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