04 The Word "Church"

The Word "Church"

Before we proceed in our understanding of the great mystery, we must understand the usage of the word "church" in the Christ administration and also in the administration in which we continue to live. In the Christ administration the Church is the bride; in the great mystery or Church of grace administration the Church is the body. Confusing these two usages and not rightly dividing them as to the administration to which they belong has caused no small amount of error. The Greek word for church is ekklēsia, literally meaning the "called out." Those of Israel who followed Jesus Christ while He was here upon earth were the "called out" of Israel and are referred to as the Church, the bride. In the Septuagint translation of the Old Testament the Greek word ekklēsia is used 75 times, meaning to call together for an assembly, for a meeting. Ekklēsia is used of any group called together for any specific purpose. The Greek word ekklēsia is the Hebrew word cahal, transliterated into our English word "call." The word cahal occurs in the Old Testament 123 times and is translated "congregation" 86 times, "assembly" 17 times, and "multitude" 3 times. The first usage of the Hebrew word cahal, which in the Greek (Septuagint) is ekklēsia, is given in Genesis 28:3: "That thou mayest be a multitude [cahal, ekklēsia] of people," namely, they were a called-out people. This is exactly what Israel was, a people called out from among others and assembled together apart from other people. The usage of the word ekklēsia varies depending on the situation. For instance, if you are driving down the highway and you point to a building and say, "See that big church," your usage of the word "church" is different from your usage when you say, "We are having a meeting of the church." Today we speak of the church by referring to different denominations such as the Methodist Church, the Roman Catholic Church, the Lutheran Church, the Baptist Church. These different usages of the word ekklēsia or "church" are understood today. In the Bible also we must rightly divide its usage, and understand its significant meaning in the administration in which it is used. The word ekklēsia simply and plainly means "called out." Any assembly, any group meeting, called out for a specific purpose is an ekklēsia. If you were called out for a meeting, that assembly would be an ekklēsia, a church. If a mob were called out to destroy a whole community, this mob would be called an ekklēsia, a church. A union meeting which ended in mob-violence in the Bible is called an ekklēsia. In Acts 19:21ff we read:

After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season. And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: [Watch this ekklēsia develop. Demetrius is a real organizer.] So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth. [Look at that build-up. He’s got something going here.] And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not [to enter in]. And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

Some [of the silversmith craftsmen] therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly [ekklēsia, church] was confused.

Demetrius and his fellow silversmiths were not called together to worship the true God. They were called out for a union meeting to maintain the profits in their profession as silversmiths of the statues of Diana. The meaning and usage of the word ekklēsia is certainly clear from this biblical illustration. The ekklēsia, the Church of the Gospels which Jesus Christ initiated, was the called out from Israel. Jesus Christ was a minister to the circumcision (Romans 15:8). Everything Jesus Christ came to do He came to do for Israel; everything Jesus Christ did He did for Israel. Jesus Christ kept and fulfilled every law addressed to Israel. Even when Jesus sent out the twelve apostles according to Matthew 10, He sent them only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. When the seventy in Luke 10 were commissioned, they were sent to Israel only. Jesus’ entire ministry was to Israel, the circumcision. Jesus Christ’s message was a calling out of followers from Israel. Those of Israel who believed in Him are referred to as the Church of the bride. In Matthew 16:18 we have a statement usually misconstrued, where Jesus said, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church [ekklēsia]." The word "Peter" is the Greek word petros, meaning the smallest rock-like, tiny grain of stone. Every time the wind blows, the tiny grain blows. The word for "rock" is petra, meaning a solid rock no storm can blow away. This scripture does not declare that the Church of the Gospels is built on Peter. It speaks loudly to the contrary saying, "You are Peter [Petros, a tiny grain-like stone, you blow around with everything], but upon this rock [petra, a solid rock, which is Christ], I will build my Church." The Church in the Gospels was built by Jesus Christ Himself, who was the Bridegroom, and the "called out" are the bride. When we study the great mystery we see that the Church in the Epistles is not called the bride but the body, and is built by the born-again believers, who have The Word and ministry of reconciliation (II Corinthians 5:18, 19). In the Gospels we have the record of the crucifixion of the Bridegroom, Who was to build His Church and against which the gates of hell should not prevail. The Church of the bride, the called out of Israel, temporarily terminated with the death of the Bridegroom. More specifically, the Church of the bride is held in abeyance until the period or administration of the great mystery has culminated. Then beginning with the Book of Revelation administration we again have the Church as the bride, and Jesus Christ as the King of Kings and the Bridegroom, and He will build the Church of the called out of Israel against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. The Gospels terminate with the suffering Christ, the Book of Revelation with the glory of Christ. The Church as the bride of Christ was no mystery. Israel’s blessings, as well as the blessings on the Gentiles through Israel and Jesus Christ, was no secret (Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 28:14; Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:30-32). The sufferings and glory of Christ were no secret. The Old Testament prophets were totally conversant with the truth of "the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow" (I Peter 1:11). But that there was to be an expanded period of time between the "sufferings and the glory" was baffling to them. Thus they searched diligently to see the time span between the "sufferings" and the "glory."