Church in the New Testament
Scripture and Church Assessment 2023
A prominent theme in the Christian New Testament is church. Today, “church” has a variety of meanings, such as a building for Christian worship, a religious service, all Christian believers, a particular Christian congregation or denomination, etc. However, for early Christians, a church had a specific meaning and a variety of defining roles/functions. It is important for modern Christians to understand the biblical church in order to grow their relationship with God and point others to Him.
The English word “church” is derived from the Greek term kyriakos, meaning “the Lord’s house,” i.e., a Christian place of worship.[1] “Church” in the New Testament, however, is a common mistranslation of the Greek term ekklesia, meaning literally “called out.”[2] Ekklesia is best translated as an “assembly” or “congregation” – a group of people assembled for a particular cause/purpose. Rather than being a religious term, [3] an ekklesia was political in nature, and referred to an assembly of citizens, in which fundamental political/judicial decisions were made.[4] An ekklesia also had definable geographical limits, referring to a local assembly. A hierarchical church government outside of the local assembly is not found anywhere in the New Testament. Rather, ekklesia is always a local assembly of believers overseen by one or more local elders, meaning that the Church is collegial rather than hierarchical.[5] The overseeing of all believers on Earth is the responsibility of Christ Himself.
A recurring idea about church is that it is unified. However, as ekklesia implies, this is not an institutional unity. Rather, this is a spiritual unity of source and principle.[6] Christ is the head and cornerstone of the Church.[7] An ekklesia is self-governing under Christ. The Church belongs to God, is subject to Christ, and is His temple.[8] The Church was purchased with His blood, and is sanctified by, loved by, and made glorious through Christ.[9] The Church is also spiritually unified as the one body of Christ, made up of many different parts (people and localities) with many different functions.[10] That is, the Church is unified, but not uniform. When spoken of in a universal manner, believers are called the body or bride of Christ. The Church is unified by sharing one faith and being of the same mind and judgement,[11] and yet it maintains its diversity. By pointing to Christ and His presence in the world, the Church acts as the ‘sacrament’ (or sign) of God. Through word and deed, the purpose of the Church is to show Christ to the world and be a light to the nations. The Church is united under Christ’s leadership, as a member of one body, and as a sacrament of Christ. It is in reference to this relationship to Christ that the Church is described as the one, holy, catholic Church in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. It is one by the headship of Christ, made holy by Christ’s work, and catholic by the common faith in Christ. Note also that it is through fellowship and accountability that the Church remains holy. Jesus describes a close relationship between rebuke and love, and the role of the Church in keeping its members accountable.[12] The Creed also describes the Church as apostolic because it began with the apostles of Jesus and has a mission to proclaim make God known to the world through both word and deed.[13] In this sense, the Church is a preaching community, servant, and herald of Christ. The Church seeks to serve all people, not to draw attention to itself, but to bring glory to God.
In Acts 2:42-47, Luke the Evangelist reveals a number of key points about the early church.[14] Firstly, it was a learning church, “continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching” to deepen their knowledge of God. It was also a church of fellowship and sharing, emphasising togetherness, and looking out for the wellbeing of others.[15] This ties into a prominent social feature of the world of the early church: hospitality (“love of strangers”).[16] A host would provide food, drink, protection, and a place to rest, and the guest was obliged to accept what was offered. [17] The sharing of food constituted a covenant of friendship and goodwill. Importantly, Christian hospitality acted as an image of God’s hospitality, and the banquets of the Kingdom of Heaven, in which God welcomes His children home. The church described by Luke was also a praying church that sought God's help and strength, a reverent church that showed awe and respect for the living God, and a worshipping church that never forgot to visit God's house and celebrate God's grace. It was a church where signs, miracles, and wonders took place, and where people were joyful and glad. Finally, Luke writes that the Lord added to their number daily, meaning that it was a church of likable people with winsome attractiveness, offering something good that people wanted to be a part of.
The theme of church in the New Testament is significant and has implications for the relationship between people and God today. The Church functions as a fellowship of believers who come together to worship and serve God, and acts as a way for individuals to connect and grow their relationship with Him, whether it be through formal religious services (e.g., mass) or more informal gatherings (e.g., small group Bible studies). God is mysterious and far beyond what man can conceive of, and as such, He can never be known by human effort alone. Because of His love for people, God makes Himself known through revelation. One such instance of revelation is the Church. By acting as sacrament, herald, and servant, the Church can point people towards God, and guide and support Christians in living in a way which glorifies Him. Churches can encourage and offer assistance for engaging with the Word of God, which is a foremost way for people to hear God and develop their relationship with Him. Moreover, churches often provide opportunities and advice for outreach, enabling Christians to go out and connect others to God. The characteristics outlined in Acts 2 offer valuable lessons to the modern-day Church, such as to prioritise discipleship/learning, fellowship, hospitality, prayer, reverence, evangelism, faith, worship, and joy. Through Scripture, God reveals His vision for the Church. Because the Church is made up of humans, who are fallible and fallen, it is important that Christians are constantly trying to hold their ekklesia accountable to the ideals of Scripture. The more a church does so, the more Christians encounter God and the more it can point to Christ’s living presence and love in the world.
[1] D. W. B. Robinson, “Church,” in The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Aaron-Golan, ed. J. D. Douglas et al. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1980), 283. [2] Ekklesia is found 115 times in the New Testament and is commonly mistranslated to “church” 113 times. In William Tyndale’s translation, ekklesia is correctly translated as “congregation.” When King James authorised the translation of the Bible in 1611, he made 15 rules which the translators were bound to follow in making the translation, the third article stating, “The old Ecclesiastical Words to be kept, viz. the Word Church not to be translated Congregation.” [3] Religious fellowship was instead referred to using the terms thiasos or synodos, neither of which are used in the New Testament. [4] Note also that ekklesia never refers to an institution or building. [5] G. S. M. Walker, “Church government,” in The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Aaron-Golan, ed. J. D. Douglas et al. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1980), 288.; One clear instance of this is in the Book of Revelation, in which different Churches are addressed individually. [6] Robinson, “Church,” 284.; Robinson writes, “In God’s purpose there is only one church, one gathering of all under the headship of Christ. But on earth it is pluriform… The church is both local and in heaven.” [7] Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 2:20, 5:23; Matthew 16:14-20 [8] 1 Timothy 3:15; Ephesians 5:24; 1 Corinthians 3:17 [9] Acts 20:28; Ephesians 5:25-27 [10] 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Romans 12:4 [11] Ephesians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 1:10 [12] Matthew 18:15-17; Luke 17:3-4; 1 Corinthians 5:13 [13] Matthew 16:17-20, 28:18-20; Ephesians 3:10 [14] Or “fellowship of believers.” [15] Particularly the poor, widows, and orphans. [16] “What does the Bible say about hospitality?” GotQuestions, accessed April 08, 2023, https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-hospitality.html. [17] Emily. J. Cook, “Hospitality Is Biblical – And It’s Not Optional,” Catholic Answers, February 1, 2006. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/hospitality-is-biblical-and-its-not-optional; Ralph Gower, The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1953), 241-250.
Cook, Emily J. “Hospitality Is Biblical – And It’s Not Optional.” Catholic Answers, February 1, 2006. https://www.catholic.com/magazine/print-edition/hospitality-is-biblical-and-its-not-optional.
GotQuestions. “What does the Bible say about hospitality?” Accessed April 08, 2023. https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-hospitality.html.
Gower, Ralph. The New Manners and Customs of Bible Times. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1953.
Knowing Jesus. “63 Bible verses about The church.” Accessed April 08, 2023. https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/The-Church.
Robinson, D. W. B. “Church.” In The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Aaron-Golan, edited by J. D. Douglas et al., 283-286. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1980.
Walker, G. S. M. “Church government.” In The Illustrated Bible Dictionary: Aaron-Golan, edited by J. D. Douglas et al., 286-288. Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1980.