Many people make the mistake of equating the church with a physical building. Yet as we have gone through this study, we have seen nothing in the New Testament that would indicate that the church is some type of physical structure. However, the New Testament does use a building analogy to describe the church:
“So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God’s household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
“You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).
The Lord’s church is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets (their teaching contained in Scripture) with Jesus as the cornerstone (everything is built and based upon Him). Christians – individually – are the stones that make up this spiritual house.Continue Reading