THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE IS ABOUT THE INVISIBLE CHURCH . I DO NOT KNOW WHO WROTE THIS BUT THEY ARE VERY CLOSE TO THE TRUTH. I POST IT HERE BECAUSE I DO NOT THINK ANYONE HERE HAS HEARD OF THIS CONCEPT. THE REASONING BEHIND THE ARTICLE IS SOUND BUT FAR FROM COMPLETE AND THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE INCORRECT. DID YOU KNOW THERE ARE ABOUT 45,000 DENOMINATIONS AND I ASK WHICH ONE IS THE INVISIBLE ? FROM THAT ONE TRUE CHURCH OF JESUS WE NOW HAVE 44,999 MORE; IF THAT IS NOT CONFUSION WHAT IS IT ? I HAVE OFTEN SAID THAT IF SOMEONE CHOOSES A CHURCH TO JOIN, THAT IS YOUR CHOICE, BUT IF GOD CHOOSES THEN IT IS HIS CHOICE.
Visible and invisible church
Question
Answer
The Bible never uses the term visible church or invisible church. But the idea of the visible church versus the invisible church is a natural result of a biblical understanding of the doctrine of salvation. The visible church is the expression of Christianity that people can see: the gathering and practices of the individuals in various church buildings on Sundays. The invisible church is the true church, which only God can see: born-again believers, past, present, and future. The invisible church is comprised of the redeemed and sealed by God.
The visible church is easily identified by its religious trappings: church buildings, ministers or clergy, calendars, ordinances, ceremonies, 45,000 denominations, etc. When someone says, “I go to Such-and-such Church,” he is referring to the visible church. When someone drives by a lake and sees some people being baptized, they are looking at part of the visible church. The visible church is the product of many years of Satanic deception.
To identify with the visible church is to accept the label of “Christian,” but, without a spiritual transformation initiated by the Spirit of God, the label is only that. Nominal Christianity is the visible church. Demas forsook Paul “because he loved this world” (2 Timothy 4:10); Demas was part of the visible church for a while, but he was never part of the invisible church, and he eventually showed his true colors (see 1 John 2:19). Then there was Simon Magus and Diotrephes along with Ananias and Sapphira all examples of those who claimed to be the elect but were not. As John said, 1 John 2:19 .
The invisible church, comprised of all the redeemed, is spiritual and heavenly and not of this world (John 18:36). As Jesus explained, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20–21).
The invisible church does not need the physical accoutrements that make the visible church visible. Take away the liturgy from the visible church, and the invisible church will remain. Religious ceremony makes no difference to the invisible church: “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (Galatians 6:15). Burn the church building down, and the true believers still comprise the church.
The visible things of this world, including church denominations, church buildings, hymnals, prayer books, and pews, will all pass away because they are temporary (1 Corinthians 7:31). The invisible things of God will never pass away because they are as everlasting (Luke 12:33).
In John 4:20, the Samaritan woman at the well told Jesus, “You Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” In our terms, the Samaritan woman was speaking of the visible church. Jesus answered by defining the invisible church: “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. . . . A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21–24).
All of us should make God “visible” to the world in which we live, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). To do that, we must be part of the invisible church, “made . . . alive with Christ . . . and seated . . . with him in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:5–6).
The invisible church will be organized in a different manner than the visible church as human ministry is replaced by the ministry of Gods Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.
Over the years since Pentecost the church, the woman, was attacked by the serpent and fled into the wilderness, their number is very small and they are they are unaware of each others location due to being scattered to the four winds. The prophecy in Ezekiel 34 was written to the church as the Apostle Peter confirms, 2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Peter 2:1-3 1 Peter 1:12 plainly tells us that the prophets of old were serving the church and the things the Apostles wrote about came from them to us. The warnings given by these Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles are for the church to reveal that over time from Pentecost Satan, who poses as an angel of light in order to deceive. 2 Corinthians 11:14. The level of deception had grown and this is why Ezekiel was inspired to write what he did in chapter 34. The visible churches today make up that deception. The invisible church was called out from the worlds organized religions into Gods organization.
What is the difference between the visible and invisible church?
© Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved.
This page last updated: January 4, 2022
Visible and invisible church
Question
What is the difference between the visible and invisible church?
Answer
The Bible never uses the term visible church or invisible church. But the idea of the visible church versus the invisible church is a natural result of a biblical understanding of the doctrine of salvation. The visible church is the expression of Christianity that people can see: the gathering and practices of the individuals in various church buildings on Sundays. The invisible church is the true church, which only God can see: born-again believers, past, present, and future. The invisible church is comprised of the redeemed and sealed by God.
The visible church is easily identified by its religious trappings: church buildings, ministers or clergy, calendars, ordinances, ceremonies, 45,000 denominations, etc. When someone says, “I go to Such-and-such Church,” he is referring to the visible church. When someone drives by a lake and sees some people being baptized, they are looking at part of the visible church. The visible church is the product of many years of Satanic deception.
To identify with the visible church is to accept the label of “Christian,” but, without a spiritual transformation initiated by the Spirit of God, the label is only that. Nominal Christianity is the visible church. Demas forsook Paul “because he loved this world” (2 Timothy 4:10); Demas was part of the visible church for a while, but he was never part of the invisible church, and he eventually showed his true colors (see 1 John 2:19). Then there was Simon Magus and Diotrephes along with Ananias and Sapphira all examples of those who claimed to be the elect but were not. As John said, 1 John 2:19 .
The invisible church, comprised of all the redeemed, is spiritual and heavenly and not of this world (John 18:36). As Jesus explained, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is among you” (Luke 17:20–21).
The invisible church does not need the physical accoutrements that make the visible church visible. Take away the liturgy from the visible church, and the invisible church will remain. Religious ceremony makes no difference to the invisible church: “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation” (Galatians 6:15). Burn the church building down, and the true believers still comprise the church.
The visible things of this world, including church denominations, church buildings, hymnals, prayer books, and pews, will all pass away because they are temporary (1 Corinthians 7:31). The invisible things of God will never pass away because they are as everlasting (Luke 12:33).
In John 4:20, the Samaritan woman at the well told Jesus, “You Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” In our terms, the Samaritan woman was speaking of the visible church. Jesus answered by defining the invisible church: “Believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. . . . A time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth” (John 4:21–24).
All of us should make God “visible” to the world in which we live, “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13). To do that, we must be part of the invisible church, “made . . . alive with Christ . . . and seated . . . with him in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 2:5–6).
The invisible church will be organized in a different manner than the visible church as human ministry is replaced by the ministry of Gods Holy Spirit through Jesus Christ.
Over the years since Pentecost the church, the woman, was attacked by the serpent and fled into the wilderness, their number is very small and they are they are unaware of each others location due to being scattered to the four winds. The prophecy in Ezekiel 34 was written to the church as the Apostle Peter confirms, 2 Peter 1:19-21 and 2 Peter 2:1-3 1 Peter 1:12 plainly tells us that the prophets of old were serving the church and the things the Apostles wrote about came from them to us. The warnings given by these Prophets, Jesus and the Apostles are for the church to reveal that over time from Pentecost Satan, who poses as an angel of light in order to deceive. 2 Corinthians 11:14. The level of deception had grown and this is why Ezekiel was inspired to write what he did in chapter 34. The visible churches today make up that deception. The invisible church was called out from the worlds organized religions into Gods organization.
What is the difference between the visible and invisible church?
© Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. All rights reserved.
This page last updated: January 4, 2022
