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The Church: Local And Visible Not Universal And Invisible

March 11, 2007

Jesus established a church

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church[Gk. ekklesia – a called out assembly of people]; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

Jesus established one “kind” of church

Ephesians 4:4-5 There is one [in kind not in number] body (church), and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism,

The body is a figure of the church

Colossians 1:18 And he (Jesus) is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Jesus Christ’s church is a local visible church

Matthew 16:18 And I (Jesus) say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church [singular]; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

The use of the singular can mean more than one

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man [singular] in our image, after our likeness:

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband [singular – stands for each individual husband] is the head of the wife [singular – stands for each individual wife], even as Christ is the head of the church [singular – stands for each individual local church]: and he is the saviour of the body [singular – stands for each individual body].

Jesus clearly used the word church (ekklesia)

21 times as local churches

Matthew 18:17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. (how can you tell something to a universal invisible church?)

Revelation 1:11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea.

Revelation 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

Revelation 2:1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;

Revelation 2:7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

Revelation 2:8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive;

Revelation 2:11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

Revelation 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges;

Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Revelation 2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;

Revelation 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

Revelation 2:29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

Revelation 3:6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;

Revelation 3:13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 3:14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

Revelation 3:22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

Revelation 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

Ekklesia defined

In the Greek NT the word ekklesia appears 118 times in 115 verses (Translated in the KJV as church 115 times, assembly 3 times).

A. Ek – out of, out from; Kaleo – to call “called out”

B. The common usage of "ekklesia," at that time was an "assembly."

A+B =“a called out assembly”

The Old Testament usage of ekklesia referred

to “an assembly of people”

Deuteronomy 4:10 "Remember the day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, when the LORD said to me, 'Assemble the people [LXX ekklesia] to Me, that I may let them hear My words so they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

Deuteronomy 31:30 Then Moses spoke in the hearing of all the assembly [LXX ekklesia] of Israel the words of this song until they were ended:

The secular usage of ekklesia referred

to “an assembly of people”

Acts 19:32,39 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another for the assembly [ekklesia] was confused, and most of them did not know why they had come together. 39 "But if you have any other inquiry to make, it shall be determined in the lawful assembly [ekklesia].

In Acts and in the Epistles we only see local churches

Acts 8:1 “…there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad…”

Acts 9:31 “Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria…”

Acts 13:1 “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers…”

Acts 15:41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.

Acts 18:22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

Acts 20:17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.

Romans 16:1 I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:

1 Corinthians 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth…”

1 Corinthians 16:19 The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.

Galatians 1:2 And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia:

Philippians 3:6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

Colossians 4:15 Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house.

1 Thessalonians 1: 1 “… unto the church of the Thessalonians…”

1 Timothy 5:16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

Philemon 2 And to our beloved Apphia, and Archippus our fellowsoldier, and to the church in thy house:

Hebrews 2:12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

James 5:14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:

3 John 9 I wrote unto the church: but Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence among them, receiveth us not.

Revelation 1:4 “John to the seven churches which are in Asia…”

Christ is the head of every local church just as

He is the head of every man

Colossians 1:18 And he (Christ) is the head of the body, the church...

Ephesians 5:23 “…Christ is the head of the church…”

1 Corinthians 11:3 But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Each local church is recognized as the body of Christ

1 Corinthians 12:27 Now ye [“church of God at Corinth” 1:2] are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

The word body is used to describe the church as

visible, localized, and unified

1 Corinthians 12:12 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ.

1 Corinthians 12:25-26 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. 26 And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.

The only kind of church the Lord adds to is a local church

Acts 2:41-42,47 Then they (the believing Jews) that gladly received his word were baptized (in water not in the Holy Spirit): and the same day there were added unto them (the apostles v.37) about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church (in Jerusalem) daily such as should be saved.

Christians are members of local churches

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch