How Did Jesus Define His Church?

Blog post by Justin Nash

What is a church? It may seem like a simple question, but it is it? Asking for a definition of a church might evoke several different responses – a community, a family, the body of Christ, etc. Many people will define a church by what it does – A church worships, proclaims the gospel, makes disciples, administers the ordinances, serves the community, etc. All these aspects of defining a church are helpful as a church is multi-faceted.

In-depth discussion regarding the nature and character of a church would require volumes of theology and practice. But how did Jesus define the church? What words or descriptions did he use when talking about his church?

Ekklesia

The first time Jesus talks about his church is in Matthew 16:18,

“And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The first time Jesu explicitly mentions his church he uses the Greek word ekklēsia to describe it. He uses the word again in Matthew 18:17. So what is an ekklēsia? The basic meaning was “assembly,” referring to what was done and not where it was done. Ekklēsia was used of any assembly, but its primary use in classical Greek was for the assemblies of the citizens of a Greek city.¹ Jesus could have used any number of different words to describe his church. Why did he choose this one? In using the word ekklēsia, did Jesus intend to tell us something about the nature of a local church? I believe he did.

The designation ekklēsia identifies a church as an assembly. It calls attention to the importance of meeting together for the nature of the church. By definition, a church is an assembly. It is the people who meet together on a regular basis. The word ekklēsia identifies the people of God as assembled. When it comes together, the church exemplifies that it is indeed the church, an assembly (1 Corinthians 11:18).² In other words, an assembly is intrinsic to what a church is, and assemblies must assemble, or they are not assemblies. Therefore, churches must assemble regularly. A church that does not assemble is not a church.

But does that mean a church is not a church during those times in which it is not assembled? Jonathan Leeman offers a helpful analogy from sports. To be a member of a soccer team, you have to come together to play soccer. Gathering to play is an essential element of being a team and of belonging to the team. Yet “team” is also an identity-marker word. It refers to a group of people who remain in that group even when they are not doing the thing that makes them a group. So we can say, “The team spent the evening in the hotel.” If the New Testament word ekklēsia works like the English word “team,” then a church becomes a church by regularly assembling, but they remain a church even if they are not gathered at every moment.³

The Importance of Assembling

Perhaps this is reading too deeply into a single word in a way that is unwarranted by the rest of the New Testament. How prominent is the idea of the church as an assembly in the New Testament?

Consider 1 Corinthians 11:17-34. As he is addressing issues related to the Lord’s supper, notice how many times Paul uses the phrase “come together” in this passage. How important does coming together (being assembled) seem to be? In this passage, the idea of coming together is not just prominent, but it seems to be essential to the nature and practice of the church.

Or consider Hebrews 10:24-25,

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ²⁵ not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

What does the writer of Hebrews say about the church assembling? The writer rebukes those who are “neglecting to meet together.” Why? In part because they couldn’t “stir up one another to love and good works” or “encourage one another” unless they came together. The same is no less true for us today. Not assembling is an act of disobedience to God. A church must assemble if it is going to fulfill its duties and live in accordance with its nature.

Practical Implications of Being an Assembly

A church must assemble to be a church. Assembling means that the entire church comes together in the same physical location at the same time. Meeting in small groups can be very helpful in the lives of church members, but meeting in small groups is not being the church (ekklēsia) because the entire church body is separated by location even if they meet at the same time. Also, watching church online is not assembling because you are separated by location even if you are watching at the same time.

The implications for this are profound for the practice of a church. The idea of a church as an assembly helps us to evaluate practices such as broadcasting or streaming worship services and sermons. It even has bearing on how we think about the practice of having multiple services. Our goal should be to maximize the opportunities for the entire church to come together at the same time in the same place.

The implications of the church as an ekklēsia are equally weighty for individual believers. To be part of a church means we must assemble with the church. We all need one another for mutual accountability (Hebrews 3:12-13), encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25), discipleship (Acts 2:42-47) and growth in our faith. As mentioned earlier, to forsake assembling with other believers is an act of sinful rebellion. Simply put, it is critical for our spiritual life and health that we assemble with one another as a church.

Defining a church as an assembly (ekklēsia) is not the only definition and is certainly not comprehensive enough by itself. While a church is more than an assembly, it is certainly not less. Being an assembly is intrinsic to the nature of what church is. No matter what else it may do, a church must assemble. A church that does not assemble is not a church.

For a more in-depth treatment of this subject check Jonathan Leeman’s excellent book “One Assembly.”