Referring to the Church before Matthew 16:18 is an anachronism. Even though the Septuagint referred to the ecclesia as the assembly of Israel, sometimes, that doesn't mean it's referring to the Church. The Church and the Kingdom are never the same thing either. The Kingdom is a future physical kingdom as the Old and New Testaments point out.
1. The local church is the physical manifestation of God in a specific place. 2. It is made up of those set apart in Christ to belong to God. 3. The members of the Church are saints by the virtue of His call. 4. All who call upon the name of the Lord become a part of the Church. 5. All who call upon the name of the Lord come under the Lordship of Christ. 6. The Father and Son provide grace and peace for those that belong to them.
The goal of the church is not to have itself filled with unbelievers. Unbelievers are welcomed to come and hear the Word. We do not change what we are or do to make ourselves more pleasing to the unbeliever.
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In the fall of 1969, Gil began a full-time teaching ministry as Senior Pastor of Indian Hills Community Church. He also earned his Ph.D. from the California Graduate School of Theology. The focus of Pastor Rugh’s ministry is systematic, verse-by-verse teaching of the Bible. As a...