In discussing this matter with a Sola Scripturist, the best place to start is with the bible…
First - let’s look at what the term tranlated as Church actually means…
Church = ekklesia
- a gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly
a. an assembly of the people convened at the public place of the council for the purpose of deliberating
b. the assembly of the Israelites
c. any gathering or throng of men assembled by chance, tumultuously
d. in a Christian sense
- an assembly of Christians gathered for worship in a religious meeting
- a company of Christian, or of those who, hoping for eternal salvation through Jesus Christ, observe their own religious rites, hold their own religious meetings, and manage their own affairs, according to regulations prescribed for the body for order’s sake
- those who anywhere, in a city, village, constitute such a company and are united into one body
- the whole body of Christians scattered throughout the earth
- the assembly of faithful Christians already dead and received into heaven
This word is used only twice in the Gospels, both times in Matthew and both times by Jesus Himself AND both times - it is associated with the granting of authority to “bind and Loose” - “Whatever”.
The first is in the very widely discussed passage in Mt 16:17-19 the second is a couple of chapters later and, as far as defining what Jesus meant by Church, the more significant.
This is contained in Mt 18:15-18:
15 "If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. 16 "But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. 17
"If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church (Singular); and if he refuses to listen even to the church let him be as a tax collector. 18 "Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
In order to be able to “tell it to the church” and then to “listen to the church” - it needs to be visible and authoritative.
This is borne out in Acts 15 where a doctrinal dispute between members of the church in two distant communities was settled by a council…In short, the argument was told to the church and then everyone “Listened to the Church”…
And there are more references to Authority and exhortations to unity…
The Church is the pillar and bulwark of Truth (1 Tim 3:15)
The Church has authority to bind and loose - whatever (Mt 16:17-19) (Mt 18:15-18)
The Church settles arguments between distant church communities in a wonderful example of the instructions given in Mt 18…(Acts 15)
The Church is the vehicle by which God reveals His Wisdom to the world. (Eph 3:8-12)
Christ and the Apostles exhort the faithful to unity…to be of one mind
Code:
John 17:20-21
20 "I do not pray for these only, but also for those who believe in me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; even as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
Rom 15:5-6
5 May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, 6 that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Cor 1:10
I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no dissensions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.
2 Cor 13:11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Php 1:27
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,
1 Pet 3:8
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.
All of these calls to unity, along with the instructions in the Gospel of Matthew and the example in Acts as well as Paul’s presenting his teachings to Peter and others to assure they are correct, the Church being the Pillar etc…
All point clearly to doctrinal unity within a visible and authoritative Church.
Now - the It’s difficult to say what the protestant view of the Church is because it will vary from group to group. BUT the vision that your friend has is probably what is commonly called the “invisible church comprised of the body of believers”.
YET - Scripture Alone (Sola Scriptura) adherents can offer nothing in support of this view of “church” and “authority” that comes anywhere close to this preponderance of evidence for the RC/EO “Model” of Church structure as presented in both the NT and in the structural development of these two most ancient and venerable Christian Churches.
I say this with confidence because I have repeatedly asked protestant apologists to counter this evidence with “equally clear and compelling” evidence for what I call the “Protestant model” of locally independent church communities based on SS.
They just simply cannot do it…
So - be confident. He might try to tell you that you are understanding this or that wrong…but that is a matter for “telling it to the Church”…except he cannot…because he cannot call together an “invisible church”…
P.S. - If he tries to tell you that Mt 18 does not apply because it says “if your brother sins against you…” ask him if teaching a false Gospel is a sin? He will have to say yes…and so - Mt 18:15-18 applies to doctrinal matters.
Peace
James
