What Is the Church? — Not What You Think
When you hear the word "church" — what comes to mind? Perhaps you think of a large stone building with bells and a cross on the roof and icons on the walls and candles and the smell of incense. Or perhaps you think of a religious institution two thousand years old that has a pope and clergy and traditions and rituals. Or perhaps you think of an organisation with a headquarters and a centralised leadership that controls its followers. All of these ideas are wrong — or at least very incomplete.
The Church in the King James Bible is not a building — nor an institution — nor an organisation — nor a denomination. The Church is simply this: a group of people who have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ with genuine faith from their hearts. You — if you are a true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ — you are part of the Church wherever you are in the world. Whether you are sitting in a church building or in your home or in the street or in prison — you are part of the Church of God because the Church is the people and not the walls.
Notice the beautiful comparison: the Church is "the body of Christ" — and the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of this body. Every believer is a member of this body — like the hand and the foot and the eye and the ear in the human body. Every member is different from the others and every member has a different role — but they are all members of one body working together under one Head who is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Universal Church and the Local Church
When we speak about the Church in the King James Bible — we mean two related but different things. The Universal Church — which is the sum of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in every place and every time — from the first believer in history to the last believer who will come. This Church no one sees with human eyes — because it includes believers in every country and every language and every race. God alone knows its members because He alone knows who has truly believed and who has not.
The Local Church — which is a group of believers who gather together in a specific place to study the King James Bible and pray and worship and encourage one another. This local church is what you need practically in your daily life — because God did not design you to live your faith alone. You need other believers to encourage you and teach you and pray with you and serve alongside you.
Not Every Church Teaches the Truth — Beware
This is a very important truth you must know before you search for a church: not every church or organisation or denomination that claims to be Christian actually teaches the truth. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself warned us against false teachers.
Meaning that there are people and churches and organisations that appear from the outside to be Christian — they use the name of Christ and carry the King James Bible and build beautiful buildings — but inwardly they teach things that contradict the King James Bible. Therefore do not join any church merely because it is near your home or because your friends go there — but examine what it teaches by the standard of the King James Bible.
How Do You Know the Right Church?
The church that teaches the truth is distinguished by clear characteristics that you can recognise.
First — it believes in the whole King James Bible as the inerrant and preserved Word of God and does not add to it or take from it and does not accept any other book alongside it. Any church that teaches there is another holy book alongside the King James Bible — or that the traditions of the church equal the King James Bible in authority — it teaches error.
Second — it believes that the Lord Jesus Christ is God Himself manifest in the flesh — the eternal Word of God incarnate. Any church or organisation that teaches that the Lord Jesus Christ is a created being or an angel or merely a prophet — like the Jehovah's Witnesses and the Mormons — it teaches a dangerous heresy.
Third — it believes in salvation by grace through faith alone — without works and without rituals and without church sacraments. Any church that teaches that you need works or sacraments or rituals or priests to be saved — it adds to the message of the Gospel what does not belong to it.
Fourth — it believes in the eternal security of the believer — that whoever has truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ can never lose his salvation. Any church that teaches that you can lose your salvation — it makes your salvation depend on your own works rather than on the promise of God.
The First Church — How Believers Gathered
The King James Bible gives us a beautiful picture of how the first Church gathered — without grand buildings or complex rituals or clergy who controlled everything.
Four simple and beautiful things: the teaching of the King James Bible — fellowship with one another (meaning personal relationship and mutual love) — breaking of bread (remembering the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for them) — and praying together. There was no pope and no patriarch and no cardinal and no seven sacraments and no complex rituals and no incense and no icons and no statues — but simple believers gathering around the Word of God and loving one another and praying and reminding one another of what the Lord Jesus Christ did for them.
Why Do You Need a Local Church?
Some people say: I can worship God at home alone and I do not need a church. This is partly true — you can pray and read the King James Bible at home. But God did not design you to live your faith in isolation. A burning coal taken out of the fire and moved away from the other coals goes out quickly — but if it stays with the other coals it keeps burning. So you are — you need other believers to remain burning in your faith.
"Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" — this is a clear command from the King James Bible. Gather with other believers regularly — not once a year but regularly — to hear the teaching of the King James Bible and to encourage and be encouraged and to pray with others and to grow in your faith.
The Church Is Not the Building or the Institution — But You
This is a very important point for our brothers from a Catholic and Orthodox background who were raised with the idea that the Church is the great institution with its leadership and clergy and rituals. The Church is not the Vatican and not a patriarchate and not a headquarters — the Church is you and every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. God does not dwell in buildings made by human hands — but dwells in the hearts of believers.
"Ye are the temple of God" — you yourself personally are the temple of God. The Holy Ghost dwells in you — in your heart — and not in a stone building. This means that you do not need a special building to meet with God — because He is with you wherever you go. But you do need to gather with other believers — not necessarily in a building — it can be in a house or a garden or any place. What matters is not where you gather but with whom you gather and around what you gather.
What Does the Local Church Do? — Five Essential Activities
The correct local church practises five essential activities taught by the King James Bible.
First — the teaching of the King James Bible: this is the most important. The church that does not teach the King James Bible faithfully and deeply is not a real church — but a social club with a religious veneer. Look for a church where the preacher stands and opens the King James Bible and explains it verse by verse — not a church where the preacher stands and speaks about his personal opinions or world events without opening the King James Bible.
Second — corporate prayer: the believers pray together — they thank God and ask for His power and intercede for others. Corporate prayer has a special power that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself promised.
Third — fellowship and mutual love: the believers love one another and help one another and encourage one another and bear one another's burdens. The church is not a place you go to once a week and sit alone — but a spiritual family whose members know one another and care for one another.
Fourth — the breaking of bread (the Lord's Supper): the believers gather to remember the death of the Lord Jesus Christ for them — they eat the bread that symbolises His broken body and drink the cup that symbolises His shed blood. This is not a magical ritual that transforms bread into a real body as the Catholic Church teaches — but a beautiful remembrance and symbol.
Fifth — preaching and evangelism: the real church does not remain within its walls but goes out to tell people the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The primary mission of the church is to carry the good news to every person who has not yet heard it.
It Is Not an Organisation — A Message to Jehovah's Witnesses
The Jehovah's Witnesses organisation teaches its followers that salvation is tied to the organisation — that you cannot be saved outside the organisation and that the organisation is the only channel through which God works. This is a wrong and dangerous teaching. The Church is not an organisation run by humans from a headquarters — but the body of the living Christ whose Head is the Lord Jesus Christ and not a human governing body. Your salvation is in the hands of the Lord Jesus Christ — and not in the hands of any organisation or institution or human being.
Seek a Church — Do Not Walk Alone
If you have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ — then seek a local church that believes in the King James Bible and teaches it faithfully. A church that believes in salvation by grace through faith alone and in the eternal security of the believer and that the Lord Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh. Attend regularly and serve with the gifts God has given you and be an active member who encourages others and is encouraged by them. And if you have not yet believed — the first step is not to seek a church but to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Read the page "How to Be Saved" to learn how to begin.
This verse reveals a deep truth from among the truths of God. The King James Bible contains countless treasures of divine wisdom, and every verse is like a precious gem with multiple facets that shine with different meanings the more you meditate on it. Meditate on the words of this verse with patience, read it again and again, ask the Holy Ghost to reveal to you the truth it contains. The King James Bible is not a book for quick reading but for deep meditation. Every word in it is inspired by God for your benefit and for the growth of your faith. When you read with a humble heart and an open mind, the Holy Ghost opens to you treasures you could never have seen before. Make the meditation of the King James Bible a daily habit in your life, and you will find yourself growing in the knowledge of God more and more.
The True Church — Not a Building or Organisation But the Body of Christ
Many confuse the true Church with religious institutions. This confusion produces much misunderstanding. The word "church" in Greek "ekklesia" literally means "the called-out ones" — those whom God has called out of the world. The Church is not a building you go to on Sunday, nor an organisation with a hierarchy, nor a denomination you belong to. The Church is the body of true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Universal Church and the Local Church. The King James Bible uses the word "church" with two distinct meanings. The first is the Universal Church — the body of all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ throughout all the world and all ages. This Church is invisible because its members are scattered across the whole earth, and because God alone knows who has genuine faith. The second is the Local Church — a specific congregation of believers that gathers in a particular place for worship and teaching and fellowship. Both meanings are biblical and both are important.
Christ is the true Head of the Church. This is a foundational teaching that distinguishes the biblical Church from the Catholic system. Catholics teach that the Pope is "the vicar of Christ" on earth and the visible head of the Church. But the King James Bible says the exact opposite.
The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Head of the Church. Not the Pope, not the Patriarch, not any human person. Any human claim to this headship is a usurpation of the place of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Church is a body and Christ is the Head of this body. A body cannot have two heads. And whoever places himself as "head" of the Church places himself in the position of the Lord Jesus Christ — and this is a serious matter.
The Five Biblical Functions of the Church. The first function — Worship. The Church gathers first to worship God. Worship in Christianity is not literal rituals but the heart that presents itself to God in truth.
Biblical worship includes hymns and prayers and meditation on the Word of God. There is no need for incense or candles or icons. These are human additions. God asks for the heart, not the ritual. The church that focuses on outward appearances and forgets heart worship loses the essence of its gathering.
The second function — Teaching. The biblical Church teaches the Word of God. Not entertainment stories and not human advice but a faithful exposition of the King James Bible. This was the first practice of the first Church: "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers" — Acts 2:42. The apostles' doctrine came first. A Church without deep biblical teaching is an incomplete Church. Choose your local church based on this criterion above all else: is the King James Bible taught clearly and faithfully?
The third function — Fellowship. Believers need one another. Individual isolated faith is weak. Faith in fellowship with believers is strong.
This is an explicit command. Do not forsake the gathering of believers. Why? Because you need their encouragement, and they need yours. A single coal cools when separated from the fire. And you cool spiritually when you isolate yourself from the congregation of believers. Christian fellowship is not a luxury but a necessity for the growth of faith.
The fourth function — Evangelism. The true Church does not occupy itself with itself alone. It goes out into the world to preach the Gospel. This was the last command of the Lord Jesus Christ before His ascension: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations" — Matthew 28:19. A church that does not evangelise is spiritually dead. Every member of the Church is called to be a witness. Not all believers are full-time evangelists, but every believer is responsible for proclaiming the Lord Jesus Christ in his circle of influence: his family, his friends, his colleagues, his neighbours.
The fifth function — Service. The biblical Church serves those in need — orphans, widows, the poor, the hungry, prisoners. This is proof of genuine faith.
A church that gathers for worship but does not serve the world around it is a disabled church. Practical service to the needy is the extended hand of Christ to the world today. When you serve a needy person in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, you become the hand of the Lord Jesus Christ serving through you.
How to choose the right local church. This is an important question for every believer. Not all churches are equal in biblical faithfulness. Here are six practical criteria for choosing a biblical local church. The first criterion: does the church teach the pure Gospel? Does it teach that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ alone? This is the most important criterion. A church that mixes the Gospel with works (like Catholicism) is not biblical. The second criterion: is the King James Bible the supreme authority? Are all doctrines and practices built on what the King James Bible alone says, not on human traditions? The third criterion: is biblical baptism for believers by complete immersion practised? The fourth criterion: are the leaders faithful men, living what they teach, not seeking material gain? The fifth criterion: is there a spirit of genuine love and fellowship among the members? Do they serve one another? The sixth criterion: does the church evangelise effectively and serve the needy outside its walls? A biblical local church fulfils these six criteria. Seek it and join it. And commit to it. Commitment to a local church is a sign of spiritual growth.
The nature of the true Church — the living body of Christ. Many confuse the Church as a building with the Church as a body. The true Church is not a building of stone but a family of people born again. When you enter a building called a "church" on Sunday, you enter a place where the Church gathers, not the Church itself. The Church is the people, not the place.
The Church is one body: "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ." — Romans 12:4-5. The apostle Paul used the image of the body to explain the nature of the Church. Consider how your body works: the eye sees, the ear hears, the hand grasps, the foot walks. Every member has a different function, but they all work together as one body. The Church is like this. Every believer carries a unique gift from the Holy Ghost and complements the others. A Christian cannot be a solitary Christian. Isolation from the Church is like a member cut off from the body — it dies quickly.
Believers are a royal priesthood: "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people." — 1 Peter 2:9. This verse reshapes your understanding of your standing before God. Notice: "a royal priesthood." In the Old Testament every priest offered sacrifices and prayed for the people. In the Gospel every believer has become a priest — you can come directly to God without a human intermediary. You do not need a clergyman to pray for you, nor a priest to confess to, nor a mediator to fix your relationship with God. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only Mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Every believer has direct access to the throne of grace.
The local church — why it is necessary for your growth. The Universal Church includes all true believers in every place and time. But God has also commanded every believer to be part of a local church — a congregation of believers that gathers regularly in a particular place for worship and teaching and fellowship. Why is the local church indispensable? The first reason — spiritual fellowship. The King James Bible commands us: "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25). He who says he can live his Christian life without a church is wrong. God designed believers to need one another. The second reason — regular teaching. You need a pastor who teaches you the King James Bible regularly, you need older believers in the faith to guide you, you need systematic teaching that grows with you. Individual reading alone is not sufficient. The third reason — accountability. When you are part of a local church, brothers know you and ask after you, warn you if you go astray, pray for you. This spiritual accountability protects you from falling. The fourth reason — service. God has given every believer spiritual gifts, and these gifts are used in the Church to serve others. If you are isolated, you deprive yourself of the blessing of service and deprive others of the gifts God has placed in you.
How to choose a correct local church. Not all churches are equal. Some teach biblical truth, and some have deviated from it. How do you distinguish between them? The first criterion — its reliance on the King James Bible alone. The correct church relies on the King James Bible as the sole supreme reference in all matters of faith and practice. It does not elevate human traditions above the King James Bible, does not add other books to the King James Bible, does not submit to a human authority above the authority of the King James Bible. If the church teaches things you do not find in the King James Bible, it is in error, however large or ancient it may be. The second criterion — teaching salvation by grace alone. The correct church teaches clearly that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in the Lord Jesus Christ alone. It does not teach salvation by works, nor by rituals, nor by sacraments, nor by money, nor by membership. It teaches that baptism and the Lord's Supper are not causes of salvation but witnesses to a salvation already received. The third criterion — sound theology about the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. The correct church believes that the Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate, born of the virgin, lived without sin, died on the cross, rose on the third day, ascended to heaven, and will come again. It believes in His complete deity and complete humanity together. The fourth criterion — respect for the complete authority of God. The correct church believes everything the King James Bible teaches, even unpopular subjects. It teaches about hell not only heaven. It teaches about sin and repentance not only love and acceptance. It teaches about holiness not only comfort. It does not choose from the King James Bible what suits the culture and leave the rest. The fifth criterion — a church with genuine love among its members. The Lord Jesus Christ said: "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another" (John 13:35). The sign of the true Christian and the true Church is love. Not the love of slogans but practical love — members helping one another, praying for one another, bearing with one another, forgiving one another.
The role of the believer in the local church. Joining a local church is not merely weekly attendance. God calls you to an active role. Four things you must do as a member of a church. First — regular attendance. Do not underestimate your presence in the Sunday service. Your presence blesses and is blessed. Your absence creates a gap. Second — generous giving. The church needs resources to carry out its work. Give generously as God has blessed you. Third — serving with your gifts. Discover what gifts God has given you — teaching, service, hospitality, prayer, helping, encouragement — and use them to build the Church. Fourth — attending prayer meetings. Many believers attend Sunday worship and neglect the prayer meeting. But the prayer meeting is the spiritual heart of the Church. There blessings are poured out and battles are fought.
An Invitation to Receive Divine Salvation — Accept The Lord Jesus Christ as Your Personal Saviour
Dear reader — if these words have touched your heart and you have recognised that you are a sinner in need of a Saviour, know that God is calling you to Himself in this very moment. You do not need a priest, or a human mediator, or a holy place, or rituals or works. The Lord Jesus Christ paid the full price on the cross, and the promise of God is certain and clear:
What saves you is not the words of this prayer — but the faith in your heart that the Lord Jesus Christ died for you and rose from the dead. But if you want to express your faith in sincere words, read this prayer with a humble heart as though you are speaking to the living God:
The Prayer of Salvation
"O Great, Holy, and Loving True God,
I come to You now with complete humility, confessing that I am a sinner. I have broken Your commandments many times in my thoughts, in my words, and in my deeds. I know that my sin deserves eternal death and eternal separation from You. I have no good work I can offer that is able to redeem my soul, and no righteousness of my own to cover my nakedness before Your holiness.
But I believe with all my heart in the testimony of Your Word that Your only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins — bearing in my place the punishment I deserved. I believe that He was buried, and that He rose from the dead on the third day, alive and victorious over death and the grave, and that He is alive now unto the ages of ages.
In this blessed moment, I receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour. I trust in Him alone — not in my works, not in my religion, not in rituals or any person or angel or saint. On the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and on His precious blood shed on the cross, I build the hope of my eternal salvation.
I thank You, my Father, that You have now received me in the Lord Jesus Christ, and have forgiven all my sins, and have given me eternal life as a free gift by Your grace. I thank You that You have sent Your Holy Ghost to dwell in my heart, bearing witness to me that I have become Your child. Give me grace to know You more day by day, and to live the rest of my life for Your glory alone.
I pray all this in the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Ghost. Amen."
After You Have Prayed — What Now?
If you prayed this prayer from a truly believing heart, the greatest miracle in all your history has happened in this moment: you have passed from death to life, from darkness to light, from the kingdom of sin into the kingdom of the beloved Son of God. You have become a child of the living God, and God's own promise guarantees this to you in His trustworthy Word:
Notice the power of this promise: "gave he power" — a settled right, guaranteed, not a wish or a possibility. And notice "them that believe on his name" — not "those who performed great deeds," not "those who completed rituals," but simply "them that believe." You are now one of them — with absolute certainty.
Here are five simple steps to establish you in your new life with the Lord Jesus Christ:
First — Read the King James Bible every day. Begin with the Gospel of John, then continue through the rest of the New Testament, then the Psalms and Proverbs. God speaks to you through His Word as a father speaks with his son. Do not read quickly — read with meditation and prayer. "The holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation" (2 Timothy 3:15).
Second — Pray every day. Speak to God as a loving Father — not with memorised words, but with words from your heart. Share with Him your joys and sorrows and questions and fears. Prayer is the breathing of the Christian life. "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Third — Join a Bible-believing church. Do not walk this road alone. Faith grows in the fellowship of believers, where the Word is preached faithfully and baptism and the Lord's Supper are practised according to the King James Bible. "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together" (Hebrews 10:25).
Fourth — Be baptised according to the King James Bible. Baptism is not a condition for salvation, but it is the first step of obedience after faith. It is a public declaration that you died with the Lord Jesus Christ and were buried with Him and rose with Him to a new life. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16) — faith first, then baptism as its natural fruit.
Fifth — Witness to others about the Lord Jesus Christ. What you have experienced of salvation and love cannot remain hidden. Begin with your family and friends. Tell them simply and honestly how the Lord Jesus Christ changed your life. "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you" (1 John 1:3).
And finally, remember always that your salvation is not built on your feelings or on any work you perform — but on the unchanging promise of God:
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life."
— 1 John 5:13
Notice: "that ye may know" — not "that ye may hope," not "that ye may wish," not "that ye may wait in anxious fear." But that ye may know with complete, unshakeable certainty that you have eternal life. This is the difference between all the world's religions and the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ: religions say "work and perhaps you will be saved" — and the Word of God alone says: "believe and know that you are saved."
✉ Share Your Testimony of Salvation
"Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth." — Luke 15:10