The Church - Doctrine in Twelve Weeks
A Study on The Church - Leader Guide and Handout
Consider beginning your study with a devotional reading of Matthew 16:13-20, reflecting on Jesus' declaration about building His church and the profound implications of this divine institution.
In our previous sessions, we explored God's nature, His Word, humanity's condition, and salvation. Now we turn to examine how God's redemptive work continues through His chosen vehicle—the Church. Understanding the Church's nature, purpose, and function is crucial for every believer, as it shapes how we live out our faith in community and fulfill Christ's mission in the world. While the Bible has much to say about the Church, this lesson serves as a doctrinally focused overview about the essential elements of the Church that Christians are called to embrace.
How Did Jesus Establish His Church? (Matthew 16:13-20)
Invite a study participant to read Matthew 16:13-20. Guide the discussion to explore the significance of Peter's confession and Jesus' response about building His church. What does this foundational passage reveal about the Church's nature and purpose in God’s plan?
This pivotal moment at Caesarea Philippi establishes Christ's church. The interplay between divine revelation ("flesh and blood has not revealed this to you") and human confession becomes a pattern for how the church would function—God reveals, His people respond in faith, and He builds His church through this dynamic relationship. Jesus' declaration of "My church" gives us both our identity and our source of authority.
The passage reveals both divine and human elements in the church's establishment, beautifully illustrated in the wordplay between Peter (Petros) and rock (petra). While various traditions understand this "rock" differently, we find common ground in Paul's elaboration in Ephesians 2:19-22, where Christ is the cornerstone while the apostles and prophets form the foundation. This helps us see how apostolic authority works in harmony with Christ's supremacy, creating a unified structure that remains relevant for the Church today; it is critical that today’s churches understand that the Church was designed to be a united representation of Christ to the world.
What Mission Did Jesus Give His Church? (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:6-8)
Read Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:6-8 together. How do the elements of Jesus' commission work together to shape the church's mission? What role does the Holy Spirit play in empowering this mission?
The Great Commission reveals Jesus' comprehensive vision for His church's mission, grounded in His own authority and sealed by His promise of perpetual presence. The Greek construction here is significant: rather than a series of commands, we see participles describing the ongoing activity of the Church—making disciples, baptizing, teaching. This grammatical structure suggests these activities flow naturally from being Christ's church rather than standing as mere external obligations. The Church, by its very nature, engages in these activities as it expresses Christ's life in the world.
This intimate, personal model manifests through individuals whose lives draw others to follow Christ. The pattern established by Jesus with His own disciples—walking with them, teaching them, showing them how to live—becomes the template for all Christian discipleship. We see this clearly in Paul's words to the Corinthians: "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ" (1 Cor. 11:1). The Church thus perpetuates Christ's own method of discipleship through personal relationship and example.
The Spirit's empowerment, promised in Acts 1:8, enables this witness to extend "from Jerusalem...to the ends of the earth." This progressive expansion isn't merely geographical; it represents the Church's capacity to transcend every cultural, social, and ethnic boundary. When Jesus declares that "all authority" has been given to Him, He establishes the Church's mission as universal in scope, unrestricted by human divisions or limitations. The Spirit's power makes this expansive mission possible, transforming both messenger and recipient through the Gospel's work.
How Does the Church Function as Christ's Body? (1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:15-16)
Have participants identify specific ways Paul develops the body metaphor in these passages. What does this metaphor teach us about unity, diversity, and interdependence in the Church?
The body metaphor is the most extensively developed image of the Church in the New Testament and reveals profound truths about our collective identity and purpose. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul presents a masterful exposition of how unity and diversity work together in God's design; the repeated emphasis that "the body is one" but has "many members" establishes that unity transcends uniformity. Each member maintains their unique identity while functioning as an integral part of the whole, yet this diversity serves a greater purpose—the manifestation of Christ's ongoing work in the world.
The Spirit's role proves crucial here: the same Spirit that conceived Christ’s human body now animates the Church. This indwelling of the Spirit means that the Church collectively possesses Christ's own Spirit, enabling it to act as Christ would act. Our calling to be Christ's body thus extends far beyond mere organizational unity; it demands we collectively manifest His character, His priorities, and His mission in the world. The Church must function as Christ's actual presence on earth, doing what He would do were He physically present.
Ephesians 4 develops this concept further by presenting Christ as the head, from whom the whole body grows and builds itself up in love. This organic connection between Christ and His Church transforms our understanding from institutional arrangement to living organism, where every member contributes to expressing Christ's life in the world. The Church cannot function through isolated Christians but operates as a unified body under Christ's headship, empowered by His Spirit to continue His mission. This reality demands both individual and corporate transformation into Christ's likeness; anything less fails to fulfill our calling as His body.
How Does Local Church Life Reflect These Truths? (Acts 2:42-47; Hebrews 10:24-25)
Guide participants in examining how these early church practices and instructions apply to contemporary church life. What principles can we draw from these passages about healthy church function?
The snapshot of the early church provided in Acts 2 presents an extraordinary integration of spiritual devotion and practical love; here, we witness a community thoroughly transformed by the reality of Christ's resurrection and the Spirit's presence. Their spiritual practices—devotion to apostolic teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer—weren't mere religious activities but foundational elements that characterized their daily lives. These believers' practical behaviors—sharing possessions, meeting daily needs, and gathering continuously—demonstrated how thoroughly Kingdom priorities could reorder every aspect of human life and community.
The author of Hebrews reinforces the vital necessity of maintaining this profound level of Christian community, particularly through our gathering together. The exhortation to "stir one another up to love and good works" reveals that transformation into Christ's likeness happens primarily in community; we need one another to fully express Christ's life in the world. The early Believers in Jerusalem were simply and effectively fulfilling God’s divine design for church. Following their example, Christian life in the church demands more than casual association or periodic attendance—it calls for the kind of deep, transformative fellowship and total commitment that characterized the early church and remains our pattern today.
Conversation Starters:
How does understanding Jesus as the founder and builder of the Church shape your view of your role within it?
In what ways do you see your local church fulfilling or struggling with aspects of the Great Commission or of church life as described in Acts 2:42-47?
How might viewing the church as Christ's body change our approach to church involvement and service? How might it change our approach to how we view the importance of the Church’s public image?
What aspects of early church life seem most challenging to implement today? How might we move toward their example?
What challenges prevent you from being totally committed to your local church? Are these challenges presented by your life beyond the church, or challenges within the context of your local church?
Consider closing with a prayer of petition for Christ to be visible to the world through the Church, praying that the Church would seek to fulfill His will.
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