What does it mean for Christ to be the church's cornerstone?

It is important to understand the nature of what Paul writes that we were dead in our sins and made alive in Jesus Christ, that we were formally Gentiles, not able to comprehend God and without hope.

By God’s grace and love through Jesus Christ and His death and resurrection, we are united with all believing Jews into one body. In Ephesians 2:20-21, Paul wants us to understand the glory of the church and what it means for Christ to be the church’s cornerstone, the same cornerstone as the one in Isaiah 28:16-17.

Jesus Christ is that costly cornerstone by which everything else is measured.

Jesus has given authority to the church, not individual Christians. (“A stone of testing,” Isaiah 28:16)

According to Romans 13, God has given the state authority. Every person is to be subject to the governing authorities as established by God. This authority is only good when it operates within the sphere of God’s delegated authority. When government is outside of God’s authority, it is better to obey God than man.

According to Matthew 16-18, Jesus has given authority to the church, making her an extension of His shepherding authority.

Agreeing with God in Confession

In Matthew 16:16-17, Peter confesses who Jesus is, the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus says this was made known to Peter by God the Father. Confession is to be in agreement with what God says about something.

The church that is Christ’s church will confess the truth of God, saying the same thing that God says about a matter.

In Matthew 16:18-19, Jesus, the authority and cornerstone, tells Peter that He is going to build His church. Jesus gives authority to the church, the keys of the kingdom of heaven.

The authority of the church is seen in Matthew 18:15-17 and exercised when a believer in sin is confronted. If the believer listens, then he confesses what God says about the sin. But if he does not listen, he fails to heed the confession of what is true in his life according to God.

The church has the responsibility to help the believer in sin to understand what God says about the matter.

Operating within the sphere of God’s Word, the church, not individual Christians, has been given authority over and care for the spiritual lives of believers, who submit to church authority as the church confesses the same as what God has said through His Word.

As a church, we need to be confessing what Jesus says and doing what Jesus would have us do.

Shepherding the Church

Jesus the Good Shepherd understands the necessity of shepherding a group of believers (John 16), leaving us the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whose shepherding ministry assures that believers are comforted, led, taught, cared for, and defended. A primary responsibility of the Holy Spirit to the church is to appoint, call, gift, and have the congregation recognize the elders, pastors, and overseers of a church so that they can shepherd the body (Acts 20:17, 28).

The authority to shepherd is not just for the elders of the church but for each one in the body of Christ to shepherd one another unto maturity and Christlikeness (Ephesians 4:11-13).

Jesus has given the whole church body the authority to shepherd.

Implications for Church Membership

While church membership is voluntary (a person cannot be forced to join a church), church membership is necessary for a Christian. To be an obedient Christian and actively minister to one another, church membership is required (1 Tim.5:16).

Unlike clubs and social networks, Christians invite the church to have spiritual authority over them (Hebrews 13:17) and submit to the church with joy.

In future weeks, we will discuss these points:

2. Those in the church trust, proclaim, and defend the gospel.
(“The foundation of the apostles and prophets”)

3. Christians cannot exist apart from the church. (“Being fitted together”)

4. The church is commanded to separate from and not formally associate with the world. (“Growing into a holy temple in the Lord”)

Application Points

• Believer, are you a member of a local church body, submitting with joy to the authority of the church as it confesses God’s Word?

Tools for Further Study

Cross References to Explore

• Romans 13; Matthew 16, 18; John 16; Acts 20; Ephesians 4, 1 Timothy 5, Hebrews 13

How Firm a Foundation

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in God's excellent Word!
What more can be said than to you God hath said,
to you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee, O be not dismayed,
for I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand