Did you know that the word "church" in the Bible never describes a building; it is never used to mean something that is composed of bricks and mortar, wood and stone? If we had taken a first century Christian into a building with stained glass windows and arches, and said to him, "What a beautiful church!" he would not have understood what we were saying. In the Bible the "church" is always people, men and women who have responded to the message God gave them to believe for their salvation.
The Greek Word Ekklesia
The word translated church in our English Bibles is derived from the Greek word, ekklesia, and simply means a called out group of people. In its Greek background the word ekklesia was not a sacred word; it was a word of politics and of local government. Greek government was characteristically democratic. In Greek cities, ideally, all its citizens were to govern their own community. Some were for various reasons disfranchised and later a property qualification entered into the matter, but theoretically all Greek citizens were members of a political ekklesia. They were summoned by a trumpeter to a regular meeting place to decide governmental matters. Those who responded were called the ekklesia. Thus in Greek terms, an ekklesia in actual fact consisted of those who responded to the invitation to be present at a meeting for the purpose of deciding political matters. They were a called out political group of people.
The Hebrew Word Kahal
The word also has a Jewish background. In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament, the word ekklesia is used to translate a Hebrew word, kahal- which in English is translated as the "congregation" or the "assembly" of Israel. Israel as a congregation or assembly is often called an ekklesia in the Greek version of the Old Testament Scriptures (Deuteronomy 4:10; 9:10; 18:16; cf. I Chronicles 28:8; 29:1; II Chronicles 1:3; 6:3; 7:8;
20:5; 29:28;Nehemiahl3:l). Since our Lord and His disciples read and quoted from the Septuagint, they were used to Israel being called the ekklesia. The first historical reference to an ekklesia in the Bible is when Stephen calls Israel, after they came out of Egypt, a "church in the wilderness" (Acts 7:38).
What Does "Church" Mean?
The English word has taken on a variety of meanings. It may refer to a building dedicated to religious purposes;it may refer to a particular denomination; or it may mean a group of people belonging to a religious assembly. The English word "church" is derived from the Greek word kuriakos, which is the possessive form of the word Lord, thus meaning belonging to the Lord. Putting the meaning of the Greek word ekklesia together with kuriakos, the word church really means a called out group of people belonging to the Lord. (For a more detailed study of the term "church," see the booklet in this series titled The Church-What Is It?)
Different Churches in the Bible
There has always been a Church of God, because, thank God, there has always been a group of people that belonged to Him. Noah and his family were in this sense a "church," for they belonged to the Lord. Israel was a called-out nation which belonged to the Lord, and therefore, as we have seen, was called a "church" of God. It is important to see that as history progresses God has had different ekklesias which have had various religious and spiritual programs, purposes, and ministries. We must keep these churches distinct and separate, otherwise there will be confusion.
The Kingdom Church
There was an Old Covenant Church of Israel under Moses with its program of rituals and God-ordained ceremonies. This church had apostasized and Christ proceeded to call out of this church His own Church. This Church could be called the Kingdom Church, for it will be related to the Messianic Kingdom here on earth.This Kingdom Church was anticipated in the Old Testament. Let us look carefully at Psalms 22. Verses 1 thru 21 picture graphically the suffering of our Lord upon the cross. Suddenly in verse 22, there is a change of tone. We go from the suffering of Christ to our Lord's cry of triumph in resurrection:"In the midst of the congregation (kahal) will I praise Thee "This verse is quoted in Hebrews 2:12 in this manner:"In the midst of the church [ekklesia] will I praise Thee."The "congregation" (kahal) is called by the Holy Spirit an ekklesia, which indicates that ekklesia and kahal are equivalents. The Church spoken of in Psalms 22:22,25 cannot be the Body Church the Apostle Paul speaks of because that Church was hid from the the Old Testament writers (Ephesians 3:
1-5; Colossians 1:25,26; Romans 16:25). The Church spoken of in Psalms 22:22,25 can be called a New Testament Church because it is to exist historically after the New Testament blood is shed. Verses 22 to 31 make it clear that this Church is related to His reign on earth as King. "My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation [church] . . . the meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek Him: your heart shall live for ever.
"All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindred of the nations shall worship before Thee."For the kingdom is the Lord's: and He is governor among the nations. "The New Testament Kingdom Church anticipated in Psalms 22:22-31 was being formed by Christ during the period of the four Gospels. Those Israelitish disciples composed the Kingdom Church of Matthew 18:17 and 16:18. He called them His "little Hock," and to them it was the Father's good pleasure to give the Kingdom (Luke 12:32). Christ taught these disciples to expect and pray for. the Kingdom (Matthew 6:10). They practised the Kingdom program in that they healed the sick, handled serpents, cast out demons (Matthew 10:6-10; Mark 16:16-20; Luke 10:17-20). In the Kingdom there will be no sickness (Isaiah 35:5,6; 33:24), nor will the creature of venomous sting hurt anyone (Isaiah 11:8), nor will evil spirits be free to bother mankind (Isaiah 24:21,22; Revelation 20:1-3).
The Kingdom Church at Pentecost
On the Day of Pentecost we find God adding members daily to an already existing ekklesia (Acts 2:47). He was adding to the Kingdom ekklesia which was called out during the period of the Gospels, Matthew 18:17. The first half of the Acts is simply a continuation of the dispensational program of the Gospels. The only difference is that the great fact of the Lord's resurrection was added to the burden of their preaching of the coming Kingdom (Acts 1:6;2:22-36^3:19-26).
The Kingdom Church of Pentecost NOT The Mystery Church of Paul
Not until Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13), began his ministry, did God begin to create the "one new man" or Church which is His Body. "The 'new man' of Ephesians 2:15 is not the individual believer but the church, considered, as the body of Christ in the sense of Ephesians 1:22,23; I Corinthians 12:12,13; Colossians 3:10" (Scofield Reference Bible, p. 1251, note 2). This new Body Church was a mystery or a secret kept hid from the ages and generations until it was first revealed to Paul for this present dispensation (Ephesians 3:1-8; Colossians 1:25,26 and II Peter 3:15-17).
A New Revelation Begins a New Dispensation
Each new distinguishable economy, administration, or dispensation begins with a revelation from God. The Dispesation of Innocence began with a revelation to Adam about not eating of a certain tree, Genesis 3:16,17. The Dispensation of Conscience or Freedom began with a revelation to Abel as to how his sins could be atoned for, Hebrews 11:4 with Romans 10:17 and Genesis 3:23 thru 4:1-4. The Dispensation of Human Government began with a revelation of this principle to Noah, Genesis 9:6; Promise, when the promise was revealed to Abram, Genesis 12:1-3. The Law was given to and revealed through Moses for Israel, Exodus 19:8. Could you begin any one of these dispensations before a revelation of it was given? Of course not!
The new revelation of the prophesied Kingdom, as finally being "at hand," was given to John the Baptist, Matthew 3:2; 11:13, and this proclamation was continued by our Lord and His disciples, Matthew 4:17; 10:6-8; Acts 1 thru 7, and will be established with the glorious revelation of Christ at His second coming, Matthew 24:30; Revelation 19:11-20 and 20:1-9.
In the meantime the Dispensation of Grace with the creation of its new Body Church was given to and revealed through Paul for us Gentiles, members of the Body of Christ, Ephesians 3:1-8, II Peter 3:15,16;Galatians 1:11,12 and 2:1-9.
No Body Church at Pentecost
There is not the slightest intimation that a new ekklesia began at Pentecost. Instead, it is evident that believers were added to an already existing Church, the Kingdom Church (Matthew 18:17; 16:18), and not to that ekklesia called the the Body of Christ. The Church of Pentecost was the ekklesia of prophecy which will find its fulfillment in the Millennial Kingdom. Everything that happened in the days of Pentecost was in fulfillment of prophecy. Peter quotes Joel in Acts 2, and in Acts 3:24 he says:"Yes, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days."The prophets foretold only events pertaining to the Kingdom and the Kingdom
Church; therefore, the things that happened in Acts 2 and 3 must have to do with the Kingdom Church and not the Body Church which had been hid from the ages and generations until revealed through Paul, who at this time was not even saved.
The Church at Pentecost could not have been the Body Church for you cannot begin to reconcile Jew and Gentile in the one Body until Israel is first alienated, that is, removed from their covenant or priority position among the nations. This fact is made clear in Romans 11:15,32 and Ephesians 2:14-17. Reconciliation presupposes a state of alienation. Before the crucifixion Israel was still the favored nation and in Covenant relationship with God, "Let the children [Israel] FIRST be filled" (Mark 7:27). In the first chapters of Acts Israel still is not yet cast away or alienated, because the Son prayed for their forgiveness (Luke 23:34), and Peter declares them to be the children of the prophets and of the Covenant (Acts 3:25), and then adds, "Unto you [Israel] FIRST, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you [first], in turning every one of you from his iniquities." As of Acts 3:25, no change had taken place.
At Pentecost there is no mention of Gentiles. Since the Body Church is a joint-body of Jews and Gentiles, the Body could not have begun there.
Here is another important distinction to note. After the resurrection, Christ made it clear that He would baptize them on the day of Pentecost, "not many days hence" (Acts 1:5). In the baptism at Pentecost, Christ was the Baptizer, baptizing with the Spirit (Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16). In I Corinthians 12:13, however, the Holy Spirit is the Baptizer, baptizing into Christ. In each case the Spirit is associated with a "baptism," yet they are two separate and distinct baptisms. In the former Christ is the Baptizer, and in the latter the Spirit is the Agent doing the baptizing. Christ was the Baptizer on the Day of Pentecost and this baptism resulted in receiving Power from on high (Luke 24:49). This baptism was eperiential, resulting in signs, wonders, and miracles. The baptism which forms the Body Church is not experiential. There is no feeling or sensation when the Spirit baptizes you into the Body of Christ. Since this baptism was not taking place on the Day of Pentecost, we have another reason why that date could not have marked the beginning of the Body of Christ
Church.
When Did the Body Church Begin?
When did God begin this wonderful Dispensation of the Grace of God? When did He begin the Mystery or Secret Body of Christ Church in which Jew and Gentile are joined together to form the "One New Man"?
The Body Began: — Theoretically
The Body Church began theoretically or theologically in the mind of God before the age times began, before the foundation of the world. "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world" (Ephesians 1:4).
"Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but accord-to His own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world [ages] began" (II Timothy 1:9).
How comforting to know that even as the cross was a mood in the heart of God before it became part of the history of the world, even so before the foundation of the world, or even before one speck of dust came forth from the womb of nothing, we were in the mind of God.
The Body Began: — Instrumentally
The Body Church began instrument-ally by or through the cross, but not at the cross.
"For to make in Himself of twain [Jew and Gentile] one new man, so making peace; and that He might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross" (Ephesians2:15,16).
We have already seen that at Pentecost Israel was not yet alienated, nor was the Spirit baptizing into the Body Church, nor could there be a joint-body of Jew and Gentile for there is no mention of Gentiles.
The Body Began: — Judicially
The Body Church could not begin until God's act of judgment fell on Israel. We are reconciled "doctrinally," for individual salvation, by the cross: "God was in Christ [at the cross], reconciling the world unto Himself." But we are reconciled "dispensationally," by the "casting away" of Israel: "For if the casting away of them [Israel] be the reconciling of the world." Israel nationally was not yet alienated from God in the first half of Acts (Acts 3:24-26). Israel began to commit the "unpardonable sin" (Matthew 12:31,32) when they rejected the message of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles (Acts 2:4; 4:8,31;5:3,32; 7:51,55). This rejection reached a great crisis in Acts 7 at the stoning of Stephen. Sir Robert Anderson says:
"The death of Stephen was the secret crisis of their destiny. Never again was a public miracle
witnessed in Jerusalem. The special Pentecostal proclamation was withdrawn .... The apostles of the Gentiles forthwith received his commission, and the current of events set steadily, and with continually increasing force, toward the open rejection of the long-favoured people . . ." (Silence of God. p. 83). M. R. DeHaan wrote in a letter to a friend, dated February 19, 1953: "After Israel rejected the offer of the kingdom in Acts 7, the gospel goes to the Gentiles ..."James M. Gray says:"The martyrdom of Stephen brought to a close the second offer of the kingdom of Israel . . . and we now enter the transition period in which the Church passes out of its Jewish into its Gentile stage" (Great Epochs of Sacred History Course, p. 50).God's prophesied plan to bless the nations through Israel was temporarily interrupted (Romans 11:26). God alienated Israel nationally from Himself, and judicially cast them away, a necessary step before He could begin the dispensational reconciling of Jew and Gentile in the One Body Church.
The Body Began: — Symbolically
The next step in preparation for the creation of the Body Church was the salvation of Saul of Tarsus or Paul the Apostle (Acts 9). He was to be the vehicle through which the revelation of the new dispensation would come.
Paul was a Hebrew:"Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews" (Philippians 3:5).Paul was also a Roman citizen:"Paul said . . . They have beaten us openly . . . Roman citizens. . . and they [the magistrates] feared, when they heard that they were Romans" (Acts 16:37,38). Paul is a natural symbol of God's purpose concerning the Joint-Body of Christ, because he was both Jew and Gentile in one person, which illustrates the Jew and Gentile in the One Body.
The Body Began: — Historically
Paul's first recorded missionary journey to Gentiles is given to us in Acts, chapters 13 and 14. However, in Acts 9:26-30 Luke tells us that Paul was sent forth from Jerusalem to Tarsus. During these years in Tarsus, Paul must have used Tarsus as a base of operation to preach, as he says, in Syria and Cilicia, Galatians 1:21.
In Acts 15:23 we read of the communication sent by the Church of Jerusalem to "the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia." In Acts 15:41 Paul "went through Syria and Cilicia confirming the churches." This is evidence enough to believe that these were Gentile churches which he had founded, probably before he came to Antioch (Acts 11:26) during this Tarsus period. His first apostolic journey as outlined for us in Acts 13 and 14 did not take him into Syria and Cilicia. This Gentile ministry during this Tarsus period then (he was there for perhaps five years), could be called his "secret" missionary journey to Gentiles.
The Body Church is a joint-body of Jews and Gentiles, but at Pentecost no Gentiles are mentioned. Even those scattered by "the persecution that arose about Stephen" spake to "none but Jews only" (Acts 11:19). The conversion of Gentiles during Paul's "secret" journey into Syria and Cilicia makes the joint-body possible, for the two ingredients necessary to make up the Body Church are now present.
Allow this illustration. The chemical composition of water is H20, i.e., hydrogen and oxygen. We cannot have water if we have only one of those. Even if we have both, they must be locked together molecularly before these two gases take on a new mode of existence as water. Similarly, we must have both Jewish hydrogen and Gentile oxygen together before we can have the creation of the Body Church. At Pentecost we have only Jews (hydrogen) who are saved; but the Body cannot exist until both ingredients, that is, Jew (hydrogen) and Gentile (oxygen) are joined together. (Note that the Greek prefix "sun" is used three times in Ephesians 3:6-"joint-heir," "joint-body," and "joint-partakers.'''')
"To make in Himself of twain [Jew and Gentile] one new man . . . that He might reconcile both [Jew and Gentile] . . . in one Body." (Ephesians 2:15-16) In the first half of Acts we have no Gentiles; therefore, it was impossible to have the Body Church formed. Between Acts 9 and 13, through Paul's ministry in Syria and Cilicia, Gentiles are gathered. We believe that now the two necessary ingredients were locked together and the joint-body began historically or secretly. If this be true, it is interesting to note that the Body began secretly, and it will end secretly in the Rapture of the Body Church from earth to heaven (I Thessalonians4:16-18). (The Rapture will be secret in the sense that the world will not see the Lord nor hear His shout.)
The Body Began: — Scripturally
The Body began scripturally or manifestly in Acts 13. Several significant things mark this occasion. The Holy Spirit separates Barnabas and Paul for a specific work, verse 2. Paul performs his first miracle, a sign of his entering into his Apostleship (II Corinthians 12:12), and he was the Apostle to the Gentiles for this dispensation (Romans 11:13;
The Body began scripturally or manifestly in Acts 13. Several significant things mark this occasion. The Holy Spirit separates Barnabas and Paul for a specific work, verse 2. Paul performs his first miracle, a sign of his entering into his Apostleship (II Corinthians 12:12), and he was the Apostle to the Gentiles for this dispensation (Romans 11:13;Ephesians 3:1-5).
The episode recorded in Acts 13:5-15 could be called a dispensational miracle. Note the particulars. "Bar-jesus," the Jew, tried to turn Sergius Paulus, the Gentile, away from the faith. Because of this, "Bar-jesus," which means "the child of Jehovah Saviour" is called, "the child of the Devil," "full of guile." Paul strikes this Jewish sorcerer with a season of blindness, and as a result the Gentile believes.
Let us keep in mind that according to Romans 11:25 and 26, that a blindness in part, and fora season, has happened to Israel. Israel, the child of Jehovah, has become in this dispensation blinded, but Israel will only be blind for a season until the Sun of Righteousness comes (Malachi 4:2).
Bar-jesus, full of guile, and blind, speaks of Israel during this present dispensation (Romans 11:25). As a result of Israel's guile in attempting to keep the Apostles from preaching to Gentiles (I Thessalonians 2:15,16), and Israel's being blinded (cf. Acts 13:11 and Rom-and 11:25), the Gentile, Sergius Paulus, believes and obtains the mercy of God by faith (cf. Acts 13:12 and Romans 11:25,30).
In summary we point out, Israel is judged and alienated in Acts 7; Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles is saved in Acts 9 and Gentiles are gathered and saved between Acts 9 and 13 in Paul's secret missionary journey. Paul is separated by a distinct act of the Holy Spirit; he works his Apostolic and dispensational miracle, and he assumes his Gentile name, as he opens "the door of faith unto the Gentiles" in Acts 13 and 14. We conclude that the creation of the Body Church took place with the ministry of the Apostle Paul before he wrote his first epistle.
Any Christian who desires to be an unashamed workman will soon learn that he must "rightly divide the Word of Truth" (II Timothy 2:15); otherwise, he will confuse the spiritual programs and purposes of God. It is necessary to see the progression of revelation as God gives it in His Word so we can discern what God is doing and when He begins doing it.
The clearest example of this is given in Acts 18:24-28. Apollos, although "he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord," was preaching and teaching an obsolete message and program. Aquila and Priscilla took him aside and brought him up to date. They "explained the way of God more perfectly," that is, they pointed out the changes that had taken place. They instructed him in the historical and revelatory progress in God's plan and program as they had received it from Paul (Acts 18:1-11). Apollos progressed with God. May each of us do the same.
It is sad and displeasing to the Lord, I'm sure, when some preach an obsolete message and practise the Kingdom program and do not progress in understanding the later revelation given by the risen Christ to Paul for this present administration of grace. Following the continuity of Scripture from the prophesied Kingdom program into the present purpose and program of God in this dispensation can affect your salvation, your life, your service and effectiveness for Him. May you desire:
"The spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of -His calling, and what the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power" (Ephesians 1:17-19).
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