The word `church', although it occurs often in the N.T., really has its roots in the O.T.

and occurs frequently there, though not in our English translation. Over and over again

we have the word `congregation' in the O.T.; "the congregation of the people of Israel"

are words of quite frequent occurrence. Now in the Greek Bible (and, after all, that was

the Bible which was current in the Lord's day; it was the O.T. translated into Greek, for

Greek-speaking Jews, which the Lord and the Apostles used) this word `congregation' is

the word `church', and it occurs at least 70 times. So when you read in our English Bible

"the congregation of the people of Israel", the Greek version reads `the church of the

people of Israel'. The nation of Israel, in the Scriptural sense, was a church; and this is

how it is first used in the Bible, and not in the sense of the Gentile church of the N.T.

So we can quite understand why Stephen, in his speech recorded in Acts 7: refers to

the nation of the Israel as `the church in the wilderness'.

The Greek word ekklesia, Church, means a called-out company of people, and that is

just what Israel was, a nation separate from all others.

God has, therefore, an earthly church, that is His earthly people--the people of Israel.

God also has a heavenly church, the Body of Christ, whose calling, status, and destiny

have no lasting link with the earth. It is entirely heavenly in character and destiny. So it

is Scripturally true to say that there is more than one church in the Bible. There is of

course only one Body of Christ, but that is another matter.

In the period covered by the Acts, we have a saved Jewish remnant to which later on,

Gentile believers were added. God was, in effect, reaching out to the Gentile in advance

of His plan revealed in the O.T., where Israel was to be the channel of blessing to all

families of the earth. The N.T. has told us why.  Rom. 10: 19, 11: 11, 14 teaches that

these Gentiles were saved to provoke Israel to jealousy, to stir up this nation that was

dying spiritually and becoming so hardened in their heart, and so rebellious still against

the Lord and His offer of mercy and grace. When they saw the blessings being received

by Gentiles whom they despised, they would possibly be stirred up, and provoked to

emulation and salvation. This is the reason that the N.T. gives as to why Gentiles were

being saved in the Acts period, very different from the usual teaching that they were

being redeemed to form part of the Church which is Christ's Body.

We will now consider the third chapter of the Acts. This chapter is exceedingly

important, the appreciation of which is one of the keys to the understanding of the N.T.

First of all we notice that Peter heals a cripple. "And certain man lame from his mother's

womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called

Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple" (Acts 3: 2). This is just a

picture of what God was waiting to do for the nation of Israel, crippled with their

unbelief. They had just committed the climax sin, of sending their great Priest-King to

the Cross. After centuries of preparation and instruction by God, what was the result?

They would rather have a murderer than their Saviour and King! They would rather have

Barabbas than Christ! And in spite of this God was waiting to heal them! They were