We must first note the true meaning and Scriptural usage of the word ‘church,’ or confusion will result. Most know that the word ‘church’ in the New Testament is the translation of the Greek ‘ekklesia,’ which gives us our word ecclesiastical. It literally means ‘a gathered or called-out company’ The very same Greek word is translated “assembly” concerning a riotous group in Acts 19:32. So its application is broadly used.

The following are examples of notable called-out ‘men,’ companies, or groups mentioned in the Scriptures.

• In Abraham, ISRAEL was called out from among others to be a nation set “above all people.”

‘That thou mayest be a multitude (Hebrew equivalent for ekklesia) of people’ (Gen. 28:3).

“Now therefore, if ye [Israel] will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: Exodus 19:5 (KJV)

• ISRAEL redeemed from Egypt is called “The church in the wilderness [of the Sinai]” (Acts 7:38).
• The Acts period JEWISH BELIEVERS were called “The church of God” (Acts 8:3; 1 Cor. 1:2, 15:9). Jesus called them “my little flock” (Luke 12:32). No Gentiles had been converted til Acts 10.
• Then in Acts 10, in the light of Israel’s rejection of Christ, some Gentiles were ‘grafted’ into Israel’s blessings during Acts to make Israel jealous. This ended when Acts ended with the total ‘fall of Israel’ in Acts 28:28 as Paul turned to the Gentiles. The Acts period ‘church’ consisted of JEWS and some GENTILES, who believed in Jesus as Messiah.

Today, since after Acts ended, there are BELIEVERS of ALL races (including Jews), who are SEEN ‘as Gentiles’ (Col. 3:11) during Paul’s POST-Acts “dispensation of the grace of God,” (Eph. 3:1-2). They together are referred to as “the church” of “The Mystery [the God ordained secret],” Eph. 3:9) of the “One body” (Eph. 4:4). This “church, which is His Body” (Eph. 1:22b-23a) is not related to Israel and here calling.

Differentiating the ‘Genus’ [church] and its ‘Species’

Consider that the word ‘dog’ is the name of a genus; the word ‘terrier’ speaks of a specie of ‘dog’. Thus all terriers are dogs, but not all dogs are terriers. In the same way the word “church” is the name of the genus, covering all the called-out companies of believers; i.e., there was the ‘church in the wilderness’ as one specie, and the ‘church’ of today being the “One Body” is another specie. If I described the peculiar points of a terrier, and applied them generally to the genus ‘dog’, I would be inaccurate. In just the same way, if I describe the peculiar blessings, hope, and sphere of the church of today’s “one Body,” and say they are true of every company ever called ‘a church,’ I would be equally in error. We must “righty divide.”

It is important that in our study of the Bible that we examine the various circumstances, degrees of revelation, the deep differences in doctrine, and the differing spheres of church blessing (i.e., either “on earth,” “the new Jerusalem,” and another in “the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3) and many other such comparative facts.

The various Dispensations observed in the Bible shows us that we must ‘rightly divide the Word
of truth’ in our study and teaching concerning the churches of the different dispensational ages. There is a ‘church’ for each Biblical sphere. Note below these two churches; one chosen “SINCE the foundation of the world” (cf. Acts 3:21) and one was from “chosen BEFORE the foundation of the world” (cf. Eph. 1:4).

1. The ‘church’ connected with the covenants made with Abraham and the Nation Israel was “chosen SINCE [i.e., after] the foundation [katabole] of the world.” Its sphere includes the “new Jerusalem” that is to come down from heaven to be On Earth. This long-prophesied church relates to the promises concerning “the kingdom of [from] heaven. having its everlasting sphere On Earth … being actualized with and in Christ’s Millennial Kingdom.
2. There also is today’s ‘church’ that relates to God’s eternal purpose and planned from BEFORE the foundation [katabole] of the world. It was “kept secret” until it was first revealed to Paul in the Ephesian “mystery.” It is called the “one Body” (Eph. 4:4), having its sphere ‘in the heavenly places’ (Eph. 1:3) which some properly translate ‘the super-heavenlies,’ it being “far above all heaven” (cf. Eph. 1:19-23; 2:6).

It is only by the study of such dispensational differences that we can find their timing as truths for us today