The doctrine of the church is one of the essential doctrines in theology, and our understanding of the church will determine the way we do ministry and worship. The church is not just the building, but it is a community of believers. The doctrine of the church is crucial for several reasons.
Christ founded the church
First, Christ founded the church (Matthew chapter 16 verse 18), and hence He determines the operation of the church. Also, He purchased the church with His blood (Acts chapter 20 verse 28). He loved the church and died for her (Ephesians chapter 5 verse 25). The church is also the body of Christ (Ephesians chapter 1 verse 23).
The church is the main instrument for glorifying God and bringing the gospel to the nations (Matthew chapter 28 verse 18). However, doctrine is not simply knowledge or information. Still, it is the truth derived from the careful study of the Scripture, which will renew your mind and affect your behaviors. Thus, ecclesiology is practical as well as theological.
There are several implications for having a correct understanding of the church. First, the accurate understanding of the purpose of the church will affect how we conduct our worship service. The church exists to exalt God or to glorify Him. Hence, as His chosen people, we should be zealous to glorify God and exalt Him in our worship service. Our worship should be designed to praise His glory in words of praise.
Gathered to glorify God
Whenever the church gathers, its goal is to glorify God in all they do in their worship service. Also, the church exists to edify the believers. The church consists of all believers of all ages, and thus it exists to inspire the believers. It does not exist to entertain the unbelievers and or to draw them to church.
We should not follow the “seeker-sensitive” movement as presented by certain ministries. Many focus only on the non-visitors in their worship service, and fail to “present everyone complete in Christ.” So, the church exists to build up each other in Christ (1 Corinthians chapter 14 verse 26). Its main goal is to, as Paul states in Colossians chapter 1 verse 28, “present everyone complete in Christ.”
Therefore, the worship service must be catered to the edification of the saints and for the glory of God. Finally, the church exists to preach the gospel to the lost (Matthew chapter 28). Jesus made it clear in the great commission that the church needs to reach the world with the gospel.
Unity and purity
Second, the correct understanding of the unity and purity of the church will cause each member to love one another as God has loved them. The church of Christ is to be marked by purity and unity. To achieve these two marks, each member is to practice the “one-another” commandments in the New Testament.
For example, the New Testament commands believers to live in harmony (Romans chapter 12 verse 16). If the church wants to pursue unity, they need to live in peace with each other. On the other hand, to protect the church’s purity, the Scripture commands each member to watch his or her life and doctrine closely (1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 16 and 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 14). The church is only pure when it is far from false doctrine and immoral practices. It only pertains when the church pursues.
Spiritual structure
Third, the church needs to understand the spiritual structure and follow it to be effective in ministry. Jesus has established not only the church but also designed its spiritual structure. The absolute rule of Christ as the head of the church is administered through godly leaders that God has given to the church (1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 12-13 and Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11).
God has appointed elders and deacons to shepherd His flocks. Suppose we understand God’s design for the church. In that case, we need to appoint pastors and elders that exhibit godly characters and effectively communicate God's word to lead the congregation.
Means of grace
Fourth, we also need to correctly understand the means of grace to carry out the means of grace biblically. The responsibility of pastors and teachers is to expound the word of God and preach it. The primary means of sanctification is the word of God. However, nowadays, many pastors give motivational speeches on Sundays, and as a result, their congregation remains spiritually immature. Both baptism and the Lord’s supper are two ordinances that Jesus has instituted for the church to follow. Understanding the meaning and significance of these two ordinances is essential to observe them biblically.
Church discipline
Also, the church needs to have a biblical understanding of church discipline as well. Even though the phrase “church discipline” carries a bad connotation, we need to practice church discipline to restore sinning brothers and sisters and maintain the purity of the church.
Again, doctrine is practical. How we understand doctrine will impact the way we conduct our ministry. The Lord Jesus has not only established His church but also instructed us how to operate His church. Therefore, we need to understand the doctrine of the church and apply it biblically.
Dat Nguyen is a student at the Master’s Seminary and a member of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles, California. His desire is to be a faithful minister of the Word of God. He loves playing basketball and watching movies.