The Prime Church, an Introduction

Our pastor recently started a three week sermon series on the church, with each week dedicated to one of the three major analogies of the church found in scripture: the church as a building, a body, and a bride. Last semester, my main article for a Christian Journalism class was entitled "The Prime Church" and it dealt with these same three analogies. While the article focused more on the unity of the universal church, the sermon series has been geared toward involvement in the local church, and I really see the latter as a natural outworking of the former. I thought this might present an excellent opportunity to reevaluate the components of my article and synthesize them with the message of each sermon, evaluating how we 'do church' at both the local and universal level.

First, a brief explanation of the title "The Prime Church." This was my attempt at a creative play on words, influenced in large part by my background in mathematics. The title basically combines these two definitions of 'prime':

Prime \ˈprīm\ adjective

1. First in excellence, quality, or value.
2. (mathematics) Having no integral factors except itself and unity (1 in the case of integers).

In other words, a church of the highest quality is a church that is indivisible.

Yet today, thousands of different denominations practice Christianity worldwide. The authority of Christ’s teaching doesn't seem as important as our supreme right of choice. In essence, we have Americanized the church by elevating the democratic rights of the individual over the biblical mandate for a unified community. As the world looks on we argue, split churches, and condemn our fellow brothers and sisters simply because they are not of our denomination. How do these actions evidence Christ and His love to the world? If Christians can't even agree on what they believe, or what they practice, then why should anybody else want to believe it?

Over the next three blog posts, I would like to examine these three scriptural analogies of the church (the church as a bride, and Christ the bridegroom; the church as a building, and Christ the cornerstone; the Church as a body, and Christ the head), determining what insight each specific comparison can offer to a prime church.

My approach will be to explain the context from which Paul (through the super intention of the Holy Spirit) developed these metaphors. I believe that the major reason why we as Christians can read through these texts over and over again without really putting them into practice is because when it comes down to it, culturally speaking, we just don't understand the analogies anymore. We can read 'the church is a bride,' but if our culture doesn't practice the biblical model of a marriage of mutual, joyful submission, then we can't gain any benefit from this comparison that we can apply to how we 'do church.' Similarly, misunderstanding the purpose and function of the body, and even (as I'll argue) misunderstanding what it means to be built together into a single building, warps our interpretations of scripture and does nothing to change the state of the church today.

We need to return to the intended meaning of the text. When we do, we will see the clarity and the practicality of Paul's message: We need to realize our unity with God, appreciate our unified heritage as believers, and practice unity with each other, for the sake of Christ.

I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You have loved Me (John 17:20-23).