Teens and Christ
← The Church, Communion and Baptism

Lesson 1 of 5 · 8 min

What the Church Actually Is

Not a building or an event — a people, gathered around Jesus.

A people, not a place

The New Testament word for church, ekklesia, means an assembly — people called together. There were no church buildings for the first three centuries; there were households, meals, letters read aloud and shared bread.

That means 'I don't need church, I have my faith' misunderstands the design. Almost every New Testament command assumes other Christians standing nearby: forgive one another, carry one another's burdens, encourage one another.

What a church does

Four things appear from the very beginning: the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Add baptising new believers and caring for the poor and you have the pattern that every healthy church since has followed in some form.

Universal and local

The church universal is every Christian everywhere across all time. The local church is the specific, flawed, particular group you actually show up to. You need the second to experience the first.

Key passages

  • They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.

    Acts 2:42

  • Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.

    Hebrews 10:24-25

  • Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

    1 Corinthians 12:27

Reflect

What has your experience of church been, and how much of that is about the people rather than the idea?

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Next: Baptism

Where this came from

We're not experts — these are the sources we used while researching this page. Read them yourself, keep digging, and hold us to them.

  1. [1]The Holy Bible — Blue Letter Bible interlinear and lexicons

    Primary source for every lesson; Strong's and BDB/Thayer entries for word studies.

  2. [2]The Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed (381) — full text and history, Britannica

    The doctrinal frame for the lessons on God, Christ and the Spirit.

  3. [3]N. T. Wright, lectures and articles archive (NTWrightPage)

    New Testament scholarship drawn on for the gospel, kingdom and resurrection lessons.

  4. [4]Catechism of the Catholic Church (Vatican) and the Westminster Confession of Faith

    Consulted side by side wherever a lesson describes how different traditions teach a doctrine.