Pondering the Church

I find myself thinking about the concept of church all the time. The church as it exists in a universal verses a local sense for instance.

What is the work of the church (local)? Is it different from the work of an individual Christian?

Is the local church working outside the assembly? That is if I do some spiritual work is it I as an individual working? Is it an extension of the local work? Or is it both?

I was reading Acts 8 the other day and ran across this… “But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.”

Paul didn’t go to the assembly to “destroy the church” he went into the homes of the members of the church. They were the church even in their homes.

Here are some questions…

- Can you destroy the church by putting members in prison?

- If we are the church in our homes are we also the church in prison?

- What was being destroyed the church local or the church universal?

- How can the church be destroyed if “the gates of Hell shall not prevail… “?

- If we are the church away from the assembly them am I not working the work of the church away from the assembly?

Anyway… I think about the concept of church all the time and I hope you do as well.