The church is from the Greek word "ekklesia" which means a calling out, that is, (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation: - assembly, church [Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries]. Different descriptions are also found in the bible regarding the church: it is also called 1) The Body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23), 2) The Household of Christ ( 1 Timothy 3:15), 3) The Kingdom of Christ (Colossians 1:13), 4) The Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:6-9), and 5) The Temple of God (1 Corinthians 3:9, 16-17).
The bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ promised to build His church which was fulfilled at the baptism of the 3,000 souls on the first day of Pentecost (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:1-47); with these written truths we could clearly understand that the church has an important purpose in our lives. Let us then search and rightly divide the word of truth and understand more what it can teach us regarding the purpose of the church (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope". (Romans 15:4)
The story of the ark that Noah built gives us a very good parallel concerning the purpose of the church today. We take a short trip back in time and visit Noah and the ark that he built. In those time, God saw the wickedness of men and how the earth became corrupted. God wanted to destroy the earth, thus, He planned to send a flood that will destroy the earth and every living things on it.
"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:11-13). "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die" (Genesis 6:17).
But we can see that before the flood arrives Noah made an ark according to what God had commanded him to do, he made it according to God's pattern for it is an ark that will save those who will enter in it at the time of flood.
"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark" (Genesis 7:23).
Now going back to our present time we can read a warning written by the apostle Paul, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Because of these present wickedness our Heavenly Father sent His only beloved Son to build a church (John 3:16; Matthew 16:18). Many must have laughed at Jesus when He said that He will build His church same as many did laughed at Noah when he built the ark; but we understood that those who were outside the ark were destroyed when the flood came, they drowned and then they died. Those who loved the world more than our God must understand that the world will pass away and that it is not wise to be caught swimming in sin for the wages of sin is death but those who will listen and do the will of God will abide forever (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 6:23).
"Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). God used the ark as a saving agency in Noah's time (...and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark - Genesis 7:23) -- today, the church was built by Christ for the same purpose; those who will remain faithful inside the Lord's church will receive the salvation of their souls (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 5:23; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13).
The bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ promised to build His church which was fulfilled at the baptism of the 3,000 souls on the first day of Pentecost (Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:1-47); with these written truths we could clearly understand that the church has an important purpose in our lives. Let us then search and rightly divide the word of truth and understand more what it can teach us regarding the purpose of the church (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 2:15; Ephesians 3:4; 2 Timothy 3:16-17).
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope". (Romans 15:4)
The story of the ark that Noah built gives us a very good parallel concerning the purpose of the church today. We take a short trip back in time and visit Noah and the ark that he built. In those time, God saw the wickedness of men and how the earth became corrupted. God wanted to destroy the earth, thus, He planned to send a flood that will destroy the earth and every living things on it.
"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth" (Genesis 6:11-13). "And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die" (Genesis 6:17).
But we can see that before the flood arrives Noah made an ark according to what God had commanded him to do, he made it according to God's pattern for it is an ark that will save those who will enter in it at the time of flood.
"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark" (Genesis 7:23).
Now going back to our present time we can read a warning written by the apostle Paul, "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16). Because of these present wickedness our Heavenly Father sent His only beloved Son to build a church (John 3:16; Matthew 16:18). Many must have laughed at Jesus when He said that He will build His church same as many did laughed at Noah when he built the ark; but we understood that those who were outside the ark were destroyed when the flood came, they drowned and then they died. Those who loved the world more than our God must understand that the world will pass away and that it is not wise to be caught swimming in sin for the wages of sin is death but those who will listen and do the will of God will abide forever (1 John 2:15-17; Romans 6:23).
"Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved" (Acts 2:47). "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body" (Ephesians 5:23). God used the ark as a saving agency in Noah's time (...and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark - Genesis 7:23) -- today, the church was built by Christ for the same purpose; those who will remain faithful inside the Lord's church will receive the salvation of their souls (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 5:23; Revelation 2:10; Matthew 24:13).
