Galatians 1:13b
"...how that beyond measure (it was despicable) I persecuted the church (assembly) of God, and wasted it:" Now we use the word `assembly' here on purpose because too many people get confused by thinking that the word "church" always means what we call the Body of Christ, and it doesn't. Always remember the word translated `church' in our New Testament is the Greek word `ekklesia' (it can be spelled with two c's or two k's) and we pronounce it 'ecclesia'. All that word meant in its true translated form was "a called out assembly." The 'ek' means origin, from, out, when used in composition it denotes completion, and the word 'klesia' means to be called, called-out. Just as Abram was called out from his fathers house and lands and then the Hebrews were called out from Egypt to become wholly God's chosen ones. It is the same for those who come through by way of personal choice come out from among them the world at first and then after passing through the discipline of their first estate of the church of the world by way of death into the New and Living Way. It doesn't mean something with pastors, and bishops and deacons necessarily, although when Paul speaks of the Body of Christ and the local Church, then, yes, it does. Now the word `ecclesia' then was what Stephen referred to in Acts chapter 7 when he said "The church in the wilderness." Remember that? Well, that wasn't a church, but it was a called-out assembly because God called Jacob/Israel out of Egypt unto Himself. And it was called an ecclesia. This holds the same meaning in our day but few of our denominations or religious groups hold to this, nor are true to their profession of faith in God alone, just as these Galatians did not. And was the reason for Paul's writing of the Epistle.
The group of Jewish believers in Jerusalem was a called-out assembly, or ecclesia, in Jerusalem because they had separated themselves from the run-of-the-mill Judaizers. We maintain they were not yet the Body of Christ, because they were still bond in their old traditions and customs. Back in the Book of Acts there was another instance, when it's anything but a spiritual group of people, when they rioted in Ephesus. They ran into the theater, they were a mob, they were rioting because of what the Apostle Paul had been accomplishing among those pagan people, the dogs, and what's it called? An ecclesia. Now, fortunately the King James translators didn't use the word `church' for that, so what did they use? Assembly. So the assembly was being addressed and warned that the Roman authorities were going to call them into question. So we have to be careful how we let these terminologies either confuse us or set us straight. Like the little book of Jasher, Paul sets things straight with a more accurate record through the Holy Spirit. So when Paul says:
Galatians 1:13b
"...I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:" We prefer the word `assembly' because that's what it was. It was a called-out, separated group of Hebrews who we do not feel were, as yet, under the terminology of the Body of Christ which is something so quite different. They were still operating under the soon to become old first covenant and its religious Law and legalism. Take that for what it's worth; you may not agree with us, but that's fine. So Paul persecuted the assembly and wasted it. Let's go back to the Book of Acts and get the scriptural account, and we can see for ourselves what he is talking about. Let's turn to chapter 7 verse 57. Here we have Stephen now, who has addressed the leaders of the Nation of Israel. He has gone through that whole historical record of the nation, and he brings them all the way up to Christ's crucifixion and rejection. He proclaims what Christ Himself had been doing, and as Peter had done at Pentecost, that He was the Christ, the promised Messiah of Israel. But remember Peter said back there in chapter 2 that they had murdered Him.
Acts 2:23b
"...ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:"
Acts 3:15a
"And killed the Prince of life,..."
Peter goes on to say that God raised Him from the dead, and He is still in a position to be your King. And like we said earlier: when Saul of Tarsus, that religious practitioner of Judaism, saw the inroads that Jesus of Nazareth and the Twelve were making into Judaism, he just about went into orbit as we would say. He fought it tooth and nail and was trying to stamp it out. Saul was sincere - sincerely wrong; but he was sincere in hating these Hebrews who had embraced Jesus of Nazareth. Look at Stephens account in Acts 7.
Acts 7:57-60
"Then they (these Jewish leaders) cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him (Stephen) with one accord. 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. (now he's thirty something. He was about the same age as Christ.) 59. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, `Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' 60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, `Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep." (His body died but his soul and spirit left him.)
Recently we made a point which many not have been picked up on that it is not appropriate for us in this Age of Grace in the post-resurrection era to refer to the Lord as simply "Jesus." That was His name as the son of man, in the flesh of humiliation. Never in all of the scriptural accounts did the Twelve address Him as "Jesus" They called Him either "Lord" or "Master," but they never called him Jesus. Now the ridiculers did, but His followers never did, and it's the same way here, do you see it? Look at verse 59 again.
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