Page 21 - The Rapture Question by John F. Walvoord

The Rapture Question: Revised and Enlarged Edition
tion is possible and even probable. Decision, therefore, as to
the exact nature of the church is prerequisite to the discussion
that follows. The precise usage of ecclesia. usually translated
“church” or “assembly,” must be determined by study of
New Testament passages as well as its use in the Septuagint or
the LXX, the Greek translation of the Old Testament.
Meaning of Ecclesia
In the New Testament, the Greek word ecclesia has at
least four important meanings. It is used (1) to mean an as­
sembly of people. In this sense it has no special theological
meaning. It can refer to Israel as a gathered people in the
wilderness (Acts 7:38) or a regular assembly of citizens (Acts
19:39) or a group of people gathered for religious worship
(Heb. 2:12). (2) The same word is used for an assembly of
Christians in a local church (Acts 8:1,3; 1 1:22,26) and in the
plural for a group of such churches (1 Cor. 16:19; Gal 1:2).
Each assembly or church has a local gathering composed of
professed Christians. That all in the assembly' arc not neces­
sarily true believers is clear from messages to the seven
churches of Asia (Rev. 2-3).
(3) Ecclesia is also used of the total of professing
Christians without reference to locality and is practically
parallel in this sense to Christendom (Acts 12:1; Rom. 16:16;
1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Rev. 2:1-3:22; etc.).
The same word is used (4) of the body of Christ, com­
posed of those baptized by the Holy Spirit into the church
(1 Cor. 12:13). Ecclesia used in this connection becomes a
technical word referring to the saints of this age.
All agree that ecclesia in its first meaning indicated above
is used of Israel in the Old Testament. The issue is whether
ecclesia is ever used of Israel in the sense of the second, third,
and fourth meanings. A study' of every use of ecclesia in the
New Testament shows that all references where ecclesia is used
in the New Testament in reference to people in the Old Tes-
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