The Church

J. Yang

I.       What is a Church?

The Greek word ‘ekklesia’ is a combination of the words "call" and "out".  Greek society used it to refer to general public assemblies (ref.  Acts 19:32,39,40).  Spiritually speaking, however, the word connotes far more; it refers to those who are chosen, redeemed by the blood of Jesus, and sanctified (Acts 20:28).  The Bible states, "Repent and let every one of you be baptized ... for the remission of sins" (Acts 2:38) and "...wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16).  Furthermore, the apostle Paul mentioned the phrases "baptized into Christ" (Gal 3:27) and "baptized into one body" (1 Cor 12:13).

The church is the body of Christ.  In order to become a member of the church, one has to believe in the Lord and be baptized (ref.  Eph 1: 23; Mark 16:16).  Through the blood of Adam, a rib was taken to create Eve.  Likewise, through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the church's redemption is accomplished (ref, Gen 2:21-25; John 19:32-35; Rev 5:9,10).

II.    The Establishment of the Church

Prior to the completion of salvation on the cross, sins were forgiven through the authority of Jesus' words (Mark 2:1-12; Luke 23:39-43).  Ever since Jesus died for sinners, those who believe and are baptized will be saved (Mark 16:16).  On the day of Pentecost, the disciples addressed those who believed: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38).  On that day, about three thousand were baptized.  These believers became the root of the church in the Apostolic days (Acts 2:40,41).

The disciples spread the gospel far and wide, baptizing those who believed and establishing churches.  The book of Acts accounts baptisms of members in Samaria (Acts 8:1417), the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:14,17), Saul, Cornelius, and the family of the jailer (Acts 22:16;9:18;10:44-47; 16:30-34; ref.  Matt 8:18,19).

III. The Mission of the Church

The Lord entrusted the church with two important missions prior to His ascension.  First, He instructed the believers to "Go into the world and preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15).  Second, He charged them to tend the sheep, in order to build the church (John 21:15-17; ref.  Eph 4:11-16).  The Lord also promised to send the Holy Spirit, which would enable them to carry out the great entrustment and would give them power to spread the gospel without fear of persecution, to perform miracles in Jesus' name, and to forgive and retain sins of others. (Acts 1:8; 4:18-20; Mark 16:17-20; John 20:22,23)

The disciples set the goal of building the Lord's church as their primary responsibility, dedicating themselves in prayer and the ministry (Acts 6: I4). The believers also set the same goals in living for the Lord; each recognized the spiritual gifts given to him and each worked accordingly toward the furtherance of the gospel, the saving of souls, and the expansion of God's kingdom-the church (Rom 14:7,8; 12:1-8; Phil 1:3-5).

When the Jews witnessed miracles performed by Jesus Christ, they attempted to forcibly make Him their king.  The motivation was mundane: they wished autonomy and liberation from the Roman Empire.  But when Jesus saw this, He withdrew to a mountain (John 6:15; ref.  John 18:33-37).  It is not the church's duty to become involved in politics; the will of God is not fulfilled through political power struggles.  Rather, the church's duty is to spread the gospel of the kingdom and to attract more people into believing and to become reborn in the Lord, relying upon the power of the Holy Spirit, living a holy life of love and righteousness, bringing benefit to mankind and glorifying the name of the Lord. (ref.  John 18:33-36; Rom 13:1-7; 1 Pet 2:1317; Matt 6:16)

IV.  The Truth Preached

The disciples preached the truth, proclaiming that Jesus was the Messiah.  They proved that Jesus was the Christ through His resurrection, and they proved His resurrection through the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:22-36).  Jesus came to earth to save sinners and deliver them from the hands of Satan, so that sinners could depart from their sinful lives and enter His heavenly kingdom (I Tim 1:15; 11 Tim 4:18).  Therefore, His word is called the gospel of salvation, or the gospel of the kingdom (Eph 1: 13; Matt 24:14).  According to the Bible, these are the ways to salvation:

A.     Believe that Jesus is the only Savior (Acts 4:12,16,30,31; John 13:6):  Believe that He died for our sins and was buried, and resurrected on the third day.  He is in heaven and will descend on the last day to judge.  The righteous will enter eternity, while sinners will be cast into eternal punishment (Matt 25:31-46).

B.     Repent and confess (Acts2:37,38):  Forsake all wrong beliefs and believe in God (Acts 19:19).  Cease evil deeds and make a determination not to return to them (Luke 19:8; ref.  Luke 3:10-14).

C.     Accept the correct mode of water baptism (Mark 16:16; Eph 4:5; Acts 19:1-5): The Bible states that through water baptism, our sins are forgiven, we are reborn, and we become the children of God (Acts 22:16; Titus 3:5; Gal 3:27; 4:4,5).  The correct mode of water baptism is to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:28; 19:2-5), with full immersion, in living water (ref.  Matt 16:3; John 3:23; Cot 2:12; Zech 13: 1), and with head bowed downward in the likeness of Jesus' death (ref.  Rom 6:4,5; John 19:30).

D.     Receive the promised Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5; John 3:5; Acts 2:38): The Lord promised to give the Holy Spirit to the believers (John 7:3739; Acts 1:4,5).  The indwelling of the Holy Spirit affirms that one is a son of God (Rom 8:15,16; Gal 4:6,7).  The Holy Spirit is also the guarantee for the inheritance of the heavenly kingdom (Eph 1: 14; 11 Cor 1:2022).  When the Holy Spirit comes upon a person, he will speak in tongues (spiritual tongues)-this is the evidence of receiving the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-4; 10:44-46; 19:6,7).  "He who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him.  However, in the Spirit he speaks mysteries" (1 Cor 14:2).

E.     Obey the Will of the Lord (Matt7:21-23):  The Lord said, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Lord in heaven" (Matt 7:21).  Thus, those who are born through the water and the Holy Spirit are to follow the teachings, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  This includes following the teachings of foot washing and the Holy Communion (Matt 28:20; John 13:1-17; Luke 22:19,20); loving one another; pursuing holiness; (John 13:34; Matt 5:29,30; John 17:17-19) and keeping the Ten Commandments, including the observation of the Sabbath (Matt 19:1619; 5:21-28; Jas 2:9-1 1; Rev 11: 19).  The church must be built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets, with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone (Eph 2:20).  The truth preached by the church must be accurate, to present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Gal 1:6-9; Cot 1:25-29).

V.     The Development of the Church

From the Day of Pentecost onward, the disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and received the gift of powerful speech and the ability to perform miracles.  The apostles also were moved by the Holy Spirit to contribute money and dedicate themselves in one accord to the advancement of the sacred work (Acts 1:8; 2:37-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16).

Later, due to increasing persecution in Jerusalem, the disciples were scattered.  Still, they discounted dangers and risks, continuing to spread the gospel and to build churches in Judea and throughout Samaria (Acts 8: I17; 10-1 II: 19-24).  Saul, a staunch persecutor of the church, was himself chosen by God and put on the team of evangelism.  As Paul, he was sent with Barnabas and the others to spread the gospel through Galatia, Asia, Macedonia, Rome, and beyond (ref.  Acts 13; 13:28).  Even small flocks of the Lord could still spread the gospel and build the church, amid severe persecution by Jews and the Roman Empire.  Their source of strength was the abidance of the Lord and the filling of the Holy Spirit.  They asked for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in preaching, performing miracles, selecting workers, pasturing, dispatching workers, and in church-related decisions. -They honored the Lord and submitted to Him, just as the Israelites who followed the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire for forty years in the wilderness had done (Ex 40:36-38; Acts 13:1-7; 16:6-15; 15:28,29).  In this, the disciples set for us a model to follow.

VI.  The Fall of the Church

As persecution of the Apostolic church intensified, believers became scattered, resulting in difficulties in pastoral work.  Satan caused some believers to sway by propagating heresy.  It was clear, as recorded in the letters written to the seven churches in Asia (Rev 2 and 3), that by the end of the first century, the truth had already been tainted and that a once-moral people had become increasingly depraved.  In AD 3 12, the Emperor Constantine halted the persecution of Christians and encouraged Romans to believe in Jesus.  However, due to the contamination of religion with politics, the church lost its independence.  The church no longer practiced according to the Bible.  As the parable says, it was like a mustard seed which became a tree; the birds of the air came and rested in its branches (ref.  Matt 13:31,32,4,19).

In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther, a Catholic priest, initiated the Reformation.  It was discredited by the Pope, and Luther was excommunicated.  Since 1517, Luther set a goal of returning to the Bible, emphasizing that one may be justified through faith and be saved through faith.  However, to this day, Christian denominations still cannot return fully to the Bible.  Unbelief, heresy, avarice, adultery and fornication, pride, and hypocrisy are like leaven which enters and spreads within the church, until the whole church is leavened (Matt 10:33; ref.  Acts 23:1-11).

VII.           The Re-establishment of the Church

In Old Testament times, the temple was destroyed because of the sins of the people.  They were exiled to Babylon for seventy years.  When this time was over, God moved Cyrus, the king of Persia, to permit the people of Jerusalem to return and rebuild the temple (2 Chron 36:17, 23).  In the same way, in the time of the latter rain Holy Spirit (the spring rain), the church of God (the spiritual temple) is to be rebuilt just as the Apostolic church (Amos 9: 11; Zech 5:7; Joel 2:23).

Jesus told seven parables regarding the church (Matt 13).  The first through the fourth prefigured the establishment and the fall of the church.  The fifth through the seventh prefigured the establishment of the true church with the Holy Spirit and the truth-hidden treasure and pearls through which it may proclaim the gospel to the world for the accomplishment of saving the souls of the world (Matt 13:44-50).  This important task will be Accomplished, through the power of the Holy Spirit, between the sixth and seventh angel's trumpets in Revelation (Rev 9:13; 11: 18).  We stood be thankful for the true grace we have received.  We should strengthen our faith and make a determination to live for the Lord.  We should pray earnestly and use our abilities to rebuild the True Jesus Church in preparation for the second coming of our Lord (1 Pet 5:12; 1 Cor 15:58; Acts 1:14; Is 62:6,7).