Understanding “Church”
The concept of church is vague in common usage but not so in the Bible. The word is poorly used of buildings, of Sunday meetings, as a foil for “state”, etc. It has been confused with governments, with social agencies, with armies, with power, with corruption, and with mandatory attendance at boring meetings.
The Term church is actually the translation of the Greek ekklesia, which means literally, an assembly of people called together. The church is also spoken of in the Bible as: the body of Christ, people of God, family of God, congregation, flock, spiritual building, temple of the Holy Spirit, and the bride of Christ. All the uses are about the people, not the buildings, organization, or tasks.
The Universal Church is the name used to describe the great invisible assembly on the spiritual plane. This is made up of all genuine believers regardless of place, nationality, age, gender, denomination, etc. This is the meaning of “Catholic” in old confessions of faith. Whoever is in Christ via the Holy Spirit’s indwelling is part of the universal or invisible church.
The Local Church is made up of those living in a given area who have come together in mutual commitment to visibly manifest the spiritual realities of the universal or invisible church. These are communities of Christians from all age groups, gifts, and backgrounds, whose only unifying feature is their relationship to Christ, the nuclear family of the church world. The purpose of any local church is to help each other to know Christ and to make him known!
Denominations, such as Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal, Foursquare, Calvary Chapels, etc. are fellowships of local churches banded together on a national or worldwide level for strength and mission. They are often built around certain issues, beliefs, or church practices. Sometimes the denomination was the result of a conflict in the past and sometimes it is the result of a practical need in new churches, as in mission situations.
Community Churches (like OICC) are local churches that have chosen to remain independent from denominations, but are not always that different from some of them. Community churches tend to stress doctrinal statements, church membership, and the local board for staying on track, given the diversity of backgrounds.
Parachurch organizations (literal meaning– “along-side the church”) are organizations made up of individual Christians with a certain task or type of ministry in mind. Mission agencies, Christian colleges, seminaries, youth organizations, Christian publishers, and media ministries are all examples of parachurch organizations. In these, the program (task) is primary but individuals fit in, while in the local church, the people are permanent and the programming is secondary.
There is no disembodied Jesus in the Bible so the Body of Christ (the church) matters, but the key to entry is a relationship with Jesus the person, who is larger than his body. How do you stand with both?
OICC Elders
