Today’s Thoughts – 28 October 2020

When we speak of the church, I would like to be very clear. We do not speak of a universal church, for the Greek word for church used here means “a called-out assembly.” Thus, we speak of a local body of believers. And we see three aspects of the church in these verses.

Household

We first see that Paul refers to the church as “the house of God.” And it is true that we should feel like brothers and sisters when we are at church or fellowshipping with believers.

However, let us remember that we ought to behave like family in the best of ways – loving, caring, helpful, etc. And we should keep away from the dark sides of the family – shunning, fighting, disputing, etc.

Assembly

As we mentioned previously, the church is a local assembly of believers. They are called out by God to minister to their locality. Each church may conduct themselves differently in different areas of the world. But all churches and pastors should lean on the Word of God (especially 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, and Titus) on how they should conduct themselves.

Foundation

Finally, the church is a foundation for believers. Not only is the church built on Truth – Jesus Christ – but it also displays the truth. It helps believers learn and understand the truth. But it also defends the truth from those who would seek to discredit God’s Word. Let us remember that the local believers are the ones who must share the Word of God with others.