Lesson 1 – The Two Aspects of the Church
Ephesians 3:10-11 In order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies the multifarious wisdom of God might be made known through the church, According to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord,
Matthew 16:16-18 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 18:17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector.
- The vision concerning the church
- God’s eternal purpose being the Church 1
- The church being the building up of all God’s chosen, redeemed, regenerated, and transformed people, not a physical structure 2
- The essence of the church is of life, not of knowledge 3, 4
- The nature of the church being of heaven, not of earth 5
- The foundation of the church being Christ 6
- The truth according to the Bible 7
- The universal aspect 8, 9
- Including all New Testament believers
- As revealed by the Lord in Matthew 16:18
- The local aspect 10, 11
- The believers living in the local churches
- The local churches being the local expressions of the Body of Christ
- All the local churches constituting the one Body of Christ
Bible References:
- In order that now to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenlies the multifarious wisdom of God might be made known through the church, According to the eternal purpose which He made in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Ephesians 3:10-11)
- You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 2:5)
- (And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us); (1 John 1:2 )
- Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been begotten of God, and everyone who loves Him who has begotten loves him also who has been begotten of Him. (1 John 5:1)
- And one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, Come here; I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb. And he carried me away in spirit onto a great and high mountain and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, (Revelation 21:9-10)
- Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the cornerstone; (Ephesians 2:20)
- Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all. (Colossians 3:11)
- And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in the heavens. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16: 16-18)
- And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, Which is His Body, the fullness of the One who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:22-23)
- And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to hear the church also, let him be to you just like the Gentile and the tax collector. (Matthew 18:17 )
- In whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in spirit. (Ephesians 2:22)