Biblical Terms – Church

In this lecture, His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the different meanings of the word “Church” as found in the Holy Bible, showing that it has three main meanings:

1. The Church as a building.

2. The Church as the community of believers.

3. The Church as the priesthood or spiritual leadership.

1. The Church as a Building:
This meaning appears in passages such as Acts 9:31:

“Then the churches throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were being built up.”
Here, it refers to physical buildings where believers gathered for worship.
Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 11:18:
“When you come together in the church…”
refers to the building used for prayer and meetings.

2. The Church as the Community of Believers:
This is the deeper spiritual meaning—the Church is the people of faith, not the walls.
As in Acts 2:47:

“And the Lord added to the Church daily those who were being saved.”
Here, it refers to the community of believers who accepted and lived the faith.

Also, in Matthew 16:18:

“Upon this rock I will build My Church.”
Christ did not mean stone buildings but the living fellowship of believers built on faith in Him as the Son of the living God.

In Acts 8:1:

“A great persecution arose against the Church.”
This clearly means the believers, not the physical structures.

And in Acts 12:5:

“But constant prayer was offered to God for him by the Church.”
It was the people, not the buildings, who prayed.

In Ephesians 5, the Church is described as the Body of Christ:

“Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for her.”
This refers to the community of believers, whom He sanctified and cleansed with His word to present as “a glorious Church without spot or wrinkle.”

3. The Church as the Priesthood:
In this context, the word refers to the spiritual authority of the clergy.
As Christ said in Matthew 18:17:

“If he refuses to listen, tell it to the Church; and if he refuses even to listen to the Church, let him be to you as a heathen and a tax collector.”
This clearly refers to the ecclesiastical authority, not the entire congregation.

Spiritual Essence:
The Church is not merely a building but the living Body of Christ, uniting believers through faith, sacraments, and priesthood.
It is the house of worship, the fellowship of saints, and the divine structure led by shepherds in Christ’s name.
Thus, the Church is both the home of God on earth and the temple of the Holy Spirit within believers.

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