2011-06-12

What is a local congregation?

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A local congregation is a group of professing Christians who gather together in a certain locality around the Word of God and the Sacraments, and receive spiritual nourishment from them. Mixed into this group may be some hypocrites and ungodly people, but they do not belong to the congregation in essence. The Bible speaks of local congregations in the plural and calls them the churches of God and Christ. In this way the Bible indicates that local congregations are of God.

1 Cor. 16:19: The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Rom. 16:16: The churches of Christ salute you.

2 Cor. 1:1: Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia.

Eph. 1:1: To the saints which are at Ephesus and to the faithful in Christ Jesus.


Assignment: Read Matt. 22:1-12: The wedding guest without a wedding garment, and Matt. 13: 47-48: the parable of the net.