Church

Church
I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you these things in the churches; I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. Revelation 22:16
The English word ‘church’ is derived from the Greek adjective kyriakos which means a Christian place of worship. The Greek word for ‘church’ in the New Testament, however, is ekklesia which mostly means a local congregation of Christians and never a building

Ekklesia is never used to describe a group of churches, but has its emphasis on the local church. Locality is essential to its character. While there might be as many churches as were cities or even households, yet the New Testament recognised only one ekklesia without finding it necessary to explain relationship between the one and the many. The Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England are contradictions of the New Testament word ekklesia.

The Jerusalem church, which included the twelve apostles, had been the guiding light in matters of faith and practice amongst the Gentile believers (Acts 15:20, Acts 21: 21-25). After the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 66 and the dispersion of the Jerusalem church, Antioch and not Jerusalem became the model for the local church. It was at Antioch that believers were first called ‘Christians’ (Christ-men) by their Gentile neighbours (Acts 11:26).

Through the preaching of men like Paul and Barnabas, local churches were established throughout the region. Elders from amongst the believers were appointed to oversee the needs of the local church. The main structure of the local church consisted in the gathered worship of believers, preaching and teaching, church discipline, the sacraments of the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

There is no warrant whatsoever for Archbishops or Archdeacons according to the teachings of the New Testament. The Church is built on Jesus Christ, the Prophets, and the Apostles (Ephesians 2:20) and their authority alone. Elders within the local church are to convey this authority through preaching and teaching (Colossians 1:28), godly example (1 Peter 5:1-3), and the exercise of discipline (Matthew 18:15-19).

Lastly, the local church should reflect the completed and redeemed church in heaven, the gathered ekklesia of God’s people where Christ dwells in the midst of them (Matthew 18:20). The local church is a kind of firstfruits of that eschatological Ekklesia.