Invisible Church

Baptists hold the church to be both local and visible.

The invisible church concept has been attributed to Catholic Augustine of Hippo

as part of his refutation of the Donatist church.

One view was promoted to popularity by C I Scofield in his Scofield reference Bible.

This view states that "The Spirit forms the church by baptizing all believers into the body of Christ."

He further states the church to be "composed of the whole number of regenerate persons from Pentecost to the first resurrection,

united together and to Christ by the baptism with the Holy Spirit."

This is the popular view held by most Protestant churches.

Another view, not as widely held, is that of the "church consisting of all the redeemed in all ages."

These two views consider the church to be universal and invisible.

Baptists hold the church to be both local and visible.

The terms "invisible church" and "universal church"

can have valid meaning only as generic or metaphorical terms.

Jesus made such use of "my church" in Matthew 16.18.

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