Invisible church

Baptists hold the church to be both local and visible.

We totally reject the false doctrine of the universal invisible church

See Bride of Christ

One view was promoted to popularity

by C I Scofield in his Scofield reference Bible

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."

From these two views

we understand the church to be universal and invisible.

Baptists, in opposition,

hold the church to be both local and visible.

--