What is the Christian Church?--One of the best definitions is as
follows: "The church consists of all who acknowledge the Divine Lord,
Jesus Christ, the blessed Saviour of mankind, who give credit to His
gospel, and who hold His sacraments, the seals of eternal life, in
honour." Another definition is: "The church is a holy kingdom
established by God on earth, of which Christ is the invisible King."
There are some organizations calling themselves Christian churches
which have substituted certain philosophical doctrines in place of the
principles of Jesus Christ, but it is a fact of history that in
proportion as the Divine Lordship of Christ has been exalted the
greater has been the growth of the church. The church has been able to
meet the needs of the people as He has been lifted up (John 12:32)
that men might turn to Him for light and life (John 1:4; 8:12; 12:46;
Matthew 11:27-30).
The Head of the Church is Jesus Christ. When Simon Peter made the
declaration, "Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God," Jesus
said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood
hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And
I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build
My church" (Matthew 16:16-18; Ephesians 2:20). "The question is, What
is this rock? The Romanists say, 'It is Peter'; but Christ did not so
say. His statement was, 'Thou art Petros and on this petra I will
build My church.' The words are cognate but not identical; the former
is masculine and the latter feminine; petra is a rock; Petros is a
stone hewn out of the rock." When Christ uttered these words He was
on His way to Jerusalem where He was to be crucified. In the face of
the cross, the Master was preparing His disciples for a great trial
and the time when, in bodily presence, He should depart from the
earth. It was necessary that He should now speak plainly in regard to
Himself and His mission.
Paul, in writing to the Colossians, said of Christ, "And He is the
head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the first-born
from the dead; that in all things He might have the preeminence"
(Colossians 1:18; compare Ephesians 1:22,23).
However Christian churches may differ from each other in form of
government and in other matters they are united in the great essential
doctrine of the Headship of Christ, this is their strong bond of
union.
A Divine Institution.--The Christian church was not organized by any
one man or a company of men, but was given to man as an expression of
the compassion of God (John 3:16-21), that in it men might associate
themselves together for the proper worship of God and that they might
draw near to Him (Hebrews 10:19-25).
1. The beginning of the organization of the church was in the upper
room, where Jesus partook of the last supper with His disciples
(Matthew 26:20-30). Here He showed the significance of His death
(v. 28), His relation to the Father (John 14:9), and the coming of the
Holy Spirit (John 14:16,17; 15:26,27). In the last instructions given
by Jesus, and His prayer (John 14:1-17:26) we have a body of teaching
which constitutes the basis of the faith of the church.
2. The completion of the organization of the church was in the descent
of the Holy Spirit upon the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-24,32,36-41),
which the disciples had been commanded to await in the city of
Jerusalem (Acts 1:6-8,14). Those who accepted the word which had been
preached through the Holy Spirit were baptized (2:41). "The Lord," not
men, "added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47).
Ordinances and Faith.--The church, with its ordinances of the Lord's
Supper and Baptism, its faith in God the Father, in His Son Jesus
Christ and in the Holy Spirit, now begins its victorious career.
Human Elements.--The divine institution of the church has been subject
to the admixture of human elements, there was a traitor amongst the
twelve apostles. The organization and the doctrines have been tampered
with in the interest of human ambitions and the pride of human
philosophy, but no institution has shown itself so adapted to satisfy
the great needs of men of all conditions of life, to purge itself when
the human elements proved too great a burden, and to outlast all
man-made organizations.
Authority and Teaching.--The church and its ministers have authority
to teach through Christ and what He has commanded. There is a certain
and quite definite body of truth. This body of truth, preached in the
heart of heathendom or in the most fashionable church, in the most
highly civilized country, is quite sure to produce certain definite
results in awakening men from their sins and causing them to lead a
new life. "By their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:15-20).
Jesus said, "All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the
Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Teaching them to observe
all things whatsoever I have commanded you and lo I am with you alway,
even unto the end of the world" (Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 10:22; John
3:35; 5:32; 13:3; 17:2; Acts 2:36; Romans 14:9).
Paul said, "For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid,
which is Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 3:11).
Form.--The word church, in the New Testament, is used in three senses
to denote the differences in the form.
1. The local congregation worshipping in a house (Philemon 2;
Colossians 4:15) or a certain place as, "The church of God which is at
Corinth" (1 Corinthians 1:2) and "the church of the Thessalonians" (1
Thessalonians 1:1). This is much the most frequent use of the word.
2. The entire community of Christians throughout the world or some
portions of it (1 Corinthians 15:9; Galatians 1:13; Matthew 16:18).
3. The total company of the redeemed, the bride of Christ (Ephesians
5:23,25,27,30; Hebrews 12:23).
The Life of the Early Church, as we have seen, had its origin in Jesus
Christ. Those who came into the church, did so because of their belief
in Him and acceptance of Him as their Saviour.
1. The organization was simple; each church looked to Christ as its
head (1 Corinthians 1:2-18,30; Ephesians 5:23).
2. The officers were appointed for certain necessary duties (Acts
6;20:17-23; Titus 1:5-7); it was the Lord who called men into certain
vocations for the edifying of the church (Ephesians 4:11,12; 1
Corinthians 12:27,28).
3. The time of meeting was upon the first day of the week (Acts 20:7;
1 Corinthians 16:2), thus commemorating the resurrection of the Lord
(John 20:1,19; Luke 24:1; Mark 16:2; Matthew 28:1).
4. The aim was to build up pure and godly lives (Titus 2:1-15) and to
bring all men into fellowship with the Master. There was an intense
enthusiasm for the faith and propagation of it. There was an
extraordinary religious elevation and purity of conduct. The churches
set themselves to eradicate the selfishness in man, out of which all
forms of injustice sprang and aimed to affect the moral renovation of
the individual and of society. There were abuses which arose out of
the former lives of believers; it is surprising, considering the evil
influences surrounding the early churches, that they were so few.
5. But there arose in the midst of a gross heathenism, with all its
great immoralities, a rapidly growing community, which demanded purity
of life and conduct from its communicants and supreme allegiance to
Christ, the Lord and Saviour; how strong it was is shown by the fact
that the Roman Empire tried to stamp it out, failed, and was taken
captive itself by the religion it had despised.