Scripture accents the Church in one primary meaning (spiritual), and secondary as the church (institutional). To these the peoples of history have added conceptions, some of which are appropriate, and some distorted. According to Scripture the Church is a spiritual organism and institution, if the word organism may be used in this context. It is an ideal spiritual reality, reflecting meaning in a number of ways in the physical world. In its spiritual meaning every Christian belongs to it even if his or her name does not appear on a particular church role. The church is one way of expressing unity, for unity is important to God, in the relationship of Christians with each other and to Christ. The Church is one, and only one. The Church is taught as a unique reality in the heavenly kingdom likened unto marriage between a man and a woman, so the Church is perceived in female terms and made the bride of Christ. When a congregation plants a new church it is called a daughter church. Cast another way – human marriage is properly seen as a life analogy of the relationship between Christ and the Church. The male/female of nature’s humanity is an analogy of Christ and Church.
Some of the loss of the marriage parable occurs in the gender controversies of the present era. Historically the tribe of man included all persons – male, female, young and old. When the word man designation was casually limited to males, the semantic problem was born. Those sensitive to pronoun designations as harboring prejudice or privilege began to argue for gender-neutral statements. References to the intimacy of God with his followers in the marriage context – as husband and bride, as Father and son/daughter were partly muted, sometimes lost. At this writing the gender mix-up continues. Interested activists and linguists are addressing the issue.
The Bible also uses the plural word churches. Context is clear that there are churches in communities. There is a church in a city. There is a church in a home. There are the seven churches of the early part of the Revelation of John. This is reference to visible groups meeting in places that may be called churches. So church came also to be used in other meanings than the primary one. That words may be used with multiple meanings is true for many words, with some having contradictory meanings discovered only in the contexts in which they are used. Language is fluid not rigid. Some persons have an attitude of firmness about terms, while others use those terms in variances. This semantic problem is an important factor for any language.
When the secular world refers to the church it usually means the physical church that can be seen and evaluated in human terms – with a congregation. That world is little interested in the theological meaning of the Church, or in her value beyond the social impact she has in society. Knowing that practical interpretation, and preferring that his Church not be maligned, Jesus gave instructions about what the Church should be and do in society – to serve. Service, including gospel witness, is her meaning to a needy and generally troubled society. So she is to help care for the poor, the hungry, the family, even the abused, the sick, the halt and the prisoner. She is to be a righteous entity. Her spiritual duty is to worship God, and proclaim the word of hope to a world needing redemptive life. Her duty is to serve mankind, which is translated by God as service to God. With serious lapses and gains in her duties through history, the Church has served mankind rather well in Christ’s name. Any wrong turns are more than matched in the right turns. Christians often hold imperfect understanding of the Church and the church. *Mark W. Lee, Sr. — 2016, 2020