There are as many views of what the church is today as there are people. For some, the church is a historical building. For others, it’s a place the community gathers for weddings, funerals and potlucks. For others, it’s a hub of volunteer activity. Some people see it as a religious service provider where they can get their spiritual boost for the week – a little bit like a movie theatre highlighting Christians topics. But how did Jesus think about the church? You may be surprised to learn that the word, “church,” only appears three times in the gospels. But what it teaches about Jesus’ vision for the church is profound and is at odds with how we typically understand it.
1. The church is a community of Jesus’ people.
The word, “church” appears 114 times in the New Testament but only once in Matthew 16:18 and twice in Matthew 18:17. That’s because the church wasn’t established until Jesus’ ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The word translated as church is “ekklesia,” a common Greek word for an assembly or gathering of people for political, social or religious reasons. But first-century Jews would know it best as the word that was used for the assembly of God’s people in the Greek translation of the Old Testament. There it’s often translated as “the assembly” or “the assembly of the LORD.” Dramatically, Jesus calls it, “my church,” in Matthew 16:18. He makes it clear that the assembly of God’s people will now be uniquely His. As Paul would later say, “[Jesus] is the head of the body, the church” (Colossians 1:18). So, the church is a community of Jesus’ people.
2. The church is a community of people who rightly profess faith in Jesus.
Since Jesus only uses the word “church” on two occasions, there was probably something significant about those occasions that made it important enough for Him to bring it up. The first instance is in Matthew 16 where Jesus asks His disciples who people say He is. There are lots of rumours and ideas floating around about His identity. But Jesus wants to know what conclusion the disciples have drawn. In v. 16, He asks them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter is often a spokesperson for the group and this is no exception. He answers, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus responds by not only affirming Peter’s answer but by declaring that He will build His church “on this rock” (v. 18). A right confession of Jesus Christ is what defines Christ’s church. After Peter makes this right confession, Jesus gives him the authority to do with others what Jesus just did with him. When Jesus gives Peter the “keys of the kingdom” it’s a recognition that he, and the church that Jesus will establish, will have the authority to ensure that only people who rightly understand and are rightly related to Jesus will make up His people. That’s why churches have historically asked people to describe their conversion and sign a statement of faith before joining.
3. The church is a community of people who submit to the community’s authority.
The second occasion where Jesus uses the word, “church,” occurs in Matthew 18:15-20. Here, it’s in the context of a believer sinning against another believer. The person who was hurt is to first privately seek the other’s repentance (v. 15). If it can’t be resolved, then one or two others are to be included in the process (v. 16). If there’s still no resolution, as a last resort, the issue is to be brought to the church (v. 17). Interestingly, a phrase that was used in Matthew 16 is used again here verbatim, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven” (v. 18). It’s a statement of the authority that Jesus invests in the church. In the same way that the church has the authority to protect itself against wrong belief, it also has the responsibility to protect itself against wrong actions. This accountability is to be exercised in grace and love as the next passage about forgiveness demonstrates (Matthew 18:21-35). And, so, a church that doesn’t act in grace isn’t worthy of your involvement. But if you see enough grace to attend a church, there’s enough grace for you to join it. None of us can afford to try and live the Christian life without the accountability that the church provides.
Do you see the church the same way that Jesus does? It’s His church, and so it’s His view of the church that should matter to us. He’s given authority to the church to protect its beliefs and its integrity before a watching world. The world might see the church as just a building or a community centre. People who don’t know Jesus might see it as just a place to come for a spiritual boost or to celebrate religious holidays. But Jesus’ followers are joiners not just attenders. They see the church as a family of believers who have committed to one another and live under His authority.
In awe of Him,
Paul
