The church is directly mentioned in singular and plural connotation about one hundred and eighteen times in the New Testament. There is confusion and misunderstanding in so many sectors about what the church of Christ is. The first mention of the church came from the answer of the apostle Peter to his question, “but who did I say that I am? This is what Jesus Christ said”, and I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will . build my church; and the gates of hell will not prevail against him “(Matthew 16:18, KJV). It is important to note here that Jesus was referring to the revelation given to Peter that he was the Messiah, the chosen and the anointed.
Christ’s church is built on the revelation of who Jesus was and is. In his humanity he was the son of man and the son of God. In his divinity, he was God manifested in human flesh. The prophet Isaiah said that he was the mighty God who came to redeem his people, the Israelites, see Isaiah 9: 6. To understand what Christ’s church is, one must first try to understand who Jesus was and who he is today.
There are two parts to understanding what the Church of Christ is:
1. The physical part:
This is a physical building or structure, created by human hands that believers gather for worship, discipleship, spiritual and even community services. Involve members who form a local congregation of Christian believers. This can be of any particular denomination with its unique beliefs of the Christian faith. Somehow, unfortunately this is where manly people stop and don’t realize what Christ’s church is. It is actually larger and beyond any particular denomination.
Let me say here that they should not be confused with longevity, numerical strength, or wealth of a particular denomination. These are not biblical standards that justify what the church of Christ is. As much as physical buildings are important, it is not the end in itself. This brings me to the second part.
2. The spiritual or mystical body of Christ.
This includes all the people who were called and filled by the spirit of Christ. This provides the substance of what the Church of Christ evangelism tools is. It transcends denominational and national boundaries. Jesus did not die for a denomination or building, he died for human persons. He bought us through his blood to take us to his body, the church. We are the temple of God individually and collectively, we are the body of Christ (the church of the living God)
It can belong to a particular denomination, regardless of its power and popularity, and still get lost. On the other hand, if you are born again of the spirit in the mystical body of Christ, there is hope of eternal life. This second part is the most important but less attention is paid to it. As the world continues to face dire hardships and catastrophic events, more and more people seek to understand what the Church of Christ is.
