What is a Church?

Our word “church” in our English Bibles often stands in for the Greek word “ekklesia,” which literally means “those who are called out.”

“Ekklesia” usually refers to a group of people coming out of the broader population and assembling together. Assembling for what? In the context of the New Testament, the answer is the worship and mission of Jesus.

“Ekklesia” is what Jesus had in mind when he said in Matthew 16:18 that he would build his “church.” He would call a group of people out of the world and to himself to continue his purposes in the world.

If we read further into the New Testament, we see Jesus and his apostles establishing this gathering in two senses. In one sense, the church is universal. All of us who worship Jesus are part of the church, no matter where we are or when we live.

For example, Ephesians 1:22–23 says, “And he [the Father] put all things under his [Jesus’] feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body.” The sense of the word “church” here is universal—it speaks of all believers. The other sense in which the word church is used has to do with locality.

The New Testament speaks of, and prescribes, Christians organizing, worshipping, fellowshipping, and evangelizing based on their geography. Paul, for example, writes to the church at Colossae (Colossians), Philippi (Philippians), and Ephesus (Ephesians). Jesus, in Revelation 2–3, speaks to seven local churches in different geographies.

So, were these local churches merely places like homes (Philemon 1:2) or auditoriums (Acts 19:9–10) similar to our modern-day church buildings? No. Though gathering does require a physical place, the marks of the New Testament church were more people- and practice-oriented than they were place-oriented.

WE BELIEVE IT’S HELPFUL TO THINK OF THE LOCAL CHURCH IN THE TERMS OF A FAMILY.

In fact, the Scriptures often refer to the local church by using the imagery of a family, particularly using the term “household.”

The church is a household in which God is our Father and we are brothers and sisters.

• Galatians 6:10: “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

• 1 Timothy 3:15: “If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.”

• Ephesians 2:19: “So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God.”

What makes a household? It’s actually not the house. It’s what the people of the house share. The household may share an identity, like a last name or a bloodline, or perhaps they share agreed-upon responsibilities, rhythms, and purposes.

It’s the same with the local church. What unites us as brothers and sisters is not just where we gather but what we share.

According to the Scriptures, here are some of the things a local church must share to be a true family:

WHAT WE SHARE THAT MAKES US FAMILY

1. A shared statement of faith on essential doctrines (Galatians 1:6–9).

2. A shared, qualified leadership of elders (pastors/shepherds) and deacons (1 Timothy 3).

3. A shared administration of the Word and sacraments (Ephesians 5:19; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26) under the authority of those elders and the guidance of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 13:17).

4. A shared practice of church discipline for anyone in the church teaching heresy or living in unrepentant sin (1 Corinthians 5:2).

5. A shared, trustworthy system of receiving and distributing funds to meet the needs in the church community and fuel the mission (Acts 6).

6. A shared mission (the Great Commission) to make disciples locally and abroad (Matthew 28:19–20).

7. A shared dedication to continually discipling each other in Jesus’ ways, using our spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:4–7) in an effort to present every man, woman, and child mature in Christ on the last day (Colossians 1:28).

In essence, a church is not just a building or a place of worship; it is a family of local believers who are united by their shared faith in Jesus, their shared mission, and their agreement to live it out under a shared authority.