BIBLE STUDY: “The Body of Christ, called out assembly” Part 1

     The word church is defined by the dictionary as a building for public worship. Let us search the bible and find out in the New Testament if the word is used to describe a building place for people worship.

     Read and see the verses below if they describe church as a literal church building.     

Acts 12:5 “Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.”

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:”

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.”

Romans 16:16 “Salute one another with an holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.”

I Corinthians 15:9 “For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.”

I Corinthians 16:19 “The churches of Asia salute you. Aquila and Priscilla salute you much in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”

Revelation 2:23 “And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.”

 

     After you had read the 7 bible verses in the New Testament, can you say now that the dictionary has a correct definition of the word “church? ________ 

     However, because of what the Lord had said, there is some sense that the church is a building. Complete the verse in Matthew 16:18

Matthew 16:18 “And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will _____ my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18 “And I say also 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.”

     Read so you can find out that the church is really a building. Complete the missing word to discover what kind of house the church is.

I Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual _______, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

I Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

In order to confirmed that the church is not a literal physical building, but a spiritual house, so what composed and built the church? Check the correct answer:

     (    ) Cement               (   ) Wood              (   ) Living stones                (   ) Steel              (   ) Brick

 

     We therefore conclude that the church is a spiritual building and not literal physical building. 

     So, the church is made up of who? ______ (Ephesians 2:5)

Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath ________ us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

Ephesians 2:5 “Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)”

The church is a spiritual building made up those who are made alive (quickened in Christ).

     That is why notice how Paul addressed the Corinthians believer in I Corinthians 3:9

I Corinthians 3:9 “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ___ are God's _____.”

I Corinthians 3:9 “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.”

     We discovered that in the New Testament the word church always means “an assembly”, which signifies that it is a company of people gathered together for specific goal. That is why we find out the word “church” is used with the phrase “assemble together”, “come together”, and “gather together.”

     Read some verses that used the word “together.” complete the missing word. 

________   ________ with the ______, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”

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.”

done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.”

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.”

knew not wherefore they were ______    ________.”

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.”

In this passage the word “assembly” is usually translated “church.” Although the context is not about a New Testament church but it’s speaking about an angry mob of people at Ephesus who come together to assemble together with the intent to instigate and induce trouble. 

you; and I partly believe it.”

I Corinthians 11:18 “For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you;

and I partly believe it.”

and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

I Corinthians 14:23 “If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues,

and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?”

Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,”

Hebrews 12:23 “To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the

Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,”

 

     Read Acts 2:42, 46, did you find that the church at the early church assemble together? ______ 

Now that we learned that the church means “assembly,” therefore, it is not appropriate for someone who is a member of the church not to assemble together with other believers or member of the church. Being part of the church, you should never forsake the assembly of ourselves together. 

Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the __________ of ourselves _________, as the manner of ______ is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”

According to this verse, that God is telling us not to forsake assembling of ourselves as some refused to assemble, they do not regularly attend the church gathering.

     Read I Corinthians 14:33 and find out what kind of people who assembly together in all the churches? 

I Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the _______.”

I Corinthians 14:33 “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

The word saint means sanctified, those were the people who have been set apart and separated unto the Lord.

     

     The word “EKKLESIA” is the Greek translation of the word “church.” The word “Ekklesia” comes from two words:

1. EK which means “out, out of”
2. KLESIS means “a calling”. (from the verb “Kaleo” which means to call). If we put together these two words, we have “a calling out.”

That is why the word “church” or “Ekklesia” means “an assembly of called out ones, or called out assembly.

 

     Please open Acts 7:38, we see here the nation of Israel as a called-out assembly.

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:”

Acts 7:38 “This is he, that was in the _______ 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:”

The verse says Moses who in the church which means assembly. Where was this assembly? ___________ (Acts 7:38)

Acts 7:38 “This is he, that was in the church ____   _____   _______ 

Find out what land the children of Israel had been brought out? ________ (Acts 7:39-40)

Acts 7:39-40 “To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into ____, ⁴⁰ Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of ____, we wot not what is become of him.”

Acts 7:39-40 “To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, ⁴⁰ Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.”

     Discover whom did the Lord love? ___________ (Hosea 11:1)

Hosea 11:1 “When ______ was a child, then I loved him, and _______ my _____  ______ of Egypt.”

Hosea 11:1 “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”

     According to what we have learned, was Israel considered as God’s called-out assembly? ______ (Acts 7:38)

Acts 7:38 “that was in the church in the wilderness:”

But we must be careful in our understanding, although Israel was God’s called out assembly in the wilderness, but it does not mean that the assembly of the children of Israel who gathered themselves in the wilderness was the same assembly as the assembly in the New Testament Church. Yes, there are similarities but they were different. The same word “church” is used to describe the Israel in the wilderness and the assembly of saints in the New Testament.

 

PROOF OF COMPARISON WITH SEMILARIES AND DIFFERENCE

CHILDREN OF ISRAEL	NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS
God’s called-out Assembly (Acts 7:38)	God’s special called-out assembly – The Church
The Bondage of Egypt – Exodus 20:2; Deuteronomy 5:6	The Bondage of sin – Galatians 5:1; Romans 6:20
Called out, Hosea 11:1 >>> unto Liberty	Called out, I Peter 2:9 >>> unto Liberty, Galatians 5:13

 

    The Believers in Christ are God’s called out ones.

     Believers are God’s called out of what? _______ (I Peter 2:9; I John 3:14)

     Believers are God’s called out unto what? ______ (I Peter 2:9)

I Peter 2:9 “out of darkness into his marvellous light;” 

I John 3:14 “from death unto life”

 

     There church as a called-out assembly gathered together with a purpose (Romans 8:28)

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the ________ according to his _________.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”

 

     What is the purpose of God for the believers who gathered together called for? (church, called-out assembly)

Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.”

I John 3:2 “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.”

I Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were ______ unto the ________ of his ____ Jesus Christ our Lord.”

I Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

 

     As of now, God is calling out and taking out a special group of people for Himself: “Simeon (Peter) hath declared how ____ at the first did visit the Gentiles (nations) to   ____   ___ of them a   ___ for His Name" (Acts 15:14). 

Acts 15:14 “Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name”

This special called-out group is the church.

 

 

     To whom the church belongs to according to Jesus? ______ (Matthew 16:18).

Matthew 16:18 “I will build ____ church”

Matthew 16:18 “I will build my church”

     To whom the church belongs to according to Paul? ______ (I Timothy 3:15)

I Timothy 3:15 “behave thyself in the house of _____, which is the church of the living God”

I Timothy 3:15 “behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God”

     If a Pastor says “This is my church”, is he saying the truth? ______

     If the deacons or elders says “This is my church”, is he telling the truth? _____

     Anyone who truly understand about what the bible teaches will say, “This is ______ church!”

It is actually God’s church. We therefore conclude, the church is special called-out assembly that belongs to the only one True and Living God, the Saviour Jesus Christ.