A mystical, invisible universal church of all saved is a very common belief..
but it is scriptural?
first thing- the word -
Ecclessia is the Greek behind that word-
which means
E.Vincent- 'Originally an assembly of citizens, regularly summoned'
A.H.Strong- 'Ekklesia signified merely an assembly, however gathered or summoned. The church was never so large it could not assemble'
F.Thayer- 'Take the entire range of Greek literature in all its dialects, secular and sacred, and there is not one passage in which ecclessia means an invisible and universal spiritual assembly.'
Dean Trench- 'Ekklesia, as we all know, was the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs.'
So-- it is a local assembly or congregation that meets regularly..
and in the christian sense.. it is of a saved assembly or congregation who carry out the great commission and great commandment.. with Jesus as the Head.
To scripture:
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Who is the body of Christ? YOU? No.. this is about the church at Corinth. They are the body of Christ of that area at that time.
Ye = the people of the church of Corinth
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
what is the church here?
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
the church here- church at Jerusalem.. LOCAL and VISIBLE
Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
what is the church here? You can't make havock of an invisible universal church!
It is-
Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. 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.
Again the church at Jerusalem!
No universal church anywhere in these scriptures! No universal and visible church.. no universal and invisible church!
Now I will leave the post at this length so people can read.. there are way more verses also..
but I challenge you to find the existence of a universal, all saved church anywhere in scripture.
but it is scriptural?
first thing- the word -
Ecclessia is the Greek behind that word-
which means
E.Vincent- 'Originally an assembly of citizens, regularly summoned'
A.H.Strong- 'Ekklesia signified merely an assembly, however gathered or summoned. The church was never so large it could not assemble'
F.Thayer- 'Take the entire range of Greek literature in all its dialects, secular and sacred, and there is not one passage in which ecclessia means an invisible and universal spiritual assembly.'
Dean Trench- 'Ekklesia, as we all know, was the lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessed of the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs.'
So-- it is a local assembly or congregation that meets regularly..
and in the christian sense.. it is of a saved assembly or congregation who carry out the great commission and great commandment.. with Jesus as the Head.
To scripture:
1Co 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
Who is the body of Christ? YOU? No.. this is about the church at Corinth. They are the body of Christ of that area at that time.
Ye = the people of the church of Corinth
Act 2:47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
what is the church here?
Act 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
the church here- church at Jerusalem.. LOCAL and VISIBLE
Act 8:3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.
what is the church here? You can't make havock of an invisible universal church!
It is-
Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. 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.
Again the church at Jerusalem!
No universal church anywhere in these scriptures! No universal and visible church.. no universal and invisible church!
Now I will leave the post at this length so people can read.. there are way more verses also..
but I challenge you to find the existence of a universal, all saved church anywhere in scripture.