I read this term over and over here and I am not familiar with the church.
If you are in a Catholic mass then the church refers to Catholicism
If you are in a Baptist....... and on and on
So there is no the church as far as I know as there are many churches
The "church" is the body of Christ, the people make up the "church".
But the "church" from the beginning had an organization started by Jesus himself.
1 Corinthians 12:28 King James Version (KJV)
28 And God hath set some in the church,
first apostles,
secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
Jesus ordained his 12 apostles and set them in the church to grow and administer the church.
They became the foundation of the first church of Jesus Christ, along with Jesus as chief cornerstone:
Ephesians 2:19-22 King James Version (KJV)
19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are built upon the
foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
21 In whom all the
building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.
Paul fashions the church like building fitly framed together with a foundation of apostles and prophets and Jesus.
The final scripture I will give you is why Jesus set apostles and prophets and other in his church:
Ephesians 4:11-14 King James Version (KJV)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
It looks like the true church of Jesus need apostles and prophets and other to:
1) perfect the saints
2) the work of the ministry
3) edify the body of Christ (keep the people of the church edifyed)
How long does Jesus want this organization to exist:
1) until we come in the unity of the faith
2) until we come to a full knowledge of the Son of God
3) until we know the full measure of the stature of fullness of Christ
What will happen if we lose the organization:
1) we will become like children
2) tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine
3) be decieved by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive
So we need to look for a church that has the same organiztion that existed in the first century "church" of Jesus Christ.
I have more about the first century church and if you would like to discuss it further, let me know.
