Why Did God Create the Church?
After Jesus died, rose again, and returned to the Father, the gospel began to be preached throughout the world. Thousands responded in faith, and the Lord added them to His people.
Why?
Was the church simply a way to preserve the teachings of Jesus?
Or was it part of God's plan from the very beginning?
The New Testament gives a clear answer.
Paul writes that God's plan,
"...was hidden for ages in God...so that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known...according to His eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord."(Ephesians 3:9-11)
Notice those words carefully.
The church was not an afterthought.
It was not God's "Plan B."
It was part of His eternal purpose, revealed at the right time through Jesus Christ.
The church is the community of redeemed people who have been reconciled to God through the cross.
Paul explains,
"He Himself is our peace...to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace."(Ephesians 2:14-16)
Through Christ, Jews and Gentiles are brought together into one body. The dividing wall has been removed, and both have equal access to the Father through Jesus.
The church also demonstrates God's wisdom to the world.
People from different nations, backgrounds, and cultures become one family in Christ. The barriers that once divided them are overcome by the gospel.
The church is therefore much more than a place to meet.
It is God's visible demonstration that His plan of redemption is succeeding.
Every congregation, no matter how large or small, is evidence that Christ is still calling people out of darkness into His marvelous light.
The church also has a mission.
It proclaims the gospel, teaches God's Word, encourages believers, and shines as a light in the world.
Until Christ returns, the church continues the work He entrusted to His disciples.
When we understand God's purpose for the church, we see that it stands at the very heart of His plan.
It is the family He promised to create.
The Kingdom living under its King.
The temple where He dwells.
The bride loved by Christ.
The body through which He continues His work in the world.
That is why the church matters.
It is God's redeemed people, gathered through the gospel and living for His glory.
Continue Your Study
The Bible begins in a garden.
It ends in a new creation.
What is God's final goal?
And how does the story of redemption come to its glorious conclusion?
Related Bible Studies
What Is the Church?
Why Does the Bible Call the Church the Kingdom of God?
The Temple Story from Genesis to Revelation
The Kingdom of God
Companion Video
Why Did God Create the Church?
Read First. Conclude Later.