Introduction

Christ is the head of His church.

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.

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