The Church

What is the church?  What is it's purpose and mission?

If you haven't read Paul's letter to Ephesus: Ephesians, please find the time to do so.  Here is a link to Biblegateway: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=ephesians&version=NLT
The arrows at the top of the page will allow you to navigate the pages forward and reverse.

I believe this book gives us deep insight into God's plan and purpose for our lives.  From it's verses we find this about the church:

 ¹¹ Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. ¹² Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. ¹³ This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ.
 ¹⁴ Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth. ¹⁵ Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. ¹⁶ He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

To the people/body/church in Corinth, Paul again writes...

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

New Living Translation (NLT)

One Body with Many Parts

 ¹² The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. ¹³ Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles,^[a] some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit.^{[b]  14} Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. ¹⁵ If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything?
 ¹⁸ But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. ¹⁹ How strange a body would be if it had only one part! ²⁰ Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. ²¹ The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.”
 ²² In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. ²³ And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, ²⁴ while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. ²⁵ This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. ²⁶ If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.
 ²⁷ All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. ²⁸ Here are some of the parts God has appointed for the church:
   first are apostles,
   second are prophets,
   third are teachers,
   then those who do miracles,
   those who have the gift of healing,
   those who can help others,
   those who have the gift of leadership,
   those who speak in unknown languages.
 ²⁹ Are we all apostles? Are we all prophets? Are we all teachers? Do we all have the power to do miracles? ³⁰ Do we all have the gift of healing? Do we all have the ability to speak in unknown languages? Do we all have the ability to interpret unknown languages? Of course not! ³¹ So you should earnestly desire the most helpful gifts.
   But now let me show you a way of life that is best of all.

Footnotes:

1. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Greek some are Greeks.
2. 1 Corinthians 12:13 Greek we were all given one Spirit to drink.

So how should this body of believers act and move?  Go to a church building each week and hear a man talk for an hour...or hours?

Doctor Luke in the book, Acts, describes how the body was born in its purest form:

Acts 2:42-47

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Believers Form a Community

 ⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper^[a]), and to prayer.  ⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity^[b]—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Footnotes:

1. Acts 2:42 Greek the breaking of bread; also in 2:46.
2. Acts 2:46 Or and sincere hearts.

K.P. Yohannan in his book "Revolution in World Missions"

speaks of the moden institution that man, not Christ, has built and why, today, it is big business...much like in the time of Christ (Matthew chapter 21).

Please take a moment and read chapter 4: "I walked in a daze"

http://www.eaec.org/bookstore/revolution_in_world_missions.pdf

I would also encourage you to pick up a copy of: Pagan Christianity ~ By Frank Viola and George Barna



Does it matter??

Mark 7:6-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

 ⁶ Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
   ‘These people honor me with their lips,
      but their hearts are far from me.
    ⁷ Their worship is a farce,
      for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’^[a]
 8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”
 ⁹ Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. ¹⁰ For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’^[b] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’^{[c] 11} But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’^{[d] 12} In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. ¹³ And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 7:7 Isa 29:13 (Greek version).
2. Mark 7:10 Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16.
3. Mark 7:10 Exod 21:17 (Greek version); Lev 20:9 (Greek version).
4. Mark 7:11 Greek ‘What I would have given to you is Corban’ (that is, a gift).