Christ and the Church

**All scripture and notes taken from the New Living Translation Study Bible

Among the early Christians, church meetings were not led by professional pastors or priests. Instead everyone shared with the others what God has given them for strengthening the church:

1 Corinthians 14:26
Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.

Christ is the head of the Church:

- our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep (Hebrews 13:20)

The church is the community of those who recognise the lordship of Christ and submit to Him:

Excepts from Ephesians 5:21-27
-as Christ is the head of the church. 
-He is the Savior of his body, the church. 
-As the church submits to Christ...
-just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault. 

-Christ and the church are one. (Ephesians 5:32)

-Christ is also the head of the church,which is his body. (Colossians 1:18)

To end off:

For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them. (Matthew 18:20)