Doctrine of the Week - The Church

The doctrine of the week for this Sunday is the church. The Greek word ekklesia, translated church in the

English Bible, means congregation. So church means congregation or a called out assembly.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 16, Jesus says to Peter, and on this rock

I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

That is to say those who are part of the church of Jesus Christ, death shall not prevail since God has given his people eternal life.

Now according to the scriptures, the church is the body of Christ on earth.

And while the church singular is made up of all believers worldwide,

God has clearly ordained the establishment of local churches, that is churches plural.

Every believer so much as they are able should be a part or a member of a local church.

Water baptism being the symbol of the spiritual baptism by which one enters in.

That would be according to 1 Corinthians 12, 12 through 14. Also according to 1

Timothy chapter 3, along with Philippians chapter 1 verse 1, there are only two offices in a local church.

The office of bishop, or as we call them pastors, the office of bishop, and the office of deacon.

And finally as a side note, during the Protestant Reformation, the reformers identified three marks of a true church.

That is number one, the gospel is preached. Number two, the ordinances are administered, that is the

Lord's Supper and baptism. And finally number three, church discipline is practice.