CHURCH
The term church (Greek, ekklesia) is used throughout the NT for the new community of believers in Jesus Christ that together with Israel and believing Gentiles of the OT forms the "people of God." The term is used both for a local community of believers (e.g., 1 Corinthians 1:2) and also for all believers viewed as a corporate fellowship of the people of God (e.g., Ephesians 1:22-23). Numerous metaphors are used to describe the church, with the most prominent being the Body of Christ. In this picture as well as the total NT teaching, the emphasis is on the spiritual union of the members of the church with Christ the Lord of the church and with each other.
identity and nature of
• Matthew 16:16; John 10:16; 15:1-6; Acts 2:47; Romans 9:25-26, 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, 16-17; 12:12-13; Galatians 3:26-28; 4:26; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:14-16, 19-22; 3:4-10; 4:15-16; 5:23-27; Colossians 1:18; 2:19; 1 Timothy 3:14-15; Hebrews 12:22-23; 1 Peter 2:4-5
government of
• Matthew 18:18; John 20:22-23; Acts 6:1-6; 15:1-22; 11:30; 20:17, 28; 14:21-23; 2 Corinthians 11:28; Philippians 1:1; I Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; 4:14; Titus 1:6-9; Hebrews 13:7; James 5:14
leadership of:
♦ servant nature of:
♦ headship of Christ:
office of elder (bishop, shepherd or pastor, see application of terms in verses under identity and nature of)
♦ identity
♦ plurality of
♦ qualifications
functions
♦ administrative
♦ pastoral
♦ instructing
office of deacon, deaconess
♦ possible origin
♦ qualifications
♦ examples of
♦ church discipline
• Matthew 18:15-20; Romans 16:17-18; 1 Corinthians 5:5, 9-13; 2 Corinthians 2:6-7; Galatians 6:1; I Thessalonians 5:12-14; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Timothy 5:20; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 3:10
♦ mission of
• Matthew 5:13-16; 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:45-49; John 20:21-22; Acts 1:7-8; Romans 11:11-15; 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 16:1-3; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 3:10; 4:11-13, 16; Philippians 2:15; I Thessalonians 5:11; 1 Timothy 5:3-4, 16; 2 Timothy 4:2; Titus 3:14; Hebrews 13:1-3, 16; James 1:27; 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:12; 4:9-10; 1 John 3:16-18
This topic is from the Lockman Foundation.