Weeeeell
Looking through scripture, Israel is called 'the church' in the wilderness.
They were together and visible. A huge number of people, but still a local assembly.
This is not the New Testament church, though. Not the body of Christ.
Matt 16:18... Jesus building His church.
This is the New Testament church.
It's when church is uses in the non-specific sense. Not referring to one in particular. But it IS still meaning the local assembly. Why?
Because Matthew 18:20 describes the process for resolving sin issues in the local New Testament church.
Jesus wouldn't have this local church meaning if the Mathew 16:18 church was 'universal, invisible '
It is the same thing.. a non specific church.. the unit of the local NT church.
Coming to Acts then.. this also has 'the church'. Which kind?
The church at Jerusalem. This is a specific church.
A local and visible assembly of saved, baptized believers. Covenanted together to carry and the great commission and commandment.
That's what the church.. the Body of Christ is.
Not an 'invisible, universal' entity. Not every believer yet.
The church will be every believer when we are all assembled in the New Jerusalem.
Still not 'universal, invisible' but 'local and visible'
Then Corinth...
In 1 Corinthians 12.. the church at Corinth gets called 'the body of Christ ' .. by Paul.
Not part of the body.. THE body .
That's a local and visible New Testament church of saved, baptized believers.
I could keep going. Point being.. this concept of an 'invisible, universal ' church of all redeemed.. is foreign to scripture.
“Now
of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such
an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens;
For
if he were on earth, he should not be a priest, seeing that there are priests that offer gifts according to the law: who serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things,
as Moses was admonished of God when he was about to make the tabernacle: for,
See, saith he, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the mount.”
Hebrews 8:1, 4-5
“Looking through scripture, Israel is called 'the church' in the wilderness.”
Earthly israel is called out of Egypt by God to a new and better place , the promised land , where he will be thier God and walk among them.
This is a pattern given in the Old Testament of Jesus coming to lead the elect people of all nations of the earth , out of slavery to satans Will which is sin and death into a promised land where God will eternally dwell
Among them and he will be thier God and they his people
awe have the earthly examples and patterns in the old testament so we can better understand the meaning of the New Testament when we start hearing the gospel and epistles well understand then better if we have knowledge of the law but our faith is in Christ.
Not because they answer the questions we have about God but because they serve as
examples and figures by which we can understand the New Testament revelations of the lord
What I mean is the that happened to israel in the ot unfold on the church on the New Testament as the gospel spreads
israel in the wilderness is a figure of the church in the world headed to a promised land
“These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.”
Hebrews 11:13-14, 16 KJV
Even earthly Jerusalem is only a pattern and figure of what’s in heaven and all that happened to them becomes examples and lessons for us
So what I mean is those figures of the church in the ot , serve as very important admonishment for us in Christ the church.
“Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and
did all eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.
But
with many of them God was not well pleased: for
they were overthrown in the wilderness. Now
these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them; as
it is written, The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.
Neither let us commit fornication, as
some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and
were destroyed of serpents.
Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.
Now
all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.”
1 Corinthians 10:1-11 KJV
understanding the figures in the ot and seeing them from the gospel perspective of fulfillment teaches and admonishes the church now the law and prophets help to teach us in Christ important understanding about sin and death
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