The Greek word “ekklisia” is translated both as “church and assembly” in the N.T. I have tried to
use “assembly” as much as I can to convey the idea of what an assembly (church) really is. I have written more on this definition of assembly in another post I
titled “Is “church” religious name?”
The New Testament writers, when speaking of the “church,” first used the word in a general or universal sense, which we call the “universal
church.”
This is the church (or assembly) that Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16:18, where He says, “Upon this rock I will build my church…”
The universal church is also the church the Hebrew writer speaks of in Hebrews 12:18-23: “[sup]18[/sup]For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that
burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, [sup]19[/sup]and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken
unto them; [sup]20[/sup]for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; [sup]21[/sup]and so
fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: [sup]22[/sup]but ye are come unto
mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable hosts of angels, [sup]23[/sup]to the general assembly and church of
the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect…”
The Hebrew writer is saying, (my words)... you haven’t come to Mount Sinai to the church where there was
fear and quaking, but you’ve come to something different. Now listen to what the Hebrew writer calls the
assembly in heaven, “…you’ve come to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem,
and to innumerable host of angels, TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CHURCH of the firstborn WHO ARE ENROLLED
IN HEAVEN, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect…”
Obviously, these passages do not speak of any church in the “local sense,” but rather the collection of all people (From Adam’s time to the
present) who belong to and enjoy fellowship with Christ.
On the other hand, the N.T. writers use the word “church” in another distinct, local or geographical sense. For example, in 1 Corinthians 1:2, when Paul
addressed his letter to “the church of God which is at Corinth,” he was NOT speaking of the universal
church or general assembly of everyone who is in Christ. Rather he addressed just the Christians in a specific location.
There are many local assemblies mentioned in the N.T. For example, “the church at Jerusalem, the church of the Laodiceans, the church
of the Thessalonians, the seven churches of Asia, etc. etc. All these churches (world wide) do NOT make up the “universal church.” They are a “part” of the universal
church.
All the assemblies on earth had a physical address, a minister, elders, deacons etc., but the assembly in heaven has no physical address.
The local people of the assembly on earth are faced with problems like death, but in the universal church there is no death or evil. In a local assembly everyone may say they are
Christian, but many will no be, but in the universal assembly all are righteous.
When one “obeys the gospel (faith),” God adds them to the “assembly.” (Acts 2:47) This assembly, in heaven, is made up of all the saved.
May the Lord be with us as we serve and honor Him,
charlesj
