After having briefly presented to you the nature of the covenant of grace, we promised to discuss three subjects more extensively: 1) the Surety of the covenant; 2) the partakers of the covenant, who constitute the church; and 3) the ways whereby the Lord Jesus leads His partakers of this covenant to glory, or the benefits of which the Lord makes them partakers. The first subject we have already discussed in chapters 17-23, and we will now proceed to discuss the second subject: the partakers of the covenant. When considered together, they are referred to as the church or congregation.
The Church: Known from the Word of God
First, it is necessary to state clearly and succinctly what the church is in her essential nature, in order that everyone may know which congregation he ought to join. They who belong to the true church ought to rejoice, exclaiming, “Christ is here!” for Christ only dwells in the true church. Only there, by His Spirit, is He engaged in the work of conversion, consolation, and sanctification. “For there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life for evermore” (Ps 133:3).
Therefore one must search the Word of God to discern which congregation constitutes the church. I repeat, search the Word, for the veracity of God’s Word is not determined by the church, even though she preserves, protects, and proclaims the Word entrusted to her (Rom 3:2), and thus is called “the pillar and ground of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15). The true church, however, is identified by the Word of God, for she is “built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets” (Eph 2:20). Scripture also teaches that one must first be instructed before one can be admitted to the sacraments, that is, be admitted into the church community. This is confirmed in the following texts: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them” (Matt 28:19); “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized” (Acts 2:41); “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus … and the eunuch said … what doth hinder me to be baptized” (Acts 8:35-36).
Since there are so many churches which call themselves the Christian church, we are at present all the more obligated to search the Word of God in order to ascertain which is the true church, and which congregation holds to the truth. He who therefore earnestly searches God’s Word by either reading it, hearing it read, or hearing it preached, and who perseveringly, humbly, and heartily prays to be led into the truth, may expect that the Lord will bring him to the true church. If he is already in the true church, he may also expect that the Lord, to his joy, will assure him of this.
Secondly, the word “church” occurs seventy-seven times in the King James Version of the Bible.1 It is a transliteration of the Greek word κυριακή (kuriake), of which “church” is the abbreviated, anglicized form. It means, “that which belongs to the Lord.” One will thus find the word κυριακό (kuriako) in the phrase “the Lord’s Supper” (1 Cor 11:20), and the word κυριακή (kuriake) in the phrase “the day of the Lord.” This is likewise true for the church of the Lord, that is, the congregation.
The word congregation is generally used in the Old Testament and church in the New Testament, both of which are expressed by various words in the original languages, such as קהל (qahal). “Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints עדה (èdah)” (Ps 89:5); “… their congregation Εκκλησία (ekklesia) shall be established before Me” (Jer 30:20); “… when ye come together in the church” (1 Cor 11:18).
The word Ευναγωγή (synagogé) is not translated as “congregation,” but as “gathering.” It sometimes refers to the building in which the congregation gathers, and at other times to the congregation itself which gathers there, be they Jews or Christians. “For if there come unto your assembly (synagogé),” etc. (James 2:2). These words in their original meaning refer to an orderly gathering of people which has been summoned together, in contrast to a disorderly multitude of people. In our language “congregation” or “church” refers to the mutual fellowship of those who have been summoned together and gather with Christ as their Head.
In our treatment of this subject, we neither understand the word “church” to refer to a house or building in which the congregation gathers to hear the Word of God and use the sacraments, nor to the elders of the church, or consistory as representatives of the church, such as in Matt 18:17, where we read, “ … tell it unto the church.” Rather, we understand by “church” the congregation of the people.
We wish to establish at the outset that there are not two or more churches, but only one Christian church. This one church we now wish to consider together.
This one church is made up of all the elect who have been called from the beginning of the world and are yet to be called until the end of the world. They are Christ’s peculiar people (Titus 2:14). “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven” (Heb 12:23); “… Christ also loved the church, and gave Himself for it” (Eph 5:25). This one congregation is partially in heaven, and is called the church triumphant, to which reference is made in Rev 7:9-16. This, however, is not the subject of discussion here. This congregation exists also partially upon earth and is called the church militant. It is the church militant which is the subject of this chapter. One can view this church either in its entirety, dispersed throughout the entire world, or as individual congregations in a nation, city, or village. As such one can refer to the church of England, of the Netherlands, or of Rotterdam.