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Torrey's Topical Textbook

"Concerning Redemption, The Union Between Believers"

Concerning Redemption, The Union Between Believers

IV. Concerning Redemption.

F. The Union Between Beleivers; The Church and its Institutions. (Condensed from the Schaff-Herzogg Encyclopedia)

1. The Church.

a. The word _ecclesia_ in the New Testament means either the universal church of Christ, or a local congregation.

b. The early Christian church began on the day of Pentecost; and it was at first composed of the disciples whom Jesus had personally gathered. It was a community inside of Judaism, with peculiar worship and government. It was the _ecclesia_; and by this name Paul calls it in his earliest epistles, whether in Palestine or outside.

1Th 2:14.

Its complete name was the "Church of God," or the "Church of Christ" ( Ro 16:16, whether of a single congregation, or of the whole body of believers. It was made up of the "sanctified in Christ Jesus" ( 1Co 1:2), the "called saints" (Ro 1:7), the "holy nation" ( 1Pe 2:9).

In the deep conception of Paul every believer was united with Christ, and entered this close union through baptism. 1Co 12:13; Ga 3:27.

The church was Christ's body, of which He was the Head. Col 1:14; 2:19

c. For church government, see in the encyclopedias the articles on the different denominations.

2. The Sacraments. These are baptism and the Lord's Supper. For a discussion of the sacraments, consult the leading theological works in your denomination.