Who or What is the Real Church? - Part 1

Over the centuries, the word "church" has come to mean either the building in which people of Christian persuasion meet or the actual people who have so gathered.
Neither meaning is consistent with Scripture, which tells the story about what the real church is, has and does.

Let's explore what the Bible says about the Church - the Real Church.
(We'll use several posts to cover this exploration)

Firstly, the Church is described as the Body of Christ.
Although this might seem a strange term to use, it is full of meaning and symbolism.
The Apostle Paul used the term frequently to describe the various communities of believers - assemblies of Christians - that he founded and served.

... Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. [Ephesians 5 : 23 NIV]

After all, people never have never hated their own bodies, but they feed and care for them, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of his body. [Ephesians 5 : 29 - 30 NIV]

And he (the Son) is the head of the body, the church; ... [Colossians 1 : 18 NIV]

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. [Colossians 1 : 24 NIV]

God has put all things under His (Christ's) feet, and has appointed Him (Christ) universal and supreme Head of the Church, which is His Body, the completeness of Him who everywhere fills the universe with Himself. [Ephesians 1 : 22 - 23 Weymouth]

The statement "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it" follows a fascinating exposition on the unity and diversity in the Body in 1 Corinthians 12, which all assemblies of Christians would find value in reading on a regular basis.

Interestingly, many churches also teach that the Church is the Bride of Christ, although the Bible does not specifically say this.
However, Paul metaphorically links the Church with a betrothed virgin.

I betrothed you to one husband, to present to the Anointed* as a pure virgin. [2 Corinthians 11 : 2 DBH]

Also Paul uses the love of Christ for his Church to set the expected standard for a husband's love for his wife,

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy ... [Ephesians 5 : 25 - 26 NIV]

and the fact that a husband and wife become one flesh to show that Christ, the Head, and the Church, the Body, are one.

For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh. This is a profound mystery - but I am talking about Christ and the church. [Ephesians 5 : 31 - 32 NIV]

So although this idea can appear to have some biblical support I struggle to get my head around the arrangement whereby the same entity can be the Bride and the Body of the Bridegroom at the same time.

I am thinking that it is more likely that Israel will become the Bride of Christ after she is saved (after the full number of the Gentiles come into the Body of Christ - Romans 11 : 25 - 26) as she is described as the Wife of God in the Old Testament [Jeremiah 3 : 14] and, in the future, God plans to restore her to that position after her long period of unfaithfulness. [Jeremiah 31 : 31 - 33, Isaiah 54 : 4 - 8, the whole book of Hosea especially Hosea 2 : 16, Revelation 19 : 7 - 9, Revelation 21 : 1 - 2]
(The Revelation references linked to Israel in this way may also challenge some traditional church thinking.)

So for me, the Church is clearly the Body - the hands and feet - of Christ on this planet at this time, and operates under the direction of Christ - the Head.
The Body members are those who are living under this direction through the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Blessings, Barry

*David Hart always translates the Greek 'Christos' as the Anointed rather than the Messiah or the Christ as other translators usually do.