Page 13 - Ecclesiology Textbook Masters

It was not long until persecution came to the church. It was because the people representing Christ
exposed the sin of those in rebellion against God. Jesus’s words in John 15:20 came true:

John 15:20 Remember what I told you: 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted me,
they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

Persecution brought dispersements of the church to other parts of the nation and to other nations. The
church spread throughout Judea and Samaria as recorded in Acts 8. In Acts 13, the church spread to
Syria at Antioch, which became the head of the Gentile Church. The assembly in Antioch and the
assembly in Jerusalem both were called “the church” specified only by their location.

Because of the missionary activities of the apostles, and especially Paul,
churches of believers sprang up in many different cities, especially in Asia
Minor (Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi). All these churches were
considered one church as they were all believers in Christ called out to be
witnesses for Him. The term, Church universal is understood as the
complete body of Christ as existing in every place (I Cor. 15:9; Gal 1:2, 13,
Matthew 16:18) and the churches in a location were called local churches
(Col 4:16, Phil. 4:15, I Cor. 1:2) even if these local gatherings consisted of
two or three gathering together in Christ’s name (Matt 18:19. Col 4:15, Phil 1:2, Rom. 16:5). So today,
there are many local churches of believers spread out all over the world, but every believer in the world
is also a member of one giant church, the Church universal.

It is evident, then, from what has here been said, that by the term “church” is included all that is meant
from the Church Universal to the meeting of the church in a house. Wherever believers meet in the
name of Christ to worship, there you have the Church.

The Church had stated places of meeting; the upper room (Acts 1:13), the temple (5:12), the homes of
members (2:46, 12:12) and the synagogue. The Church had states times of meeting: daily (2:46), each
Lord’s Day (20:7). The Church had regular hours of prayer (3:1, 10:9) and a real church roll (numbers
added daily).

That there were definitely, regularly organized churches is clear from the fact that Paul addressed many
of his epistles to churches in different localities. The letters to the Corinthians show that the church
there had already recognized certain forms of services; those to Timothy and Titus presume a regularly
organized congregation of believers.

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