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The Beautiful body of Christ
The church is a community of believers, centered on Christ, who gather together for worship and fellowship. From this place of community, they go into the world as a light, bringing the Gospel to those around them.
The church is a community of believers, centered on Christ, who have committed to gather together regularly for worship, communion, teaching, prayer, and fellowship. This community is under the Headship of Jesus, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and has appointed leadership. These believers live life together, bearing one another’s burdens, encouraging one another, sharpening one another, challenging one another, and growing in unity and maturity as followers of Jesus. From this place of community, they go into the world as a light, bringing the Gospel to all those around them in word and deed.
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. — Acts 2:42–47 (NIV84)
41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. — Acts 2:41 (NIV)
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit… — Ephesians 4:3
the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. vs 42
Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostle. v 43
All the believers were together and had everything in common… vs 44
5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. — Romans 12:5 (NIV)
Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. vs 45
Every day they continued to meet together… vs 46
…in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together… vs 46
glad and sincere hearts… vs 46
47 praising God… vs 47
… enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. vs 47