Church is both a people of God and the building where they worshipA church is more than a building with a steeple. When Christians speak of the “church,” they refer to both people and a building. If that isn’t complicated enough, there are two different types: the visible or local and the invisible or universal church. The visible one refers to the buildings and their members. The invisible or universal one relates to all believers everywhere, no matter what local body they attend.

A Covenantal Bridge

All true believers belong to the invisible church, but the same cannot be said about members of the visible one, which is why some churches fall short of Christ’s expectations. Only God knows who is a genuine believer. Regardless, its role is worship, edification, and evangelism. When we speak of “going to church,” we talk about the local assembly of believers.

That concept refers to a derivative of a Greek word in the Old Testament, translated as “the house of the Lord.” The Septuagint, LXX, a Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, refers to Israelites gathering for religious purposes. Later, it was used for those who gathered secretly to worship the Lord to avoid persecution. Church, as a gathering of God-worshippers, remains a visual bridge between the old and new covenants. 

In the New Testament, a different Greek word, ἐκκλησίᾳ (ekklesia), is translated as church. In Jesus’ time, one of five variations of ekklesia was used to describe people assembled in response to a herald’s summons—essentially a public gathering at the direction of an official. That is appropriate.

The Head of the Church

Jesus is the head of the church (Colossians1:18). He gave himself for it (Ephesians 5:25).  And he expects us to worship as a body (Hebrews 10:25). A form of ekklesia appears 114 times in the New Testament. It only appears in the gospels twice, both times in Matthew. The first time is during a conversation between Jesus and the apostle Peter. “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” (Matthew 16:18 | NIV).

A close reading of the New Testament reveals that the church is the supernatural family of God created by the Holy Spirit, which works together to expand the Kingdom of God under Christ’s leadership. As with any family, there will be disagreements over non-essential issues (doctrine) but total agreement on the essentials. Soon, that won’t matter.

When Jesus returns, the universal, invisible church will consist of one people worshipping at God’s throne. Petty differences will have been forgotten. Whether we use it to describe believers or a building, the church is a testament to God’s people’s desire to worship him corporately.