“but Christ as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end” (Hebrews 3:6).
Like the word “church”, when the word “house” is used people usually think of a physical structure. At no time in the Bible is the word “church” ever employed to refer to a physical building at a geographic location. The word “house” usually does, but, at times—like in the verse above—it has reference to a household or family of spiritual kinfolk. On these occasions, it is used as a synonym for the word “church”.
With his great confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus entrusted to Peter the keys of the church/house He would build after His resurrection (Matthew 16:18). Of interest in this statement to Peter is Jesus’ use of the word oikodomeo (“build”). This Greek word literally means “house builder”, and it first appears in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) in Genesis 2:22 where God “made” (oikodomeo) a housebuilder for Adam.
Though He lived and died a bachelor, Jesus had a family. Whoever does the will of God is His brother, sister, and mother (Mark 3:35). His bride is the church. His house is the church. He is the head of His bride (Ephesians 5:23). He is the head of His house (Ephesians 1:22).
If we who have obeyed His gospel—the partakers of the heavenly calling—faithfully and firmly hold fast to our confession of Christ Jesus, we who are Christ’s family now will be His forever.
