Beth-El Baptist Church

03/20/2011

Greg Tomlinson


Will God destroy the church before His return?


Whether it is the teaching that people need to leave the church in order to be saved or the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture, the if and the timing of the destruction or termination of what is called the church is a much talked about topic within Christianity.


  1. What is the church?

Ephesians 1:19-23; 5:23-24 Colossians 1:16-19

1 Timothy 3:14-16

cmp Revelation 2:9; 3:9; 1 John 2:18-20; Matthew 7:21-23


The “church” is called “his body”. The church therefore is not a building nor is it specifically the collection of all people who are meeting together for the purpose of worshiping God. There are many people who present themselves to be “Christians” about whom Christ will state that he “never” knew them. The church is the people who have truly trusted in the person and work of Jesus Christ for the saving of their souls. Other names used for the church would include “elect”, “believer”, and “saint” although there are likely others that could be included in the description.


  1. What does God think about the church?

Colossians 1:20-24 Galatians 1:3-5

Ephesians 5:25-27 1 Timothy 2:4-6

Titus 2:13-14 Ephesians 2:19-22

Romans 6:1-4 Ephesians 4:30


God truly loves the church. He loves the church so much that He offered up His own body on the cross in order to redeem the church to Himself and to make it beautiful. Just as no man hates his body, but nourishes and cherishes his own body, so does God love, nourish, and cherishes the church which is His body. God's intention is to cleanse and purify the church that it will be glorious, perfect and pure in His eyes.


  1. How does God treat the church?

Ephesians 5:29-30 Romans 8:31-39

1 Peter 2:2-6 cmp Proverbs 14:1 Mark 13:19-23

1 Peter 4:16-18 cmp Hebrews 12:5-9 1 Corinthians 11:32


God is nourishing and cherishing the church. He protects and provides for the church to such a degree that He offered up His own Son on behalf of the church. It is not God who will condemn the church but those outside the church. Notice that it is Christ who intercedes on behalf of the church. Since it is Christ (God in flesh) who is interceding on behalf of the church, it is inconceivable that He would also destroy the church. It is also God who is building up His church. He will not build up the church so that He can tear it down. God also is telling the church about what is going to happen now and in the future so that the church can be prepared. He cares for the church. Although the scriptures identify that “judgment must begin at the house of God”, this does not mean that the church (body of Christ) will be destroyed but given the greater context of 1 Peter 4, it can very well mean that the church will be under persecution. Perhaps the persecution is intended to separate out the true and false claimants of faith in Christ.


  1. What is the long term future of the church?

Matthew 24:29-31 2 Corinthians 5:1-2

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 Revelation 19:7-9


The church (body of Christ) still as a wondrous and eternal future ahead of it. Although there will be a period of “great tribulation”, the scriptures state that Christ will return again for the church and will take the church up with Him for all eternity.


There is nothing in the scriptures that indicate that God will destroy the church. It is very likely that God would destroy adulterous gatherers who claim to worship God and Christ and yet worship a false God just like the nation of Israel did.