Church- ekklesia
"A local assembly spiritually united in Christ, with an autonomous nature."
The Earthly Goal of the Church
Ephesians 4:11-16
The Heavenly Goal of the Church
Ephesians 5:25-27
"Christ’s purpose for the church is to sanctify it and present it to Himself without spot or wrinkle (Eph. 5:26–27). All the activities of a church should also aim at this goal, including discipline, for it, too, is designed to produce a holy character in the one who has to be disciplined."
Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 502.
Matthew 16:13-19
Matthew 18:15-20
Deuteronomy 19:15