What is the church?

Before we can really dig into the claims of the Landmark Baptists, we should define the church. First, what do other Baptists say? The 1689 London Baptist Confession has this to say:

"The catholic or universal church, which (with respect to the internal work of the Spirit of truth and grace) may be called invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ, the head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all. (Heb. 12:23, Col. 1:18, Eph 1:10, 22, 23, Eph. 5:23, 27, 32)"

This is essentially what is taught by the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, of which I am a member:

"Since it is by faith in the gospel alone that men become members of the Christian Church, and since this faith cannot be seen by men, but is known to God alone, (1 Kings 8:39, Acts 1:24, 2 Tim. 2:19) therefore the Christian Church on earth is invisible till Judgment Day (Col. 3:3, 4)."

The Apology of the Augsburg Confession explains this more completely:

"But the church is not only the fellowship of outward objects and rites, as other governments, but it is originally a fellowship and of the Holy Ghost in hearts. (The Christian Church consists not alone in fellowship of outward signs, but it consists especially in inward communion of eternal blessings in the heart, as of the Holy Ghost, of faith, of the fear and love of God); which fellowship nevertheless has outward marks so that it can be recognized, namely, the pure doctrine of the Gospel, and the administration of the Sacraments in accordance with the Gospel of Christ. (Namely, where God's Word is pure, and the Sacraments are administered in conformity with the same, there certainly is the Church, and there are Christians.) And this Church alone is called the body of Christ, which Christ renews (Christ as its Head, and) sanctifies and governs by His Spirit, as Paul testifies, Eph. 1:22, when he says: And gave Him to be the head over all things to the Church, which is His body, the fullness of Him which filleth all in all. Wherefore, those in whom Christ does not act (through His Spirit) are not members of Christ. "

We see a similar position held in the Westminster Standards, ch. 25:

"The catholic or universal church, which is invisible, consists of the whole number of the elect, that have been, are, or shall be gathered into one, under Christ the Head thereof; and is the spouse, the body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.

The visible church, which is also catholic or universal under the gospel (not confined to one nation, as before under the law), consists of all those throughout the world who profess the true religion; and of their children: and is the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, the house and family of God, out of which there is no possibility of salvation."

This is the definition I will be operating under, when speaking of the church.