Letters to the Church

In the first half of his letter to the Romans , Paul presents the “ Gospel ” – it is the “ power of God for salvation to Jews and Greeks .” God provides salvation through the “ faith of Jesus Christ ” for everyone who responds to it in faith. Death passed from Adam to everyone, both “ within the law ” and “ apart from the law ” because “ all sinned and lack the glory of God .” But now, “ apart from the law ,” the “ righteousness of God ” is revealed for “ all men who believe, for there is no distinction .”

In Genesis , God continues to implement His plan to redeem humanity by establishing the Covenant with Abraham, beginning with His summons for the Patriarch to leave his homeland and sojourn to the “ land that I will show you .” Yahweh would produce a “ great nation ” from him, and the Covenant would bless all the “ tribes of the Earth .” Moreover, from its start, the promise of territory was and remains central to the Abrahamic Covenant.

The Letter to the Hebrews highlights several aspects of the Son of God, especially his priesthood and one-time sacrifice. In doing so, the stress falls on the permanence of his priestly office, and the non-repeatable nature of his sacrifice. In his death, he “ achieved the purification of sins ,” and consequently, he now intercedes “ forevermore ” for his people as their High Priest. And his unique sacrifice dealt with sin “ ONCE-FOR-ALL .”

The New Testament usage of the term “ assembly ” is based on the language and imagery of Israel assembled before Yahweh for worship in front of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. The Greek noun rendered “church” in many English translations is ekklésia , and it means “assembly, congregation, convocation.” In secular Greek usage it could refer to an “assembly” of citizens gathered to conduct matters of state. However, that is not the sense found in the Greek New Testament.

The Apostle Paul consistently applies the Greek term rendered the “Sanctuary of God” to the church, the Body of Christ, and he uses related temple language when describing congregations of believers. Many of the same Greek terms are applied in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible to the Tabernacle in the wilderness and the Temple in Jerusalem. While his usage is metaphorical, it illustrates the identity of God’s people under the New Covenant inaugurated by Jesus.