Systematic Theology, by Louis Berkhof - New Leaven

Testament flavor, cf. I Cor. 3:16,17; II Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; Gal. 4:26; Heb. 12:22. We
should not close our eyes to the patent fact that the name “Church” (Heb. qahal,
rendered ekklesia in the Septuagint) is applied to Israel in the Old Testament repeatedly,
Josh. 8:35; Ezra 2:65; Joel 2:16. The fact that in our translations of the Bible the Old
Testament rendering of the original is “gathering,” “assembly,” or “congregation,”
while the New Testament rendering of it is “Church,” may have given rise to
misunderstanding on this point; but the fact remains that in the Old Testament as well
as in the New the original word denotes a congregation or an assembly of the people of
God, and as such serves to designate the essence of the Church. Jesus on the one hand
said that He would found the Church in the future, Matt. 16:18, but also recognized it as
an already existing institution, Matt. 18:17. Stephen speaks of “the Church in the
wilderness,” Acts 7:38. And Paul clearly testifies to the spiritual unity of Israel and the
Church in Rom. 11:17-21, and in Eph. 2:11-16. In essence Israel constituted the Church of
God in the Old Testament, though its external institution differed vastly from that of the
Church in the New Testament.
F. THE ATTRIBUTES OF THE CHURCH.
According to Protestants the attributes of the Church are ascribed primarily to the
Church as an invisible organism, and only secondarily to the Church as an external
institution. Roman Catholics, however, ascribe them to their hierarchical organization.
The former speak of three attributes, but to these three the latter add a fourth.
1. THE UNITY OF THE CHURCH.
a. The Roman Catholic conception. Roman Catholics ordinarily recognize only the
hierarchically organized ecclesia as the Church. The unity of this Church manifests itself
in its imposing world-wide organization, which aims at including the Church of all
nations. Its real center is not found in the believers, but in the hierarchy with its
concentric circles. There is first of all the broad circle of the lower clergy, the priests and
other inferior functionaries; then the smaller circle of the bishops; next the still narrower
one of the archbishops; and, finally, the most restricted circle of the cardinals; — the
entire pyramid being capped by the Pope, the visible head of the whole organization,
who has absolute control of all those that are under him. Thus the Roman Catholic
Church presents to the eye a very imposing structure.
b. The Protestant conception. Protestants assert that the unity of the Church is not
primarily of an external, but of an internal and spiritual character. It is the unity of the
mystical body of Jesus Christ, of which all believers are members. This body is
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