Four Churches in the Bible

[Dispy]

Taken from Studies From the Word

The Different Churches in the Bible
by Tripp B. Fancher

In the Bible, “church” is translated from the Greek word ekklesia, which means “a called out assembly” of any sort.

The word “church” is also a generic term in which the context of the Scripture determines what kind of church is being
referred to. For the most part you could say the English word church means “those who belong to the Lord”.

There are four distinct churches of God found within the books of the New Testament.
(1) The Church of Moses (Acts 7:38) was the children of Israel in the wilderness, called out from Egypt. Members
of this church could be, or become, spiritually lost. Some were swallowed down into the pit and burned up with fire
(Numbers 16:30-35).
NOTE: The doctrines that pertain to this church are whatever instructions God gave to Moses in the wilderness.

(2) The Church, the Little Flock (Matthew 16:18-19 & Luke 12:31-34), was the believing remnant of Israel, called
out from apostate Israel. They are the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). This church was first established in Matthew
16:15-19. This church functioned under the kingdom ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ in the gospels, and
under Peter, James, and John, after the crucifixion of Christ. The people in this church had to endure to the end to be
saved (Matthew 10:22). This church had one member who was a devil (John 6:70-71), the son of perdition (John
17:12).
NOTE: The doctrines that pertain to this church are the found in the Law and Prophets and Christ’s earthly ministry.

(3) The Church, the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-13), is a spiritual body of Jews and Gentiles in which the
Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into Christ. This body of believers began in Acts 9 with the conversion of Paul (I
Timothy 1:12-16). People in this church are saved by believing Paul’s gospel (Romans 16:25), the Gospel of the Grace
of God (Acts 20:28), which revealed what the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ accomplished (I Corinthians
15:1-4) for all (I Timothy 2:16). All members of this church are saved and “sealed unto the day of redemption”
(Ephesians 4:30), when Christ will redeem our physical bodies (Romans 8:23). No one in this church can become
spiritually lost.
NOTE: The doctrines that pertain to this church are the found in Romans through Philemon.

(4) The Church of the Tribulation (Revelation 2-3) will be made up of believing Jews and proselytes, during the
future time of Tribulation, after the Rapture of the Church, the Body of Christ. This church will be the continuation of
the “Little Flock” church who will be waiting on Christ’s return to earth to set up His Kingdom (Luke 12:31-40). This
church will have to endure (Matthew 24:13), overcome (Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26, 3:5, 12, 21), not take the mark of
the beast (Revelation 15:2 & 20:4), and be found watching (Matthew 24:42, 25:13, & Rev. 3:3) until the end of the
Tribulation (Hebrews 3:14).
NOTE: The doctrines that pertain to this church are found in Matthew through John, and Hebrews through Revelation.

The following examples from the KJB show that the Greek word ekklasia, as well as the English word church, do not
always refer to a group of God’s people.
* The word ekklasia was translated as “assembly”, in Acts 19:32, 19:39, and 19:41, referring to an assembly of pagans.
* The phrase “robbers of churches”, translated from hierosulos in Acts 19:37, is a reference to pillaging pagan temples

 

[Danoh]

Exactly!!!

 

[Bro in Christ]

assembly is translated to church ... but this is a mistranslation of English words and not giving a proper idea that God is translating to us

 

[Dispy]

assembly is translated to church ... but this is a mistranslation of English words and not giving a proper idea that God is translating to us

How about you getting us straightened out.

 

[Bro in Christ]

heb 11-12 talk about different groups

 

[Dispy]

How about you getting us straightened out.

heb 11-12 talk about different groups

That, to me, doesn't do the Job. Surely you can do much better then that.

 

[Bro in Christ]

Heb 11 is the faith chapter.... Name acts of faith of different saints at different times before law during law

But for us..... Heb 11:39-40 states we have the best salvation... 2 Peter 1:4 agree with this statement

Why is this important ... Good, better, best....

In heb 12:22-25 names different groups in heaven... Remember the law Jews where promised the earth....

Heb 12:22 but you have come to Mt Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jersalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and chur of the firstborn ones who are registered in heaven(believer that are in Christ) to God the father the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect(Adam to abrabham) 24 to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

 

[Dispy]

Heb 11 is the faith chapter.... Name acts of faith of different saints at different times before law during law

But for us..... Heb 11:39-40 states we have the best salvation... 2 Peter 1:4 agree with this statement

Why is this important ... Good, better, best....

In heb 12:22-25 names different groups in heaven... Remember the law Jews where promised the earth....

Heb 12:22 but you have come to Mt Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jersalem, to an innumerable company of angels, 23 to the general assembly and chur of the firstborn ones who are registered in heaven(believer that are in Christ) to God the father the judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect(Adam to abrabham) 24 to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

The letter to the Hebrews if for the Jewish member of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not addressed to us. However, there in much in that letter that is also applical to us.

 

[Danoh]

The letter to the Hebrews if for the Jewish member of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not addressed to us. However, there in much in that letter that is also applical to us.

Lol, and hope you're well, my fellow Mid-Acts, brother, but as I'm sure you're aware, you and I do not see eye to eye on who wrote Hebrews, nor to whom. In my understanding, its human author is unknown, and its doctrine is, as Hebrews 2 bears out, that which began in Matthew and continued on from there through that foretaste of their Hebrew world to come, whereof they who had followed Christ during His earthly ministry to the circumcision spoke, as the Spirit, promised in Matt. 10, gave them utterance of at Pentecost

 

[Bro in Christ]

The letter to the Hebrews if for the Jewish member of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not addressed to us. However, there in much in that letter that is also applical to us.

worthless to discuss this

 

[Bro in Christ]

The letter to the Hebrews if for the Jewish member of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not addressed to us. However, there in much in that letter that is also applical to us.

When did Jews pray to God with out priest during law times ? Eph 3:12 connects with Heb 4:16

When where Levi's priest called Melchizedek priest?

When was their faith called greater in Heb 11 or lesser compared to the what we do now!

When was law jews called to use grace as in Heb 12:15

Hebrews where Christians that tried to blend in with the law jews because of the persecuting of themselves thus the reason for the scattering in acts 8, James 1:1, 1 peter 1:1 to go forth a spread the gospel to the gentiles

 

[Danoh]

That's a poor attitude to have about these things. Fact of the matter is that Acts Two Dispensationalism was only beginning to recover what was lost to Replacement Theology. That though we owe its earlier pioneers a debt of gratitude for what they had sought to recover, those after them failed to continue on to those finer distinctions between Israel's unique calling and purpose and the Body's, that at last allow the various passages to mean what they say, and say what they mean, the tendency to read into them more and more a practice of the past.

It is failure in that that eventually resulted in that once great bastion of Dispensationalism's once still future potential to recover the full knowledge of God's revealed will to instead cave in to the confusion that once great Seminary now represents.

 

[Bro in Christ]

fancy speech .... lets go to Hebrews and take it line by line

 

[Danoh]

fancy speech .... lets go to Hebrews and take it line by line

Might as well assert its okay to do one's taxes under a former Dispensation, so long as one follows that Dispensation's line by line.

What you are proposing is line by line as you understand Hebrews - from your Acts Two Dispensationalism.

That right there is the difference that makes us differ on these things, brother - the OVERALL Perspective we each BELIEVE we are to look at these things from.

Question is, how thoroughly have we each CONTINUED to examine said OVERALL Perspective.

Said CONTINUANCE is how Acts Two Dispensationalism arose.

Its lack is how it ended up where it has remained.

Its CONTINUANCE is how Mid-Acts arose,


In this, one thing I've continually noted is that there is an important but subtle distinction between continuing to make finer distinctions from within a paradigm which is itself no longer examined, has been allowed to become tradition, and continuing to examine said paradigm as well.

Thus, though it'd be nicd, I doubt we will see eye to on on some of these things, brother.

 

[Bro in Christ]

Hebrews is telling Jews to look to their position in Christ .... at the better promises

 

[Dispy]

The letter to the Hebrews if for the Jewish member of the Church, the Body of Christ. It is not addressed to us. However, there in much in that letter that is also applical to us.

Bro in Christ:
When did Jews pray to God with out priest during law times?

Dispy:
Prior to the establishment of the priesthood.
=====
Bro in Christ:
Eph 3:12 connects with Heb 4:16

Dispy:
Eph:3:12 "In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.

Heb. 4:16 "
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we nay obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."

These Hebrews are member of the Church, the Body of Christ, and no longer need to go through a priest to have access to God.

All members of the Church, the Body of direct access to the throne of GRACE.
=====
Bro in Christ:
When where Levi's priest called Melchizedek priest?

Dispy:
To my knowledge they never were.

Gen. 14:18 "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was a priest of the most high God.

Genesis 14 is prior to Abram's name being changed to Abraham, and being required to be circumcised. Therefore, he was still not a "Jew in the flesh".

Melchizedek was not a priest in the same sense as a Levitical Priest (there were no Jews at that time). Many believe that he was a minister of God, and many believe that He was Jesus Himself.
=====
Bro in Christ:
When was their faith called greater in Heb 11 or lesser compared to the what we do now!

Dispy:
Salvation/justification has ALWAYS been based upon FAITH. FAITH demonstrated by believing/doing what God required at that point in time of human history.
=====
Bro in Christ:
When was law jews called to use grace as in Heb 12:15

Dispy:
Those Jews mentioned in Heb. 12:15 were not Law Jews. They were member of the Church, the Body of Christ.
=====
Bro in Christ:
Hebrews where Christians that tried to blend in with the law jews because of the persecuting of themselves thus the reason for the scattering in acts 8, James 1:1, 1 peter 1:1 to go forth a spread the gospel to the gentiles

Dispy:
The author of Hebrews was writing to Jews that now believe the Jesus was there long promised Messiah, saved under the preaching of Grace. However, being that they were formerly devout Jews, the were still practicing Law works.

The author of Hebrews is pointing out to them that those Law works were no longer required, those things required under the Law were shadows and types of Christ. And that the things of Grace are much better then those required under the Law.

Yes, they were scattered because of the persecution of Jews that came to see that Jesus was their long promised Messiah.

 

[Bro in Christ]

Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.[spirit faith ]
OT exodus 4:30-31 faith by sight [soul]

Heb 11:2 For by it the elders obtained a good report.
Heb 11:3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.
Heb 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh

 

[Bro in Christ]

Heb 11:5 By faith Enoch was translated that he should not see death; and was not found, because God had translated him: for before his translation he had this testimony, that he pleased God.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
John 15:16 , Gal 5:22-23, romans 3:10-11, john 6:29
Heb 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith
heb 11:8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
Heb 11:9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise
Heb 11:10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

 

[Bro in Christ]

Heb 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.... gen 16:2 not faith ,Gen 18:10-12 faith
Heb 11:12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable
Heb 11:13 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.
heb 11:14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
heb 11:15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.

 

[Bro in Christ]

Heb 11:16 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.
Heb 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,
Heb 11:18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Heb 11:19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure
Heb 11:20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning things to come.