QUESTION: What is the church according to the Bible? I'm confused by the use of the word "church" as it is used today. It seems so different from how the Bible speaks of it.

ANSWER: The Bible's usage of the word "church" is different from the accepted use today. Usually when a person speaks of "my church" or "a church" he is speaking of a particular denomination or a building that is used for religious services.

The Bible uses the word "church" almost exclusively to describe a company of believers. Actually, the word "church" s a translation of the Greek word "ekklesia" which means a "called-out company." Through common usage the word came to mean "a gathering" or "an assembly." It was used by the Greeks to describe any gathering which had a common object.

Three ways in which the Bible uses the word "church" are:

1. To describe a group of believers or saints in a specific area. This is often called the local church. An example of this is found in 1 Cor. 1:2 where Paul addresses his epistle "unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called saints." It is quite clear that the word is used to describe believers who lived in Corinth. This may be noticed also in many of the other epistles. In Rom. 16:5 we read "Likewise greet the church that is in their house." See also 1 Cor. 16:19. Here we find that the church or company of believers met in a home.

2. To describe all believers everywhere from the beginning of the church at Pentecost until the completion of the church at the rapture. An example of this is found in Eph. 5:25 where we read, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it." See also Matt. 16:18. 

3. To describe groups of believers in a large area. An example of this is found in Gal. 1:2 where we read "unto the churches of Galatia." See 1 Cor. 16:19.

In addition to these uses it is also used to describe Israel and a heathen mob. See Acts 7:38; Acts 19:32,39,41.

From these Scriptures we can see how far we have departed from the Biblical use and meaning of the word "church." It is interesting to notice in this connection that the only names given to Christians in the Bible were names that were common to all Christians such as believers, saints, disciples and Christians. Some were called Corinthian believers and some were called Ephesian believers, etc. but this was only to distinguish where they lived. As we see this truth from the Bible should we not attempt to get back to gathering once again simply as believers and be known as the church or assembly of saints in the particular city where we live?

—John D. McNeil