Calvin on the church:

"Whenever we see the Word of God purely preached and heard, and the sacraments administered according to Christ's institution, there, it is not to be doubted, a church of God exists" (Institutes, IV, 1:9).

Shedd, on the importance of the church:

"Church membership is requisite to obtaining the benefits of the means of grace and sanctification. Some of these benefits cannot be enjoyed at all, outside of the visible church: those namely, connected with the administration of the sacraments, and the fellowship and watch of Christians; and none of them can be enjoyed in their fullness by one who has not separated himself from the world by confessing Christ before men" (Dogmatic Theology, II, 561).

The Doctrine of the Church

Throughout history, God placed emphasis on a "community" of worshipers, and not just individuals detached from others. In fact, the Bible has much to say about this group, called "the body of Christ." The concept goes all the way back to the Old Testament where God dealt with an "assembly" (Deut. 9:10; 18:16). The New Testament elaborates much more about this collective body called out to worship God, now calling it "the church" (Eph. 1:22; 3:21; Col. 1:18). The term "church" originally meant "an assembly called out.' The New Testament uses the term in three ways:

  • A local church (e.g., the church of God at Corinth, 1 Cor. 1:2, or Ephesus, Rev. 2:1).
  • The visible church, spread out in different locales (e.g., churches in Judea or Galatia, Gal. 1:22; 1 Thess. 2:14; 1 Cor. 16:1).
  • The one universal church, invisible to man but known to God (Eph. 1:22; 5:25).

What is a church?

A church is a body of believers called out of the world to worship God, proclaim His Word, administer the sacraments (or "ordinances"), and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Acts 20:28; 2 Thess. 2:15; 1 Cor. 11:23-30; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20; 1 Tim. 4:13).

Although instituted by God, the church does not possess authority over the state. The church does not influence others by legislative action or by force of arms, but through spiritual influence such as proclaiming His word and obeying Him.

Church Government

The Catholic Church features a large, hierarchical government complete with a pope, a College of Cardinals, archbishops and bishops, and a priesthood. The Bible does not support this form of government which arose more from political expediency than sober reflection on biblical texts.

Three forms of Protestant government:

  • Episcopal (Church of England, Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox, Episcopalian, and United Methodist Church).

    • The episcopal government calls for different classes of officers such as archbishops, bishops, rectors and priests. They often attempt to trace their priestly succession all the way back to apostolic times.

  • Presbyterian.

    • The Presbyterian, or "elder," form of government rules the church through their elder representatives. They claim a long history dating back to the days of Moses and the "elders of Israel" (Exod. 3:16; 17:5-6; Lev. 4:15). The New Testament mentions elders in many places (see Acts 14:23; Tit. 1:5; Acts 11:30; 15:2; James 5:14). Furthermore, these same elders carry a degree of authority and oversight and, in fact, can be called the ruling body of the church (1 Tim. 5:17; Acts 20:28).

  • Congregational (found in Baptist, independent, and congregational churches, among others).

    • Advocates of congregational rule also claim a long heritage and, at least in general terms, try to trace their origins back to New Testament times. This form of government does receive some biblical support (see, for example, Matt. 18:15-17).

Bibletruth sees some room for a degree of flexibility in how a church chooses to govern itself, as long as it has strong elder representation. The Bible is more concerned that churches obey the explicit commands to worship God, obey His Word, teach the saints and proclaim His Word throughout the earth.

The Ordinances of the Church (called "sacraments" in some places)

Baptism

In baptism, the child of God is immersed in water to identify with Jesus Christ, to publicly his or her faith, and to acknowledge death to the old life and a resurrection to new life in Christ Jesus. The subject is to be completely immersed in water (see John 3:23; Matt. 3:16). The Greek term for baptism, baptizo, means quite literally "to immerse." Baptism does not contribute to one's salvation, nor should the church baptise infants.

The Lord's Supper

The other ordinance to be practiced by the New Testament church is the Lord's Supper. It was instituted by Christ Himself (Matt. 26:26-29) and practiced by the early church (1 Cor. 11:23-34).Like baptism, this ordinance does not carry any saving merits at all, but instead reminds us to recall Christ's death, enjoy a present fellowship with Christ and one another, and to anticipate His coming kingdom. The Catholic Church errs when it argues for the real and physical presense of Christ in the Lord's Supper, something called transubstantiation. Lutherans teach something similar, called consubstantiation, where the physical body is "in, with, and under" the bread and wine. A third view, called the memorial or Zwinglian view, sees the Lord's Supper only as a remembrance. But John Calvin correctly taught that the Supper was more than a memorial, because Christ is present in the Supper spiritually. Only then do we "participate" in His body and blood.