Notes on Ecclesiology

The following are my edited and simplified notes from a seminary class on ecclesiology (i.e, the doctrine of the Church). That "house church" post illustrated that there is a lot of fuzzy thinking and category confusion around the nature of the church. Maybe this will be helpful. Feel free to use them.

The Nature and Mission of the Church

We explored the biblical foundations for understanding the church, beginning with its various names. In the Old Testament, the Hebrew words kahal and edah refer to an assembly or congregation, while in the New Testament, ekklesia denotes a gathering or church. Additionally, various biblical metaphors illustrate the church’s identity, such as a building, a body, a bride, a family, a farm, and fullness in Christ.

From Scripture, we identified five expressions of the church:

1. The Local Church – A gathered body of believers in a specific location.

2. A Group of Churches – Regional or denominational affiliations.

3. Churches Represented by Leaders – Councils or synods that govern multiple churches.

4. The Universal Church – The worldwide body of believers throughout history.

5. The Church in Heaven and on Earth – The communion of saints, both living and departed, united in Christ.

Understanding these expressions helps clarify the church’s role in both its visible and invisible dimensions.

Contrasting Aspects of the Church

The church exists in several paradoxical yet complementary states:

1. Militant and Triumphant – The church on earth engages in spiritual warfare against sin, the flesh, and the devil, while the church in heaven enjoys glorified rest. Some pastors emphasize the church as an army, focusing on evangelism and cultural engagement, while others treat it as a hospital, emphasizing healing and comfort. The church must be both.

2. Visible and Invisible – The visible church consists of all who profess faith, while the invisible church comprises all true believers (the elect). This distinction prevents an over-reliance on institutional affiliation while acknowledging the reality of nominal faith.

3. Catholic (aka universal) and Local – The church is universal in scope but finds concrete expression in local congregations. Christians cannot claim to be part of the universal church without committing to a local church.

4. Organism and Organization – The church is a living body, yet it also requires structure, doctrine, officers, and order. While some view the church solely as a spiritual community, it must also be an institution with governance and discipline.

5. Gathered and Scattered – The church exists both in corporate worship (gathered) and in daily life (scattered). While gathered worship is central, believers remain part of the church in their workplaces, homes, and communities. This distinction prevents reducing the church’s role to Sunday services while avoiding the error of collapsing the church into secular activity.

These contrasts help balance the church’s identity, preventing distortions that arise when one side is emphasized at the expense of the other.

Attributes of the Church

According to the Nicene Creed, the church possesses four essential attributes:

Unity – The church is one because God is one (John 17:11). While denominations exist, true unity is based on shared faith in Christ, not mere organizational structure. Differences in language, culture, and history do not necessarily violate unity, as the church is ultimately bound by its confession of apostolic doctrine.

Holiness – The church is holy because it is set apart by Christ. This holiness is both positional (we are sanctified in Christ) and progressive (we grow in holiness over time). Though local churches may struggle with sin, the universal church will ultimately be presented spotless before Christ.

Catholicity – The church is universal in four ways:

1. Across Places – It is not confined to one nation or region.

2. Across People Groups – It welcomes all races, languages, and social standings.

3. Across Time – It includes believers from all ages, from Adam to the present.

4. In Doctrine – It maintains the apostolic faith delivered to the saints.

Apostolicity – The church is founded on the teachings of the apostles (Ephesians 2:20), ensuring doctrinal continuity rather than an unbroken episcopal succession. A true church adheres to the gospel handed down by the apostles rather than inventing new doctrines.

Marks of the True Church

Reformed theologians have historically identified certain distinguishing marks of the true church:

1. Three Marks (Belgic Confession, Ursinus, Heidegger):
* Right preaching of the Word
* Proper administration of the sacraments
* Exercise of church discipline

2. Two Marks (Calvin, Bullinger, Gomarus):
* Right preaching
* Proper administration of sacraments

3. One Mark (Beza, Bannerman):
* The preaching of the gospel, with sacraments and discipline as subordinate elements.

Regardless of whether one emphasizes one, two, or three marks, all agree that a true church is distinguished by faithfulness to Christ’s Word. Without gospel preaching, the church ceases to be the church.

The Mission of the Church

Bannerman outlines three key principles regarding the church’s role:

1. A Witness to Christ, Not His Substitute – The church does not replace Christ but points people to Him. It does not mediate salvation; rather, it proclaims the gospel.

2. An Instrument of the Spirit, Not a Replacement – While the Spirit works through the church, grace is not imparted automatically through rituals. Faith is essential for the means of grace to be effective.

3. Affecting Communion, Not Replacing It – The church fosters Christian fellowship, but belonging to a church is not the ultimate goal, fellowship with Christ is.

The church’s mission must remain focused on evangelism, discipleship, and church planting. Acts 14 provides a model for missions:

1. Preaching the gospel
2. Making disciples
3. Strengthening believers
4. Appointing elders and establishing churches

While mercy ministries are valuable, they should support the mission rather than replace it. The church is not called to solve every societal issue but to proclaim Christ and build up His body.

Conclusion

The church is God’s ordained means for spreading the gospel and discipling the nations. It is both militant and triumphant, visible and invisible, Catholic and local, an organism and an organization, and both gathered and scattered. It possesses unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity.

The true church is distinguished by the right preaching of the Word, proper administration of sacraments, and discipline. Its mission is evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.

By keeping these biblical distinctions in mind, we can avoid the common pitfalls of reducing the church to either an activist movement or an insular institution.

Instead, we recognize it as the body of Christ on earth, called to proclaim His gospel and make disciples of all nations.