The word, church, is the translation of the Greek word, ekklesia, meaning that which is called out. It is translated church 112 times, referring to the whole body of Christians at any given time since the Day of Pentecost. That was the day when the church of God was formed by the descent of the Holy Spirit of God, indwelling each believer, uniting them to Christ in glory, and to each other as members of the one body of Christ on earth.
What gives added preciousness to this thought is that each one called out is the fruit of eternal counsel, each one marked out for this high honor by God Himself for this special calling. It stands in contrast to the earthly calling of Israel. The church's place is not, as Israel's will be, a millennial portion on earth, but an everlasting portion as the bride of Christ in the Father's house on high forever. It is a heavenly calling.
The late Archbishop Trench gives an interesting explanation of how the word, church, came to be introduced into our English Bibles. He tells how Greek missionaries long ago evangelized savage tribes in the region of the Danube basin. Their word to describe the church was the Greek word, kuriakos, meaning belonging to the Lord. Alas! in course of time, this beautiful meaning was lost, and the word degenerated from describing the Lord's people to designating the building of wood and stone in which the believers assembled, just as we talk to-day of the churches of a city, meaning the edifices of stone or brick with steeples or towers. As the tribes were evangelized, this word with this meaning was incorporated into their language. So we have the word, church, referring to an ecclesiastical building; as kirche in Germany; kirk in Scotland; church in England. These variations show plainly their derivation from the Greek word, kuriakos.
With this explanation we will use the word, church, as translated in our English Bibles, bearing in mind it does not refer to a building of stone or brick, but to the congregation of believers, called out of the world by the grace of God between the day of Pentecost, and the coming again of our Lord; to the body of believers at any given time since the day of Pentecost; or to any assembly of believers in a given place.
MEANING OF THE WORD, MYSTERY
In the Scriptures we have quoted, the word, mystery, occurs four times. It is the translation of the Greek word, musterion, meaning that which is known only to the initiated. The church of God was a mystery hid in God from the beginning of the world. Twice over in the Scriptures we quoted, we are told the mystery has been made known to the saints A mystery made known is no longer a mystery to whom it is made known.
The reason why the church of God was a mystery in Old Testament times was that the offer of an earthly kingdom was to be made to the Jewish nation in the presentation of the Lord Jesus Christ as their Messiah and King. Not till that offer was made, and rejected, was the way made plain for the revelation of this mystery. When once this point was reached the fulfillment of prophecies relating to the Jewish kingdom was arrested. Not till the church is raptured to glory will the fulfillment of Jewish prophecies be resumed. Doubtless events are happening which will work towards the day when the fulfillment of Israel's prophetical history will be resumed, such as the returning of the Jews to Palestine in large numbers, and in unbelief. But not till the church is raptured to glory will the Jew become prominent in relation to the fulfillment of Scripture prophecies.
The situation has been happily likened to a Jewish train, arriving at different stopping-places at the appointed times, till the time arrived when the Jewish nation crucified their Messiah and King. The church train then began its journey on the Day of Pentecost, and until it arrives at its destination-the Father's house-at the second coming of our Lord, the Jewish train is, as it were, shunted in a siding When the church train will have reached its destination, then the Jewish train will emerge from its siding, and resume its journey according to plan, till its terminus is reached in the millennial reign of Christ on the earth. That is the meaning of that great Chapter, Romans which tells us that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until " the fullness of the Gentiles be come in." (Rom. 2:2525For circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision. (Romans 2:25).)
Further, it is evident that the full truth of the church of God could not be made known until our Lord had completed the work of atonement on the cross, and had taken His place of pre-eminence at God's right hand in heaven, and from thence had sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers, thus forming the church of God upon the earth.
" For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free: and have been all made to drink into one Spirit." (1 Cor. 12: 13.)