The Ekklesia: The True Church of God
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
The following article explores the identity and biblical definition of the Church of Jesus Christ. Major identifying characteristics of the Church will be discussed and contrasted against what is commonly considered “the church” today.
The true identity of the Church of Jesus Christ is important to grasp in today’s world as many different “versions of the church” are presented to the public eye. The most significant point about the authentic Church is that its identity is firmly established in the person of Jesus Christ—the Son of the Living God and God manifest in the flesh.
Introduction
The Church of Christ Defined
Let us examine the word ‘church’ for a moment.
The Greek word for “church” in the New Testament that we translate into English is “ekklesia,” defined as “a calling out, that is, a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation, assembly, or church.”
The English word “church” is rooted in the Greek words “kuriakos,” meaning “belonging to the Lord” or “of the Lord,” and “doma,” meaning “housetop, roof, house, or building.” However, the word “kuriakos” and its variants are not used in the New Testament at all in reference to the church or “ekklesia.”
The word “church” was derived culturally through the Greek “kuriakos,” adapted into Germanic forms such as “kirche” (German), “kerk” (Dutch), and “kirk” (Scottish), then into Old English as “circe” or “cyrice,” and finally into Middle English as “chirch” or “churche,” where we now derive our modern form of “church.”
This means that over the course of history, the definition of the word “church” evolved toward association with the building or place of worship rather than the assembly of people or “ekklesia.” According to the Bible, the Church of Jesus Christ is not the building or physical place of worship, but the assembly of “called out ones,” or the ekklesia, collectively chosen and called out of the world by God through Jesus Christ.
The Body of Christ
The Bible also describes the Church as the “Body of Christ,” using an analogy drawn from the imagery of the human body. This “body” is a collection of individuals forming a special group that holds the unifying characteristic of belonging solely to the Lord Jesus Christ.
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.
As the Church is the body of Christ, Jesus Christ is described as its head:
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
To those unfamiliar with Christianity, several common ideas are held about the Church. Various notions can come to mind when secular people hear the word “church,” such as “those people who go to the church building on Sundays,” “those religious people,” or “those people who knock on my door to tell me about their church group” etc.
These and other less polite ideas are also held, but the reality is that the Church of Jesus Christ is distinguished solely as the people who truly know, faithfully follow, and obey the Lord Jesus Christ as their head and comprise the members of His body.
Believers in Jesus Christ
We Believe in the Son of God
The most crucial point to establish from the beginning is that the true Church believes in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is the Word of God and God manifested in the flesh. This may seem obvious, but “the devil is in the details,” as the old saying goes. It is important to be aware that many heretical cults and false religions profess belief in a fabricated version of Jesus Christ in departure from biblical truth.
Primary examples include the heretical Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believe Jesus Christ is not the Son of God but Michael the Archangel, and the deceived Mormons, who believe that Jesus Christ is not truly God and truly man, but a spirit child of the Father and the brother of Satan. Similarly, antichrist Islam rejects the deity of Jesus Christ by designating Him a human prophet conveniently opposed to Christianity.
Other key examples include pagan Roman Catholicism, which masquerades as Christianity and elevates the Pope of Rome as God on earth in place of Jesus Christ, and satanic Talmudic Judaism, which hatefully slanders Jesus Christ and rejects Him as the Son of God and King of the Jews. These groups conveniently believe in their interpretation of Jesus Christ as defined by their erroneous sources and misguided teachings.
Such interpretations depart from the historical Scriptures in rejection of the one true Gospel, making them illegitimate by default. In the cases of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Mormons, and Roman Catholicism, they refer to themselves as churches but work to undermine the deity of Jesus Christ through the exaltation of their false doctrines.
We Believe in the Incarnation
The true biblical Jesus is revealed as the Word of God incarnate:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
These verses reveal that Jesus Christ is God incarnate. He is described in the above passage from John’s Gospel as “the Word of God” and it says that the “Word was with God, and the Word was God” and that the Word existed in the beginning. This title “The Word of God” is revealed as the name of Jesus Christ confirmed in the Book of Revelation:
And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
As the Book of Revelation confirms, the name of Jesus Christ is the “Word of God.” We can now conclude that Jesus is God via the statement “the Word was God” in the passage from John’s Gospel above.
Secondly, we know that God was made incarnate, as stated in 1 Timothy 3:16: “God was manifest in the flesh.” This verse speaks clearly of Jesus Christ, who was “preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”
These passages, along with the entire testimony of Scripture, confirm this fact about the revelation of Jesus Christ, and the true Church first and foremost believes that Jesus Christ is the One True God incarnate, with no exceptions.
The Authentic Church Member
Obedient to the Master
Unfortunately, not everyone who claims to know Jesus Christ is a true Church member. This important fact can dramatically change a person’s understanding of the church.
Jesus Himself said in Matthew 7:21–23:
Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
These verses give us a sharp distinction between true and false church members. They also clarify that many groups and individuals appear to resemble the Church and believe they are legitimate members, but in reality, they are not.
In this passage, Jesus said that not everyone who claims His name will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do God’s will by keeping His commandments. He also said that many will try to reason with Him when judgment comes, arguing that they did many things for Him in His name; however, He will reply that He never knew them, and they will be denied entry into His Kingdom.
Because of these facts concerning the Church’s identity, we can be sure that understanding the truth about this subject is a matter of eternal life and death. Therefore, to reiterate in a basic statement: not everyone who looks like and claims to be the Church is the Church.
Only those who keep God’s commandments are the true members of the Church. Faithful obedience to the Lord Jesus is key to understanding the identity of the genuine Church member and congregation.
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked.
This passage again makes it clear that actions speak louder than words and that people can deceive themselves into thinking they know Jesus and are legitimate members of His Church. The true Church, who are true disciples of Jesus Christ, walk the walk, not just talk the talk, in obedience to the Master—this is a core distinguishing characteristic of the true Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church as the Bride of Christ
The Marriage Analogy
The church is also described biblically as “the Bride of Christ.” This means that the relationship of Jesus Christ to His church is as deep and personal as a true intimate relationship between a husband and wife.
The Bible states in Ephesians 5:22–27, using the relationship of Christ and the church to teach and encourage Christians about marriage:
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.
The Church as the Bride of Christ has special characteristics ascribed to her that are outlined in the above passage. These are identifying characteristics concerning what the true Church looks like, how she has been trained, and how she conducts herself.
The above passage states that “the church is subject unto Christ,” meaning that she is subordinate to Jesus and willingly listens to, obeys, and follows Him, understanding that He holds ultimate authority over her. This point may seem obvious, but sadly, it is not often understood or pragmatically acknowledged among certain church groups.
To apply this, we will use church operational management as an example. For church management to be subject to Christ, the commands and directions of Jesus via the Word of God are to be followed, rather than adopting and applying alternative means, strategies, models, or initiatives for a particular mode of service or work.
To determine church operation outside of Jesus’ commandments ignores the subjection the Church is meant to embody, equating this to rebellion against Jesus, the husband and head of the Church.
The passage from Ephesians also states that Jesus would “sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.” Jesus sanctifies His Church, which essentially means He sets her apart for Himself and makes her holy, washing her from the corruption of the world and sin through the transforming power and grace of the Word of God.
The Church and Sanctification
A Sanctified Church
Let us examine the word ‘sanctify’ for a moment.
The English word “sanctify” is translated from the Greek word “hagiazo,” which means: to make holy, that is, purify or consecrate; hallow, be holy, sanctify.
Sanctify
- To make holy; set apart as sacred; consecrate.
- To purify or free of sin.
- To impart religious sanction to; to render legitimate or binding.
Through the blood of Jesus Christ and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, God changes the unholy people that He has called out of the world into holy people. He changes ungodly people into godly people. He transforms sinners into saints. His Church is characterized by holiness and righteousness. He sanctifies them holy to Himself and empowers them by the Holy Spirit.
This is a key identifying attribute of His Church and a visible attribute with serious evidence. This means God’s people as a group and at the individual level are sanctified through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The true Church is to be a morally and behaviorally pure people, free from the domination and corruption of sin, and walking in righteousness in the will of God. They are to be empowered people, exhibiting the fruits of the Holy Spirit and deeds of faith.
This poses a major problem for certain individuals and church groups who promote teaching and behavior that conflicts with these identifying characteristics. However, it also enables a distinction to be made as to who is the true Church.
The people called by Jesus Christ whom He sets apart and sanctifies, empowers, and purifies from sin are the true Church, in order ‘That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish’, as stated in the earlier passage of Ephesians.
Freedom from the Dominion of Sin
The authentic Church of Jesus Christ is free from the domination of sin and unrighteousness and has been made holy and without blemish before the throne of God at this present time via salvation. God does this through the transforming and active power of the Holy Spirit and His Word.
The genuine people of the Church turn their back on sin once and for all through repentance and are sanctified in holiness, having had the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and applied to their lives through the sanctification of the Holy Spirit.
They are made, in the present life, a spotless bride. They have been given supernatural power through the Holy Spirit to live a dynamic life of grace, love, holiness, and witness to Jesus Christ. Therefore, any understandings or adopted teachings that conflict with or contradict these biblical truths are found to be fraudulent.
These are significant characteristics, and if they are ignored, misunderstood, or incorrectly defined, the distinction between the true Church and every group claiming the name of ‘church’, is blurred and lost. The Church then becomes any church, a religion, an interest group, a community, a building, a group of people, etc. The church then loses its character, and Christianity is reduced to another option among many in the spiritual marketplace.
The Eternal Purpose of the Church
Christ the Solid Rock
Jesus said to the Apostle Peter in Matthew’s Gospel:
And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
The Church of Jesus Christ is built on the rock and foundation of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, and His apostles and prophets. It is a victorious, God-established institution purposed to eliminate the now-existing corrupted order and usher in “the regeneration” or “new creation” that God has set in motion.
The Church of God stands in direct opposition to the darkness and evil of this world and has been equipped to eliminate it in establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth, and as Jesus said, “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”
The Church of Christ is supernaturally empowered to accomplish certain tasks toward a unified end. It has been given authority and dominion over the powers of darkness through Jesus Christ, who holds all authority and power over all things in heaven or on earth.
Jesus commanded the church to go make disciples of all nations:
And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
The method to be used is the preaching and teaching of the Gospel with signs following:
And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
The Mission of the Church
The Great Commission
The primary mission of the Church is preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and making disciples through the teaching and preaching of the Word of God, and the demonstration of the Holy Spirit. This is a key functional characteristic of the Church of God and extends operationally to all disciples of Jesus Christ.
The command to preach the Gospel and make disciples is a mandate to be followed by all true Church members, and each member will have the desire to share the Gospel implanted within them by the Spirit of God, reflecting their legitimate membership.
This characteristic distinguishes the authentic Church from the groups or individuals who merely resemble a religious institution. Today churches are often considered social service outfits or public interest groups among other definitions.
These are degradations of the true nature and identity of the Church of Christ, and sadly some churches and denominations solely operate as these types of groups. The Church of Jesus Christ is not a social service provider, it is the visible presence of God’s activity and purposes being outworked on earth extending far past public relations.
The Wisdom of God
In the eternal purposes of God, manifested through His wisdom in the Gospel, God from before the foundation of the world has created His Church for the purpose that there may be reconciliation and common unity established among all peoples and nations.
He has ordained that the world’s people be brought together in peace in one body, that they may be one group of special people with their identity found in Jesus Christ. The purpose of the Church extends beyond the current order of life and has an eternal destiny found in God with a new purpose for humanity.
To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:
No individual, organization, building, collection of individuals, or intellectual and ideological enterprise is at liberty to steer, direct, control, or claim the ultimate title or authority of the true Church of Jesus Christ. The Church belongs to our God, Savior, and Lord Jesus Christ alone. In Him, it lives, breathes, and has its being.
The Power of the Church
The Manifestation of the Holy Spirit
The manifestation of the Holy Spirit is a key characteristic of the true Church. God has equipped His Church with supernatural power to confirm His presence, authenticate His message, and perform His works.
Just as Jesus is the Head of the Church and we are the body, like a human brain, He controls all affairs of the body, and we, as the Church, perform them as His hands and feet.
Along with the mandate to preach the Gospel of Christ and make disciples, the true Church, through the gifting and power of the Holy Spirit, is to demonstrate the Kingdom of God through various manifestations, such as physical healing, casting out demons, the word of prophecy, and others.
Jesus Himself and the biblical apostles did the same when they walked the earth, demonstrating the Spirit as a pattern for His Church that would continue the work of the Gospel throughout the world.
The Bible describes these abilities in Acts 1:8 and 1 Corinthians 12:7–11 when it speaks of the power of the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts members of His Church can possess:
But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
In the first verse above, the power of the Holy Spirit is highlighted, with the symbol of baptism employed in the context of the passage. Jesus said here that His Church would receive power to become witnesses of His resurrection and Gospel in Israel, and then to the farthest reaches of the world.
This is the power to both proclaim the authentic message of the Gospel and perform miraculous works under the Holy Spirit’s leadership and ability. The list of spiritual gifts highlighted in the second passage describes supernatural gifts and manifestations of the Holy Spirit, which work among His Church when she is called to demonstrate His love to the world and preach His powerful Gospel.
The Error of Cessationism
A Form of Godliness without Any Power
Today, there are churches and denominational organizations that completely reject the manifestation of the Holy Spirit, claiming it has ceased to operate in the Church and that the works done of a supernatural nature are fraudulent, counterfeit, or demonic under the erroneous doctrine of cessationism.
This is often due to extreme doctrinal bias, strict denominational interpretations of the Bible, or extreme polemical reactions to questionable practices occurring in some churches under the guise of the Holy Spirit.
One thing to note is that it is true today that the true Church is often plagued with charlatans, false prophets, false apostles, and false religious personnel who abuse the biblical allowance for the supernatural power and gifts of the Spirit and operate falsely under a counterfeit spirit.
These people produce false signs and wonders to deceive people toward a false gospel and false message, which leads people away from the truth. This is a predictable reality foretold through the prophetic witness and is the result of extreme spiritual conflict with the forces of darkness and inherent human corruption.
However, the Bible does not teach us that the supernatural power of the Spirit has ceased altogether, as some churches claim, but rather that it is active and to be distinguished from the false manifestations seen in the activities of the individuals described above.
The true Church of God manifests the works of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit in demonstration of the Kingdom of God. This is an identifying characteristic of the true Church that distinguishes it from traditionalist churches, which do not bring serious power in conjunction with their message. A church without power and manifestation of the Spirit is not the true Church of Jesus Christ.
The Church and the Love of God
The Love of God Manifest
The true Church of Jesus Christ carries all the characteristics described above. They have been called out from the world by God to belong to Him and be His special people. They are also the Body and Bride of Christ who belongs to Jesus and is obedient to Him having been made spotless and holy through salvation and the transformation of the Holy Spirit.
The true Church also has the highest view of the Gospel and works to preach and teach it to the whole world in conjunction with demonstrating the power of God. But there is one final characteristic that all the others feed into, which is the love of God
Jesus said to His disciples in the Book of John:
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
The authentic Church is characterized by brotherly love for one another and the love they demonstrate to the world. Jesus indicates here that people will be able to distinguish His Church and His disciples by the love that they have for one another.
As God has demonstrated His love for humanity through His Son Jesus Christ, and the Church is the body of Christ, it follows that His Church would also demonstrate the love of God among themselves and, through the Gospel and charity, show God’s love to the world through the preaching of the Gospel and charitable acts of service.
Conclusion
The True Church
The characteristics explored earlier are key to understanding the authentic Church and its purpose. These identifying marks distinguish the true Church from what is presented as “the church” out in the world today.
Every group or individual claiming the name of Jesus Christ must display these characteristics, or the truth is, they are not the Church of God. The Spirit of God has sealed His Church, and its true members transcend denominational barriers, buildings, cultures, doctrinal creeds, geographical and political boundaries, and even the ages of time past and the future to come.
What Next?
If you are reading this as a Christian, you can be confirmed in these biblical truths as a legitimate member of the Church of Jesus Christ. Suppose the above definition and description of the Church or Christian character and identity is not your current understanding or reality, and you claim the name of Jesus Christ?
In that case, it is necessary for you to earnestly put your beliefs and heart to the test by praying to God to confirm and thoroughly explain the truth about His Church to you. Search His Word and let Him reveal what is necessary so you may be sure of your salvation and calling as a born-again Christian.
If you are not a Christian or are just beginning to seek God and desire to know about the true Church, you can use the above information to guide you in the right direction in your search for knowledge and understanding of the truth.
The Bible is where we gain the most accurate knowledge about anything concerning God, and you will do well to consider these key points drawn from it above and weigh them against your current understanding and further study. It is vitally important that you know the truth about the true identity and nature of the Church of Jesus Christ. May the Lord bless you, and may the Holy Spirit guide you into all truth.
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
