The Doctrine of the Church and a Pastor’s Ministry

Why the Doctrine of the Church Matters

I grew up in a land with beautiful houses of worship (or at least they once had been before they devolved into tourist attractions). When I converted to Christ, it was hard to rid myself of the notion that the church isn’t a building but a community of believers. In this article, I’ll set forth seven biblically sound truths about the church that we often misunderstand or about which we infrequently receive instruction. I am convinced that firm adherence and practice of these seven truths would considerably strengthen the local congregations of which we are a part and the universal church, as well.

Seven Truths to Teach about the Church

It is a curious fact—but a fact nonetheless—that we find the term “church” only twice in the Gospels (both in Matthew) and there, in a non-technical sense. Only after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was the church born as a community of believers in Jesus the Messiah, made up of believing Jews and non-Jews. While Jesus primarily spoke of the Kingdom of God, especially in parables, highlighting various dimensions of God’s universal and eternal reign, Jesus charges the church, in the present, to serve as an outpost of the kingdom. What are some major truths about the church that we will do well not to neglect in our preaching and teaching?

1. The church is not a building but a community of believers.

In the early stages of the Christian movement, people gathered in homes as committed Christ followers who “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). When, in his letter to the Romans, Paul sends greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, he refers to “the church that meets at their house” (Rom. 16:5). Philemon and Apphia, likewise, had a church that met at their home (Phlm. 2). Only later did churches acquire real estate and erect sanctuaries, culminating in the Middle Ages, which saw the building of magnificent cathedrals. Thus, biblically speaking, the church is a community of believers regularly gathered for teaching, fellowship, prayer, and the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and baptism.

2. We are members of both a local and the universal church.

I have met some ardent church members who loved their church but cared little for the church down the road. However, we are members of a local and the universal church. As pastors, we need to balance our desire to instill commitment to our church with the humble recognition that God’s work is not limited to our walls. Rather, God builds his kingdom in many places, and we should rejoice in that and encourage the members of our church to do the same. We need to promote an ethos of being citizens of God’s kingdom alongside local church membership and remind people that they’re part of the global church of the ages.

3. The church is not our church but Jesus’ church.

I’ve also been in some churches where the pastors acted as if the church in which they served was their church. It was, in fact, not their church; it was Jesus’. As Jesus told Peter, “On this rock I will build my church” (Matt. 16:18). Paul regularly affirmed that “Christ is the head of the church” (e.g., Eph. 5:23; cf. 1:22; Col. 1:18). Therefore let’s not act as if the church we’re serving is our church. God has graciously called us to steward Christ’s church and shepherd his people.

4. Nothing guarantees the permanence of a given local church.

Revelation features Christ’s letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor. But where are these churches today? Or what about the church in Bath, England, that I set out to visit several years ago that, to my dismay, had been turned into a coffee house where waiters served lattes and cappuccinos? Too often, we act as if the permanent thriving and survival of our local church is a foregone conclusion; it’s not. Rather, we must be faithful to pass on the faith to the next generation and serve Christ in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3).

5. The church’s primary purpose is to make disciples who make more disciples.

Jesus preached to multitudes, but he didn’t love the big stage. Nor was he swept away by the accolades of the masses like many celebrities are today. Jesus called disciples to follow him. He trained them thoroughly for over three years, teaching them how to pray, share their faith, and make disciples themselves. Then he told them, “As the Father sent me, so I am sending you” (John 20:21). He also said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:18). The Great Commission presupposes Jesus’s model of disciple-making and is rearticulated by Paul (2 Tim. 2:2). The primary purpose of the church, like Jesus’, is to make disciples who make more disciples.

6. Only those who are mature, qualified, and accountable to God are to lead the church, each other, and the congregation.

Church leaders are prime targets of Satan (1 Tim. 3:7). How can those in charge of Jesus’ church be protected from the devil’s assaults? The answer, at least partially, is: “Accountability to God, each other, and the congregation.” That is why God, in his wisdom, has put the leadership of his church in the hands of a plurality of mature, qualified leaders, patterned after the elder model in the ancient synagogue. As “shepherds of God’s flock,” Peter writes, elders should be “eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:2–3).

7. God’s people are to reflect Jesus’s heart of compassion for a needy world.

Many churches have impeccable statements of faith, sound doctrine, and biblical preaching. Many also excel in food, fellowship, and programs for their youth and other members of the congregation. But while edifying believers is a vital part of our charge, do we encourage ourselves and the people in our congregations to reflect Jesus’ heart of compassion for those in need? Jesus, give us a heart of compassion for the needy and show us how to show active deeds of love toward those less fortunate than us!

Conclusion

Thank God for the church! Let’s not be too critical because of the many imperfections we see. Jesus is still building his church, and he calls us to believe in him, not in his all-too-fallible followers (or even leaders!). It’s easy to be discouraged when we see disunity, lack of care, or even hypocrisy in those who call themselves Christians. Let’s resolve to be part of the solution, rather than being the problem and do our part in fulfilling Jesus’s commission to make disciples of all nations who, in turn, will make more disciples, in the confidence that Jesus’ words will not fail: “I will build my church.”

©2023 Andreas Köstenberger. Used with permission.