What Is a Church?

by Matthew Emadi

Brief, Accessible Guide Explains the Characteristics and Role of the Local Church What is the difference between the universal church and a local church? Is it important to belong to a local congregation? Isn’t it enough to attend church online?  Though Scripture affirms the significance and authority of the local church, many Christians struggle to understand the institution’s role in their personal lives. In this addition to the Church Questions series, Matthew Emadi clearly defines the local church, helping believers live out their God-ordained mission to assemble together as the body of Christ. Through Scripture and compelling stories, Emadi lays out 6 biblical characteristics of a church and demonstrates how Christians can faithfully represent God’s kingdom on earth.

Genres: Ecclesiology

64 pages, Paperback

Published May 28, 2024

Reviews

[Matt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and compelling.

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, clear, warm hearted explanation of what a Christian church is.

[Joshua Milligan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy-to-understand guide that quickly outlines the need for the local church and its functions. Extremely helpful in defining what a "church" is.

[Josh John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful read that defines and distills the differences between cultural ideas of church and the Bible’s definition of what a church truly is.

[Mark Donald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little intro to the local church's role in the life of a Christian.

[Cameron Dobbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Many Christians love and support their local church, but if asked, "What is a church?" many might struggle to provide a clear and biblical answer. Matthew Emadi offers a concise, biblical, and edifying definition and scriptural argumentation on what a church is. In his booklet, he unpacks a definition borrowed from Jonathan Leeman and Collin Hansen's book Rediscovering Church, which states:

"A church is a group of Christians who assemble as an earthly embassy of Christ’s heavenly kingdom to affirm one another as his citizens through the ordinances; to proclaim the good news and commands of Christ the King; and to display God’s own holiness and love through a unified and diverse people in all the world, following the teaching and example of the elders."

Emadi also wisely advises against the belief that disciples can live out their faith apart from a local church family. He writes, "But how do we identify the people who belong to the universal church? Who are they? Where are they? Well, Scripture teaches that members of the universal church ‘show up’ in local churches. They gather with God’s people in real time and space. The local church is where the universal church becomes visible. In other words, our participation in the local church demonstrates that we belong to the universal church."

As a pastor, I found this to be a helpful reminder of the beauty, importance, and blessings of the local church. I also see this as a wonderful resource to give to members and new member candidates. Get yourself a copy and pastors buy in bulk and hand them out to your people.

[Salvador Blanco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely. Clear. Compelling. Worshipful! Strong ecclesiology and love for the church in less than 60 pages!

Favorite quotes:

“A church is a group of Christians who assemble as an earthly embassy of Christ’s heavenly kingdom to affirm one another as his citizens through the ordinances; to proclaim the good news and commands of Christ the King; and to display God’s own holiness and love through a unified and diverse people in all the world, following the teaching and example of the elders” (18-19).

“Don’t let the ordinariness of your own local church fool you into thinking it is insignificant. Your local church represents a heavenly kingdom that will last forever when all the kingdoms of men have faded away" (29).

“Baptism and the Lord’s Supper administered apart from the true gospel will get people wet and tickle their taste buds but nothing more" (32).

[Kenneth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emadi answers this book's question well. He fits a robust definition of church into 50 pages with clear descriptions of each part of the definition. This would be useful to anyone who is unsure how to answer the question.

For more depth, see Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential by Collin Hansen and Jonathan Leeman. This booklet is the Cliffs Notes version of that book; it has the same outline, same definition, and same key points. Given the content, I kind of wonder why this book was written by Emadi instead of Hansen and/or Lemman.

[Ryan Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

Real good.

[Nicholas Abraham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ecclesiology . . . Read it!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Simple, basic introduction to the local church. Needed now more than ever!