Misunderstandings on the church

[360watt]

Speaking of the local New Testament church, I often come across this statement:

The church is not a building. And then the responder will usually go to try and describe the entity of all redeemed.

So the first thing is... a local NT church is not a building.. it's a local community of saved, baptised believers called out from their homes to gather together physically to worship God, carrying out the great command and commission.

They could have no building, but it's better for comfort, security and privacy.

The second thing is.. calling the entity of all redeemed 'the church' is popular but problematic.

For example 1 co 12 description of the body of Christ, is by context, the local assembly of baptised believers at Corinth.

They get called 'the body of Christ' ... that's not saying they are 'part' of the body..but they are the body.

There are many other scriptures that describe the body of Christ as an entity within all redeemed..but not actually all redeemed.

More to come on this

 

[360watt]

from Arthur Pink.... Churches of God:

"A New Testament church is a local body of believers. Much confusion has been caused by the employment of adjectives which are not to be met with in the N.T. Were you to ask some Christians, To what church do you belong? they would answer, The great invisible church of Christ-a church which is as intangible as it is invisible. How many recite the so-called Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the holy catholic Church,” which most certainly was not an article in the Apostles’ “creed.” Others speak of “the Church militant” and “the Church triumphant,” but neither are these terms found in Scripture, and to employ them is only to create difficulty and confusion."