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Two Lectures By Dr. B. H.
Carroll
"And I say unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven..." - Matthew 16:18, 19.
This passage, Matthew 16:18, 19, has been for many centuries a
battle-ground of theological controversies. Though millions of the disputants
have passed away, the questions which arrayed them against each other still
survive to align their successors in hostile array.
The
most important of these divisive questions are:
1.
What is the church?
2.
Who established it and when?
3.
What is the foundation?
4.
What are the "gates of hell?"
5. What are the "keys?"
6.
What is the "binding and loosing?"
In
this lecture there will be time for answer to the first question only:
From the given list of passages, taken from the Englishman's
Greek Concordance, and which you may verify by reference to the Bible, it
appears that the word Ecclesia, usually rendered "church" in our version,
occurs 117 times in the Greek New Testament (omitting Acts 2:47 as not in the
best texts).
Our
Lord and the New Testament writers neither coined this word nor employed it in
any unusual sense. Before their time it was in common use, of well understood
signification, and subject like any other word to varied employment, according
to the established laws of language. That is, it might be used abstractly, or
generically, or particularly, or prospectively, without losing its essential
meaning.
To
simplify and shorten the work before us, we need not leave the New Testament to
find examples of its classic or Septuagint use. Fair examples of both are in the
list of New Testament passages given you.
What, then,
etymologically, is the meaning of this word?
Its
primary meaning is: - 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.
(1) This meaning, substantially, applies alike to the ecclesia of a self governing Greek state (Acts 19:39),
(2) the Old Testament ecclesia or convocation of National Israel (Acts 7:38), and
(3) to the New Testament ecclesia.
When, in this lesson, our Lord says: "On this rock I will build
MY ecclesia," while the "my" distinguished His ecclesia from the
Greek state ecclesia and the Old Testament ecclesia, the word
itself naturally retains its ordinary meaning.
Indeed, even when by accommodation, it is applied to an irregular gathering
(Acts 19:32, 41) the essential idea of assembly remains.
Of
the 117 instances of use in the New Testament certainly all but five (Acts 7:38;
19:32, 39, 42; Hebrews 2:12) refer to Christ's ecclesia. And since
Hebrews 2:12, though a quotation from the Old Testament, is prophetic, finding
fulfillment in New Testament times, we need not regard it as an exception. These
118 uses of the word, including Hebrews 2:12, refer either to the particular
assembly of Jesus Christ on earth, or to His general assembly in glory (heaven).
Commonly, that is, in nearly all the uses, it means: The particular assembly of
Christ's baptized disciples on earth, as "The church of God which is at
Corinth."
To
this class necessarily belong all abstract or generic uses of the word, for
whenever the abstract or generic finds concrete expression, or takes operative
shape, it is always a particular assembly.
This
follows from the laws of language governing the use of words.
For
example, if an English statesman, referring to the right of each individual
citizen to be tried by his peers, should say: "On this rock England will build
her jury and all power of tyrants shall not prevail against it," he uses the
term jury in an abstract sense, i. e., in the sense of an institution. But when
this institution finds concrete expression, or be comes operative, it is always
a particular jury of twelve men, and never an aggregation of all juries into one
big jury.
Or
if a law writer should say: "In trials of fact, by oral testimony, the court
shall be the judge of the law, and the jury shall be the judge of the facts,"
and if he should add: "In giving evidence, the witness shall tell what he knows
to the jury, and not to the court," he evidently uses the term "court," "jury"
and "witness" in a generic sense. But in the application the generic always
becomes particular; i.e., a particular judge, a particular jury, or a particular
witness, and never an aggregate of all judges into one big judge, nor
of all juries into one big jury, nor of all witnesses into one big witness.
Hence we say that the laws of language require that all abstract and generic
uses of the word ecclesiashould be classified with the particular
assembly and not with the general assembly.
As
examples of the abstract use of ecclesia that is in the sense of an
institution, we cite Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 3:10, 21.
Matthew 18:17 is an example of generic use. That is, it designates the
kind (genus) of tribunal to which difficulties must be referred without
restriction of application to any one particular church by name. I mean that
while its application must always be to a particular church, yet it is not
restricted to just one, as the church at Jerusalem, but is equally applicable to
every other particular church.
As
when Paul says: "The husband is the head of the wife," the terms "husband" and
"wife" are not to be restricted in application to John Jones and his wife, but
apply equally to every other specific husband and wife.
But
while nearly all of the 113 Instances of the use of ecclesia belong to
the particular class, there are some instances, as Hebrews 12:23, and Ephesians
5:25-27, where the reference seems to be to the general assembly of Christ. But
in every such case the ecclesia is prospective, not actual. That
is to say, there is not now, but there will be a general
assembly of Christ's people. That general assembly will be composed of all the
redeemed of all time.
Here
are three indisputable and very significant facts concerning Christ's general
assembly:
(1) Many of its members, properly called out, are now in heaven.
(2) Many others of them, also called out, are here on earth.
(3) An indefinite number of them, yet to be called, are neither on earth nor in heaven, because they are yet unborn, and therefore non-existent.
It follows that if one part of the membership is now in heaven,
another part on earth, another part not yet born, there is as yet no assembly,
except in prospect.
And
if a part are as yet non-existent, how can one say the general assembly
exists now?
We
may, however, properly speak of the general assembly now, because, though part
of it is yet non-existent, and though there has not yet been a gathering
together of the other two parts, yet, the mind may conceive of that
gathering as an accomplished fact.
In
God's purposes and plans, the general assembly exists now, and also in our
conceptions or anticipations, but certainly not as a fact. The details of God's
purpose are now being worked out, and the process will continue until all the
elect have been called, justified, glorified and assembled.
Commenting on our lesson, Broadus says:
"In
the New Testament the spiritual Israel, never actually assembly, is
sometimes conceived of as an ideal congregation or assembly, and this is denoted
by the word ecclesia." Here Broadus does not contrast "spiritual
Israel" with a particular church of Christ, but with national or carnal Israel.
The
object of the gospel, committed to the particular assembly in time, is to call
out or summon those who shall compose the general assembly in eternity.
When
the calling out is ended, and all the called are glorified, then the present
concept of a general assembly will be a fact. Then and only then actually,
will all the redeemed be an ecclesia. Moreover, this ecclesia in glory
will be the real body, temple, flock of our Lord.
But
the only existing representation or type of the ecclesia in glory
(i. e. , the general assembly) is the particular assembly on earth.
And
because each and every particular assembly is the representation, or type, of
the general assembly, to each and every one of them is applied all the broad
figures which pertain to the general assembly. That is, such figures as "the
house of God," "the temple of the Lord," "the body," or "flock." The New
Testament applies these figures, just as freely and frequently, to the
particular assembly as to the general assembly. That is, to any one particular
assembly, by itself alone, but never to all the particular assemblies
collectively.
There is no unity, no organization, nor gathering together and, hence, no
ecclesia or assembly of particular congregations collectively. So also
the term ecclesia cannot be rationally applied to all denominations
collectively, nor to all living professors of religion, nor to all living
believers collectively. In no sense are any such unassembled
aggregates an ecclesia. None of them constitute the flock, temple, body
or house of God, either as a type of time or a reality of eternity. These terms
belong exclusively either to the particular assembly now or the general assembly
hereafter.
A
man once said to me, How dare you apply such broad terms as "The house of God,"
"The body of Christ," "The temple of the Lord," to your little fragment of a
denomination? My reply was, I do not apply them to any denomination, nor to any
aggregate of the particular congregations of any or of all denominations, but
the Scriptures do apply every one of them to a particular New Testament
congregation of Christ's disciples.
Hear
the Word of God:
In
the letter to the Ephesians, Paul says: "In whom each several building, fitly
framed together, groweth into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom ye also are
builded together for a habitation of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:21, 22,
Revised Version)
Here
are two distinct affirmations:
First - Each several building or particular assembly groweth into a holy temple of the Lord That is, by itself it is a temple of the Lord.
Second - What is true of each is true of the church at Ephesus, "In whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit."
Just before this he had written of the church as an
institution, or abstractly, in which Jew and Gentile are made into one. But
the abstract becomes concrete in each several building.
To
the elders of this same particular church at Ephesus he said: "Take heed to
yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you
bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own
blood." (Acts 20:28).
This
flock, this church of the Lord, purchased by His own blood, is a particular
assembly.
Again to the particular church at Corinth Paul wrote: "Ye are God's building -
ye are a temple of God and the Spirit dwelleth in you - now ye are the
body of Christ, and severally members thereof." (I Corinthians 3:7, 16;
12:27.)
When
concerning the body of Christ he says: "And whether one member suffereth all the
members suffer with it," he is certainly not speaking of the Ecclesia in
Glory, all of whose members will be past sufferings when
constituting an ecclesia.
Again concerning the particular church at Ephesus, he writes to Timothy whom he
had left in that city:
"These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly; but if I
tarry long, that thou mayest know, how men ought to behave themselves in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of
the truth." He is certainly not writing of behavior in the general
assembly in glory. The things he had written touching behavior were, when and
how the men should pray, how the women should dress and work, and the
qualifications of bishops and deacons. Even that remarkable passage, so often
and so confidently quoted as referring exclusively to some supposed now existing
"universal, invisible, spiritual church," namely: Ephesians 1:22, 23, "And gave
him to be head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of
him that filleth all in all" - even this very body, "filled unto all the
fullness of God," is presently applied, in his prayer, to the particular
congregation (Ephesians 3:19).
It
may be asked, but why, if already filled, pray that each particular congregation
might be filled unto all the fullness of God? The reply is obvious. Each
particular assembly is an habitation of God, through the Spirit. The Spirit
occupies each several building. Into each he enters not with partial power, but
in all the fullness of Omnipotent power.
But
though the fullness is there, the church is so dim eyed - so weak in faith - so
feeble in graces - it does not realize and lay hold of and appropriate this
fullness of God. Hence the prayer that the eyes of their understanding might be
open to see the fullness, their faith increased to grasp and appropriate it,
their graces enlarged to corresponding strength to stand and work in that
fullness. So fulfilled they realize in experience that fact that the Holy
Spirit in all the fullness of God had already entered this particular body of
Christ, and was only waiting to be recognized . It is like the expression,
"Being justified by faith, let us have peace with God," etc., Romans 5:1. That
is, we are entitled to it, let us take it.
In a
great revival of religion we see Paul's prayer fulfilled in the particular body
of Christ. Gradually the church warms up to a realization of the fullness of God
dwelling in them through the Spirit. Their spiritual apprehension becomes
eagle-eyed. The grasp of their faith becomes the grip of a giant. Presently they
say, we "can do all things." No barrier is now insurmountable. And as more and
more they comprehend the height and depth and width and length of the love of
God, they glow like a spiritual furnace. Thus it is proven that all these broad
terms appertaining to the future general assembly, are equally applied to the
present particular assembly, and that, too, because it is the only existing
representation of the prospective general assembly.
This
leads to another conclusion: All teaching in the direction that there now
exists a general assembly which is invisible, without ordinances, and which is
entered by faith alone, would likely tend to discredit the particular assembly,
which does now really exist and which is the pillar and ground of the truth.
More
than once when I have inquired of a man, "Are you a member of the church?" The
reply has been, I am a member of the invisible, universal, spiritual church.
To
make faith the exclusive of admission into the general assembly is more than
questionable and naturally generates such replies.
The
general assembly, by all accounts, includes all the saved. But infants, dying in
infancy, are a part of the saved. Yet never having been subjects of gospel
address they are saved without faith. But it may be said that such use of the
term faith is only a way of saying "a new heart," and dying infants are not
without regeneration. To which we may rejoin that regeneration alone is not
sufficient to qualify for membership in the general assembly. All the
regenerates we know have spots and wrinkles while the general assembly is
without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing.
Nor
does complete sanctification of soul go far enough. There must also be
glorification of body. Enoch, Elijah and probably those who rose from the dead
after Christ's resurrection are the only ones as yet qualified for membership in
the general assembly. And they must wait until all whom God has called and will
yet call have arrived with like qualifications, before there can be a general
assembly in fact.
As
has been intimated, all organized assemblies have prescribed terms or conditions
of membership. In the Greek state Ecclesia membership was limited to a
well defined body of citizens. Not all residents of the territory could
participate in the business of the ecclesia. So with the Old Testament
ecclesia or national convocation of carnal Israel. One must have the
required lineal descent and be circumcised or become a proselyte and be
circumcised. Correspondingly the conditions of membership in the church on earth
are regeneration and baptism.
But for the church in glory the conditions of membership are justification,
regeneration and sanctification of soul and glorification of body.
We
submit another conclusion:
Some
terms or descriptives commonly applied to the church by writers and speakers are
not only extra Scriptural, that is, purely human and post apostolic, but may be
so used as to become either misleading or positively unscriptural. For example,
to put visible, referring to the particular assembly alone, over against
spiritual as referring to the general assembly alone, as if these terms were
opposites or incompatible with each other.
The particular assembly or church that now is, is both visible and spiritual.
To
confess Christ before men, to let our light shine before men, to be baptized, to
show forth the Lord's death in the Supper, are both visible and spiritual
acts of obedience. And when the general assembly becomes a reality instead of a
prospect, it, too, will be both visible and spiritual.
Speaking of the general assembly, John says: I saw the holy city, the New
Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for
her husband."
When
the King came to the earth in His humiliation He was visible. And when He
appears in glory every eye shall see Him.
A
city set upon an earthly hill cannot be hid. And the New Jerusalem on Mt. Zion,
the city of the living God, will be the most conspicuous and luminous object the
universe ever saw.
The confusion wrought by these human appellatives is manifest in the growth of
what is commonly miscalled "the Apostle's creed." In its earliest historic forms
it says: "I believe In the holy church." Later forms say: "I believe in the holy
catholic, i. e., universal church." Still later: "in the holy catholic and
apostolic church." Still gathering increment from other creeds it becomes: "The
holy Roman catholic and apostolic church." Then comes "visible vs. In visible,"
or "visible, temporal, universal vs. invisible, spiritual, universal," and so ad
infinitum. But the Bible in its simplicity knows nothing of these scholastic
refinements of distinction. In that holy book the existing church is a
particular congregation of Christ's baptized disciples, and the prospective
church is the general assembly.
But mark
you:
These are
not co-existent.
ONE
CANNOT BE A MEMBER OF BOTH AT THE SAME TIME. WHEN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMES THE
PARTICULAR ASSEMBLY WILL HAVE PASSED AWAY.
To
impress more deeply the scripturalness of these reflections, let us consider the
subject from another viewpoint:
A
house is built for an inhabitant. Unless the tenant is hard pressed, he will not
move in until the building is completed. God is never hard pressed.
A
long time may be consumed in getting out and gathering together and preparing
the material of a house. It is not a house, however, except in purpose, plan or
prospect, until it is completed and ready for its occupant.
In
this light let us take a look at some Bible houses:
(a) The house that Moses built.
This was the Tabernacle of the Wilderness, or tent for God. The 40th chapter of Exodus tells of the completion of this house. When it was finished and all things ready for the occupant it became a house, and then the cloud, that symbol of Divine glory, moved in and filled the tabernacle.
(b) The house that Solomon built.
The 6th, 7th and 8th chapters of I Kings tell us about this house. When it was finished and furnished and dedicated, it also being now a house, then the cloud symbol of divine presence and glory, that had inhabited the tabernacle, left the tent as no longer useful and moved into and filled the new house.
(c) The house that Jesus built.
The gospel histories tell us about it. John the Baptist prepared much material for it. Receiving this material from John, and adding much of His own preparation, Jesus built a house. That is, He instituted His ecclesia on earth. At His death the veil of Solomon's restored house was rent in twain from top to bottom. Henceforward, it was tenantless, and, being useless, soon perished. But though the new house was built, it was empty until our Lord ascended into heaven, and fulfilled His promise to send the Holy Spirit as the indweller of this new habitation. Acts 2 tells us how this house was occupied. The useless temple of Solomon now passes away as the useless tabernacle of Moses passed away for its successor. The only house of God now existing on earth is the particular ecclesia of our Lord. But it in turn must have a successor In the general assembly, or,
(d) The house Jesus will build.
The tabernacle, the temple and the church on earth are all forecasts of the coming church in glory. The work of gathering and preparing material for the general assembly has been in progress for six thousand years. But material, much of it yet in the quarry or forest and much of it fully prepared, does not constitute a house. God is not hard pressed. His patience is infinite. Millions and millions have already been called out to be members of this prospective assembly. God is calling yet and will continue to call throughout the gospel dispensation. His mind is fixed on having a general assembly indeed; a great congregation; "a great multitude that no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, to stand before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and with palms in their hands."
The time of the constitution of this assembly is at the second
coming of Christ and after the resurrection of the dead and the glorification of
the bodies of Christians then living. The processes of constitution are clearly
set forth in I Corinthians 15:51-54; I Thessalonians 4:13;17, Ephesians 5:27;
Revelation 21:2-9.
It
has now indeed become a church; a glorious church, or church in glory; to be
presented to himself. When He comes He will be glorified in His saints and
admired in all them that believe.
That
ecclesia, like the one on earth, will be both visible and spiritual.
Recurring to the figure of a house, Revelation 21 and 22 exhibit it as at last
completed and occupied. At last completed God Himself inhabits it, for says the
Scripture, "Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall be with them,
and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their
God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no
more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain;
for the former things are passed away." Mark that, brethren, "The former things
are passed away." Former and latter things are not co-existent.The
tabernacle of the wilderness passes away for the more glorious temple of
Solomon. The temple then passes away for the still more glorious church on
earth. In like manner the church on earth must pass away for the infinitely
glorious church in heaven. There is a Jerusalem on earth, but the heavenly
Jerusalem is above. It is free, and the mother of all the saved. But,
brother, the general assembly is not yet.The church on earth, the house that
Jesus has already built, the house of the living God, which is the pillar and
ground of the truth; this house has the right of way just now. It
is the only existing assembly. Honor the house that now is.
Quite naturally, if tabernacle and temple had been co-existent, one then living
would have preferred the temple and discredited the tent.
Equally so if the particular assembly and general assembly are now co-existent,
side by side on earth, could you seriously blame a man for resting content with
membership in the greater and more honorable assembly?
But
as the Scriptures represent these two assemblies, one existing now on
earth, the other prospective in heaven, if a man on earth and in time,
not qualified by either sanctification of spirit or glorification of body for
the heavenly assembly, shall despise membership in the particular assembly
because claiming membership in the general assembly, is not his claim both an
absurdity and a pretext? Does he not hide behind it to evade honoring God's
existing Institution, and the assuming of present responsibilities and the
performing of present duties? Yet again, if one believes that there are
co-existent on earth and in time, two churches, one only visible and formal, the
other real, invisible and spiritual, is there not danger that such belief may
tend to the conviction that the form, government, polity and ordinances of the
inferior church are matters of little moment? Has not this belief oftentimes
in history done this very thing? And is it not an historical fact that, since
Protestant Pedobaptists invented this idea of a now existing, invisible,
universal, spiritual church, to offset the equally erroneous Romanist idea of a
present visible, universal church, reverence and honor for God's New Testament
particular church have been ground to fine powder between them as between the
upper and nether millstones? Today when one seeks to obtain due honor for the
particular assembly, its ordinances, its duties, is he not in many cases
thwarted in measure, or altogether in some cases, by objections arising from one
or the other of these erroneous views?
And
when some, endeavoring to hedge against the manifest errors of both these ideas,
have invented middle theories to the effect that the church on earth is composed
either of all professing Christians living at one time, considered
collectively, or of all real Christians so living and so considered, or
of all existing denominations considered as branches of which the church is the
tree, have they not multiplied both the absurdities and the difficulties by
their assumed liberality of compromise?
Finally, replying to some of your questions:
1. (Q) When our Lord says, On this rock I will build my church and the gates of
hell shall not prevail against it, does He refer to the church on earth or to
the church in glory?
(A)
My answer is, to the particular assembly on earth, considered as an
institution. The church in glory will never be in the slightest danger of
the gates of hell. Before it becomes an assembly, both death and hell, gates and
all, are cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:14 and 21:4). It is the
church on earth that is in danger, from the fear of which this glorious promise
is a guaranty.
2. (Q) Does your idea of a "general assembly" depend exclusively upon that
phrase of doubtful application in Hebrews 12:28, which many good scholars,
including prominent Baptists. construe with "myriads of angels" instead of with
"the church of the First Born?"
(A)
Certainly not. Though I myself strongly hold with our English versions in
referring both the panegyros (general assembly) and the ecclesia
(church) of that passage to saved men and not to angels. The idea of general
assembly is clearly in other passages as Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 7:9 and
21:2-4.
3. (Q) If the figure, "body" applies to each particular church, does not that
teach that Christ has many bodies?
(A)
My answer is, first, that your objection, or supposed difficulty, lies not
against my view, but against the express teaching of many Scriptures. What the
Scriptures teach is true, and difficulties and objections may take care of
themselves. But, second, the objection is specious and the difficulty only
apparent, since each particular assembly is a representation or type of
the general assembly, and therefore the broadest figures of the anti type may be
applied to all its types without being obnoxious to the criticism. There may
well be many representations of the body of Christ.
4. (Q) Do you dis-fellowship your Baptist brethren who teach the present
existence of "an universal, in visible, spiritual church?"
(A)
Most certainly not so long as they duly honor the particular assembly and its
ordinances, as multitudes of them do, in spite of the natural tendency of their
theory to discredit it. Many of them, known to me personally, are devoted to the
particular church and its ordinances, responsibilities and duties.
It will take a wider divergence than this to make me dis-fellowship a Baptist
brother, though I honestly and strongly hold that even on this point his theory
is erroneous and tends practically to great harm. Yes, I do most emphatically
hold that this theory is responsible for incalculable dishonor put upon
the church of God on earth. I repeat that the theory of the co-existence, side
by side, on earth of two churches of Christ, one formal and visible, the other
real, invisible and spiritual, with different terms of membership, is
exceedingly mischievous and is so confusing that every believer of it
becomes muddled in running the lines of separation. Do let it sink deep in your
minds that the tabernacle of Moses had the exclusive right of way
in its allotted time and the temple of Solomon had the exclusive right
of way in its allotted time; so the church of Christ on earth, the
particular assembly, now has the exclusive right of way, and is without a
rival on earth or in heaven; and so the general assembly in glory, when
its allotted time arrives, will have exclusive right of way.
Had
I lived in the days of Moses I would have given undivided honor to the
tabernacle; in the day of Solomon to the Temple alone; and when the general
assembly comes, that shall be my delight. But living now I must honor the house
that Jesus built. It is the house of the living God, the pillar and ground of
the truth. To it are committed the oracles and promises of God. To it is given
the great commission. It is the instructor of angels and in it throughout all
the ages of time is the glory of God. If I move out of
this house, I must remain houseless until Jesus comes. It is the only church you
can join in time.
5. (Q) What is the distinction, if any, between the kingdom and the church?
(A)
My answer is that the kingdom and church on earth are not co-terminous. Kingdom,
besides expressing a different idea, is much broader in signification than a
particular assembly or than all the particular assemblies. The particular church
is that executive institution or business body, within the kingdom, charged with
official duties and responsibilities for the spread of the kingdom.
In
eternity and glory, church and kingdom may be co-terminous. Like the church, the
kingdom in both time and eternity has both visible and spiritual aspects.
6. As a sufficient reply to several other questions:
Let
it be noted that this discussion designedly avoids applying certain adjectives
to the noun "church," not merely because the New Testament never applies them to
Ecclesia, but because they are without distinguishing force when
contrasting the particular assembly with the general assembly.
For
example: "Local," "visible," "spiritual."
Locality inheres in Ecclesia. There can be no assembly now or hereafter without
a place to meet.
When
existing in fact, both the particular assembly in time, and the general assembly
in eternity, are both visible and spiritual. Why attempt to distinguish by terms
which do not distinguish?
Katholikos
(Catholic
or Universal) is not a New Testament word at all and hence is never
applied by inspiration to Ecclesia. Nor is it a Septuagint word at all.
In
post apostolic times it crept without authority into the titles of certain New
Testament letters, as "The First Epistle General (Katholikos) of Peter."
And even there it could not mean "universal," since Peter, himself, four times
limits his address:
(a) First to Jews (not Gentiles).
(b) Then to "elect" Jews (not all Jews).
(c) Then to elect Jews of the Dispersion (not to Jewish Christians in Palestine).
(d) Then to elect Jews of the Dispersion in 'Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia," i. e., the comparatively small district of Asia Minor (not in the rest of Asia, Europe and Africa). Neither in the sense of every place, nor of every person in the universe, can the English word "universal" be applied to Ecclesia.
NOTES
1 This work is available in booklet form along with many other books dealing with the Baptist faith and doctrine from: Challenge Press, P.O. Box 5567, Little Rock, Arkansas.72215 or send email referencing the Challenge Press to: cbc@centralbaptistchurch.org
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