The best one word translation of ekklesia is assembly. The word never meant any more
than that but let us turn our attention to its usage in the New Testament where the
word is descriptive of the Lord's churches.
The New Testament employs the word ekklesia of the Lord's churches 111 times, 36 times
in the plural, and 75 times in the singular. Within this framework, there is a
three-fold usage:
1. Concretely--in the singular: The word concrete in this sense simply speaks of
having a specific application. That is, particular as opposed to general. An example
of this usage occurs in I Corinthians 1:2 where Paul spoke of " . . . . the church of
God which is at Corinth . . . ." This is not a reference to the church generally
speaking, but to a specific church, one church, the church at Corinth.
2. Concretely--in the plural: An example of this usage occurs in the words, The
churches of Asia salute you . . . ." (I Cor 16:19).
3. Abstractly and generically--in the institutional sense: An example of this kind of
usage is found in Matthew 16:18, in the words of Christ, " . . . . I will build my
church . . . ."
It is from this third usage the universal church theory is supported. The abstract use
of terms is very much a part of our every day speech. We use words like man, marriage,
home, and etc. in an abstract, generic, institutional sense.
We might say, "The care is the most popular means of transportation." This reference
is not made to any specific or particular car, as would be the case in the concrete
sense. Instead, the meaning of the word car as used abstractly must not be made to
militate against its meaning when used concretely.
This, however, is the very thing the universal church theory proponents do with the
word ekklesia. They tell us the concrete use of the word speaks of locality and
visibility but the abstract use speaks of something universal and invisible.
C.I. Scofield was a universal church proponent, as one can readily see from his
footnotes to the Scofield Reference Bible. In defining the word ekklesia, Mr. Scofield
says, "Gr. ecclesia (ek = out of, kaleo = to call), an assembly of called-out ones.
The word is used of any assembly; the word itself implies no more . . . ."
But, Mr. Scofield's notes elsewhere deviate from this definition, and his notes have
hindered many from understanding the plain teaching of God's Word. He writes, "Church
(true), Summary: The true church, composed of the whole number of regenerate persons
from Pentecost to the first resurrection . . . . united together and to Christ by the
baptism with the Holy Spirit . . . ."
Then, in other places, Scofield notes marginal references singling out Church (local)
I Cor 14:1-5, Acts 2:41, Phil 1:1; Churches (true) II Cor 11:2,3, Mt 16:18, Heb 12:23;
Church (visible) I Cor 15:9, I Cor 10:32, I Tim 3:15. Thus, Mr. Scofield amazingly
finds three churches which he describes as local, true and visible.
Strangely, Mr. Scofield never refers to an abstract use of the word ekklesia. Instead,
he gives the reader his opinion with the words local, true and visible.
In truth, such distinctions are unnecessary. If the Lord's churches are in view, each
one is located, visible and true. The word of God never refers to local or visible or
true when referencing the Lord's churches. Locality and visibility inhere in the term
ekklesia. Further, each one that is a church of Christ is true.
Paul speaks of the church, which is his body (Eph 1:22-23). Here, the word church is
used in the abstract sense, but we contend that this usage does not militate against
the concrete meaning of the word.
This epistle was written to the saints which are at Ephesus (Eph 1:2). The church at
Ephesus was one of the seven churches which are in Asia (Rev 1:4, 11) as identified by
John. This church had elders (Acts 20:17) and constituted all the flock in that place
(Acts 20:28)--the kind of flock that grievous wolves could enter in (Acts 20:29).
The word body is often thought of as describing the universal, invisible church idea.
Paul, however, is on record as writing to the church of God which is at Corinth and
saying to them, Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (I Cor
12:27). He does not say, "Ye are part of the body of Christ," but "ye are the body of
Christ."
W.E. Vine writes, ". . . . there is no definite article before body in the original .
. . . It would be possible to render the sentence ye are a body of Christ, and this is
true of every scripturally constituted assembly."
Joseph Cross said, "The church is a body; but what sort of body is that which can
neither be seen or identified? A body is an organism occupying space and having a
definite locality. A mere aggregation is not a body: there must be organization as
well. A heap of heads, hands, feet and other members would not make a body: they must
be united in a system, each in its proper place and pervaded by a common life."
The term body must not be expanded beyond the meaning of ekklesia which it portrays.
In other words, to say that one member is the little toe, another member the eye,
another member the hand, etc., and these members are scattered throughout the world,
is to expand the figure of a body beyond what it is intended to convey. There are a
number of figures used to describe the church, or each church, such as: a body; a
flock; a temple; a chaste virgin; an habitation of God; God's husbandry; God's
building; and etc.
However, no one of these should be expanded beyond what it is intended to convey. The
figure of a flock shows each church is to hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow
Him. Each church, as a temple of God, is to meet the conditions essential to
acceptable worship. Each church, as a chaste virgin, is to maintain that purity in
relation to Him to whom she is espoused as becomes the figure. Each church, as an
habitation of God, is to meet the conditions in order to God's dwelling there. Each
church, as God's husbandry, or tilled land is to keep the soil clear of noxious growth
so the Word of God sown therein may produce fruit to God's glory.
The responsibility to maintain what each figure presents rests with each church. The
figure of a body is designed to show each church has the responsibility to carry out
the will of its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's building, Christ is the
foundation.
The churches of the New Testament differed. The difference however, was not in what it
took to constitute them a church, but in the degree of their obedience to the faith
once delivered unto the saints by which the spiritual stature of the churches was
measured and by which the figures which revealed that stature were measured. May God
give each one within His churches the desire to live in such a way as to reveal
practically what each figure of the church is intended to convey.
Of the 111 occurrences of the word ekklesia, translated by the English church or
churches, speaking of our Lord's churches, very few are used to teach the universal
church theory. F.J.A. Hort, a universal church proponent, said in his work, The
Christian Ecclesia, that all the proof texts are to be rejected, excepting only
Matthew 16:18 and those in Ephesians and Colossians. He says the universal church
theory comes more from the theological than from the historical side.
Thus, he confesses the need for finding a means to support his view on grounds other
than etymological, grammatical or historical. If I judge his view correctly, neither
etymology, grammar, nor history lends support to the universal church theory.
Consider Matthew 16:18 as one of the passages Mr. Hort accepts, then determine if this
text teaches the universal church theory. The text reads in part, ". . . . I will
build my church . . . .".
Notice the following facts:
1. This is the first occurrence of the word ekklesia in the New Testament. This word,
however, was already in use, and the people knew this word meant an assembly. When the
Lord modified this word by, not words like local, visible, true, universal and or
others, but by the word my, it simply was designed to designed to distinguish the
Lord's assembly from those of the Greeks and Hebrews.
2. Christ used the word ekklesia a total of 23 times, including Matthew 16:18. The
other occurrences include: Matthew 18:17 (twice); Revelations 1:4, 11, 20 (twice);
2:1,7,8,11-12,17-18,23,29; 3:1,6-7,13-14,22; and 22:16.
Without a doubt, all 22 occurrences of ekklesia used by the Lord outside of Matthew
16:18, refer to an assembly that is local and visible. Would the Lord attach a meaning
to ekklesia the first time He used it that would be entirely new and different than
what was in the minds of the people who were familiar with the word? And, would the
Lord give a meaning to the word in the first occurrence that would be entirely
different than the sense of the word in every other place He used it?
The word church in Matthew 16:18 is simply an abstract usage of the word ekklesia.
But, the abstract use does not militate against the concrete use. The word church did
not come into existence until several hundreds of years after the scriptures were
completed. The word to keep in mind is ecclesia and had that word been translated, the
translation would have been an assembly.
Kenneth S. Wuest, who subscribed to both a local church and a universal church, said,
"The word church is ekklsia, a body of called out individuals. It refers to the
invisible Church, composed of only saved individuals, not to the visible, organized
Church on earth."
In Volume II on I Timothy, he states, "The word church is ekklsia, a called out body
of individuals who assemble in a certain place; in the Christian sense, the Mystical
Body of Christ, composed of believing sinners called into salvation. The word is also
used of a local church or assembly."
In another place, he writes, "The verb is ekkale, to call out of. The church is
therefore composed of a body of called out people, called by the sovereign grace of
God into salvation. The noun ekklsia was used in pagan Greek to designate a meeting of
the citizens of a town called by the town official to an assembly. The local church is
therefore an assembly of God's people."
Wuest has one meaning, called out . . . . into salvation, and the other meaning, a
called-out body who assemble in a certain place. The word ekklsia never conveyed being
called out in any sense other than to assemble in a certain place. It is this kind of
church of which we speak, and of which the Scriptures speak. BD
than that but let us turn our attention to its usage in the New Testament where the
word is descriptive of the Lord's churches.
The New Testament employs the word ekklesia of the Lord's churches 111 times, 36 times
in the plural, and 75 times in the singular. Within this framework, there is a
three-fold usage:
1. Concretely--in the singular: The word concrete in this sense simply speaks of
having a specific application. That is, particular as opposed to general. An example
of this usage occurs in I Corinthians 1:2 where Paul spoke of " . . . . the church of
God which is at Corinth . . . ." This is not a reference to the church generally
speaking, but to a specific church, one church, the church at Corinth.
2. Concretely--in the plural: An example of this usage occurs in the words, The
churches of Asia salute you . . . ." (I Cor 16:19).
3. Abstractly and generically--in the institutional sense: An example of this kind of
usage is found in Matthew 16:18, in the words of Christ, " . . . . I will build my
church . . . ."
It is from this third usage the universal church theory is supported. The abstract use
of terms is very much a part of our every day speech. We use words like man, marriage,
home, and etc. in an abstract, generic, institutional sense.
We might say, "The care is the most popular means of transportation." This reference
is not made to any specific or particular car, as would be the case in the concrete
sense. Instead, the meaning of the word car as used abstractly must not be made to
militate against its meaning when used concretely.
This, however, is the very thing the universal church theory proponents do with the
word ekklesia. They tell us the concrete use of the word speaks of locality and
visibility but the abstract use speaks of something universal and invisible.
C.I. Scofield was a universal church proponent, as one can readily see from his
footnotes to the Scofield Reference Bible. In defining the word ekklesia, Mr. Scofield
says, "Gr. ecclesia (ek = out of, kaleo = to call), an assembly of called-out ones.
The word is used of any assembly; the word itself implies no more . . . ."
But, Mr. Scofield's notes elsewhere deviate from this definition, and his notes have
hindered many from understanding the plain teaching of God's Word. He writes, "Church
(true), Summary: The true church, composed of the whole number of regenerate persons
from Pentecost to the first resurrection . . . . united together and to Christ by the
baptism with the Holy Spirit . . . ."
Then, in other places, Scofield notes marginal references singling out Church (local)
I Cor 14:1-5, Acts 2:41, Phil 1:1; Churches (true) II Cor 11:2,3, Mt 16:18, Heb 12:23;
Church (visible) I Cor 15:9, I Cor 10:32, I Tim 3:15. Thus, Mr. Scofield amazingly
finds three churches which he describes as local, true and visible.
Strangely, Mr. Scofield never refers to an abstract use of the word ekklesia. Instead,
he gives the reader his opinion with the words local, true and visible.
In truth, such distinctions are unnecessary. If the Lord's churches are in view, each
one is located, visible and true. The word of God never refers to local or visible or
true when referencing the Lord's churches. Locality and visibility inhere in the term
ekklesia. Further, each one that is a church of Christ is true.
Paul speaks of the church, which is his body (Eph 1:22-23). Here, the word church is
used in the abstract sense, but we contend that this usage does not militate against
the concrete meaning of the word.
This epistle was written to the saints which are at Ephesus (Eph 1:2). The church at
Ephesus was one of the seven churches which are in Asia (Rev 1:4, 11) as identified by
John. This church had elders (Acts 20:17) and constituted all the flock in that place
(Acts 20:28)--the kind of flock that grievous wolves could enter in (Acts 20:29).
The word body is often thought of as describing the universal, invisible church idea.
Paul, however, is on record as writing to the church of God which is at Corinth and
saying to them, Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (I Cor
12:27). He does not say, "Ye are part of the body of Christ," but "ye are the body of
Christ."
W.E. Vine writes, ". . . . there is no definite article before body in the original .
. . . It would be possible to render the sentence ye are a body of Christ, and this is
true of every scripturally constituted assembly."
Joseph Cross said, "The church is a body; but what sort of body is that which can
neither be seen or identified? A body is an organism occupying space and having a
definite locality. A mere aggregation is not a body: there must be organization as
well. A heap of heads, hands, feet and other members would not make a body: they must
be united in a system, each in its proper place and pervaded by a common life."
The term body must not be expanded beyond the meaning of ekklesia which it portrays.
In other words, to say that one member is the little toe, another member the eye,
another member the hand, etc., and these members are scattered throughout the world,
is to expand the figure of a body beyond what it is intended to convey. There are a
number of figures used to describe the church, or each church, such as: a body; a
flock; a temple; a chaste virgin; an habitation of God; God's husbandry; God's
building; and etc.
However, no one of these should be expanded beyond what it is intended to convey. The
figure of a flock shows each church is to hear the voice of the Shepherd and follow
Him. Each church, as a temple of God, is to meet the conditions essential to
acceptable worship. Each church, as a chaste virgin, is to maintain that purity in
relation to Him to whom she is espoused as becomes the figure. Each church, as an
habitation of God, is to meet the conditions in order to God's dwelling there. Each
church, as God's husbandry, or tilled land is to keep the soil clear of noxious growth
so the Word of God sown therein may produce fruit to God's glory.
The responsibility to maintain what each figure presents rests with each church. The
figure of a body is designed to show each church has the responsibility to carry out
the will of its Head, the Lord Jesus Christ. As God's building, Christ is the
foundation.
The churches of the New Testament differed. The difference however, was not in what it
took to constitute them a church, but in the degree of their obedience to the faith
once delivered unto the saints by which the spiritual stature of the churches was
measured and by which the figures which revealed that stature were measured. May God
give each one within His churches the desire to live in such a way as to reveal
practically what each figure of the church is intended to convey.
Of the 111 occurrences of the word ekklesia, translated by the English church or
churches, speaking of our Lord's churches, very few are used to teach the universal
church theory. F.J.A. Hort, a universal church proponent, said in his work, The
Christian Ecclesia, that all the proof texts are to be rejected, excepting only
Matthew 16:18 and those in Ephesians and Colossians. He says the universal church
theory comes more from the theological than from the historical side.
Thus, he confesses the need for finding a means to support his view on grounds other
than etymological, grammatical or historical. If I judge his view correctly, neither
etymology, grammar, nor history lends support to the universal church theory.
Consider Matthew 16:18 as one of the passages Mr. Hort accepts, then determine if this
text teaches the universal church theory. The text reads in part, ". . . . I will
build my church . . . .".
Notice the following facts:
1. This is the first occurrence of the word ekklesia in the New Testament. This word,
however, was already in use, and the people knew this word meant an assembly. When the
Lord modified this word by, not words like local, visible, true, universal and or
others, but by the word my, it simply was designed to designed to distinguish the
Lord's assembly from those of the Greeks and Hebrews.
2. Christ used the word ekklesia a total of 23 times, including Matthew 16:18. The
other occurrences include: Matthew 18:17 (twice); Revelations 1:4, 11, 20 (twice);
2:1,7,8,11-12,17-18,23,29; 3:1,6-7,13-14,22; and 22:16.
Without a doubt, all 22 occurrences of ekklesia used by the Lord outside of Matthew
16:18, refer to an assembly that is local and visible. Would the Lord attach a meaning
to ekklesia the first time He used it that would be entirely new and different than
what was in the minds of the people who were familiar with the word? And, would the
Lord give a meaning to the word in the first occurrence that would be entirely
different than the sense of the word in every other place He used it?
The word church in Matthew 16:18 is simply an abstract usage of the word ekklesia.
But, the abstract use does not militate against the concrete use. The word church did
not come into existence until several hundreds of years after the scriptures were
completed. The word to keep in mind is ecclesia and had that word been translated, the
translation would have been an assembly.
Kenneth S. Wuest, who subscribed to both a local church and a universal church, said,
"The word church is ekklsia, a body of called out individuals. It refers to the
invisible Church, composed of only saved individuals, not to the visible, organized
Church on earth."
In Volume II on I Timothy, he states, "The word church is ekklsia, a called out body
of individuals who assemble in a certain place; in the Christian sense, the Mystical
Body of Christ, composed of believing sinners called into salvation. The word is also
used of a local church or assembly."
In another place, he writes, "The verb is ekkale, to call out of. The church is
therefore composed of a body of called out people, called by the sovereign grace of
God into salvation. The noun ekklsia was used in pagan Greek to designate a meeting of
the citizens of a town called by the town official to an assembly. The local church is
therefore an assembly of God's people."
Wuest has one meaning, called out . . . . into salvation, and the other meaning, a
called-out body who assemble in a certain place. The word ekklsia never conveyed being
called out in any sense other than to assemble in a certain place. It is this kind of
church of which we speak, and of which the Scriptures speak. BD
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