Abstract Institutional use of ekklesia and its Biblical synonyms

If it can be demonstrated that ekklesia and its Biblical synonyms (body, bride, etc.) are used in the abstract institutional sense then no usage of ekklesia or its synonyms will allow for the invention of a new and contradicting meaning of a universal invisible ekklesia or its synonyms.

ABSTRACT: Teaching about a concrete reality in conceptional terms. In other words, the abstract has no existence apart from a concrete reality. For example, the Pastor may announce his subject for preaching that day as "I will preach on the church, its ordinances, officers and discipline." He has used the definite singular "the church" but has not explicitly identified any particular named church, or any particular geographically church. A Biblical example may be Mt. 18:17 or 1 Cor. 14:19.

INSTITUTIONAL: As applying to an institution or organized body with officers, ordinances, by laws (bible) membership qualifications, Disciplinary laws, mission statement, etc.

The abstract institutional use of ekklesia is found as part and parcel of its actual usage among ancient classical Greek literature and is therefore part of its historical usage.

GOLDEN RULE OF HERMENEUTICS - The most basic rule of hermeutics states that you cannot change the meaning, or adopt a new meaning to a term as long as the common regular meaning makes sense in a context, even if the new meaning can make sense. The abstract institutional usage of ekklesia makes perfect sense in every passage where "the ekklesia" is found in context without specific identity or geographical location, along with its definite synonyms ("the body" etc.).

CHURCH SALVATION - The UIC theory cannot separate church from salvation and that is why I call it a church salvation theory or Roman Catholicism just tweaked by Reformed Roman Catholicism, but the same doctrine no salvation outside the church. In contrast the abstract institutional application separates the church from salvation where it is only a gospel salvation not a church salvation. This is the only position consistent with no kind of church membership and no kind of baptism necessary for salvation, but just gospel repentance and faith in Christ's redemptive and substitutionary work.

 

In keeping with the historical usage of ekklesia in the abstract institutional sense which denies church or baptismal salvation of any kind is the fact that spiritual union in Christ is merely the opposite of spiritual separation from God. Spiritual separation = spiritual death, and therefore, spiritual union = spiritual life, and the dead come to life by QUICKENING not by any kind of baptism or any kind of church membership.

All who are "in Adam" are "in the flesh" BECAUSE they are "born of the flesh." All who are "in Christ" are 'in the Spirit" BECAUSE they are "born of the Spirit." Being "in Christ" spiritually is by BIRTH or quickening just as Paul explicitly teaches in Epheians 2:1-10. It is a CREATIVE work of God that transform spiritual separation/DEADNESS into spiritual union/LIFE by what changes the dead into living - QUICKENING.

The only baptism that is administered to beleivers in this age is water baptism and that is not a symbol of spiritual baptism but a symbol and "likeness" of the gospel (Rom. 6:3-5) and the "one baptism" that characterized all believers and all congregations in the New Testament.

The baptism in the Spirit is an ACTION that is fixed in time as a COMPLETED ACTION on Pentecost to the Jewish church at Jerusalem and then repeated as a completed Action upon Gentiles so they could be received into the church by water baptism. In every text prior to Pentecost it is future tense proving it had no prior existence in the manner of its predicted application. In every text prior to Pentecost it is directed towads ONLY water baptized believers in Christ. It is LOCATION fixed as they must wait in "Jerusalem" and therefore it had no UNIVERSAL application to other believers located elsewhere and outside Jerusalem except those "in one accord in one place" (Acts 2:1). It occurs with EXTERNAL phenomena of both SOUNDS and VISIBLE expressions. It is the common ordinary divine accreditation that occurred historically AFTER a new house of God for public worship was completed (Ex. 40:35; 2 Chron. 7:1-3). It had to occur in Jerusalem in direct connection with the Temple or else the Jews would never have accepted it as a replacement for the temple as the public house of worship where a qualified ministry, qualified ordinances, qualified gospel mission, etc.

The only administered baptism for this age is scriptural baptism in water and for it to be scriptural it must have the:

1. Right mode - immersion only there is no baptism and therefore no true NT church but only wet believers at best and no church to fellowship with.

2. Right candidate - repentant believers in the gospel and where there is no such proper candidates there is no true NT congregation but only wet unregenerates and no church to fellowship with.

3. Right design - public symbolic identification with Christ, his gospel and his church - where these things are deficient there is no true NT church but only wet unregenerates or misguided believers at best and no church to fellowship with.

4. Right administrator - the contextually defined "ye" of the Great Commission and not those identified as "them" in the Great Commission - administrator that is like faith and order with Great Commission essentials. Where this essential is not present there is just wet believers at best and no church to fellowship with.

The proper administration of baptism requires the administrator to identify correctly with every major aspect of Biblical theology and that is why baptism precedes church membership and why the Great Commission restricts the administrator to those like faith and order with churches in the NT.

The Great Commission is inseparable from the right gospel ("one hope"), the right baptism ("one baptism" and the right kind of church ("one body") - the abstract institutional church of Christ seen in it concrete form throughout the scriptures