오늘의 단상_하나의 참된 교회

 

오늘은 성경에서 말하는 '하나의 참된 교회'에 대해 알아보겠습니다. 이 주제는 많은 그리스도인들에게 중요하면서도 때로는 혼란스러운 개념일 수 있습니다. 에베소서, 고린도전서, 로마서 등 여러 성경 구절을 통해 우리는 교회가 단순한 건물이나 조직이 아니라 그리스도를 머리로 하는 영적인 몸임을 배웁니다.

 

이 '몸'은 모든 진정한 믿는 자들로 구성되며, 각 지체는 고유한 역할과 중요성을 가집니다. 또한, 이 교회는 특정 국가나 민족에 국한되지 않고 전 세계의 믿는 자들을 포함합니다. 지상의 본부가 없는 이 교회는 오직 하늘에 있는 그리스도와 연결되어 있습니다. 함께 이 깊은 진리를 탐구해 봅시다.

 

1. Unity in the Body

 

[Ephesians 4:4-6 (KJV): "There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism, One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all."

 

"몸이 하나요 성령도 한 분이시니 이와 같이 너희가 부르심의 한 소망 안에서 부르심을 받았느니라 주도 한 분이시요 믿음도 하나요 세례도 하나요 하나님도 한 분이시니 곧 만유의 아버지시라 만유 위에 계시고 만유를 통일하시고 만유 가운데 계시도다"]

 

[Romans 12:5 (KJV): "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

 

"이와 같이 우리 많은 사람이 그리스도 안에서 한 몸이 되어 서로 지체가 되었느니라"]

 

[1 Corinthians 12:13 (KJV): "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit."

 

"우리가 유대인이나 헬라인이나 종이나 자유인이나 다 한 성령으로 세례를 받아 한 몸이 되었고 또 다 한 성령을 마시게 하셨느니라"]

 

[Colossians 3:15 (KJV): "And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful."

 

"그리스도의 평강이 너희 마음을 주장하게 하라 너희는 평강을 위하여 한 몸으로 부르심을 받았나니 너희는 또한 감사하는 자가 되라"]

 

2. The Gospel as the Foundation

 

[1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (KJV): "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:"

 

"형제들아 내가 너희에게 전한 복음을 너희에게 알게 하노니 이는 너희가 받은 것이요 또 그 가운데 선 것이라 너희가 만일 내가 전한 그 말을 굳게 지키고 헛되이 믿지 아니하였으면 그로 말미암아 구원을 받으리라 내가 받은 것을 먼저 너희에게 전하였노니 이는 성경대로 그리스도께서 우리 죄를 위하여 죽으시고 장사 지낸 바 되셨다가 성경대로 사흘 만에 다시 살아나사"]

 

[Romans 1:16 (KJV): "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."

 

"내가 복음을 부끄러워하지 아니하노니 이 복음은 모든 믿는 자에게 구원을 주시는 하나님의 능력이 됨이라 먼저는 유대인에게요 그리고 헬라인에게로다"]

 

[Ephesians 1:13 (KJV): "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,"

 

"그 안에서 너희도 진리의 말씀 곧 너희의 구원의 복음을 듣고 그 안에서 또한 믿어 약속의 성령으로 인치심을 받았으니"]

 

[Galatians 1:8 (KJV): "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

 

"그러나 우리나 혹은 하늘로부터 온 천사라도 우리가 너희에게 전한 복음 외에 다른 복음을 전하면 저주를 받을지어다"]

 

3. Christ as Head of the Church

 

[Ephesians 1:22-23 (KJV): "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all."

 

"또 만물을 그의 발 아래 복종하게 하시고 그를 만물 위에 교회의 머리로 주셨느니라 교회는 그의 몸이니 만물 안에서 만물을 충만하게 하시는 이의 충만함이니라"]

 

[Colossians 1:18 (KJV): "And 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."

 

"그는 몸인 교회의 머리시라 그가 근본이시요 죽은 자들 가운데서 먼저 나신 이시니 이는 친히 만물의 으뜸이 되려 하심이요"]

 

[Ephesians 5:23 (KJV): "For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."

 

"이는 남편이 아내의 머리 됨이 그리스도께서 교회의 머리 됨과 같음이니 그가 바로 몸의 구주시니라"]

 

[Colossians 2:19 (KJV): "And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."

 

"머리를 붙들지 아니하는지라 온 몸이 머리로 말미암아 마디와 힘줄로 공급함을 받고 연합하여 하나님이 자라게 하시므로 자라느니라"]

 

4. Analogy of the Human Body

 

[1 Corinthians 12:12 (KJV): "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ."

 

"몸은 하나인데 많은 지체가 있고 몸의 지체가 많으나 한 몸임과 같이 그리스도도 그러하니라"]

 

[Romans 12:4-5 (KJV): "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another."

 

"우리가 한 몸에 많은 지체를 가졌으나 모든 지체가 같은 기능을 가진 것이 아니니 이와 같이 우리 많은 사람이 그리스도 안에서 한 몸이 되어 서로 지체가 되었느니라"]

 

[Ephesians 4:16 (KJV): "From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

 

"그에게서 온 몸이 각 마디를 통하여 도움을 받음으로 연결되고 결합되어 각 지체의 분량대로 역사하여 그 몸을 자라게 하며 사랑 안에서 스스로 세우느니라"]

 

[1 Corinthians 12:27 (KJV): "Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular." "너희는 그리스도의 몸이요 지체의 각 부분이라"]

 

5. Individual Importance

 

[1 Corinthians 12:18 (KJV): "But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."

 

"그러나 이제 하나님이 그 원하시는 대로 지체를 각각 몸에 두셨으니"]

 

[1 Corinthians 12:14 (KJV): "For the body is not one member, but many." "몸은 한 지체뿐만 아니요 여럿이니"]

 

[Romans 12:6 (KJV): "Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;"

 

"우리에게 주신 은혜대로 받은 은사가 각각 다르니 혹 예언이면 믿음의 분수대로,"]

 

[1 Peter 4:10 (KJV): "As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."

 

"각각 은사를 받은 대로 하나님의 여러 가지 은혜를 맡은 선한 청지기 같이 서로 봉사하라"]

 

I apologize for the oversight. I'll continue with the remaining subtitles (6-10) as requested, providing 4 KJV Bible verses with Korean translations for each:

 

6. Spiritual Life of the Church

 

[Acts 2:42 (KJV): "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers."

 

"그들이 사도들의 가르침을 받아 서로 교제하고 떡을 떼며 기도하기를 전혀 힘쓰니라"]

 

[Colossians 2:19 (KJV): "And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."

 

"머리를 붙들지 아니하는지라 온 몸이 머리로 말미암아 마디와 힘줄로 공급함을 받고 연합하여 하나님이 자라게 하시므로 자라느니라"]

 

[Ephesians 4:15-16 (KJV): "But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love."

 

"오직 사랑 안에서 참된 것을 하여 범사에 그에게까지 자랄지라 그는 머리니 곧 그리스도라 그에게서 온 몸이 각 마디를 통하여 도움을 받음으로 연결되고 결합되어 각 지체의 분량대로 역사하여 그 몸을 자라게 하며 사랑 안에서 스스로 세우느니라"]

 

[1 Thessalonians 5:11 (KJV): "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do."

 

"그러므로 피차 권면하고 서로 덕을 세우기를 너희가 하는 것같이 하라"]

 

7. The Concept of Complement

 

[Genesis 2:18 (KJV): "And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

 

"여호와 하나님이 이르시되 사람이 혼자 사는 것이 좋지 아니하니 내가 그를 위하여 돕는 배필을 지으리라 하시니라"]

 

[Ephesians 5:31-32 (KJV): "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church."

 

"이러므로 사람이 부모를 떠나 그 아내와 합하여 그 둘이 한 육체가 될지니 이 비밀이 크도다 내가 그리스도와 교회에 대하여 말하노라"]

 

[1 Corinthians 11:11-12 (KJV): "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God."

 

"그러나 주 안에는 남자 없이 여자만 있지 않고 여자 없이 남자만 있지 아니하니라 여자가 남자에게서 난 것 같이 남자도 여자로 말미암아 났으나 모든 것이 하나님에게서 났느니라"]

 

[Romans 7:4 (KJV): "Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

 

"그러므로 내 형제들아 너희도 그리스도의 몸으로 말미암아 율법에 대하여 죽임을 당하였으니 이는 다른 이 곧 죽은 자 가운데서 살아나신 이에게 가서 우리로 하나님을 위하여 열매를 맺히게 하려 함이라"]

 

8. True Nature of the Church

 

[1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV): "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?"

 

"너희가 하나님의 성전인 것과 하나님의 성령이 너희 안에 거하시는 것을 알지 못하느냐"]

 

[1 Peter 2:5 (KJV): "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."

 

"너희도 산 돌 같이 신령한 집으로 세워지고 예수 그리스도로 말미암아 하나님이 기쁘게 받으실 신령한 제사를 드릴 거룩한 제사장이 될지니라"]

 

[Matthew 18:20 (KJV): "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

 

"두세 사람이 내 이름으로 모인 곳에는 나도 그들 중에 있느니라"]

 

[Acts 7:48 (KJV): "Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,"

 

"그러나 지극히 높으신 이는 손으로 지은 곳에 계시지 아니하시나니 선지자가 말한 바"]

 

9. Global Body of Believers

 

[Galatians 3:28 (KJV): "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus."

 

"너희는 유대인이나 헬라인이나 종이나 자유인이나 남자나 여자나 다 그리스도 예수 안에서 하나이니라"]

 

[Revelation 7:9 (KJV): "After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;"

 

"이 일 후에 내가 보니 각 나라와 족속과 백성과 방언에서 아무도 능히 셀 수 없는 큰 무리가 흰 옷을 입고 손에 종려 가지를 들고 보좌 앞과 어린 양 앞에 서서"]

 

[Colossians 3:11 (KJV): "Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free: but Christ is all, and in all."

 

"거기에는 헬라인이나 유대인이나 할례파나 무할례파나 야만인이나 스구디아인이나 종이나 자유인이 차별이 있을 수 없나니 오직 그리스도는 만유시요 만유 안에 계시니라"]

 

[Acts 10:34-35 (KJV): "Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him."

 

"베드로가 입을 열어 말하되 내가 참으로 하나님은 사람의 외모를 보지 아니하시고 각 나라 중 하나님을 경외하며 의를 행하는 사람은 다 받으시는 줄 깨달았도다"]

 

10. No Earthly Headquarters

 

[John 4:21 (KJV): "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father."

 

"예수께서 이르시되 여자여 내 말을 믿으라 이 산에서도 말고 예루살렘에서도 말고 너희가 아버지께 예배할 때가 이르리라"]

 

[Acts 17:24 (KJV): "God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;"

 

"우주와 그 가운데 있는 만물을 지으신 하나님께서는 천지의 주재시니 손으로 지은 전에 계시지 아니하시고"]

 

[Philippians 3:20 (KJV): "For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:"

 

"우리의 시민권은 하늘에 있는지라 거기로부터 구원하는 자 곧 주 예수 그리스도를 기다리노니"]

 

[Hebrews 12:22-23 (KJV): "But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,"

 

"그러나 너희가 이른 곳은 시온 산과 살아 계신 하나님의 도성인 하늘의 예루살렘과 천만 천사와 하늘에 기록된 장자들의 모임과 교회와 만민의 심판자이신 하나님과 및 온전하게 된 의인의 영들과"]

 

 

마무리

 

이상으로 '하나의 참된 교회'에 대한 성경적 관점을 살펴보았습니다. 우리가 배운 대로, 참된 교회는 특정 건물이나 조직이 아니라 예수 그리스도를 믿는 모든 신자들의 영적인 연합체입니다. 이 교회는 그리스도를 머리로 하여 하나의 몸처럼 기능하며, 각 지체는 서로를 보완하고 지원합니다. 지상에 본부가 없다는 점은 우리의 궁극적인 소속이 하늘에 있음을 상기시켜 줍니다. 이 진리가 우리의 신앙생활에 새로운 통찰을 주고, 더욱 깊은 영적 성장으로 이어지기를 바랍니다.

 

< Transcript >

 

(4b) What is the one true church ?

Book 29 LESSON TWO * PART III

Ephesians 4:4-6

"There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, one faith, one baptism," (not three, as a lot of people are depending on, and that's not what the Book says now as you can see. We've moved on into another administration or dispensation) One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

Ephesians 3:5,6

"Which in other ages (generations) was not made known unto the sons of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit; That the Gentiles should be fellow-heirs, and of the same body and partakers of his promise in Christ (how?) by the gospel".

Not by works, or baptism, or some other phenomena. Just by the Gospel. That's the only way. The Gospel, how that Christ died, was buried and rose again as we find in I Corinthians 15:1-4 and Romans 10:9-10. Now let's come across to Chapter 4, still in Ephesians. Now this is an interesting series of verses.

Ephesians 4:4a

"There is one body, ..." There it is again. You don't see that in Peter's preaching. You don't see that in Christ's earthly ministry. But all through Paul's writing you find this term, "the Body". Let's read on.

Ephesians 4:4b,5

"... and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; One Lord, (absolutely, there's only one Name given among men whereby we must be saved) one faith, one baptism,"

I always smile when people say, "Well, I'm of the Catholic faith," "I'm of the Methodist faith," "I'm of the Baptist faith," "I'm of this faith." What do they do with a verse like this? There aren't all that many faiths. There's one faith and only one. That's what The Book says.

Book 36 LESSON ONE * PART IV

Ephesians 1:22-23a

"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is the body..."

Most people think that last verse should read, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the King over all things to the church." But you see that's not what it says. But rather "God hath set Him to be head of all things to the Church, which is His Body." Now if we are the Body, are we decapitated without a head? No! Now let's come back to I Corinthians chapter 12, and look at that. In these verses we're going to look at, he gets down to such simplicity that it's almost ridiculous, but Paul is trying to drive the point home. What is the Body of Christ? Well it's just like this human body, it's composed of billions of cells. And every cell whether it be a fingernail, or an eyeball, or an ear drum has a different make up and each is important. So you see Paul is using the analogy of a human body as an example of the Body which is His Church. Now let's look at it.

I Corinthians 12:12

"For as the body (the human body) is one, and hath many members, (hands, feet, eyes, etc.) and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: (before we go any further, what controls the body? The head!) so also is Christ".

Paul is making that same analogy. You and I as believers are members of a Body of which Christ is the head. And we're just as connected in this Body of Christ, as our head is to our own human body. Looking at some more of the analogy in verse 15.

I Corinthians 12:15

"If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? 16. And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body: is it therefore not of the body?" Then let's see what Paul says in verse 18.

I Corinthians 12:18

"But now hath God set the members (that is you and I as believers) every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him."

Now in our mother's womb, and I've used this analogy often. One of the miracles of reproduction is that as the mother prepares that little baby in the womb you don't have fingernail cells going any place but to the fingers. And all these separate cells go exactly to the right place. And at the end of that 9 months whenever the baby is complete, then you have birth. That's miracles of miracles. Well God is doing the same thing in a Spiritual realm. He is building the Body of Christ of believers from every walk of life from around the planet. The Chinese, or Jew, or any other nationality when they become believers are just as much a part of the Body of Christ as we are. And we're all connected to that one source, which is Christ the head. Now come on down to verse 27.

I Corinthians 12:27

"Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular."

God never loses sight of our individualism. God hasn't lost us in the crowd, we're not just a number in God's mind, He knows us as an individual. Now that's the Body of Christ. Now come back again to the Book of Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1:22-23a

"And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is the body, the fulness..."

Now if you have a marginal Bible, the other word for fullness is complement. As members of the Body of Christ we have become a complement. Now the best way to explain that is to go all the way back to Genesis where everything begins. We'll start in chapter 2.

Genesis 2:18

"And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him."

Now you take the Hebrew root, and what do you suppose that word help meet is in our English? Complement. Or a better definition for it would be, "Someone called along side to help." Do you see that? That's the whole idea of a husband and wife relationship even to this day. The wife is that complement to the man that really completes him and brings the help that he needs, and that's what Eve was to Adam. This was all set in type of course looking forward to the greatest union that could ever take place which was the marriage between Christ and the Church. Now for a moment let's go back to the Book of Romans chapter 7. My how these verses just drop into place. Remember Paul is writing to believers.

Romans 7:4

"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; (His physical body that was crucified) that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, (not just to escape hell fire, but also) that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

We're to be worth something to God, we're not to be deadwood. We're to be working, and bring forth fruit for His honor and His glory. Now coming back to Ephesians chapter 1.

Ephesians 1:22b-23a

"...and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23. Which is his body,..."

And that's a concept that few believers, I think, have any idea that we're members of a living organism. Now you know as well as I do that as long as we're living our body is a composite of living things. Our cells are alive, our enzymes are alive, and as soon as they die, we dead. All right it's the same way with the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is not an organization like the country club. I know that's what most Churches are getting to be like I'm afraid, but that is not the true scriptural definition of a local Church. We are to be a living organism, with life. Not physical life, but rather spiritual life. And that life is enhanced by fellowship, by the Word, by prayer, and all because we're connected to the head who is in heaven. God knows we're waiting for the day when there won't be that huge space between the head and the Body. Why? Because one day we're going to be brought into union with Him, and we're going to revel throughout all eternity in His presence, and that's something to glory in.

Book 38 Lesson Three • Part IV

Ephesians 5:23

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body."

Now always remember that the word "Church" does not mean that building on the corner. As I was thinking about these things last evening, I remember when Iris and I were first married. She was from Oklahoma and I was from up in Iowa, and her expression always was, "The Church house." "We’re going to go to the Church house." Yeah, I see you nodding your head. Well up North in Iowa, and for most people today, that’s almost an unknown term. Oh I used to ride herd on her for saying that, and would ask, where do you get that? Well she would say, "that’s what it is!" But I had never heard of such a thing, we just called it the Church. But you know what? She was right, it is the Church house, that building is not the Church.

That building is just brick and stone. The Church is made up of the true believers who meet in that Church house. So I was completely wrong on that one, but according to our culture this is the way we’ve come to look at it. The Church is made up of the believing element, "the Body of Christ." and that’s the way Paul always uses the word Church. The word in the Greek is "Ecclesia" and you can spell it with k’s or c’s, it doesn’t make any difference, and is always translated with one or two exceptions, as Church, but it should be defined as "A called out assembly."

So the called out assembly is the Body of Christ when Paul uses it, but it’s not that way in other passages. For example in Acts chapter 7 we find Stephen speaks of the Church which was in the wilderness. Well now it wasn’t a building with a steeple, you all know that. Neither was it a Church that practiced the Lord’s Supper, and had pastors, bishops, and deacons. But rather it was the children of Israel, recently come out of Egypt. So why in the world does the New Testament call them a Church? Well they were a called out assembly of people recently in Egypt and now around Mount Sinai, but for goodness sake they weren’t a Church as we think of the word Church. So when you see the word Church, this is why Paul almost always identifies it as "The Church which is His Body," which makes a big difference from the word Church that’s maybe used elsewhere in Scripture.

Ephesians 5:23b-24a

"...even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. 24. Therefore as the church..."

This composite of believers around the whole world that makes up the True Body of Christ, whether we’re Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Catholics - that’s moot. If we’re born again and children of God, we are automatically in that Body of Christ, and that Body of Christ will be meeting in Church buildings. But always remember that not all people meeting in those Church buildings are in the Body of Christ. That depends of course how much of the "Truth" is promoted. If the people in that particular building believe for their salvation that Jesus Christ died for their sins, was buried and rose again, + Nothing, then these people are what are called "true believers, and are part of the Body of Christ!"

Book 18 LESSON THREE * PART IV

John 4:15-20

"The woman saith unto him, `Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.' Jesus saith unto her, `Go, call thy husband, and come hither.' The woman answered and said, `I have no husband.' Jesus said unto her, `Thou hast well said, I have no husband: For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: (Sounds familiar doesn't it?) in that saidst thou truly.' The woman saith unto him, `Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.'"

We've got to go back into Israel's history, when the Kingdom was divided under Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The Temple was in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and it carried on as usual. So what did the Israelites of the Northern Kingdom set up? A secondary temple worship. They had their own counterfeit as it were. The presence of God wasn't in it. It was another man-made religion. They didn't realize that God was dealing with Israel at the Temple in Jerusalem. Now I need to make another point as we go along. All through Israel's religious history, Jerusalem is the headquarters of God's operation. For the New Testament Church there is no earthly headquarters. That's the vast difference. The Church today is headquartered not on earth, but in Heaven! And even though Antioch was more or less the fountainhead of where the Gospel went out to Gentiles, yet the Scriptures never place Antioch as the headquarters of the New Testament Church. Nor is Jerusalem. There is no headquarters of the New Testament Church.