Ecclesiology

Ecclesiology is the study or doctrine of the Church. Its origins are derived from the Greek word “ἐκκλησία” (ekklesia), which meant a gathered or summoned assembly. The usus loquendi of this word is “ones who are called out.” This word quickly took root in the 1st century A.D. to describe the followers of Jesus Christ.

The Church is often described as the ”Body” of Christ (Rom 12:4-5; 1 Cor 10: 16-17, 12:12-13, 25-27; Eph 4:4, 15-16, 5:23, 29-30; Col 1:18, 24, 2:19, 3:15 and so many more). This body of believers includes any person who is saved: past, present, and future.

The Church has many roles defined within the New Testament through commands given individually as well as corporately. The interpretations of these roles and their modern applications will be discussed in much greater detail in subsequent posts to this page. The Church also has standards and conduct by which to live and operate, which will be discussed on the page titled “Christian Conduct.”

There is also much to be said about the differences between “The” Church and “A” church. The former is universal, invisible, and often used in a figurative or generalized sense. The latter is local, visible, and often used in a physical or temporal sense. This too will be discussed in detail at a later time.

Both of these examples of the Body of Christ serve distinct and invaluable functions, which appear endless. In general “The Church” serves God in spirit and in service to our neighbors while “A church” is the tangible and observable manifestation of this worship.

A local church is where the universal church tends to meet on a regular basis, although gatherings are certainly not limited to the church building. The building, useless by itself, is a hub or headquarters of sorts for fellowship gatherings, learning, growth, exhortation, preaching, community outreach, launching missions and other faith works, and numerous other functions.

However, the doctrine of the Church doesn’t end there. There is a rich history of precedent, tradition, interpretation, application, and commands & observances upon which our church today is predicated. Here we will discuss all of these things so check back often for updates.