A Call To Return To The Teaching Of The Bible

A ministry of Evangelist James A. Nelson jan23@cox.net

 

Master Outline Number Thirty-four

(From the Christian Life Bible, Thomas Nelson Publishers, notes by Porter 1. Barrington)

The Birth and History of the Hebrew Nation

Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation, was born about 2000 B.C., in southern Babylon, near Ur of the Chaldeans. Babylon was filled with idolatry. Joshua tells us that Terah, Abraham's father, served other gods, Josh. 24:2). In this idolatrous climate "the God of glory" (Acts 7:2) by His sovereign will, called Abraham to be the father of a chosen race, the Hebrew nation (Gen. 12:2 17; 21 : 12). God also promised Abraham that be: would be the father of many nations (Gen. 17 :4, 5), and that his name would be great. After four thousand years his name is still great in a large number of nations, as well as among his descendants in all nations around the world.

The descendants of Ishmael, the descendants of Jacob, and the descendants of Esau all call him" Father Abraham" (Gen. 32:9). The

Paul told us that because he was "strengthened in faith" (Rom. 4: II), he is "the father of all those who believe" (Rom. 4: II) Hebrews, Muslims, and

Christians all look to him as their spiritual father.                                                         

The Bible says four things about Abraham that were never spoken of any other man. He is called:

 (I) God's friend by the Lord Himself (Is. 41 :8).

            (2) The father of the Hebrew nation (John 8:53)

            (3) The "father of many nations" (Gen. 17:4,5).

            (4) "The father of all those who believe" (Rom. 4:11).

Millions of the world's population trace their lineage, either physically, spiritually, or both to our father Abraham.

God called Abraham and commanded him to    (I) leave his country

            (2) leave his family

            (3) leave his father's house

            (4) go "by faith" into a land that the Lord would show him (Gen. 12: 1; Heb. 11 :8-19)

The Lord also promised Abraham that He would

(I) make of him a great nation

            (2)bless him

            (3) make his name great

            (4) make him a great blessing

            (5) bless those who bless him

            (6) curse those who curse him

            (7) through him bless all the families of the earth (Gen. 12:2,3).

This last part of God's promise began to be fulfilled in Christ at His first coming, but will not be completely fulfilled until the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth as "Lord of lords and King of kings" (Rev. 17: 14) to sit on the throne of His father David and reign in righteousness (Is. 9, 6, 7; cf. Matt. 25 :31-46).

34A. From Dr of the Chaldeans to the Exodus (about 600 years) Genesis 11:31 to 12:9. There were six stages of Abraham's journeys that show his growth in obedience to God's will:

(1) From Ur of the Chaldeans to Haran. His father Terah and his nephew Lot traveled with him. He thus left his father's house, but not his father, 11:31,32.

(2) From Haran to Shechem, the center of Canaan. Terah died in Haran, but Lot continued on with Abraham, who thus had left his country, but not his family. At Shechem the Lord appeared t a Abraham and promised that He would give the land of Canaan to Abraham's children. There Abraham built his first alter to the Lord, 12:7.

(3) From Shechem to Bethel ("house of God"). Here Abraham built his second altar and called upon the name of the Lord (12:8).

(4) From Bethel to Egypt, because there was a famine in the land of Canaan. This was God's way of testing Abraham's faith. He failed the test by going into Egypt, in disobedience to God. He built no altar in Egypt or Babylonia. For Abraham to be out of Canaan was to be in disobedience, out of the will of God. Only in the perfect will of God can man truly worship the Lord (Rom. 12: 1, 2). It is better to endure trials, accepting God's will, than to attempt our own limited solution (Gen. 12: 10-20).

(5) From Egypt back to Bethel. Abraham went back to the house of God, back to worshiping at the altar of God, and back to obeying the will of God At Bethel Lot was separated from Abraham. For the first time since the Lord called Abraham out ofUr of the Chaldeans, he fully obeyed the Lord. He was separated from his country and his family, and from his father and his father's house (Gen. 13: 1-18; cf. Rom. 12: 1, 2).

(6) From Bethel to Hebron. Here he established roots, and Hebron became home. He made short journeys away, but always returned. Ten important events occurred in or near Hebron:

(a) Ishmael, his first son, was born to Hagar, Sarah's maid, in disregard of God's intention to provide a son by Sarah (Gen. 16:1-12).

(b) Isaac, his second son, was born to Sarah. God chose Isaac over Ishmael to be Abraham's heir (Gen. 17: 15-19; 21:1-8). This meant that the line of Christ would run through Isaac.

(c) Isaac was presented for offering on an altar of sacrifice. This was Abraham's greatest test of faith, and he did not fail (Gen. 22: 1-14; Heb. 1 I: 17-19). Positive, unwavering, active, obedient faith always honors God, and God in turn honors that quality of faith. The lesson is wonderful: when you are tested, and there seems to be no way out, obey God and He will make a way.

(d) Sarah died and was buried in Hebron (Gen. 23:1-20).

(e) Isaac married Rebekah (Gen. 24:1-67).

(t) Abraham married Keturah, who bore him six sons (Gen. 25: 1-6).

(g) Abraham, at 175 years of age, died and was buried beside Sarah (Gen. 25:7-11).

(h) Esau and Jacob were born to Isaac and Rebecca (Gen. 25:24-26). The line of Christ was to run through Jacob (Gen. 27:1-40,; Heb. 12:16,17).

(i) To Jacob were born twelve sons, from whom came the twelve tribes of Israel (Gen. 29:31-30:24).

U) Jacob's family obeyed the Lord and departed for Egypt (Gen. 46:1-7,). With him went his twelve sons and their families, seventy in all.

            In Egypt they and their off spring remained for 430 years (Ex. 12:40), most of it in slavery. But in Egypt God blessed them, and they became a great nation (Ex. 1 : 1-22).

Point 34-B: From the Exodus to the Crossing of Jordan (40 years), Exodus 12:37-51

Begin this study by reading 1 Corinthians 10: 1-15 . The Hebrews originally were not a slave people. In fact, Abraham, the father of the Hebrew nation. possessed great wealth (Gen. 13:2, 14-18). After the death of Joseph, however, "there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph" (Ex.. I :81. Fearing the children of Israel because they were multiplying rapidly, he enslaved them, and they remained slaves until God raised up Moses to deliver them from bondage (Ex. chapters 1-3).

From Egypt to Canaan.. in a period of forty years, the children of Israel made forty-two camps (Num. 33:1-49). Let us look at some of the most important camps and consider some of the miracles, successes, and failures of this young nation. Led out by Moses, the children of Israel began their journey Alter observing the Passover (Ex. 12: 1-28). The young and the old were in good health; "there was none feeble among His tribes" (Ps. 105:37).

(1) The first three stages of their march took them from Rameses to Succoth, to Etham, and to the Red Sea. The Lord appeared to them in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of fire by night. This was the first miracle of their journey. The pillar led them for forty years by day and by night (Ex. 13:21,22; Num. 14:14).

(2) The next stage of their journey saw God open the Red Sea. Israel marched through on dry land, with walls of water on the right and on the left. Pharaoh's army pursued Israel into the Red Sea. In the morning watch God "troubled the army of the Egyptians," and "took off their chariot wheels" (Ex. 14:24-31). God stopped them and destroyed them.

(3) The next stage of their march took them three days into the wilderness of Shur, and they came to the waters of Marah (bitter waters). They complained against Moses because they had no water to drink. God showed Moses a tree, and when he had it cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet (Ex. 15:22-26).

(4) From Elim they journeyed to the wilderness of Sin. Because they missed the food of Egypt, they murmured against Moses and Aaron. God sent great flocks of quail in the evening and manna in the morning (Ex. 16: 1-36; Num.ll :31, 32). The manna continued for forty years, every day except

the Sabbath.                                                                                                                                                                 r

(5) The next stage of their march went as far as Rephidim, where once again they found no water. Here they accused Moses of bringing them into the wilderness to kill them with thirst. The Lord instructed Moses to move on to Horeb, and to take his rod and strike the rock (Ex. 17: 1-7; cf. 1 Cor.

10:4). The Lord gave them water from the rock. Then Amalek came and fought with Israel. As long as Moses held up his arms in prayer, Israel prevailed. This was Israel's first war, and God gave them victory (Ex. 17:8-16).

(6) The next stage of their march took them to the mountain of God, which is Sinai (Ex. 19: 1-7). Here they camped for about one year (Ex. chapters 18-4). Here a number of events took place:

(a) Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought to him his Midianite wife and two sons (Ex. 18: 1-12) (b) At Sinai God gave to Moses:

(i) the moral, civil, and ceremonial laws-a new covenant for Israel;

(ii) the plan and direction for building the tabernacle; (iii) the order of the priesthood;

(iv) the order of the camp and the march.

While Moses was on the mount of God for forty days receiving the law, the children of Israel persuaded Aaron to make an idol of gold, which would lead them out of the wilderness. This idolatry ended in the judgment of God upon the people (Ex. 32: 1-35).

(7) The next stage of their march took them to Kadesh Barnea. The Israelites had then spent two years of preparation in the wilderness. After one more test of their faith, they were ready to possess the Promised Land. Moses sent twelve spies to search out the land. They were gone forty days and returned with evidence of the fruitfulness of the land. But ten of the spies had no faith, and reported that the land would be impossible to conquer. The people turned on Moses and Aaron, and called for a captain to lead them back to Egypt (Num. 14: 1-39). God judged Israel because of their unbelief (Heb. 3:7-12; Jude 5). All who were twenty years and over died during the next thirty-eight years in the wilderness-all except Caleb and Joshua, the two spies who did not sin through unbelief (Num. 14:37, 38).        The spies who brought the evil report of unbelief were the first to die.

            When Israel heard that judgment had come upon the ten spies, they tried to repent and take the land. Moses said, "Do not go up ... for the LORD is not among you" (Num. 14:39-45). They were presumptuous, went against the will of the Lord, and suffered bitter defeat. Thus began the premature deaths of over one million Israelites.

(8) In the next stage of their march they circled Mount Seir for many days (Deut. 2: 1).

Continuing their wilderness journey for thirty-eight more years, they made about twenty-three camps. The last station of their long forty year march brought them to the plains of Moab, by the Jordan near Jericho (Num. 33:47-49). Moses and Aaron also died in the wilderness because they sinned against the Lord (Num. 20: 1-13,22-29; Deut. 34: 1-8). Joshua was chosen to lead Israel into the Promised Land. just as God had opened the Red Sea to lead Israel out of Egypt into the wilderness, so after forty years He parted the waters of the Jordan to lead them out of the wilderness into the land of Canaan (Josh. 1-3)

34-C: From the Crossing of Jordan to the Babylonian Captivity. (Joshua 3:14-17)- This time in the history of Israel spans the period from the crossing of the Jordan under Joshua (about 1415 B.C.) to the Babylonian captivity under Zedekiah (586 B.C.), the last king of Judah. Joshua, under God, led Canaan and victory. Under Zedekiah, God drove them out in defeat (Jer. 21: 1-9.

There were five periods in the history of Israel from Joshua to Zedekiah:

(1) From the crossing of the Jordan to the death of Joshua (Josh. chapters 1-24). Joshua led Israel for twenty-six years. He followed Moses, "the servant of the LORD" (Josh. 1: 1). This was no easy task but Joshua proved himself equal to Moses in many ways. As a soldier, he was gifted in strategy, resourcefulness, and courage. He was strong in faith, wholeheartedly committed to God and His law. He conquered the land of Canaan and divided it among the tribes of Israel.

(2) From the death of Joshua to the last judge (see the Book of Judges and Ruth). For over three hundred years, the tribes of Israel were unorganized and scattered. Having little basic connection with each other, they lived as separate nations, Over and over we are told that "then Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD" (Judg. 2: 11,). Because they did evil, the Lord would send ungodly nations to punish them. When they repented-and returned to their God, He would raise up judges to deliver them. Their sins, successes, failures, and weaknesses are recorded in God's Word. God never covers up evil in the life of His children. But when they repent and return to the Lord, He will cleanse them from all unrighteousness (l John 1 :9). The book of Judges ends with this statement, "Everyone did what was right in his own eyes" Judg. 21.25). This was a dark age in the history of Israel.

(3) From King Saul to the end of King Solomon's reign we see the Hebrew nation united monarchy (1 Sam. 10 to 1 Kin. 11). This period covers the reigns of Saul, David, and I lasted about, 120 years. During this time the Hebrew nation reached its pinnacle as a nation u God. They became a great

and powerful people economical. Socially: and religiously. At the beginning of this era, the Hebrew people occupied about 25,000 square miles. At the close of Solomoo's reign.. They possessed about 50,000 square miles.

(4) Samuel had warned the  nation.when they demanded a king, saying, "Make us a king to judge us like all the nations" (1 Sam. 8: 1-22). They rejected the theocracy (the reign of the Lord) and demanded a monarchy. This was in disobedience to the revealed will of God. The Lord spoke and said, "They have not rejected you. but they have: rejected Me, that I should not reign over them" I Sam. 8:7). Everything Samuel prophesied in this chapter had come to pass, but the W0f"S4 was yet to come. Under Rehoboam, t he kingdom was divided; therefore, it could not stand, Mat. 12:25. This was he beginning of the end of  Israel"s monarchy.

(5) Jeroboam became king of lsrael (the northern part of the nation). Rehoboam, king of Judah (the southern part) was ready to declare war on Israel, but the Lord stopped him. 1 Kings 12:16-2-1.

Israel, the northern nation often tribes. lasted about 250 years and had nineteen kings. They were all guilty of idolatry. Israel, whose capital was Samaria, fell before the cruel. conquering Assyrians, who scattered the northern tribes, 2 Kings 17:5,6,24. cf. Deut. 28:63, 64. Tiglath­pileser, king of Assyria. brought an end to the kingdom of Israel in 721 B. C. During these years God raised up some great prophets in Israel.

Judah, the southern kingdom. with its capital at Jerusalem, lasted about 150 years after the fall of Israel. The demise of the kingdom of Judah was accomplished by Nebuchadnezzar, who conquered the nation in three invasions, 606, 597 and 586 B. c., destroying the temple and deporting the people to Babylon, (2 Chr. 36: 17-21),

34-D. From the Babylonian Captivity to the Crucifixion (over 600 years) (Ezra 1:1-11)- The books that cover the seventy years of captivity and the restoration of Judah and Benjamin are Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. There were  approximately four hundred years between Malachi and the birth of Christ. These are often called the silent years, because no God-inspired prophet arose in judah during that time. Zerubbabel led 42,360 from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi back to Jerusalem (after seventy years in \ Babylon) to rebuild the temple (Ezra ).

The Jews had much opposition in building the temple. They stopped until the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah drove them back to the work (Hag. 1; Zech. 1). The temple was completed and dedicated to the Lord in 516 B.C., seventy years after its destruction (Jer. 29: 10). During the' period from the Babylonian captivity to the Crucifixion, Daniel's prophecy of the four Gentile kingdoms began to come to pass (Dan. Chaps. 2, 7) r The people of Judah, the descendants of Abraham, were taken captive by the Babylonian empire. They returned to Jerusalem, under the Persian empire, and rebuilt the city and the temple. Then came the Greeks, followed by the Romans. Rome was in power during the time of Christ.

Point 34-E: From the Crucifixion to the Fall of Jerusalem. Luke 21:20-24. This prophecy was partially fulfilled in AD. 70 when Titus led a Roman army in a siege against Jerusalem. They battered down its walls, sacked the city, destroyed the temple, and scattered the Hebrew people among all nations.

About fifteen hundred years before the fall of Jerusalem under Titus, Moses prophesied the fall of that city, God's curse on the land, and the scattering of the Jews among all nations, Deut. 28:1-68. This unique prophecy falls into three detailed divisions:

(1) God promised to bless Israel above all nations if they would diligently obey Him, Deut. 28: 1-14.

(2) God promised to curse them above all nations if they did not obey Him, Deut. 28: 15-6 L

(3) God promised to make them few in number and scatter them among all nations if they did no obey Him, Deut. 28:61-68.

From the Exodus to the fall of Jerusalem, we see the longsuffering of God toward Israel (about fifteen hundred years). In AD. 70 they reached the end of God's forbearance when, just 40 years before the fall of that city and the destruction of their temple, they rejected and crucified their Messiah, crying, "His blood be on us and on our children", Mat. 27: 15-25. On the cross Jesus prayed for His tormenters "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do", Luke 23:34. Surely all of us are obliged to be broken with shame by these words. If was our sins that put Jesus on the cross.

34-F. From the Fall of Jerusalem to the Millennium (to date, over 1,900) Matthew 23:37 to 24:2. Three things must come to pass before the millennial kingdom is restored to Israel:

(1) When the Hebrew people say, "Blessed is He [Christ] who comes in the name of the LORD!" (23:39). They must repent of their sins, return to the Lord, and accept Christ as their Messiah, as they certainly will do (Zech. 12: 10; 13 :6; Rom. 11 :26, 27). About twenty-seven hundred years ago, God gave an open invitation to the nation Israel. It is valid today, and will be valid until Israel accepts Christ as her Messiah and is saved. God said, " 'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD, 'though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool' " (Is. 1: 18).

(2) When "the times of the Gentiles" are fulfilled (Luke 21 :24, cf. Rom. 11 :25). "The times of the Gentiles" began with the captivity of Jerusalem in 586 B.C. by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon (2 Chr. 36: 11-21). It will end when Christ returns to earth and restores the kingdom to Israel. He will be the King and sit on the throne of His father David (Is. 9:6, 7).

(3) "Till all these things take place" (Matt. 24:32-35). All prophecies pertaining to the Hebrew people, until the kingdom, must come to pass before God will restore the kingdom to Israel. The fig tree, in the parable, is unsaved Israel regathered into the land. When you see prophecy being fulfilled pertaining to Israel, you can know that the second coming of Christ is near, and that "this generation will by no means pass away till all these things [prophecies] take place" (Matt. 24:34). The word "generation" may refer to the race in its sinful unbelief, or more simply to the literal generation alive at the time these things begin to happen and following. The last prophecy to be fulfilled before Christ returns to earth is the seven years of Great Tribulation. It is called "the time of Jacob's trouble" (Jer. 30:7). Many prophecies that will come to pass during the Great Tribulation are found in Matthew 24:9-51 and in Revelation 4-19.

At the beginning of this period in the history of the Hebrew people, they were driven from their homeland and scattered among all the nations. Since AD. 70 until 1948 they had been without a country, without a temple, without a king, without a prophet, and without a Messiah. But they are not without God's promise that He will, in the last days, "bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah ... to the land" (Jer. 30:3).

After World War I, the Jews began to return to Palestine in significant numbers; and in 1948, although small in number, they became a nation. In the last days the Lord will reestablish a remnant from all twelve tribes in the land of Israel (Has. 3:4, 5).

34-G. From the Millennium to the New Heaven and the New Earth (1000 years) (Isaiah 66:22, 23)-These are some of the prophecies pertaining to Israel that will come to pass during the millennial reign of Christ:

(1) Satan, the accuser of the brethren (Israel) will be cast out of heaven in the middle of the seven-year Tribulation (Rev. 12:7-12), and at the beginning of the kingdom age will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1,3).

(2) The Tribulation saints who willingly become martyrs for Christ and the gospel of the kingdom will be resurrected and will enter the kingdom with

Christ (Rev. 20:4, 5).

(3) The judgment of the nations (Matt. 25:31-46). These are people out of all the nations on the earth who will have lived through the Tribulation. These are divided into three groups:

(a) Sheep. They are the saved from all nations (Rev. 7:9-17). (b) Goats. They are the lost of all nations (Matt. 25:41).

(c) Brethren. They are the saved Israel (Rev. 7: 1-8).

(4) Israel will become innumerable in he kingdom age, Gen. 22: 17; Heb. II: 12, 13. (5) Longevity will be restored during the Millennium, Isa. 65:20.

(6) At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released from the bottomless pit, " .... and will go out to deceive the nations ... ", Rev. 20:7, 8 and shall raise a huge army of unbelievers to fight against the saints and the beloved city. During the thousand years, children will be born in sin and will need to be saved by faith in Jesus. Not all will believe, even under the perfect condition of the kingdom. Satan will deceive them, and God will destroy them with fire from heaven, Rev. 20:7-9.

(7) Then will come the new heaven and the new earth, Rev. 21: I; 2 Peter 3: 12, 13; Isa. 65: 17. God promised Abraham and his descendants the land forever, Gen. 13: 14, 15. God will keep His promise to Abraham and give the land to his "descendants forever". The history of lsrael is without parallel. It is the only ancient civilization to have been utterly destroyed and yet to have been raised again to a place of prestige among the nations. (These studies will continue).

The New Testament Church .... A Local Body A. J. Kirland, Bogard Press, Texarkana, Ark. Texas

False Notions About the Church

Introduction. In this discussion the author proposes to discuss five thoughts: (1) False notions about the church;

(2) The meaning of the word "church" proves it is a local institution;

(3) The churches in the Bible were local assemblies or congregations; and

(4) The Bible tells of churches, plural; and (5) The bride of Christ a local assembly.

Paul writing to the church at Ephesus by inspiration of God said, "Unto him (that is unto God) be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world' without end" (Eph. 3:21).

Surely that in which God is to be glorified in every age or generation and throughout the age eternal should be a matter of utmost importance to us. The eternal purpose of God in man is that God should be glorified in him. And every child of God is commanded that whatsoever he eats, drinks or does, he is to do all to the glory of God. Since this is true, it is impossible for one to fully glorify God and be well pleasing unto Him, unless he does it through the church of our Lord and Savior. All this makes it plain that we cannot take our Lord's church lightly. If we miss the true church, we shall miss the earthly means through which God says we shall glorifY Him.

False Notions

There is no other Bible subject that men so completely disregard as that of the church. Many say that one is as good as another.

People organize every kind of religious institution and call it a church. They seem to think they can do as well as the Lord and what they set up is as good in the sight of God as the church Christ established. For that reason we have all sorts of churches with different laws, different governments and different teachings, all claiming to be the Lord's church. Ifwe had no Bible to tell us better, if we would do a little common sense thinking, we would realize that such a condition cannot represent the facts. For our Lord set up only one church, and every church which can rightly claim to be of the Lord must be patterned after the one He established.

Another mistaken idea is the notion that the church is a sort of invisible, spiritual something that all of God's children are automatically in the moment they are saved. Perhaps more people have this idea than any other. People talk about all of God's children being in "The Big Church," or, "The Spiritual Church," and they try to explain all the different kinds of churches by saying they are just branches of the "Big Church." Some call it "The Invisible Church," and others call it "The Universal Church." The truth is there is no such idea in the Bible. Therefore such an idea is of the mind or notion of man. He just gets the notion fixed in his mind, and once a false notion becomes fixed, no matter how wrong it is, it is hard for one to get rid of it!

False Notion Based on Ignorance

This false notion of the universal or invisible church, no doubt, had its beginning with the Catholic Church. The word Catholic means universal. The reason they adopted this name was to deceive the unlearned and make them believe that they had to be in, or a member of, the Catholic or universal church to be saved. We must remember that when the Catholic Church was established there were very few people who could read. There were no Bibles then except a few hand-written copies, because there were no printing presses, and no printed books or newspapers of any kind. All this was before the printing press was invented.

That made it easy for the Catholics to deceive the people, for all the people knew was what they were told by word of mouth.

Rome was in power and burned almost all the Bibles the true church had and killed millions of true Christians in order to establish her false system. She forced many people, through fear and persecution to come to this false church. For more than a thousand years Rome almost succeeded, but there were a few people who kept the truth alive, while this false church, with its false notion spread over the world.

The Reformation Churches

After the Bible was translated into the English language, and after the printing press was invented and the common people came to read and understand the Scriptures, people soon saw that many teachings of the Catholic Church were wrong. They began to try to reform it. This is called "The Age of Reformation." A lot of men honestly thought they could reform the Catholic Church. But everyone of them, and all who followed them, were excluded from the Catholic Church, and their reformation movements came to be new churches. They did not reform the Catholic Church at all, but they were just turned out and set up new churches.

The Wesley Brothers tried to reform the Anglican Church, but they were turned out and started the Methodist Church. Knox and Calvin tried to reform the Catholic Church, but were turned out and started the Presbyterian Church. Luther tried to reform the Catholic Church in Germany, but he was turned out and started the Lutheran Church. The King of England and all the Catholic Church of England were turned out because the king wanted to divorce the queen. They started the Church of England. In the United States, the Church of England became the Episcopalian Church. Alexander Campbell and others tried to reform the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches, but they were turned out and started the Campbellite Church, sometimes called Christian Church, sometimes called Disciples of Christ, and sometimes called the Church of Christ.

All these reformation churches held to some of the teachings of their mother, the Catholic Church. Most of them held to the doctrine of salvation by works. Most of them held to the doctrine of infant baptism and the practice of sprinkling or pouring instead of the Bible way of immersion, and everyone of them held to the doctrine of the universal, invisible church. Since that time many new churches, too many to mention here, have started, and almost all of them have this same false notion of a universal, invisible church. This shows how a false idea can fasten itself in the minds of people and influence them.

When the King James Version (Authorized Version, and this is the Bible which most of us have in our homes) was translated or written in the English language, those who wrote it were commanded by the king not to translate it or write it in such a way as to destroy the established doctrines of the Church of England. Since the Church of England believed in the universal or invisible church doctrine, the translators had to find a word for church that would keep its real meaning covered up. If they had translated its real meaning, every time you find the word church, it would not be church at all, but it would be assembly. Who ever heard of a universal assembly? Who ever heard of an invisible assembly? That is why so many people are deceived today. They do not know that the word church means assembly.

The Church Not the Family of God

Some people have the idea that the family of God and the church of Christ are the same. They think when one is saved and becomes a child of God, he is in the church because he is saved. This is another false notion and nothing can be further from the truth. When one is saved, he is born into the family of God. We get into a family by birth or adoption. Every believer is born of God, I John 5:1 _ "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God".

But every believer is not in the church. One gets into a church by obeying the commandments laid down in God's Word and this is by openly acknowledging Jesus (receiving the Word), and after he is baptized by immersion he is added to the church, Acts 2:41, "Then they that gladly received his work were baptized; and the same day there added unto t hem about three thousand souls".

Notice that they "received" the Word first, after that they were baptized, then they were added to the church. This verse tells us the results of Peter's sermon. He preached Jesus and told them to repent. When they received the Word, they believed on Jesus, trusting Him for their salvation. When they believed, they were born into the family of God. Then they were baptized and added to the church. They were added to the church at Jerusalem. Therefore we see that we are born into the family of God, but we are added to the church of Jesus Christ.

There are two facts that almost all Christians agree upon that forever settle the question and prove that the family of God is not the church I. The family began in the garden of Eden and God has had children ever since that time.

2. The New Testament Church was founded by Jesus and belongs to Him. God has had a family for six thousand years and Jesus has had His church for some two thousand years. Therefore the family of God is four thousand years older that the church of Jesus Christ so they cannot be the same.

There is another thing to consider: unsaved people can get into the church of God, but not into the family of God.

We should be glad that people can be saved without being in a church, for there are many false churches, and many people who are led into false churches would be lost if one had to be in the true church to be saved. But some will ask: "If I do not have to be in the church

to be saved, then why worry about the church?" The answer is simple: The Bible says: "Unto Him be glory in the church"            not out of it!

If one is to glorify God, he must do it God's way. Therefore one should do his best to find a church that is true to the teachings of the New Testament.

Chapter II: The Word Church Means A Called Out Assembly

To understand the word which is translated church, we must go back to the original language in which the Bible was written. Many of our readers could not read or pronounce it in its original form, for it was spoken and written in the Greek language. But we can put it in its English form and tell you how it was used in that language and you can easily see its meaning. Here is the way it looks and is spelled in its English form, Ekklesia. It is a combination of two Greek words: Ek means out and Kaleo means call and this is the verb form. When we put the two together and write the noun form of it, it is Ekklesia and means a called out assembly. This is the way it is always used in the Greek language. It means an assembly of people who are called out for a purpose. If called out for a political purpose, it would then be a political assembly, or church; if called out for a social purpose, it would be a social assembly, or church.

We see a political, or anti-religious ekklesia, or church, called out in Acts 19:25-41. Verse 25 tells us that they were called together; verse 32 tells us that it was an assembly (ekklesia, church), but here was an ekklesia (assembly, church) that was called to work against Paul who had come to preach the gospel to the heathen city, Ephesus. This is not a religious church (assembly), but a plotting church meeting to stir up the people to destroy Paul. Now in verse 39, we find where the town clerk warned the people and told them that this matter should be settled in lawful assembly (ekklesia, church). This reveals that a called out people, for holding court and trying criminals, is called a lawful assembly (ekklesia, church). Therefore we see that the words ekklesia, assembly, and church all mean the same thing when we let them mean what God intended for them to mean. We note further about this meeting in verse 41. There it is said that this unlawful, political assembly was dismissed. That means that the assembly broke up and the people went home.

In Acts 7:38 we see that the children of Israel in the wilderness were called a church: "This is he, that was in the church (ekklesia) in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us". The church (assembly) in the wilderness was not the New Testament Church, but that great assembly had been called out of Egypt and was assembled there, and for that reason God called it an ekklesia, that is a called out assembly, or a church.

Now an assembly is a congregation of people located at a place. It is impossible to have a universal, invisible congregation, but it is just as possible to have a universal assembly or congregation as it is to have a universal or invisible church. So when we come to see the meaning of the word church, we can see that it is impossible for the church to be anything else but a local congregation or assembly.

The Meaning of the Church Institution

A church or assembly formed by Christ has officers and laws to execute or carry out His orders. He gave it the ordinances of baptism, the Lord's Supper and the commission to preach the gospel to the whole world (Matthew 28: 18-20). The commission was to go, make other disciples, baptize them and teach them to observe all things whatsoever He had commanded them. So the local assembly was to become a perpetual institution and was to continue to the end of the age. It would be perpetuated as an institution, through other institutions just like the first one, unto the end ofthe age. As an institution it could be dismissed and reassembled as often as necessary, and as the Lord commanded, in carrying out its work. When it dismisses or disassembles, it then exists as an institution or organization, though it is not in an actual assembly all the time.

Sometimes the Bible speaks of the church in the sense of an institution or organization and, when it does so, it speaks of no particular church, but it refers to any church or every church. Ephesians 3:21: "Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end." Paul is not talking about any particular church but he means any true church and every true

church. It could be the church at Ephesus or the church at Corinth, or the church at Philippi, or the church at Antioch, and every true church.

He simply means that God wants us to glorify Him in a true church institution or organization somewhere, and it does not mean ­there is just one big, universal or invisible church.

In this same way the Bible refers to the church institution in Ephesians 5:25: "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it". Here Paul is speaking to the church at Ephesus, but when Jesus died, the only church that was in existence, was the one at Jerusalem. Did Jesus die for the church at Ephesus? He most certainly did, even though it had not been organized, just like He died for the whole human race. You, Dear Reader, had not been born when Jesus died; but He died for you because He died for the -whole human race, and you belong to the human race. For that reason it embraced you, though you had not been born. So, when Jesus died for that first church institution, He died for every church that should ever come out of it and exist as an institution or organization of baptized believers, keeping house for Him.

But when Paul told husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church, he did not mean that there was just jme big, universal church any more than he meant that there was just one big, universal husband, or one big, universal wife. He meant that every husband should love his wife, or that any husband should love his wife, just like Christ loves any and every true church. In Ephesians 5:23. we ha\-e a similar passage. Here it says, "The husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body." If this passage means that there is just one big church and Christ is the head of it, then, it would also mean that there is just one big wife with just one big husband as her head. The same thing would be true where it says Christ is the Savior of the body. (The church is sometimes called the body of Christ as it is here.)

We can better understand the meaning of this verse if we ask some questions and find the answers to them.

What husband is the head of the wife? Any husband is the head of his wife. Every husband is the head of his wife. What wife is the husband the head of? His own wife, of course.

Christ is the head of which church? Any true church, and every true church. The one at Ephesus, the one at Jerusalem, the one at

Antioch, the one at Corinth, the one at Philippi and every other one in the world.                                                     

Thus when the Bible speaks of the church in the institutional sense, calling it, "the church," "the body," "the house of God," "the" church of God," "the bride," "the temple of God," it is talking about the church institution or organization, and it means that that one is

taken as an example of them all. Therefore, "the church" means any true church or every true church, but it never means one big universal or invisible church. "The house of God" means every house or any house (church) of God, and "the body of Christ" means any body of Christ or every body of Christ. And when the Lord refers to the church as being the "Bride of Christ," it is used in the same sense. Every true church sustains the relationship a bride sustains to her espoused husband, and in this sense every church is the bride of Christ. The term, "Bride of Christ" denotes relationship and is not to be literally. Likewise, the term "House of God" denotes a place for God to dwell with His people, and the church is not to be taken as a literal house. So, also, the term, the "body of Christ" denotes a governing body and is not to be taken as the literal body of Jesus.

One more example of how one is used as an example of given: "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, id full of trouble". (Job 14:1).

Here the word man is used in the singular (one man), and the word woman is used in the singular (one woman), means all men born of women. It means every man born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. One is taken as an example of all the rest of them. So when the Bible speaks of the church and points out no particular at a given place, it uses one as an example of them all. It means all the churches, or every church. We use language like that all the time. We say, "The home is the foundation of civilization," but we do not mean that there is just one big, universal home. We use one home as an example of them all. Again we say, "The judge and the jury make the court." What judge? One big judge? No, any judge, and any jury. So, "the church" means every church when we speak of the institution. (These studies will continue)

The editor de this page is Evangelist James A. Nelson who has been preaching the Word for sixty years. He and his wife are members of the Village Bible Church, Salina, Kansas EE. UU.

This page is sponsored by David R. Pickett dr-pickett@hotmail.com and our Webmaster is Brother Martin R. Gutzmer mrgutzmer@gmail.com.

Any comments may be sent to the editor at: jan23@cox.net