What is the Church? Not the building, not the organization, not the denomination — but the thing Jesus said He would build when He told Peter 'upon this rock I will build my church' Matthew 16:18. That declaration was made two thousand years ago. The institution that carries the name today looks dramatically different from what He described. When did it change? And does it matter?

Last time we examined faith — the instrument that accesses everything God has provided. Now we examine the community God built to carry the gospel forward: the New Testament Church — its nature, its structure, its authority, and its mission.

The words "church" and "churches" appear 108 times in the New Testament. (See Lesson Eighteen, Point II.) You won't find them once in the Old Testament. All the truths about the Church — its organization, government, officers, discipline, ordinances, and other important questions — we'll cover in the studies that follow.

1. It is not any one or all the denominations and independent parts of Christendom.

2. It is not the continuation of the Old Testament Church of Lesson Eighteen.

3. It is not the beginning of the eternal kingdom of Christ and of God.

4. It is not the visible part of this kingdom in the world, through which God is trying to rule the nations, as taught by some.

5. It is not the kingdom of Heaven and the kingdom of God, and it is never confused with them in Scripture.

We are "heirs" of the kingdom Romans 8:17James 2:5, but not of the Church. Think of it this way: you belong to the Church — you can't inherit yourself! But you will inherit the kingdom.

We are "children of the kingdom" Matthew 8:11-12, but not of the Church. The kingdom is yet to come Matthew 6:10Revelation 11:15, but the Church is here now. We will receive the kingdom Hebrews 12:28, but not the Church.

Also, the Church is a new mystery revealed (Eph. 3), while the kingdom has been the subject of the prophets for ages past Daniel 2:44-45Daniel 7:13-14Isaiah 9:6-7. These and many other points of contrast between the Church and the kingdom prove that the Church is not the same as the kingdom.