ECCLESIOLOGY

DEFINATION: Ecclesiology is the category of systematic theology that deals with the church – its
definition, purpose, organization including leadership, ordinances, and practices. To these general
topics we will add studies on church discipline, local church membership, the distinction between the
church and Israel, a survey of church history, and a survey of denominational beliefs. As we study
this topic over the next year, my hope is that we will grow in our appreciation of what amazing things
God has done in our own lives and understand His purpose for the church in magnifying His own
Glory and in making disciples.

The Bible does not recognize anyone visible Church on earth as The Church. The Church which is
His body consists of all regenerated souls, each one redeemed by the Blood of Christ and transformed
by the Holy Spirit. Only a small part of the Church is on earth for a great part having already gone to
be with the Lord. The Church has no visible head on earth but an unseen Head (Christ) in heaven.
Christ gave His life that He might found the Church. Eph. 5:25, ". . . as Christ also loved the Church,
and gave Himself for it." The supreme work of God in this age is the gathering of the Church. Acts
15:14, ". . . God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for His name." These
chosen people are baptized into Christ's body (Church).

THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH: Matt. 16:16-18, "... upon this rock I will build My Church.
. ."

The Church was founded by Jesus Christ on Peter's confession that Jesus Christ was (and is) the Son
of God, the Messiah, the Christ, God incarnate in humanity. Our Saviour did not build the Church on
Peter, but on Peter's words. A study of Matt. 16:16-18; John 20:19-23; Matt. 18:18 will show one that
Peter did not receive a higher position than the other disciples (all could bind). Historically the
Church was founded at Pentecost, Acts 2, when the Spirit descended. Acts 2 :47, "The Lord added to
the Church daily such as should be saved." They had stated places of meeting, Acts 1 :13; Acts 5 :12;
Acts 2 :46; Acts 12 :12. They had stated times of meeting-daily-Acts 2:46, each Lord's Day, Acts
20:7.

THE BIBLICAL USE OF WORD “CHURCH”:

The primary word in the NT which is translated “church” is the Greek “ekklesia”. It is a compound
word from “out of” and “a calling”, hence “a called out group”. It meant a group of people “called
out” from their homes and assembled. Eventually, the “calling out” aspect faded and the idea of
assembly or congregation became dominant. The word was in common usage for assembly or
gathering long before the NT usage. An “ekklesia” was an assembly or a congregation of any kind
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(secular or religious), whether physically assembled or not. Some Bible interpreters will focus on the
etymology of “ekklesia” in its usage for the church (i.e. “called out” by God). However, this nuance
is not warranted from Greek usage. “Ekklesia” is found 114 in the NT. Three times it is used of a
secular or political assembly. – In Acts 19:32, 41, it is used of the mob in Ephesus stirred up by
Demetrius the silversmith. – In Acts 19:39, it is used of a body of citizens "gathered" to discuss the
affairs of State. Two times it refers to the nation of Israel. – In Acts 7:38, it is used by Stephen during
his preaching at his stoning of the congregation of Israel in the wilderness. – In Heb 2:12, the author
refers to the assembly of Israel by quoting Psalm 2:22.

UNIQUENESS OF THE CHURCH:

The church is a NT revelation of an OT mystery: By referring to this, when you read you can
understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to
the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be
specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of
the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, Eph 3:4-6

The church is what Jesus promised to build: “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock
I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. Matt 16:18

The head of the church is Jesus Christ: He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the
beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.
Col 1:18

THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH:

1. To glorify God (Eph 3:21): 13In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the
gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit
of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of
God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. Eph 1:13-14 Now to Him who is able to do
far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within
us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever.
Amen. Eph 3:20-21 what is your overarching purpose in life?

2. To worship God and to glorify Him on the earth. Eph. 1:4-6, "... to the praise of the glory of His
grace, wherein He hath made us accepted in the Beloved."

3. To evangelize the world with the Gospel. Matt. 28 :19,20. "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations." Mark 16:15. See also Eph. 3:8.
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4. To teach and instruct Christians. Eph.4:11-15, "... for the perfecting of the saints. . ." I Thess.
5:11; I Cor. 12 :1-31.

5. To witness constantly. Acts 1 :8, "... witnesses in Jerusalem. . . Judaea. . . Samaria

6. To have fellowship: Acts. 2: 46-47

THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH:

The mission of the church is to make disciples (Matt 28:19-20): Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching
them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matt 28:19-20 This “Great Commission” is our Lord’s last command to His disciples (i.e. us). The
only imperative in this passage is “make disciples”. “Go”, “baptizing”, and “teaching” are participles
that modify or describe the main verb of “making disciples”. These activities characterize disciple
making; they are the “how” of disciple making. “Go” is literally “having gone”. It assumes an active
pursuit of the lost (Luke 19:10). To whom are we to go? “All the nations”, which includes family,
neighbours, workmates, strangers, and even different countries. This going is to increasing spheres or
relationships personally removed from myself (Acts 1:7-8): near, farther, even farther, and very far.

“Baptizing” has to do with identifying individuals with Jesus Christ. An act of obedience by the new
disciple that shows their desire to follow Jesus with their entire life. It is an outward expression of
what has happened in the inner person. It is a sign of entrance into God's family and of pledged
submission to His Lordship.

“Teaching” is not just giving knowledge, but teaching a lifestyle – “to obey all that the Lord
commanded”. Those that surrender to Christ for salvation, identifying themselves with Him in
baptism, must be trained to observe all that He commanded. This process continues until each
believer is presented “complete in Christ” (Col 1:28). Movement towards Christ-likeness marks a
believer; a professed conversion does not make a true disciple. Jesus said, “If you continue in My
word, then you are truly disciples of Mine…” (John 8:31).

THE NATURE OF THE CHURCH :

There is a great need today to understand the essential nature of the church from what Scripture
teaches and not firstly from the role some claim she ought to play in society. We cannot continue to
define the church existentially, that is, by the way she interacts with the world and the resultant
changes she undergoes. We must begin with the word of God in order to get a sense of the kind of
entity she is, and from there we can decide on the kind of tasks she ought to be engaged in.
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The term ekklesia is used predominantly throughout the New Testament to refer to the church. The
term in Classical Greek most often refers to an “assembly” regularly convened for political purposes,
such as voting on issues affecting the city in which the people live.

In the Septuagint (the Greek OT) the term ekklesia is often used to refer to meetings for civil affairs
(1 Kings 2:3), for war (Num 22:4), of nations (Gen 35:11), and a variety of other gatherings,
including, and most importantly, Israel’s gatherings for religious purposes (Deut 9:10; 2 Chron
20:5; Joel 2:16).
The term ekklesia in the NT can refer to the “church of God” meeting in a home (Rom 16:5), in a
particular city (1 Cor 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1), in a region (Acts 9:31) or a larger area such as Asia itself (1
Cor 16:19). When these data are taken together we realize that the church is a universal body
composed of all true believers in Christ, united in Him by the Spirit, and that there are particular
geographical expressions of it here and there and throughout history. Thus, though there are many
local “churches,” there is really only one church (Eph 4:4; Heb 12:23).
This leads naturally to the idea that the church is both visible and invisible. It is invisible in that God
knows who is truly a Christian and who is not. It is visible in that there are local expressions of it to
which Christians commit themselves. Further, it is not necessary to belong to a local church to be a
Christian, though, of course, one will want to out of obedience to Christ. And, just because a person
goes to church, does not mean they are in fact part of the spiritual body of Christ.
Distinction between the visible Church and the invisible church: The visible Church consists of
those whose names are on local Church rolls, all earthly denominations and sects, good, bad and
indifferent would be included in the visible Church. The invisible Church is made up of those whose
names are written in the Lamb's Book of life. Rev. 21:27

METAPHORICAL EXPRESSIONS IN REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH:

The NT writers refer to the church using several rich metaphors.
First, in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 she is corporately referred to as the body of Christ, and in Ephesians
1:22-23 she is the body and Christ is the head.
Second, she is also referred to as God’s family; we are all sons and daughters of the Lord ( 2 Cor
6:18).
Third, her intimate and dependent relationship to her Lord is likened to a vine and its branches (John
15:1-11).
Fourth, in her relationship to the world she is referred to as the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim
3:15).
Fifth, she is corporately referred to as a building (1 Cor 3:9), a living temple that actually grows (Eph
2:20-21) and a holy temple in which God dwells (1 Cor 3:16).

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Sixth, in her service before God and in her relationship to him as His People she is referred to as a
“holy nation,” a “royal priesthood” (1 Pet 2:9) and each member is likened to a living stone, built
around the chosen and precious cornerstone of Christ himself.
Seventh, she is referred to by the Lord as the salt and light of the world (Matt 5:13-15; Acts
13:47; Col 4:5-6).

THE CHURCH AND THE KINGDOM OF GOD:

Another question that must be dealt with in determining the precise nature of the church is her
relationship to the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God may be thought of as the reign of God and
the church as the realm in which that reign is visibly manifested. But the church is not the kingdom,
as some theologians have contested, though the relationship between the two should not be separated.
We can look into five helpful observations regarding the relationship of the church to the kingdom:

(1) The church is not the kingdom;

(2) The kingdom creates the church;

(3) The church witnesses to the kingdom of God;

(4) The church is the instrument of the kingdom,

(5) The church is the custodian of the kingdom.

Distinction between the Church and the Kingdom: The kingdom, according to the parables in Matt.
13, is comprised of both good and bad. The Church is therefore a part of the Kingdom. The Kingdom
which was once rejected by the Jews will be constituted when the Messiah comes.

BIBLICAL SYMBOLS OF THE CHURCH:

1. Body: Christ is the Head of the body and we are members of His body. Col 1:18, "And He is the
Head of the body, the Church. . ." Eph. 1 :22,23. Col. 2 :19, ". . . the Head, from which all the body
by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of
God."

2. A temple: building, habitation or dwelling place for God's Spirit. Eph. 2:20,21. Of this building,
Christ is the chief cornerstone and we are different parts of the building.

3. Bride of Christ: II Cor. 11:2, "For I have espoused you to one husband that I may present you as a
chaste virgin to Christ." Christ is the bridegroom, John 3:29. The wedding will take place in Rev.
19:7, "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and
His wife hath made herself ready . . . she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white."

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THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH:

Despite the fact that some teach that there are seven ordinances, the Bible only teaches two
ordinances of the church.

1. Baptism: Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38-41; Acts 8:36-40; Acts 10:47,48.

2. The Lord's Supper: Acts 2:42-46; Acts 20:7; I Cor. 11:20-34.

A. BAPTISM:

THE MEANING OF BAPTISM

Baptism does not mean regeneration or forgiveness of sins. Baptism states the fact of an event that
has already transpired beforehand. Baptism is an outward symbol of an inward reality--a genuine
conversion.

1. It means obedience to the command of Christ, Mark 16:16, "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved." Please note that believing comes before baptism.

2. It means following Christ's example. I Pet. 2:21, "... because Christ also suffered for us, leaving
us an example, that ye should follow His steps." See also John 13:15.

3. It means fulfilling all righteousness. Matt. 3:15, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to
fulfil all righteousness." If Jesus needed it, I certainly do, too.

4. It means separation by death from sin. Col. 3:3, .. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ
in God." See also Gal. 6 :14.

5. It means identification with Christ, Rom. 6 :4-13. a. Identification in His death. Rom. 6:5, "...
planted together in the likeness of His death." b. Identification in His burial. Rom. 6:4, "... buried
WITH HIM by baptism into death." . c. Identification in His resurrection. Rom. 6:4, "... like as Christ
was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, Even so we also should walk in newness of
life.”

6. It means association with Christ's body. I Cor. 12:13, "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into
one body." One body, the church, visible and invisible

WHO MAY BE BAPTIZED?

John only baptized those who met certain standards.

1. Those who have heard the Gospel and believed it, Mark 16 :16, quoted in I. 1.

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2. Those whose eyes are opened Acts 9:18, "And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been
scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized" (Paul)

3. Those who have repented. Acts 2:38, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of
Jesus." Repentance is twofold: Turning from sin and turning to serve God

4. Those who bring forth fruit worthy of repentance. Luke 3:8 and Matt. 3:8.

5. Those who have received the Holy Ghost. Acts 10:47, "Can any man forbid water, that these
should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?"

6. Those who have been taught the Word of God Matt. 28:19, 20, "Go ye therefore, and teach all
nations, baptizing them . . . teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."
This would involve teaching the New Testament.

7. Those who have died, been buried and live on resurrection ground. This is the basic teaching of
Rom. 6:1-13, that every believer ought to understand well.

HOW SHOULD ONE BE BAPTIZED?

1. In what name?

(a). In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Matt. 28:19, the great commission.

(b). In the Name of the Lord Jesus, Acts 8:16; Acts 19:5, Paul at Ephesus.

(c). In the Name of the Lord, Acts 10:48. Peter referring to Gentiles.

2. What substance is used?

Water only, Acts 8:36, "See, here is water." John 3 :23, "And John also was baptizing in Aenon . . .
because there was much water there.?

3. By whom should baptism be performed?

By the ordained pastor in the presence of one or more representatives of the Church.

4. Where was baptism performed?

(a). Generally in a river. Jesus, Matt. 3:13-17; John the Baptist's work, John 3:22,23.

(b). Sometimes in a building or under conditions not specified Lydia, Acts 16:13-15; the jailor and
his household, Acts 16:33; Simon the sorcerer, Acts 8 :12,13.

5. Mode of baptism:

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By immersion: The original meaning of "baptize" is to immerse. Immersion was the commonly
accepted mode of baptism in the New Testament according to history. Matt. 3:16, the Saviour "went
up straightway out of the water." Acts 8:38, 39, the Eunuch and Philip "... went down both into
the water" and "they were come up out of the water." According to Romans 6:1-13, immersion is
certainly a more complete picture of death, burial and resurrection than either pouring or sprinkling.
Sprinkling and pouring could illustrate cleansing and consecration. The believer immersed in water is
a sign to the world that he has died, been buried, and resurrected and is now living for Jesus. Col.
2:12, "Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him."

B. THE LORD'S SUPPER

Holy Communion is one of the Sacraments instituted by Christ Himself, Matt.26:26-29. Christ only
celebrated this once with His disciples-on the eve of Gethsemane.

PURPOSE OF A COMMUNION SERVICE

We do not partake of Communion to receive forgiveness of sins. There is no power in the Sacrament
to give the recipient forgiveness. We partake of Communion in obedience to the command of Christ,
I Cor. 11:24. We partake in anticipation of His soon return, I Cor. 11:26. We partake to show forth
the Lord's death, I Cor. 11 :26. No one partakes of this meal because he is worthy. It is all of His
grace that we have been born into the family of God. No one sits in pride at this table. Our coming
merges two things, our unworthiness and our confidence. If we are true children of God we come
boldly for fellowship and strength. Let us not draw back in fear from a loving Heavenly Father's
table. He bids us to come and we ought not to deny Him the pleasure of our fellowship. At the
Communion He would draw near to commune with us as on the Emmaus Road.

WHO MAY PARTAKE OF COMMUNION?

Only those who have been born into the family of God have the right to sit at His table in fellowship
with the Lord. The unbeliever and natural man belong at the "table of devils" I Cor. 10:21. Some
churches make the rule that only baptized believers may partake. Most evangelical churches welcome
members in good standing in other evangelical churches to partake of the Communion with them.
Some strict churches will only give Communion to members of their own Assembly. Members that
are being disciplined by abstaining from the Lord's Table should refrain from partaking in that or any
other church until the proper time.

REQUIREMENTS FOR A COMMUNION SERVICE

Bread and wine are the only two substances used as symbols of the body and Blood. We teach neither
transubstantiation nor consubstantiation, but believe that the elements continue to remain merely
elements, symbols or pictures. We flatly deny any mystical power or change in the elements. The
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bread is unleavened, signifying that sin is put away. From this we infer that after Communion we
ought to live clean, holy lives.

CHURCH DISCIPLINE:

Church discipline is like the weather. We talk a great deal about it but seldom do anything about it.

Paul expected Christians to use church courts, not government courts. I Cor. 6:1-3, "Dare any of you,
having a matter against another. go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not
know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy
to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? How much more things that
pertain to this life?" .

Discipline means taking corrective measures as punishment in order to maintain the good conduct of
church members. This is a practice seldom made effective in our churches today. Why? Is it because
we have grown weak and cold and fear to act on our principles? Is it because we have all attained a
state of perfection and no longer require it? Is it because our churches are afraid of losing church
members? Are we afraid that the church income will be reduced if we punish sin? Do we love
popularity, money, large churches, easy times, more than holiness? Are we afraid of calling "sin"
"SIN" and thus condone the evil of fellow believers? The Apostolic Church was strong because it
was pure. Our modern church is weak because we have compromised our position and condoned sin
in the members.

WHAT TO TEACH REGARDING DISCIPLINE

1. Basis of our authority to administer discipline. Matt. 18 :15-17, "Moreover if thy brother shall
trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou
hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the
mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. And if he shall neglect to hear them,
tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and
a publican."

a. Go to the erring one alone to exhort him to repent.

b. If he resists, take with you two or three others as witnesses.
c. If he continues to harden his heart, inform the church.
d. If he insists on resisting consider him as a sinning heathen man.

2. Occasions for discipline:

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a. False doctrine. Titus 1:13, "This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be
sound in the faith." Has your church ever taken this strong a stand against corrupt doctrine? Our
educational system needs a housecleaning of false teachers.
b. Open sin. 1 Tim. 5:20, "Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.” Has your
church ever taken disciplinary action against flagrant sin? Hab. 1:13, "Thou (God) art of purer eyes
than to behold evil." Rom. 7:13, "... that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful."
Let us pray and ask God to make sin so terrible that we will strive to punish it or exclude it from our
midst.
c. Immorality. 1 Cor. 5 :1-5. This man was excommunicated for he had committed fornication with
his own mother or step-mother.

2. Extent of discipline. Deliver the individual to Satan for the destruction of the body. 1 Cor.
5:5, "To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be
saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. " 1 Cor. 5 :13, "... Therefore put away from among
yourselves that wicked person. “1 Tim. 1:20, "Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom
I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.” What does one do when
the crime or sin does not merit excommunication? If the guilty one shows genuine repentance,
keep the guilty one from the Communion table or any public office for a set period of time
(three months, six months, one year, in accordance with the crime committed). This judgment
would be handed down by the presiding church council.

HOW TO TEACH DISCIPLINE:

Firstly, the church and particularly the church council must live clean, disciplined lives themselves,
above reproach in word and deed. What a responsibility!

1. In humility. 1 Cor. 10:12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Do
not lord it over the fallen one. If the temptations and circumstances were similar perhaps we would
have committed an even greater sin. Also our "besetting sin" may be much different from his. The
point on which I would succumb to sin might be a strong point to this erring one. This is no place for
superior "holier than thou" feelings.

2. In sincerity. Remove the beam from your own eye before you mention the mote in your brother's
eye. Matt. 7:3-5, "And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not
the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out
of thine eye; and behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of
thine eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye." Some may
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take the attitude that "I am not perfect, therefore, I will not discipline my brother.” This is wrong. If
God gives me responsibility I am expected to exercise it.

3. In love. I Cor. 13 :4, "Love suffereth long and is kind." We certainly must deal in love. Love is
our strongest lever against the one whom we are trying to bring back to the strict paths of
righteousness. He may respond to our love when he may resist our words and arguments. "Suffer
long." Be sure to exercise plenty of patience--"till seventy times seven" if there are signs of genuine
repentance.

4. By Scripture. Be sure that you can prove that that which he has done is sin from Scripture .The
church is founded on Scripture and its actions must be the outworking of the doctrines and principles
laid down in the Word of God.

5. By testimony. Be willing to share personal experiences on the subject. This will assist in
establishing a friendly, brotherly confidence--a mutual trust. This will help us to deal with him as a
brother and not a dog beneath our feet.

6. By experience. Based on your personal spiritual experiences you can discipline the church. But
one must be careful to keep away all his personal prejudices.

CONCLUSION:

Why are there so many denominations? Each is probably like a variety of fruit and it takes many
varieties to make an orchard. (Many spokes to make a wheel.) Christ's desire is that the Church on
earth should be clean, glorious and holy, Eph. 5:27, "That He might present it (the Church) to
Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it (you and I)
should be holy and without blemish. " It is a dangerous thing to despise the Church that Jesus Christ
is busy building. May God give us the courage of our convictions to exercise discipline. As Acts
20:28, says "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers.

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