In The Church

In the Bible

As I was reading Acts 13:1 where Luke records a list of prophets and teachers in the Antioch church, I noticed the phrase “in the church.” In the context of this specific passage the point is that these servants of the Lord are included among the saints “in the church.” This exact phrase is only in the ESV version of the New Testament five times total. But I think that the concept is prevalent in our own day in both good and bad ways.

In this post, I would like to explore many different ways that we as believers could understand our relationship with the church and maybe some ways that we shouldn’t. For example, if we speak about being in the church as a reference to our bodies being in the building where our church meets that would easily be understood today, but it would be foreign to the first century because they did not have special meeting places that were designated for the Christian meeting. In the Old Covenant, the Temple, and before that the Tabernacle, was the special place of meeting, but in the New Covenant we are the temple. 

Also, many people might use the phrase “in the church” to refer to their formal membership. This is important because it is based on the covenantal promise of the person and the church, However, if someone is not faithful to some of these other ways of being in relationship with the church it probably means that their membership is invalid.

In Attendance

One more wrong way to account for the phrase is to consider one “in the church” based on mere attendance. The most common text referred to often by christians and even pastors to urge attendance comes from Hebrews 10:24-25, here the writer is encouraging the believers not to stop meeting together. But I think it is very important for us to notice that this is not referring to a passive attendance but active forms of mutual edification. The believers are to consider how to stir each other up, not put each other to sleep. The goal is to help one another to excel in love and good works.

In Fellowship

Fellowship may be a misunderstood term in our modern context, especially in the Bible belt. We often simply equate it with having a meal together. We should understand that a meal or a cup of coffee or work day are contexts in which fellowship can happen but they are not Christian fellowship itself. Christian fellowship itself is when we share with one another and listen to one another as we discuss God and the things of God especially as they apply to our lives. I think this also includes using our individual spiritual gifts to assist each other in seeking to strive toward the holiness that we have in Christ (Hebrews 12:12-14).

In Participation

Participation goes along with the idea of fellowship. As a matter of fact, the Greek is often translated as fellowship or participation depending on the context. The point is that the Christian meeting was never meant in the Bible to be a performance or a place for anyone to need to be a spectator. The congregation is not an audience! Instead we should all be contributing participants in the life and activity of the meeting (1 Corinthians 14:26-33a).

In Agreement

It is a shame that so often in our day Christians are known for strife and contention. This is especially problematic when the ones we are struggling against are our brothers and sisters in Christ. I certainly don’t have all the answers, but if we are in Christ we are also indwelt by the same Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-6). If we are believers in Christ we have the same kind of faith. If we are co-heirs with Christ we have the same hope and promises. If we are in Christ then we have the mind of Christ and so we should and must agree by submitting to the teaching of the scriptures (1 Corinthians 2:16).

In Love

The greatest proof of a genuine relationship with God is not theological acumen or spiritual power or emotional expressions but genuine love for the brethren. Those who love God also love God’s people. There are no exceptions. If we have come to know the God who is love then we must also love one another. Jesus even teaches us to love our enemies (1 John 4:11-21).

In Christ

Ultimately, to be in the church is the blessing and consequence of being in Christ. Some believe that to be in Christ one must be in the church. These groups usually mean in their church. But it's actually the other way around. To be in the church you must be in Christ because the church is His body (Romans 12:4-5). There simply is no way to truly be in the church without faith in Christ for His the door and the only way (John 10:7-9, 14:1-6)!

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