Introduction

Christ is the head of His church.

  • Matthew 16:18
  • Acts 11:20-26 – “… to the Lord”
  • Acts 20:28
  • Ephesians 5:23-30

Let’s be precise and kind with our words.

  • Proverbs 15:1-4
  • “Legalist”
  • “Anti-“
  • “Conservative” / “Liberal” – These are relative terms.
  • “Institutional” / “Non-institutional”

We’re not interested in trying to prove points based on tradition or bias.

  • John 12:48

We’re interested in Biblical truth.

It’s important to continually study this topic.

What does “church” mean?

The word “ekklesia”

  • Matthew 16:18
  • “the ‘called out ones’ of God” (Mounce)
  • The word “group” is a good parallel to ekklesia.

The Bible’s use of “ekklesia” – secular group

  • Israel in wilderness – Acts 7:38
  • Riotous mob – Acts 19:32, 41
  • Legal court – Acts 19:39