The Church
JUST AS CHRIST HAS ONLY ONE BODY, THERE IS ONLY ONE CHURCH
THIS "UNIVERSAL" CHURCH IS MADE UP OF ALL BELIEVERS
Rom 7:4 So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.
Rom 12:4-5 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
1 Cor 10:16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ?
1 Cor 12:27 Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
Eph 4:12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
The word "catholic" means "universal"
The Church is the body of Christ, of which, Christ is the head.
Christ has only one body with many members. These members have different functions.
REFERENCES TO THE UNIVERSAL CHURCH
Mat 16:18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Acts 5:11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
Acts 8:3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.
Acts 9:31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.
Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
1 Cor 5:12 What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside?
1 Cor 10:32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
1 Cor 11:22 Don't you have homes to eat and drink in? Or do you despise the church of God and humiliate those who have nothing? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you for this? Certainly not!
1 Cor 12:28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
1 Cor 14:4 He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
1 Cor 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. He who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless he interprets, so that the church may be edified.
1 Cor 14:12 So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.
1 Cor 14:19 But in the church I would rather speak five intelligible words to instruct others than ten thousand words in a tongue.
1 Cor 14:23 So if the whole church comes together and everyone speaks in tongues, and some who do not understand or some unbelievers come in, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
1 Cor 14:26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.
1 Cor 14:28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.
1 Cor 14:35 If they want to inquire about something, they should ask their own husbands at home; for it is disgraceful for a woman to speak in the church.
1 Cor 15:9 For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
Gal 1:13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
Eph 1:22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
Eph 3:10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,
Eph 3:21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Eph 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.
Eph 5:24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
Eph 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her
Eph 5:27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Eph 5:29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church--
Eph 5:32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Phil 3:6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.
Col 1:18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Col 1:24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.
1 Tim 3:5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
1 Tim 3:15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
Heb 12:23 to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect,
3 John 1:10 So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church.
The Local Church
EXAMPLES OF LOCAL CHURCHES
Mat 18:17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
Acts 8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
Acts 11:22 News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
Acts 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.
Acts 13:1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
Acts 14:23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
Acts 14:27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Acts 15:3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the brothers very glad.
Acts 15:4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.
Acts 15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, two men who were leaders among the brothers.
Acts 15:30 The men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter.
Acts 18:22 When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church and then went down to Antioch.
Acts 20:17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
Rom 16:1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
Rom 16:5 Greet also the church that meets at their house. Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in the province of Asia.
Rom 16:23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
1 Cor 1:2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours:
1 Cor 4:17 For this reason I am sending to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.
1 Cor 6:4 Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, appoint as judges even men of little account in the church!
1 Cor 11:18 In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it.
1 Cor 16:19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.
2 Cor 1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
Phil 4:15 Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only;
Col 4:15 Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.
Col 4:16 After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.
1 Th 1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 Th 1:1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:
1 Tim 5:16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
1 Tim 5:17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
Phile 1:2 to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
James 5:14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.
3 John 1:6 They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God.
3 John 1:9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us.
Rev 2:1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
Rev 2:8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
Rev 2:12 "To the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp, double-edged sword.
Rev 2:18 "To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.
Rev 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Rev 3:7 "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
Rev 3:14 "To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation.
The Local Church is the practical expression of the body of Christ. In the early Church, there were no denominations. There was only one Church in each Locality. In other words: one city, one Church.The basis for coming together in the early Church was locality. Christians tended to meet with other Christians in the same locality.
As we see from the seven Churches in revelation, each church was different. Each church had it's own Spirit. The Spirit of a church is an expression of the Spirit of God. There were seven Churches and so there were seven Spirits of God which were sent out into all the earth.
Today, locality is not the only basis by which Christians come together. Christians with similar beliefs and even racial origins tend to congregate together and form denominations. Nevertheless, each of these congregations are a manifestation of God and have a unique Spirit.
The Bible says that there is no longer Jew nor Greek, male nor female for we are all one in Christ Jesus.
Christians need to meet together in order to expand their view of God. If we only meet with people who are like minded, we may not grow as much. We come to know the depth and breadth, height and width of God's love by fellowshipping with all the saints.
LOCAL CHURCHES CAN DIFFER FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHERNOW DAYS, ONE PLACE MAY HAVE SEVERAL DENOMINATIONS
YET THEY ARE ALL PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
EACH ONE HAS A DIFFERENT FUNCTION
THEY HAVE THEIR OWN IDENTITY AND THEIR OWN SPIRIT
EACH CHURCH IS A UNIQUE EXPRESSION OF GOD ON THE EARTH
THE SPIRIT OF A CHURCH IS AN EXPRESSION OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
TRUTH AND DOCTRINE SHOULD NOT DIFFER FROM CHURCH TO CHURCH
BUT CHURCHES CAN DIFFER IN THEIR CALLING, EMPHASIS, STYLE OF WORSHIP, TYPES OF SERVICE, FORMALITY
IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR A SINGLE CHURCH TO MANIFEST EVERY ASPECT OF GOD FULLY AS GOD IS TOO BIG
JUST AS THERE ARE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD AND SEVEN CHURCHES
THERE ARE MANY SPIRITS OF GOD THAT HAVE BEEN SENT OUT INTO THE WORLD
THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE THE SAME
1Cor 11:17-19 In the following directives I have no praise for you, for your meetings do more harm than good. In the first place, I hear that when you come together as a church, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. No doubt there have to be differences among you to show which of you have God's approval.
THE SEVEN CHURCHES
Rev 1:4 John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne,
Rev 1:11 which said: "Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea."
Rev 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
THE SEVEN SPIRITS OF GOD
Rev 3:1 "To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
Rev 4:5 From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. Before the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God.
Rev 5:6 Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.
The seven spirits of God are the seven churches. These seven churches are parts of the body of Christ yet they are unique.
They may exemplify the fingers and eyes of God Spreading out into the Earth but they also help us to understand where "denominations" fit in to God's plan.
Just as there will be Overcomers in each of the Seven Churches, there will be Overcomers in each denomination. No denomination can claim that they exclusively are 'The Body of Christ'.
Each Church or Denomination is a part of the Body of Christ and the world will know it by the way that that part treats the other parts.
THE SPIRIT OF GOD
Gen 1:2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Gen 41:38 So Pharaoh asked them, "Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?"
Exo 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--
Exo 35:31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts--
Num 24:2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came upon him
1 Sam 10:10 When they arrived at Gibeah, a procession of prophets met him; the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he joined in their prophesying.
1 Sam 11:6 When Saul heard their words, the Spirit of God came upon him in power, and he burned with anger.
1 Sam 19:20 so he sent men to capture him. But when they saw a group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel standing there as their leader, the Spirit of God came upon Saul's men and they also prophesied.
1 Sam 19:23 So Saul went to Naioth at Ramah. But the Spirit of God came even upon him, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth.
2 Chr 15:1 The Spirit of God came upon Azariah son of Oded.
2 Chr 24:20 Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood before the people and said, "This is what God says: 'Why do you disobey the Lord's commands? You will not prosper. Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you.'"
Job 33:4 The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
Psa 106:33 for they rebelled against the Spirit of God, and rash words came from Moses' lips.
Ezek 11:24 The Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went up from me,
Mat 3:16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him.
Mat 12:28 But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Rom 8:9 You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.
Rom 8:14 because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.
1 Cor 2:11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man's spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.
1 Cor 2:14 The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Cor 7:40 In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is--and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.
1 Cor 12:3 Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, "Jesus be cursed," and no one can say, "Jesus is Lord," except by the Holy Spirit.
Eph 4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
Phil 3:3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh--
1 John 4:2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God,
