INFALLIBLE

Proofs

Concerning the

LOCAL CHURCH

Joel Saripalli

DEDICATED

to those Faithful Baptist Martyrs (Revelation 2:12,13), who endured the persecutions brought upon them by the "Universal" (Catholic) Church, due to their firm conviction regarding the LOCAL CHURCH. Truly, they were "MORE THAN CONQUERORS!"

...Joel Saripalli

Permission granted December 2002, for the Bryan Station Baptist Church to print this book.

Field Address:

Dr. Solomon Surya Rao Saripalli

P.O. Box 12, Sainikpuri

Secunderabad - 500594.A.P. India

Contents

I Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

II Etymologically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

III Scripturally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

IV Numerically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43

V Practically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

VI Logically . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

VII Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

VIII Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

I. INTRODUCTION

"The Christian Church", "The Church Age", "The Rapture of the Church", "The Church..." this and "The Church..." that, et. al., are some of the most frequently used phrases by many preachers and teachers. Scores of books fill the shelves of book stores on the subject of "The Church". What exactly do the preachers, teachers and authors of these books mean by "The Church?"

This book is an expose'. It is set forth with the honest intention of clarifying, what many today in the Ecumenical world claim to be, "The Church" as opposed to what the Scriptures teach. Also, the Scriptural per-spective of the true nature of the church will be set forth. The author sincerely requests the reader, to do so, with-out any reservations or bias or any preconceived notions. May the mind of the reader be open to the truth and his/her heart never be content with anything, but the TRUTH.

The best way to examine the veracity of a subject is to question it. To gain greater insight, we must scruti-nize and diagnose. If this be true, then it can certainly be applied to the subject of the church. "What is the church? How would you explain it?" For if the "What" can be defined, then the "Who", the "Why", the "Where", the "When" and the "How" can also be answered with little or no confusion at all. We shall begin our quest into the subject of the church by scrutinizing some basic defini-tions that are available to us on the subject.

Pastor Edgar C. Carlisle states the definitions of the church as such, in his booklet on "God's church, family and kingdoms"; There are among Christian denominations, three primary definitions of the word church. Down through the centuries Baptists have believed the church is an assembly of saints meeting at a specific place at specific times. This is the local, visible interpretation.

"Roman Catholics teach that the church is uni-versal or Catholic. They insist that everywhere Catholics meet to worship they all compose the Lord's church. This is the universal visible church theory."

"Protestants insist that all the saints since the Day of Pentecost in Acts chapter two comprise the church. They may or may not meet with other believers to wor-ship. Protestants call all of these saints the body of Christ. This is the universal invisible church theory." (Pgs 1&2)

M.L. Moser, Jr. in his book, "Ecumenicalism under the spotlight", goes along the same lines in presenting the different definitions; "In seeking to define the word 'church' today, we find three basic definitions of the term. I choose to call them the 'Catholic Definition,' the 'Protestant Definition', and the 'Bible Definition.' Let us not these definitions...

Roman Catholic Definition.

The definition of the Roman Catholic Church is that the church is both visible and universal. Indeed the word 'catholic' means 'universal.' They teach that the Catholic Church includes all the members of the Roman Catholic churches throughout the world, thus being both visible and universal.

Protestant Definition.

This definition varies in that the church is defined as being invisible and universal...After separating from the Roman Catholic Church,...they were no longer members of that church, a new definition had to be devised. It had to be modified...broad enough to include all, whether Presbyterian, Lutheran, Reformed, or what, and because it did encompass all various groups, it was assumed that it was invisible, and not limited to a particular church body. Thus it was universal, including all believers, but invisible. This is the doctrine of the Pro-testants today and expressed in the so-called Apostle's creed, 'I believe in the holy catholic church.'

Bible Definition.

The third definition...is the Bible definition. Neither of the two above fits the Bible definition of the church. In seeking to define the word church, we cannot use our dictionaries, since the word is defined as to its current usage, therefore we must refer back to the Greek language and to its meaning at the time the word was used by our Lord. For this purpose, I quote...Dr. Roy Beamon, Professor of Languages and Biblical Introduction in the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. He defines the word 'church' in this manner:

The Greek word for church, ekklesia, does come from two Greek words, meaning called-out...As the Greeks used the word, it referred to a called-out meeting or gathering. The proper English for the Greek term is assembly or congregation...a violation of linguistic princi-ples is made by those who make 'church' in Ephesians refer to all the saved at the present time. The word means local assembly or an assembly as an institution.

Note then that the definition of the word 'church' as used in the New Testament involves both a 'calling-out' and a 'calling-together' and true Baptists have always accepted this definition of the New Testament." (Pgs 11&12)

Of the above mentioned three basic definitions, the second one, that is the Protestant Definition is the most popular and widely accepted. This definition was popularized to the most part by the footnotes given in the Scofield Bible. But there have been those who have stretched this same Protestant definition even further. The "much sung hero" of the "Sword of the Lord" pub-lications, John R. Rice, for example. In his booklet on the "Churches and the Church", he states that "...the Church or Body of Christ includes all the saved people of all Ages." (i.e. Past, Present and Future). (Pg 10)

And so, beginning with the late John R. Rice, every major modern day Ecumenical evangelical prea-ches nothing but the Universal Invisible Church Theory. Preachers such as the late Curtis Hutson, Jerry Falwell, Chuck Swindoll, Warren Wiersbe, Jack Van Impe, Oral Roberts, Billy Graham, R. B. Theime, et. al., have all promoted this position of the church.

As stated above, we have the Roman Catholic, the Protestant and the Bible/Baptist definitions which are the three basic definitions concerning THE CHURCH. All other explanations concerning the church are mere variants of these three definitions. But for our study's sake, we will further sum up these three definitions and all of their variants into two major categories;

1) Universal Church - This definition states that all believers, throughout the world, past, present and future, whether visible or invisible, comprise a Universal body of Christ. Whenever this definition is implied, the word 'church' is always spelt with a capital "C".

2) Local Church - This definition states that a church is a body of Baptized believers, assembling them-selves in a Specific Place at Specific Periods for Specific Purposes.

Having summed up all of the various definitions into two major categories, it is noteworthy to see that each one of these two definitions is a total contrast to the other. There is a great difference or conflict between the two, yet there are multitudes who claim that the Bible teaches both of these positions. Does the Bible indeed positively teach two subjects that are so conflicting to each other. at the same time? Or is it a semantical error made by those who claim to be Bible "gurus"?

Another great problem is that there are many who tend to be passive about most of the Bible doctrine. They insist that "it does not make any difference what or how one believes!" This kind of an attitude is what Ecumen-icalism is all about. It is an attitude that says, "It's all the same in the end anyway." If this is true, then we might as well give up all that we believe and stand for. We might as well, all become Hindus or join the New Age Move-ment. God forbid! The Bible encourages us to STUDY it and find out the truth about every subject that it deals with. II Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

Thus we shall now proceed to critique these two interpretations in a systematic and scriptural order. That is to find out, "What is the TRUE CHURCH?"

II. ETYMOLOGICALLY

It first needs to be mentioned that the word 'church' most definitely does not apply to a denomination, sect or even a building (such as a Cathedral). Many are under this false notion and would very loosely call a building, "a church." Before we deal with the English word, church, we shall first go to the Greek language, for our New Testament was originally written in that language. The Greek word behind our, English word, church, as mentioned previously is "Ekklesia." We shall Etymologically diagnose this word to see whether it applies to a Universal or a Local church.

It is a fact that Alexander the Great came up with his own 'code' language for his military, during his reign. This language came to be known as 'Koine" Greek. It was "Koine Greek" that was internationally spoken during the days of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord, speaking in this language, in Matthew 16:18 said, "...upon this rock I will build my EKKLESIA..." This word was already in common usage by the Greeks and was well understood as to its significance. We shall refer to certain authorities of the Greek language and derive the Etymology of the word EKKLESIA.

The late Dr. B.H. Carrol (1834-1914), Founder and first President of the renowned Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas defines the term thus in his book "Ecclesia"; "Etymologically...its...an organized assembly, whose members have been properly called out from private homes or business to attend to public affairs. This definition necessarily implies prescribed conditions of membership." (Pg 8)

Dr. Frank A. Godsoe, D.D., Th.D., explains in his book on "The House of God"; "...an organized Assembly, its members called out from private homes to attend public affairs, and having prescribed, conditions of mem-bership. That meaning applies to (1) Christ's Assembly, (2) To a self-governing Greek state, Acts 19:39, “But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly." (3) To National Israel, Acts 7:38, "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us." (Pg 9)

Edward Overby, the author of "The Meaning of Ekklesia in the New Testament", has compiled the following definitions in his writing;

"...an assembly of the people convened at the public place of council for the purpose of deliberating." (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament, J.H. Thayer)

"an assembly of the citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly." (A Greek-English Lexicon, R. Scott and H.G. Liddell)

"...the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs." (Synonyms of the New Testament, R.C. Trench)

"...The assembly of the people, which in Greek cities had the power to final decision in public affairs." (A Dictionary of Classical Antiquities, Oskar Seyffert)

"In every case the word means an organized Body..." (A Greek and English Lexicon, Greville Ewing)

"In classical use ekklesia meant an assembly." (A Manual of Ecclesiology, H.E. Dana)

Pastor Jerry D. Locke writes in "A study of the New Testament Church" that; "The English word 'church is taken from the Greek word 'ekklesia' which means 'called-out.' It always denotes an assembly." (Lesson 1)

Buell H. Kazee, author of "The CHURCH and the Ordinances" explains; "Ekklesia was a Greek word that would have been understood by all who used this universal language in the days of the apostles as meaning a visible assembly even after it had acquired a Christian significance. Christianity did not change the meaning of the word but adopted it as a fit description of this divine institution." (Pg 16)

"The CHURCH that Jesus Built," a book by Dr. Roy Mason. Dr. Mason, himself, was a former proponent of the Universal, Invisible Church Theory and after much research of the subject, he comes to the following conclusion in his book. "After careful study of all the passages in which the word ecclesia occurs in the New Testament,...and after examining...the word in classical Greek, I submit the proposition that the church that Jesus founded was the local assembly, and that to use the word ecclesia to designate a "universal", or "invisible" Church is to pervert its meaning, and to fall into serious error."

He continues, "What then, let us ask, did the word mean as understood by the people of that day? Says Dr. George W. McDaniel (The churches of the New Testament), Both with the Greeks and the Jews, the word denoted as assembly of the people...Among the Greeks ecclesia was an assembly of the citizens of a free city-state gathered by a herald blowing a horn through the streets of a town.

Dr. Jesse B. Thomas says in his book, 'The CHURCH and the Kingdoms'...'It was the organized assembly of the authorized voters of the local community met to transact business of common concern...' This meaning applies substantially alike to the ecclesia of a self-governing Greek state (Acts 19:39 ...lawful assem-bly.), the Old Testament ecclesia or convocation of National Israel (Acts 7:38) and to the New Testament ecclesia. When out Lord says: 'On this rock I will build my ecclesia,...'"

From the above mentioned quotes, it should be striking the reader as to the possible meaning of the term ekklesia or as it has been translated into English, "church". But we shall proceed to quote a few more authors in order to establish a concrete meaning of the word, Etymologically.

A German historian and theologian, Adolph Har-nack, who is renowned among the historians of primitive Christianity and highly esteemed, refutes the idea of a universal, invisible church. His statements in connection with this topic carry great weight. In his "History of Dogma", he mentions that; "No one thought of the des-perate idea of an invisible church; this notion would probably have brought about a lapse from pure Christ-ianity far more rapidly than the idea of the Holy Catholic Church." (Pg 83)

Darrel Owens, in his lessons on "The Church in the New Testament", states; "The Greek word ecclesia literally means called out. It was commonly used as a term to designate an assembly of people called out from their homes to a certain designated place for the purpose of taking care of some kind of business. Such an assembly is spoken of in Acts 19:39." (Pgs 13-14)

Dr Harold P. Chiolero's definition; "Ekklesia means a called out ASSEMBLY from some place to a particular place, for a particular purpose..."

Finally I quote, Dean Rosco Brong from his notes on "The Church In Ephesians", "In the Bible the word 'church' ...means assembly only and always. It never refers to an unknown, unassembled, confused and scattered multitude. Such a 'church' exists only in the imagination of heretics desperately trying to justify their schisms." (Pg 17c)

James H. Strong defines the Greek words "Ek" as "from, out" and "Kaleo" as "call". The combination of these two words gives us "Ekkaleo" or "Ekklesia", which Strong defines as "a calling out, i.e. (concr.) a popular meeting,...assembly, church." The ample quotations and definitions mentioned above should be deemed satis-factory. A clear "picture" as to the true nature of the New Testament Ekklesia or church has been set forth, Ety-mologically. However, let us sum up all of the preceding statements into one concrete definition which we shall be able to use throughout our subsequent chapters.

Ekklesia or church is an assembly or a group of people meeting in a specific place at specific periods for specific purposes. This definition is very contrary to the popular idea of a Universal, Invisible Church. Even the "brain" behind the Revision Committee of 1871-1881, Fenton John Anthony Hort, who somewhat believed in the Universal, Invisible Church Theory, had problems with it. For he readily admits, in his book "The Christian Ecclesia", that it is without historical foundation.

In the Bible the definition of Ekklesia applies to three distinct groups;

1) A self-governing Greek state or Legislative assembly. (Acts 19:39)

2) The convocation of Old Testament Israel. (Acts 7:38)

3) The group of twelve apostles whom Christ chose and all the groups that followed in-line with the apostles doctrine. Luke 6:13, "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles." John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you..."

In the Old Testament, God chose twelve tribes with the intention of establishing a nation that would be a witness for Him. But Israel, desperately, failed Him, thus He divorced them. Jeremiah 3:6-8, "The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot. And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also." Matthew 23:37-39, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord."

In the New Testament, God became Man and came down to earth, during which time He chose a new group and made a NEW COVENANT/TESTAMENT with them and personally trained them in order to send them out to be witnesses for Him. This Jesus did, personally, by choosing twelve men, whom He called Apostles. He also referred to this group as being "MY EKKLESIA" or "MY CHURCH" as opposed to the Greek and the Jewish Ekklesias. Luke 6:12-16, "And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor." This passage is paralleled in Mark 3:13-19, "And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him. And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils: And Simon he surnamed Peter; And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder: And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite, And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house." Paul reemphasizes both of these passages in I Corinthians 12:28, "And God hath set some in the church, first apostles..."

Note that these events took place very much prior to the day of Pentecost. This is another Biblical FACT that is very contrary to the modern day Ecumenical preaching that "The Church started on the day of Pentecost!" We shall refer to this FACT again in a later chapter.

These twelve apostles gathered themselves around Jesus, Mark 3:14, "And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him..." Mark 6:30, "And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus..." as an assembly which was VISIBLE and LOCAL, giving EKKLESIA a true meaning in every sense of the word. These apostles, being VISIBLE, were LOCATED in and around Jerusalem and they remained there, even after Christ's ascension, as we see throughout the first part of the book of Acts. Acts 8:1, "...And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles."

After having grasped the meaning of EKKLESIA and its application to the three different groups, we shall conclude this chapter by dealing with how this word came to be translated as CHURCH in English and also the significance of this English word.

Over the years, some of the most vicious attacks have been made against THE BOOK, i.e. the Authorized Version of 1611 also known as the King James Version, hereafter referred to as the A. V. A favorite "soap-box" of the critics of the A.V. has been the word "church" about which they comment, that the A.V. translators had made a "blunder" at this point. One such critic, sadly, is J.H. Melton. He was a Professor at the Independent Baptist College, Dallas, Texas, under whom I had studied for several years. Bro. J.H. Melton, in a monograph entitled "To the Baptist Brethren" makes several allegations against the A.V. He claims that one of the "most grievous errors" in the A.V. is the usage of the word "CHURCH". He forcefully blames the A.V. as having promulgated the idea of a Universal, Invisible Church.

In dealing with this "issue", I quote Pastor Jerry D. Locke, from his compilation "A Study of the New Test-ament Church." "The English word 'church' has an inter-esting history. 'Church', Based upon a slang expression for 'power', the early Greek name for a powerful man's residence was Kuriakon. This term passed into Latin and was picked up by pioneer Christians, who applied it to the house of God, source and author of all power.' ('Why you say it.' Garrison)

The Greek word, 'kuriakon', meant, 'a powerful man's residence.' Various forms of this word entered into most of the languages of Europe.

'English, church; Scottish, kirk, Anglo-Saxon, cyric; German, kirche; Danish, kyrke; Swedish, kyrka; Russian, zerkow'. The New Directory for Baptist Churches, Hiscox

The word 'church originally meant, 'a powerful man's house' or 'the Lord's house,' meaning 'the ruling man.'"

Bro. J.H. Melton was brilliantly countered in a booklet titled "A Response", by Dr. Ken Johnson. Dr. Johnson's reply is enough to silence the allegations of many a critic, including Bro. Melton. Let us note; "While honesty demands the admission of the meaning of 'Kuriakos' as meaning that which belongs to the Lord, it is also equally demanded that Bro. Melton's insisting 'ekklesia' means 'assembly' has a problem of equal or greater existence in his own usage. 'Assembly' in English comes from the Old French meaning a gathering of persons. 'Ekklesia' is from two Greek words meaning 'out' and 'to call.' The full thrust means in the New Testament theological usage a local visible body called out for a specific purpose. Jesus called this 'my church' in Matthew 16:18 which certainly gives the connotation of belonging to the Lord. Even the sixth meaning of 'church' in the Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary states the meaning as 'A body of Christian believers having the same creed, rites, etc.' (p.148). The word 'church' goes back in English (Middle English) with the meaning relative to 'kurios' - a lord, originally mighty and this from kuros - strength c/f Sanskrit cura - a hero.(See Walter W. Skeat, Etymological Dictionary of the English Language. Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1901, p.90). In 1340 The Apostle's Creed in English translated ultimately from Greek states, 'Ich y-leve ine ye holy gost. Holy cherche general ische.' (See A.C. Champneys, History of English. London: Rivington, Percival and Co., 1893, p.263). It is to be noted the date is 1340 or 271 years before the King James Version and the word 'cherche' -church is even THEN translated as such for 'ekklesia.' It is also a fact Wickliff uses 'churche' even though he translates the New Testament from Latin; the point is in 1380 he uses the term 'church' as opposed to assembly (Matthew 16:18). It would in fact be more to the point for Bro. Melton to take Scripture and define 'church' theologically rather than blunder in 1611 'archaic hard to understand English' trying to dig up an 'error'." (Pg. 10)

So we see from the above that there is really no word in English that is the equivalent of 'Ekklesia'. This Greek term is two words in one. Neither 'assembly' nor 'church' is an equivalent, but the latter word, i.e. 'church', is and has been the most widely acceptable translation. Its literal meaning being "that which belongs to the Lord" or "the Lord's house" with the emphasis always on the Spiritual house, which is made up of baptized believers, covenanted together and meeting in a specific place at specific periods with the specific purpose of carrying out the Lord's commands. Indeed Jesus Christ IS Lord and His Ekklesia is compared to a "Temple," "House, or Building, in the Bible, quite frequently. I Corinthians 3:16, "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God..." Hebrews 3:1-6, "Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus; Who was faithful to him that appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house. For this man was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some man; but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end." I Peter 2:5, "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacri-fices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." et. al. Only the lack of a proper understanding of the term 'church' would make one want to apply it to a physical building, such as a Cathedral, a denomination or even to the entire "Christendom."

Thus Etymologically, the Greek word EKKLESIA and its English translation CHURCH, could apply to nothing but a LOCAL and VISIBLE group of people. The term, as seen before, subsequently applies to three groups; 1) Israel, 2) Greek Legislative Assembly and 3) Christ's CHURCH. It is used in three different senses;

1) Generic / Abstract

2) Specific / Particular and

3) Futuristic / Prospective

The context determines the sense in which it is used. For further inquisition, we shall proceed into the Scriptural aspect of our study to see whether the church is LOCAL and VISIBLE or UNIVERSAL and INVISIBLE.

III. SCRIPTURALLY

Our study in this chapter may seem strenuous to the casual reader, but to those who wish to delve deeper into Scriptural truths, it is very beneficial. I urge the serious student to take THE BOOK, i.e. A.V. 1611, and go through each reference given, not only in this chapter, but those mentioned throughout this book. Space does not permit the author to quote all of the Scriptures, and so the reader is begged to confirm each one, personally.

The reason for emphasizing the A.V. 16ll, is due to the fact that most of the "so-called" Bible versions, or rather perversions, are very misleading on the CHURCH topic. For example, the reader will find the word "church' in Acts 2:47, "Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” is missing in most of the "modern" translations. Also, the word "churches" in Acts 9:31, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea..." is mentioned as "church' in these counterfeit books. Upon examining Acts 9:31, the reader will find that Luke was recording the events that took place in the churches (plural) that were existing "...throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria..." Any normal person will agree that there would have been many churches throughout these provinces, but to say that there was only "the church" (singular) throughout these different areas is to insinuate a UNIVERSAL CHURCH and a deliberate perversion of the Scriptures. These are just a couple of examples that show the superiority of the A.V. Also, one will find that it is only in the A.V. or KJV that we are commanded to "STUDY" the word of God. This word mentioned only twice in the New Testament, i.e. in I Thessalonians 4:11, "And that ye study to be quiet..." and II Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God..." is found both times in the A.V., but is missing in the counterfeits.

Since the New Testament was written in Greek and Ekklesia being a Greek word, we shall take each passage wherever this word is mentioned and examine them, contextually, to see whether the Bible is referring to a UNIVERSAL, INVISIBLE CHURCH or a LOCAL, VISIBLE CHURCH. Also, at the end of each explanation, we shall state the 'sense' in which the word is mentioned. Whether it be Abstract, Particular or Prospective. One "rule of thumb" is to always pay attention to the context. This, in itself, eliminates most of the confusion. Let us note;

1) Matthew 16:18, "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church..." Many hold this passage as referring to a Uni-versal Church. This passage will be further dealt with in our succeeding chapters. However, it is worth mention-ing here that in 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 a heathen man and a publican." Christ instructs His apostles about the manner in which differences should be settled amidst the members of a church. This would be impossible to do in a Church that is Universal and Invisible. Differences arise among members of local congregations. When has one ever heard of a quarrel in a Universal Invisible Church and much more seen one settled? (Local, Abstract)

2) Matthew 18:17 quoted above, how can a hearing be summoned by a Universal, Invisible Church? Even the cross-reference in the Scofield Bible refer to this as an "assembly." Just imagine a "Universal, Invisible Assembly!" (Local, Abstract)

3) Matthew 18:17, The word 'church' is mentioned twice in this verse. Previously, the accused was speaking to his local church but now the local church is reprimanding the guilty. (Local, Abstract)

4) Acts 2:47, "...And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." This passage is clearly speaking of the first church which Christ established in Jerusalem. Acts 1:12-15, "Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Barthol-omew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hun-dred and twenty.)" and Acts 2:41-47, "Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and single-ness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." These verses make this point clear. Verse 46 clearly mentions that they gathered "...in the temple..." It would be rather imposs-ible to gather an entire Universal Church into a SINGLE temple. (Local, Particular)

5) Acts 5:11, "And great fear came upon all the church..." Dr. Luke's narrative of the events that took place in the first church which was located in Jerusalem are described in the book of Acts Chapters 1-8. He then follows the scattered mobs of this church to the other areas, into which they went and established more local churches as foretold by their FOUNDER in Acts 1:8, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." Thus Acts 5:11, upon examining its context, is most definitely a reference to the Jerusalem church. (Local, Particular)

6) Acts 7:38, "This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina..." Here we have Stephen's "defense" and he is referring to the Nation of Israel. As mentioned in our previous chapter, Ekklesia applied to three different groups in the Bible. This is the only instance where it refers to Israel. Even then, we see that it was an assembly LOCATED in the wilderness and not something Universal and Invisible. (Local, Particular)

7) Acts 8:1 quoted earlier. This passage is self- explanatory. It mentions the location "...the church which was at Jerusalem..." (Local Particular)

8) Acts 8:3, "As far Saul, he made havoc of the church..." Up until this time there were no other churches in existence, other than the one in Jerusalem. It was after the death of Stephen that they were scattered and began other churches throughout Judaea, Galilee and Samaria. (Local, Particular)

9) Acts 9:31, "Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria..." This verse proves our above mentioned statement to be true. Most of the New Age Bible (Per) Versions have deliberately (mis) translated the word 'churches' (plural) as 'church' (singular). This is a clear identification of the Jesuits, who are behind each counterfeit "Bible", trying to propagate their Catholic/Universal Church. (Local, Partic-ular)

10) Acts 11:22, "...the church which was in Jerusalem..." Another self-explanatory passage. (Local, Particular)

11) 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." A comparison of this passage to Acts 13:1, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch..." This church was at Antioch and they assembled a whole year "with the church." Can any rational person imagine the assem-bling of an entire Universal Church? And that for a whole year? (Local, Particular)

12) Acts 12:1-3, "Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also..." Herod would have had a hard time tracking down a Universal, Invisible Church. Also, the names James, John and Peter indicate that these were the same apostles that were set in the first church, which was at Jerusalem. (Local, Particular)

13) Acts 12:5,6,11,12, "Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers...And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath sent his angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. And when he had consid-ered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying." Here we have the assembly of a group of people at a specific period ("the same night" vs. 6), in a specific place ("the house of Mary" vs. 12) and for a specific purpose ("prayer was made...for him" vs. 5). It would be insane for anyone to argue that this was a Universal, Invisible Church. (Local, Particular)

14) Acts 13:1, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch..." This church, as referred to in Acts 11:26, was LOCAL to the city of Antioch. (Local, Particular)

15) Acts 14:23, "And when they had ordained them elders in every church..." In the verses preceding this passage, we note that the apostles were on their first missionary journey and had just come through Iconium, Derbe, Lystra (Vs. 19-21) and some other places. The word "every" implies that there were several churches. It is hard enough to imagine ONE Universal Church and to say that there are many Universal Churches is absurd. Even Scofield refers to these as "churches (Local)." (Local, Particular)

16) Acts 14:27, "And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles." Acts 13:1-3, "Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away." Acts 14:26, "And thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled." Acts 14:14 "Which when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul..." These verses specify that these apostles to the Gentiles were sent from "the church in Antioch" and thus they returned to this LOCAL church upon completion of their journey, and gathered them together, Acts 14:27 and "...rehearsed all that God had done with them..." (Local, Particular)

17) Acts 15:3, "And being brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy unto all the brethren." This again is a reference to the church in Antioch. Acts chapters 13-15 narrate its missionary efforts. (Local, Particular)

18) Acts 15:4, "And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them." Clear reference is made here to the city of Jerusalem. The word 'church' being in the singular indicates to us that there was no other church in this city, in those days, save the one which the Lord Himself established. This was the LOCAL church in Jerusalem. (Local, Particular)

19) Acts 15:22, "Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; namely, Judas surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren." This again was the same church in Jerusalem. The issue that so "upset" the church in Antioch, caused them to send chosen men to the church in Jerusalem, in order to confirm whether circumcision was essential for salvation. This issue need-ed critical attention and thus the Jerusalem church sent delegates from its own members, in order to settle the issue. (Local, Particular)

20) Acts 15:41, "And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.” Dr. Luke is referring to several churches. Namely, those in Syria and Cilicia, which were started by Paul and Barnabas on their second missionary journey.(Local, Particular)

21) Acts 16:5, "And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily." Paul and Barnabas, still on their second mission-ary journey, went through the churches which they had started on their first journey. The word 'churches' (plural) is referring to those churches in Derbe, Lystra and Iconium (Vs 1&2). (Local, Particular)

22) Acts 18:22, "And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch." This was the church in Caesa-rea. If it was a Universal Church, then pray tell, why went he up to Caesarea? The futility of such an argument is obvious. (Local, Particular)

23) Acts 19:32, "Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together." Here the word normally rendered 'church' is translated as 'assembly' in order to distinguish between "that which belongs to the Lord" and that which does not. As seen earlier, Ekklesia applies to three different groups in the Bible. 1) Israel, 2) Greek Legis-lative Assembly and 3) Christ's church. This passage applies to the Greek assembly which met in the city of Ephesus. This same assembly is seen in the next two verses. (Local, Particular)

24) Acts 19:39, "But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly." Same as above. It would be worth-while to mention here that neither Christ nor His apostles ever coined the word Ekklesia. It was a term of popular usage in the Greek world, even before Christ's first advent. (Local, Particular)

25) Acts 19:41, "And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly." Same as the two pre-ceding verses. This was a Greek assembly, which met, in order to condemn Paul, while he was in the city of Ephesus. (Local, Particular)

26) Acts 20:17, "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church." Paul's ministry in the city of Ephesus is recorded in Acts 19 and 20. It is self-evident here that Paul called for the elders of the Ephesian church. (Local, Particular)

27) Acts 20:28, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood." Same as above. The church that Paul instructed these elders to feed was the Ephesian church. (Local, Particular)

28) Romans 16:1, "I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea" Self-explanatory verse. Not Universal! (Local, Particular)

29) Romans 16:4, "Who have for my life laid down their own necks: unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.” The word is 'churches' (plural), indicating all the churches of the Gentiles. (Local, Particular)

30) Romans 16:5 "Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my wellbeloved Epae-netus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ." This was the church that gathered in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. Imagine gathering an entire Universal Church into one house. If this was the case, then Aquila and Priscilla probably had the biggest house in the world. A house so large that even the Roman Emperors would have been outdone. To pursue such a train of thought is utterly ridiculous. (Local, Particular)

31) Romans 16:16, "Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you." Again, the word 'churches' (plural) is used. Any one will agree that there cannot be more than ONE Universal Church, for there is but one Universe. But it will most readily be accepted, by the mind that is open to the truth, that there can be as many local churches as there are locations. The plural usage of the word, churches, always applies to various locations. (Local, Particular)

32) Romans 16:23 "Gaius mine host, and of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus the chamberlain of the city saluteth you, and Quartus a brother." Gaius was Paul's host in the city of Corinth, I Corinthians 1:14, and since Paul mentions that Gaius was not only his host, but of the whole church, then this could be no other church than the one in Corinth. It would be sense-less to argue that an entire Universal Church gathered in Gaius' house. If so, then instead of Aquila and Priscilla, it would have been Gaius who probably had the largest house in the world. (Local, Particular)

33) I Corinthians 1:2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours." Paul now is addressing the "...church of God which is at Corinth..." not Universal. (Local, Particular)

34) I Corinthians 4:17, "For this cause have I sent unto you Timotheus, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ, as I teach every where in every church." If there really was such a thing as the Universal Church, it would have spared Paul from such extensive travels. He could have taught every one in it at the same time. But Paul never claimed or even indicated any such a monstrosity. He personally traveled to every particular church, regardless of where they were located and taught them. (Local, Particular)

35) I Corinthians 6:4, "If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church." Determine the con-text. Who is Paul addressing? Indeed it was the church at Corinth. Paul wrote this epistle while he was at Ephesus and sent it to Corinth. (Local, Particular)

36) I Corinthians 7:17, "But as God hath distri-buted to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches." By now the plural usage of the word 'churches' should have taken a concrete meaning in the understanding of the reader, that several particular assemblies are being referred to. (Local, Particular)

37) I Corinthians 10:32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." This "...church of God..." was at Corinth. I Corinthians 1:2, "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth..." Even Scofield says 'local' and 'visible'. (Local, Particular)

38) I Corinthians 11:16, "But if any man seem to be contentious, we have no such custom, neither the churches of God." 'churches' plural. (Local, Particular)

39) I Corinthians 11:18, "For first of all, when ye come together in the church..." If there was a Universal Church, then Paul would have been a part of it. And if Paul was a part of it, then he would include himself in this verse. He would have said, "...when WE come together in the church," instead of "...when YE come together." He is obviously speaking particularly or specifically to the Corinthian church. (Local, Particular)