...except after "C"

What is the church? According to wordnet, there are several ways we use the word:

• a place for public worship; "the church was empty"
• a service conducted in a house of worship; "don't be late for church"
• perform a special rite or service for; "church a woman after childbirth"
• the body of people who attend or belong to a particular local assembly; "our church is hosting a picnic next week"

But do any of these really encompass the true meaning? The Bible uses many metaphors to describe the spiritual entity that we know of as church. We are:

A body (Romans 12:4,5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 1:18)

If you were physically sick and needed to seek medical advice, whom would you trust? Would you seek the counsel of a group of licensed and accredited physicians, nurses and therapists? Or would you gather a group of people with varying qualifications to make decisions about your care based on what they read on the internet, heard from other doctors or people somewhat related to the medical field, or merely thought was in your best interest?

A bride (Ephesians 5:22-32; Revelation 21)

If you were having trouble in your marriage relationship, to whom would you turn for marital advice? Would you seek the counsel of a group of people who have solid marriages and have demonstrated faithfulness to their spouse? Or would you take a poll of public opinion from both married and unmarried, people in good marriages and people with marriages on the rocks, and let the majority decide?

A building (1 Corinthians 3:11; Ephesians 2:19-22)

If you wanted instruction on how to construct a building, whom would you ask? Would you seek the counsel of a group of educated and experienced architects, engineers and craftsmen? Or would you hold a forum for anyone who thought they might have use for the building and let them decide, based on their own home-improvement skills or other buildings they had seen or experienced, how it should be designed and built?

An army (Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Timothy 2:3-4) - Is there a chain of command?

A household (1 Timothy 3:15) - Is your family a democracy?

A flock (1 Peter 5:2-4, 25) - Does the shepherd obey the sheep?

A priesthood (Hebrews 2:17; 1 Peter 2:9) - Whom do we serve?

A kingdom (Philippians 3:20; Colossians 1:13) - Who is the king?

Disciples (Matthew 28:18; Luke 14:27) - Who is the master?

Christians (Acts 11:26; 1 Peter 4:16) - To whom do we belong?
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