A Bible Hand-Book

by F. C. Holliday

By the term Church we understand the whole body of God's true people in every period of time. This is the invisible or spiritual Church. It is also understood of the collective body of Christians, or all those over the face of the earth who believe in Christ, and acknowledge him to be the Savior of mankind. This is called the visible Church. The people of God on earth are called the Church militant, and those in heaven the Church triumphant.

Dr. John Owen remarks that, sin having entered into the world, God was pleased to found his Church in the promise of the Messiah given to Adam; that this promise contained in it something of the nature of a covenant, including the grace which God designed to show to sinners in the Messiah, and the obedience which he required from them, and that consequently, from its first promulgation, that promise became the sole foundation of the Church, and of the whole worship of God therein.

Prior to the days of Abraham this Church, though scattered up and down in the world, and subject to many changes in its worship through the addition of new revelations, was still but one and the same, because founded in the same covenant, and interested thereby in all the benefits and privileges that God had granted or would at any time grant. In process of time God was pleased to restrict this Church, so far as visible acknowledgment went, in a great measure to the seed of Abraham. With the latter he renewed his covenant, requiring that he should walk before him and be upright. He also constituted him the father of the faithful, or of all who believe, and "the heir of the world." So that since the days of Abraham the Church has, in every age, been founded upon the covenant made with the patriarch, and on the work of redemption which was to be performed according to that covenant. Now, wheresoever this covenant made with Abraham is, and with whomsoever it is established, with them is the Church of God, and to them all the promises and privileges of the Church really belong. Hence we may learn that at the coming of the Messiah there was not one Church taken away and another set up in its room, but the Church continued the same in those that were the children of Abraham, according to the faith. It is common with divines to speak of the Jewish and Christian Churches as though they were two distinct and totally different things; but that is not a correct view of the matter. The Christian Church is not another Church, but the very same that was before the coming of Christ, having the same faith with it, and interested in the same covenant. Great alterations, indeed, were made in the outward state and condition of the Church by the coming of the Messiah. The carnal privileges of the Jews in their separation from other nations to give birth to the Messiah then failed, and with that also their claim on that account to be the children of Abraham. The ordinances of worship suited to that state of things then expired and came to an end. New ordinances of worship were appointed, suited to the light and grace which were then bestowed upon the Church. The Gentiles came into the faith of Abraham along with the Jews, being made joint partakers with them in his blessings. But none of these things, nor the whole of them collectively, did make such a change in the Church, but that it is still one and the same. The olive tree was still the same, only some of the branches were broken off, and others grafted into it. The Jews fell, and the Gentiles came in their room. And this may enable us to determine the difference between the Jews and Christians relative to the Old Testament promises. They are all made to the Church. No individual has any interest in them except by virtue of his membership with the Church. The Church is, and always was, one and the same. The term Church is also applied to a particular congregation of Christians united together and meeting in one place for the worship of God. The word is now also used to denote any particular denomination of Christians, as the Greek Church, or the Romish Church.

1. The Church a Divine Institution.

1 Tim. III, 15. And that from a child thou hast known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Matt. XVI, 16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Matt. V, 13. Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted; it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill can not be hid.