Searching for That Mysterious New Testament Church

We first see the word church in Colossians when Paul declares that Christ is “the head of the body, the church” (1:18). Paul’s ministry is for the sake of “his body, that is, the church” (1:24). He concludes with greetings to “Nympha and the church in her house” and instructions that his letter be read “in the church of the Laodiceans” (4:15-16). Our search is for that mysterious church but for Paul the great mystery is Christ in his relationship to the church, “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (1:26-27). All this written 30 years after Jesus of Nazareth was crucified.

Let us do a name search for that early church. Paul’s first letter is to “the church of the Thessalonians” (1 Thess. 1:1). His next letter is to “the churches of Galatia” (Gal. 1:2). In both letters he looks back to “the churches of Judaea that are in Christ” (Gal. 1:22), churches which he describes as “the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea” (1 Thess. 2:14). Here we begin to see a name. This leads us to Paul’s letters to “the church of God that is in Corinth” (1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor1:1). Then we come to Romans and its farewell greeting, “All the churches of Christ greet you” (Rom. 16:16). Ah, that is our name. But recalling that Paul most likely wrote this letter from Corinth, the Churches of Christ included the church of God at Corinth. Our name search reveals that there is no one name that denominates the church. Instead, we see descriptions of relationships in God and in his son Jesus the Christ.

Let us do a history search; a look at the beginnings of the church and the first uses of the word church. In the Gospels Jesus speaks of the church as something he will build (Mt. 16:18), but first he must be killed and rise again. After his death and resurrection in Luke’s Gospel, Jesus says that he will send the promise of his Father before repentance and remission of sins in his name is proclaimed (Lk. 24:47-49). Those promises all come together on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Jesus is proclaimed as one who lived and did mighty works of God, he was crucified according to God’s plan and God raised him up from death and has installed Jesus as both Lord and Christ. Many are convicted by that message. They obey the command to repent and be baptized. The are saved and are added together (Acts 2:41, 47). That group of believers continue together as a community devoted to learning, worship and proclamation. They are called the church (Acts 5:11; 8:1).

This search has many implications for today. I conclude with a disclaimer. Nowhere is there an official description of a “New Testament church.” Instead, there is a story in the New Testament of the formation of Christ’s body, the church, and its on-going life. That story is our model and authority for us as we seek to become and be the body of Christ, his church. May we always be searchers for that church.

—Tom Yoakum