I got the following definition on-line:
1. an assembly, especially the popular assembly of ancient Athens.
2. a congregation; church.
What difference does this make to the argument?
Point 2 above. No, the church has authority. It is not equal to the God of the Universe who has authority over all things for all time.
This is a straw man. The argument is not that the Church is God, but that the Church's Teaching is as authoritative as Christ's. This statement does not mean that the Church possesses the entire Mind of Christ. Christ is the Head of His Church. Nevertheless, dogmatic teachings of the Church must be as authoritative as the teaching of Christ. Otherwise, Christ would not have pointed to the Church as a source of authoritative teaching.
Then why didn't Christ direct Christians to Him, rather than His Church, if His Church has less teaching authority?
The local church is always visible.
But for the local church to have teaching authority, its teaching must be in agreement with Christ's Church.
If local churches, differing in teaching, are full members of Christ's Church, then Christ's command becomes nonsensical or void, because Christ is explicitly commanding Christians to go to His church to settle disputes. Churches with contradictory doctrines cannot settle disputes. Therefore, the premise renders Christ's command void --an impossibility.
Point 4 above. The context of Paul’s letter has nothing to do with doctrine at all. It has to do with local disputes.
These are the words of Christ, not Paul. (Mat 18:17)
Regardless, it's nonsensical to believe that Christ gave His Church the authority to settle "local (disciplinary?) disputes," but not doctrinal disputes. Doctrine is what distinguishes one church from another. Catholic doctrine is unified. Protestant doctrine is not.
“got the following definition on-line:”
Try Greek.
The churches authority is not equal to God’s
Paul told the local gathering how to resolve disputes.
Catholic doctrine is unified, but incorrect on many issues. As such it can never be authoritative.
Your attempt to reason your way from one statement to one authoritative church - and put it in Rome - was incomplete.