The Church as a Divine and Human Movement

There is nothing on earth like the Church. Tim Keller says in his book Serving a Movement that the Church is both a human institution and a spiritual community. Different faith traditions may disagree concerning the organization and authority of the local Church. Yet every faith tradition can agree that spiritual and social concerns arise as Christians gather.

In the early days of the Church, we learned about general organization (Acts 2:42), resource sharing (Acts 5), and formal ministry structure (Acts 6). The movement of the early Church was growing rapidly, creating new organizational infrastructure to meet the growing needs.

Ecclesia (the Greek word from which we get the English word ‘church’)  means a gathering. The etymology of ecclesia is more social than spiritual. Yet, at its most basic definition, human organizational structure alone does not fully describe the Church. Theologian Wayne Grudem describes the local Church as a community of people gathered to read and teach the Word of God, where worship focuses on the one true God and where the people participate in sacraments.

When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to his followers on earth, what we know as Pentecost, the Christian Church was born. Jesus promised to build his Church in Matthew 16:17-19 (CSB).

“Jesus responded, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will have been loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:17-19, CSB).

Faith traditions have interpreted Jesus’ words recorded in Matthew’s gospel differently. What is not debated is that Jesus declares the purpose and ownership of His Church. The Church is a spiritual community built by Jesus and a human institution organized by Jesus’ followers. There is nothing like the Church! The Church is Jesus’ Church, a movement launched and alive at the intersection of the human and divine!

How do you connect with your local Church as a divine movement launched and built by Jesus?

How do you connect with your local Church as a human institution, living on mission with God in disciplemaking movement?