What is Church?

 Hi Everyone!


Let me start off by saying that when I said I would blog less, I did not realize it would be this much less. That being said, this subject has been on my heart for some months now, but I have not been able to get a blog written. So, without further ado, let's discuss: What is the Church?

As I travel, I hear this word thrown around constantly, and in different phrases. My Church, a church, The Church, Church. Most of these references all carry a variety of perspectives of what the church is. I think my favorite is " Bible Churches," all of whom imply their pastor is better at utilizing Scripture than the pastors who don't have bible in their church name. All of which I have yet to be impressed with  when comparing the fruit of their congregations to the pastors that feel that using the wording of church is implication enough that the bible is used. I haven't noticed a huge difference in the quality produced on either side of the church naming or perspective. Some view church as a group in a home, others under a tree. Some believe only a 501(c)3 with a specific denomination and a large building is a church. Some may believe it is only available in certain languages and cultures. You may ask why I'm pointing this out, and the reason is simple, this example shows that there are many views of Church. I think I can show you quite easily that there are only two biblical concepts of church. Both are quite broad.

The "Big C":

The big C, or Church, is a Macro reference to the church; it essentially means God's Kingdom. It exists outside a singular firm or organization. Sometimes we struggle to differentiate these references and get confused when reading scripture. Malachi 3:10, often used to coerce people to tithe to a local church, is one that I am told by those who have education in Hebraic is a big-C reference, not a little-c. Why is that important? It no longer makes it an argument for tithing to your local church. This can give an idea of the effort, education, or even integrity of the minister you are hearing.

A Big C reference that is not misconstrued very often, to my knowledge, is Eph 5:25-27, where Husbands are told to lay down their lives for their wives as Christ laid down his life for the Church. There are many more verses but I just want to give a couple to show that there is a concept of Church that is a broad spiritual family.

The "Little c":

Little c comes from the translated word ecclesia; it means the called-out assembly. Hebrews 10:25 is a common ecclesia reference.  Little c wasn't defined by geography in the early church; Paul's Church references are by city because the believers gathered in an underground network. Elders were often over the city, and in Ephesians 4, the five-fold ministries- Pastor, Evangelist, Prophet, Apostle, and Teacher were the general structure, and deacons also did ministry associated with great boldness in 1 Tim 3:8-13.

The Ecclesia, or little c, is mostly defined by its commitment to contributing to the health and expansion of the Big C, the Kingdom of God. When we look at the gospel according to Paul in Galatians 3, we see that the gospel message involves the commitment to make Christ known among all the nations, and that receiving the spirit of God through the death, burial, and resurrection was the greatest emphasis, even more than heaven. In Galatians 1 Paul says any other " gospel" other than what he preaches is accursed. This is crucial to understand because there is no Big C or Little C that doesn't have the gospel central to its existence.

To Simplify:

Big C Church is God's kingdom it is a Macro concept that is the Bride of Christ and the Body of Christ.

Little c is the church as ecclesia, the called out assembly, united by the gospel and filled with the Holy Spirit bringing with it the culture of God's kingdom replacing the sin culture in a society, also known as holistic transformation. It prioritizes the maintenance and spread of God's Kingdom Globally and Locally. while Pastors are a crucial part of the structure they are not the only part of the structure or the primary part of the structure.  Little c church can be a building but can also not be a building. In its truest sense the little c church is a gathering of believers pursuing The benefit of the Big C Church and seeing the little c church blessed in the process.


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