Mystery of the Ages.PDF - Blow the Trumpet

CHAPTER VIMystery of the ChurchPERHAPS the greatest mystery of all will not seem, at first glance, to be amystery to most readers of this volume. The reason that is true is the fact that the truepurpose and meaning of the Church is as little understood as the Bible itself. Therevelation of that mystery must come as a shocking truth. The real truth about the Church,the reason for its origin, and its purpose has remained hidden from even the professingChristian world.This is inextricably intertwined with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is a fact tostagger the mind of the reader that the gospel of Jesus Christ was not proclaimed to theworld from about A.D. 50 until the year 1953. The apostle Paul foretold this when hesaid, "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: in whom the god of thisworld hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the gloriousgospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them" (II Cor. 4:3-4).Millions have read over this passage without grasping its real meaning.Church Exclusive to Christian WorldThe term church is applicable only to the Christian religion. (The Christian religion, as isgenerally understood, is the largest religion in the world in number of professingadherents.) Other religions may have mosques, synagogues and temples. But is theChurch a building? Many assume it is, which assumption reflects their ignorance of thepurpose and meaning of the Church. But in this volume we are concerned only with theChurch. For when stripped of its mystery, the Church is of paramount concern to allpeoples of the earth.The Church, founded by Jesus Christ, has an all-important meaning to everyhuman life that ever lived. Yet almost no one has ever known that meaning.Even within the Christian world, apostasy, division and changing times haveblotted out the true original meaning and purpose that now is indeed a mystery.The word church is an English-language word translated from the original Greekekklesia. Ekklesia means called-out-ones. Old Testament Israel was usually called by theterm "congregation." In some respects the word congregation is synonymous with theword church. Yet there is a distinct difference between the terms church andcongregation. The congregation of Israel was separate, as a separate nation. But they werenot called-out-ones spiritually in the same sense that characterizes the New TestamentChurch.