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The church is made up of all (both Jew and Gentile)
who have trusted Jesus Christ as Savior, and in the New
Testament epistles is called the body of Christ. All
believers are directed by Scripture to function within
the church according to their individual spiritual
gifts. The local church, as established in Scripture, is
made up of believers who have joined together for
worship, instruction, fellowship and service. There is a
complete and separate distinction between the Church as
a 'people of God' and Israel.
Acts 2:42
42 They were
continually devoting themselves to the apostles’
teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and
to prayer. Acts 13 First Missionary Journey
Acts 13:1-2
1 Now there were at
Antioch, in the church that was there, prophets and
teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and
Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While
they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy
Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for
the work to which I have called them.”
Ephesians 1:22-23
22 And He put all
things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as
head over all things to the church, 23 which
is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in
all.
Ephesians 4:7-13
7 But to each one of
us grace was given according to the measure of Christ's
gift. 8 Therefore it
says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST
OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” 9 (Now
this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean
except that He also had descended into the lower parts
of the earth? 10 He who
descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all
the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) 11 And
He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some
as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for
the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to
the building up of the body of Christ;
I Corinthians 12:13
13 until we all attain
to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the
Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the
stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ. 13 For
by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body,
whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we
were all made to drink of one Spirit.
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