The Church of Jesus Christ: Its Importance, Definition & Marks: Scripture Alone (KJV) Bible Study 7A

Bible Study 7A, within Bible study 7 on the most important institution, the church of Jesus Christ, begins an examination of the doctrine of the church (ecclesiology) with a study of the importance of the church and the definition of the word "church" (ekklesia). It then looks at the first mark of the church: the Bible-which is infallibly inspired and perfectly preserved-is the sole authority for the faith and practice of Christ's church. (Study 7B looks at additional marks of the true church.)

The Church: Its Importance

Scripture clearly teaches that the church of Christ is crucial for the Christian. Christ "loved the church, and gave himself for it" (Ephesians 5:25). Believers are commanded not to forsake assembling with the church (Hebrews 10:25). The church is the place where the Triune God through Jesus Christ is worshiped and glorified in preaching, teaching, prayer, song, and the holy ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper. The church, the "pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15), has overseers who "watch for [the] souls of its members (Hebrews 13:17). Outside the church is the realm of Satan (1 Timothy 1:20), but the special presence of Jesus Christ is manifest in the church (Revelation 1). The church is “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:27), a "holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21), and the bride of Christ (2 Corinthians 11:2).

The Church: Its Definition

The English word "church" translates the Greek word ekklesia, which appears 115 times in the text of the New Testament. While translated as "church" the overwhelming majority of the time in the NT, it is also rendered "assembly" (Acts 19:32, 39, 41) and can be translated as "congregation" (Deuteronomy 23:1; 31:30, LXX). Outside of the Bible, the word ekklesia was in “common usage for several hundred years before the Christian era and was used to refer to an assembly of persons constituted by well-defined membership.” The Lord Jesus called His congregation “my church” (Matthew 16:18) to distinguish it from other types of assemblies or congregations.

What, then, is Christ's church? It is an assembly of baptized believers, organized to carry out the Lord’s work. However, many people today use the word church in senses that are entirely absent from the Bible. The Bible never calls the building where Christians meet for worship a "church" (ekklesia). The word does not refer to a denomination, such as "the Methodist Church." Scripture knows of no denominations-only independent congregations under the headship of Jesus Christ. Many speak of the “Universal Church,” which, although variously defined, often is said to
consist of all believers in the whole world. Particular congregations are then said to be little parts
of the one, great universal church made up of all the Christians on earth. However, in the Bible,
the church or ekklesia never refers to all believers in the whole world. The family of God is a universal, invisible entity that consists of all believers everywhere (Galatians 3:26), but a church is a particular, local, visible congregation. Every local, visible congregation in this age or dispensation is Christ's body, temple, and bride.

Five marks of Christ's true church are that it has the Bible for its sole authority, is a self-governing,
independent congregation, practices the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, is faithful
to Biblical doctrine, and conforms to Biblical practices.

The first mark is that the Bible is the sole authority for faith and practice in the church of Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God has said: “Ye shall not add unto the word which I
command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the
LORD your God which I command you” (Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:6; Matthew 15:3; Revelation 22:18-19). The Lord Jesus’ church rejects the authority of human traditions, of other books that pretend be inspired and to add to or complete God’s already perfect Word.

A good church will defend the perfectly preserved Word of God, found in the traditional Old Testament Hebrew Masoretic text and the New Testament Greek Received Text, the basis for the English King James Version of the Bible. The original language texts underlying the King James Bible have been available and in use by God’s churches and people from the times of the apostles and prophets, but Satan has corrupted parts of modern English Bible versions that seek to replace the King James Version. Many modern versions corrupt passages such as:

1 Timothy 3:16: the Deity of Christ is removed.
1 John 4:3: the humanity of Christ is removed.
Matthew 5:22: the sinlessness of Christ is attacked.
Colossians 1:14: the blood of Christ is attacked.
Hebrews 1:3: the cross of Christ is attacked.
Mark 16:9-20: the resurrection of Christ is removed.
1 John 5:7: the Trinity is removed.
Mark 1:2-3: the inerrancy of Scripture is attacked.

The KJV preserves all the truth in these passages. Hallelujah!