BIBLICAL STUDIES: FAITH AND REASON

What is the purpose of the church?

By: Victor Barro Mamani

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH?

Today more than ever the church is going through very critical moments, times have

changed, we are no longer in the New Testament, the apostles are no longer here to give

direction to the church, and it seems that the future of the church is bleak because in the midst of

all this doctrinal and worldly confusion surrounding the church is causing in it a

detachment from the Scripture.

Today's church is no longer biblical, it is guided by dreams, new revelations, by

false apostles who have led the church to a decline and total ignorance of the

Word of God. Man has become the center of attention in everything that is done.

Inside the church, its will is a slave to the postmodernism that has planted its flag.

in the center of your heart. In this way, the voice of the Holy Spirit has been silenced and the

the direction of the Word has been discarded.

Ultimately, it can be said that the world is upside down, I mean that it does not

knows what he is doing, on the other hand, there are signs and signals that apparently what is

doing it consciously and with a deliberate attitude. The church, for its part

is following the same path, instead of setting "the eyes on Jesus the author and finisher

of faith” (Heb. 12:1).

In the midst of all this tolerant and superficial situation, a question arises to

in a lamenting and reproachful manner: Is the church fulfilling its purpose?

2|
 Bible Studies: Faith and Reason

reason for existence? Is this perhaps a difficult question? Well, in truth, it is a

unpopular question in these times, given that church leaders are more

worried about making money, writing books, and achieving recognition from the world, that

they forget the most substantial: That these men are not here to prove how great they are,

but to follow the example of Christ, who came into the world to serve and not to be served

(Mt. 20:28).

Now, based on what has just been stated, it will be necessary to explore some alternatives.

and proposals on what these purposes could be. For this, the perspective will be analyzed.

by some authors with a long career in the ministry and a high theological education,

with the sole purpose of guiding the believer in reference to the purposes of the church.

So the question remains: What is the purpose of the church?

Since ancient times, speaking of the New Testament period, the foundation of the

The church has been one of the most outstanding facts and has marked history until the

current century. At first, her birth was very humble, specifically with 120

people gathered in the upper room, unanimously dedicated constantly to prayer,

going from house to house, sharing goods with those in need and persevering in the

the doctrine of the apostles, as recounted in the book of the Acts of the Apostles that the church

it fulfilled its purpose.

3
 Biblical Studies: Faith and Reason

So why does the church exist? What is the purpose for which it is here in the

Land? First of all, as MaCarthur J. says, '...Before dying, the Lord predicted the

establishment of his church" (Mt. 16:18)(2009, p. 96) was Christ the founder of the church,

of his church, which is his body and He is the head (Eph. 5:23). According to this

Jesus Christ founded and left the church in this world for a reason and purpose.

For what?

There is a surprising variety of responses that have been exposed in an attempt

to answer this question, we analyzed some proposals to gain more clarity

about the matter.

First proposal

MaCarthur J. recognized pastor, teacher, and highly influential leader worldwide.

recognizes the importance of identifying '...the reason for the existence of the church, and of that

mode, the reason for the existence of the Christian ministry” (2009, p. 93) Identify this

purpose is fundamental for the development of the ministry and in general for the good

function of the church in front of society. According to this author, he proposes that the church

It must fulfill 3 purposes which we will describe below.

The church is a community of worship

The church is a community of testimony

The church is a community that acts.

4
 Biblical Studies: Faith and Reason

First purpose. According to the author, the "ultimate purpose of the human race is to worship"

"God" (2009, p. 96), that is exactly what the Bible states when it says to love.

God above all things is the greatest commandment of God given to man (Mt.

22:36-40). The second purpose has a more evangelistic focus where the church has

the great responsibility of testifying of the Lord Jesus Christ to the world (Mark 16:15-16; Luke

Evangelization is a mandate, it is not restricted to any select group of

people, but to the whole church. This purpose includes two approaches: to witness to those

que están cerca de nosotros y testificar aquellos que están en regiones o países más lejanos.

The final purpose that the author proceeds to present is about the church as a community that

work tirelessly. A key element to carry out this work is to help the

believers to discover and use their gifts, to then dedicate themselves to the service of God and the

building up of the church (Eph. 4:7-16).

In my humble opinion, this proposal has a quite precise balance and order.

simple but very practical. Each purpose expresses a distinct approach that encompasses a

collective thought that transcended all cultures by being themselves of a

common language: God, world, and church. These purposes have a direction that

It stands out, what is pastoral.

2. Second proposal

The following proposition is given by Dr. Pablo A. Deiros, one of the leading figures.

influential worldwide, prominent teacher and specialist in History, declares that the

5
 Estudios Bíblicos: Fe y Razón

the supreme purpose of the church's mission was that it would become the object and the means

by which God would be glorified forever” (2006, p. 101). This is a very true

deep and with a strong sense of commitment to God. But going more specifically the

The author presents six basic reasons why he believes the church was established.

To make the truth known

To offer worship to God

Develop mature human beings

Observe the ordinances or sacraments.

To be witnesses of his kingdom

Proclaim his lordship

Dr. Deiros has an exceptional perspective on the purposes of the

church. When referring to the first purpose, it is clear that making the truth known makes

reference to Jesus when he said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life' (Jn. 14:6). Therefore

el autor dice “Es, pues, a Cristo, a quien la iglesia proclama en términos indubitables e

unequivocal. The church does not proclaim itself nor announces a gospel that it itself

has manufactured." (2006, p. 102)

The second purpose highlights the fact that the church is called to be a

worshiping community. "Throughout the entire New Testament, the emphasis is the same.

Christians have been redeemed by Christ for this purpose: to be a worshiping people.

Deiros P. (2006, p. 105) (Jn. 4:24).

6
 Estudios Bíblicos: Fe y Razón

Developing mature human beings is the third purpose and the greatest challenge that

it has the church with the membership. To be 'to the measure of the stature of the fullness of'

"Messiah" (Eph. 4:11-15). Dr. Deiros says, "Maturity is the ultimate goal of life.

Cristiana according to Pablo” (2006, p. 108). In this sense, every Christian is called to grow to

the likeness to Christ.

The fourth purpose highlights the perpetual observance of Christ's ordinances by

part of his followers. Baptism and the Lord's Supper 'dramatize the central truths

of the Christian faith and strengthen the faith of believers by evoking the redemptive acts of God

in Christ Jesus” says Deiros (2006, p. 112). Encourage the participation of the members in this

celebración forma parte de la razón de la existencia de la iglesia.

Referring to the fifth purpose, Deiros says: 'Jesus established the church'

to be a witness of His kingdom. Jesus declared it as an emphatic imperative: Matthew

28:19-20"(2006, p. 115). For the early church, there was nothing more important and urgent

to proclaim to the whole world the redemptive work of Christ, of which the disciples

they had been witnesses. Explaining this purpose, Deiros says:

In this way, according to the New Testament, being a witness is not just confessing what one

has seen and heard directly from Jesus, but also share the experience

personal encounter with him as the living Christ, and even participating

personally in the mission of Christ and partially share in the sufferings of Christ.

(2006, p. 115).

7
 Bible Studies: Faith and Reason

Finally, proclaiming the lordship of Christ is the last of the purposes of the church.

proposed by Dr. Deiros. He says: 'we must be like Jesus and be subject to Him'

government, not only for our love, but in order that through us others

they can be oriented towards him and introduced into his kingdom” (2006, p. 117). In other words,

the church must reflect and be the very expression of Jesus Christ. The world must notice in every

believer and in every church to Jesus, must notice that Christ is the Lord who is not dead nor

locked in a church of four walls, but lives eternally as Lord of all

the universe.

Ultimately, Dr. Deiros' proposal is biblical with the difference that the axis

the central part of your proposal is of a missiological nature, that is, the purpose of the

The church is primarily determined by its mission in the world.

3. Third proposal

In this latest proposal, we will observe what Dr. Rick Warren has to say.

regarding what the purpose of the church is. Dr. Warren has often been called the

most influential leader in the United States. He is a pastor and has a strong emphasis on the

evangelism, but maintaining what he calls the "balance".

According to the experience and ministerial journey that Dr. Warren has, he declares that

the foundation for determining the purpose of the church is in the Bible itself,

specifically cites two passages from the New Testament: The Great Commandment (Mt. 22:37-

8
 Biblical Studies: Faith and Reason

40) and the Great Commission (Mt. 28:19-20). Hence the slogan they uphold is 'A Great

Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a Great

Church" Warren R. (1996, p. 109). Thus, according to the passages already cited, it is inferred

of them the purposes of the church which are five.

Worship: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart"

Ministry: "Love your neighbor as yourself"

Evangelization: "Go and make disciples"

Communion: "Baptizing them"

Discipleship: 'Teaching them to observe'

Varying the order presented earlier, the first purpose that will

to consider is the purpose of evangelism. 'The church exists to communicate the Word of

God. We are ambassadors for Christ and our mission is to evangelize the world.” says the Dr.

It is sad to find churches where evangelism has been discarded.

and locked in four walls. Therefore, it is essential to redirect our focus on

evangelism.

The following purpose is, 'the church exists to worship God' Warren (1996, p.

109). Here worship is defined as any expression of love manifested to God by

the children of God, is worship. In other words, worship should be a habit of

Every day, and limit it to worship, life itself must be adoration everywhere.

9|
 Bible Studies: Faith and Reason

Continuing with the study of the purposes of the church, we move on to examine the

third purpose which is communion. The biblical word that Dr. Warren uses here is

Baptism, according to the meaning of this act, is a symbol of communion,

particularly to be part of the body of Christ. Under this principle, it can be affirmed

that the church is a family where everyone is united to Christ, and we all consider ourselves

brothers of one another.

To conclude, the last two purposes are discipleship and ministry.

First, it declares that the church exists to edify or educate the people of God. It is through

of discipleship that people come to resemble Christ more and more. For this work so

significant is considered one of the most important purposes within the five. The

ministry or service is the ultimate purpose to consider. Fundamentally 'the church

It exists to minister to people. The ministry is to demonstrate God's love to others.

satisfying your needs and healing your wounds in the name of Jesus." Warren R.

(1996, p. 110).

CONCLUSION

Regarding all that has been said above, we acknowledge that all the proposals

expressed are biblical and practical. All of them have notably been tested with

good results in their particular context. Therefore, it is essential to be careful in their

implementation, and act wisely under God's guidance.

10
 Biblical Studies: Faith and Reason

Likewise, we must affirm the importance of determining these purposes for the

church taking the Bible as the starting point, which is the highest authority and norm that

regulates the life of the church in all its spheres. The church will have no direction unless it

determine these purposes through Scripture.

Thus, after this brief journey that is not so deep or exhaustive about the

the theme of the purposes of the church, we will finally say that the church has a purpose,

It has a purpose, a special reason for which it was founded by Christ.

The responsibility of the church leaders is to determine which path to follow with help.

from God. That is a great task and a great challenge for the Christian leader.

11
 Biblical Studies: Faith and Reason

Bibliography for consultation

1. Deiros P. (2006).La Iglesia del Nuevo [Link] Aires: Editorial Certeza.

2. MaCarthur J. (2009). The Pastoral Ministry. Barcelona: Editorial Clie.

3. Warren R. (1996). Una Iglesia con Propósito. Miami, Florida: Editorial Vida.

12