Introduction and the First Figure of the Church, The Body
What
is the Church?
The organization and structure that carries out Christ's work; can mean a called out
gathering or a dwelling ... there are several different applications of the word
Where do we find the first mention of the Church?
Matthew 16:18
How does the Church relate to Israel? Is the church found in the Old Testament?
The church is unrelated to Israel. No the church is not found in the Old Testament. God
made certain promises to Israel and others to His church.
Dangers to Watch Out for when studying the Church:
1. Minimizing the importance of the local church, especially duue to ignorance
2. Over-emphasizing our personal relationship to Christ to the point that we do not need
the church because we can pray and study alone; because we are already a part of the
universal church so we don't need the local church
3. To see ourselves as teh Lone Ranger; independent, helping as we want, having no
responsibilities to others
4. To plan a lifetime of infancy
The Six Figures of the Church:
Supporting Scripture:
| The Body | Eph. 4:15-16 Col. 1:15-19 1 Cor. 12:12ff |
| The Branches | John 15:1-16 Gal. 5:22-23 |
| The Priesthood | 1 Peter 2:5-9 |
| The Flock | Heb. 13:17 1 Peter 5:14 Acts 20:17, 28 John 21:15-17 John 10:1-16 |
| The Bride | 2 Cor. 11:2 Eph. 2:22-23 Rev. 21:9 |
| The Building | Eph 2:19-22 1 Peter 2:4-7 |