Loving fellow Christians is biblical. The recent invention of "local church membership" is not. (Part 2)
- johnkuyperliberty
- Dec 3, 2024
- 9 min read
What is the Church?
The word church is used multiple ways in the Bible. There is the universal church, which is comprised of all true Christians who have ever lived, both before and after Christ’s life on earth (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor 10:32; 12:28; 15:9; Matt 16:18; Eph 1:22- 23; Col 1:18; 1 Tim 3:15). The universal church is invisible, meaning you cannot see it with your eyes. The visible church is the community of all professing Christians throughout the world who have been baptized and receive the Lord’s Supper. A collection of these professing Christians in a given geographic area is a local church (rev 2-3; 1 Thess 1:1; 1 Cor 1:2; 4:17; 2 Cor 11:8; rom 16:5). Among other things, the universal church is the bride of Christ (Eph 5:25-27), the household of God (Eph 2:19; 1 Pet 4:17), the temple of God (Eph 2:21; 1 Cor 3:16-17), and a “pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Tim 3:15), through which God has displayed his “manifold wisdom...to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph 3:10). Faithful local churches in particular geographic areas are microcosms of the broader universal church, which is the body of Christ (Eph 4:4-6).[1]
How the Church was structured before the advent of Congregationalism in the the late 1500s and 1600s
From the time of Pentecost through the advent of Congregationalism, the Church was metropolitan.
In the New Testament, specific local churches were tied to a particular geographic area. Unlike today, there were not multiple unaffiliated true Christian churches in the same locale in which individual Christians would have a choice in joining. For example, you have singular churches based on particular cities, like “the church at Cenchreae” (Rom 16:1), “the church of God that is in Corinth” (1 Cor 1:2), “the church of the Laodiceans” (Col 4:16), “the church of the Thessalonians” (1 Thess 1:1), “the church in Ephesus” (Rev 2:1), “the church in Smyrna” (Rev 2:8), and more. There would be multiple local churches in larger geographic areas, such as “the churches of Macedonia” (2 Cor 8:1), “the churches of Galatia” (Gal 1:2), and “the churches of Judea” (Gal 1:22). The importance of geography, and that Christians gathered together with those nearest to them, is assumed. Local churches in different areas were in partnership together and willingly shared resources (1 Cor 16:3; Rom 15:26-27; Acts 11:29-30; 15:22-27; 2 Cor 8:18; 9:1-5; Phil 2:19-30).[2]
All groups of Christians in these various geographic areas (churches) were in partnership with one another. They didn’t say: “I’m only partnering with Christians who hold to my exact confession of faith in my organization, denomination, or association." They all partnered together because they were all in the same one body of Christ:
“And when I arrive, I will send those whom you accredit by letter to carry your gift to Jerusalem.” 1 Corinthians 16:3
“For Macedonia and Achaia (note: notice how he only mentions the geographic areas, not specific church names, because it was all based on geography in the body of Christ) have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. For they were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings.” Romans 15:26-27
“So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.” Acts 11:29-30. Note how it is geographic, not based on segregated local church organizations, associations, or denominations.
“Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brothers, with the following letter: ‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings.’” Acts 15:22-23. Note how they address it “to the brothers who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia.” It is based on geography, and all of the Christians are all on the same team.
“Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them.” 2 Corinthians 9:1-2. Note how he calls out geographic locations, and that all of the Christians were on the same team.
“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you." Titus 1:5. Note: that church elders were based on the town/geographic area, and were responsible for the Christians in that geographic area.
Peter Leithart agrees that the church was metropolitan:
The New Testament church is organized as a metropolitan church. Paul meets with the elders of the city of Ephesus. Though there are many cells of Christians, the elders act together as a body of rulers. Paul can exhort the elders of the city’s church to shepherd the flock of God by protecting it against the wolves who will descend to devour the sheep. More strikingly, Jesus addresses letters to an ‘angel’ in each of the churches of Asia Minor. Each of the cities has a single angel who is held responsible for the condition of the church in that city.
Take a look for yourself at Revelation 2-3, what Leithart references above. It is the city, the geographic area, that has a single angel tied to it, because the one church of Christ was segmented by geography. In the Apostles’ Creed, we see this worked out in the early church. They pointed to the “Holy catholic church.” The faith that we confess with the rest of Christianity is that we are all in one church. We do not confess that we are all separated into separate, independent local church organizations.
This metropolitanism was the structure of the church up until congregationalism. For example, the famous protestant Reformer John Calvin writes “All, therefore, to whom the office of teaching was committed, they called presbyters, and in each city these presbyters selected one of their number to whom they gave the special title of bishop” (emphasis mine).
This was also the Reformed view during and post-Reformation. The Word “membership” applies to membership in the one true church, never a singular organization that is separate from the rest of Christ's body. Calvin's Catechism states:
Q. 97 What is meant by the word Catholic or Universal?
A. It is meant to signify, that as there is only one Head of the faithful, so they must all be united in one body, so that there are not several churches but one only, which is extended throughout the whole world.
Q.98 And what is the meaning of what follows concerning the communion of saints?
A. That is added to express more clearly the unity which exists among the members of the Church. Moreover by this we are given to understand, that all the benefits that the Lord gives to the Church, are for the good and salvation of every Church, because they all have communion together.[5]
In Belgic Confession of the Continental Reformed, Article 28 is titled Every One Is Bound to Join Himself to the True Church. Now that will sound to a 21st Century American Reformed Christian like their unbiblical understanding of “church membership,” but it has nothing to do with what the confession is referring to. First, Article 27 describes how the church is one, universal/catholic church. Then Article 28 describes what is meant by binding oneself to the one true church by saying, “submitting themselves to the doctrine and discipline thereof; bowing their necks under the yoke of Jesus Christ; and as mutual members of the same body, serving to the edification of the brethren, according to the talents God has given them.” So it explicitly says that all Christians are “mutual members of the same body”, the one holy universal/catholic church. Article 29 says, “With respect to those who are members of the Church, they may be known by the marks of Christians”, and it says the true church is known by the pure doctrine of the gospel preached therein…the pure administration of the sacraments…and church discipline.”[6] Note that the confession uses membership to referring to all Christians in the holy catholic and apostolic church.
The Second Helvetic Confession agrees: “THE PARTICULAR CHURCH. Moreover, the Church Militant upon the earth has always had many particular churches. yet all these are to be referred to the unity of the catholic Church. This [Militant] Church was set up differently before the Law among the patriarchs; otherwise under Moses by the Law; and differently by Christ through the Gospel” (emphasis mine). It says later on that all of Christ’s sheep, “joined together with all the members of Christ by an unfeigned love, they show that they are Christ's disciples by persevering in the bond of peace and holy unity.” [7] Note the use of the word member to refer to the entire church.
The British Reformed fully agreed, and noted in the Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter 25 (emphasis mine) [8]:
Paragraph 1 - The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
Paragraph 2 - The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no ordinary possibility of salvation.
Paragraph 3 - Unto this catholic and visible church, Christ hath given the ministry, oracles, and ordinances of God, for the gathering and perfecting of the saints, in this life, to the end of the world; and doth by His own presence and Spirit, according to His promise, make them effectual thereunto.
Paragraph 4 - This catholic church hath been sometimes more, sometimes less, visible. And particular churches, which are members thereof, are more or less pure, according as the doctrine of the gospel is taught and embraced, ordinances administered, and public worship performed more or less purely in them.
Chapter 26 continues:
Paragraph 1 - All saints that are united to Jesus Christ their head, by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of such duties, public and private, as to conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward man.
Paragraph 2 - Saints by profession, are bound to maintain an holy fellowship and communion in the worship of God, and in performing such other spiritual services as tend to their mutual edification; as also in relieving each other in outward things, according to their several abilities and necessities. Which communion, as God offereth opportunity, is to be extended unto all those who, in every place, call upon the name of the Lord Jesus.
Note that the Westminster Confession of Faith leaves no room for independent local organizations of Christians. Over and over again, it emphasizes the unity that all Christians share in Christ's church, and the responsibility all Christians have toward one another because of that unity. Herman Bavinck, a famous Reformed theologian, also agrees that the church is one and is metropolitan:
It is not simply up to us to decide whether we will join this or that church...the reformed take a position that is opposed to that of the Independentists. Believers do not arbitrarily split up into conventicles and congregations... But in a given city, town, or village all believers belong together and together constitute the people of God and the church of Christ.[9]
In the next installment of this series I will examine how this works itself practically and discuss common objections from those who hold to the modern invention of local church membership.
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[1] John Kuyper Liberty, Gospel Theology: God’s Good News for Everything (Bloomington, IN: Westbow Press, 2021), 223-224.
[2] Ibid., 224.
[3] The End of Protestantism: Pursuing Unity in a Fragmented Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2016), 34
[4] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, trans. Henry Beveridge (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), 710.
[9] Reformed Dogmatics, vol. 4, Holy Spirit, Church, and New Creation, ed. John Bolt, trans. John Vriend (Grand rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2003), 374.
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