The dispensationalist doctrine of the church

I will state the dispensational position on the meaning of the word ecclesia. Dr. John Walvoord a leading dispensationalist representative wrote that " Dispensational ecclesiology defines the church as a distinct body of saints in the present age, having its own divine purpose and destiny and differing from the saints of the past or future ages. This concept is based on a number of Scripture doctrines and the use of ecclesia itself.

Use of ecclesia This word translated church or assembly is found in at least four important meanings in the New Testament. It is used of ( 1 ) to mean an assembly of people. In this sense it has no special theological meaning. It can refer to Israel as a gathered people in the wilderness ( Acts 7:38 ) or a regular assembly of citizens ( Acts 19:39 ) or a group of people gathered for a religious worship ( Heb. 2:12 ) . ( 2 ) The same word is used for an assembly of Christians in a local church ( Acts 8:1,3; 11:22,26 ) and in the plural for a group of such churches ( 1 Cor. 16:9; Gal. 1:2 ) . Each assembly or church has a local gathering composed of professed Christians. That all in the assembly are not necessarily true believers is clear from the messages to the seven churches of Asia ( Rev. 2-3 ) . ( 3 ) Ecclesia is also used of the total of professing Christians without reference to locality and is practically parallel in this sense to Christiandom ( Acts 12:1; Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Rev. 2:1-3:22; etc. ) . The same word is used ( 4 ) of the body of Christ, composed of those baptized by the Holy Spirit into the Church ( 1 Cor. 12:13 ) . Ecclesia used in this connection becomes a technical word refering to the saints of this age. All agree that ecclesia as in ( 1 ) above used of Israel in the Old Testament. The issue is whether ecclesia is ever used of Israel in the sense of ( 2 ) , ( 3 ) , and ( 4 ) . A study of every use of ecclesia is used in the Old Testament can be classified under ( 1 ) . Of particular importance is the fact ecclesia is never used of an assembly or body of saints except in reference to saints of the present age. " ( The Millennial Kingdom : A Basic Text In Premillennial Theology, pg. 224-225, by Dr. John F. Walvoord )