Exploring the Concept of Church: From Universal to Local

Understanding the biblical origins, mission, and ministry of the church, and the criteria that distinguish it from other Christian gatherings and ministries.

Jul 09, 2023

I was asked by a conservative evangelical once, “How’s church?” I responded that my home church (consisting of just my family at the time) was going well. He scoffed, suggesting that worshipping with just my family was not church. I listed several circumstances, both modern-day and biblical examples such as missionaries, the patriarchs, and households in the book of Acts as examples of families that must do church within the family. Those were not acceptable examples to him since there are local (building) churches available in my area.

Last week, I wrote a post about

Beyond Preference: Seeking Authenticity and Biblical Community in Church

Drexel King

July 1, 2023

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Engaging in a conversation about finding a church prompted a deeper exploration of the biblical concepts surrounding the idea of church, its origin, mission, and ministry. It is imperative that we learn from God on His idea of what church is and let His direction guide our understanding and action.

Understanding the Church

The primary word for church in the New Testament is ἐκκλησία (ekklēsia) which means gathering, assembly, or church (used 113/117 times to represent church). The New Testament uses various metaphors to represent the church, such as the gathering, assembly, people of God, household of God, flock, body, temple, and bride of Christ. These metaphors convey the multifaceted nature of the church. There are two aspects to the full meaning of church – the universal church plus the local visible church.

The Universal Church

Originating from Creation, the universal church encompasses believers throughout the past, in the present, and the future, who are sealed in Christ (See Eph 1; 1 Cor 1; Heb 12:23). This sacred and spiritual bond unites believers across time, allowing them to stand on the foundations of those who came before and prepare the way for future generations. The Christian community is partaking in the beauty of a diverse and global ancestry of believers. It is an amazing truth to recognize that the present-day Christian stands in confidence upon the foundations of a long line of followers who have come before them. Simultaneously, the present-day Christian has a built-in purpose to prepare the way for those in the future to carry along the mission and ministry of God. Borrowing some language from Steve Garber, we are not great shots across the bow of history but rather hints of hope that span across the spectrum of eternity. This sacred and spiritual bond uniting past, present, and future believer is empowered by the Holy Spirit in which we carry on such a worthy and daunting assignment.

The Local Church

Following Christ's ascension, the local church originates with the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The local church is made up of present-day believers, marked by the Holy Spirit, living in community with one another founded upon a relationship with Jesus Christ. The local church is not an entity or building apart from me, but it is me in all its flaws and glory.

The Full Meaning of Church

The full meaning of church comprises both the universal ‘invisible’ church, existing beyond time, and the local ‘visible’ church, primarily oriented in the present. Together, they represent the comprehensive understanding of the church.

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The Mission and Ministry of the Local Church

The local church has been entrusted with one Great Commission,

All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Mt 28:18-20

There are several principles to draw out from Christ’s preeminent directive for His people. The One who has ALL authority has given His followers a mission, in which He promises to guide them! As you are going (about your day, your life, and your interests): 1) make disciples, 2) baptize them in the Trinity, 3) teach others what you have been taught about the Way of Jesus. Community is unavoidably essential to every aspect of ‘Going’. There is a hyper-individualism in American culture and Christianity that is foreign to the New Testament. The church is not just you, God and your feelings and/or doctrine. The Great Commission requires engaging in community. Discipleship, affirmation of one’s calling, Scripture reading/hearing, teaching, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper1 are nurtured in a communal setting. The promises of the New Testament are most often written to a collective group of people. God sent his spirit to His people (corporate). The working out of our salvation is written to a community of believers, an institution, the church. One cannot do Christianity without community.

Corporate Ministry of the Local Church

The local church is responsible for a range of corporate (communal) ministries:

“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” Acts 2:39-47

The local church is responsible to worship, administer the ordinances, make disciples, fellowship, evangelize, witness to the world, and implement biblical social justice.2

We just set a foundation for our discussion of church by establishing its biblical concepts, origin, mission, and ministry. So far we know that the church is a community of believers in Jesus Christ who are emphatically prioritizing the mission of the church – while going Christians make disciples, baptize, and teach. We also established that the ministry of the church, as outlined in the Bible, is to worship, administer the ordinances, discipleship, fellowship, evangelism, missions, and social justice.

I began the conversation about someone discrediting my spiritual leadership without context and accusing our family of being in sin for doing church in our home. As Christians, we should carefully walk in wisdom when trying to aid someone on their spiritual journey. It is more important to walk in love rather than to be right. Surely in an argument with your spouse you can be right and yet still be wrong. Nonetheless, we must ask, what is the minimum set of criteria a group of local Christians need meet in order to call themselves a church? What distinguishes the church from a parachurch ministry? The criteria should be strict enough to exclude random gatherings of Christian peoples or ministries, but loose enough to incorporate the vastness and diversity of the Christian experience. Likewise, the essence of a church (i.e. what the church is) and the ministry of the church (i.e. what the church does) both make up the being and doing of church that should not be bifurcated from the criteria. We will have to save this for our next installment as there is a lot to discuss.

I will make a few observations for now:

Church is not optional.
Church is not limited to a physical building, but can also be experienced within a family context (your intent matters as well as the extent to which you can obey biblical mandates).
The church is Christ-centered, existing through Jesus and for Jesus, with a focus on the gospel proclamation and gospel transformed community.
Governance and administration, including the appointment of elders, church membership and church discipline, are important aspects of the church.
The church is called to go make disciples, equip the saints, and demonstrate love and fellowship. Assembling together in unity and giving generously are important aspects of church life.
The church administers the sacraments, the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper which hold significant meaning and represent key aspects of the Christian faith.

What questions, push back, or challenging do you have? Let me know in the comments below.