CHRIST'S CHURCH

It is the "Ekklesia" in Greek meaning "that which is called out". This writer counted 110 times that the term 'Ekklesia" is translated "church" in the King James Version of the Bible as found in Young's Analytical Concordance to the Bible.

"Church" is found three times in Matthew. In Matthew 16:18, 19 Jesus said, "And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." Here are some things we learn from this passage:

1) It is the "Ekklesia" that Jesus built meaning "that which is called out."

2) Christ said He would build it. Men do not have the right to build churches to please themselves or other people. Paul said, "Or do I seek to please men: for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

3) Christ called it "My church" so it belongs to Him.

4) It was future from the time in the personal ministry of Christ that He told Peter he would build it. Indeed he purchased it with His blood, (Acts 20:28), so it had to be after His death that He built his church. The church is first spoken of as being in existence after Pentecost day of Acts 2 (Acts 2:47).

5) Christ built the church on the rock that Peter had confessed of him in Matthew 16:16 which is, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." He is the stone which the builders rejected that became the head of the corner (Matthew 21:42). It could not have been built on Peter because Peter was given the "keys of the kingdom of heaven" which made him the door keeper, not the foundation (Matthew 16:19).

6) The "Gates of Hell" refer to the Greek "Hades" here. Hades is the place that souls go after death. Jesus told the thief that they would be in paradise following death (Luke 23:43), so there is a place in Hades called Paradise. There is also another place called "torments" in Hades (Luke 16:23). Jesus and the thief were not in that place. That's where those go who die unprepared to meet God. What Jesus meant when He said, "The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it", is that His dying on the cross would not stop Him from building the church. Jesus arose from the dead the third day (Luke 24:46). Then 40 days thereafter he ascended to the right hand of God (Acts 1:1-11). On Pentecost day of Acts 2 He sent the baptism of the Holy Spirit on his 12 apostles so they could teach the gospel without error and confirm it with signs following. When they taught that gospel and people believed it, repented of sins, and were baptized by the authority of Christ they were saved and added to the church (Acts 2:38-41; 2:47). That's the people purchased with the blood and are "the people for God's own possession" (1 Peter 2:9 ASV).

7) The church and the kingdom of heaven are the same. When Jesus told Peter, "I will give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven" he was in effect saying "1 will give thee the keys of the church". What he gave Peter and the rest of the apostles was the New Testament gospel by giving them inspiration and guiding them into all truth (John 16:13; Galatians 1:8-12).

8) The Lord said that when the keys were given that "Whatsoever thou shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." The binding and loosing not only was given to Peter but to the rest of the apostles as well (Matthew 18:18). There is no such thing as the primacy of Peter. It is true that he preached the gospel sermon on Pentecost day and bound Faith, Repentance, and Baptism on everyone. (Acts 2:37-40). When people obey that gospel they have their sins loosed which is forgiven. He also preached the first gospel sermon to the Gentile household of Cornelius (Acts 10:34-48) and bound those same gospel commands on them. That does not make him have any more, authority than the other apostles. They and some of the ones they laid hands on gave us the New Testament in writings so we have the binding and loosing message. This is how Christians are "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone" (Ephesians 2:20). Jesus promised them that they would sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28). They do this through the gospel they gave by inspiration..and the Israel is the spiritual Israel which is the church (Galatians 6:16). We learn from this that the New Testament gospel is the doctrine of Christ (2 John 9). We must abide in the gospel and not some creeds made by men.

CHRIST'S CHURCH: THE CHURCH AS FOUND IN THE BOOK OF ACTS
There are twenty times in the book of Acts that "the church" is mentioned and a study of this reveals much that the world has never become acquainted with.

1. The saved are added to the church. Acts 2:47 states of the early disciples that they were "praising God, and having favor with all the people." And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." There was only one congregation in the world at that time and that was the church at Jerusalem. The Lord was determining membership. Those added were the saved people. Every saved person in Jerusalem at that time was added to the church. There was no conception of salvation and not being in the church. They were saved by believing and being baptized after they had heard the gospel (Mark 6:15, 16).

2. Great Fear came upon the Jerusalem church. When Ananias and Sapphira were struck down dead for trying to lie to God about their giving it is said of the Jerusalem church that "great fear came upon the church, and upon as many as heard these things"(Acts 5:11). The people learned that you can't lie to God and be right.

3. The church was persecuted. After Stephen was stoned to death it is said of the Jerusalem church, "and at that time there was a great persecution against the church" and "as for Saul, he made havoc of the church" going into houses of the Christians and committing them to prison (Acts 8:1, 3). They were then scattered abroad and "went every where preaching the word." (Acts 8:4).This created more and more congregations of Christ's church throughout the region.

4. The churches had rest after the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, "then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified: and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied."(Acts 9:31). By this time there were many congregations of Christ's church. Each congregation was autonomous under the authority of the apostles who were inspired. (Matthew 19:28). The Church at Antioch of Syria. In Acts 11 there is the record of a predominately Gentile congregation established in Antioch of Syria. The Jerusalem church sent Barnabas to build them up and encourage them. (Acts 11 :22-25). Barnabas brought Saul from Tarsus to Antioch and for a whole year they assembled and taught many people. It was here the disciples were first called Christians. (Acts 11:26). This became the radiating point for the gospel to go to the rest of the Gentiles (Acts. 13:2,3).

5. The churches of Asia. Acts 14:23 shows that elders were ordained in every church. It was a plurality of men to serve as elders. Their work is shown in what Paul told the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28 - "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." The elders are to be good examples, to oversee the work, to feed the church of God which he purchased with his own blood. The food is "I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up. And give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified." (Acts 20:32). The church at Troas came together on the first day of the week to break bread (Acts 20:7). This is a metonymy for partaking of the Lord's Supper which Jesus said he would eat with his disciples in the kingdom (Matthew 26:29). They worshiped on Sunday and they always had the Lord's Supper in that worship.

The conclusion we reach is that each congregation is the body of Christ in that location. Each one existed under the doctrine (which is teaching) of the apostles and Christ as head of the church. The apostles guided them by the inspired teachings which are now recorded in the 27 books of the New Testament. This is the only way Christ's church continues. The Pattern is to preach and teach the New Testament gospel in a community. People believe, repent, confess and are baptized. They make up the Lord's church in that community. They band together and worship according to the Bible, teach the New Testament gospel to others, and take care of the needy as they have opportunity (Galatians 6:9, 10).

Review Questions
1. How many times is the word Church found in the New Testament?
2. What does the word "church" mean?
3. Who built the church? and upon what rock?
4. When was the church built?
5. Are the church and the kingdom the same?
6. What is the binding and loosing message of the church?
7. How are we built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets?
8. How many times is the word "church" found in Acts?
9. Who are added to the church?
10. How are people saved?
11. Should the church fear God?
12. Does the church exist to edify disciples?
13. From where does Christ's church get its authority?
14. What are to be ordained in every church?
15. What are the duties of the elders?
16. What is the food for the church?
17. Should congregations of the church gather on Sundays to partake of the Lord's Supper?