WHAT IS THE CHURCH?
A first lecture in a three part series on principles for the Assembly.
Section 1: Introduction: Christ Announces His Assembly
Scripture uses the word “assembly” in more than one way. Sometimes it refers to the Church in its universal character, the whole company of those indwelt with the Spirit of God, and at other times it describes the local expression of that Church, such as the gathering we attend each week. We want to begin with the assembly in this broader sense. In this first lecture we begin by asking, “What is the Church?” to see what God has to say about the Church as presented in Scripture.
“He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and 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 also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” (Mat 16:15-18)
1. The Builder and Foundation
To introduce the subject, we begin in Matthew 16, where the Lord Jesus first announces His assembly. At Caesarea Philippi He asked His disciples what men were saying about Him, and the answers varied: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. But when He asked, “Whom say ye that I am?” Peter gave that wonderful confession, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” The Lord declared him blessed, for such a revelation came not from human reasoning but from the Father in heaven. Then He added, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My Church,” introducing for the first time that divine structure founded on the Person of Christ as the Son of the living God, against which the gates of hell can never prevail (Matthew 16:18).
This is the first mention of “My assembly” (or “My church”) in this context. The Greek word is ecclesia, an assembly of called-out ones, a people called out of something to form something new. Scripture uses the word in other ways as well: Stephen spoke of Israel as “the assembly in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38), and in Greek literature it could describe any called-out gathering. But here the Lord speaks of something that belongs to Him, something future, for He says, “I will build.” The ecclesia in the New Testament refers to a company of believers called out of the world to be a people for His name. Christ introduces it in Matthew 16, expands it in Matthew 18, but the full truth awaited the finished work of the cross and the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost; only then could the Church come into existence.
- “Upon this rock” — not Peter himself, but the truth he confessed: “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” This truth reaches back before prophecy, before the foundation of the world, into the eternal relationship within the Godhead. The Church rests on the Person and glory of the Son, the Living One whom death cannot touch. Israel had been called out as a nation under the covenant of law and failed, but the assembly Christ builds rests on an eternal foundation that cannot fail and therefore will endure forever.
- “I will build” — Christ’s own sovereign work, not a human project or denominational structure. It was future at the time He spoke, something that did not then exist. Since He is the Builder, the pattern of the Church cannot be drawn from human ideas or traditions; we must read what He has said in His Word, for it is His work to build the Church.
- “My assembly” — a people who belong to Him, called out of the world to be for His name. Jew and Gentile are formed into something entirely new that is His possession alone.
- “The gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” — Hades speaks of the power of death, the strongest weapon Satan possesses, the separation of soul and body. Yet even this cannot overthrow the Church of God, for it is founded on the eternal truth of Christ’s Person and upheld by the One who is Himself the Son of the living God. Because He builds it, and because its foundation is unassailable, the assembly will stand forever.
2. The Love Christ Has for His Assembly
“Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it.” (Eph. 5:25)
“…the church of God, which He purchased with the blood of His own.” (Acts 20:28)
The Church is not only founded by Christ; it is cherished by Him as the special focus of His love. Ephesians 5 presents it as the bride of Christ: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for it.” The Church is therefore something immensely close to His heart, so close that He calls it His bride, a relationship that is new and unique. It is amazing to consider that the Lord Jesus loves the Church collectively with a love that will continue for all eternity, a bond that can never be broken, for what God has joined together man cannot put asunder. The bride is not a possession but a cherished focus of His love. This is what we are to Christ. The price He paid for the Church was the laying down of His life at Calvary, and His present work is to nourish and care for it with the purpose that He might in a coming day present it to Himself “a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle… but holy and without blemish.” The Church is therefore not a mere organization under His authority, but a people specially called out to be for His name, a bride for His eternal love!
3. The Church’s Beginning and End
Its Beginning (Acts 2; 1 Cor. 12:12-13). The Church began on the day of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent down from heaven just as the Lord had promised. Acts 2 records the moment. Believers were gathered “with one accord in one place” when suddenly a sound came from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, filling the house, and tongues of fire appeared upon each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. First Corinthians 12 identifies this event as the beginning of the Church, “for by one Spirit are we all baptized into one Body.” When the Spirit of God indwelt those early believers (about 120 in number) He not only filled them individually, but joined them all together and united them to Christ the risen Head. That union formed by the Spirit was the beginning of the assembly Christ said He would build. From that moment onward, church history traces how the Church has gone on to the present day. God now had a dwelling place on earth (the House), and one living organism was formed (the Body), united by the Spirit to Christ.
Its End (Ephesians 3:21). If the Church began in a wonderful way, its end is even greater. Ephesians 3:21 carries us to the furthest horizon of eternity: “Unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.” The New Translation expresses it as “to all generations of the age of ages”, which is eternity itself. The Church was formed to bring glory to Christ; just as the woman was given to the man in Genesis 2, so the Church is given to Christ to reflect His glory and bring honor to Him forever. Revelation 21 presents the Church as the holy city, the jasper walls crystal-clear, through which the glory of the Lamb shines out. The effect is that “the nations bring their glory and honor into it”. Glory flows to Christ through the Church. This is what will continue throughout all ages: the Church, in that closest place of affection to Christ, reflecting His glory and being forever the vessel through which glory is brought to Him!
4. The Divine Origin and Organization of the Church
The Church is not organized by men but built by Christ, redeemed by His blood, and united by the Holy Spirit. Its origin was not the result of apostles sitting down to devise a new structure; the mind that conceived it was God’s, not man’s. As our hymn beautifully says, “O God, the thought was Thine”. The truth of the Church could only have come from His own mind. Since the plan, the beginning, and the building of the assembly all came from Him, the doctrine and practice of the Church must likewise come from God and His Word. Further, we are especially directed to the writings of the servant He raised up to make the truth of the assembly known: Paul, the chosen vessel through whom the mystery of Christ and the Church was revealed.
Section 2: Paul’s Doctrine of the Church
Having seen the Church’s divine origin and the promise of Christ who builds it, we now turn to the apostle to whom its unfolding was committed as a stewardship.
1. Paul: The Chosen Vessel to Reveal the Mystery
“And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks… But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:4-5, 15, see also Acts 26:14-18)
When the Lord met Saul on the road to Damascus, He said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?” In those opening words lay the essence of Paul’s entire doctrine: that Christ and His saints are one. Saul thought he was persecuting Christians, but the risen Lord revealed that to touch believers on earth was to touch Christ in heaven. Hidden in that moment was the truth of the assembly, that those united by the Spirit form the Body of Christ, so intimately linked with Him that their sufferings are His.
From the very beginning God had this in mind, and Saul of Tarsus, once the chief antagonist of the Church, was marked out as a “chosen vessel” to bear the Lord’s Name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. Paul was raised up in a special way to unfold what the Church is. Other apostles had distinct ministries: John wrote much about the family of God, and Peter about the kingdom of God, but Paul above all was the one God appointed to explain the assembly of God. To him was entrusted the full revelation of “My gospel” and “the mystery,” truths hidden from ages past and now made known through the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13; Gal. 2:7-8).
2. Paul’s Gospel and the Mystery
Paul’s teaching is twofold yet inseparable. In Romans 16 he speaks of two things by which believers are to be established: <em”>“my gospel” and “the revelation of the mystery.” These are the two great lines of truth entrusted to him.
- “My Gospel”. This concerns the believer’s individual standing before God, truth unfolded especially in the book of Romans but also in other epistles. It is the message of how we are redeemed, justified, sanctified, and accepted in the Beloved. Through this gospel, God brings us into Christ’s own place before Him; when He looks at the believer, He sees us in Christ. We have been raised up and seated with Him in heavenly places, given a dignity and glory we could never have imagined. Paul calls this “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8), the blessings of grace made known to our souls individually.
- “The Mystery”. This concerns the collective truth of the Church, the hidden secret God kept in His heart for ages and generations, now revealed. A “mystery” in Paul’s writings is not something still obscure, but something once concealed in God’s counsels and now made manifest. It is the truth of the one Body united to its risen Head through the Holy Spirit: “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). In Ephesians 3 Paul speaks of his commission “to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery,” and in Colossians 1 he distinguishes again his ministry of “the gospel” from his ministry of “the mystery… now made manifest to His saints.”
First the soul must be established individually in grace through the gospel; then it is prepared to apprehend the collective counsels of God concerning the Church. Yet both sides belong together in the full revelation committed to Paul, the complete truth of Christianity
| The Gospel | The Mystery | |
|---|---|---|
| Romans 16:25-26 | v.25a "…according to my glad tidings and the preaching of Jesus Christ…" | vv.25b-26 "…according to the revelation of the mystery, as to which silence has been kept in the times of the ages…" |
| Ephesians 3:8-9 | v.8 "…that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ…" | v.9 "…And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God…" |
| Colossians 1:23-28 | v.23 "…the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature..." | vv.25-26 "…according to the dispensation of God… Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations…" |
| Description |
The believer's standing "in Christ":
|
The truth of Christ and the Church:
|
3. The Revealed Mystery and Its Hiddenness
“For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” (Eph 2:14-16)
“How that by revelation he made known unto me the mystery; (as I wrote afore in few words, Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) Which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellowheirs, and of the same body, and partakers of his promise in Christ by the gospel.” (Eph 3:3-6)
A “mystery” in Scripture is a truth once hidden in God but now revealed to His saints. Paul insists that the mystery was given to him by revelation—not discovered in the Old Testament, not deduced by human reasoning, but made known directly by God (Eph. 3:3). Four passages affirm its previous hiddenness: Romans 16:25; 1 Corinthians 2:7; Ephesians 3:9; and Colossians 1:26. It was “kept secret since the world began,” unknown to the sons of men, and only now revealed through the apostles and prophets of the New Testament.
The Hiddenness of the Mystery. Prophecy had indeed spoken of Gentile blessing and Israel’s restoration (Zech. 2:11; Isa. 11:10; Psa. 72; Ezek. 37; Rom. 11), but these all concerned earthly blessing in the coming kingdom under Messiah’s reign. They never revealed the Church. In the Old Testament, if a Gentile wished to share divine blessing, he had to become a Jew. But the mystery declares something entirely new: that God has now taken Jews and Gentiles and joined them together, not forced together, but united by the Holy Spirit, into one new thing. This truth was shocking in Paul’s day; many Jews bitterly opposed it, and much of the persecution Paul faced arose directly from his declaring that Gentiles were now fellow heirs. Acts confirms that God is presently calling out “a people for His Name” from among the Gentiles (Acts 15:14) and also from among the Jews (Acts 26:17), forming a company wholly distinct from both, “the Church of God” (1 Cor. 10:32). To confuse the Church with Israel is to miss God’s purpose; the mystery shows that His plan, older and deeper than Israel’s history, reaches back into eternity and embraces both Jew and Gentile in one redeemed company.
The Substance of the Mystery. Ephesians 3:6 gives the clearest definition of the mystery: “That the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, and of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ by the gospel.” The Church is “one new man” (Eph. 2:15), neither Jew nor Gentile, but a new creation altogether, reconciled to God in one Body by the Cross (Eph. 2:14-16). It is a living organism united to its risen Head in heaven by the Holy Spirit, outside all earthly distinctions, formed for Christ’s glory. Note: when Paul says in v.3, “the mystery (as I wrote afore in few words)” he is referring to ch.2 where he brought out the truth of the “one new man”.
The Value of the Mystery. Colossians 2:2-3 shows its important: in the mystery “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Understanding the mystery unlocks the wisdom of God’s eternal counsels. It is a tremendous key to growth in knowledge of the things of God. Peter acknowledged its depth when he spoke of “the wisdom given unto Paul” and admitted that Paul’s writings contain “some things hard to be understood” (2 Pet. 3:15-16). Paul suffered greatly for this truth; Jews followed him from city to city seeking to silence the message that Gentiles were now fellow heirs with them in Christ. Yet it was Paul’s special mission to make “all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery” (Eph. 3:9). To grasp Paul’s doctrine is to see Christianity in its full height: Christ in glory, believers united to Him, and the Church as His Body and Bride, a purpose hidden in God from ages past, now revealed for our understanding and joy.
4. God’s Eternal Purpose Revealed (Eph 1:10-11)
“That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will” (Eph. 1:11)
Paul unfolds the great eternal purpose of God in the first chapter of Ephesians, where he speaks of “the mystery of His will”, the previously hidden secret of what God has been pursuing from a past eternity. Ephesians 1:9-11 reveals that this purpose has two great parts:
-
To head up all things in heaven and on earth in Christ in the fulness of times. God’s intention is that every created thing, whether in heaven or on earth, will ultimately be brought into harmonious order under Christ as Head. This is the answer to the profound question of the meaning of all things, God’s purpose is to place Christ over the entire universe. This will be accomplished in the millennium, which is called here “the dispensation of the fulness of times”.
-
To give Him a companion who shares His inheritance: Christ and the Church together. Not only is everything to be placed under Christ, but God has purposed to give Him a Bride suited to Himself, one who shares His life, glory, and dominion. “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance” shows that the Church is associated with Him as co-heir. God never intended His Son to remain alone; He purposed that Christ should have a companion who reigns with Him and reflects His glory.
This was not an afterthought or a parenthesis in God’s plan; it was His purpose from eternity. Genesis 2 gives us the pattern in the first man: Adam set over the garden in dominion, yet found it was not good to be alone, until God formed a bride from his own side to be his companion. In the same way, Christ will be set over “all things in heaven and on earth,” and God has formed the Church to be at His side, sharing His inheritance. Amazing to think that everything God has created and every event in history He has permitted is moving toward this: Christ supreme over all, and the Church with Him in that place of glory as His Bride!
5. The Four Revelations Entrusted to Paul
In brief, Paul was given four distinct revelations that together summarize the Church’s calling, character, and hope:
- The Body of Christ – its formation of Jews and Gentiles into one new man by the Spirit, united to the Head in heaven (Eph 3:3, 5-7).
- The Lord’s Supper – in a new character not previously known, as the expression of the one body on earth (1 Cor 10:16-17; 11:23).
- The First Resurrection – the hope of those who sleep in Christ, to be raised at the coming of Christ (1 Cor. 15).
- The Rapture – the catching up of living and raised saints to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess 4:13-18).
These four revelations span the Church’s existence, expression, hope, and destiny — from its formation on earth to its translation into glory.
Having traced the divine revelation of the Church through Paul, we now look at its first great figure — the Body of Christ — to see its unity, diversity, and living connection with its Head in heaven.
Section 3: The Body of Christ
1. Two Great Figures of the Church
Scripture uses two primary figures to describe the Church, especially in Paul’s writings: the Body and the House. These two pictures express both its universal character and its responsible character.
- As the Body of Christ, the Church is a living organism united to its Head in heaven by the Holy Spirit. Just as a human body has many members yet functions as one under the direction of the head through a nervous system, so believers, though diverse, act as one Body to carry out the mind and will of Christ. The Body emphasizes unity and coordinated function, every part linked together and animated by one Spirit.
- As the House of God, the Church is viewed as God’s dwelling place on earth. The thought here is order, conduct, and testimony. A house reflects upon the one who dwells in it: if the roof is covered in moss, the drains clogged, the yard overgrown, and the household in disorder, it reflects poorly on the head of that house. So the House of God expresses what the Church ought to be in its behavior, marked by holiness, order, and a testimony that reflects the character of God before the world.
Thus the Body shows what the Church is in its nature; the House shows what the Church ought to be in its responsibility. The one emphasizes unity under Christ the Head; the other emphasizes order under God’s authority as His dwelling place.
2. The Unity of the Body
“For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” (1 Cor. 12:12-13)
“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit…” (Eph. 4:1-4)
The first great truth in connection with the Body of Christ is its unity. First Corinthians 12 declares, “As the body is one and hath many members… so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body.” Whether Jew or Gentile, bond or free, every true believer indwelt by the Holy Spirit has been brought into this one Body. This unity was formed once for all when the Spirit of God came down at Pentecost, and from that day forward the Spirit has united all believers together and joined them to Christ the Head. Though Christians today are outwardly divided into many groups and denominations, this truth remains: the Holy Spirit is still uniting all believers into that one Body. It is not the blood of Christ that unites us. His blood redeems and cleanses, but the Spirit of God unites.
Most often the Body is viewed in a present, earthly sense: all believers on earth at any given time united by the Spirit. But Ephesians 1:22-23 presents the Body in its full dispensational scope: all true believers from Pentecost to the rapture forming the Church, which is His Body, “the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.” In every aspect, the truth stands: the Body is one, the members many, and all are joined together in a unity that is heavenly and unbreakable.
3. The Diversity of the Members
“For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? … And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary … That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another…” (1 Cor. 12:14-27)
Yet 1 Corinthians 12 also brings out that the body is not one member, but many. The foot, the hand, the eye, each part is different, and each necessary. Paul reminds us that no member can say, “I do not need you,” because every part of the body depends on the others. We discover this the moment one member is injured. A torn muscle or broken bone affects the whole body; everything hurts, everything compensates, and everything is hindered. So too in the body of Christ: “If one member suffers, all suffer with it; if one is honored, all rejoice.” Every believer has a distinct place and function, and none may think himself too insignificant to matter or too important to need others.
Paul shows that unity and diversity go together. “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit… differences of administrations, but the same Lord.” The Spirit of God distributes differing gifts and capacities to each member, yet works through all to carry out the will of the Head, who is in heaven. The Body of Christ is a living organism, animated and coordinated by one Spirit, expressing the mind of Christ through many members functioning together.
4. Christ the Head of the Body
“And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” (Eph. 1:22-23)
“And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.” (Col. 1:18)
“And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” (Col. 2:19)
Every body must have a head, and the Head of the Church is Christ Himself, risen and glorified in heaven. God “gave Him to be Head over all things to the Church, which is His Body” (Eph. 1:22-23). From the Head flows all nourishment, direction, and wisdom. Colossians 2:19 speaks of the danger of “not holding the Head”, for it is from Him that “all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.” The picture is striking: the nourishment of the Body comes from the Head, and every member is linked to Him by divinely formed joints and bands. All spiritual life and coordination flow from Christ; He alone directs how the Body should move.
To act apart from His direction is to fail to “hold the Head.” Just as in the human body a disorder that makes the limbs move independently of the mind is grievous, so it is a sad thing when believers or assemblies act without reference to the will of Christ. The purpose of the Body on earth is to carry out the thoughts and intentions of its Head, to express His will practically, doing what He directs through the Spirit of God. We have no earthly head, no human hierarchy, no earthly central authority. The Head is in heaven, and all guidance, nourishment, and instruction flow from Christ alone. Our responsibility is to hold the Head, to listen to Him, and to act in obedience to His mind.
5. Ministry and Care within the Body
“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” (Eph. 4:11-16)
The risen Christ, the Head of the Body, has given gifts to His members so that the Body might function and grow. Whether apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, every believer has a role and a gift suited to the work the Lord has for them. The point is not for each one to choose the most glamorous or exciting task, but to be dependent on the Head in heaven and to ask, as Saul did on the Damascus road, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” This is what it means to hold the Head. When each member receives direction from Christ and carries out the work He assigns, the Body functions as it ought.
Ephesians 4 shows how this ministry operates. “Speaking the truth in love,” the saints grow up into Christ the Head, “from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth… maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Every joint supplies; every part works according to the measure the Lord has given. This is how the Body grows, not through organization or human programs, but through love: love to Christ, and love to one another. As each member, in love, does the work God has given him, the Body is built up and increases “unto the edifying of itself in love.”
6. The Expression of the One Body at the Lord’s Supper
“The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” (1 Cor. 10:16-17)
The truth of the Body is given visible expression when the assembly gathers to partake of one loaf at the Lord’s Supper. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 10 brings out this additional aspect of the Lord’s Supper: “For we, being many, are one bread and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.” As often as the saints are able, usually on the first day of the week, the assembly comes together and collectively partakes of one loaf. Partaking of that one loaf sets forth the wonderful truth we have been considering, that though we are many members, we are one Body. When the loaf is broken and each believer takes a piece of it, we are publicly declaring our identification with that one Body of Christ. It is a precious privilege to express in this simple act the unity that God has formed through the Spirit.
The Body and the House. The Body of Christ shows the Church as a living organism, formed by the Holy Spirit and united to its risen Head in heaven. In that one Body there is beautiful diversity, many members, yet all necessary, all valued, all supplied by the Head. In the Body all are real believers, because one cannot be in the body unless they are personally indwelt with the Holy Spirit. But Scripture presents a second figure as well: the House of God. If the Body emphasizes unity and function, the House emphasizes order, holiness, and responsibility, the conduct suited to God’s dwelling place and testimony on earth. In this aspect, profession enters in. We turn now from the Church as the Body of Christ to the Church as the House of God.
Section 4: The House of God
1. The Meaning of the House of God
“These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” (1 Tim. 3:14-15)
If the Body of Christ presents the Church as a living organism united to its Head, the House of God presents it in a different but equally important way: as the sphere where God dwells and where His character is to be displayed. First Timothy 3 speaks directly to this: “That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.” Here the House of God is plainly identified with the Church of God, and the emphasis is on conduct suited to that House.
In this figure the great thoughts are order and testimony. Just as a person’s home reflects on the one who lives there, so the Church on earth reflects upon God whose dwelling place it is. In the Old Testament, the temple was called “the house of the Lord” because His glory filled it and His holiness was made known there. In the same way today, the Church is to reflect God’s nature: His holiness, His righteousness, His grace, His truth. “Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh thine house, O LORD, for ever.” (Psa. 93:5). The way things are carried out in God’s House is not arbitrary; it is meant to show what God is like. Disorder, self-will, or moral laxity in the House of God gives a false testimony of Him before the world. But when things are done in accordance with His Word, the House becomes the “pillar and ground of the truth,” presenting the character of God in a clear and consistent way.
2. The Two Aspects of the House
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. … Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? …” (1 Cor. 3:9-17)
“Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.” (Eph. 2:19-22)
The idea of God having a house is not new. In the Old Testament His dwelling was the tabernacle in the days of Moses, then the temple in the days of Solomon, and in a coming day it will be the millennial temple described by Ezekiel. In every case God gave a pattern:
- To Moses, the design of the tabernacle (Ex. 25:9, 40).
- To David, the pattern of the temple (1 Chron. 28:11 – 12, 19).
- To Ezekiel, the millennial temple (Ezek. 40 – 43).
None were left to invent or arrange things according to their own ideas. God set the pattern, and His house was to be built accordingly.
The same is true today. Ephesians 2 teaches that the Church is now God’s dwelling place: “a habitation of God in the Spirit.” God dwells in this spiritual house, and how that house conducts itself reflects on His character. The pattern for the House of God today has likewise not been left for us to guess. It is given in the Word of God, especially in 1 Corinthians, which presents the collective functioning of God’s House, and 1 Timothy, which gives the instructions for individual conduct within it: “that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God.”
- God’s Side: The Holy Temple in the Lord (Eph. 2:21). “All the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord.” This is the aspect God Himself builds. It is perfect, divine, and progressive, growing until complete when the Lord comes. No failure ever touches what God builds; His work is secure and eternal.
- Man’s Side: The Habitation of God through the Spirit (Eph. 2:22; 1 Cor. 3:9-17). “In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.” Here believers are viewed as builders under responsibility. Paul calls himself “a wise master-builder” in 1 Corinthians 3. The foundation is Christ, but men build on it with varying materials: gold, silver, precious stones, or wood, hay, stubble. In this aspect failure can enter; human work may be careless or fleshly. Unbelievers can make false profession, and enter into the house of God without reality. Yet the foundation remains unshaken, and every man’s work will be tested by fire.
Together these two sides reveal both the unchanging solidity of God’s purpose and the sober responsibility that we have as His House.
3. Order, Holiness, and Testimony in the House
“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. … Let all things be done decently and in order.” (1 Cor. 14:33, 40)
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3 that the Church is God’s House, His dwelling place on earth, and therefore the conduct of that House must reflect His character. The world cannot see God directly, but it can see His House, and what it sees there will shape its thoughts of Him.
The Church is called “the pillar of the truth.” The word pillar here is not so much a structural support as a public witness, like the inscribed pillars placed before important buildings, or even Lot’s wife as a “pillar of salt”, a testimony. The Church is to stand before the world as a witness to the truth of God. It is also called “the ground” or base of the truth: the foundation that gives weight to its testimony. Words mean little unless supported by conduct; our behavior “adorns the doctrine” and gives credibility to the truth we confess. Thus the House of God has everything to do with testimony, both in what we say and in how we live.
4. Administration, Discipline, and Purity in the House
“Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” (2 Tim. 2:19-22)
“For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within?” (1 Cor. 5:12)
Because the House of God represents His character before the world, it must be maintained in holiness and moral purity. Scripture sets this dual truth before us: “The Lord knoweth them that are His” is the comfort of divine sovereignty; yet alongside that comfort comes the solemn charge, “Let every one that nameth the name of the Lord depart from iniquity” (2 Tim. 2:19). God’s firm foundation has a seal with two sides: one of assurance and one of responsibility.
When sin entered the assembly at Corinth, Paul commanded, “Put away from among yourselves that wicked person” (1 Cor. 5). This was not cruelty but faithfulness. Assembly discipline and excommunication will be taken up in another article. However, suffice it to say that the reasons for assembly action against evil are threefold: to reflect God’s holiness, to purge the assembly of evil, and with a view to the restoration of the failing brother.
This leads to an important distinction: assembly administration, such as discipline, binding and loosing, and the exercise of oversight, belongs to the House of God in its local setting, not to the Body of Christ as a whole. Thus matters of reception, discipline, restoration, and the actions taken in obedience to Scripture all fall within the administration of a local assembly gathered to the Lord’s Name. Yet the oneness of the Body of Christ means that the effects of local administration are recognized beyond the locality. When an assembly acts according to the Word of God it is not acting independently but as part of the whole, and the action is acknowledged by other assemblies because there is one Body. Thus administration is local in operation, but its effect is universal.
Second Timothy 2 gives another picture. Paul gives an example of a house in disorder. It does not say “the church has become a great house”. The great house is a figure used to describe what man has done with the Christian profession. The church is still the house of God, the pillar and ground of the truth. It is similar to how Jesus said “My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves” (Luke 19:46). The path forward in the mixture of the “great house” is through sanctification. A believer must “have purified himself from these” through separation. Anything that dishonors the Lord should be separated from. In a day when Christendom outwardly is mixed and confused, the faithful believer is still responsible to “purge himself from these,” departing from iniquity wherever it is found, and to “follow righteousness, faith, love, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” Even when the public state of the House is broken, individual faithfulness in the House remains fully possible. God’s standard of holiness does not change, and the testimony of His House is to reflect His character in truth and righteousness before the world.
Conclusion
These two great figures, the Body of Christ and the House of God, together give us the full scriptural view of the Church. As the Body, we see its unity, its living connection to the Head in heaven, and the ministry carried out through the Spirit working in every member. As the House, we see its order, holiness, responsibility, and the testimony it bears to the character of God before the world. Both aspects belong to Christ, and the Church exists for His glory. In the next article, with the Lord’s help, we will consider how these truths are carried out in practice, looking at the functioning of the local assembly and the practical expressions of these principles.