The word ‘church’ has lost its original meaning among God’s people. It has taken the place of something we ‘go to’ every Sunday. Even for many Christians, it means a ‘place’ of worship. But God who desires all people to be saved also desire for them to come to the knowledge of the truth.

The church, according to God’s word, is the ‘people’ who are ‘called out’ of the world which is in the wicked one. It is comprised of those who are delivered from the kingdom of darkness and transferred to the kingdom of God’s Son Jesus Christ. The church is universal in totality-people called from all countries of the world. This universal church is essentially the spiritual body of Christ. All those who are born again have been baptized into His body as members. But God also wants the expression of the invisible universal church in each locality through local churches.

God has placed His gifted servants – apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers- in the body of Christ throughout the centuries since the birth of the church to function as joints to hold together the members and equip them for the building up of the body of Christ. There is a great need today for God’s people to recognize these gifted servants and to receive help from them for their spiritual growth. Due to chronological and geographical limitations, it is not possible for everyone to have met these servants in person. But their ministry is available in the form of books, audios and videos for everyone to access. People need to pray sincerely to God for His guidance in availing the right help they need.

From the view point of a school, different local churches are presenting different dimensions of truth according to the grace received by the leaders and according to the extent they receive help from the gifted servants. Knowledge of truth is fundamental for our salvation. Salvation and the knowledge of truth are inseparable. Without being born again, one cannot know the truth. Similarly, without knowing the truth, we cannot advance in our spiritual journey to obtain the complete salvation.

This universal church is being built up by our Lord Jesus Christ and the gates of hades will not prevail against it. The Lord also uses His members (His disciples) to work with Him in this process. The local church ‘meets’ for this purpose. When the people who are born of the Spirit of God meet in the name of Christ(in His Spirit), there is mutual fellowship, encouragement and edification(building up) through the word of Christ.