1. What is the Church? (2)

2. Review The meaning of the word church
The word means ‘assembly’ – in ancient times, the word meant a group of people assembled, the New Testament considers the Christian Church to always be in assembly whether physically in proximity or not, because of the unity of the Spirit.
The uses of the word in the New Testament
The word is used sparingly to refer to a heathen assembly assembled and once to the congregation of Israel in the OT. Every other reference is to the Christian Church, with the vast majority of references to local assemblies acting as distinct churches in their local communities.

3. NT Concept - Customary Universal vs. Local
The concept of Universal serves well in reference the body of Christ, the members of which are on earth or in heaven (Heb 12.23)
But, how local is a local church?

4. NT Concept – ‘local’ problem
Reference to a church meeting in a house (Rm 16.5)
Some references could encompass more than one ‘house assembly’ (1 Cor 6.2) but not Christians in another city (1 Thess 1.1)
Reference to the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria – multiple congregations, singular term (Ac 9.31)
Paul’s reference to persecuting the church – singular term, not one local body (1 Cor 15.9)

5. NT Concept – ‘local’ problem
What local means is
A group meeting in a single house
Several groups in a city (possibly)
The many groups in a region
And then there is 1 Cor 10.32
“Giving no offense to the church of God must relate to visible groups, yet not all of them even in a region. It must concern any aspect of the visible church one comes in contact with.”

6. NT Concept - Clarification
The Universal Church – all believers in heaven or on earth
The Visible Church – “local churches in various areas, especially those I am acquainted with”
The Local Church – “the particular assembly with which I have my primary and sustained relation”
“Every believer actually belongs to all these three aspects of the church, and 1 Corinthians 10:32 applies to any of them with which he has contact at any time.”

7. Roman concept Participation in the sacraments
Since the Council of Trent, the Catholic Church has been defined as a union of human beings who are united by the profession of the same Christian faith, and by participation of and in the same sacraments under the direction of their lawful pastors, especially of the one representative of Christ on earth, the Bishop of Rome. Each element in this definition is meant to exclude all others from actual and vital membership in the Catholic Church, namely apostates and heretics who do not profess the same Christian faith, non-Christians who do not receive the same sacraments, and schismatics who are not submissive to the Church's lawful pastors under the Bishop of Rome.
Participation in the sacraments
Under lawful pastors (esp. Bishop of Rome)

8. Anglican concept Due ministration of sacraments
The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments be duly ministered according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
Due ministration of sacraments
Things requisite includes the headship of the British monarch

9. Reformed concept
The catholic or universal Church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect … The visible Church, which is also catholic or universal under the Gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; … and of their children.
The true religion throughout the world (less local concept)
Inclusion of the children of the elect

10. Baptist concept Visible profession of faith in Christ
The Church “is a company of visible saints, called and separated from the world, by the Word and the Spirit of God, to the visible profession of the faith of the Gospel, being baptized into the faith, and joined to the Lord, and each other, by mutual agreement, in the practical enjoyment of the ordinances, commanded by Christ their head and King.”
Visible profession of faith in Christ
Conscious (believer’s) baptism and mutual agreement to keep the ordinances
Ryrie notes that there are some Baptists who deny the concept of a universal church.