redemptive and regenerative work of the Lord Jesus Christ. a. Baptism requires faith in Christ and repentance. b. Penitent believers have a regenerated nature, everlasting lif...

IX. The local church is basically part of a monarchy, but no man on earth is its king. The Head or King of the church is Jesus Christ, who rules from a throne in heaven. A. Christ is the head of the church which is His kingdom. Head = king. EPH 1:22 c/w 1SAM 15:17. 1. His royal sceptre is righteousness. HEB 1:8. 2. His crown is glory and honor. HEB 2:9. 3. His throne is of grace. HEB 4:16. 4. His author...

G. The authority which God gives to rulers of churches is not to be used to destroy the churches, but build them up. 2CO 10:8; 13:10. 1. Ministerial authority may be abused by forbidding scrutiny or challenge. JOH 9:34; ACT 4:17-18 ct/w ACT 17:11; NUM 16:5. 2. Ministerial authority may be abused by taking away the key of knowledge by dereliction of duty, faulty hermeneutic, substituting traditions of men for the word of God, or casting doubt on...

K. With the bestowal of the office comes the right and responsibility to make specific requirements of a church. ROM 16:17; 1CO 5:11-13; 11:2; 14:40; 2CO 2:6-7; 1TI 1:3; 4:11; 5:7; 6:17; 2TI 2:14; 4:1-2. 1. A minister must command the keeping of apostolic order. 2TH 3:6-10. 2. An example of this is the command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (HEB 10:25). Thus, a minister has the authority and duty to regulate and enforce this issue...