Christian church(from Greek Κυριακόν , “belonging to the Lord” or “ekklesia keriakon” - “Church of the Lord”) is a religious community of Christians united by a common faith in Jesus Christ as God and Savior, who is the creator of the Church and its Head. In ecclesiology, the Church is understood as the community of Christians, past and present, who constitute the mystical Body of Christ, of which Christ is the head. In religious studies, the Church is understood as a community of Christians united on the basis of a common doctrine, as a separate community, or as a worldwide association of Christian communities.

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Etymology

From the word “Ἐκκλησία” also comes the name of ecclesiology - a section of Christian theology that covers issues related to the church.

Use of the term

Secondly, this is a church, as a meeting of Christians in one locality. In this meaning it is close to modern concepts of a Christian community or parish. However, there is a difference: there is no mention in the New Testament that even in large cities there would be more than one such church. In modern Christianity this is quite acceptable. It was the use of the concept of “church” as a local Christian community that over time was associated with the premises where meetings of Christians of some locality or locality were organized (see Church (building)).

Thirdly, this is a home or small church - a meeting of Christians in one family, including relatives, neighbors and slaves (if there were any).

In connection with the confessional division of the Church, the meaning of the church as a Christian denomination was added to the New Testament meanings of the word (for example, the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, etc.)

In addition, the word "church" is used to designate national religious organizations within Christian denominations (for example, Russian Orthodox Church, Syrian Catholic Church, Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church, etc.) (see Local Church)

The term “church” is sometimes used as a self-name, including by organizations whose Christian affiliation is disputed, for example, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Unification Church, etc., and by blatantly anti-Christian organizations, for example, the Church of Satan.

Universal Church (Church of Christ)

The existence of Christ's Church as a certain noumenal principle is not universally obvious; therefore, a Christian is required to believe in it. The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed directly speaks about this: “I believe in the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church”, recognized in historical churches and most Protestant denominations.

Borders of the Church in Orthodoxy

According to the Orthodox catechism of Metropolitan Philaret (Drozdov), “The Church is a society established by God of people united by the Orthodox faith, the Law of God, the hierarchy and the Sacraments” . The question of the boundaries of the Universal Church is currently being hotly debated in Orthodoxy. [ ] According to the most widespread and mainstream point of view, it is believed that the Universal Church coincides with the boundaries of world Orthodoxy, and those outside its canonical boundaries can belong to it “invisibly” (this is the fundamental difference between Orthodox and Catholic ecumenism, which speaks of the invisible membership of the visible Church (Orthodox or Catholic, respectively), from Protestant ecumenical concepts - “branch theory” and “invisible church”).

According to the “Basic principles of the attitude towards heterodoxy of the Russian Orthodox Church”,

At the same time, the presence of actual priesthood, and therefore the grace of other sacraments, in heterodox confessions that have preserved the formal canonical structure of apostolic succession is debatable. The doctrine of the existence of apostolic succession outside the Orthodox Church is based on the doctrine of the validity of heretical baptism in the name of the Trinity, performed with the aim of making a person part of the Church (canon 4, section “On Baptism”, session 7, 19 of the Ecumenical Council - Council of Trent); and also on the documents of the Council of Ferraro-Florence, the bull of Pope Eugenius, November 8-22, 1439, on the indelibility of the priesthood. For the first time, the doctrine of the indelibility of the priesthood was formulated in Orthodoxy in Ukraine in the 17th century, in the great catechism of Lavrentiy Zizaniy Tustanovsky, then Peter the Mogila in his breviary sets out the doctrine of the existence of apostolic succession outside of Orthodoxy. IN modern times in Russia this point of view was defended by Patr. 

Sergius (Stragorodsky) and prot. 

Sergius Bulgakov. According to this view, which coincides with the modern official teaching of the Catholic Church, not only individual heterodox Christians are invisibly involved in the church by virtue of their faith and piety, but also church structures that maintain intact the continuity of ordinations due to the validity of their sacraments. However, the official position of the Russian Orthodox Church stated above leaves this question open, referring to the “mystery of Providence and the judgment of God.”

The absence of a single body of teaching in the Orthodox Church makes it possible for the coexistence in Orthodox theology of polar points of view on the boundaries of the Church - from the extremely ecumenistic to the extremely integrative. Boundaries of the Church in Protestantism.

Therefore, the main “binding ties” of the Church (cf. Eph.) in the view of Protestants are not the canonicity of the sacraments, but the awareness of faith in Christ and the willingness to follow Him. Thus, the Church is a collection of Christ and all His disciples, living and dead, regardless of the existence of canonical or eucharistic communion between them. This idea determines for some evangelical denominations a fundamental refusal to baptize children (infants, in their opinion, due to their age, are not able to have faith), and also motivates the refusal to limit the Church of Christ within a confessional framework. Thus, according to the doctrine of Evangelical Christian Baptists, the Church is a community "the redeemed people of Christ, from every tribe, tongue, people and nation, in heaven and on earth" In some Protestant denominations the Church is sometimes called "invisible." This is due to the belief that God sees the Church differently than man.

“The true boundaries of the Church are unknown to us; only God knows which of those who have been baptized and count themselves among the members of the Church (its various congregations) have been reborn (born again) and therefore belong to the Church as a spiritual community.”

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles we see how God's church was born, grew and developed. The birth of the church was marked by the fact that the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers as never before, and the Church received a task from the Lord - to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.

Church is a word that we are beginning to use more and more often in our lives. In Russia, for us it is usually associated with a temple, candles and icons. On the contrary, Christian meetings held in the buildings of cinemas and palaces of culture, where there are no domes and lamps, immediately appear to us as something anomalous, sectarian, and not true.

What exactly is the Church? What should it be like? Who founded it and why? These questions can be answered authoritatively only in the Bible - God's revelation to man.

Before the Lord Jesus Christ came to Earth, there was no Church. This can definitely be said based on the following considerations:

Christ said: “I will create My Church,” which means at the time when He uttered these words, the Church had not yet been created: it did not yet exist.

The Apostle Paul tells the elders of the Ephesian Church that “Jesus acquired the Church,” that is, no one acquired the Church before Christ.

“Take heed therefore to yourselves and to all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of the Lord and God, which He purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28).

The reason for the “creation” of the Church lies in the love of God: “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for Her” (Eph. 5:25). So, we see that the “author” and creator of the Church was not a person. The “author” of the Church is God Himself.

To better understand what the Church is, let us first consider the origin and meaning of this word. The Greek word ekklesia, also translated "church", is formed by the prefix ek, meaning "outside", and the verb kaleo, "to call" (the New Testament was written in Greek).

Usually this word was used to refer to a meeting of people at which common affairs were discussed and issues important to everyone were resolved.

With the advent and spread Christian faith this word - “ekklesia” began to be used to designate the assembly of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Redeemer.

In the New Testament, the word “ekklesia,” in addition to its narrow meaning referring to a specific group of people (the local church), acquires additional significant content; it becomes a term designating God’s people as a whole (the Universal Church).

It is important to understand that the word "Church" does not refer to a building, but to people gathered by God in a specific place and for a specific purpose.

Wherever Christians gather to worship God - in special buildings, in their homes or rented premises - their meeting itself is the Church. That is, the expression “going to Church” means “going to a meeting of Christians.”

In the book of the Acts of the Apostles we can see how God's Church was born, grew and developed. The birth of the Church was marked by the fact that the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers as never before, and the Church received a task from the Lord - to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth.

In the book “The Acts of the Apostles”, in the second chapter, from verses 42 to 47, it is written that the Church is a place where the Word of God is preached in a language understandable and accessible to the people. Through this, believers can know God and His will for their lives.

Everything that Jesus did when He went around is now being done by His disciples. Mark 16:20 says, “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with him and confirming the word with signs following.”

Healing from various diseases, spiritual and physical restoration - this is what should be present in the Church, where the Spirit of God lives (James 5:13-18).

The church is people who believe in Jesus and are intimately bound together by the love of the Lord. We can see from Scripture that relationships in the family are a prototype of the relationships of believers in the Church, therefore we are brothers and sisters in Christ, having one Heavenly Father;

Church is a place of mutual help. In it, people learn to serve each other and also help those in need in this world. There are many ministries in the local Church to accomplish this goal.

We see that attending divine services twice a year - at Christmas and Easter - was not in the spirit of the first Christians. It also tells us that in the Church, believers constantly gathered in each other’s homes for prayer and study of the Word of God, as well as simply for friendly communication at the table.

The Church is the one people of God. The Bible speaks of it as the Body of Christ. Believers are parts of this body. Just as in the physical body a part cannot live separately from the whole body, so in the spiritual world.

This is vital for every part of the Body of Christ: to maintain living faith in the Lord and love - to be united with other parts of the Body. Church is not the place to go. The church is something to be a part of (Eph. 1:22; 1 Cor. 12:27).

It will also surprise many that it says that the church is a place where joy, simplicity and cheerfulness abound. (1 Thess. 5:16)

The church is a place of glorification and worship of God. The Bible teaches that we can glorify God through various musical instruments during worship. Sing to Him with joy, shouting, clapping your hands and even dancing before Him (see Psalms 97,150. Here “praise with joy” - literally translated “Praise God by dancing”).

And, of course, prayer is something that was an integral part of the life of the first Church and remains so now. “And he taught them, saying, Is it not written, My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?” (Mark 11:17)

The church of Christ is “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim. 3:15). She wages a constant struggle against the forces of the devil. Victory in this struggle, according to the promise of the Lord, will remain on the side of the Church: “the gates of hell will not prevail against it.”

One of the main ways the Church differs from other earthly organizations is that Jesus is its head. He is God, He fills the Church with His presence.

In the Gospel of Matthew, in the 20th verse of the 18th chapter it says: “Where two or three are gathered in the name of Christ (in the temple, on the street or in the kitchen, it doesn’t matter), there Jesus is in the midst of them.”

Therefore, when we who love the Lord come to the meetings of believers, we receive inspiration, comfort and healing, answers to our needs. Streams of life, joy and power flow there because Christ is God and He came to this earth to give us life more abundantly (John 10:10).

He opened the doors for us to know God. He paid in full for our sins at Calvary some 2,000 years ago. He never stops loving people even now.

It is important that everyone knows that they can become part of the Church not through special rituals, but through spiritual birth, which is from God.

“Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Unless a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:3-5). This happens when a person repents of his sins with all his heart, turns from the old ways and acknowledges Jesus as Lord, he is born again and receives peace with God.

The next important step is to join the Church. Just as a newborn baby cannot survive without the care and love of his family, his loved ones, so a “newborn” Christian needs the care and help of his spiritual family - the Church, in order to keep the faith and grow spiritually.

The concept of “church” is unusually capacious and includes many different definitions. It can mean both specific religious and administrative structures, and an abstract, purely philosophical concept. Let's consider the most common forms of use of this term.

What is the church as defined by the New Testament?

Ecclesiology, one of the branches of Christian theology, gives a philosophical definition of this term. It teaches that the church is the mystical Body of Christ, which is a community of all Christians, both living and those who have long since left this world. Its head is Christ himself. This definition follows from the text of the New Testament and is canonical. Thus, the church is people who believe in Christ, regardless of the place and time of their presence in this world.

It should be noted that the word church is also used in two different meanings. By it, in particular, is meant a meeting of followers of the Christian faith in one specific locality, which corresponds to modern concepts of a parish or community.

In addition, the New Testament defines the meaning of the word church as a gathering of fellow believers in one family, including relatives, friends, neighbors and even slaves (this was normal in that era). Thus, a Christian family is nothing more than a small church.

The split of the once united church

After, as a result of certain historical processes, the previously united Christian church was divided into several directions, to those New Testament definitions that were given above, others were added, indicating its confessional affiliation. For example, the Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican and a number of others.

The Great Schism of the church began in 1054, when it finally split into the Western and Eastern branches. This was the result of long-term theological disputes caused by certain dogmatic contradictions, but, most importantly, by the exorbitant claims of the Roman pontiffs (popes) to govern the Church of the East.

As a result, the Orthodox and Catholic churches were formed, each of which claimed to be true both in the field of dogma (basic doctrine) and in ritual. Subsequently, the process of division continued and affected both churches. Currently, the universal Christian church is a very complex structure in its organization.

Characteristic features of Orthodox dogma

The Orthodox Church has a number of characteristic features, the main of which is strict adherence to the dogmatic teachings formulated in the text of the document adopted by the Second Ecumenical Council in 381 and called the “Creed”. He is well known to churchgoers, but for those who are unfamiliar with him, it should be explained what he declares:

1. The possibility of salvation of the soul is only subject to faith in one God.
2. Equal glorification of all three, equal persons of the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
3. Recognition that Jesus Christ is God's anointed and His son, born of the Father before the creation of the world.
4. Belief in the incarnation of God in the humanity of Jesus.
5. Recognition of His crucifixion for the salvation of people, and then on the third day of His resurrection, His ascension into Heaven.
6. In the general resurrection and hereafter.
7. Confession of the dogma, according to which the carrier of life is the Holy Spirit, emanating from God the Father.
8. Recognition of the Church of Christ as one, holy, comprehensive and headed by its creator - Jesus Christ.
9. Faith in holy baptism as the only path leading to the remission of sins.

From this list of the main theses of Orthodox doctrine it is clear that the church, whose history begins with the appearance of the Son of God to the world, was created as a guiding thread leading to eternal life.

Priesthood established in Orthodoxy

According to its hierarchical structure, the Orthodox priesthood is divided into three levels, the highest of which is the episcopate, which includes bishops, archbishops, metropolitans, exarchs and patriarchs. This category consists exclusively of representatives of the so-called black clergy, that is, persons who have taken monastic vows.

The level below are presbyters - priests and archpriests, which also include priests - representatives of the white clergy who are not monks. And finally, the lowest level consists of deacons and protodeacons - clergy who have undergone the rite of ordination, but do not have the right to independently perform the sacraments.

Geography of modern Orthodoxy

Currently, the majority of Orthodox Christians are located in Russia. They make up approximately 40% of all living on the planet. However, there are many other states in which people belonging to this religion make up the majority of the population. Among them are: Ukraine, Romania, Macedonia, Georgia, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, Moldova, Cyprus, Greece and Belarus.

In addition, there are a number of countries in which Orthodoxy, although not the dominant religion, nevertheless embraces a significant part of the citizens. These are Finland, Albania, Lithuania, Estonia, Herzegovina, Bosnia, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and the Aleutian Islands.

The word “church” is also a designation for a specific national religious organization within a particular denomination. Everyone is familiar with the names of national churches such as Syrian Catholic or Estonian Evangelical Lutheran. These include our domestic - Russian Orthodox Church. Let's look at it in more detail.

Russian Orthodox Church (ROC)

Its other official and frequently used name is the Moscow Patriarchate (MP). Among all the world's local autocephalous churches, that is, covering a certain territory with their influence and governed by a bishop in the rank of bishop to patriarch, the Russian Orthodox Church is the largest. In addition, on the territory of Russia it is the largest and most influential religious organization.

The beginning of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church is associated with the baptism of Rus', which took place in 988. At that time, it was only a metropolis - one of the parts of the Patriarchate of Constantinople, and its first primate was Metropolitan Michael, sent to Rus' by the Byzantine Patriarch Nicholas II Chrysoverg.

Stronghold of World Orthodoxy (1453) Moscow became the only stronghold of world Orthodoxy - a kind of Third Rome. It received its final formalization in Rus' after the establishment of the patriarchate in 1589.

Schism and abolition of the patriarchate

Heavy upheavals befell the Russian Orthodox Church in the middle of the 17th century, when, on the initiative of Patriarch Nikon, a church reform was carried out, which aimed to correct liturgical books, as well as introduce certain changes of a purely ritual nature. The result of these essentially correct and reasonable, but untimely and ill-considered actions was the discontent of a significant part of the country's population, which resulted in a church schism, the consequences of which are still felt today.

Unlike the Western branch of Christianity, the Russian Orthodox Church throughout its history (with rare exceptions) did not pretend to replace secular institutions of power. Moreover, in 1700, after the death of Patriarch Adrian, it, by order of Peter I, completely came under the subordination of the Holy Synod, which was, in fact, nothing more than a ministry headed, moreover, by a secular person. The patriarchate was restored only in 1943.

Tests of the 20th century

The 20th century also became a period of severe trials for the entire Russian Orthodox Church, when, as a result of the seizure of power by the Bolsheviks, terror was established against its ministers and the most active parishioners, comparable in scale only to the persecution of the first centuries of Christianity. It is not for nothing that these decades became the period when many Russian new martyrs and confessors gained crowns of holiness. Nowadays, there is an active process of its revival, which began with perestroika, which allowed the people to turn to their spiritual origins.

Religious buildings

Continuing the conversation about what the word “church” means, one cannot lose sight of its use in relation to Christian places of worship intended for performing religious rites and services. They may also be called temples or cathedrals. Moreover, if, in general, any church can be called a temple, then a cathedral is, as a rule, the main church of a monastery or an entire city. When the chair of the ruling bishop is placed in it, it receives the status of a cathedral.

Churches should not be confused with chapels. Their main difference is not in size, but in the presence or absence of the room in which the altar is located - an obligatory accessory of the church. There are no altars in the chapels and therefore, except in extreme cases, the liturgy is not celebrated in them. From all of the above it is clear that the church is not only a religious organization or a philosophical concept, but also a specific religious building.

When people nowadays say the word “church,” they mean a building with domes and crosses. However, in this case, the concept of “church” is completely identified with the concept of “temple”. The Orthodox Church explains very clearly the difference between these two terms.

Indeed, it is easier for all people to say: “Let’s go to church” than: “Let’s go to temple.” But, nevertheless, the concept of “church” means, first of all, not stone walls, but people.

The Church (according to Orthodox teaching) is a group of people who are united by faith in Jesus Christ, the Law of God, submit to the hierarchy and participate in church sacraments.

This definition of the church appeared in the first centuries of Christianity. However, after Emperor Constantine the Great issued a decree on religious tolerance, and Christianity gained freedom, various heretical and sectarian teachings and movements began to spread among Christians, which also called themselves churches. The activities of these movements continue to this day. It should also be noted that sectarians and heretics not only call their organizations a church, but also try to embody in life all the characteristics that are characteristic of a true church (that is, the Law of God, faith in Jesus Christ, submission to the hierarchy and participation in the sacraments). Therefore, at first glance, it can be very difficult to prove where the true church is and where the sect is.

Jesus Christ said during one of his sermons: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” This teaching became key for all theologians, since it finally helped to give an absolutely clear concept of what a church is and what a sect or heresy is.

The Path is the canonical hierarchy, which is transmitted through the sacrament of the Priesthood (ordination) from the apostles themselves. Truth is the gospel teaching of Jesus Christ. Life is participation in church sacraments. If an organization that calls itself a church does not have at least one of these components, then it is not a true church.

Although sectarians have their own leaders, they do not have a canonical hierarchy, which was transmitted through the holy apostles. Sectarians often ask the question: why is only the Orthodox hierarchy considered true? And then they give a bunch of references from the Bible, which seem to prove that it makes no difference who the hierarchy came from. However, there are two important points here that shatter the sectarians’ teaching about hierarchy to smithereens. Firstly, Jesus Christ once breathed on the apostles and said: “Take the Holy Spirit; to whom you forgive the sins, they will be forgiven; to whom you forgive, they will remain.” Jesus Christ said this only to the apostles, and not to all people. Secondly, during the Feast of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit in the form of tongues of fire descended only on the apostles, and not on all people. From this we can see that the true hierarchy comes only from the apostles.

In addition, if you pay attention to the fact that the Lord allowed only the apostles to forgive sins (and in addition to the forgiveness of sins, also perform other sacraments), then only the canonical hierarchy can perform church sacraments.

Therefore, sectarians have neither a correct hierarchy nor grace from the sacraments that their leaders perform. The teaching of the sectarians is very different from the true doctrine. Therefore, any sect cannot call itself a church.

The majority of citizens of the post-Soviet space are Orthodox, much less people- these are Catholics. There are also Greek Catholic parishes in Ukraine. Disagreements between Orthodox and Catholic churches constantly upsets both some and others. The Orthodox Church recognizes the Catholic hierarchy and all the sacraments of Catholics and vice versa (as an example, we can say that Catholics are not re-baptized when they are accepted into Orthodoxy). However, these two branches of Christianity still have differences in doctrine. Also, despite the recognition of hierarchy and sacraments, the believers of these churches cannot pray together. However, this is not so bad. The second problem is that no one is addressing the issue of joint prayer: neither Orthodox, nor Catholics.

So we must remember that the church is not a building, but first of all people who unite around the Primary Source of all existence, and not around blind sectarian teaching, since the sectarian worldview is devoid of any grace.

There are few words that are used as often by Christians as the word “church.” Unfortunately, there are few people who put into this word the same meaning as the Bible and apply its biblical meaning in practice. Given the importance of properly understanding what God's Word says about the church, we will devote this article to a detailed discussion of this topic.

1. Church: definition

Taking a quick look at what most people understand by "church", we see that the vast majority use the word either to refer to a building where various religious ceremonies are held, or as part of the name of various denominations.

However, this use of the word “church” does not correspond to the definition given in God’s Word. Therefore, it is necessary to consider its meaning more carefully.

The word "church" is a translation of the Greek word "ekklesia", which means "called, called together". As E.U. writes Bullinger, this word is used to mean “any meeting, but especially a meeting of citizens, or elected citizens.” It is used 115 times in the New Testament, where it is translated “assembly” in 3 cases and “church” in the remaining 112 cases. Having considered those 3 cases where this word means “meeting”, we will be convinced that it refers not only to Christian meetings. For example, Acts 19 says this about those who opposed Paul at Ephesus:

Acts 19:32, 35, 39, 40
“Meanwhile, some shouted one thing, and others another, for the assembly [Greek.

“Ekklesia”] was disorderly, and most of those gathered did not know why they had gathered... The guardian of order, having calmed the people, said [to the meeting]:... “And if you are looking for something else, then this will be decided in a legal assembly [Greek.

"ekklesia"]. Having said this, he dissolved the assembly [Greek. "ekklesia"]. From this passage it is clear that the word "ekklesia" was used to designate a non-Christian, and in our case even an anti-Christian assembly. The Septuagint, a translation of the Old Testament into Greek, also confirms the meaning of the word ekklesia as "assembly." There the word is used 71 times and in all cases corresponds to the Hebrew word “qahal”, which means “meeting, gathering, in the sense of action; gathering, cathedral; an assembly in a broader sense, as a multitude of people, armies, nations, the wicked, the righteous, etc.” Based on this we can conclude:

general meaning

We have looked at the general meaning of the word "ekklesia", and now it is time to find out what it means in God's Word, and especially in that part of the Word that speaks of the age of grace (that is, Acts and the Epistles) in which we live. There, although the word again means an assembly, it means a special assembly, which includes only those who are born again, that is, all those who have confessed with their mouth Jesus as Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9 ).

Another concept used in the Bible to refer to believers in Christ throughout the world is "body" or "the body of Christ." Evidence that the words “church,” “body,” and “body of Christ” are equivalent terms for the community of Christians as a whole can be found in various passages of God’s Word. And beginning with 1 Corinthians 12:27 we read:
1 Corinthians 12:27 "AND YOU are the body of Christ

, and separately - members." And in Colossians 1:18
written:

“And He [Jesus Christ] is the head of the body of the Church...”
Additionally, Ephesians 1:22-23 says: “And [God] put all things in subjection under His [Christ’s] feet, and made Him high above all things, to be the head…»

The Church, which is the Body of Him [Christ] WE, all believers together, make up the Body of Christ. The Bible does not say that one body is gathered in one place and another in another. And the Bible does not call one denomination one body and another another. It only says that “ you are the Body of Christ

", "church ". And the word “you” refers to me, you, and every born again believer. The Word of God makes no distinctions at all based on denomination, race, social status, location, or other factors. Galatians 3:26-28 says:
Galatians 3:26-28 "For You are ALL sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus ;».

all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is no longer Jew or Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for

you are all one in Christ Jesus

We are all, without any distinction, God's children by faith in Jesus Christ, and we are all, again without any distinction, members of the body of Christ.
There is only one Church or Body, not several, and this is also clear from other passages in Scripture. In Romans 12:4-5 we read:

Romans 12:4-5 “For just as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we who are many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.” also in
“For just as the body is one, but has many members, and all the members of one body, although many, constitute one body, so is Christ.

For we were all baptized into one body by one Spirit, Jew or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink.”
1 Corinthians 12:20

“But now there are many members, but one body.”
Ephesians 2:16

“[in order...] in one body to reconcile both [Jews and Gentiles] to God through the cross, putting to death the enmity therein.”
Ephesians 4:4

“There is one body and one spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling.”
And finally, Colossians 3:15

From these passages it is obvious that the church, the body of Christ, is a single community that includes all those who have been born again, that is, those who have confessed with their lips Jesus as Lord and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead. Unfortunately, what God's Word says very clearly is ignored by many Christians, at least as evidenced by the existence of so many denominations. Indeed, many of us, instead of considering all believers as members of the one Body of Christ and all other Christians as brothers and sisters in one body, call ourselves members of a certain denomination, which is also considered a body or Church with a capital C, and all Christians who do not belong to this denomination are regarded as strangers or even enemies. Fortunately, God's Word does not share this position. And, as we see, for God we (all Christians) are not strangers or enemies to each other, even if we have different views on many issues. If we agree that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead, we are all children of God, brothers, members of one body, and, as Romans 12:5 says, members of one another. Isn't this wonderful? It is truly a pity that the devil has been able to hide this wonderful truth by making us think that the body is limited to a denomination, organization, or congregation. But this is not a body, but only parts of a body, which consists of thousands of other congregations and millions of Christians, even if their views agree only that Jesus is Lord, and God raised Him from the dead. Therefore, instead of interdenominational hostility and hatred, we must put into our hearts the truth that we are one body and act accordingly by loving and serving the other Christians who are one body with us. Otherwise, we are doomed to be at enmity with each other, thereby only causing harm to the body.

2. Church: its head

Having made sure that the church, as defined by the Bible, is one and includes all those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His resurrection, let us move on to the question of who is the head or ruler in the church. Once again, the Bible's answer to this extremely important question is very clear. Ephesians 5:23 says:

Ephesians 5:23
« Christ the head of the Church».

Here are more passages that confirm that the Lord Jesus is the ruler and head of the church:

Ephesians 1:22
“...and [God] put all things in subjection under His [Jesus] feet, and placed Him above all, the head of the Church».

Colossians 1:18
"And He [Jesus] is the head of the body of the Church».

From all these passages we see that God has appointed the Lord Jesus Christ to be the head of the church and EVERYTHING associated with it. He is the head, and the church is His Body. Just as in the physical body the head controls everything, so in the church Christ, being the head over all, leads and governs the church. He and only He is its leader and only boss. Thus, in contrast to the various hierarchies that can be seen in many denominations and organizations, the hierarchy of the church as established by God is as follows:

first of all, God is the head of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3). Then Christ, the head of the church, and then all of us who believe in Jesus Christ and his resurrection, making up the body of Christ - the church.

From here we draw the following conclusion: there is not “many churches with many mortal leaders,” but “ONE church with ONE immortal head - the Lord Jesus Christ.”

3. Church: its members

We have already seen that the only requirement to become a member of the church is to be born again or saved, which happens, I repeat, when we confess with our mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). We are also convinced that the ruler and head of the church is the Lord Jesus Christ. Next, with this in mind, we will look in more detail at the role of the members of the body of Christ.

3.1: Different Needs and Different Roles in the Church
It is no coincidence that God presents the church as a body. Although in the previous section we already looked at Christ as the head of the church, 1 Corinthians 12 expands on this metaphor in more detail. Beginning in verse 12 we read: 1 Corinthians 12:12-14“For, as there is one body (physical body - author’s note), but has many members, and all the members of one body, although they are many, constitute one body - so also Christ».

. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body (church - author's note), Jew or Greek, slave or free, and we were all given one Spirit to drink. The body is not made of one member, but of many Four times in this passage we are told that there is one body, which once again confirms what we have already seen, that there is only one Body to which all Christians belong. However, it says something else: “

The body is not made of one member, but of many
“If the foot says: I do not belong to the body because I am not a hand, then does it really not belong to the body? And if the ear says: I do not belong to the body, because I am not an eye, then does it really not belong to the body? If the whole body is eyes, then where is the hearing? If everything is hearing, then where is the sense of smell? But God arranged the members, each one in the composition of the body, as He pleased. And if everyone had one member, where would the body be?».

But now there are many members, but one body In this passage, Paul makes a divinely inspired comparison between the physical body and the church, the Body of Christ. And his conclusion is that, just as the physical body consists of many members, each of which performs a specific function necessary for the body, so in the Body of Christ, in the church, there are many members, each of which the Lord arranged so, as He pleased , to perform an action necessary for the Body, which may differ from the functions performed by other members of the body. To better explain this principle to us, Paul asks us to imagine what it would be like if everything were an eye. It is clear that in such a hypothetical case, a person could neither smell, nor move, nor bend - he would have nothing but vision. And therefore, rather than having a body consisting only of eyes, it is much better if the body has various functions that meet its needs. In this way all the members of the body will be used and all the needs of the body will be satisfied the best way. As 1 Corinthians 12:19 says: “ What if everyone had one member?(that is, if all members performed the same role - author's note),

We are all, without any distinction, God's children by faith in Jesus Christ, and we are all, again without any distinction, members of the body of Christ.
then where would the body be ? Applying this principle to the body of Christ, instead of all members having the same role, it is much better to distribute responsibilities among the members of the body so that everyone is fully involved and all the needs of the body are met. This is exactly what happens. Romans 12:4-5 says:"For,

just as we have many members in one body, but not all the members have the same function, so we , many, we are one body in Christ.” As this passage shows, there is a division of responsibilities in the Body of Christ, and each member of the body has a role that may be different from the other. But who determines our role in the Body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 12:18 gives us the answer. It says: "

Having seen that there are many responsibilities in the Body of Christ, and not all members of the Body have the same responsibilities, let us move on to the next aspects. Below in 1 Corinthians 12 we read:

1 Corinthians 12:21-25
“The eye cannot say to the hand: I don’t need you; or also head to feet: I don’t need you. On the contrary, the members of the body that seem weakest are much more necessary, and those that seem to us to be less noble in the body, we take more care of; and our unseemly ones are covered more plausibly, but our good-looking ones have no need for it. But God proportioned the body, instilling greater care for the less perfect, so that there would be no division in the body, and all members would equally care for each other.”

There is not a single member in the Body of Christ that does not need other members, and there is not a single member that is not needed in the Body of Christ. This passage tells us that God composed the Body in such a way that its members were dependent on each other.

Returning to responsibilities in the Body: 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 says:

1 Corinthians 12:28-30
« And God placed others in the Church(in the body - author's note), firstly, the Apostles, secondly, the prophets, thirdly, teachers; further, gave to others miraculous powers, also gifts of healing, help, administration, different languages. Are all Apostles?

Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are everyone miracle workers? Does everyone have gifts of healing? Does everyone speak in tongues? Are everyone interpreters?” In this passage, Paul makes a divinely inspired comparison between the physical body and the church, the Body of Christ. And his conclusion is that, just as the physical body consists of many members, each of which performs a specific function necessary for the body, so in the Body of Christ, in the church, there are many members, each of which the Lord arranged so, In this passage God's Word enumerates to us the duties that exist in the Body of Christ, and which, as has already been said, are distributed among the members of the body,

. The roles listed in the above passage are: apostles, prophets, teachers, miracle workers, having gifts of healing, speaking in tongues, interpreters of tongues.
Ephesians 4:7-8, 11 talks about this in more detail. We read:

Ephesians 4:7-8, 11
“For just as we have many members in one body, but not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. And since, by the grace given to us, we have various gifts, then if you have prophecy, prophesy according to the measure of faith; If you have a ministry, remain in the service; whether a teacher, - in teaching; whether you are an exhorter, exhort;

whether you are a distributor, distribute in simplicity; Whether you are a boss, lead with zeal;

If you are a benefactor, do charity with cordiality.”

As we see from these passages, there are many different functions in the Body.

1 Corinthians 12:28-30
God Himself distributes them among the members in such a way as to best satisfy all the needs of the Body. Thus, there are teachers to teach, evangelists to evangelize, shepherds to shepherd the church, etc. Like our physical body, the Body of Christ is self-sufficient because God has assigned each member a specific function to meet every need. 4. Closer Look at 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 Based on all of the above, the reader may think that a person can benefit the Body by fulfilling only the role that God has assigned to him.

In other words, one might think that a teacher cannot serve as a pastor, or that no one can speak in tongues, or interpret, or prophesy, unless the Lord has given him such a role in the Body. 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 is often used to support this view.

It says:
“And God appointed others in the Church, first, apostles,

The word “desire” in this passage is in the present tense. The Greek verb used is “thelo,” which means “to desire, to love, to delight, to enjoy.” The verb is in the present tense, which suggests that God is expressing his desire and preference for the present tense. So God wants and desires for you to speak in tongues now. “I desire that you all speak in tongues,” says the Lord. And this is not a hypothetical desire, this is what God wants now, in the present tense, from all of us.

Returning to our topic, we need to answer a simple question: is it possible that God wants us all to speak in tongues if speaking in tongues were not available to everyone? Of course not . So, if God wants us ALL to speak in tongues, that means we ALL can speak in tongues. This is what God's Word says, and nothing else is meant. By the way, all Christians, without exception, can not only speak in other tongues, but also prophesy and interpret tongues.

It says:
Verse 5 tells us:

“I wish (Greek “thelo” - “I want” - author’s note) that you all speak in tongues; but it is better that you (all - author's note) prophesy; For he who prophesies is superior to him who speaks in tongues, unless he also speaks, so that the church may be edified.”

Since God asks us not only to speak in tongues, but also to prophesy and explain (the latter two gifts we use in the church to edify the Body of Christ), this means that we can not only speak in tongues, but also prophesy and explain. So, with all that said, what do the questions in 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 mean? The answer must be found in the context of the passage. And as we have seen, the context (1 Corinthians 12:12-30) does not speak of manifestations of the spirit, but of purpose , about special duties which a believer can perform in church. In our case, ALL Christians can and should speak in tongues, interpret, prophesy, and strive to manifest all nine gifts of the Spirit listed in 1 Corinthians 12:7-10. related to speaking in tongues, teaching, prophecy or explanations, etc. To better understand this point, let's imagine that someone was appointed by God as a teacher in the church, and another was appointed to serve through other tongues. Both of them can teach and speak in tongues, but for service in the Body the first will be more useful through teaching, and the second through other tongues. As we have already seen, we all belong to one Body, but we are all different members.

In conclusion, this must be said: All Christians can do anything. However, in the Body God has assigned some to one ministry and others to another. If anyone is now wondering what their role is in the body, then my answer is: turn to God and ask what He wants from you. It doesn't matter what the name of this ministry is, because I could be appointed in the Body as an evangelist and not do it. On the other hand, if I submit myself to God, He will certainly lead me to what, from His point of view, I should do in the Body. I may not even know the name of my role, but that’s not important. It is important to place myself at God's disposal so that He can use me, a member of the Body, as He sees fit. Thus, we must turn to God and ask Him to show us why He needs us in the Body. His job is to show us how He wants to use us in the Body and to lead us in that direction. Our business is to place ourselves at His disposal, to do whatever He says, and to act when He wants us to.

Notes

For example, "Roman Catholic Church", "Greek Orthodox Church", "Anglican Church", etc.

See Young's concordance to the Bible, p. 59.

See New Wilson's Old Testament Word Studies, Kregel Publications, Grand Rapids, Michigan, p.92.

Apart from three occurrences in the gospels and seven occurrences in Revelation, the majority of the word "ekklesia" appears in Acts and the epistles.

In addition to being used in a broad sense, the word "church" is also used in a narrow sense, meaning a gathering of born-again believers in a particular area. So in Romans 16:3-5 and 1 Corinthians 4:15 we are told about the church in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, that is, about the meeting of believers that took place in their house. Also Colossians 4:15 talks about the church in the house of Nymphas. There are other passages where local congregations of believers are called churches: Romans 16:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, and Galatians 1:2. The meaning of the word church (the local assembly of believers or the body of Christ throughout the world) in a particular passage is determined by the context.

It is characteristic that although the word “church” is also found in plural, when used in the narrow sense (see footnote 5 and Galatians 1:21), the word "body" is never used in the plural and always means the one universal Body of Christ, the Universal Church.

1 Corinthians 11:3 also says that Christ also has a head, God.

We look at 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 in more detail in the fourth section of the article. Also note that apostle is a role in the Body of Christ, not a title for the twelve biblical apostles. And just as there are teachers and evangelists today, so there can be apostles.

According to 1 Corinthians 12:8-12, these include: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healings, working miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.

See Greek Bible Dictionary Online.

Unfortunately, many translations, especially in English language, misrepresent the meaning of the passage by translating it as: “I would that you all spoke in tongues.” However, Greek does not use the subjunctive mood (“lalein” - speak). (See also explanations in the Online Bible.) God is not expressing a hypothetical desire here, but He is saying what He wants us to do NOW.

Otherwise, 1 John 1:5 would not tell us that “God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.” Can one be called Light who, wanting certain actions from us, does not give us the opportunity to perform them? .