Church

The church is the community of all true believers for all time.^[1]

Nature of

Dt 4:10; Mt 16:18; Ac 2:47; 7:38; Eph 1:22–23; 2:14–15, 19; 5:25; Heb 2:12; 12:1, 22–23

Visible and invisible

Mt 3:12 (cf. Lk 3:17); Mt 7:15–16, 21–23 (cf. Lk 6:46; 13:26–27); Mt 13:24–30, 47–48; Ac 20:29–30; Ro 9:6; 2Ti 2:17–20; 4:10; Heb 6:4–6; 10:26–30; 12:23; 2Pe 2:1, 20–22; 1Jn 2:19

Local and universal

Ac 9:31; Ro 16:5; 1Co 1:2; 12:28; 16:19; 2Co 1:1; Eph 5:25; 1Th 1:1

Marks of a true church

Right preaching of the word

Dt 32:47; Ps 19:7; 119:105; Isa 55:10–11; Jer 23:29; Mt 4:4; Mk 3:14; Lk 4:43; Ac 6:7; 12:24; 13:49; 20:32; Ro 1:16; 15:4; 1Co 1:24; Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12; Jas 1:18; 1Pe 1:23; 2Pe 1:19; 2Ti 3:15–16

Right administration of the sacraments

Baptism: Mt 28:19; Ac 2:38; 8:39; 16:34; Ro 6:2–5; Col 2:12; Lord’s Supper: Mt 26:26; Jn 6:27, 33–35, 48–58; 1Co 10:16–17, 21; 11:29–30

Church discipline

Main topic: Church discipline

Mt 18:15–18; 1Co 5:1–13; 2Th 3:14–15

Metaphors for

Family

Mt 12:49–50 (cf. Mk 3:34–35; Lk 8:21); 2Co 6:18; Eph 3:14; 1Ti 5:1–2; 1Jn 3:14–18

Bride of Christ

Main topic: God the bridegroom

2Co 11:2; Eph 5:32

Other metaphors

Branches on a vine: Jn 15:5; Olive tree: Ro 11:17–24; Field of crops: 1Co 3:6–9; Building: 1Co 3:9; Harvest: Mt 13:1–20 (cf. Mk 4:1–16, 25; Lk 8:4–13, 18; 10:23–24); Jn 4:35

See also

• Church government
• Church membership

Categories: Ecclesiology