THE CHURCH WHICH IS HIS BODY-WILLIAM MACDONALD

The Church Which is His Body Submitted by William MacDonaldon Tue, 02/08/2005 - 06:00 Acts Ephesians DEFINITION OF THE CHURCH  In the New Testament, the word church is a translation of the Greek word elklesia, which means “a called-out company,”“a gathering” or an “assembly.” Stephen used the word todescribe Israel as “the church (assembly)in the wilderness’, (Acts 7:38). It is also used in thebook of Acts to describe aheathen mob at Ephesus (Acts19:32,39,41). But the mostcommon use of the word in the New Testament is to describea group of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus Paul speaksof “the church of God, which He hath purchased with His ownblood” (Acts 20:28). In his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, the great apostle divides the whole world into Jews, Gentiles, and the church of God (1 Corinthians 10:32). Again,he identifies the church of God as including the group ofChristian believers whom he persecuted before his conversion (1 Corinthians 15:9). It has often been said that the Church is not an organization but an organism. By this is meant that it is not a lifeless institution but a living unit. It is a fellowship of all those who share the life of Christ and who are linked together in living union by the Holy Spirit. It has been well called “a pure communion of persons without institutional character.” Many descriptive titles are given to the Church in the New Testament, and one of the best ways of arriving at an understanding of the church is to consider the significance of each title. The following are the prominent descriptions of the church:  1. A flock (John 10:16, R.V.). The Jewish nation was a fold. The Church is a flock. In John 10: 16 the Lord Jesus said, ‘Other sheep I havewhich are not of this fold (Israel): them also I must bring,and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one flock(R.V.) and one Shepherd.” The idea of a flock bringsbefore our minds a group of Christians living togetherunder the loving, tender care of the Good Shepherdhearing His voice and following Him. 2. God’s husbandry (1 Corinthians 3:9) The Church is God’s garden plot in which He purposes to raise fruit for His glory. The thought of fruit-bearing is thus brought before us here. 3. God’s building (1 Corinthians 3:9) This expression pictures God as carrying on a building program. He is adding living stones to the Church. How important it is that our lives should be devoted to the construction project in which He is so vitally interested! 4. The temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:16) The word ‘temple” immediately brings before us the thought of worship, and reminds us that the only true worship God gets on earth today is from those who are members of the Church. Worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth (John 4:23, 24). Such worship can only come from redeemed hearts. 5. The body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22,23) The body is the vehicle by which a person expresses himself. Thus the body of Christ is the unit through which the Lord chooses to express Himself to the world today. Once this great truth is grasped, a believer will never againthink of the Church as of minor importance, but will devotehimself unreservedly to the best interests of the body ofChrist. 6. A new man (Ephesians 2:15) Here the idea of a new creation is prominent. The greatestof all differences among men—that of Jew and Gentile—has been abolished in the Church, and God makes ofthese two peoples one new man. 7. An habitation of God (Ephesians 2:22) This expression conveys the truth that God now dwellsin the Church, rather than in a material tabernacle ortemple, as in the Old Testament. 8. The bride of Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27; 2 Corinthians 11:2) This view of the Church gives prominence to the idea of affection. “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christalso loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that Hemight sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such  thing, butthat it should be holy and without blemish. ” If Christ lovedthe Church, and gave Himself for it, then obviously theChurch should be filled with brida affection for Him. 9. The house of God (1 Timothy 3:15) A house (or household) speaks to us of order and discipline.The thought of order is suggested in 1 Timothy 3:15: “Thatthou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself inthe house of God.” Discipline is suggestedin 1 Peter 4:17:“Judgment must begin at the house of God.” 10. The pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) In addition to being a support for a building, a pillar was often used in early days for posting public notices. It wasameans of proclamation. The word “ground” means abulwarkor a support. Thus the Church of God is the unitwhich He hasordained for proclaiming, supporting, anddefending His truth. We may safely say, therefore, thatif Christians are to be inthe current of God’s will andpurposes, they should devotetheir finest efforts to the expansion and spiritual welfare ofthe Church. THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH Many boast today that their mission is to preach the gospel,and they take a detached view of anything to do with thechurch. They should notice that the Apostle Paul’s ministrywas twofold: (1) “To preach among the Gentiles theunsearchable riches of Christ,” and also (2) “To make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,” that is, to ground them in the great truths of the Church (Ephesians 3:8, 9). ORIGIN OF THE CHURCH Great and godly men have differed widely as to the time of the beginning of the Church. Many believe that the Churchis a continuation of the nation of Israel in he Old Testament.Others maintain stoutly that tthe Church did not exist in theOld Testament, but that it began in the new dispensation. In favor of the latter viewpoint are three considerations. In Ephesians 3:4, 5, Paul speaks of the Church as a “mysterywhich in other ages was not made known untothe sons ofmen, as it is now revealed unto His holy apostlesand prophetsby the Spirit.” Again, in verse 9 he states thatthe Church is amystery which from the beginning of the worldhath been hid inGod.” (See also Colossians 1: 26; Romans 16:25, 26.) Thus the Church was a secret, kept by God throughout the Old Testamenttimes, and never revealed until the New Testament apostles andprophets appeared. In Matthew 16:18, the Lord Jesus said,“Upon this rock I will build my Church.” In other words, theChurch was still future at the time He spoke. Again, in Ephesians 4:8-10, Paul emphasizes that it was the risen, ascended Christ whogave gifts to the Church. This argues strongly that if the Churchexisted before His ascension, it must havelacked gifts for its edification. We believe it is not only possible to show that the Church beganin the new dispensation, but, more specifically, that it wasbrought into being on the day of Pentecost.The body of Christ is said to have been formed by the baptismwith the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). Can we determine then when the baptism with the Holy Spirit took place? In Acts 1:5, immediately prior to the Lord’s ascension , He promisedthe apostles, Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not manydays hence.” On the day of Pentecost, “they were all filled withthe Holy Ghost, and began to speakwith other tongues as theSpirit gave them utterance” (Acts 2.4 11 :15-16). By the timewe reach Acts 5:11, the Church has definitely come into being,because we read that “great fear came upon all the Church….”This certainly seems to pin-point the birthday of the Church as occuring at Pentecost. http://www.plymouthbrethren.org/article/526