Mystery of the Church
MYSTERY OF THE CHURCH
What does the word “church” mean? Is it a word that has changed meaning over the years? The word church means a calling out of people such as an assembly or group for a specific cause. Now this cause could be for religious purposes, but it could also be for any purpose that anyone might call, such as a town or committee meeting. The word “church” is often associated with a building where religious people assemble for worship. This use of the word church is used in the Bible for the building at Ephesus, Galatia, Thessalonica, Jerusalem and the ones mentioned in Revelation.
The church is actually the group of people that are referred to as Christians today, ones who are reborn by the Spirit 1 Cor. 12:13-28. This is a body of people that are selected during the time (dispensation) after the law was completed (“it is finished” Jn. 19:30), until the rapture occurs (the resurrection, 1 Cor. 15:51-53; 1 Thess. 4:14-17). The church is referred to under many names, as the “body of Christ” (Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:13; Col. 1:18), the “bride of Christ” (Rom. 7:4; 2 Cor. 11:2) and also as those in the “dispensation of grace”. The seal (proof) of a member of the church is the “indwelling” Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) within the Christian.
The Old Testament has not one prophesy mentioning the “Church Age”. But one must remember that while studying the Bible one must read what it says and also “read” what it does not say. There is no mention of the word church until Mt. 16:18 and this word is the Greek word ekklesia which is a verb meaning to call out. This word is used to depict an assembly or gathering of people together for a specific purpose.
The Old Testament goes from talking about Christ’s first coming (first advent) straight into the second. This is why the Apostles felt that they were in the “last days” and they were very soon to go into tribulation and then the Kingdom. Examples of these scriptures are found:
Joel 2:28 and 29, they take us up to Pentecost, but verse 30 goes straight into the tribulation.
Ps. 2:1-4 talks about how the nations together crucify Christ and then in verse 5 talks about the tribulation.
Ps. 118:22 talks about the refusal of Christ and straight into the Kingdom.
Isa. 9:6 from His birth straight to His government.
Isa. 61:1-2 from preaching the good tidings to tribulation to millennium.
Dan. 9:24 from making a payment for sin to Kingdom.
Zech. 9:9-10; Lk. 1:31-32; Acts 2: 7, 12, 17-21; Acts 15: 15-16, etc.
The mystery of the church age, the taking out of the world a body for Christ, the time from when the Holy Spirit started “indwelling” up to the time of the rapture was not revealed to just anyone, it was revealed to Paul (Rom. 16:25; Gal 1:16: Eph. 3:3). Paul brought his gospel (good news) to the Gentiles after the Jews rejected his message just the same as they did Christ’s good news of the kingdom. For this reason the Jews as a nation are spiritually “blinded” (2 Cor. 3:14) as well as the lost are blinded (2 Cor. 4:4).
As Paul says in 1 Cor. Chapter one, when we are sanctified by being called by Jesus Christ who is going to faithfully keep us to the end (rapture) so we can be presented that day blameless (bema seat). What a beautiful time (church age) we are so fortunate to live so we can have such an opportunity that has never been offered before, nor will ever be offered again. How long will this opportunity continue? Paul writing to Christians said in 1 Thess 5:4, “But you, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.” Remember this is to Christians and this scripture is not in conflict with Mt. 16:1-3. Who was Jesus talking to? Hypocrites, not Christians, these are among the lost and as mentioned before in 2 Cor. 4:4 the lost are blinded by the god of this world (Satan) who does not want the light (word of God) to shine and light up the “Truth” to their understanding.