Church

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God’s assembly of called ones from Jews and Gentiles (Eph. 1:22Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:2)), in which the Holy Ghost dwells Christ announced His intention of building it in Matt. 16 which He fulfilled on the day of Pentecost by sending the Spirit down to baptize believers into one body (1 Cor. 12), which is the Church (Eph. 1:2323Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians 1:23)). (See BODY.) It may be viewed in three aspects, locally comprising all professing Christians in any one place (1 Cor. 1:22Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: (1 Corinthians 1:2)), generally taking in all professing Christians on earth (1 Tim. 3:1515But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. (1 Timothy 3:15)), and universally composed of all true Christians from Pentecost to the coming of the Lord (Eph. 1:2222And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, (Ephesians 1:22); Col. 1:1818And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)). The word is also used generally as descriptive of any “assembly,” as of a mob at Ephesus (Acts 19:39, 4139But if ye inquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. (Acts 19:39)
41And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. (Acts 19:41)), or of the Israelites in the wilderness (Acts 7:3838This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: (Acts 7:38)).