two or three have gathered together in my name. Therefore, in answer to the question, "What constitutes a local church?" the scriptural answer is that any part of the universal church which is somehow local can be said to be a local church. We would suggest this holds even down to the level where ". Instead, it apparently described any extent of locality under discussion. Question: What are some implications can we draw from these four passages concerning what size or structure a group must have to be considered a local church?Īnswers: The word "church" is not a technical designation of a local group of any particular size or structure. 16:5,10,11,14 several house churches within one city Acts 9:31 the church throughout a region.Since the scope of what is meant by each reference is different, we can draw conclusions about what constitutes a local church.įor each of the following verses, answer the question: " What geographical area is being described?" The point is that in each reference, the word "church" is in the singular. In this discussion exercise, ask the students to describe the scope or area encompassed by each of the following references. These titles refer to the love and loyalty existing between Christ and believers. Both of these terms (as well as "temple") illustrate how the Old Testament notions of outward sanctuary have been replaced with the literal dwelling of God in his people. ![]() The Jerusalem From Above or The Heavenly Jerusalem It is also a metaphor which demonstrates the interdependence of members in the church, while at the same time demonstrating their diversity from one another. 5:30) The idea seems to be that the group of Christians in the world constitute the physical representation of Christ on earth. "Body of Christ" Since believers have been united with Christ through spiritual baptism, they are sometimes corporately referred to as the body of Christ. It was also used as a synonym for the word synagogue, which also means to "come together," i.e. A more accurate translation would be "assembly" because the term ekklesia was used to refer to a group of people who had been called out to a meeting. Therefore, the word church is a poor translation of the word ekklesia since it implies a sacred building, or temple. By the time of Jerome's translation of the New Testament from Greek to Latin, it was customary to use a derivative of kuriakon to translate ekklesia. ![]() Thus, the word means "the called out ones." However, the English word "church" does not come from ekklesia but from the word kuriakon, which means "dedicated to the Lord." This word was commonly used to refer to a holy place or temple. This word is the Greek words kaleo (to call), with the prefix ek (out). ![]() The word translated "church" in the English Bible is ekklesia. Words used for the church in the New Testament The point in all of these passages seems to be that anyone who has experienced this baptism is automatically a member of the body of Christ. Other passages which use the same imagery are Rom. 12:13,"by one Spirit we are all baptized into one body." We see from this passage that the church is like the physical manifestation of Christ, i.e., his body. Authored by Dennis McCallum and Gary DeLashmuttĭefinition: The Universal Church derives its definition from the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |