The document discusses what the New Testament teaches about the church. It makes three main points: 1. God's church is universal, consisting of all believers in Jesus Christ throughout the world and throughout time. The church is not an organization but refers to people - all those who have been "called out" by God through faith in Jesus. 2. The church can also be thought of locally as all the believers within a certain geographical area, such as a city. However, it is not a denomination or religious institution but simply all Christians within that location. 3. There should be no divisions or separations between Christians. While believers can fellowship in different groups, the New Testament teaches unity among all those

1. The Church
The body of Christ.
What does the New Testament teach about
the church?
JanEgil Gulbrandsen – 2015
gulbrandsen@islandnet.com
Updated
March
2015

2. 1.

3. • For as the body is one, and hath many
members, and all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body: so also is
Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized
into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles,
whether we be bond or free; and have been all
made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is
not one member, but many.
1 Corinthians 12:12-14

4. Who (or what) is the church?
Our modern use of the word “church” is
rooted in the new testament Greek
word EKKLESIA ( Strong’s no. 1577)
It means “the called out one’s”)

5. These “called out one’s” are
the people of God – the believers in
Jesus Christ – his “born again”
family, that have existed for almost
2000 years and that live and have
lived all over the world.

6. His Church – his body - his people,
are always people – human beings
(only)
This is the universal church.

7. God’s only church.
The universal church.
(…and we are not talking about any denomination or organisation
that call themselves: the universal church or the Catholic church)

9. The church – His church,
is never:
an organisation,
an institution,
a denomination,
a corporation
or a building.

10. His church is always people!

11. Jesus say’s:
I will build my Church! (Matt.16:18)
Did you get that?
It is Jesus himself that is building his
church – by revealing himself to man,
leading man into faith in himself and
adding him to “his body.”

12. • There is one body and one Spirit, just as you
were called in one hope of your calling."
(Eph. 4:4).
• Just as surely as there is one Spirit, one hope,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God,
there is one body.
• Other passages clearly say the same thing (Rom.
12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14, 20; Eph. 2:16; Col. 3:15).
• So there can be no doubt that the NT teaches
that there is one body, and this one body is
identified as Christ's church. (Eph. 1:22-23; Col.
1:18, 24).

13. Don’t get “His church” confused
with man’s church – the pastor’s
church – our church – our
denomination or our church building
on the corner of “second and fifth”.
All these are man made entities
only.

14. Yes – these “entities” have most
often many from “His church” as
members.
But they are in themselves – as an
institution or denomination -
not
a part of “His church”.

15. Warning:
As soon as you hear a pastor talking
about his church or his staff and
how he is building his church,
you know that is exactly what it is:
Man’s church.

16. First conclusion:
God’s church is universal.

17. 2.

18. “His Church”
can also be local.
But not in the sense most people
think…
Let me explain:

19. “And great fear came upon
“all the church” – as many as heard
all these things (Acts 5:11)
The story tells us about “in this city” “all the church” etc.
In other words:
The church can also be LOCAL –
But it must include “all the church” – all the believers
in a geographical area.

20. Paul and John writes many times
“to the church” in a geographical
area - like
the church in Corinth, Ephesus,
Smyrna, Philadelphia and other.
The point here is these churches
included all the believers in these
cities (geographical areas)

21. Another example - Acts 8:1
“On that day a great persecution
broke out against
the church in Jerusalem”
Again: The scriptures are talking about
all the believers in a geographical area –
this time in Jerusalem.
It is not talking about organisations,
denominations or buildings. These are
not “the church.”

22. God’s only church.
The universal church.
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church
All the
believers
in a city
= The local
church

23. God’s only church.
The universal church.
Diff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or town Diff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or town
Diff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or town
Diff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or townDiff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or town
Diff.
Faith groups /
denominations
In a city or town
The church of God – “His church” – “His body” –
is not made up of different specialty groups or denomination

24. Second conclusion:
His Church is also local –
but only as “all believers” in a city or
geographical area, and never as a
“special interest group”
(denomination).

25. 3.

26. • 1 Corinthians 1:10-13:
• "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our
Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye
be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in
the same judgement. For it hath been declared unto
me of you, my brethren, by them of Chloe, that there
are contentions among you. Now this I say, that every
one of you saith, I am of Paul; and I of Apollos; and I
of Cephas; and I of Christ. Is Christ divided? was Paul
crucified for you? or were ye baptized in the name of
Paul?"

27. The scriptures teaches clearly that
there should be
no division among us

28. And that is exactly what the
different denomination represent –
division and separation.
Shameful!
That is what happens when mans will
and preference is set above Jesus’
command.

29. As believers in the same Christ – and
therefore children of the same God
– brothers and sisters in Jesus,
we need to acknowledge our family
relation and unity by showing the
world – at least a few times a year,
that we stand together as one”
How about all Christians in Victoria
getting together on Good Friday at
Memorial Arena?

30. All the “institutional churches” –
denominations and special interest
groups, should stop calling
themselves “churches”
which they are not,
and call themselves what they really
are: Assemblies, fellowships or
(special interest) groups.
Yes - it is still OK to hang out with
people (family members) you enjoy
most to worship together with…

31. But for God’s sake:
Let’s try to bring together
“the true church”
a few times a year as the scriptures
demand…
And don’t let some pastors fear of
“church” jumping and falling revenue
keep the body separated..

32. “May the true church
wake up
and
step up
and do the will of our Lord”

33. Don’t ask: What church do you
go to…
There is only one church!
But you can ask: Who do you
fellowship with or what assembly do
you attend ?
Remember: Even when you are
alone, you are a limb on the body of
Christ!

34. 3.

35. • No person may offer anything different from what has
already been written nor honestly teach it as the word of
God.
• In Galatians 1:6-9, Paul warned about following these other
doctrines.
• "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him (me:Paul)
that called you into the grace of Christ unto another
gospel: Which is not another; but there be some (also
called: judezisers) that trouble you, and would pervert the
gospel of Christ.
• But though we or an angel from heaven, preach any other
gospel unto you than that which we ( read: I ) have
preached unto you, let him be accursed.
• As we said before, so say I now again, If any preach any
other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him
be accursed."

36. There is one thing that unites all his
children – and make up “his church
and his body”:
Faith in Christ alone.
If you have received the gift of Grace
we are brothers and sisters in Christ.
The only thing Paul bring up as a
perversion of the gospel, is salvation
– fully or partly, by works. (Gal.1)

37. Any other theological disagreement
is not expectable reasons for
“exclusion from the family”.
“I might not agree with all your
theological viewpoints, but you are
still my brother in Christ.”