How much do you know about the church?
A correct understanding of the church creates healthy Christians,
Healthy Christians make a healthy church.

If we are Christians, we cannot be separated from the church throughout our lives.
In order to walk the path of righteous faith without wavering in faith until the day we go to heaven, we desperately need the help of the church.
The church is also a place where you can find fellow workers who can provide strength and spiritual fellowship.
But surprisingly, there are many people who go to church without knowing what church is.
If you do not fully understand the importance of the church, you will not live a church-centered religious life, which will result in an unhealthy faith.
Therefore, it is very important to know exactly what the church is from a biblical perspective.

Unlike many books on ecclesiology on the market, this book strives to explain what the church is in a way that even ordinary believers can easily access and understand.
To this end, rather than discussing it from an organizational theological perspective, we are organizing the doctrine of the church into concepts that can be directly applied to the skin, while thoroughly introducing the doctrine of the church centered on the Bible.
Of course, the definition of church presented in this book does not fully explain biblical ecclesiology.
However, if you understand the contents of this book well, it will be of great help in correctly establishing the core concepts of what the church is.

The Bible describes the church in many ways, but when we ask, "What is the church?" the first thing to think about is that the church is "the pillar and foundation of truth."
Paul speaks of the church, the house of God, as “the church of the living God” and “the pillar and foundation of the truth.”
“But if I delay, I will do so so that you may know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
The foundation is the part that goes into the construction of a house.
Pillars are used to provide stability when building a house.
Therefore, the church being the 'foundation of truth' means that the church plays a role in establishing the foundation of truth, and the church being the 'pillar of truth' means that the church establishes the truth, that is, it reveals, spreads, and testifies to the truth.
The church must stand on the ‘foundation of truth.’
Only then can we avoid falling into heresy and being swept away by worldly trends.
The problem today, however, is that there are many cases where the truth is not proclaimed within the church.
Because in church we tend to say only what people want to hear.
But, whatever else, the church must never compromise on proclaiming the truth.
Because it is the most important mission of the church and the purpose of its existence.

--- pp.14-15

The reason I emphasize that the church is not a building is because if we think of the church as just a building and become tied to the building, the church will lose its vitality.
Look at the churches in Europe.
Despite the magnificent building, the chapel is now completely empty.
Because the church was understood only as a building, the church's influence was limited to within the building.
Therefore, let me emphasize once again that the Bible says that the church is the 'gathering of the saved.'
If the church were a building, Jesus would have built a beautiful church building in three years.
But Jesus told his disciples, who were amazed at the grandeur of Herod's temple, that the temple would be destroyed.
Jesus knew that the church is not a building but people, so he did not build a church temple but rather diligently raised his disciples.
In fact, if you look at church history, the early church mainly gathered in homes to worship.
Rather than worship being centered around a building, the church was formed around a group of believers.
So when we think of the church, we shouldn't just think of the place, but we should think of each and every one of the saints who gather in the name of Jesus.
Because these people make up the church.
This is the concept of the temple spoken of in Ephesians.

--- pp.31-32

In the Bible, we can see that the early church members sold their possessions and gave to the poor, caring for them.
This was possible because they all considered themselves one family in the Lord.
In this world, apart from God, is there anything more precious than material things? Yet, only a family can truly give of material things without holding back.
Sometimes, when I see someone having a hard time at church, I often end it by saying, “I’ll pray for you.”
But you shouldn't do that.
In fact, the love of Christ matures as we share, give, and serve one another.
In the Bible, we see that Paul diligently collected relief funds.
Although he declined to give his own allowance for the sake of the church, he boldly asked for donations and collected material to help the poor and struggling church members.
He made an arduous journey to collect relief funds from the Gentile churches and deliver them directly to the church in Jerusalem.
Through this, we wanted to demonstrate the love of Christ in practice.
Even within the church, as a family, when there are members who are having a hard time, it is necessary to extend a helping hand in some concrete and practical way.

--- pp.71-72

The church is a holy hospital.
Many people may not understand this.
A church is a church and a hospital is a hospital, so you might think, “Why is a church called a hospital?”
But that is a story that is said without knowing much about the human condition.
The Bible tells us that all humans are sick because they have sinned against God.
Even though science and technology are so advanced today and human civilization is advancing day by day, accidents and incidents continue to occur, and people's lives are becoming more difficult.
The reason is that the human soul is sick.
So, the church must become a holy hospital because we must come to God and receive healing.
Jesus introduced himself as follows:
“When Jesus heard this, he said to them, ‘It is not the healthy who need a physician, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners’” (Mark 2:17).
Jesus did not come for the healthy and sound, but for the sick and those suffering from sin.
Therefore, the church that preaches Jesus Christ should also take on the same function as a hospital.

--- pp.102-103

The church is God's army.
If the church is called the 'bride of Christ,' I think women will relate well to it, and if the church is called the 'army of God,' men will relate well to it.
The church must have both of these aspects.
When we commune with the Lord, we must have a sweet, loving relationship as the bride of Christ, and when we fight against sin, the world, and the devil, we must take a combative stance as soldiers of Christ.
Of course, just because Christians have faith doesn't mean they can become brave soldiers from the start.
When you first begin your religious life, you cannot help but be spiritually immature and childish.
But you can't live like that forever.
As we grow in faith, we must gradually take on the appearance of a soldier of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the Bible, believers in Jesus are referred to as God's soldiers.

--- pp.142-143

The same goes for personal life.
When we make ‘God’s vision’ our ‘own vision,’ our life can truly become a great life.
Paul was a man with this very vision.
“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus—to testify to the gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24).
In order for humans to live a truly human life, they must know the purpose of their existence.
In other words, I need to know what I was created to do.
Many people try to derive their self-worth from luxury goods, good looks, or the recognition and praise of others.
However, the value of human existence is revealed through the mission for the kingdom of God.
In other words, the value of my existence is proven by how diligently I carry out the work that God has entrusted to me.

--- p.167

When God calls us to be worshippers, it means that He calls us to be “objects of love” before calling us to be “workers.”
How wonderful it is! God desires to meet us and fellowship with us through worship.
The church is the most glorious community in this world.
Because we honor and worship the most glorious being in this world.
When the church realizes this fact and truly rejoices in and praises God, God is glorified through the church's worship.

--- p.195